Finding Home
by Gottahavemyncis
Summary: Tim McGee travels to Athens, his new post and promotion. Come along as Tim meets his new team, explores more of the world and continues learning about life, love and family, new and old. Third in the series that began with "The Thought" and continued with "The Project". WARNING: RATED M FOR occasional (het) sexual content. Disclaimer is on my profile.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to my beta, HarmonFreak1!

This series which started with "The Thought" makes use of canon characters and events, but does not religiously follow canon. For instance, the episodes "The Penelope Papers", "Squall" and "House Rules" never happened, but "Shabbot Shalom" and most of the rest of S10 did happen. It boils down to Tim's background being very different from canon - for details, see my profile.

Settle in and get comfortable! After all, Tim's assignment is for a minimum three years. A lot can happen in three years (or more)! Now for the story...

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><p>Finding Home<p>

Chapter One

Before he joined the queue to go through Security at Heathrow, Tim turned and gave James a warm hug. "May 1st holiday, you promise? It's on Thursday next year, so we can both take Friday off, have some fun!"

"Yes, as long as you don't have a case!"

"Come anyway!" James laughed and patting his friend on the shoulder, turned and walked away, afraid he would embarrass both of them if he looked back. He hoped the two of them would be friends for many years; they'd really gotten along well.

By the time Tim got to the gate, he was ready to just get on the plane and go. Leaving here wasn't as traumatic as his departure from DC, but it was a bit wrenching, something he hadn't anticipated when told he would be working in London for four weeks. He shook his head; it truly had been a wonderful month. Offered the choice of staying through the week or going early to Athens/Piraeus and getting settled in, he'd chosen to follow his original thought – to move on, move forward.

The flight to Athens was pleasant. Tim had a window seat and was stunned by some of the views. When they flew over the Alps, he snapped as many photos as he could of the majestic white capped mountains. He really couldn't see the mountains themselves, the snow cover almost appeared like waves. Every time the cockpit announced what region or country they were flying over, Tim had a thrill. Never in his life and certainly not during his years on the street, had he thought he would be flying from London to Athens, to live in Greece.

The four hour flight went quickly and Tim gathered his carryon, stuffing the light jacket he'd worn in London and on the plane into the bag. He briefly wondered when - or if - he would be wearing it again. Although he'd let his new boss Pete Russell know that he was arriving early he didn't expect to be met at the airport. It was Friday, still a workday; Tim was a big boy and could find his way to his temporary home. From what Vance had told him, it was something like one of the residential inns at home. He was actually hoping he could get there, stow his bags and pop into the office to meet everyone casually before his formal reporting in on Monday.

When he exited Customs, putting his documents carefully back in his bag, Tim was bemused to once again see his name on a sign, this time held by an older man. There was no last name this time, just the name Tim. He smiled and locked eyes with the man, surely this couldn't be his new boss, taking time away from the office to meet his new junior agent? He shook his head and held out his hand. "Pete?" The man nodded as he showed Tim his badge and Tim returned the gesture.

"Καλώς ήρθατε στην Αθήνα, Tim!" (Welcome to Athens)

Tim responded in Greek saying, "Thanks! I'm happy to be here, but I didn't expect you to meet me, take time away from work!"

Pete switched to English, "Haven't shaken off DC yet, have you my boy?"

Tim chuckled, "I guess not. Takes longer than four weeks to wash away 10 years!"

"Ah well, we'll work on that! I trust your flight was uneventful?"

"Yes, I snapped photos flying across the Alps, other than that I looked out when they announced where we were. Ate, drank, the usual."

"Good, well, let's get going then. My car's out front and even the agency placard won't prevent the airport police from towing us at some point!" Pete had one of the airport rental carts with him and they piled Tim's luggage on, although he kept his carryon on his shoulder.

Once the bags were loaded into the car, the two men climbed in and took off. As he drove, Pete explained, "Thought you might like to stop in the office and meet everyone before the weekend. "

Tim grinned, "I was hoping to get here in time to do just that!"

"Atta boy! We're having a get together with everyone on Sunday so you'd have met them all then, but this way you can see us in our native habitat before you officially become a part of it."

"Wow, that's wonderful, Pete, I sure didn't expect this!"

"Well, we work differently here. Might take you awhile to get used to it, it did me, but it'll become natural after awhile."

"I do have the advantage of having spent time In the London office, broke the pattern there."

"Yes, Joel is quite sorry to lose you." He laughed at the look on Tim's face. "You'll get used to that, too. With NCIS spread so thin in Europe, we stay in fairly close touch. We have a bi-monthly conference call with the four of us from London, Rota, Marseilles and here. However, Joel called me specifically about you, to sing your praises." Tim's ears and cheeks were bright red by now and he didn't know what to say. Pete chuckled, "I guess I shouldn't tell you that I've had calls from your friend Dr. Mallard and a Special Agent Rick Carter, both of whom wanted to make sure I understood what a gem I was getting." He paused, "And Tim, just so you know, Director Vance has given me some idea of what you've been through on your former team. Joel knew too, yeah we talked about it. One of the things I want to make clear to you is that I am accessible to talk anytime about anything, I would prefer you come to me with problems, even if the problem is with me."

Tim swallowed, he couldn't believe he was about to say this to the man he'd only met a few minutes ago, but it felt important to say now, to get things started right. "Dr. Mallard has been a big help with that, I realize now that I've spent most of my life handling things on my own but that I don't have to anymore; I need to learn to trust the people around me and part of that is reaching out when I need help."

"Good to hear, son, and I'm happy to help you with that. I have your file, I've read it from cover to cover and while I can't even begin to fathom the challenges you've faced, at least I have a better understanding of where you're coming from." He reached over and patted Tim on the knee. "I'm excited that you're joining us, Carla is over the moon about you coming in early so she can go home and not worry about us."

"She's doing ok?"

"She's hanging in, there have been a couple of tough spots but the docs have gotten them through ok. Joel told you? "

"About Carla and loaning his junior agent and my being there if they needed another agent, yes. I'm glad everything worked out…you know I just realized that Vance never mentioned it."

"Nah, we told him after Julian was here, he knows the situation over here, knows we have to be a bit creative once in a while. It all worked out well, you were able to continue on your project and both offices were staffed for the field."

Tim had been so gobsmacked while Vance was telling him about his former team that the fact that DiNozzo had been assigned to the office that Julian had been supposed to move to didn't pop into place until now. He shook his head in disbelief. "Tim?"

"Uh, nothing, Pete, just putting a piece of the NCIS puzzle together."

"Something I should know?"

Tim chuckled, "It'll be common knowledge if it isn't already. Joel told me his junior agent had had orders for posting to Bremerton in Washington State, but that Vance pulled the order. It didn't dawn on me until just now that Bremerton is the office that my former team-mate and former SFA, DiNozzo, has been sent to…as a junior agent."

"Oh, yeah, I see what you mean. We don't always realize how small an agency we are."

"Small but mighty!"

"That's for sure! And speaking of the small but mighty, here we are!"

They'd pulled up in front of what looked like residence. Tim looked at Pete, "Office or hotel?"

"Office."

"Cool, like the LA OSP office! Inconspicuous, cleverly disguised."

"A. I'm impressed that you've been to OSP and B, you're right." Tim laughed; he already liked his new boss. "The only problem we have is that our flag isn't in plain sight and that bothers me. But if you look up over the second floor…"

Tim looked and saw the top of a flag pole with the U.S. flag waving proudly over the rooftop along with the blue and white stripes of Greece's flag.

"Wow, feels good to see old Glory!"

Pete nodded, "Yes, I may be something of an expat, but I salute her every morning. Come on, let's go in." They exited the car, Pete locking it with the remote and headed for the front door of the building. The front was simply landscaped and well maintained. Tim wondered if there was a sign for NCIS and then saw it next to the front door, announcing it was the office of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in both English and Greek.

They pushed in the door and entered what must have been a generous foyer, now functioning as a lobby. It was decorated with some beautiful paintings of Grecian sailing vessels through the centuries with a few photos of current American ships scattered in between. The woman behind the desk there looked up, gave Tim a friendly smile and welcomed him in Greek. Pete introduced her as Tea, pronounced TEE ah. Tim shook her hand as she again welcomed him to the office, this time in perfect English. The two men traveled further into the building and Tim thought the main room must have been the living room and dining area at some time. Not having been in a Greek home before, he could only compare it to American and British layouts. Five workstations were placed in the room, situated so that no one was quite face to face with any of the other occupants. Two of the desk chairs were currently occupied. To the right, the wall was mostly windows and the room was bright with natural light. Off to the left there was a hallway and Tim could see at least four doors. He figured interrogation, machinery – copy, fax, server(s) and a restroom or two. He wondered if there was a lockup here and then realized there wasn't enough staff. He remembered reading about the American embassy building in Athens and knew there was a lockup there, but that was a few miles away. He laughed at himself, he was sure the staff had it all figured out!

At the far end of the room there was an enclosed office with a rippled glass wall facing the rest of the room. That must be Pete's office. The left interior wall of the first floor ended several feet from the back of the building and Tim wondered if that had been the kitchen. As they progressed into the room, the two workers looked up. One ended a phone conversation and sat smiling at the two men. From what Tim could see, this was Carla, the benched Senior Field agent. The young man across from her was working on his laptop but smiled in their direction. Pete motioned to them and Tim saw that Tea had followed them into the room. They headed for the mystery room at the left and he saw he'd been right, not only had it been the kitchen, in some respects it still was. There was a long counter with a sink at one end, a built in dishwasher and a microwave, toaster oven, coffeemaker and small refrigerator at the other end. There were cupboards above and below. Tim noticed that there was a track on the ceiling a little beyond the refrigerator and he noticed what looked like a large screen or rolling door hidden in the back wall. He guessed the room doubled as a conference room as there was a large table with files and coffee mugs on it and they could make it more formal by using the rolling door to block off the kitchen. As a whole, it was a large bright room, although by now Tim had noticed that each window had some sort of covering rolled up at the top, shades to help keep the summer heat out. He turned his head as he spotted the staircase to the second floor and Pete grinned at him. "What did Vance tell you about your temporary quarters?"

"That it was like a residence hotel and I could walk to work."

"Well, I guess you could call it that and you certainly can walk to work. It does have a kitchen, comfortable bedroom and full bath. "

Tim laughed, "Is the room upstairs or down that hallway?"

"Upstairs. Hope you don't mind!"

"No, I think that's great! I have everything I need in the kitchen, right?" The agents and Kim chuckled. "Yes, if you choose to eat in. Each of us found, when we transferred in and stayed upstairs, that we wanted a break at some point. We'll show you our favorite εστιατόριο (restaurant) and ταβέρνα (tavern), both within walking distance." Tim nodded, that would be good. He was again grateful that he could speak the language; it would make it that much easier to meet people.

Carla spoke for the first time, "The only rule Pete insists on is that you don't show up for work in your jammies!"

"Ok, but what about barefoot?"

They all laughed and Carla said, "Oh, you're going to fit right in!"

Pete went around the room and introduced them, Carla, Eva, Matt, Kim and of course Tea. Matt was the current probie, Eva the other local support staff, Kim was the American woman who staffed Pete and the agents. Eva was part-time, the others were fulltime staffers. They sat at the table and Tea opened one of the cupboards to unveil a plate of Greek pastries. The others cheered as she unwrapped the treats. "I brought these in early and hid them, Tim, so that there would still be some left by the time Pete brought you from the airport."

"Thank you, Tea, I appreciate your caution! In my old office, these wouldn't have made it from the front door to the squad room without some stealth moves! Did you make these, by any chance?''

"Yes, I did, how did you guess?"

He smiled at her, "Dated a Greek girl who taught me to speak the language and her mother made pastries that looked very similar to this." He continued, "I remember her making one of these, I think it was the folded ones, it was pretty tricky."

Tea blushed as she nodded. "Yes, my yaya (grandmother) taught me from the time I was old enough to see over the counter when I stood on a stool. Not the frying part, I was not allowed to do that until I was much older, but I had watched her so many times by then." Tim nodded as he chewed and swallowed a delicious bite. "It's sad that I can't remember her mother's name but I do remember the names of the pastries!"

The others laughed while Kim turned over the mugs and Pete fetched the coffee pot and electric kettle. Matt brought a tea bag he put in Carla's mug as well as cream and sugar, plates, napkins and spoons that he distributed around the table. Carla's hot water was poured first and the kettle left for her while Pete poured coffee for everyone else. Tim noticed everyone had pitched in. Watching Matt, Tim thought that of all the probie things he'd had to do all those years ago waiting table had not been part of them, although he had the lunch run more often than not. Smiling he took another delicious bite and then a sip of his coffee. Oh yeah, this was going to be good!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

While they enjoyed Tea's scrumptious pastries, the group told Tim more about the office and Piraeus. He was glad Vance had advised him to pay attention to current events and history as well as Greece's ancient history. He knew from his online research that there was a Metro system that ran both under and above ground; in fact he'd planned to take that system from the airport to the office this morning. Now he heard more about the construction and the 'emergency archeology' that had to be done. The artifacts that had been removed were in one central museum and he thought that sounded interesting. He laughed as he told his new co-workers that everything sounded interesting. Matt told him as the most recent newcomer he could give him some tips and then mentioned that he had just moved out from upstairs in the past month, found an apartment nearby to share with an American student. He held up his hand, "It's clean up there, I swear, Pete's wife inspected it. "

They all laughed as Pete said, "You could have stayed up there Matt, but you would have had to share with Julian and now Tim."

Tim laughed, "Not a problem for me, I shared a flat with one of my team members in London!"

No one had heard about that so he told a much condensed version of his stay with James and a few of their travels. Their treats and coffee finished, Eva and Kim collected the dishes and mugs and put them in the dishwasher while Matt and Tim grabbed his luggage from the car and quickly hauled it upstairs. Tim came back downstairs with his carryon and a carry bag from his suitcase. Pete shook his finger at him, "No work for you today. Monday is soon enough."

Tim tried not to make a face and spotted Carla doing the same thing. "How about this, Pete? How about Carla and I just go over a few things…please?"

Pete laughed, "Joel and Leon were right about you, son, you're ready to roll, aren't you?"

Tim dared what a month ago would have been an unthinkably daring comeback for him. "I live upstairs, Pete, can't just go up there and listen to you work! And really, I'm just thinking about Carla; think how much this will reduce her stress levels."

Pete huffed a laugh at them while Carla obligingly batted her eyelids in a "helpless maiden" look. "Fine, who am I to stop progress!" His SFA and almost-SFA grinned at him, showing their appreciation.

Tim took the vacant workstation closest to Carla, opened his carryon and took out his laptop and some of his gizmos he'd brought from DC as well as some he'd acquired in London. He realized the office was scheduled for the new product upload this afternoon and wondered who would be handling that. His next thought was that would be a sideline for him here, his main job was Junior Field Agent getting up to speed on the duties of a Senior Field Agent as quickly as possible. He threw his carry bag with his favorite office supplies into a drawer and rolled his chair over to Carla's workstation.

She smiled, "That was fast!"

He chuckled, "Hey, I can set up my desk at 0300 if I want, why take the time now!" She patted his hand, "You'll be fine, we'll be fine, we've got a few weeks." He nodded, thanking her. They spent a couple of hours on procedure, reports, etc. and then lunch arrived.

Tim's eyes popped wide open when a woman everyone greeted as "Trina" walked into the office carrying a hot food bag, a young girl behind her carrying a second hot food bag.

Pete came out of his office and kissed the woman and the girl, as the others called greetings to her and Kyra. Carla patted Tim's hand again, "Don't worry, we only do all this for newcomers. Monday you'll have to get your own food!"

Tim nodded, "Not that I mind but…"

She laughed. "What you're probably already noticing is that we are a community here, a family. The Russells have lived here forever and they know everybody. My husband and I have been here for several years and many of our friends and acquaintances were introduced to us by the Russells. They make sure everyone has a friend, has a place to go for holidays. Do you have family?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, a sister and two brothers. My sister and younger brother will be moving from the US to London in the next few weeks, Sarah for grad school, Rob for medical school. Our older brother Geordie is Marines Special Forces, so we never know where he is or where we'll see him. But I've already told my kids we'll be spending holidays together, at least while they're in Europe."

"Your kids?"

"Sarah and Rob."

"That's sweet you call them your kids."

Tim shrugged, "I raised them, it's an old habit, haven't broken it."

Carla had her hand on her baby belly, rubbing it. "Hope you never do, it's very sweet and says a lot about the person you are."

Tim blushed and he was a little relieved when Pete whistled for everyone to gather in the kitchen. He was introduced to Trina and Krya, the Russells' youngest child, and then told to sit and enjoy his meal, a version of a souvlaki pita called a Gyro Pita. Tim looked at it and realized it was the original "Hero" sandwich, in a pita instead of a roll. These were freshly made and accompanied by plates of what Tim recognized as Greek salad. Bottles of lemonade were on the table and Tim poured himself a glass. He had never been one to use much ice in his drinks, growing up on the street he'd just been grateful to have anything to drink and ice had been the furthest thing from his mind. In London he had felt right at home when drinks were served without ice. He wondered about that here with the much warmer climate and smiled when Pete pulled trays of ice cubes out of the tiny freezer in the top portion of the small refrigerator.

After lunch, Carla and Tim wheedled a couple more hours out of Pete and then took the time to review current and recently closed cases. Tim was not surprised to see that the files and reports were the same high quality as his former team had turned in. By 1500, he could see that Carla was flagging, so they wound up what they were doing and he headed upstairs to unpack.

His room was quite spacious, had obviously been the largest bedroom in the former home and there was an updated en suite bathroom. His bedroom and bathroom windows looked out the back and Tim was pleased to see a garden, with plenty of shade, flowers and a fountain. Once he unpacked, he grabbed his phone and took some pictures of the room and of the view from his window. Pocketing his phone and picking up his tablet, he headed downstairs. Thinking to grab a bottle of the lemonade, he stopped in the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and found that it had been fully stocked with items all marked "TIM". Matt heard him on the stairs and came out to tell him that there was a two burner electric 'hot plate' in the cupboards as well as a skillet and a couple of saucepans, so he could cook whatever he wanted and the toaster oven was big enough to bake or broil most items. He showed him how to operate the appliances and then took him out to the garden to show him the shadiest spots and the switch to turn the fountain and lights on. Tim was entranced and wondered if he could just stay here rather than find his own place.

Seeing the look on his face, Matt chuckled. "I kind of felt the same way, Tim, but we can come out to the garden during breaks, lunch, I still cook my dinner here sometimes and eat outside. Eventually you will want your own place. As nice as this is, it's still the office and I guess Pete hasn't mentioned it yet, but we're not allowed to have guests upstairs."

Tim nodded, "I had wondered about that! Yes, that will definitely speed up my apartment hunt!"

"Uh, I was wondering, if you're not too tired tomorrow, would you want to go into Athens for some sightseeing? I've been but I'd really like to go back with someone, be a lot more fun. You know - different perspectives."

Tim's eyes lit up, "Yeah, that'd be great Matt, thanks! And I won't be too tired, remember, I only flew across the English Channel and parts of Europe today, not the whole Atlantic as you did!"

Matt nodded. "Great! Also, Kim and I would like you to come to dinner with us tonight. We'll show you around the immediate area here, then the nicer parts of the harbor – this is a big city and a big harbor, it's not all pretty and some of it is dangerous, so we can point out places to avoid except on a case! Then we thought we'd show you a couple of the quieter neighborhoods each of us has found – Kim's been here for nearly two years so she knows a lot more than I do. Have dinner; do a bit of walking, and sound good?"

Tim nodded again, "Yeah that sounds wonderful!"

Tim was quite happy to agree, he'd been mentally preparing himself to spend Saturday by himself. He'd thought he take the Metro into Athens and see a few of the items on his list, but going with Matt sounded like a lot more fun.

Matt and Kim had a couple of hours more to work, so Tim found a comfortable spot in the garden. He sent a text to Vance letting him know he was at the office, loved his "hotel" and the in-office chefs. Chuckling he sent that, figuring it would get the man's attention. Checking the time, he saw it was still a little too early to call Ducky so he picked up his tablet, sent a few e-mails and then caught up on his reading. Thirty minutes later, his watch alarm chimed and he picked up the phone again to call his friends.

Ducky answered the phone on the first ring, "Hello, Timothy, are you all settled in to your hotel in Greece?"

Tim laughed, "Did the Director tell you, Ducky?"

The older man chuckled, "Yes dear boy he did, before he left for Europe. He wanted to make sure you wouldn't be upset, I got the idea the British lad wasn't overly enthusiastic about it. I got quite a kick out of the rooms above the office and Jimmy has too; hold on…do you mind if I put you on speaker?"

"No, Ducky, not at all! It's a great room; has its own bathroom, very usable kitchen downstairs, beautiful garden out back with lots of shade and a fountain, I'm sitting under a really nice shade tree right now. I took some photos of the room and the garden; I'll send them in a minute."

"That's wonderful, lad! You sound every bit as close as you did in London, I'm happy to say. I take it you have met your new team?"

"Yes, they're great, Ducky. Pete, that's my new Team Leader, Pete Russell, picked me up at the airport; I was so surprised that he'd do that on a workday! He brought me to the office to meet everyone so I didn't even think anything of not going straight to the hotel. It wasn't until I saw the building and then the staircase to the second floor that I realized this was my 'residential hotel that was within walking distance.' Anyway, one of the women who works here brought in homemade Greek pastries and they had a welcoming party for me. I spent the rest of the morning with Carla, the woman I'll be replacing and then Pete's wife and daughter showed up with lunch! These people are amazing!"

"I'm so happy to hear that, Timothy, you sound as happy as you were in London."

"I am. I was a little worried about being on my own all weekend, but two of my co-workers have asked me to join them for dinner tonight and one of them asked me to go into Athens with him tomorrow. Sunday, Pete and his wife are having a get-together for all of us. And I haven't really even done anything yet, Ducky, these people are just naturally friendly!"

"Yes well, Timothy, it is about time you found kindred spirits."

"I guess...Ducky, Vance told me about Gibbs, DiNozzo and Abby. Is everything ok there?"

"I will admit it is strange with none of you here, dear boy, but the atmosphere in the office has settled down quite nicely. Anthony has left for his new assignment and Gibbs is in Stillwater."

"Is he ok, Ducky?"

"He is…all right, Timothy, you shouldn't worry about him."

"But I do, I never thought…well, you know what I thought would happen."

"Yes I do but with the exception of your own departure, the rest have been the Director's decisions, Timothy and surely you don't mean to question them, do you?"

"What? No, not at all, I just…"

"You just settle in, enjoy your dinner tonight and your sightseeing tomorrow. Would it be possible to have someone take your photo over the weekend and send it to me? I love seeing the sights, but I most want to see you in those sights, lad."

"Of course, Ducky, and I have some from London still to send you." Tim paused, "Ducky, have you spoken with Gibbs this week?"

"Not since he left for Stillwater, lad. I've talked with Jack and you may as well know I'm flying up there this weekend. And before I forget, Jackson asked to send you his love."

"That's sweet of him, Ducky, please thank him and tell him I send mine as well. But Gibbs… he's not ok, is he?"

"He will be fine, Timothy and if you start thinking any of this is your doing I shall be very upset with you."

Tim paused, "Ok, Ducky, I see your point. Thanks for being such a good friend, to both of us, to all of us. Is Jimmy there?"

"Unfortunately, no, although the reason is a good one, he and Breena are meeting with an adoption counselor this morning."

"Oh, that's great, they're moving along pretty fast!"

"Yes, and Timothy, they have asked me to be grandfather to their child!"

Tim let out a whoop, momentarily forgetting that he was in the back garden of an office. He grimaced and looked at his watch, nearly 1700, shouldn't be too bad a faux pas at this hour. He hoped. "Ducky, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, dear boy, I'm quite excited about it! Now as much as I would love to chat with you longer, I do have a guest who needs my attention and Agent Carter has just walked in."

"All right, Ducky, it's been wonderful talking with you. Tell Rick, Jimmy and the others hello for me and … have a safe flight."

"I shall do so, my friend. Have a wonderful weekend and send me photos! I'll talk with you next week, hmm?"

"Yes, Ducky. Have a good flight." They ended the call and Tim sat thinking about the news. He knew Jimmy and Breena had intended to ask Ducky to be grandfather to their children. Jimmy's father had died years ago and Tim knew Ducky had a big place in Jimmy and Breena's hearts just as they had in his. The other news, about Gibbs, didn't sound so good. He worried his lip, thinking about calling Jackson's store but was interrupted by Kim's arrival.

"Matt and I are just getting ready to shut down, Tim, if you want to come in. Matt says he always left a couple of lights on upstairs so the place looks occupied. We thought we'd take you to one of our favorite pubs after dinner. We'll take my car now and leave it at the bar; I'll be designated driver tonight."

"How far away is Matt's place?"

"It's a bit far but it's close enough so that I can drop him off on my way home, then he can get his car here tomorrow when he meets you for your trip into The City." Tim smiled, thinking how funny it was that everywhere he went, London, Baltimore and now Athens, the metropolis was usually referred to as The City, with capital letters.

"Do I need a jacket, is this ok?"

"Yes, you're fine and yes, this time of year the evenings do cool down, so bring a light jacket. In the summer you won't need one at all." Tim went upstairs to leave his tablet, grab a jacket, turn a light on and lock his bedroom door (as advised by Matt and Pete), then walked out with his two new co-workers.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Once they left the office, the three co-workers walked around the immediate area, Matt and Kim pointing out useful businesses: laundry & dry cleaners, shoe repair, coffee shop, bakery, a bookstore advertising they had books in English, groceries, a park, Radio Shack, a delicatessen that smelled delicious, the closest police station. Returning to the office, they got in Kim's car and drove to the harbor area, Matt and Kim still filling Tim's head with tips about local businesses, traffic, where to find the best…of everything. Within a few blocks they'd reached the harbor and Tim was entranced with the city pier and the marina. There were three cruise ships out in the harbor and Kim explained that they brought people in on smaller tenders and then bussed them into Athens. There were a myriad of sail and power boats berthed at the marina and Tim also spotted a large frigate anchored farther out of the harbor, away from the cruise ships. Kim explained that with Greece's troubled economy, the cruise ships were a welcome sight and the tourism board was very careful to make sure their visitors saw all the sites, historic, ancient and modern. One of the ships they'd spotted up the line was an ancient sailing vessel, obviously a reproduction. Tim noticed the Nautical Museum close to the vessel and both his co-workers recommended it. Tim also noticed a "tall ship", a three masted sailing ship. When Tim asked about it, Matt said he'd gone over and looked at it; the ship was a schooner on a 'round the world' cruise. Given what they knew as NCIS employees about pirate and terrorist activities on the high seas, none of them were wildly enthusiastic about the idea of a global sail. It just sounded too dangerous!

From where they were, Tim could see several docks with shipping containers and he had to repress a shiver looking at them, thinking of Tony and Ziva's ordeal in a very similar container. He remembered that Gibbs had been kind to him that day; when he'd expressed a fear that their teammates might be dead, Gibbs had reached out and touched him, told him no they were alive because he would know if they were dead. That was one of the few times he could remember Gibbs treating him like that. He hoped his former boss was ok and thought again about calling Stillwater. As always, he wondered why in general Gibbs had never seemed to like him or treat him as one of the "family". Shaking his head he turned to find Kim and Matt looking at him with some concern. Huffing, he pointed to the shipping containers and told them about his former colleagues being boxed in.

They parked the car and walked around the bustling city of Piraeus for a couple of hours, popping in and out of places to show Tim various things. Eventually Matt declared he was hungry and although it was still a bit early, they headed to the restaurant they wanted to show Tim. They walked a few blocks to the neighborhoods where the small cafes and restaurants were patronized by the locals, turning in at a restaurant called Vosporos. The place hadn't filled up yet and they were ushered to a table by a window. They chose from the menu making sure they knew the prices and when Tim ordered, he did so in fluent Greek and the server smiled, happy to have a foreigner speak his language. Kim also ordered in Greek and Matt, smiling, did his best, telling the server he was still learning. Returning the smile, their server told Matt that he was still learning English. They had excellent service and found the food quite tasty. Tim and Kim ordered lamb dishes while Matt had chicken. Each of them cut bites off their entrée and passed to the others before they dug in. The prices were not bad and Tim made a note of the address, he thought he would return here. It was a cozy place and he felt comfortable. Considering the homemade delicacies they'd enjoyed that morning, they passed on dessert and enjoyed coffees instead.

After leaving the restaurant, they walked down to the harbor again and enjoyed the lights on all the ships and boats. Matt and Kim laughingly told Tim they were taking him to a famous pub next. As they walked to it, they passed Kim's car and Tim nodded in appreciation of their plan, parking near their last destination. As they reached the pub, Tim laughed at the sign and insisted on taking a photo of it, "The Flying Pig Pub". He was told the place was run by a Greek-American who served a large range of beers and wholesome foods, including an English breakfast. Tim made note of this address too and Matt gave him directions from the office. This seemed like a place he could come to hang out. He could have breakfast or a pub dinner and while he wasn't a big drinker, he didn't mind nursing a beer for awhile. They sat with their beers, each of them trying a different local brew and enjoying the atmosphere. Tim was surprised when both Kim and Matt wanted news from home…not what was on the news but what was really happening. It was easy to keep up with the news online but it wasn't easy to find people to talk with to tell them what was really happening, how people felt, what they were talking about. Having been based in DC, Tim had quite a lot to share. He figured he would be asking the same types of questions in a few months.

It wasn't all that late when they decided to call it a night, but Tim was suddenly exhausted and wondered why. Then he thought about the day he'd had: up before dawn to travel to Heathrow, flew nearly 1500 miles from one country to another, met his new co-workers, worked a bit, walked a bit, ate a lot and now he was very ready for a good night's sleep. They wandered back to Kim's car and as they got in, Tim turned to Kim, "Is there another bedroom at the office?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a small one upstairs, down the hall from you."

Tim turned to Matt, "Do you have a 'go' bag in your car?"

Matt looked at him, "You mean a case bag, for call outs?"

"Personal stuff, clothes, toiletries…"

"Yeah, that's what we call a case bag."

"Oh, yeah, that's what I meant. "

"Yeah, always!"

"Then why don't you just stay at the office, there's food in the fridge, I'll make us breakfast tomorrow before we go on in to Athens."

Matt laughed, "Well yeah sure, that makes sense, I just didn't want to crowd you on your first night."

Tim smiled, "Believe me, I'm going to be sleeping too hard to notice." He paused, "Is that ok, do we need to let Pete know?"

Kim shook her head, "Nah, I'm the de facto operations manager, so you're fine. Just make sure you change the sheets before you leave, Matt." Matt nodded his head sleepily.

Tim looked at Kim, "You're not too tired to drive home?"

She smiled at him, "I'm fine, Tim, thanks for your concern."

He smiled back, "I forget this was a normal work day for you, except for the pastries, lunch and having a new guy there! I suddenly feel like I've been up for about 36 hours straight."

"Matt had jet lag for over a week!"

"Hey!"

"Well you did."

"Yeah I know."

Tim chuckled, "I had it for several days after flying to London, Matt; I think it's the time difference plus the flight that throws us off."

Kim pulled up in front of the office and waited until the two men had retrieved Matt's "case" bag (Tim didn't like that name, it was confusing to him but he guessed he'd get used to it), locked his car and opened the office door. Turning, they waved to her and she took off for home.

The second bedroom door was locked, but Tim had all the keys. After they found the right key and unlocked the door, he gave Matt the key to hang onto. Unlocking the door to his own room, he was glad he'd unpacked his clothes and toiletries. He took a quick shower and collapsed into bed around 2300.

When he woke to sunshine pouring into his room, Tim briefly wondered where he was and then remembered he was home now. Not quite to his permanent home, he'd have to find an apartment but in the right place. He jumped out of bed, eager to start his first full day in Greece.

He quietly padded downstairs, not wanting to wake Matt up if he was still sleeping, he'd let the smells of breakfast cooking do that. He got the coffee going and then grabbed the two-burner and the skillet from the cupboard. He found bacon, eggs and cream in the fridge. He didn't see any butter or margarine but did spot a yogurt spread and took that out for the toast. Laughing to himself, he wondered if there was a brand called "Greek Yogurt" here or if it was all just yogurt. He searched for cooking utensils, found them plus a hot pad and got busy cooking the bacon.

He hadn't gotten as far as turning the bacon when Matt appeared, blinking sleepily. "Good morning!"

"Morning Tim. I smelled coffee and bacon!"

"Yep, figured we could go a long way today on a full breakfast."

"Sounds good to me. Any idea what you want to see first?"

Tim looked at him and they both started laughing. "Ok, ok, that's a big duh! We'll start with the Acropolis and Parthenon and I'm going to make a giant assumption that you'll want to see the Acropolis Museum as well?"

Tim nodded, "Oh yeah and then the National Archeological Museum, if we have time!"

Matt smiled at him, "Just remember you have more than a month here, you can go into Athens every weekend, every day off if you want!"

"That's true, I'm still in "see it all in a month" mode from London."

As they were talking, Tim had cooked the eggs and made toast. He plated their breakfasts, Matt poured two coffees, put the cream & sugar on the table, they sat down to eat and kept right on talking.

"You know, Athens at night is spectacular – everything is lit up and there's a lot going on. It's really a very safe city compared to London!"

"I heard that…oh, so you're saying we can take our time, have dinner and see Athens by night?"

"Something like that. I was going to add the Plaka into the mix since we'll be right there. That's the neighborhood around the Acropolis, there are all sorts of small shops, restaurants, and local architecture, if you like architecture." He laughed again at the look in Tim's eyes.

"Ok, that will give us a full day! If not we'll take in some of the other neighborhoods, maybe Lycabettus Hill. That has a funicular rail car, might be fun and will probably get us away from the tourists. Oh wait today you are a tourist…some of the other tourists then. The other thing is there's an open air bus we can take into Athens from here. I thought that would be more scenic for you going in and then we can take the Metro on the way back."

"Matt, this is really great of you to take on even though you've seen everything already, it's going to be like having my own tour guide!"

"Yeah, I saw it all and it was interesting but today's going to be a lot more fun." By this time both men had finished their breakfasts and Matt offered to do the dishes while Tim headed upstairs to clean up and dress. He wasn't sure about what time they'd be coming back so he grabbed a light jacket and put it in his daypack. He wondered about weapons and when Matt came upstairs, he asked.

"I asked Pete when I got here and he said we don't have to carry our Sigs on weekends, unless we're on call for one of the other offices. Do you know about that?"

Tim nodded. "Ok, so no Sigs this weekend." He twisted his lips, "I'm sure there's security at the museums, right?"

"Yeah, airport style security. Why, what are you thinking?"

"On my old team, we also carried knives as weapons. As one of my former co-workers once said, "Knives don't run out of ammunition." I got into the habit of carrying one all the time, whether I was on or off duty. Mine is a belt knife. I also usually have one strapped to my ankle, but I won't take that one today. But I will take my belt knife so I'll bring my permit to carry."

Matt just stared at him. "I thought this office might be different from DC, that you'd be surprised at the terrorists and stuff like that we get into, but it doesn't sound like it."

Tim gave him a grim smile, "No, afraid not. My first year as a field agent, one of my team mates was killed by a Hamas terrorist."

"Geez, that's horrible. So…do you throw the knife or use it more personally?"

"Both. I had kind of a rough growing up; by the time I was 10 I could hit any target I could see."

"Wow, I had no idea."

"I know, sure don't look it, do I? That actually saved me a few times."

"What kind of…never mind, it's none of my business."

"No, I've got nothing to hide, not anymore." Tim told him an abbreviated version of his story.

"Tim…I don't even know what to say, that's awful, that shouldn't ever happen to kids."

Tim shook his head, "Did and still does. That shelter and camp still exist and there's still kids on their own there."

"How did you survive?"

"Kept moving, studied hard, worked hard, learned how to defend myself."

"You should write a book!" Tim laughed and shook his head. He wasn't ready to out himself as Thom E Gemcity. Pete knew as it was in his personnel file, but he didn't see a need to tell anyone else, especially not after the fiasco at the club in London.

They took Matt's car and parked it at the Metro station closest to the office. From there they walked the two blocks to the site for the Open Air bus tour and Matt pointed out the one way tickets. Tim insisted on paying for both of them; they only had a few minutes to wait until a bus pulled in and discharged its passengers. The ride to Athens was brief and they got off at the stop closest to the Acropolis.

Tim was immediately entranced with it; he felt like he was a living breathing cliché, needing to pinch himself to see if he was awake and really here, walking on the stones of the 2400, some said closer to 2500 year old Acropolis. He looked at everything, examining the Parthenon and the other relics of classical Greece. He barely noticed when Matt exclaimed and walked over to two young women who had called out to him. He was taking photos when Matt walked back over with the women and introduced them as Amy and Margie. He explained that he'd met them in Vienna the previous summer on a quick tour of Europe he'd taken before reporting for work at the NCIS office. They'd met while staying at a hostel and waltzed the night away to the music of a live orchestra in a park one summer night. Tim thought that was a pretty cool story and made a mental note to write it up later for possible inclusion into a story someday. The two women were finishing their time in Athens and re-visiting the Parthenon one last time. They were leaving on the late afternoon ferry to Brindisi, Italy, but decided to stick around long enough to have lunch with the two men and Tim obligingly took photos of Matt, Amy and Margie. Remembering Ducky's request, he gave his phone to Margie and she took a photo of him standing by the pillars of the Parthenon and another with Matt and Tim together. They had a late lunch in the Plaka and their server took a photo of the four of them. Then they said goodbye to the girls as they had some last minute shopping to do.

By the time they left the Metro station that night, Tim was well satisfied with their sightseeing. He'd had a good taste of both museums which was all he wanted today. He'd go back by himself and spend a day or three in each of the museums, there was no need to subject Matt to that. He'd bought postcards and a book about ancient Greece for Ducky. While they'd walked, the two men had talked and Matt gave Tim more tips about their lives in Greece. He'd gotten the same advice about tuxedos as Tim had and gave Tim the name of his tailor, located close to the office. And yes, it was true, as federal agents they represented the U.S. and as bachelors they would be on call for embassy parties. Matt had been to three in his four months and regaled Tim with some of his stories.

Matt dropped Tim off at the office waiting just as Kim had, until he'd unlocked the door and entered. Tim found his way through to the stairs in the dark and was glad he'd left the hall light on upstairs. He got ready for bed and then took out his phone and stared at it. Figuring out the time on the East Coast, he knew Ducky would be in Stillwater by now, had probably had time to check on Gibbs. He was having a wonderful time and he wasn't blaming himself, he'd taken Ducky's words to heart, but he wanted, needed to hear Gibbs' voice. And he wanted Gibbs to know he was all right, that he was alive and well and thinking of him. Tim knew that he loved Gibbs, that no matter his treatment of him, the man was the only father figure he'd had since he was a kid. It was just that it had always been one sided. His hand hovered over the buttons for several minutes while he tried to decide if calling and saying hello to Gibbs would make things better or worse for them – both of them. And Ducky. His worry got the better of him, he went with his instincts and finally pressed the contact button for Ducky.

It took several rings before the man answered. "Are you all right? Is something wrong?"

"No, Ducky, I didn't mean to worry you, I just… I just wanted to know how Gibbs is. And maybe I could say hello or do you think that would make things worse?"

There was a silence and Tim thought he could hear Ducky walking.

"All right, I'm outside now. Now say that again, did I really hear you say you want to say hello to him?"

"Yes, you did and I do, but only if it won't make things worse for him or you."

"Timothy…my dear boy, I don't know quite what to say."

"Ducky, please…tell me!"

"Lad, yes, if you really want to do this, I'll give him the phone and no it won't hurt him and certainly not me. I'm just astounded by your request."

"Never said I stopped loving him, Ducky, just got tired…well you know."

"That's fine." The older man paused, "Timothy, he has been under the weather so his voice may seem a little weakened to you, but his father is taking good care of him and he's improved a great deal. I don't want you to worry."

"I won't if I can talk with him, Ducky."

"All right, lad, I'm going back into the house now. Hang on." Tim heard Ducky saying something and another voice, a familiar voice, respond and then the sounds of the phone being passed.

"Hello?"

"Gibbs, it's McGee. I just wanted to say hello and see how you're doing."

"Tim, it's so good to hear your voice, I…" Gibbs paused and Tim heard him clear his throat.

He decided to jump in, "Ducky told me you haven't been feeling well so I could just talk if that's ok."

"Yeah, Tim, I want to hear your voice, tell me everything…Tim, I didn't think I'd get to do this again, to talk with you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Boss, let's just take it slow, I wanted to hear your voice, know you were ok, I wasn't looking for anything else. Maybe we could just talk."

"Yes, so… Tim, that's fine. Are you in Greece now?"

"Yes, I got here yesterday and went right into the office to meet everyone. Turns out my temporary accommodations are here too, Ducky can tell you about that and show you some photos I sent him. Last night I went out to dinner with two of my co-workers and I spent all day today in Athens. Boss, I walked on the Acropolis, it's 2400 years old! "

"That sounds like fun, Tim. Were you by yourself today, for your sightseeing?"

"No, Matt, the probie here, came with me. He's only been here for a few months, so he's been filling me in on things."

"That's good, so you two hit it off. And the woman who's pregnant?"

"Carla, yeah, she's great too. She and her husband are giving me a ride tomorrow. Pete, that's our boss, is having a get together to welcome me. All of them are great, one of the ladies made pastries to welcome me and Pete's wife brought in lunch for us yesterday."

"That's great, Tim. Pete Russell, yeah I've met him, he seems like a good man." Gibbs paused, "I'm glad you're doing so well, Tim, I've been worried but it sounds like Vance has done good with your assignments."

"He has, Boss, oh hey, I saw him in London on Wednesday."

"Yeah?"

"We finished our project early, put it into production with zero problems so he took my team out for lunch; it was really great to see him." Tim paused, "I'm babbling."

"No, Tim, it's fine, it's great hearing how you're doing. And zero problems, that means no bugs, right? That's good work, I'm proud of you! Listen I sent you a letter, wasn't much but I wanted to keep in touch, let you know how sorry I am."

"Boss…Ducky told me about Tony and Abby."

"They brought it on themselves, Tim, and so did I. And there were other issues with both of them."

"Yes, the director said that too. You know, it wasn't bad all the time, Boss, I was remembering last night that time Ziva and Tony got stuck in the shipping container and you and I worked together to find them."

"Aw, Tim. "

"And other times, I… learned a lot from you too."

"What not to do."

"Well yeah, that but I also learned some good stuff."

"Tim, I'd give anything to be able to go back and do things differently."

"That's good to hear, I wish we could do that too." Tim stopped as he realized that going forward, this was up to him, he could ignore his former team, keep them at a distance or he could stay in touch, they could work things out, forgive the past. At some point. Knowing that was what he wanted, he decided to just say what he needed to say to Gibbs, what he'd been too hurt and angry to say before. "Gibbs, I know we've got a lot of stuff between us to straighten out, and Tony too. And I know we're not a team anymore but I was hoping I could be part of your family someday."

"You are now, Tim, always have been."

"No I haven't been, that's been part of the problem; I've never been part of that."

"Oh God, Tim... I never meant…was that because Abby and Tony were my favorites?"

"Yes, because they were and then Ziva and Ducky. I was at the bottom of the heap, with Jimmy."

Gibbs sighed, "I guess we can't change the past, Tim, but I can change. I'm trying to figure out why I acted the way I have and change. So going forward…"

"That'd be good, I'd really like that. I…" Tim's phone started chirping at him. "Shoot, Boss my battery's running out, I have to go. I love you and Ducky; give Jack a hug from me."

"I love you too, Tim."

Tim ended the call and sat there in the dark, basking in those last words. He felt lighter, he was so glad that he'd trusted his instincts and called. Boss said that he loved him, hearing him say that brought little bubbles of happiness.

As he sat there thinking happy thoughts, his phone gave one final weak little chirp; he dug his charger out of his suitcase, no wonder the battery had died, and plugged it in. Suddenly exhausted, he lay down and was asleep in minutes, with a smile on his face even though his feet hurt!

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><p>Note 1: Matt, Amy and Margie's story of meeting on the Acropolis after meeting earlier in Vienna is a true story although I changed it to better fit Tim's story. While a friend and I were traveling in Europe a couple of years after we finished college (a hundred years ago), we stayed at a hostel in Vienna with a lot of other young people. One of the other girls was Amy from the northeast U.S. and yes, we all went to an open air concert and "waltzed" one night, I remember stumbling around, mostly laughing, with a young man from Mexico. From Vienna my friend and I went to Venice and days later unexpectedly found ourselves in Athens, a detour for us as we had had no plans to visit Greece – we'd had an unpleasant experience with a gondolier in Venice and decided to leave Italy. Mind you, nothing horrible had happened, we were just young, naïve and overreacted a bit. Anyway, our first day in Athens we were at the Acropolis and who should we run into but Amy!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone who's reading, following and reviewing - you all make my day!

* * *

><p>Finding Home<p>

Chapter Four

Across the Atlantic, Tim's former boss handed the phone back to Ducky and sank down onto the couch in his father's living room. Tim had called to talk to him; Tim had been worried about him, he had called to check on him and to talk. They had spoken; they'd both said how they felt. He felt like he could breathe again. It wouldn't just be letters; they had talked once, maybe they would talk again. It wasn't over; he hadn't lost his whole family again. Tim said what he felt, that was important. And he still said he loved him after all that and at the end he had finally said the words to Tim, that he loved him.

He found he had tears in his eyes and suddenly Ducky was there beside him, pulling him into a hug. Jethro let his emotions out, but this time there was relief, hope and joy mixed in with the grief, remorse and anger which was mostly with himself but also Abby and DiNozzo. After awhile he realized Ducky was holding on just as tightly as he was and the two old friends hung onto each other as they realized the first steps toward healing had been taken. As Jethro felt his mind and heart calming, he decided he would call Tony later and see how he was. He'd promised to stay in touch and he would. He didn't know what would happen with his girls – Ziva had already left him, lost to them somewhere in Israel and he didn't know what would happen with Abby. He'd left her messages but she hadn't returned his calls. But Tim called to see if he was all right…his youngest hadn't completely given up on him and Jethro clung to that thought as he drifted off to sleep.

When Jack came home from the store an hour later, he found the two men leaning against each other on the couch sound asleep, Ducky with his phone in his hand. He stood and looked at the two and saw a difference in his boy's face. That strained, pinched sad face was gone. Leroy still looked exhausted but his sleep seemed more peaceful. Happy to see a positive change as he wondered what had happened, Jackson tiptoed out to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

XXX

Tim woke with a happy heart, still thinking about his conversation with Gibbs. He had the morning to himself as Carla and her husband weren't picking him up until 1400. He tucked his tablet under his arm and whistling a happy tune he headed downstairs to make breakfast. He poked around in the cupboards looking for the tray he'd noticed Tea using on Friday but instead found a thermos, which he put on the counter. When the coffee was brewed, he poured it into the thermos and capped it tightly. Finally locating the tray, he filled it with his breakfast plate, cutlery, thermos, mug, and container of cream and took it outside to the garden.

After he'd eaten, he took a walk around, admiring the landscaping. It was simple and elegant, providing shade and a sense of privacy. He flipped the fountain on and let it run while he enjoyed another coffee and decided to catch up on the e-book he'd started on the flight from DC to London. He'd been so busy since then he really hadn't had much time to read. He wasn't getting very far now and he finally realized that what he needed most was to write. He went inside to grab his laptop and fully charged phone and returned to the garden, making sure he set the alarm on the phone to give him enough time to get ready for the party. Once he had everything set, he opened a new document and started writing. Interspersed with his travels and sightseeing were his thoughts about the team, the decision to leave, his surprise party, the project, sharing the flat, Vance's visit and words to him, all the travel he'd done and all the wonderful things that had happened here. Every other sentence seemed to have something about his conversation with Gibbs and that was ok, it felt right. He didn't know what he'd do with this, it would likely just end up as a saved piece of free writing, but it felt important to just let it out. He wrote solidly for nearly two hours, only stopping when he went inside for lemonade.

He finally got it all out and felt better for it. His thoughts returned to the day and knowing he would probably be eating a lot, he decided to get some exercise before the party. He hadn't seen anyone running in the neighborhood and he hadn't thought to ask so he went for a walk instead. He'd put Matt's directions to the Flying Pig in his phone and now he decided that would be a good destination, to and from. Locking up, he set a brisk pace to the pub, enjoying looking at everything around him as he went. He went into the pub, bought a bottle of water and then headed back. His phone alarm chimed just as he entered his room, so he stripped down and took a shower, whistling again. He kept it up while he combed his hair and got dressed. Vance had been correct in advising him to buy local, he'd need to do that soon. That and start work on getting a tuxedo. Matt said it didn't take long and the embassy invitations usually arrived a month in advance, but still he'd rather be prepared. Start with one, even if he never got an invitation he wouldn't mind having a tux.

Carla and her husband arrived promptly at 1400 in their convertible VW Rabbit. Rather than dislodge Carla, Tim walked around to the driver's side to meet her husband Norm and climb in behind him. He slid over behind Carla to give himself more leg room.

Carla half turned, "Hey, have you had a good weekend?"

"Sure have! I had a walking tour of Piraeus and dinner with Kim and Matt Friday night, including a visit to the Flying Pig Pub. Saturday, Matt and I went into Athens, saw the Parthenon, Acropolis, a couple of museums and ran into two girls Matt met in Vienna last summer. We stayed late enough to see all the lights. "

"Wow, that's a busy weekend and today Trina and Pete's party! Hope you're getting some rest in between."

Tim laughed, "Oh yeah, I slept like the dead both nights!" He patted the seat beside him, "Never seen one of these in a convertible before."

Norm nodded, "And you won't see this one much longer, Tim. Not practical for babies, we'll be selling it in the next month or so."

Tim had a thought about that but decided to keep it to himself for now. It might be a fun car to have here. VW was reliable and there would be no worries here about driving in snow, he didn't think rain would be a problem on the rag top, probably got decent mileage, he thought the car was probably three or four years old. Matt had a Ford Fiesta, Kim a Toyota Yaris and both of those were good dependable vehicles but this…this could be fun. Not the Porsche, but his baby was in the past. Still, he would look around, ask around. He'd read about the Greek company NAMCO's plan to once again produce a Pony – with either a Citroen or Fiat engine – in 2014, but he thought he'd wait on that. He'd rather let others buy the first ones and see how they worked out. In the meantime, he needed to get his residency papers and then apply for a Greek driver's license. He'd read the requirements for that and was not looking forward to the bureaucracy but knew it was inescapable and hoped the others would have some words of wisdom for him. He pulled his mind back to the present as he watched the scenery pass by. He realized he had no idea what Norm did for a living and asked. Norm replied, "I teach at the University of Piraeus, in Science and Technology."

Tim grinned, "Ooh, right up my alley!"

"Really? Hmm, we'll have to talk about that later, my darling wife will be most happy if we don't immediately descend into geek mode! At the moment, I'm teaching environmental studies and dancing along with a Geology class whose professor abruptly departed for greener pastures two months after start of term. The campus is calm now as we've received funding and the students have gotten a break on tuition, but we've been teetering on the edge for a few years. Now we can all get back to teaching and studying, for this school year anyway!"

"I read about some of that. Glad to hear it's easing up."

Carla laughed at them, "Oh go ahead, Norm, ask him!"

"Ok, sweetie, thanks! So Tim…"

"Bachelor's in bio-medical engineering from Johns Hopkins and Masters in Computer Forensics from MIT."

Norm whistled. "And what is it you do for a living?"

"Believe it or not, I've used my academics in my career as an NCIS agent. Maybe not while running after dirtbags, but in figuring things out, examining evidence and you know computer forensics is really hot. I'm sure you know better than I do that the field is exploding – and I left MIT in early 2003."

"Oh yeah, there have been all kinds of innovations since then. But I still have to ask why a field agent with NCIS?"

"Personal history. My father was a Navy Commander, executive officer of the Enterprise. He and my little brother were murdered and the case was investigated by NCIS…well it was NIS then."

Carla turned to look at Tim, "Tell me they caught the bastard."

"Case has been cold for nearly 20 years."

"Tim!"

"Yeah, I know. When I was hired by the agency, I looked into it, even sent an inquiry to the Director at the time, I was told that I would never be allowed to work on it but it would be given priority. As far as I know, that's as far as it got. I asked again during the tenure of the next director but she didn't even bothering spinning her "maybe if we get around to it." I haven't asked Director Vance, but he knows about it. There are so many other priorities and it won't change anything, the past will still have happened exactly as it did."

"But the killer might have killed others."

"She's probably at least scammed other military personnel."

"She?"

"Over the years, I've become fairly certain, without any physical evidence, that it was my alleged stepmother. It's a long story and it's pretty nasty, rather not tell you on the way to a party!"

"Ooh, good point…but you will tell us, someday."

Tim shrugged. "Someday."

Norm adroitly changed the subject to something more pleasant and they were laughing at Carla's droll description of their cat's first experience with a catnip toy when they pulled up to the Russells' home. Even if it was the first Greek single family home Tim had seen, it was the most beautiful house he'd seen anywhere and that included the Georgian beauties he'd drooled over in England. There was a horseshoe shaped driveway with native landscaping on either side of the pavement. The house itself had two stories, all white, with columns on each side of what looked like a tiled or mosaic walkway, leading to a shaded portico and entrance. Norm rounded the curve of the driveway and parked behind a familiar car, Kim's Yaris. Hearing a car behind them, Tim turned to see Tea with a young man sitting beside her, in a vehicle he thought might be an Opel, waving as she parked behind them.

Norm jumped out of the car quickly to assist Carla. "I'm sorry, hon, I should have dropped you off at the entrance."

"Norm, you know I need to walk! It's standing that kills me."

Tim had climbed out Norm's side and now reached over and took a covered bowl from Carla as Norm helped her up.

"This is ridiculous; I'm like an elephant trying to stand." Tim gulped and decided to keep his mouth shut as there didn't seem to be any good answer to that, while Norm the smart husband quietly soothed his pregnant wife. Almost forgetting his own offering, Tim reached down into the floor well of the backseat to retrieve the bottle of Grecian wine he'd purchased in Athens yesterday. Matt had told him what little he knew of the Russells' preferences. Forgetting her woes, Carla grinned and shook her head at him. "This party is for you Tim; you didn't need to bring anything."

"That's what Matt said, but they've been so nice – all of you have been – that I wanted to say thanks."

Norm nodded, "They're great people, we've really enjoyed their friendship and I'm sure you will too. I understand wanting to say thanks, they welcomed us with a party too."

Tim grinned, "Boy I sure have landed on my feet here!" He got funny looks for that but just smiled. No need to get into all that either. He thought that he needed to cultivate some happy or witty stories of his past, other topics besides a cold murder case and a cold team. He thought of some Ducky stories – Pete had already spoken with Ducky so that was good – and some stories from his college years that might be interesting and not ruin everyone's mood. Oh, he could brag about Sarah and Rob; that was good too. He could tell the koala on the submarine story – that was always good, both an animal story and a funky case story all wrapped up on one incident. Oh and the "superhero" story…well that had a murder in it, so maybe not today.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Tea and her companion joined them as they walked toward the house; she introduced the young man as her boyfriend Adan. As they drew near the entrance, Tim saw that the walkway had mosaic images, laid out to look as if they were walking under the sea with various creatures welcoming them, including a mermaid, a merman and four smaller figures, two mermaids and two merboys. Remembering the Russells had four children, Tim grinned at what had to be the depiction of the Russell family as sea creatures.

Carla caught his eye, "Wonderful, isn't it? Trina did it when Kyra was a baby. She's an artist, you know, did those paintings in the office."

"Wow, the ancient ships? Those are beautiful and this is so clever!"

Norm smiled, "Make sure you see the inside of the downstairs bathroom."

"And the kitchen."

"Ah yes, the kitchen."

Tim nodded as they entered the house. He tried not to sprain his neck looking at everything at once, but the interior of the home was just as lovely and just as unique as the mosaic on the walkway. Norm grinned as he watched the young man swing his head with those expressive green eyes from side to side, not wanting to miss a thing. Oh yeah, he could see why Carla was so happy and relieved; her job, the office, her people, would be fine in Tim's hands and he really did fit right in. She hadn't said anything to anyone else, but Carla thought when their babies were old enough for school, she'd go back to work at NCIS, although not as a field agent. By that time she figured Pete would be retired and although no one had said anything, she could see Tim taking over the Lead spot.

They walked through the foyer, through to the dining area and to the back of the house. Walking through an opening left by what looked like a sliding glass wall, Norm and Carla led Tim, Tea and Adan onto a large terrace. It was well shaded without blocking out the light and had a wonderful view of their back yard and beyond. On one side there was an infinity pool that looked out to an ocean view. On another side there was a swatch of green, although Tim didn't think it was lawn as it didn't have that particular green sheen to it. Perhaps it was ground cover. A path led through that to a garden that stretched along the side and to the back. Tim could see the path seemingly continuing and thought it was probably a clever crafted optical illusion. There were tall elegant flowers and shrubs, shorter flowers along the edges and covering the base of the shrubs, peeking out here and there. And lots of shade trees, from what he could see several different kinds of trees. Pine was easy to identify, then he noticed several olive trees and idly wondered what they did with the fruit, he also recognized fig trees.

He spotted a hammock strung between two of the trees, a small table nearby with a tall glass on it, straw still sticking out. He wondered if Trina painted scenes like that, he could just imagine Pete relaxing in that hammock after a tough case, sipping on a cool beverage. He had friends at home, a married couple, who had decided to have their portrait painted. However, instead of the traditional portrait they'd gathered several items that described them: a book Buck had written, a garden book written by Sue, a vase of her favorite flowers, freshly picked from their own extensive garden, an antique clock and their beloved dog, and that was their portrait – a look into who they were rather than how they looked. The little vignette he was seeing with the hammock reminded him of that.

Pete and Trina warmly greeted them and at first chiding Tim for bringing a gift, graciously accepted it. Trina introduced them to their son Lukas, while Kyra waved hello to them from the pool. Trina explained that their two older children, Stephan and Phoebe, were involved in a rehearsal for a school play and would be home in an hour or so. There was a wet bar on one side of the terrace and the four new arrivals followed Pete over to place their drink orders. Tim was relieved to hear Norm ask for a beer, and then realized this was an office party and everyone had to be at work tomorrow, there wouldn't be any heavy drinking here! He had planned to ask for a beer or a glass of white wine but then he heard Carla ask for frozen limeade and Tim wanted to try one. Pete smiled at him as he placed two frozen limeades on the bar.

"Have you had a good weekend so far, Tim?"

"It's been wonderful, Pete, all of it! Walking tour and dinner with Kim and Matt Friday night, then Athens yesterday with Matt, even got to see Athens all lit up last night."

Pete grinned, "Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it? Even after all the years I've lived here, I still love walking up the Acropolis to the ancient buildings. Just blows my mind!"

Tim laughed, "I told the Director last week that I'd be taking vacations in England, but now that I'm here, I don't think so! I'll let my family know if they want to see me, they'll have to come here!"

Pete laughed, "Well yes, but you know, a trip away now and then makes you appreciate home even more on your return." Tim nodded thoughtfully.

Tim wandered through the garden with his limeade and ran into Kim and her fiancé who was also on his first visit to the Russells. Kim introduced Tim to Evander who looked at him quizzically. Tim laughed and spoke in Greek, guessing the man was a native. "I'm the new guy Kim was kind enough to take on a walking tour and had dinner with Friday night."

Evander shook his head quickly, "My apologies for my rudeness. Yes, I know that – about Friday. And I know your name, although it should be the original name, Timotheos not Timothy! However, your eyes, I feel I have seen you somewhere before."

Tim decided to just play along although he had no intention of revealing his alter ego Gemcity. "Well, I've been in London for most of the last month, maybe there? Or I spent all day in Athens with Matt on Saturday, maybe you saw us there? Let's see, I was out walking this morning, stopped in at the Flying Pig."

Evander shook his head, "No matter, again I apologize for my rudeness."

Tim smiled, "You weren't rude, just curious." He continued to talk with the two, trying to ease Evander past his embarrassment. The young man worked as a real estate agent and offered to help Tim find a place to live. Tim remembered Matt mentioning "a friend of Kim's" helping him find his apartment and agreed to the help. Evander gave him a business card and Tim tucked it away, telling him it would likely be a few weeks still, he wanted to get settled in at work.

By that time, both Eva and Matt had arrived. Eva brought her husband Caleb, a graduate student, and Matt arrived solo. Tim was almost relieved, it meant he wasn't the only bachelor there and then he realized how ludicrous that was as he'd only been in the country for three days! Back on the terrace, he was speaking with Trina who offered to give him a tour of the house.

Tim grinned, "I've been told to make sure I don't miss the downstairs bathroom or the kitchen. "

Trina smiled an impish smile. "Oh there's more than that. Come on, I'll take you, let's see if Evander would like to join us."

The two men joined her as she led them upstairs. Each room was done differently and Tim thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Possibly because of his childhood on the streets, living in a tent and carrying everything he owned with him everywhere he went, he was fascinated by the way people decorated their dwellings. That included Gibbs' Craftsman with its' worn out, sad emptiness to Ducky's brownstone with its bookcases and cabinets crammed with books, treasures and comfortable furniture. He supposed he could count his collection of records and books as décor although he doubted anyone else would think so. Until recently, he'd been happy with plain walls – as long as they were permanent walls with a roof overhead and not made of nylon or canvas being held down with rocks, bricks or stakes in the ground, he was content. His travels with James had taught him to look at things with his own eye, what he liked and what he didn't. He'd enjoyed the comfort of the flat, although James hadn't been there long enough to put his own stamp on it. Now Tim started to feel excited about finding a place of his own here. Yes, it probably wouldn't be a house – he didn't want the maintenance for one thing – but it would be his and he could buy things that suited him and not leave it as…utilitarian as his apartment in Silver Spring had been. He wondered if once he found a place Trina would give him some decorating ideas. Nothing fussy but he wasn't seeing anything fussy here. He'd like some nice art work and some comfortable furniture to complement his bed. Currently in storage with the rest of his belongings, it would be shipped as soon as he had an address to ship it to.

Trina had seen the look in his eyes as he drank everything in and wondered. "Tim, what was your family home like? "

Tim felt like the proverbial deer caught in the lights of an oncoming car. "Uh, well, we were navy, so we moved a lot. Mostly it was just our stuff, basic furniture, photos of us. When I was little in Puerto Rico, I remember some decorations, but a couple more moves and those disappeared. My last place – my apartment in Maryland - was pretty utilitarian; with the hours we worked I wasn't there enough to really care about what it looked like."

"If I'm guessing correctly, you're thinking you can put more of you into your home?"

Tim smiled and nodded. "Frankly, I never thought of spending money to decorate. Up until I joined NCIS, finances were pretty tight."

Trina nodded, "And now you're seeing possibilities." She smiled at him, "When you find a place, I'd be happy to help you put things together, find a thing or two to reflect your personality and your home."

From the way Tim's face lit up, she knew she'd been right on the money. This young man had touched her heart already. Pete hadn't said too much, he couldn't really, but she had gotten the idea that Tim had had a rough time and she was glad he was here with them. Once he settled in, she'd throw another party; introduce him to some of the young women she knew. With his looks and personality, he'd have no trouble finding himself a mate here. Although, she frowned to herself, why hadn't he found one already? Surely the women in the States weren't so blind or stupid that they couldn't see his worth?

As they traveled back to the terrace, Tim smelled what he hoped was dinner cooking. When they got outside, it was to find Pete with an apron and manning the grill as he watched a variety of shish kabobs cook. Lamb seemed to be the predominant meat, skewered with onions, potatoes and various vegetables. There were also vegetable kabobs and Tim guessed there was at least one vegetarian or vegan amongst the guests.

As they were called to dinner, they were directed to a table with a range of side dishes – salads, vegetables, casseroles, breads along with plates, napkins and cutlery, just inside the sliding doors to prevent the bees and bugs from getting to them. From there, they went to the grill and selected their entrée. The outdoor table had name cards and they had a bit of fun finding their names.

Dinner was both delicious and entertaining. Norm and Pete took it upon themselves to entertain the table with what Tim recognized as tall tales, stories stretched to the limits of believability. Both men liked to fish, deep sea fishing, and by the time they finished, it seemed each of them had caught the biggest…whatever in any ocean anywhere. The two men had obviously done this before, by the time they finished, Tim was holding his sides, sore from laughing. In the meantime, he'd eaten more at one sitting than he wanted to admit and they hadn't had dessert yet.

As the group finished their feast, Kyra and Lukas stood to announce they'd set up the volleyball net and no one could have dessert until at least one game had been played. Carla was exempt from playing, so she kept score while Caleb refereed. They split into two teams and played for nearly an hour before the two youngsters decided it was time for dessert. Stephan and Phoebe had arrived and eaten their dinners while the others were playing, so more introductions were made and they chatted about the school play as the group worked their way through the variety of sumptuous desserts.

The party broke up before 8 PM, a nice long afternoon and evening, not late enough to give anyone any excuse to be late to work in the morning, especially considering not everyone at the party worked at NCIS. Tim was glad for the open air on the way home, he thought if the top had been up, he would have been asleep in a couple of minutes. He had a container of food with him that Trina insisted he take, ignoring the fact that she'd already stocked the refrigerator for him. He thought he'd share with the others tomorrow. Heading inside, he put the plate in the refrigerator and then made a pot of coffee. He poured a mug full and then headed out into the garden to relax for a bit before he headed upstairs. He switched on the fountain and the lights and marveled at the light and sound. After he finished his coffee, he pulled out his phone and took more photos and then sent some of the ones he'd taken at the party along with the new ones to Ducky, Sarah and Rob. Then he grabbed his laptop, wanting to capture a couple of Pete and Norm's stories and the day in general.

XXX

In Stillwater Sunday afternoon, Ducky, Jethro and Jack sat at the table after a late lunch and looked at the photos Tim had sent. He'd sent an accompanying note explaining the party and who everyone was. There were several shots of Tim, mostly with one or more of the others and some wonderful candid shots. One showed him laughing, his food laden fork halfway to his mouth, eyes closed and his mouth, thankfully free of food, nearly splitting his face in half in what looked like helpless laughter. Jethro had to swallow past that one; he'd never seen Tim laugh like that, so openly, carefree. But then he'd rarely seen him outside of the office, not on a social occasion, except for Thanksgivings at Ducky's. Another shot had Tim in mid air during a volleyball game, grinning fiercely down at the guy on the other side of the net; they thought that was Evander who was someone's boyfriend, as he slapped the ball down. Ducky thought Jimmy could show him how to save these to a computer and print them out and when he said that Jethro asked for copies of all the ones with Tim in them. Jack asked for a couple of them as well and Ducky made a list. As they were doing that, Ducky's phone beeped again and a document appeared from Tim, a write- up of the party, including a couple of the fish tales. Ducky knew how to increase the font so once he'd done that, each man took a turn reading Tim's words. They all laughed at the fish tales and Tim's description of the volley ball game. Jethro still felt an ache when he thought of the young man, but now it was tempered with the knowledge that Tim wanted to stay in touch, that maybe this was fixable although he knew he had a lot of soul searching to do. Tim knew Ducky would still be in Stillwater today so he had obviously wanted to share all this with his former boss and Jack.

Jethro had spoken with Tony last evening and found him tired and a little whiny but overall, better than he'd dared hope. News to him was Tony's revelation that Vance had mandated counseling as part of his continued employment. That counseling had started earlier in the week and DiNozzo had been given some homework to do, that was part of his whine. Gibbs had said he'd heard from Tim but Tony hadn't had much to say about that. His former boss realized that was actually a step in the right direction. A baby step, sure, but not having much to say was much better than complaining and blaming. He would cling to this one little step with hope.

XXX

Still sitting in the garden, Tim sat back in his chair after he'd sent his write-up of the party, knowing Ducky would be sharing it with Gibbs and Jack. Treasuring that thought, he grabbed his mug and headed up stairs to write some more and get ready for his first official day at NCIS: Athens.


	6. Chapter 6

Finding Home

Chapter Six

Tim's first day as an official member of the Athens office dawned bright and clear. He was already up, he awoke at 05:30 and jumped out of bed, excited to get to work with his new colleagues. Remembering he hadn't yet set up his desk, he made himself a full breakfast and had two cups of coffee before he raced back upstairs. After showering, drying his hair and dressing, he headed back downstairs to start his work day. It was 06:45 and he wondered who would be in first, he thought it might be Carla. She had mentioned yesterday that she wasn't sleeping well and he knew that despite her assurances she was probably concerned that the two of them have everything ready, that is have Tim ready, before she went on bed rest. He had his desk set up and was reviewing more files at the conference table when Carla came in. He'd taken note of the herbal tea she'd had Friday and had the water heating in the electric kettle before she opened the door to the office.

She grinned as she moved into the office, "What time?"

Tim huffed, "06:00. Figured you'd be here early and I hadn't set my desk up yet."

She laughed, "I came in early because I knew you'd think that! I'm just glad you weren't down here at 0300 setting it up." The electric kettle clicked off, a sign the water was hot. Tim moved over to the kitchen counter, "Want tea this morning?"

Carla looked surprised and then nodded, "I shouldn't be surprised. Yes please, with a couple of drops of honey."

Tim grinned as he already had the jar of honey on the counter. At her look he said, "Trained observer!" Once Carla's tea was ready, Tim joined her at the table with his own mug of herbal tea. He'd decided he'd had enough caffeine for awhile; he didn't want to scare anybody. They sat at the conference table and finished the file review they'd started on Friday. Tim had some procedural questions, especially around the cases shared between the other European offices. At some point in the discussion, Tim commented that he should probably have more in his 'go' bag than had been necessary in DC and then corrected his term to 'case' bag.

Carla looked at him, "I like that better, it's much clearer. And yes, do have some warm, some cool clothes in there and boots, always have boots with you! One time we ended up in the Sahara desert and I was the only one with boots." Tim made a note to get some desert or hiking boots. She continued, "I'm sure you already do this, but I always have protein bars, bottles of water and any medications I'm on and my own first aid kit."

Tim blinked. "Good point, I'm used to having Dr. Mallard or Dr. Palmer, the MEs at Headquarters, around to treat injuries. Guessing we're on our own?"

"Yes, we all have first aid certificates and Matt worked as an EMT for awhile. If we need more than that, we either call for a fly out or rely on local medical help. "

"And as far as a medical examiner?"

"Local, we have two that we contract with; they're attached to the Athenian and Piraeus Police departments."

"Do they come out to crime scenes with us?"

"Most of the time they're already there – they'll be on scene and the PD will determine it's something for NCIS. If we get the first call, we'll give them a heads-up and one of them will join us." She smiled, "We make it work."

"What about when we get called out to other countries?"

"Whichever office gets the call makes the request of whichever police department is in place – or the military - to maintain the crime scene. In that case, we'd rely on a local medical examiner, although there have been times it's just been a mortician and we've had to call in an ME from the Navy or a sister agency."

"Oh, you mean the CIA."

"Yes, they're helpful to us. I know in the States they can be a big pain but out here, they have authority and can be very useful."

Tim laughed, "That will take some getting used to!"

Carla nodded, "Took me awhile. Do you have any contacts?"

"We worked with one particular agent in DC but he always brought trouble and he's persona non grata at NCIS. Other than that, I know of a couple CIA agents, but I don't know them personally."

"Well, you'll be meeting our local guys when we take you to the Embassy to present your credentials." At the look on Tim's face, she continued, "Yes, it's a formality but has to be done, all of us have been. Pete will be with you."

"Actually it sounds kind of interesting."

"They'll want to know about your background, not just as an agent, but prior to NCIS. Where did you grow up, what did your parents do - I guess in your case that would also include whoever your guardian was after your father died."

"The Embassy will want to know that?"

"Yes, for security purposes. Even though you've already been vetted from birth to this morning, they still want to hear it firsthand from you."

"An interview."

"Yes."

Tim nodded, glad that Pete knew his background, obviously he needed to speak with him about this.

"And then I'll get my residency papers?"

"Yes, I'm sure they're holding onto them at the Embassy, they'll give them to you after the interview."

"And once I have those I can rent an apartment and get my driver's license."

"You got it!"

"Sorry, I've sidetracked us; we should probably get back to our procedural discussion."

"You're right and that's my bad."

The two spent another hour reviewing the duties of the Senior Field Agent. Tim was familiar with them but it was one thing to read them and another to hear Carla describe what really happened. One of the things she mentioned was that they had been short a junior agent for some time, since their last agent had gone back to the States for a family emergency and never returned. Even with Tim there, they were still short a field agent because Carla was confined to desk duty. So far they had managed but in Carla's opinion it was only a matter of time before a big case came along and they were short an agent, especially with Matt still a four month probie. Tim was certain that Pete and Vance were working on it and figured it was the budget that had kept them short. Thinking of the budget reminded him to ask about the implementation of the new program.

Carla grinned, "What time is it? Ok, 07:35, which is 06:35 in London. Let me write that down. We have a pool going here and in London as to when you'd ask!"

Tim smirked, "Well I was the project manager so I do have some sort of proprietary interest."

She smiled, "Of course you do and I'm amazed you haven't asked before now." Tim hung his head in mock shame, "Had too much fun, I mean I was too busy over the weekend!"

"Ok, I'll put you out of your proprietary misery! Kim successfully implemented the program on Saturday after you and Matt left. She and I ran test cases Saturday afternoon while you were dallying with Matt's two lady friends from Vienna."

Tim shook his head, "Right under my nose!"

Carla giggled, "You actually helped us by having Matt stay over Friday night. Kim waited until she figured Matt was in the guest room and then arranged for him to text her in the morning when you two left the office and when you planned to return. The hardest part was nobody saying anything yesterday. Norm and Tea both were dying to ask you about your London work because they knew that would lead you to asking the question."

"So it's in production, I could be testing it now."

"You could, but that's already done, my friend."

Tim sighed, "And that will take some getting used to. Even though I'm a Field Agent, Vance pulled me for special projects."

"How many does he run in a given year? I thought the budget was so tight!"

"It is, the projects weren't always for NCIS…um you know, we should get back to the case files. "

"Oh no, you're not stopping now! Spill!" Tim sighed, how to get his foot out of his mouth?

"Well, you know I went to MIT so I have the electronic background and I used to doodle around, write programs for my team to use. I knew the folks in the Cybercrimes unit so they'd beta test stuff for me and I'd just use the programs myself – no one else on my team was very tech savvy and it was easier to just present the information and not have to try and explain it to my boss who didn't want to know anyway, as long as it was legal. Somehow when he was still Assistant Director, Vance found out about a program I'd written and shared with a guy who'd been in FLETC with me. It was a simple little thing but when Vance became director he approached me about writing other programs. Anyway to make a long story short, people in other agencies found out what I was doing and when I wouldn't leave NCIS, they approached Vance and if it was something we could use too, he'd ask me if I wanted to take it on. So now I have a few programs copyrighted although most of them belong to the government. "

Carla just sat and looked at him. "I'm glad we had that conversation in the car yesterday because I do understand what drives you to put your life on the line every day as a Field Agent for NCIS. You could be earning big bucks in the tech industry!"

Tim looked at the files in front of him. "Money isn't everything, I've lived without it and yeah it's good to have, but for me, I need to be satisfied with and challenged by what I'm doing and writing code wouldn't do that. I write a program, someone can order their hamburger before they get to a restaurant, big whoop. I'm a field agent, I help stop a terrorist cell, saving maybe hundreds of lives…that's what matters."

Carla reached over and gave him a little hug. "Must be quite a story in that, Tim, for you to be so driven. It's not only your father's murder, is it?" Tim shook his head but didn't say anything. "Ok, we're new to each other and you probably don't like talking about whatever it is anyway. Just know I have younger brothers and I don't give up easy!" Tim smiled at her, Carla reminded him of Kate sometimes.

Gathering their papers, they headed back to their desks, just as Pete walked in at 0750. Kim and Matt arrived next and Tea slid in with just a minute to spare before 0800.

Pete speared Tim with a look, "What time did you start work today?"

Tim smiled, "Not until 0645, Pete, and that was just setting up my desk. I didn't really start working until Carla came in a few minutes later."

Pete turned his look to Carla, "And why were you in so early?"

She shrugged, "I couldn't sleep, felt like the babies were doing gymnastics."

Their boss gave her a long look and then nodded. "Get used to that. Trina was surprised when ours weren't born wearing football helmets." Tim hadn't been around many pregnant women in his life and wasn't sure whether that was really a joke or not so settled for a smile. Carla nodded in complete understanding.

"Ok, so what are you two up to this morning?"

"We've completed our case reviews and have been going over procedures."

"Oh good, that'll help immensely when we have a call out." Pete paused, "I imagine things will seem different for awhile, Tim, you'll get used to it."

Tim chuckled, "I know I will, Pete, I'm not worried! I was surprised to hear I have to be introduced at the Embassy and my credentials presented."

"Yeah, we like to keep that as a surprise, although it really is just a courtesy. The Embassy likes to know all of us Federal Agents and it's always good to meet our resident Marines and of course our CIA brethren. "

"Plural?"

"Yes, with the economic problems and the unrest here, the CIA bumped up its presence. There are two agents and their support staff here now."

Pete laughed at the carefully crafted blank look on Tim's face. "That's good, if I didn't know you I'd fall for that! I know we've been saying this but you'll get used to the CIA too, they really are helpful here."

Tim nodded, "The agents I've dealt with in DC blew up my team mate's car without us knowing he wasn't in it and then didn't bother telling us that; we thought he was dead until our ME did the autopsy and found the dead body wasn't our SFA; another CIA agent tried to free a cold blooded murderer we had in custody. Another one gave a caller an old address of a political refugee leading to the deaths of several people in the DC area. The first guy, Trent Kort also tricked us into bringing down a criminal on US soil so the agent could confiscate the millions of dollars the guy was sitting on…for the CIA. Same agent also participated in and lost an eye to a covert operation that resulted in the Port to Port Killer a couple of years ago. Another CIA agent wined and dined a teammate, never bothered telling her he was involved in the Port to Port case which our team was also involved in and then after he "mistakenly" murdered a Navy officer, covered it up, admitted it when she busted him and then had the nerve to propose marriage. As far as I know, all of these agents are still in good standing. "

Pete and Carla were looking at him, mouths open. Tim continued with a nod, "So it might take me awhile, a few years maybe, to learn to trust anyone in the CIA."

Carla gulped, "Wow, one rogue agent, it happens…but three, no four? That's scary." Pete nodded, agreeing. "Have to say I've not run into anything like that. Never worked at Headquarters or in the DC area, I'm sure there's always a lot going on…with all the alphabets right there."

Tim grinned, "Oh yeah, there's always something going on!" He paused, "Cold cases then, until we get a call out?"

"Yes, for Carla and Matt, and for you until about 11:00. Then you and I will be leaving for our 11:30 appointment at the embassy and we're invited to lunch too."

Tim opened his mouth to ask and Pete jumped back in. "No, it's not the norm; it's your previous location that has the powers that be over there curious. They'll want to know whatever they can about what's happening in the States."

Tim nodded, "I got that from Kim and Matt on Friday and I'm sure I'll be doing the same thing in a few months."

Carla nodded, "My sister has learned to pay attention to what's going on because she knows I'll be asking when I call! It's hard to know if what you read on the internet is one person, 10, a crowd, one town or true at all."

Tim nodded, "ZNN is pretty real. Back in DC, we had their news playing all day. But of course that doesn't always give the details you want, huh?"

Pete nodded, "Exactly and it's very easy to get caught up in what's happening here and not pay attention to what's happening in our own country. It's one of the little things you'll figure out here. It's important to remember that although we live and work here, we are citizens of the U.S., we vote for the U.S. President."

Carla interjected, "But it's also important to know what's going on here, this is not our home country, but it is where we live right now. "

Pete tilted his head in acknowledgment and Tim smiled at the two of them, "It sounds like there is no right answer. We live here so we need to pay attention to what's going on here – and that's important for our work too, but we're citizens of another country so we need to pay attention there too. "

Pete grinned, "You're catching on fast, young Obi-wan! Now, excuse me but I need coffee."

Tim turned to Carla, "Should I wear a suit?"

"No, you're fine as you are."

"Ok, then I am going to grab a few files and get to work."

"Good idea, me too!"

Matt had his head down in a file but Tim saw him grinning anyway. He sketched a little salute to him as he sat down with his files. Picking the top one, he went through it carefully, taking notes as he read. He chuckled to himself as he logged on to the agency system, finding the new program and using it to update the cold case. Yep, it worked!

The rest of the morning went quickly as Tim moved through the files he'd taken. Matt had some questions and they worked together for awhile, Tim showing the young man different aspects of the file, the things that needed to be updated and reading through agents' personal notes for any gleam of a hint of a lead.

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><p>Coming up: a twist during Tim's first official day of NCIS:Athens<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

You know, no matter how often I say this, it'll never be enough: Thank you Harmonfreak1 for ALL of your support!

* * *

><p>Finding Home<p>

Chapter Seven

A couple of minutes before 1100, Pete came out of his office and handed Tim an envelope.

"Here are the papers they'll want. It'll be one of the aides, not the Ambassador herself."

Tim nodded, "Ok."

They had a quick drive into Athens and soon were pulling up to the security gate. Pete spoke with the Marine guard, who nodded, peered in to see McGee who passed his badge and id over. The guard checked both his and Pete's ids, checked the backseat and trunk and then scanned under the car. Finally they were allowed through. After parking, they went through additional security at the entrance to the embassy. Tim had removed his knives from his belt and shoe, much to the amazement and amusement of the others, and left them at the office. Now he handed over his Sig. Once through security, they took an elevator to the third floor. Tim wondered if he'd been in an embassy when he was a child too young to remember. Probably not as his father had been stationed in Puerto Rico, part of the U.S. and then Okinawa when he was very young and he thought he remembered everything about Okinawa. The place that had thrown his father and his stepmother together, the meeting that Tim was certain had led to his father and Patrick's deaths a few years later.

They entered a room that instantly said "conference" and the people inside turned to meet them. There were two men, older than Tim and a young woman. Tim figured one person was the ambassador's aide and the other two might be the CIA agents. Pete introduced him to the young woman, Beth Donahue who was the aide, and the two men, George Edwards and Jack Hughes. Tim was right; they were the two resident CIA agents. Remembering that his Director had said the CIA could be helpful out here, Tim had made a decision this morning to publicly give them the benefit of the doubt while inwardly resolving not to trust either until they had proved their trustworthiness. He was politely professional when introduced to them. Ms. Donahue had taken his manila envelope and left the room. Pete made small talk with the spooks while Tim listened quietly. When Hughes asked Tim directly what NCIS office he'd transferred from, Tim replied DC and Edwards said he'd been stationed at Langley for awhile. Tim worked to keep his body language relaxed as Pete changed the subject and Ms. Donahue luckily returned, followed shortly by the Ambassador herself. She greeted Pete warmly and was equally warm toward Tim when introduced. He genuinely relaxed as he was charmed into talking about his first days in Greece. Eventually, the aide led the way to a dining room and the two CIA agents excused themselves. Tim enjoyed the lunch and the conversation as the Ambassador, a career diplomat, spoke of her various postings. She asked about his father and although startled as he was rarely asked about the late Commander, he was happy to talk about the man who while not having been around during a whole lot of his childhood, had still managed to teach him a great deal. He'd taught him strength and given him definitive values, enough so that he could grow up on his own and also raise Sarah and Rob.

After lunch and over coffee, the Ambassador handed Tim back his credentials and his residency papers which had been approved by the Greek government. He was now officially a foreign national legally working and living in Greece. Smiling, she also handed him another smaller envelope with his name handwritten and gave Pete several other similar envelopes. Her eyes twinkling, she asked if he'd seen a tailor about his tux yet and he smiled, saying it was on his list to do this week. She laughingly explained that normally the invitations were mailed to the office but knowing the two of them would be here today, her assistant had asked her to give them the invitations. The party would be held in five weeks so there was plenty of time to have the tux made.

He and Pete left shortly after that and Tim decided to broach the subject of the CIA agents on the way back. "Pete, I'm going to let Edwards and Hughes know about the others. Seems only fair."

"That's a good idea, Tim, I'm glad to hear you say that. I can also let you take a look at some files; see how each of them has helped us."

Tim nodded, "That'd be good. I'd like to ask them to meet me for drinks if that's appropriate."

"Yes, of course, just make it somewhere neutral, somewhere you won't normally frequent, for instance, don't meet them at the Flying Pig."

Tim nodded.

"When we get back to the office, we'll figure out a good place for you to meet them…and you name the place, Tim, not them."

"Understood, I keep the meet in my control."

"Exactly."

The men had handed Tim business cards that included their cell numbers; he decided he would contact them as soon as he and Pete had decided on a good meeting place. The office was quiet when they walked in, Tea handed Pete a phone message and smiled at Tim. Matt and Carla looked up expectantly; Kim was on the phone but waved.

Tim grinned, "I'm legal! And I have my first invitation to an embassy soiree!" Chuckling, Pete handed out the rest of the invitations.

"Tim, are you going to call the tailor today?"

"Maybe Matt, have a couple other things to handle first. Tomorrow at the latest." Tim followed Pete into his office and Pete opened a file on his computer. "Kim keeps a running list of places we use for meets, when we've used them, etc. Let's take a look…ah, here's the one I was thinking about. It's in Athens and in a central neighborhood, fairly quiet, but with enough tourists there so three American men won't be out of place. "

Pete grinned at Tim, "Sounds all cloak and dagger doesn't it?"

Tim laughed. "Yeah, a bit!"

"Just give them a call and set it up, maybe for Wednesday night if we don't have a case. You'll need to see Matt's tailor tomorrow night and probably have a fitting on Thursday evening."

Tim meaning it as a joke said, "What about backup?"

Pete nodded, "Yeah, good idea. Let's see…"

Tim interrupted him, "Pete I was joking!"

"Oh, well it's not a bad idea but they know all of us."

"I'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about them, just a heck of a time for you to make your first solo trip into Athens." He looked at Tim, "Or you're a grown man, a very smart person and a trained federal agent - and you will be fine."

"Thanks."

Tim went back to his desk and called Edwards, the one who had been stationed at Langley. When he answered, Tim asked if he and Hughes were available to meet him for drinks Wednesday. Hughes must have been close by as there were murmurs and then an affirmative. Tim gave the agent the name and address of the pub and the day and time for the meet. Edwards agreed and then asked what this was about. Tim just said he had something to discuss and Pete had suggested they get together away from their respective agencies.

Once Tim made that call, he felt a certain sense of relief. On a roll, he called Matt's tailor, explained what he needed and made an appointment for Tuesday evening. Then feeling he had neglected work for far too long, he went back to his cold case files. By 1700 he was following an electronic lead he'd dug out of the new system when Pete buzzed him, motioned him into the office and had him close the door.

"Tim, Director Vance has asked us to call him via Skype. Don't know what it's about." Tim nodded, hoping it wasn't bad news. He pulled his chair around and sat next to Pete as he contacted the DC office. Ms. Cook answered and grinned at Tim. "Tim, it's good to see you! Hello Agent Russell. Can you hold on for a moment, please? The Director just got back from the Hill."

Tim tried to relax, surely if it was bad news Pam would have acted differently. Pete patted his arm, "I'm sure it's fine, maybe he just wants an update."

Vance appeared on screen. "Thanks for calling back. Good to see you both. Special Agent McGee, I have news for you and I apologize, I should have found time to tell you last week but I wanted to wait until you were at the office and somewhat settled in."

"Sir?"

"Relax, Timothy, everyone's fine." Tim nodded.

"Before Agent DiNozzo left for his new post in Bremerton he and Gibbs worked one last case together, a cold case. "

Pete reached out to Tim as the blood drained from Tim's face.

"Sir."

"Yes Tim, it was your family's case, I thought it was the least those two could do. They dropped the ball on everything else, they sure as hell…well never mind. "

"_Sir?_"

"They solved it, Tim. Finally after twenty seven years you have justice. It was your stepmother; turns out she was a spy for the Soviet Union. Only she wasn't really your stepmother, no one has been able to find any record of a legal marriage, either in the US or Japan, the original agent believed she'd somehow tricked your father into a marriage ceremony with a phony officiate. You can read the file later, Legal's cleaning it up now, but yes, she was driving the vehicle that hit the car you three were in, she knew he was picking you and Patrick up from school, knew about the camping trip and the propane canister. It was cold blooded premeditated murder. And she hired someone to finish you off in the hospital, Tim, while you were in the coma, but someone interrupted him and he lost his nerve. She killed him too. Because Gibbs was able to prove some of her covert operations for a currently combatant country, she's been sent to Gitmo. It's over, Timothy, finally over."

Tim knew he should say something but he couldn't find any words. He was frozen in time, listening to the screech of metal against metal, feeling the wind on him as he was thrown out of the car. He vaguely heard the Director and Pete talking but he had no idea what they said. He sat there, starting to shiver. He thought of calling Sarah and telling her but his body felt like a bag of wet cement, he couldn't move. Pete grabbed a throw that was on the small sofa in his office and wrapped it over Tim's shoulders. Eva saw the motion through the glass wall and went to the kitchen to make some hot tea with sugar for Tim. She didn't know what was wrong but it was not cold in here and Tim hadn't been ill earlier, so perhaps he'd had a shock of some sort. She knew from her mother the nurse that hot tea with extra sugar was a decent remedy for a shock if there was no physical injury.

Pete watched helplessly as his new agent sat shivering and silent. When Eva appeared with a steaming mug of something, he motioned her in and took the cup gratefully. "Thanks. Would you tell the others to wrap it up for the day, to get going?" Eve nodded and withdrew. Pete saw that Tim's hands were shaking too much to hold the cup, so he held it for him.

"Tim this is hot tea, you've had a shock and you need to drink some of this. I'm sure that's what your friend Ducky would want you to do."

The name Ducky got through to Tim and he took a sip of the tea, grimacing at the sweetness. Tim's cell rang but Pete couldn't reach it, so he just let it go. A few minutes later, his own phone rang and the id said Mallard on it. He picked up the receiver. "Russell."

"Agent Russell, this is Donald Mallard, Timothy's friend. I've just heard from the director that our young man has been told the news and wanted to check on him."

Pete replied, "He's here with me in my office, Dr. Mallard and I'm sure he'd love to hear your voice, this has been a big shock. I'm going to hold the phone up to his ear now…ok, Doctor, go ahead."

Starting to recover a bit, Tim had recognized the tea, Ducky's surefire remedy as well as Eva's and heard Pete say Dr. Mallard. So he was prepared to hear the voice of his beloved friend when the phone appeared at his ear. Reaching up, he grabbed onto the receiver and held on for dear life while Ducky spoke calmly to him. When Ducky told him to take another sip of tea, Tim was able to do so. A few more sips and he was starting to return to the present. Ducky stayed on the phone with him for several more minutes until he was convinced his young friend would be all right. Feeling the distance, he finally hung up and debated calling Jethro in Stillwater. He decided to wait a while as he knew Gibbs would want to call the young man and he thought Tim probably still needed some time to recover.


	8. Chapter 8

Finding Home

Chapter Eight

After Ducky hung up, Tim sat in Pete's office for a few more minutes. He felt more like himself and had been able to tell Pete that. Now he was mostly processing the news and deciding what to do. Abruptly he realized he'd monopolized his new boss's time and office and started to rise, only to have Pete pull him back down into the chair.

"Hey, where are you going? Talk to me, Tim."

"I'm sorry, Pete, I've taken up your time, look everyone's gone, did you have to send them away? I'm sorry, it was just…a surprise. I…this has never happened to me before. I'm really good with rolling with things, bad news, surprises. I don't know why this hit me so hard."

Pete was dismayed at the younger man's apologies and apparent worry that he would think less of him as an agent. Once again he wondered how the hell Gibbs had treated this remarkable young man. "Tim, look at me. No, look at me, please. I'm not upset with you, I'm not worried about your reaction, it was very natural, that was a big shock to hear that the woman you thought was your stepmother murdered your family. I would have worried if you didn't have a strong reaction. Tim," he reached over and gently turned the man's head back in his direction, "we're human beings son and we're allowed to have feelings, emotions. And that was a whopper to come up and hit you twenty seven years after the fact, after the life you had to live. She's the one who abandoned you, right?" Tim nodded. "And Tim, I know this is a new way of life for you, but please don't ever feel the need to apologize to me or feel bad about taking up my time. Ever! Got that?"

Tim nodded again. "Yeah, I remember what you said in the car the other day, about coming to you."

"Good! Now finish your tea. How about you come home with me for the night? Not sure I want you to be alone."

Tim smiled, "I'll be ok, Pete, I need to call my sister and brother and we'll be on the phone for awhile. And…I kind of need to be alone tonight, get myself together. I'll be ok."

"I know you'll be ok, Tim but I hate to think of you alone."

Tim laughed a little. "Pete, you've been married so long you don't remember! I'm used to being alone, I'm fine being alone. I need to think, I need to …process this."

Looking up, Pete saw Matt come back into the office with his case bag with him. What had Carla said Tim called it, 'go' bag; he liked that better, less confusing.

"Tim, if you won't come home with me, how about you have some company tonight? Looks like Matt is here, he has his 'go' bag in his hands. He'd be quiet, do his own thing, but you wouldn't be all by yourself. Yeah, I know you'd be fine, but humor me, please?"

Tim looked up at Pete and the older man smiled as he saw acceptance but not resignation in Tim's eyes. That was good; he was ok with it, not agreeing just because his boss asked him to. Pete nodded at Matt through the glass and the young man ran up the stairs with his bag. Tim and his boss talked quietly for a few more minutes. Tim had finally warmed up so he got up to put the throw back on the sofa and stretched while he was up. Thanking Pete, he opened the door of his office and went back to his desk. He powered down and put everything back in order while Pete did the same. Matt came downstairs and looked at Pete, who nodded in appreciation and gathering his stuff, bid them goodnight after extracting a promise from each of them to call him if they needed anything.

Once Pete left, Matt turned to the kitchen. "Mind if I cook, Tim? I'm starving!"

Tim's chuckle came out a little rusty but it was still recognizable. "Yeah, that'd be good, Matt, thanks for staying. What are you going to cook?"

"Don't know, what do you feel like?"

"My digestive system is usually the first thing to go, so I'm going to say something like comfort food, no spices for me tonight."

"Hmm, how about bacon, eggs and toast then? Think you could handle breakfast for dinner?"

Tim gave a tired nod, "Yeah that sounds good. Thanks for cooking, sorry I'm not much company."

"Don't worry about it. Seemed like you got some bad news or something."

"It was news all right. I think I told Carla and Norm the other day – yesterday - but haven't mentioned it to you, not usually something I advertise, and certainly not the first few days I meet people! I told you about living on the streets and being abandoned by my stepmother, but not what came before."

While Matt cooked their meal, Tim told him about the murders, his own injuries and the resulting 27 year old cold case that had now been resolved. He told him a bit about his dad and his little brother Patrick.

Matt was confused. "I thought you have a little brother… Rob?"

"Yeah, my sister Sarah and I met him later and when I was old enough I adopted him, he lived with us in the shelter and homeless camp."

"Ok."

By this time, Tim was making toast and Matt was scrambling the eggs. Tim made himself another cup of tea while Matt had lemonade. They sat at the table and ate quietly. Finishing, Tim looked up, "I'll clean up and then I need to call Sarah and Rob. "

Matt nodded, "Let me know if you need anything. I have my tablet; I'm just going to watch some TV." He headed upstairs while Tim cleaned up the kitchen, putting their dishes in the dishwasher and noticing it was full enough, started it on a wash cycle. Then he made sure the front and back doors were locked, grabbed his stuff from his desk and headed upstairs. He took a hot shower which felt really good, put his sweats and favorite MIT shirt on and wandered out to sit on his bed with his laptop. He was going to call Sarah via Skype, hope she was in and then they could bring Rob in on the call. Sarah was home; she was through with her job and was starting to organize her belongings for the move to London in the next few weeks. They conferenced Robbie in and Tim told them the news. Both siblings were more concerned for their older brother than for themselves. Sarah had a few memories of Patrick, only vague ones of their stepmother and sadly, none of their father. Rob had never met any of them but throughout his life had heard countless stories about Patrick. They talked for nearly forty minutes, taking the opportunity to catch up with everything else after they'd talked about the murders and the close of the case. Tim felt better after they ended the call, he missed 'his kids' and knew they missed him too. He would be glad when they both were in London and he would only be four hours away rather than across the Atlantic.

While he was pondering that, he got a text from Ducky that he'd told Gibbs about Tim and Gibbs sent his love and support. Ducky explained Tim's former boss didn't have his cell with him, since it was NCIS issue and he was on suspension; Jackson didn't have Skype loaded on his computer yet, but they would be doing that tomorrow so not to be too surprised if Jethro called. Tim had been thinking about Gibbs keeping in touch with his former team scattered around and thought the older man could buy an inexpensive laptop and install Skype. He'd need to have high speed internet at his house but once he had everything, he could talk with any of them without worrying about cost. Or he could get a VOIP system such as Vonage. He'd still need an internet service but that might be less expensive and it used regular phones. Or at least cordless phones, Tim realized Gibbs' house phone was not cordless. He'd mention it to Ducky as he'd probably have better luck talking to Gibbs about it than Tim would.

He wished he could talk to Gibbs tonight. He could use his cell; he'd just pay the agency back for the call. He thought of calling Pete to get approval and then decided to use rule 18, better to ask forgiveness than to seek permission or something like that. He had Jackson's home phone number in his contacts and he pressed the button and then realized he would need to add the country code. Starting over, he was successful on the next try and soon heard the elderly man's voice. "Hello, this is Jack."

"Hi, Jackson, it's Tim McGee."

"Tim! How are you son? Enjoying your new job?"

"Yeah, I got to meet the Ambassador today."

"Wow, that's something. I heard you had some disturbing news today, I know Leroy's been wanting to talk with you. Oh, here he is. Tim, don't be a stranger, ok?"

"I won't Jack, promise."

"Tim? Are you all right? Ducky called, said Vance told you about Natalie."

"Yeah, he did. I'm ok now, I just…it really hit me, you know? Ducky called while I was still in Pete's office, helped me get through it, but I still…Boss, I just wanted to hear your voice tonight. Sounds silly, I know, but it's true."

"It's not silly, Tim, I'm so glad you called, I've been concerned, wished I could be there."

"Thanks, that's good to know. "

"I meant what I said the other day Tim, I love you, just like the others, I…well I just do, even if you've never felt it."

"I'm feeling it now, and I really needed that tonight, Boss."

"Aw, Tim, I'm glad we're doing this then, but are you on your cell? You won't get in trouble, will you? And have you reached Sarah and Rob?"

"Yes, I'm on my cell and no, I won't get in trouble, Boss, I'll pay for the call. I spoke with Sarah and Rob, we used a program on our laptops so we could talk and see each other. Sarah barely remembers our brother Patrick much less Dad or Natalie and Rob never met them; they were more worried about me. Boss, Ducky has the same program that we used on his laptop, maybe when you get home you guys could call me sometime and you can see how it works."

"I'd like that, Tim."

"You could use it to talk with Tony too and I guess Abby wherever she is."

"She finally sent Ducky a text. She's home in Louisiana, thinks she's going to look for a job down there."

"Ok, so you'll need to add her to the list too. And if Ziva ever surfaces, Boss, you could talk with her."

"That'd be good, Tim, as usual you've got it all figured out for me."

"Easy enough. There's two options but I'd rather you see and try them first rather than me telling you about them."

"Makes sense, but Tim you didn't call to talk about my long distance bill."

"No, but it's easier to talk about. Boss, did she ask about me or Sarah?"

"She thinks you're both dead, son and we didn't tell her anything different. The less she knows the better. "

"How…do I want to know?"

"Vance said he's going to send you a copy of the interrogation. Just…just don't be alone when you listen, ok? "

"Boss!"

"Tim, you, your father and brother were her first victims but not her last. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the last of your father's life insurance, she found a new employer, another combatant country. She's been sent to Gitmo."

"Yeah, Vance said." Tim paused, "This is like an old cold war spy novel, maybe by John le Carré …not my life!"

"Hasn't been your life for a lot of years, kiddo. It's in the past. I know you need to absorb it, process it, deal with it, but I hope you can let it go then, as much as possible."

"You're right, Patrick and the Commander have been dead a long time, that's not news to me, and I've been sure that she was involved at least."

Gibbs was still worried about him, "Tim, are you alone there tonight?"

"No Boss, I guess the others figured out something was wrong. Pete was trying to talk me into going home with him for the night and then Matt came back into the office with his go bag. Huh!"

"What?"

"I just realized Pete called Matt's bag his go bag and that's new, they've been calling it their case bag."

"That would confuse me - between your personal bag of stuff and your gear bag for cases!"

"Yeah, me too but I just figured I'd get used to it."

"So Matt came back in? He's there with you?"

"Yeah, he's staying tonight; he's down the hall in the other bedroom. He cooked dinner, we had breakfast for dinner; you know me and my stomach."

"Damn it, I wish I was there."

"You are, Boss! You're right here with me."

"All right Tim, if it works for you, I'm ok with it too."

"Boss, I knew they were dead, I knew someone killed them and I was pretty sure it was Natalie. Confirming that it was her was the only new piece of information, really. I don't know why it hit me so hard, it felt like…it felt like it just happened, like I just woke up in the hospital and that chaplain told me they were dead. And I remembered the sound of the other car hitting us – I haven't remembered that before. Does that make any sense?"

"Yes, son, it does. It was still a shock, just hearing it, and it sounds like you maybe had a flashback. I think you've probably gotten used to thinking that even though the case was still open, it was all over and done with. And it wasn't. And as great as your life has been going in this last month or so, you're still dealing with a lot of new stuff and Ducky says all that can be stressful, even while you're loving it. He was afraid you'd have a tough time with this, we talked about it over the weekend."

"Boss, I'm kind of embarrassed, here I am the new guy falling apart and having this drama."

"Timothy, first of all, you're the least dramatic person I've ever met – I know your reaction was from your heart. And you didn't murder your family or injure yourself or any of the other things that happened. Yeah, maybe timing could have been better, but there is no good timing for news like this, you know that from our work. From what you've told me, Pete handled it fine with you and so have your co-workers. I think you'll be ok once you let yourself process it, let yourself feel what you need to feel and deal with it – like you're doing now." He paused and thought about what his own reaction would have been to something like this. "Tim? These people are already becoming your friends; they've been looking after you since you got there. Don't shut them out, ok?"

"Huh…ok. I guess if there's time tomorrow I could tell them what happened."

"Good man! I bet that will help you feel better too and don't forget Tim, that when you share memories of your dad and brother, that keeps them alive in the world. As long as one person still remembers about them, they're alive."

Tim tried to say something but the words got stuck in his throat. He sat back against the headboard and let the tears roll down his face. Across the Atlantic, Gibbs could hear enough to know Tim was crying and he just stayed with him, murmuring reassurances to him. When Tim could finally talk, he croaked a bit. "He was only a little boy, not even 8 years old yet. Why did she have to kill him, kill us? And my dad…Boss, I'm still angry with him, I've been angry since she put us on a bus to nowhere. He left us with her…he didn't even know her, he was so desperate to dump us on someone he hired her and then left and only came back once or twice a year. And he never bothered, even after my mother died, he apparently never bothered to set us up with a proper guardian. Why would he be so irresponsible? "

"Tim, we'll never know some of it and I think you still don't have all of what we can find out. We don't know who your father set up as guardian, but I'll ask Vance if we can keep digging, find that out. Natalie lied to the Navy- to everyone she talked to - told them all that you and Sarah died in the crash too. So if whoever your guardian was didn't check with the hospital, he or she would have believed that you all died."

"Oh God. But Boss, who…who would it have been? Do we have relatives? You know, I still have huge gaps in my memory from my head injuries - from getting thrown out of the passenger door."

"I know, son. Look, I'll call Vance and we'll figure out what to do, how's that?"

"You mean about finding out about our guardian and relatives? That'd be great, Boss, although…"

"It'd be more to deal with."

"Yeah."

"Well, we could find out and not tell you…"

Tim huffed a laugh. "Funny, Gibbs."

"Hey, it got a laugh out of you. I count that as a success. Now, this has got to be costing you a fortune, I hope you have another bestseller coming out very soon to pay for it."

"Another book will be out soon, don't know how well it will do but I take your point. When are you going home?"

"This afternoon, Tim, I want to talk with Vance as soon as possible and I want to call you from Ducky's laptop and whatever the other option is. "

"Boss…thanks. This means the world to me. "

"Don't thank me Tim; this is the kind of support I should have given you all along instead of leaving you to struggle on your own. The fact that you think Pete is giving you too much attention just plays up how much I let you down. Won't happen again! Now how about you try and get some sleep? Are you sitting on your bed, got your teeth brushed?"

"Yes Boss."

"Ok, climb under the covers, son and lay down." He heard rustling. "Now close your eyes, Tim and think of something happy. Think of your dinner Friday night or how beautiful Athens looked all lit up Saturday night." He stopped for a few seconds and heard Tim's breathing deepen. "Don't forget to hang up the phone Tim. Sleep well son, remember I love you, Jack loves you, Ducky loves you, Jimmy loves you, Sarah loves you, Rob loves…"

He heard a faint, "I love you all too." And then the phone clicked off.

Jethro hung the phone up on his end and turned around to find Jack sitting in his chair. "Sorry, Leroy, well, not really -I was worried too. You did great with him, was he falling asleep?"

Jethro nodded. "Yeah, Dad, I need to talk with Vance, there's more that I need to find out about Tim's family. If the case had been handled properly twenty seven years ago, part of it would have been to find out who the Commander had lined up to be guardian of his children. I want to do that now for Tim. Those kids had no family but each other, but there's got to be someone out there, a shipmate, CO, godfather, someone. Even if they're not around anymore, even if we can only find out who it was, that might help."

"Tim's angry with his father for not lining things up?"

"Yeah. Vance probably didn't want to get into all that with the man's Team Leader sitting there. There's support and then there's the need for privacy. DAMN it!"

Jackson patted his son's back, "You're working to make it right now, Leroy."

"Ten years too late, Dad. Why…what the hell have I been thinking all these years?"

"Leroy, if Tim hadn't left your team, would his family's case have been looked at?"

"Don't know, Dad. Morrow knew about it, Shepard knew about it, hell even Vance waited until now and I don't know why."

"So because Tim left and Vance wanted to prove a point with you and Tony, you were told to solve the case?"

"It was more than prove a point, Dad, Vance realized he was doing the same thing Morrow and Shepard had, sitting on the kid's family's murder and he wanted to do right by him, wanted us to do right by him, "just this once", that's what he said to me and DiNozzo. 'Just this once we're going to do the right thing for Agent McGee.'"

"So he included himself in that?" Jethro nodded.

"Son, that tells me he dropped the ball too. But more importantly, he took the first step to making things right – for you, for Tim, for himself, even for Tony. It sounds like he took special care with Tim's assignments. And what he did gave Tim time to breathe, gain a new perspective. You need to remember that, your boss did good here. And son, you are the one Tim's called…twice now. "

"Ah, he was worried about me last week, Dad."

"Yeah, worried…about a guy he was so angry with, so hurt by that he left your team. And today…he needed you, Leroy, and he trusted you enough still or maybe again, to reach out to you for your support." Jack looked at his son. "And you were there for him; I'll bet that young man felt like you rocked him to sleep."

"It's not enough, Dad, it'll never be enough; I let him down."

"Yeah, you did…in the past, which ended when he called you Saturday or maybe the day he left the team. But if you keep thinking that way, you're going to drive him away again. And you and DiNozzo will never fix things between you or with Tim."

"Dad, how can I fix things if I don't admit what I did?"

"You do have to admit them – to yourself and to Tim. I'm thinking you'll need to say it to Tony too and maybe Abby if she's ever ready to hear it. But then once it's said, you work out what happened and you all agree to put it behind you and you move on. You don't carry it around your neck like an albatross for the rest of your life. You work it out between you, you agree to move on and then you move on. That's what family's do, Leroy, isn't that what we've done?"

Jethro cocked his head at him, "More or less."

"Well, yeah, ok, I see your point, but I think we've reached a good place."

"Yeah, Dad, me too."

"You're beating yourself up over this and yeah, you needed to recognize it and admit it, but now work it out and get over it, don't wear it like a hair shirt."

"A what?"

"I think it's something the early Christian martyrs must have worn. Very uncomfortable and they wore it to be uncomfortable, supposed to prove…something, don't know what!"

Jethro laughed, "I'll ask Ducky."

"Fine but you get my meaning?"

"Yeah Dad, I do." He paused, "I came down here because I was afraid to stay home by myself; I thought I'd lost my family again. Everyone but you. Even Ducky was so pissed at me we couldn't stand to be around each other. Just being here Dad, that helped so much and then when Ducky showed up and Tim called…then I had hope again."

"And now it's time for you to go home, isn't it?"

"Yeah it is. I may not be allowed to work but maybe Vance will let me take on a project."

"To find Tim's relatives?" Jethro nodded.

"Or at least who they were."

"Then I'll help you pack, I think the best thing you could do for that young man right now, short of flying to Greece, is to give him knowledge of his original family."

"Thought of going to Greece, but he's got a new job, new responsibilities, I don't need to distract him."

"Someday you'll go, son."

Jethro nodded, not wanting to think how far off that might be and pointed to the phone, "Ok if I use that to call Vance, make an appointment? There's a toll free number I can use."

Jack laughed, "Sure go ahead. That number's on the first page of my phone index."

His son smirked at him as he found the number and dialed.

* * *

><p>Merriam-Webster online defines 'hair shirt' as:<p>

1**:** a shirt made of rough animal hair worn next to the skin as a penance and 2**:** one that irritates like a hair shirt


	9. Chapter 9

Finding Home

Chapter Nine

Tim slept for several hours, only waking after a dream about Patrick. Remembering Gibbs' instructions and how good it had been to talk with him while he was falling into sleep, he thought of all the good things that had happened since he landed first in London and now in Greece. In a few minutes he drifted off again. Matt peeked in on him a couple of times, following orders from Carla, and found him peacefully asleep. Carla had been the one to ask Matt if he could stay over. When Eva had opened the door to deliver the hot tea, the benched agent caught a glimpse of the grief, shock and anger on Tim's face and worry on Pete's. Knowing if it was bad news Pete would want to take him home so he and Trina could keep an eye on him and having already figured out that Tim was both independent and stubborn, she acted quickly, sending Matt a quick IM to see if he could stay with Tim tonight. Matt had no problem with that, he was comfortable staying over, would be a nice commute in the morning and he wanted to help Tim if there was something wrong.

Both the junior agent and the probie were up fairly early Tuesday morning and met in the kitchen, the coffeemaker already gurgling as it brewed. Tim was feeling much better; the support from his teammates, his talk with Gibbs and the long restful sleep had smoothed away the shock. The grief was still there and fresh, but he'd been dealing with it for years now and knew the edge would soften eventually. The important thing was that he wasn't alone this time. When Matt asked him how he'd slept, Tim told him a little about his phone call with Gibbs and how he'd fallen asleep thinking about all the fun he'd had since he'd been here. Matt nodded, he liked that attitude; he'd have to remember it next time he got homesick or upset about anything.

Not surprisingly, both Pete and Carla were in early and found the two young men finishing their breakfast, just about ready to disappear upstairs to get ready for work. Tim stopped long enough to thank Pete for his support, told him he'd had a restful night and a little about his call with his former Team Leader. Pete seemed very surprised by that but he decided to just go with the flow, maybe things were being patched up, that would be really good for his soon-to-be Senior Field Agent. By the time Kim, Tea and Eva arrived, the others were at their desks, hard at work.

With Pete's approval, once everyone was in, Tim asked that they all gather at the table for a few minutes. He told them a much condensed version of the murders of his father and brother and of his own injuries and then segued into the news he'd received from the Director yesterday. There were wide eyes, a couple of barely controlled gasps and Eva closed her eyes in what Tim thought might be prayer. Tim also thanked Eva for her thoughtfulness in bringing him the hot sugared tea, telling her it was exactly what his friend and doctor would have ordered. She smiled at that, pleased that she'd been able to help.

Tim wasn't used to sharing like this but felt better after it was out there. When they returned to their desks, he picked up the cold case files and gestured to Matt. "Let's cull out the oldest of these, Matt, Carla, see what we can find on them." As they now had a fresh perspective and for Tim a rather painful one, at what closing a cold case could mean to a survivor, they hunkered down. This time, Tim had Matt tell him what he should do and Tim was pleased with his progress.

It was nearly 1000 when Pete called Tim and Carla into his office. "Just got a call, we have a petty officer who's failed to report back after a 5 day leave. He's posted to the Eisenhower, more than 48 hours UA. The Agent Afloat called for help, the guy had planned to visit relatives in Larissa."

Tim looked up from taking notes on his phone, "Do we have their information? And what's his post on the Eisenhower?"

"Wilson is working on getting the family's information from his buddies. And he's part of the security office, so yeah, Tim, he's at risk."

Tim looked at Carla, both frowning. "How long is the drive to Larissa?"

"A little less than 3 1/2 hours."

Tim thought for a minute. "Do we know how close these relatives are, aunts, uncles, grandparents…or fifteenth cousins?"

"Agent Afloat said cousins and that he knew them, they'd visited his family in the States."

"Ok, that's good. First thing, we put out a BOLO and while we're waiting for results and the Agent Afloat, we can do some backtracking on this guy's family, starting with his personnel file. If we can get the name of whoever originally had the Greek ancestry in his family, we can start from there. Might give us a leg up."

"I can get started on that, Tim."

Pete nodded, "That's good; at least it means we're doing something while we wait. Wilson seems like a good agent, but I don't know how long she's been Agent Afloat."

Tim pursed his lips, thinking. "What if we head out, drive up there, we should have some usable information in three hours. If he's at risk, the sooner we get to his planned location, the better."

"Good thinking. Tim, you're lead on this."

"Thanks Pete, I'd like to take Matt with me."

"Yeah, sure leave the old guy behind."

"Ahhhh…"

"Just kidding, Tim, I gave you the lead, yes of course, take Matt. But I get to go on the next case!"

Tim laughed, "Pete, it's your call! I just figured with us being short an agent it would better to leave the two of you here, one for the office and one for any more field calls."

Carla smiled, "Nice save, but really he's just yanking your chain, Tim, he's fine with you two going."

The trio talked logistics for a couple of minutes and then Carla and Tim went into the bullpen. Carla put out a BOLO and then started working on Petty Officer Kirk's file while Tim grabbed Matt. They headed upstairs to grab their go bags, just in case. Realizing Matt was already wearing his go bag clothes today and thinking they were about the same height and build, Tim stuck an extra set of jeans and shirt in his bag for Matt. Back downstairs, they grabbed their weapons and the map Eva handed them. They also grabbed extra phone chargers and thinking quickly, Tim ran back to the refrigerator and grabbed what was left of the food from Pete's party and some bottles of lemonade. Kim brought him an insulated bag and he threw the food and drinks into it. Not that they would starve but he'd learned the hard way to always have food and liquid on a road trip. Then they were on the road and Matt took Tim's phone from him to re-charge.

"I know you were on it for awhile last night."

Tim huffed. "On my old phone, I had the best battery I could find, but I didn't have time to look for that before I left for London. And I'm ashamed to say I never even thought of it there!"

"There's a shop in town that's got a good selection, we passed it the other night."

"Ok, it'll go on the list!"

Carla called within the hour to tell them she'd made progress, she had the names and was looking for an address in Larissa. She added that they had not yet heard from Agent Afloat Wilson. Tim thought about that, a new Agent Afloat, would the petty officer's buddies even want to be helpful? He remembered some of Tony's stories about being Afloat, how he had been feared and avoided; how difficult it had sometimes been to get any cooperation. He wondered if the delay might be because she didn't have all the information and she didn't have that because she was Agent Afloat, onboard law enforcement. He had Matt call Carla and get the Agent's cell phone number and then they pulled over and switched drivers so Tim could talk to the Agent on the Eisenhower. Wilson sounded impossibly young but Tim knew she wouldn't be there if she hadn't proved herself both to her Team Leader and Vance. He explained what he wanted, any piece of information she could get – first names, nicknames, place names, anything. As he suspected, she had a couple of nicknames and a place. Tim requested that next time they worked together that she not withhold information until she had everything, especially when the land based agents were her eyes and feet on the ground. She seemed a bit confused by that and Tim thought there was probably a Team Leader or SFA in her past who deserved a smack on the head for teaching absolutes and not how to think things through. He called Carla back and gave her the new information and the reason why the woman hadn't sent it to them. She was mad enough to make a note, to enter it on their reports. Tim left that for now, he'd worry about it later. However, as Matt had heard the whole thing and Tim saw this as a learning opportunity, he explained what had happened and what was so wrong with withholding information. She may have had the information hours ago and they could have been doing more advanced searching. Tim also wondered aloud how long she'd waited to call for help.

Pete later said they must have had the wind at their backs as they pulled into Larissa with just 3 hours on the road. By that time they had three addresses to look into – one of them found by using the nickname Tim had pried out of the Agent Afloat. Two were homes of the Petty Officer's cousins, from two different branches of Kirk's family and the third was a bar the buddies had mentioned. According to their GPS, the houses were on their way to the tavern and as it was only a few minutes past 1300, Tim made the decision to stop at the homes first. If the missing man wasn't there, he hoped someone would be and give them more information.

The first home was a sparsely landscaped house that would need painting soon, with children's toy stored neatly to the side of the door and curtains over the front window. They knocked and a young man in his late teens or early 20s' answered. Tim announced who they were and that they were looking for Petty Officer Kirk as they were concerned for his well being. The young man, whose name was Gregor, said that his cousin had stayed with them during the first part of his leave and then had moved to the other cousin's home. He mentioned he'd had the flu and had been homebound since Kirk left – in fact it was the reason Kirk had moved to the other home, he didn't want to catch the flu from Gregor. He hadn't seen Kirk since then but said he had been well and planning to return to his ship at the end of his leave. Tim asked him what date Gregor thought Kirk would be returning to his ship and Matt listened intently for that, he never would have thought of confirming the official report date with what the missing guy might have said. In this case it matched. Gregor added a couple of other places he knew his cousin had frequented, the two agents thanked the young man and gave him their cards in case he thought of anything else or heard from Kirk.

The second house, home of another cousin, was still on their way to the additional places mentioned, so they stuck with their plan, first calling in to report their findings, hoping for new information. At this point, Tim's gut was pinging, but not enough to tell him much more than there was a missing man to find.

Matt was curious. "Tim, can I ask you something?"

"Don't ever need to ask, Matt, but sure, ask away!"

"Everything seemed fine there. Do you think this guy's in trouble or sleeping off a bender?"

Tim thought about it for a minute. "Things can change quickly...for example, it just took one phone call last night to shake me up when everything had been fine. I'm concerned because from what Carla's found, this guy is on track to rise in the ranks, he's a respected member of the crew. But regardless of his record, we'd still be looking just as carefully. Now if you're asking what my gut is telling me, it's been quiet but now it's starting to fire off signals. To what, I have no idea yet. And that could mean we just don't know enough yet or yeah, he is sleeping off a bender. Although if he's sick or sleeping it off, I would hope someone would have the common sense to let the Navy know."

"How would they do that?"

"If they didn't have the number of his CO, there's a phone number on the back of his ID, or if nothing else, they could call NCIS or the embassy."

"Does this happen a lot?"

"I wouldn't say a lot, not that many that get all the way to NCIS, but it does happen, has probably happened all the way back to those ancient ships whose pictures we have on our walls."

"So we take it seriously."

"Yes, they're our responsibility and if it goes long enough or the security risk is high enough for us to be brought in, we investigate quickly and thoroughly. We find the missing person or find out what happened to him or her."

"How often is it something bad?"

"Couldn't tell you, Matt, I haven't really kept track. I keep track of a bunch of stuff but not that. If we have time someday and you're still interested, we can look at some of my former team's case files - that will give you more information." He paused, "Ah, turn right here, it should be…yep, second house on the left. Ok, I have a challenge for you…as we walk up to the house, observe everything you can and when we return to the car – unless we have Kirk or we're in a tearing hurry – you can tell me everything you've seen and we can discuss what conclusions, if any, we can make. Observation is an absolute must in this business – and it's a learning process that never stops, Matt, at least that's been so for me!"

This house was more upscale than the previous one, which in Tim's experience meant either more money or more debt and more debt frequently meant desperate people, especially in recent years. There was more landscaping in the front and the building was larger and newer. There were potted plants next to the front door and there were no children's toys here. As they got closer, Tim saw that the plants had not been watered, looked nearly dead and there was a spider web on one of them. One of the pots was cracked on the side, another one was chipped. His gut was stepping up its pinging. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a curtain twitch in the window facing them and heard footsteps inside. He casually flicked a non-existent piece of lint off Matt's upper arm, a preset warning. Motioning Matt to the side of the door opposite him, he drew his weapon, Matt following suit. Having also learned this the hard way, Tim took the time to send a quick text to NCIS letting them know where they were and what was happening. He and Carla had exchanged some favorite abbreviations and code words so it only took him a few seconds to type in and send. Then Tim nodded at Matt and the younger man reached out and knocked on the door. Tim listened carefully, finally hearing more footsteps and just as the door was pulled open, an ominous and all too familiar click.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for all your comments, reading, following and favoriting! While Tim's busy, we're dropping in to see Gibbs and Vance.

* * *

><p>Finding Home<p>

Chapter Ten

Gibbs made good time driving home from Stillwater. When he reached DC, he decided to go on to his house and get cleaned up, put something on besides jeans before returning to the Navy Yard for his appointment with Vance. He collected his mail from his neighbor who was glad to see him in much better shape than when he'd left. Once inside the house, he stripped as he stepped into the bathroom and turned the hot water on. Feeling better after his shower, he found clean clothes and then wandered into the kitchen for coffee and a bite to eat. That done, he still had a little time and decided to check his phone messages. He was pleased to hear DiNozzo's voice on the recording and smiled, listening to it. His oldest had called after his appointment this morning and his tone sounded much more Tony. Frowning, he looked at his watch; he didn't have time to call him back now and with the time difference Tony would still be at work. He'd wait until after his meeting with Vance, he might have more to tell him anyway.

XXX

Vance looked at the clock as he hurried back into his office from yet another meeting on the Hill. Two months ago, he'd promised to help the new Secretary of the Navy in her first meetings with the oversight committees; he just hadn't planned on being down an entire MCRT at the same time. Carter's team was doing a good job but they were still making some adjustments. And now Gibbs wanted to meet. Leon's curiosity was strong enough to almost override the dread of meeting with his stubborn, fiery tempered and suspended lead agent. Since his call to tell Agent McGee about the successful closure of his family's cold case, Vance had been tied up with his boss and hadn't much of a chance to catch up with anything at the agency. He was alternately afraid that Gibbs had changed his mind and wanted to retire or that the man was coming to demand to be put back to work rather than serve out his suspension. It was only a little into the second week and Vance was determined it be served in full.

As he got settled in at his desk and looked through his messages, he saw one from his SAIC in Bremerton. Hoping that was not bad news, that DiNozzo hadn't delivered the final death knell to his own career, Vance decided to quickly return the call.

The Team Leader answered on the second ring, "Cazal."

"Adam, its Vance, returning your call, you on a case?"

"No, all clear, hang on."

Leon could hear footsteps and the closing of a door. "Was out in the bullpen. Just wanted to let you know, Director, that in the week he's been here, I've already seen signs of DiNozzo pulling his act together. His shrink reports that he is showing up for his appointments and working with him, doing his homework. He's ok here, no joking around or inappropriate comments. He's friendly but professional, been pretty quiet, heads down working."

"That's good to hear, Adam." Vance said, trying not to sound disbelieving.

"Do I hear a "but", Sir?"

"Hope not. If there's anyone else besides Gibbs who can straighten DiNozzo out, it's you. I am curious to see how this will work out in the long run. Keep me posted."

"Understood." The two men disconnected and Vance stood, thinking about taking this meeting at the conference table. Then he remembered this was the most stubborn man on the planet and he would likely need every edge, every advantage he had to not bend to Gibbs' request, whatever it might be.

After thinking along those lines, he was shocked when there was a knock on his door and after he called to enter, Gibbs walked in. He thought about being suspicious but it wasn't at all like Gibbs to curry favor. Bluster, yes, brown nosing, no. Then he looked at the older man. While his eyes were clear, he had lost weight and he looked…Vance finally settled for tired.

Gibbs stood in front of the director's desk. "Director, I've been talking with Tim and…"

"You WHAT? I gave you a direct order not to contact him, Gibbs!"

"Sir, he called me. Saturday, actually he called Ducky and asked to speak to me." Vance was still reeling in shock from being called Sir, but managed to bite out a one word reply: "Because?"

"He'd talked with Ducky the day before and Duck mentioned he was flying up to Stillwater – my dad's – to see me, that I'd been under the weather. And you saw him in London two days before that and told him about DiNozzo and Abby …and me. So he was worried, concerned."

"Ok, how did it go?" His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Gibbs blinking back moisture…oh boy. He rose from his desk and took the other man by his arm, led him to the conference table.

"Sit Gibbs. Just tell me when you're ready."

Gibbs inhaled deeply, held onto his breath and then exhaled slowly just as Ducky had showed him. He did this a few times until he finally felt he could talk without blubbering in front of his boss. He nodded his thanks for the glass of water that had appeared on the table in front of him. "It went good, really good. Leon…he called me, _Tim_ called _me_! He was so worried after hearing the news from you and talking with Ducky…he said he needed to hear my voice. I…" Gibbs had to stop again. Vance shook his head. "He's not feeling guilty is he, because so help me…"

The older man looked up, a ghost of a smile on his face, and shook his head. "No, not guilty, Ducky had already talked to him about that and he agreed. And he didn't sound like he felt guilty; there was no hesitancy in his voice. I know what Tim McGee feeling guilty sounds like and I didn't hear that at all."

"Good."

"We just talked, Leon, he let me say I was sorry before he told me he hadn't called to talk about our problems, that he just wanted to make sure I was ok and safe with Jack. And then we did talk a little bit about things. "

Gibbs went on to tell his boss what he and Tim had said to each other. Vance listened, marveling at the tender heart of Tim McGee and proud of the young man for reaching out and somewhere very deep inside him there was a tiny little voice cheering for the fact that Gibbs had opened up to the young man. He was further astounded when Gibbs told him of the call earlier today, about Tim's reaction to the closure of his cold case and how Gibbs had basically talked him to sleep. When the man finished, they sat there in silence for a bit. Vance finally asked if Gibbs wanted coffee and got a familiar smirk, much to his relief.

They sat with their coffees while Gibbs made his case to continue working on the McGee file. To allow him to work – without pay – to find who Tim and Sarah's guardian was supposed to have been and to see if he could locate any other family for them. He figured he could do the phone work from home, but he would need the case file again and maybe part of Tim's personnel file. He pointed out the obvious, that if the NIS agent originally on the case had known Tim and Sarah were alive, it would have been done then. Vance nodded, that was true. Mind made up, he stood and unlocked a drawer in his credenza, pulling out a file. Then he searched through the files on his side table and found the one he was looking for.

He handed both files to Gibbs. "Yes, you have my permission to do this but I don't want you to do it at home…hear me out Gibbs. You may need some advice from Legal or HR about approaching Tim's family; you may need help from the Cybercrime unit or even the lab. It'll be more efficient if you're here, at your old desk. And while I suppose I don't mind you working without pay, this is NCIS business and the agency will pay for your phone calls and any reasonable out of the office expenses you might incur. If there's long distance travel, we'll need to talk before you make any plans, but if you need to go to say… Annapolis or Norfolk to talk with someone, you can take an agency vehicle. You have the rest of this week to do this and yes, I'll count this as part of your suspension, otherwise, it's too complicated. I trust you to do this as quickly as possible, Gibbs and with as little interaction with any of the other agents as possible. While I applaud your efforts, I'm not in the least bit happy with the way you handled your team and I don't want people thinking I've allowed you to just waltz back into work. I'll put the word out that you're continuing work on McGee's cold case; that will help." Vance paused. "I will especially let the Cybercrimes unit know that otherwise they're liable to hang up on you when you call. For Agent McGee, they'd do anything, for you, not so much."

Gibbs nodded wearily. He'd hoped to do this at home but for once he conceded that he was in no position to argue. This was for Tim, that was the important thing and then he realized he'd said that out loud. Vance gave him a funny look and then nodded once, sharply. The two men stood as Vance told him he could start in the morning. Nodding his acceptance, Gibbs started to turn and then stopped when he saw the hand extended. Swallowing hard again, he shook Vance's hand, quietly thanked him and walked out the door.

Downstairs he paused, looked at his old bullpen, empty of bodies and of any sign it had ever been occupied. No, that wasn't right, if he stood here long enough he could see Stan, Viv, Tony, Kate, Tim, Ziva…all scattered to the winds or in Kate's case, dead. He was still standing, lost in his memories when one of Carter's team, his junior he thought, started to walk by him and stopped. "Agent Gibbs! Wow, didn't expect to see you here. I guess Tim's in London still, huh? Wonder how he's doing?"

Gibbs smiled softly, "He's finished with London, he did a great job. He's in Greece now and having a wonderful time, they had a party to welcome him, two parties actually."

"You know this, oh, Dr. Mallard must have told you."

"Tim called me over the weekend and earlier today. He's doing really well."

"He call…" Rick appeared and rolling his eyes in apology at his colleague, dragged his junior agent away.

Vance spoke from just behind Gibbs' shoulder and he might have jumped a bit. "That will help, but no more. Tim's business is his business." Gibbs nodded, "You're right, I shouldn't have said anything. I just wanted him to know how well he's doing." Vance patted him on the shoulder, "That's ok, Gibbs. Now go home and get some rest. You'll have a busy week."

Vance went back to his office and waited fifteen minutes, then asked Pamela to get Carter and O'Brien up here and to have Stacy Zomen, the Cybercrimes supervisor come up in 20 minutes.

The two Team Leaders appeared as requested and Vance gestured to them to sit down. "This won't take long; I just wanted to give you a heads up that Gibbs will be in the office for a few days, just this week, to do some follow up work on the McGee case. And yes, if you've heard a rumor about Agent McGee and Gibbs talking, they have been…McGee has called him twice now and as I understand it, they're starting to work things out. Which is a good thing and we are going to support Gibbs while he's here on this project. No bad behavior toward anyone; please put the word out. As much as we're all burying our personal feelings about this mess, there will be no taunting, not that Gibbs would pay any attention anyway. I expect everyone to be at their most professional behavior. Questions?"

O'Brien nodded, "How is he?"

"Tim is doing great, he was a smash hit in London – you'll see the program he headed up; it'll be implemented here in a month, I'm letting the European offices have it first since it will be easier for Tim and his former project team to troubleshoot if any bugs come up. And they haven't, this has been a first ever, bug free implementation. "

"And in Greece?"

"Either of you know Pete Russell?" They both nodded.

"He called me at the crack of dawn on Friday – here – to tell me he was already impressed – and McGee had been in the office less than 3 hours."

O'Brien nodded, "What about Jethro?"

Carter shook his head, "He looks a hell of a lot better than last time I saw him. I stopped off last week to drop off some mail that was on his desk and he looked horrible. Ducky drove up just as I was wondering if I should call him, so I left but I've been concerned."

Vance nodded. "I'm guessing the calls from Tim have helped immensely and I'm getting good reports from Bremerton too, so that will have helped."

Carter shook his head again, "All of us are responsible for this mess in some way, Leon. As Jethro's peers, we should have talked with him, tried to counsel him…years ago."

O'Brien nodded, "Maybe we should look at implementing something like that, peer to peer. "

Vance waved them away, "You figure it out, let me know if I need to know. I'm not against it, I'll say that." Deep in conversation, the two Team Leaders left the Director's Suite and walked downstairs.


	11. Chapter 11

Previously on 'NCIS: Athens'…er…Finding Home:

_Tim listened carefully, finally hearing more footsteps and just as the door was pulled open, an ominous click. _

And now:

Finding Home, Chapter Eleven

As the door slowly opened, Matt's jaw nearly locked open as he looked at the sight in front of him. An old woman in baggy clothes, hair hanging down and with a scarf around her head, stood against a walker. His instinct was to put the safety back on his weapon and holster it but he noticed that Tim was not doing anything of the kind. Instead, he showed his badge as he barked, "NCIS, where's Petty Officer Kirk?" There was a muffled noise from inside but the old woman coughed at the same time. Tim's gut was pinging wildly by now and he kept his weapon in hand. When the old woman turned her head toward a second noise from within, Tim saw a prominent Adam's apple and quickly grabbing his handcuffs snapped them on "her" wrists. Matt moved the walker and then saw the heavy boots the person was wearing. Tim grabbed the man's scarf off his head to reveal a head of thick dark hair and made a light gag of the scarf to prevent any verbal warnings being called out.

As they dragged the man with them, clearing each room, Tim was relieved to see a Larissa Police car pull up and he was infinitely grateful he'd taken the few seconds to give Carla that sitrep. Both agents had their badges and ids out and up in the air when the officers came in, guns drawn. They escorted the prisoner to their car and one stayed with him while the other one helped clear the house. Two other dirtbags were found, one sound asleep in a back bedroom and the other guarding Petty Officer Kirk in another large room. It looked like a converted garage to Tim from the size of it and the fact that it was covered in sheetrock with oil stains on the concrete floor. The Petty Officer was unconscious but although Tim could see a fair amount of bruising, there was no blood. The LEOs called for medical assistance for Kirk and when the ambulance came, Matt accompanied him to the hospital, thankful Tim had had him download a translation app to his phone on Saturday. Tim stayed to work the scene with the help of the local officers. After he'd gathered every shred of physical evidence and taken as many photos as possible, the officers led him to the hospital to meet up with Matt and their Petty Officer.

Kirk was still being treated, so Tim took the time to call the office and update Pete and Carla. Then he contacted the Larissa Police Chief, thanking him for the help of his department and made arrangements for them to maintain custody of the three suspects until they could be moved to Athens for trial. He also set up interrogations for tomorrow. He would get started while Pete drove up in the morning to help bring the evidence back. Their forensics was outsourced to a private lab in Athens, although the London office had a lab and could handle forensics for the other offices if necessary. Tim wondered about that as this seemed like it could be a matter of national security but that was probably Pete's decision, not his.

Eventually they were allowed in to see Kirk who had an IV with fluids to hydrate him. It looked like the young man's captors had intended to torture him but had been squeamish about it. He was bruised, dehydrated and exhausted, but had no broken or cracked ribs or any of the other trademark injuries of torture.

His first words were a question, "Where are my cousin and her daughter?" Tim had asked the police to find out who was supposed to be living in the house, now he asked the Petty Officer, whose first name was George, for his statement including names and how long since he'd seen his cousin and her child.

He gave the details of his capture, it had been pretty clumsy. He'd arrived at his cousin Christina's home and within a day Michael had shown up and seemed to be trying to befriend him. He hadn't thought much about it since Michael was his cousin's boyfriend and father of her child Elena. But on his second night there, they'd had a few drinks and George had started feeling odd. Tim thought he'd probably been slipped something in his drink and made a note to have his blood and urine tested. Remembering his sister's case, he made one further note, to search for vomit as the drug was probably gone from his system by now but could still show up in his vomit. George continued: when he'd woken up, he was in the converted garage, tied up and gagged. Michael's two 'buddies' came in to 'help him' give them answers. To what he wasn't entirely sure, the trio had not been clear about what they were looking for. He said they would mostly yell at him to 'tell them what he knew' and slap him around, punch him.

"The guy who was guarding me, that's her boyfriend, Michael. I don't know what he thought I knew or how he found out what I do. But I think the whole thing, to get information out of me and then sell it; I think that was his idea…from what I could understand. He's not Greek although I think the other guys are - they spoke the language more fluidly than he did. Christina, that's my cousin, she's a great person but she's a little slow sometimes. Her parents bought her this house when she had the baby, Elena. She's three now. I don't know where Michael took them, he's Elena's father, but please, find them!"

"Where are Christina's parents?"

"Right now they're in the States, visiting my parents. That was part of the reason I came here, to check up on Tina while her parents are away."

"What about your cousin Gregor?"

"Oh God, please tell me they're ok? "

"He is, he's just had the flu, but I don't' know about his parents, we'll send someone to double check."

"Thank you. Gregor is the son of my cousin Dion and his wife Sasha. Dion's mother is my mother's cousin. Christina's father is related to my father through my paternal grandmother."

"Oh, I see."

Kirk rolled his eyes, "If you do, maybe you can explain it to me."

Tim smiled, "Ok, I have it written down and I could plug it into a family tree but I'm just going with the flow here, really." He paused, "So would Christina or Michael know Gregor or his parents?"

"Christina has met them but as far as I know it's been years. I doubt very much if Michael has ever even heard of them."

"Ok, we'll check all of that." Tim paused, "Know what Michael's buddies' names are? The police chief says they're refusing to speak."

"Uh, the one with the long scraggly dark hair is Hector and the other one, the one with the goatee…that's Dennis."

"Ok, good, that's a place to start. Was there anyone else around?"

"Not that I know of, but I was unconscious at the first and then the last and off and on in between."

"Mmm." Tim thought he and Matt would be standing guard duty tonight. Just then he got a text from Pete with a change of plans. The doctor had come in to check on Kirk, so Tim left Matt in the room while he stepped out to call Pete.

"Hello, this is Russell."

"Pete, it's Tim, what's the change in plan?"

"Have a question for you first. Do you know with a certainty that the 3 guys you busted are the only ones involved?"

"No, I don't. I have first names and photos of them so thought I'd get someone started on facial recognition."

"You sent the photos already?"

"Yes, to Kim. I remembered Carla had a doctor's appointment."

"Good man, Tim, you're doing a stellar job with this."

"Thanks Pete but we're nowhere near done yet and I'm afraid I'm not doing a great job of really mentoring Matt through this."

"That's ok, trust me, he's learning…you need to have him do what you need done. Ok, so here's the deal. I contacted Edwards and Hughes because this was a possible national security breach on foreign soil. They're happy with what you're doing, the way you're handling this but they also recognized that you and Matt have way too much for one SFA and a probie to handle and I know the PD has been great, but it's still our case and bottom line, we're responsible. Don't want to think about a local LEO starting to get upset because we have two or three of his countrymen in custody. Rather than me coming up tomorrow, Edwards and Hughes are on their way now. They will follow your lead; they're being extra bodies, not taking over the case. However, they would like to participate in the interrogations with you tomorrow."

"Participate?"

"Yes, not take over, participate with you." Tim was silent for a moment and Pete, having already learned this about his new agent, was quiet, waiting.

"You know, this is good, Pete. Matt and I will stand guard duty tonight but I don't know if he's done that before, I haven't had a chance to ask him." '

"He hasn't, not yet."

"Ok, then we'll split into two shifts, starting when I hang up and he can stand guard with me. That way I can train him the way I want, I mean the way we do it in NCIS and I'm just going to have to trust the CIA agents, uh, shoot, Jack Hughes and George Edwards, right?"

"Yeah, but George goes by Ted, he'll tell you that when they get in. They left a couple of hours ago, so another hour, they should be there."

"Ok, so we have the crime scene done – oh, evidence. Is that going to London or Athens?"

"Up to you."

"This is a national security breach although it was very clumsily executed, thank God! Still, I'd rather err on the side of caution; I'm going to say London."

"Ok, can you get it all in the car?"

"Yeah, think so or we can split it between the two cars and Matt and I will split up along with it…one NCIS agent per car. I've already downloaded all the photos. The crime scene is done, although I'm feeling we should search the house again, maybe there's an attic or a basement or even an outbuilding, where Christina and Elena might be. Evidence goes to London, local LEO's are looking for Christina and her…hang on, Pete I've got another call, the Chief. "

Putting Pete on hold, Tim answered the Chief's call and then linked the calls.

"Ok, Chief, both Agent Russell and I are on with you now. "

"Very well Agent McGee. We have found Christina and her daughter. There was a locked building out back and they were there. They have not been harmed; they had plenty of air, food and water and a bucket."

"That's wonderful news, Chief, thank you and your people for your diligence. Just as a precaution and to satisfy protocol, I'd like to have them brought to the hospital to be checked out. Their cousin has been very worried about them and he'll want to see them as soon as possible."

"If by protocol you mean paperwork, I understand Agent McGee and they are on their way to you now."

"Thanks again, that's great work. Chief, what would it take to start my interrogations at dawn tomorrow?"

"Ah, that is a good idea. Should they eat first?"

"No, I think not until after I see them. Water of course and whatever you feed them tonight, but no breakfast until after questioning them."

"That is not a problem Agent McGee; I will keep it to myself until say 30 minutes before you wish to see them?"

"That would be great; will they be in one cell?"

"Ah, you wish to leave each one asleep until you question them?"

"If possible, yes. Two additional agents are on their way to assist me, but I'll be doing most of the questioning."

"We have two cells next to each other and a third one separated and it is not visible from the other cells."

"And how many interrogation rooms?"

"Two."

"All right, Michael will be the first one, so he could be in the isolated cell please and then we'll get the other two after, in the two rooms."

"Very well, we will handle it that way." The Chief hung up and Tim resumed his conversation with Pete.

"All right, that's a huge relief. The LEOs are also checking on the other relatives, we just saw the one and George – Petty Officer Kirk – says the kid's parents should be there too. About the interrogations, I'm charging them with terrorism - kidnapping and torture - no attorneys, no rights."

"Yep, which is another reason I thought Ted and Jack would be helpful, couldn't find any record if you've handled one of those."

Tim chuckled, "Not directly but I've assisted."

"Got it. Any idea when Petty Officer Kirk will be released from the hospital?"

"I'd think tomorrow morning, he's on an IV drip for the dehydration and they want to keep an eye on him overnight."

"Ok, so you'll have Kirk plus all the evidence to fit in the cars"

"No problem, Pete, because now we'll have two cars. One NCIS agent, half the evidence in each car."

"Sounds good, you're doing great with this, Tim."

"Pete, you and the others have been a huge help. We would have been hip deep in prisoners if you hadn't alerted the PD! And getting the other agents in on this, now I know what Vance said when he called them "helpful"!"

"Well, there are also other ways but they're happy to get their hands dirty, they must get a little bored waiting for the cloak and dagger stuff. Oh, Tim by the way, we rescheduled your Tux appointment for tomorrow night since you're meeting with Ted and Jack tonight…well for the next 24 hours, actually."

"Ah, thanks Pete, forgot all about that!"

"Have you eaten anything?"

"Uh, don't know, oh yeah we ate in the car. We can grab something here tonight."

"Ok, one last thing and then I'll let you move on to your next call. Ted and Jack booked two rooms at the local hotel. You and Matt get one of those rooms and you need to get whatever sleep you can."

"With two shifts about 7-8 hours each, that's plenty of sleep, more than enough!"

"Good. Kim will continue to work on the facial recognition and the known contacts. Let her know who's on what shift of guard duty and she'll text whoever is on with the results and then get started on tracking the contacts. The Eisenhower has been alerted; they'd already gone through their breach protocols but were happy to hear Petty Officer Kirk is alive and able to return to them shortly."

"Good!"

"Ok, I think that wraps it up for now, Timothy. A sitrep after the interrogations will be fine, unless there are problems during the night."

"Got it. Ok, thanks Pete, see you tomorrow. Oh, will you let London know…"

"Already sent Joel an e-mail while we were talking Tim, his answer was "glad to help and tell Tim we're all proud of him. I'll second that too, son, if I haven't made myself clear."

"You have and I appreciate it, Pete. " They finally disconnected the call and Tim headed back to Kirk's room. He found Matt outside the door. Tim looked in the room and saw George was asleep.

He nodded. "How are you doing, Matt?"

"I'm good, this has been pretty exciting!"

"Yeah, we did good today, saved a good guy and his family too."

"We know where they are?"

"Yeah, the Chief called while I was on the phone with Pete. His officers found the cousin and her little girl in an outbuilding. They had plenty of air, food and water but I'm going to still have them looked over. Which reminds me, did they take any blood from him?"

"Yeah, they did, I believe they said it was standard procedure in a kidnapping."

"All right; the other thing I want to know is if George vomited at all." There was a rusty laugh from the bed and Tim chided himself for waking up the patient. "Sorry man. Didn't mean to wake you up, have good news though."

"You found Chrstina and Elena?"

"Yes, the police did, in a building in the backyard. They're on their way here, so you'll see them in a few minutes."

Tim took a breath, "About the vomit, whatever drugs they gave you are very likely gone from your blood and urine by now. However, it would be in your vomit and once outside your digestive system, it stops any chemical reaction, so the drug would be present there."

George Kirk nodded, "That makes sense. I remember feeling sick to my stomach but I have no idea whether or not I actually ralphed."

Tim looked at Matt, "Think you can find your way back to Christina's house?" Matt nodded, excited to be doing something more than hanging out at the hospital, even if it was looking for vomit.

Tim motioned for him to join him just outside the room. He smiled, "You did great today, Matt, followed my lead at the front door; that was crucial. Came to the hospital with Kirk, another good move. You've taken samples at crime scenes before?"

Matt tilted his head, "Sort of, someone's always watched me or shown me what to look for."

Tim smiled, remembering Gibbs showing him drops of blood along a pathway. "Yeah, I remember those days, they won't last forever! So we're looking for a pile of smelly vomit. You can maybe grab a face mask here to take with you. If you haven't dealt with it before it's even more disgusting when it's not your own."

Matt laughed. "Ok, how much do I need?"

"As much as possible, so take the largest evidence jar we've got in the kit. The easiest thing to scoop it up with is a plastic spoon. I had to do it once with a tongue depressor, you know like a popsicle stick!"

"We have a plastic spoon from lunch."

"Hmm, no, needs to be a clean one."

"I'll get one from the cafeteria here before I go."

"That works."

"Ok, now the other thing is that Pete called in our friends from the embassy, Ted and Jack are on their way to help us, they'll be here within the hour. So what's the main thing you think we're going to do, the four of us?"

Matt stood in thought and then looked in at their Petty Officer. "Guard duty because we don't know if those three guys are the only ones."

Tim grinned, "Excellent! Now, we're going to do this in pairs because we don't know who what or how an attack would happen. You and I are going to do about 7 hours and then Ted and Jack will take over while we get some sleep in a hotel room that was reserved for us this afternoon." Tim took a breath. "Tomorrow morning as dawn breaks, we'll do the interrogations. There are three guys and maybe two of us interrogating – have you done any before?"

Matt shook his head. "No and I've only seen a couple. The cases we've worked on have been out of the country and the lead office handled the interrogations while we were on our way home."

"Well, shoot. All right, I'm going to work on shaking you free so you can observe at least one of the interrogations. Probably Michael's as he'll be first. Maybe we'll just bring George with us and he can sit in a conference room or the Chief's office or something. The other thing you need to know is that we're arresting these three – and anyone else we find – for terrorism, given Kirk's position and that they clearly wanted information from him. It all adds up to no rights, no attorneys and a free ride to Gitmo. Pete didn't say this, but from past experience I'm thinking our two friends will be able to arrange that ride pretty quickly."

"So they'll be taking them back to Athens?"

"They'll probably want to be a little more covert about it. Probably let prison transport handle it as soon as possible and then stuff them on a flight once they reach Athens. And we won't mention those three letters they work for."

Matt nodded, "Yeah, that's standard operating procedure with them."

"Ok, I think that covers everything for now. You get suited up with whatever you can get from here, get the vomit if there is any and put it in with our evidence. When the guys get here, we'll take a break, get something to eat. Then we have guard duty followed by sleep!"

Matt smiled and headed to the nurses' station to ask for a face mask. He was given two and some funny looks but he just thanked them and headed to the cafeteria to get the spoon. He was back in a couple of minutes, looking sheepishly at Tim who just grinned and handed him the car keys, telling him where their car was parked.

An hour later, he was back, having accomplished his mission, still looking a little green. Christina and Elena had arrived and Ted and Jack rolled in shortly after his return. George's other cousins had been found at home and told of his ordeal, now they arrived to visit. When they heard about Christina's home being a crime scene they offered a place to stay. Tim explained the house would probably be released in the next day or so, but would need to be cleaned. Dion and his wife Sasha promised George they would help Christina and not to worry. They asked if they could have breakfast with George in the morning after he was released and Tim, with a look at George, stepped in.

"George has to stay with us. However, I can ask the Chief of Police if he would mind you having breakfast with George in his conference room, would that work?" While Tim didn't know for certain there was a conference room, he'd never heard of a city police department that didn't have some sort of private room.

The visitors looked puzzled so Tim explained a little bit further. "The men that were holding George hostage and hurting him are in jail here and they will be questioned tomorrow. Because there are only a few of us, we all need to be there, so George will have to be too. He's not a prisoner, but it is my responsibility to ensure he reaches his ship." Now there were nods of understanding and some laughter about the freed man having to follow the agents who freed him.

Stepping out of the room, Tim called the Chief of Police and explained the situation. The Chief understood, as soon as he finished laughing that is. He approved of Tim's idea with the proviso the cousins bring their own food. He was happy to provide coffee or tea, but not a full breakfast. Returning to Kirk's room, Tim gave them the good news. Sasha shyly asked if he and the other agents could join them but Tim said he didn't think that would be possible with their schedule.

With the details set, Ted and Matt left the room with Tim. Ted took guard position outside the room while Jack remained inside and stood impassively, clearly not listening to the cousins' conversation. Tim and Matt headed out the door to a restaurant recommended by two of the nurses and Dion.


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for all your reviews, you're wonderful!

* * *

><p>Finding Home<p>

Chapter Twelve

Tim sank down into the booth at the tiny restaurant recommended to them and sighed happily. Matt looked up, "Tired?"

"Nah, it's just the adrenaline rush wearing off. I'll have another one going by the time we get back, but for now it feels good to let down a little."

They looked at the menus and then put them down and asked for the daily special. That was a minced meat souvlaki which each of them devoured, along with the pasta and salad that came with it. After they'd eaten their fill, Tim thought back over the day and was satisfied with it.

"Ok Matt, do you remember your observations from that house?"

"It looked good, upscale, nicely landscaped, until you looked closer at it. The plants were dead or dying and there were weird curtains on the window."

"Yeah, that was a sheet tacked up. Most people don't have their curtains closed during the day. That was good; those were the same things I noticed."

Matt grinned, pleased with himself and then remembered he'd fallen for the old woman act while Tim had not. "What tipped you off that wasn't an old woman?"

Tim smirked, "Who says an old woman can't commit a crime…don't ever give anyone the benefit of the doubt just because they don't look the part. Some of the nastiest criminals in history have gotten away with things because they didn't look the part - Ted Bundy for example."

Matt nodded, "But you saw more."

"Yeah I did. For one thing, I heard footsteps but no thump from the walker until she was right at the door. Secondly she was too tall for that walker, if she had been legit, the height of that thing would have been adjusted. And her knuckles were white; she was nervous, really nervous. She deliberately coughed to block a sound. When there was a second sound, she turned her head and I saw the Adam's apple and that did it. I didn't care if she was a cross dresser or wearing a costume, she was not only masquerading, she was covering up something in the house and that meant trouble."

Matt nodded in understanding. "But you knew he was there though, you said it right away and loudly."

Tim nodded, "Gut, I knew as soon as I saw the curtain twitch."

"Not the dead plants?"

"Made me think twice about the place but it takes more than a few days to kill plants and for all I knew they could be in a drought and on water rationing." He looked at Matt. "You have excellent instincts. You thought the woman was ok but you followed me. That's a big deal, trusting your partner. Unless they're unnecessarily pointing a gun at someone's head with the safety off and you know it's not a bluff, or they're being stupid about doing something that will unnecessarily put one or both of you in danger, you follow your partner; you can argue technique or reasoning later. And if you can't trust your partner, you don't go out in the field with them. You tell your boss, even if your partner is your boss. It gets fixed or you move on. That's critical, Matt."

Matt looked at his friend – and superior – and wondered if that had happened to Tim. He knew he'd been part of the top MCRT of the agency but left to take this assignment. He mentally shrugged, it wasn't any of his business but the guy was a good agent and Carla was impressed and happy. And she was tough as nails, very difficult to impress and had not been happy at all with the two juniors he'd seen her with, the junior agent who left for a family emergency and never returned and the guy Julian from London. Tim was a strong agent from what he'd seen and heard, a good teacher and a really nice guy, interesting and a lot of fun. He couldn't imagine people not liking Tim, not treating him well.

They treated themselves to dessert in recognition of a job well done and enjoyed a cup of coffee each before heading back to the hospital. On the way back, Tim gave Matt some pointers about guard duty. Never accepting anything at face value, never accepting food or drink, checking each person's id every time, no matter if you'd seen them ten times that day. To illustrate his points, he gave some examples of guard duty gone wrong. By the time they parked the car, Matt was laughing at Tim's examples but he'd always remember the points that Tim made.

They relieved Ted and Jack and the two CIA agents headed back to the hotel for dinner and sleep. They would return at 0100 to relieve the two NCIS agents. Visiting hours were soon over and once Petty Officer Kirk's cousins departed, he settled into sleep. Matt started outside the door and Tim was proud of the way he checked the medical staff's ids against his list. One of the aides even offered to bring Matt a drink and was a little miffed when he turned it down. As she had been flirting with Matt, or trying to, since Tim had arrived, he made a note to check on her but wasn't overly concerned. Thanking the universe for smart phones, he ran a background check on the young woman and didn't find anything that screamed terrorist or anything but student working her way through college as a medical aide. Tim's brother, Rob had been doing the same job for the same reason and had talked of alleviating boredom by flirting.

Tim hated guard duty, it was worse than stakeouts. It was boring and stressful at the same time. You could never let your guard down; you had to be alert and observant every second. After three hours, he went out to check on Matt, each had a 5 minute rest break and then they traded places for the final three hours of their shift. Ted and Jack arrived on time to relieve them. Tim and Matt would be back at the hospital between 6 and 7 AM to spring George and they'd all head over to Police Headquarters.

The hotel wasn't far and the room was comfortable, not that either man cared much about anything but falling into bed and to sleep. Tim's phone alarm woke them at 0530 and they each grabbed a hot shower. Tim was amused to notice that Matt had evidently washed out a pair of boxers overnight as they were hanging from the towel rack. When Matt commented from the bathroom that they weren't quite dry, Tim chuckled and told him to use the hair dryer provided by the hotel. They'd covered the topic of extra clothes on the way to the hotel last night, or rather this morning and when they packed up and left the room that morning, Matt was wearing a pair of Tim's jeans, the cuffs rolled up once.

They headed back to the hospital where they found George and his medical people in the throes of being discharged. Tim and Jack headed to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast and then traded with Matt and Ted. When their Petty Officer was finally done with the paperwork, they escorted him to the NCIS agency vehicle and with Ted and Jack following in their car, drove to the Larissa Government building.

They signed in and slung their visitors' badges around their necks. Dion and Sasha were already there waiting. With the help of one of the sergeants who had been on the scene yesterday, the cousins were led to a conference room and set up there. The four US agents continued to the interrogation rooms.

As lead on the case, Tim had outlined everyone's participation in the interrogations. Tim would handle each man's interrogation, with Matt in the room with him while Jack and Ted observed. If there were additional questions to be asked, they would text Tim rather than physically interrupt him. If there was something pertinent to the CIA, they could do a follow up after Tim's session. Tim privately thought that by the third guy, Dennis, he wouldn't care if Jack or Ted did the interrogation, but he'd wait until they got to that point to make that determination.

XXX

Michael had been woken about 20 minutes before his interrogation started, but he had not gotten up from the cot and was not told it was time or where he was going until the guards came to get him. Because he had forcibly detained and restrained a U.S. citizen, tortured him and also forcibly detained a Greek citizen and a small child, he was not only handcuffed, his feet were shackled as he was escorted from his cold cell. He was still groggy and confused from a mostly sleepless night and not really paying attention to what was going on. He smelled coffee and food but was told he was not allowed to eat yet. He was offered a bottle of water which he declined.

He was taken into a small room and none too gently shoved into a chair at a table. There was a familiar guy facing him and behind him was a mirror. He wondered blearily why there was this big mirror in here. The guy introduced himself as Special Agent McGee from NCIS, what the hell was that? Navy what? Criminal, yikes, that sounded scary.

Oh, this was about Tina's cousin. Yeah, that hadn't gone too well. He'd overheard Tina's mother telling her that Cousin George was very smart and knew a whole bunch of stuff for his job. He thought he could make some easy money off the guy. All he needed to do was punch the guy a few times and he'd spill, right? That was the way it happened on TV and in the movies. He figured he needed help, so he told his two buddies Hector and Dennis about it and they came over to the house while Cousin George was there. Hector had some sort of drug he could slip into a drink, knock the guy out, but geesh, he was a big guy, hard to carry him! And then the jerk threw up on him and all over the floor, man that was disgusting. Tina didn't like him hitting Cousin George at all, she was yelling at him and Elena wouldn't stop crying so he waited until they were asleep and carried them out to the shed, locking them in. He left them sandwiches and water, they'd be ok, it wasn't hot or cold out or anything. Dennis tried punching the guy too but he still wouldn't tell them anything and Dennis hurt his hand punching him.

Man, all they needed was one little thing, they could sell it and they'd be set for life! But the guy was being mean and stubborn about telling them anything. They had him tied up pretty well, Hector knew about knots. When he got tired of the guy mouthing off and not saying anything useful, they found some duct tape and put it over his mouth. And then the guy talking now had shown up with some other guy. They'd tried to fake him out with the old lady routine but Hector had been nervous and taken the safety off his gun, the one he stole from his brother. This guy said he heard the click and that's how he knew. Man, he couldn't catch a break. The cops showed up and an ambulance and everything was ruined. And now this Special Agent guy, he was saying what? What the hell, he wasn't a terrorist! He was just out for money, he wasn't going to…oh man, the guy said he was going to Gitmo. He'd heard of that, it was where all those terrorist guys went, the ones who did all kinds of bad stuff … oh dude, he'd just wanted some money, he didn't want to go there. Although it would be warm and they'd feed him. Nah, he wasn't going to go, he'd miss his little girl too much.

Tim had to bite the inside of his mouth, not sure whether he was holding back laughter, disgust or both. Their suspect was a complete idiot and had no idea what he'd done. He'd talked easily enough, the problem had been to keep him focused and then to shut him up. And now he said that he didn't want to go to Gitmo. As if it was a choice, no I think I'll take door number two instead of Gitmo, thanks anyway. At least there was no one else involved; unless Hector or Dennis had other news to spill, it was just the three of them. He wondered whether either of them was as much of an idiot as Michael. For her sake, he hoped his daughter didn't take after him in any way shape or form.

When he got a text from Ted expressing their collective amusement at the guy's stupidity, Tim really had to hold back his laughter and then he remembered that through their persistence, they might have ended up doing serious harm to Petty Officer Kirk – or to Christina and Elena. They had kept him hostage and that was serious enough right there.

Overnight they'd received information that Michael had been born in the U.S. but had grown up on the move with his father. He'd had little schooling and showed no inclination for studying anything, didn't seem to care about anything. He'd been drifting through Greece as he had drifted through everywhere else, working odd jobs and suspected of committing petty crimes.

Hector and Dennis were both Greek citizens but since the case fell into NCIS jurisdiction, they'd remain in their custody, which meant they'd likely join Michael in Gitmo. Provided their interrogations didn't turn up anything to disprove their involvement.

Leaving Michael sitting in his chair wondering what was going to happen next, Tim and his observers moved onto the next interrogation. Michael would be moved back to his cell and Dennis moved in while Hector was interrogated in the second interrogation room.

Hector had been awake for awhile, castigating himself for getting involved with an idiot like Michael. He'd been a drinking buddy of sorts and while Hector thought the guy was funny enough, he also thought he was dumber than a box of rocks. And now he'd let the idiot talk him into ruining his life. While Hector hadn't won any awards for brilliance, he'd liked school well enough and had found a decent job after. That was over now, he knew it. He'd put the drug in the American sailor's drink, that was it, right there. Well and he had a weapon on him when the cops got there, he'd taken the safety off of it just as he was opening the front door in his old lady get up, also a stupid idea. He wondered how much time he'd have to serve.

Hector's interrogation was quick and Dennis' even quicker. Both men admitted their guilt in helping Michael and adamantly denied that anyone else was involved. Sentencing was not in Tim's purview but he wondered if Gitmo was necessary for any of these men. They were petty criminals who'd tried to skip several levels in the hierarchy of criminal behavior and failed miserably. He'd never run into criminals this stupid who were on their way to Gitmo.

Dion and Sasha were still with George when the agents left their prisoners behind and entered the conference room. All four of them sat to have a quick and very welcome cup of coffee and pastry before they headed out. Petty Officer Kirk was feeling fine and was eager to get back to his shipboard life.

After wrapping things up with the Chief, the four agents and Petty Officer George Kirk split into a pair and a threesome for the drive back to Athens. There the Petty Officer would board a flight to the port city the Eisenhower was due to visit in the next couple of days. The agents would continue on to Piraeus. Before they left, Tim called Pete and gave him a quick sitrep and their ETA for reaching the office. Then he climbed in the car with Ted and George while Matt rode with Jack and nearly half of the physical evidence they'd gathered.

Tim had intended to talk with Ted about various things but realized as soon as he put the car in gear that with George in the car, that was impossible. No way could they discuss possible reductions in sentencing, that would likely be up to JAG, or Tim's inherent distrust – now a wavering distrust – in the CIA in general and of the agency's employees in particular. Instead they talked to George about his life aboard ship and what countries he'd visited aboard the Eisenhower. Ted talked about life in Athens for awhile and Tim appreciated that, he still had a lot to learn, see and do. Ted asked if they were still meeting for drinks that evening and Tim shook his head. "Have my first appointment for my tux. Need to get that started or I'll be wearing jeans to my first embassy party."

George wanted to know about that and the other two filled him on. His father was a retired Navy officer and he'd been dragged to his fair share of parties, made to dress up and behave properly while growing up around the world. His father had served on the Enterprise at one point and everywhere they went, people seemed to get excited about the old ship, recently decommissioned. Tim asked what years he'd served but those years didn't coincide with his father's post on the proud old aircraft carrier, so he didn't mention his dad's post as XO. It wasn't until later when he was doing his reports that he realized George's father's name was James. So he would have been James Kirk, serving on the Enterprise. He thought his son was probably just as glad he hadn't said anything.

When they arrived at the international airport, Tim and Ted went in with George and with their badges and id, were allowed to escort him to the gate. They waited until his flight took off, shaking hands as he stood in line to board. Once he saw the plane lift off, Tim gave a relieved sigh and Ted patted him on the back. "C'mon Special Agent McGee, you're done with this part of the case, all that is left is the paperwork!" They both laughed at that, knowing it would take nearly as long to process that as they'd already spend on the road and in Larissa.

Ted added, "Besides, now you can tell me your problems with us."

Tim nodded, that was only fair. On the drive to Piraeus, Tim gave him basically the same rundown, this time with names that he'd given Pete and Carla the other day. Ted whistled, "I've met Kort and you're right, he's a slimy bastard. Heard of Roy Carver, there have been rumors about him for years now and Ray Cruz is no longer with the agency. Don't know where he is but I do know he was fired for killing that naval officer."

"That's good to know, thanks Ted."

"I can see now where you'd be unhappy about working with us."

Tim laughed, "That was before this case. You guys were a godsend!"

"Thanks, we're a lot less, how shall I say this, tethered to our agencies out here, we recognize we're all working for Uncle Sam and it's much easier to work together, no bureaucracy holding us back."

Tim nodded, "And now I understand that, sure worked in our favor these last two days!"

Ted laughed, "I'll bet it seems more like a week!"

"Well…yeah. I haven't been in the field for a month or so; after I left DC I was in London for a month working on a special project. This was a good case to ease me back in, quick to break, a rescue rather than a recovery and 3 dirtbags confessing."

Ted nodded, "You would have been fine if it had been worse, I can see you're a good agent, good with every aspect of the job." He chuckled, "And you were teaching your probie the whole time!"

"That was something I wanted to ask, your unofficial take on Matt."

"Kid has good instincts, he followed your lead the whole time, asked good questions, paid attention during the Interrogations, I think he took some notes."

"Good, thanks, that jives with my opinion, he's starting out on the right path to be a strong agent." Ted nodded in agreement as they pulled up to the NCIS office. His partner was waiting there for him; he and Matt had already taken their share of the evidence into the building and Jack was waiting in their car. They took off and Tim entered the office. He smiled at Tea as she welcomed him back and he thought how good it had all felt – the field work, finding Kirk alive, interrogating the suspects and now returning to the office - as he walked to his desk. He sat down, a big grin on his face.

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><p>Ok, so who can tell me what pop culture references were in this chapter. One's easy, the other one not so much, you'd have to be a real fan and trivia nut like me.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

Kudos to stareagle for being the first one to review with the pop culture references: both were from Star Trek, TOS and the 2009 movie: James Kirk and George Kirk. In the movies and the show, George Kirk was Jim Kirk's father. On the show, George Kirk was also Jim Kirk's recently deceased brother, although he went by the nickname Sam. Thanks for all the reviews and comments! Ok, back to NCIS: Tim -

* * *

><p>Finding Home<p>

Chapter Thirteen

The rest of Tim's first week flew by. Case reports and related paperwork consumed him for most of Thursday and Friday. He did his reports and then reviewed Matt's, helping him clarify a few things. He took the time to pull up his emergency medical forms and changed his emergency contacts and medical proxies to Pete and Kim. He submitted the updated forms after printing out copies and putting his into his portfolio, one that Kate had given him as a welcome to the team all those years ago. He finally met with the tailor and got his tux ordered. Thursday morning he met Matt for an early morning run. Tim had suddenly realized on the way back from Larissa that he had pretty much dropped his exercise routine since he left London where he'd run with James nearly every morning. Not keeping in shape was a very bad idea for a field agent! Now that he knew where to run, he would add it to his morning routine and he made a note to look into joining a gym or taking another martial arts class or something to add to his physical well being. He liked the idea of martial arts; it would improve his body as well as give him another weapon in his arsenal.

On Thursday he received the short letter Gibbs had told him he'd sent. After reading it and reading between the lines, he had more of an idea of how badly things could have gone and he was grateful for following his instincts and calling to check up on his former boss. Friday had him listening in as Pete participated in the European SAIC conference call. At the beginning of the call, Pete introduced him and he said hello to the other three SAICs. To his amazement he found that Stan Burley was now the Rota SAIC. That brought a couple of comments about Gibbs' former agents doing well and then Pete segued into a brief summary of the Kirk case. Joel immediately called out congratulations to Tim and when Pete nudged him, Tim responded, making sure the others understood it had been a joint effort with NCIS, the Larissa PD and the two other agents. He wanted to laugh at his reaction when he wondered what the fuss was all about. The case, while serious, was far easier to work than many cases assigned to Gibbs' team. On the other hand, lack of recognition and respect had been factors in his leaving that same team, so he'd better appreciate what he was being given.

Although Carla was busy doing office work, Tim thought she seemed increasingly uncomfortable and tired. He mentioned it to Pete who nodded. "Norm thinks she's at best got another week before she's put on bed rest, so if there's anything still left undone, you two better hop to it." Tim agreed but when he and Carla met, they found they had all the generalities covered and that without case specifics, there really wasn't any more to discuss. They'd been over many past cases and Tim had had lots of questions, but he knew there would always be something that could come up. Carla insisted she would be available by phone once she was away from the office and Tim agreed as he wouldn't know what questions he might have until situations actually happened. He suspected he'd be able to figure things out for himself or establish his own methods, but he didn't mention that to Carla. He thought she might be having a hard time relinquishing her job after all these years.

Friday afternoon, Trina arrived with a cake, Norm with a camera and the office commenced with a not-so-much-a- surprise baby shower. Matt had mentioned the plan to Tim the previous Saturday when they were looking around in the Plaka. He'd immediately dragged Matt to a children's clothing store they'd walked past earlier and purchased baby blankets, several decorated with Winnie the Pooh characters and a few other things the woman at the store recommended. Kim had reminded them of the shower the previous evening, so when Tim saw Trina's car pull into the side lot after lunch on Friday, he popped upstairs to bring his gifts down, all nicely wrapped by the friendly storekeeper. He set them on the table with the other packages, grateful to Matt for mentioning the party to him. The phones were silent as Carla and Norm opened the gifts, the ladies oohing and ahhing. Tim had relieved Norm of the camera and took photos of the event, glad to have something to do. Pete was the only relaxed male in the room, having been through this a few times for his own kids.

Matt, Tim, Tea and her boyfriend Adan had dinner together Friday night and they talked about going clubbing in Athens on some future weekend. Tim had had his first fitting before they met for dinner so he jokingly mentioned going somewhere besides the embassy in his tux. Adan caught on and started calling him 'Mr. Bond' and Tim suddenly wondered how Tony was doing. He would be Skyping with Ducky after he got home that evening and decided he'd ask. After Tea and Adan left for home, Matt asked Tim to have a drink with him and they walked to the Flying Pig. Tim had noticed that Matt seemed a little uneasy and hoped the younger man would feel comfortable enough to talk with him about whatever was bothering him. They sat nursing their beers and Tim was about to say something he hoped would put Matt at ease when the younger man suddenly blurted, "Tim, I'm gay."

"Matt, I'm honored that you've told me, I noticed you were uneasy tonight and I was getting a bit concerned. Has anyone been giving you trouble?"

"No, I haven't had any trouble. It's kind of new to me, I wasn't sure until last summer. But I thought you might be wondering why I don't have dates or anything."

Tim smiled at his friend and colleague, "Matt, I think it's really important that you be comfortable in your own skin, that's something I'm still trying to learn and I'm happy for you. To tell you the truth, I've been a little relieved to have another single guy around. I have a horrible track record with dating and I'm hoping things will change here. As far as your sexual orientation, as I said, I'm honored that you trust me with the information but I don't judge anyone on their love life or lifestyle." He laughed, "On my old team, my boss had been married four times: widowed once, divorced three times and was a sucker for every pretty redhead who crossed his path. The SFA had a revolving door, rarely dated the same woman for more than 2 or 3 dates and once nearly put himself into Witness Protection when a one night stand updated her status on Facebook to 'in a committed relationship'. Our other teammate was a former assassin and apparently really only felt comfortable with men with similar pasts. Worked with a forensic tech who nearly did serial dating as well as the SFA and oh by the way, she sleeps in a coffin. As for me, my girlfriends and dates have been professional murderers, an ambassador's daughter who played me for personal political reasons, thieves, liars, guys masquerading online as girls, or just plain crazy. The last girl I dated was engaged to someone else and finally got around to telling me when our co-workers put the pressure on her. I'm still not sure she would have mentioned it if people hadn't been upset with her. So "gay" is not a thing to me as long as you're happy. Living through a date, now that's a thing."

By this time, Matt was laughing so hard he was holding his sides. When he could finally speak, he managed to gasp, "Please, tell me!"

"Uh, maybe sometime but not tonight, takes too long."

As Matt sat, catching his breath, he looked at Tim, thinking and then he realized what he knew. Eyes twinkling, he leaned in and said quietly, "You should write a book, Thom."

Tim looked at him and grinned. "Busted, am I?"

Matt nodded, "Love every single one of those, helped me decide to be a federal agent."

Tim's eyes widened, that was a first! "Look, its fine you knowing, I've been thinking about telling you anyway and I think Kim's fiancé figured it out, but I'd really like to keep it quiet."

With a grin, Matt nodded. As they walked back to the office where Matt had left his car, he asked, "So is it ok if I tell my dad? He loves your books! And will there be more…OH, I just got it…your boss was Gibbs…its Tibbs in the books…you're McGregor, right?"

Tim nodded; glad no one else was in the immediate vicinity. "Yeah, there will be a couple more Tibbs."

"Are you going to have a new team, write about us?"

Tim shook his head, "No, I won't base any more characters on people I work with, that was a real problem. But I'll probably write more books."

"Awesome!"

"And Matt, thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. I may not have experienced the exact situation but I've been subjected to bigotry, bullying and discrimination in my life – for being homeless, for being smart, for being a geek, so I hope I would be of some help. And I know you'll have successes to talk about, not failures!"

Matt shyly thanked him. Later Tim wondered if Matt realized he hadn't answered his question about his dad. He decided at that moment to change his penname and refuse to have his photo on the jackets of his books. He'd been naïve with the Deep Six books, now he understood the impossibility of anonymity when his photo was out there.

After reaching home, Tim got comfortable on his bed and checking his watch, booted up his laptop. He was a couple of minutes early and so sat playing Tetris online until Ducky called. When he called, Tim was surprised to see that Ducky seemed to be in his kitchen rather than at work and he could see a fabric covered arm next to him, so he wasn't alone. Gibbs or Jimmy? No, it wouldn't be Jimmy, unless NCIS HQ had closed for the day. Must be Gibbs!

"Hi Ducky, glad to see you and is that Gibbs with you? "

"Yes my boy, he said you suggested he sit in on one of our Skype sessions to see how they work." Gibbs leaned in and waved to him with a little smile. Tim waved back.

"That's great! How are you two and why aren't you at work, Ducky?"

"Can't an old man decide to take the odd day off, Timothy?" Ducky paused and then smiled, "The truth is I've decided to cut back on my hours a bit. Jimmy can handle things on his own two or three days a month; it will be good for him."

"Wow, that's…good for you!"

"Yes, I think it will be. Now we want to hear how your week's gone." Tim told them about the case, taking their probie on a road trip, having the cooperation of the Larissa PD and two helpful CIA agents. He had to admit he enjoyed the reaction to that little tidbit; Ducky leaned back in surprise while Gibbs leaned in with eyes as wide as he'd ever seen them. "Tim, did you just say you had two CIA agents with you on the case?"

"Yep. My lead and they had no problems with that. I'm telling you, we needed the help. Doing everything we needed to do, including 24/7 guard duty at the hospital for our Petty Officer was going to be very rough with just the two of us and Matt had never stood guard duty before. We split into two shifts and made it through. We thought we'd split for the interrogations but our lead dirtbag spilled so fast I did all three." Tim laughed at the memory of the three suspects spilling their guts. "We were more than three hours from Athens, Pete would have driven up but that would have left no field agents at the office and this worked out great. On the way home, Matt rode with one of them and took half our evidence and the other one rode with me and our petty officer and the rest of the evidence. We would have had to rent another car or a trailer to haul it all back ourselves."

Gibbs frowned, "Who does your forensics?"

"Local lab or we send to London. This was an attempted breach of national security so I sent it to London."

Gibbs smiled at him, "You did good, Tim, great job, brought everyone home in one piece and got the bad guys."

"Thanks! The PO called me from his ship once he was back aboard, they threw him a Welcome Home party!"

"Ah, so not an ordinary everyday Petty Officer!"

"No, I expect he'll be at least a Captain someday." Tim was getting warm and fuzzy feelings from the looks of pride on both faces in front of him.

"How'd Matt do…he's your probie, right?"

"Yes he is and he did great. There was a moment when we were outside a house and I heard a click as the door was opened. He didn't hear it and when an old lady opened the door, he twitched his arm as if he was going to put his weapon down. But he didn't, he followed my lead, I'm very proud of him."

"And the old lady?"

"Had an Adam's apple and is now sitting in the Larissa jail, probably waiting for transportation to Gitmo."

"Oh my, that was an exciting case!"

"It had its moments but these guys had no clue what they were doing, thank god! Oh and hey Boss, I sat in on the monthly SAIC call today and Stan Burley's the SAIC in Rota! That's pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah, that is, Tim, I hadn't heard that. I know he told Tony and Ziva he was coming ashore and getting married; that's great that he got Rota. Tell him hello for me? "

"Sure Boss."

"Timothy, it'll just be me next week as Jethro has talked Tobias into taking time off and they're going fishing."

"Fishing, for a whole week? You guys camping?"

"No, Tobias agreed to go only on the condition that we stay in a cabin."

"Good!"

Ducky shook his head, "I imagine you're not all that enthusiastic about camping, dear boy."

"Not after living in a tent for 9 years."

Gibbs nodded, "I made a fuss as I was expected to, but I really don't mind staying in a cabin, especially this time of year. So Tim, I talked with DiNozzo the other day, he's getting some counseling and um…I'm doing that too."

Tim was so surprised he sat with his mouth open. Then he swallowed and managed to speak again. "That's good…for both of you, I'm glad to hear it. I um finally got your letter. Glad we've talked and I didn't get that without any warning, would have scared the crap out of me."

"That's my fault Timothy; I was very angry with Jethro that day and wouldn't let him write what he wanted to." Tim looked at the doctor in surprise and then looked over at Gibbs who had the grace to look embarrassed. "So why don't you write it now?"

"That'd be ok?"

"Yeah, I think that's a good next step for us to take."

"All right, Tim, I'll do that." Gibbs paused, "I know the other option for talking is just a phone but I really like being able to see you. I miss you Tim and it's so great to see you. Right here. You look good, no circles under your eyes, you have a little tan going and you just look happier."

"I am happier, Gibbs. Everyone here respects each other and it shows. It's a friendly atmosphere but there's no goofing around, no pranks or any crap like that, everyone gets their work done. I'm sure there will be bad moments but overall I really like this group of people. And with no commute, it's easy to get enough sleep. If you'd seen me Tuesday or Wednesday you would have recognized the old me though, after the case. Right now we're apparently having a quiet spell here and our office is off rotation with the other European offices for another week. I forgot to tell you, Pete took me to the U.S. Embassy to introduce me to the Ambassador on Monday, presented my credentials. And Madam Ambassador had my work permit from the Greek government, so now I can carry my weapons legally; I can look for an apartment and start working toward my driver's license."

Gibbs looked puzzled while Ducky nodded, "You have an international one now?" "

"Yeah, applied for it before I left and received it in London but it's only good for 6 months; I'll need to get going on the other one."

"Is it difficult to do?"

"Sounds like a lot of red tape, I'm sure the others will have some tips for me to get through it, at least I hope they will."

"How long can you stay in the room upstairs?"

"I guess until someone else transfers in and needs it but we're not allowed to bring guests in so that's a pretty strong incentive." The three men smirked at each other across the internet.

"Hope you can get someplace closer to work than Silver Spring was!"

"Yeah me too, Boss. The fiancé of our office manager -the guy on the other side of the net from me in that volleyball photo - is a real estate agent and helped Matt, so I figure when I know the area better he can help me."

"Timothy, do you think you'll rent or buy?"

"Don't know Ducky. I'd maybe buy a condo but I don't see me having time to handle the maintenance on a house. Not what I want to do with my weekends, not now, anyway." Both of the older men laughed and agreed with that. Tim fought off a yawn and hoped they hadn't noticed, but his former boss had. "You've had a busy week, Tim, better get some rest."

"I will pretty soon Boss. Before we hang up, Ducky could you ask Phil York in Cybercrimes to recommend the best basic laptop for Gibbs? And Boss, you need to get internet capability at your place, maybe find out what your neighbors have and if they like it. That might take a week or so to schedule so you should decide who and set up the appointment before you leave with Tobias. And take someone with you, maybe Emily or Jimmy if he has time, to buy your laptop. Once you have your laptop and the internet connection, someone can download Skype for you - get your account set up. I know it sounds like a lot but it's really just three things – get internet, buy a laptop, download Skype. Oh and let DiNozzo know, he can get Skype and you can see him too."

Gibbs had taken notes while Tim talked and now he nodded. "That would be good and maybe someday you two will talk." Tim just gave a little nod, he really didn't want to talk or even think about that yet. Gibbs, realizing he'd pushed a little too hard opened his mouth but Tim beat him to it. "I'm not there yet. You and I still have a lot of things to fix between us." Tim pointed between himself and the screen, "I know this helps a lot, but with everything I have going on right now – new country, new team, new position, I can't afford to get emotionally bogged down in fixing things with both you and DiNozzo."

Gibbs had to swallow a bit of hurt but overall he was proud of Tim for putting it out there like that, standing up to him, reminding him they still had stuff between them and telling him to back off as far as DiNozzo. He nodded, "Ok Tim, I certainly respect that." Tim smiled unexpectedly and nodded at him and Gibbs felt ok again. Ducky had been watching carefully and decided to move the conversation along.

"So what will you be doing this weekend, lad?"

Tim laughed, "Well, I had dinner with Matt, Tea and her boyfriend Adan this evening. Sunday I'm meeting Eva and her husband Caleb in Athens to go to the ancient agora or gathering place and some of the lesser known sites. He's a grad student here and knows all kinds of interesting things. Tomorrow Matt and I are going to the firing range after we have our morning run. Then we'll go into the city and he'll show me where he shops for clothes. I want to buy local and I'm not sure where to go. I'm sure Pete or Carla's husband Norm would help but…they're just enough older that we probably wouldn't shop in the same stores. When we go back on rotation, we'll be on call at least one weekend a month, so I want to get as much done now as I can." He paused, his eyes twinkling, "Did I tell you I'm having a tux made? Have embassy parties to go to now, first one is in a month."

Gibbs grinned, "Timothy McGee, man of the world! Hey, has anyone there outed you as Gemcity?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, Matt did this evening and I think Evander, the real estate agent, figured it out too. I'm going to start using another penname – no more anagrams - and no more photos!"

"You're done with the Deep Six books then?" Tim explained his plan and the other two nodded, glad he was still planning to write.

Before they disconnected, Gibbs cleared his throat and looked at the man he considered his youngest son although he was sadly certain Tim had no idea of that. Not yet and it was too soon to tell him now, Ducky had said so.

"Tim, Vance will be contacting you. I went back in on your case as I promised and found who your guardian should have been. There's more information and Vance wants to tell you himself, but I just wanted to let you know that your dad did make arrangements for you kids and with some good people. His big mistake was Natalie but he never changed the guardianship. It was her lies and other people's failure to double check that led to your abandonment."

Tim looked off to the side, fighting tears, wondering why it was so damn hard to hear this after all these years. Then he remembered Gibbs talking him to sleep Monday night and realized he wasn't alone, that Gibbs had waited to tell him in person so he and Ducky could be there for him. He felt the same warmth he'd felt Monday night and wished he could capture it, keep it with him. Looking back at the two men he cared about so much, he nodded. "Thank you. That's good to know, Boss, and I'm glad I had the chance to hear it from you, that means a lot. I feel like you've given me back my dad."

Ducky beamed; he was proud of both of them. They chatted for a few more minutes before finally ending the call. Tim set his laptop aside and crawled into bed, thinking of his father and how badly he would have felt about what had happened to his kids and how proud he would be now. For the first time since he'd woken alone in a hospital 26 years ago, Tim McGee had no anger toward his father and he drifted off to sleep remembering a fishing trip with his dad and Patrick.


	14. Chapter 14

Finding Home

Chapter Fourteen

Pete called him early Saturday morning to let him know that Carla's doctor had put her on bed rest after another scare Friday evening. Tim was already functioning as the Senior Field Agent and now Pete told him that his promotion was effective immediately. Typically, Tim's first reaction was worry about Carla but Pete reminded him that she and the babies were in good hands with the local medical community.

He paused and then asked Tim if he had any questions. "Yeah Pete, I do. With our search for a junior agent underway, I had an idea about it."

Tim had quietly started looking for a junior agent after their return from Larissa. He'd first talked with Carla about protocol, whether he could freely contact other team leaders asking for recommendations. She'd just grinned and told him he was the Senior Field Agent which meant he was Pete's second in command. Once he'd been told that, he'd fired off a number of e-mails asking for recommendations for junior agents, blind copying Pete. He'd love to promote Matt but barring extraordinary circumstances, four months was in no way feasible for a probationary period.

Now he listened for Pete's response. "What's your idea?"

"Ok, Matt's only been on the job for four months so there's no way on earth he could make the jump right now. But he will be ready in a year, less than a year. Vance told me that three years overseas is a minimum assignment, he said that's the length of time the agency needs to recoup the expenses – I guess the investment really. But are exceptions ever made? If we have a junior agent, we're likely to lose Matt when he hits his year and he's good, Pete, really good, he's got a lot of potential and I'd rather not lose him."

"I don't disagree with that, Tim, keep going."

"Is it possible to have a junior agent TAD'd here for 8-12 months? Vance could temporarily transfer, or whatever he wants to call it, someone who can settle in and get some good solid experience but who moves on in September or October?"

"In your scenario, when this person – the TAD - moves on, where would they go?"

"Perhaps she or he could go to one of the other European offices and then the agency wouldn't be out as much money, it would be a less expensive move."

"So we would start this person off while Matt finishes his probationary year. Then TAD moves on and Matt is promoted to junior. And TAD moves on to London, Marseilles or Rota. She or he will probably have met those teams already and worked with them, so it's an easier transition."

"Pete, a floating junior! One for the European offices, but there could also be one in the US, maybe a few."

"Each one does a one year float, ha, we'd better call it a TAD or it will be hopelessly mixed up with the Agent Afloat position. So each junior does a year TAD or say a minimum 8 months somewhere and then is permanently placed onto a team."

"Maybe it's not every junior, maybe it's only volunteers. Not everyone likes impermanence or wants to travel a lot, let alone live outside the US."

"We'd have a subgroup of junior agents then. I like this, Tim, it could be very handy and it will give our juniors more varied experience." Pete stopped to think for a moment. "Let's start with your proposal for our office and if Vance likes it, you can expand upon it."

"Me? Wouldn't that come from you?"

"Nah, it's your idea and I like to give credit where it's due, Timothy."

Tim chuckled, "I'm learning that, Pete, thanks!"

"So how will you go about finding our TAD?"

"The same way I'd go about it if it were a permanent transfer. Put feelers out to the Team Leads - which we've already started, check out qualifications, ask at FLETC, ask everyone we know - and see who Vance has in mind. I have a feeling we'll get more possibilities amongst former Navy and Marine personnel or those who were raised in the military. They're used to travel and probably used to the concept of TAD."

"That sounds good. I'll talk to Roger, Stan and Joel about it too… you know our one week TAD went back to London the same day you got here. Oh yeah, that was the whole Bremerton thing with your former SFA, right?"

"Yeah, Tony DiNozzo is the new junior there, he bumped Julian."

"Yeah, I don't think Julian would be too happy about coming back here and can't say as I blame him. Being TAD'd on top of just having lost your permanent berth through no fault of your own, that had to hurt, even though it was a matter of necessity and he did a good job while he was here." Pete paused, "Did you have a chance to meet the other junior agent while you were in London?"

Tim had to think, "I'm not sure, I don't think so but what's the name?"

There was silence as Pete searched his memory. "I should know this; Joel has mentioned her a few times." More silence. "Alex…Maggie? No…those aren't right. She's from the Midwest, hadn't done a lot of traveling so London was a real eye opener for her. Darn, it's on the tip of my tongue!"

"Stop trying, it'll come to you. Oh, hang on, there's the bell, that's Matt for our run."

"You won't…"

"Nope, not a word."

"Attaboy. Ok, go run, shoot and shop and I'll try to think of the name."

"Thanks Pete, talk to you later."

Tim hung up, grinning and then remembered the whole thing had come up because Carla was on bed rest. He ran downstairs and let Matt in. "Thanks man, hey you're not ready!"

"No, sorry, Pete called and we got to talking. Carla had a scare last night and she's been put on bed rest."

"They're…"

Tim nodded, "They're ok; Pete said they were in really good hands here."

Matt sank into a chair. "I know we've been expecting it but still…"

Tim patted him on the shoulder, "She won't disappear from our lives, Matt. We'll just have to offer to babysit when the babies are old enough – you know, about 6 – and we'll all be part of their family."

Matt nodded, "She picked me, you know. Out of FLETC, I accepted the offer from NCIS because my dad's Navy and next thing I know, she's calling me, asking me if I want to move to Greece and work. "

Tim pulled up a chair next to him. "I was placed in Norfolk but I kept getting TAD'd up to DC to work with the lead MCRT. Took a year, but I kept at it and Gibbs transferred me onto his team. We'll always have a special feeling for them, Matt, you for Carla and me for Gibbs. They picked us; they saw something they liked and picked us."

"But you left and things were bad. I don't know more than that but Pete told us a little bit."

Tim nodded, Pete had told him that. "Yeah, I chose to leave, but you know what, I'll still always have that moment where Gibbs told me I was part of his team."

He thought for a moment and then continued. "There are no guarantees, we know that. And in a strange way, things are better between Gibbs and me now than they've ever been. By leaving I finally did something that got his attention, he listened and now he's trying to make it right. Yeah, we have a long way to go, but I have hope again. Matt, my point is that I don't work for Gibbs anymore, I'll never work for him again and he's still trying to work this out. We mean something to them." Tim had to swallow hard at that. "And as I said, we'll still each always have that knowledge, that we were specifically selected by Carla and Gibbs."

Matt smiled, nodding. "Yeah, you're right and that's pretty cool, I hadn't thought of it that way. Ok, I need coffee, you go change; you can't go running in your jammies!" Tim laughed and ran upstairs to change.

After their run, they returned to the office to change and grab their weapons, they took Matt's car to the shooting range which was about twenty minutes out of town. They worked for an hour before Tim was satisfied with their results. It wasn't lunchtime yet so they decided to do some shopping and then see what came up. On the way to the station, Matt cleared his throat, "Huh, Tim about shopping, I know you want local and that's fine, we'll go to the stores I told you about. But about clubbing…I don't know what the trend is in DC, but around here the clubs are pretty smart and trendy. You're not going to get in if you wear your work clothes or jeans. I had to buy some new clothes when I got here, so I could show you where and what if you want." Tim nodded, "Yeah, that would be great Matt, thanks! So work and play clothes, huh?" Matt grinned.

They took the Metro to the Monastiraki station and then walked to Ermou Street. While there were plenty of big stores there, Matt took him into a local shop where he'd bought several of his shirts and Tim wandered through, looked at the merchandise. The pretty young saleslady was very attentive and helped him select three pairs of pants suitable for work. He also bought 2 lightweight pairs for casual as he thought jeans would be too hot in the late spring and summer months. However, when Matt mentioned shorts, Tim shook his head. He had scarring on his legs from the car wreck and he generally didn't wear shorts in public. Maybe he'd buy a pair later just in case he got desperate, but he wasn't ready to do that today. While he was looking through the casual pants, he also found shirts he liked and ended up buying four that would be good for the office or case work and two more casual shirts for leisure time. He remembered Vance's advice to have at least one suit but the cost of his tux was so reasonable he'd decided to have a suit made by the same tailor, figuring it would last longer and certainly look better. He'd said as much to Matt who had grinned and told him he'd done the same thing. Their next stops were for 'clubbing clothes' and Matt helped Tim select a few items that could be mixed, shirts and belts and pants.

As they exited the shop with his shopping bags, Tim mentioned boots. When Matt looked blank, he told him Carla's story about being called out and ending up in the Sahara desert and she being the only one with boots. They were hungry now, so they decided to eat lunch first and then worry about boots. Tim had heard from an online friend in the States, Starsinherhair, about an eatery called Thanasis located in Monastiraki. Stars said that they served an awesome minced meat souvlaki. Matt hadn't been there before and Tim felt a little smug that he was showing their probie someplace new.

Both men thoroughly enjoyed their meals and Tim asked the server to take a photo of them eating their meal. He thought of doing a selfie but he wanted to make sure to get both them and their souvlakis in the shot. He'd send it to Stars when he got back to the room. While they stuffed themselves, Tim told Matt stories about shoes and crime scenes, mostly poking gentle fun at his younger self. By the time they finished eating Matt was convinced he needed boots too. They looked for men's shoe stores and found one in the vicinity. Tim didn't want anything fancy, just a plain boot with a good tread that could be worn in the desert, in mud or hiking a mountain and wouldn't fall apart. They reached the shoe store and Tim smiled, seeing the boots displayed in the window. A plain work boot, just what he wanted. Twenty minutes later, the two men walked out of the store, each with a new pair of boots. While Tim had been trying on the boots, Matt had spotted shoes for Tim that would be great for clubbing and talked him into buying them.

Tim had written down another tip from Stars, this one a museum in Kolonaki. It was the Benaki Museum, which had a little of everything - from Archaic and Classical Greek artifacts to Byzantine icons, Ottoman-period swords, and modern photos. Matt had heard Caleb mention it but he hadn't been there. They were close enough now to walk and although Tim had shopping bags, the paper kind with handles, they'd split them between them and they weren't heavy. So off they went to the Benaki Museum. They found it housed in a beautiful neoclassical mansion and were able to check their bags for later retrieval. They spent several hours roaming from room to room, exhibit to exhibit and both thought that this was the place to best experience the whole of Greek history. By the time they finally agreed to leave, each knowing he would have to come back for more, it was getting dark. Retrieving the shopping bags, they headed out to the Metro and Piraeus.

Once they'd reached Matt's car, they tucked the bags in the trunk and headed over to the Flying Pig for a pub dinner. They stayed to watch the end of a European football game on TV and then drove back to the office. Tim grabbed his shopping bags and did a chin wave goodnight to Matt as both hands were full. Upstairs, he hung up his new purchases, put his boots and shoes away and still wide awake, decided to watch a movie on his laptop. He'd brought some DVDs with him but hadn't gotten around to watching any yet. Now he pulled them out and decided on the original Iron Man movie.

XXX

Gibbs decided he would pack his fishing gear before he did anything else so he headed out to the garage to grab his favorite rod, reel and tackle. Some of the very few things he'd kept from any of his ex-wives were cases for his fishing rods and reels and he took them out now and spent a few minutes deciding which pole to take. Finally settling on two, he cleaned them up and loaded them in the case, doing the same with the reels.

He brought them into the house and stood in the living room, remembering he'd planned on calling DiNozzo today. It was only 0900 in Virginia which meant 0600 in the state of Washington, way too early to call Tony who had never been a morning person.

He took out his notepad and smiled as he crossed off the first item Tim had assigned to him. He'd talked with two of his neighbors and found they both had the same internet service and were satisfied with it. Turned out Ducky had the same one, so Jethro had called and made an appointment for the following Friday, knowing full well he and Tobias wouldn't last a whole week fishing. Ducky had already gotten the laptop recommendation from Tim's friend in Cybercrimes. Jimmy and Ducky would meet him later this morning to make the purchase. Both Jimmy and Emily Fornell had promised to help him set up the laptop – Gibbs had no idea why, didn't the things just start right up? Another promise from both was to download Skype for him. Gibbs didn't quite understand what downloading or uploading meant – from where and to where – and what the heck was live streaming - but as long as he could talk face to face with his boys and maybe eventually his girls, he was willing to try anything. He tried not to think of the irony of buying a computer and getting internet service to talk with Tim when he'd so thoroughly disrespected the guy who'd handled all that stuff for him for so many years.

Gibbs made a note of that as Rachel had asked him to do. He'd told Tim he was undergoing counseling but he hadn't mentioned that he'd started it the day after he returned from Stillwater. He'd seen Dr. Cranston every day this week, determined to find the reasons why he'd failed Tim and the others so spectacularly. He'd thought counseling would be horrible but instead had found it almost a relief to be there. After being able to see Tim yesterday, he'd gone to his appointment all smiles and then found himself nearly sobbing out his grief and anger. The doc said he'd needed to do that although he hadn't thought he'd have any tears left after his earlier meltdowns. He thought that figuring this out and fixing what was wrong with his family was probably the most important thing he'd done since he'd been a husband to Shannon and father to Kelly. He'd asked the doc if he could tell Tim that he thought of him as a son and she'd agreed with Duck, that it was too soon and might be too much. Then he'd confessed his unfortunate comment to Tim about talking with DiNozzo and Tim's subsequent refusal. He told her of his hurt and his pride in the young man who was finally able to stand up for himself against his former boss. Rachel nodded and made notes. Then she took him back to Tim's days at Norfolk and the first time they'd met. She asked him to describe it and he huffed a laugh as he told her first about Tim's face mask and gloves to handle a hazmat situation and then about Tim warning him of a tough captain and then not backing down when he called him on it. She asked him about the hazmat and he told her it was in the regulations but that both he and DiNozzo had laughed at him.

"Why? He was new and following regulations for his own health and safety, why would you laugh at him?"

Gibbs sighed. "Because he looked funny. I called him Michael Jackson because of the face mask."

"So it started that very first day."

"What started?"

"Your disrespect for him, both you and DiNozzo." Gibbs sat in stunned silence. Tim had looked different than they had. He and DiNozzo never bothered with health and safety - stuff like that. It wasn't…it wasn't manly, it wasn't the Marine way. Although now that he thought about it, the Marines had certainly drilled him enough on it.

"Go on, tell me the rest."

Now he laughed outright, "After I came down on him for warning me about the captain, he reminded me so much of Kelly, the way he just kept going, didn't let me intimidate him." He paused, "That lasted until I transferred him to the team. Then we put him through my Marine training. He had trouble with it, but he never complained, always did what I asked."

"Did the others get that same training? And you said "we"…who else was a Marine?"

Gibbs was startled, "Uh, no one else on the team had been a Marine. I meant DiNozzo. And no, the others didn't get the same training. Kate was a Secret Service agent and DiNozzo a cop, they didn't need it."

"I want you to think about what I'm going to ask you next before you answer. Why would you expect DiNozzo to know "Marine" training when he wasn't a Marine and hadn't had the training himself?

That one hit Gibbs straight in the gut. While he was trying to think about it, Rachel continued.

"Second question, if the others didn't get your Marine training, what kind of training did they get? Was it anywhere near as aggressive as the Marine training Tim went through?" Gibbs finally got his head back into the present. "They basically had NCIS training, the same stuff other agents get. And no, it's nowhere near as aggressive as the Marine training."

"So the two experienced law enforcement agents got less aggressive training while the probationary agent with no previous military or law enforcement experience got the more aggressive training." Gibbs swallowed, when it was put to him like that, it didn't make sense. "I guess I didn't think about the others, just McGee."

"McGee?"

He looked at the doc. "Yeah."

"You've been referring to him as Tim recently, now he's back to McGee."

He sighed, frustrated with her and with himself. "Look, I'm so mixed up I can't think straight. I came in here happy because I got to see and talk with Tim. And now I'm back to being the team lead who didn't lift a finger to help or support one of my team."

"Yes, but the truth is you're always going to be that guy. You can't expect three phone conversations to make everything better. Yes, you two are speaking and that's given you a break from your grief and anger – and it sounds like it has given Tim a break too. But the fact is, we haven't even scratched the surface of your behavior yet and even when we do, even when someday you and Tim are perfectly fine with each other, you will still have been that guy. The fact that you're remorseful now doesn't change the fact that you acted as you did for nearly a decade."

She paused. "I'm having a tough time because I know Tim and of course my sister is involved, this Is hard for me to hear. I've thought about recusing myself from your case, sending you to a colleague."

Gibbs felt that blow too. "If you need to do that, Doc, go ahead. I came here because you know us and because you're the only one I can talk to about this."

"So you're saying if I referred you to someone else, you would not work with that other person?"

Thinking he knew where she was headed with this, he was equally blunt. "No, I wouldn't."

"Then I'll stay with you, I can't in good conscience let you continue without counseling; for one thing it would mean the end of your field career."

She paused again. "Back to you and Tim, did he ever stand up to you?"

"Not so much, not in his first couple of years. If he tried, DiNozzo shot him down, even Kate or Ziva sometimes and I let them, sometimes I'd get right in his face and shut him down."

"Why?"

"I thought he needed toughening up."

"How?'

"Physically. He, well, he just looked like a cream puff, you know?"

She shook her head, "No, I don't, tell me."

"He was so young; he was chubby and had these big expressive eyes."

"Were those the same eyes he'd had before you put him on your team?"

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't important then."

"Why not?"

"Because he wasn't sitting across from me day after day."

Rachel tried to hide her shock. "Jethro, are you attracted to Tim?"

"What? You mean physically attracted?"

At her nod, he shook his head. "No, Doc, I love the kid like he's my own son, nothing like that."

"Then why do his eyes bother you so much?"

"It's not just his eyes."

"Then what else?"

"Everything. He's so good hearted and curious, very little temper."

"And that bothers you?"

Gibbs sat in thought. He started to answer when the alarm went off, signaling the end of their hour. Rachel asked him to write down his thoughts about why Tim's eyes and personality bothered him when he was the one who had sought him out to help his team and then transferred him from Norfolk.

XXX

In his living room, Gibbs sat staring at his notepad. Rachel had told him to write anything down, words, phrases, anything that came to mind. Now he wrote the words hurt and angry. He'd spent years being angry at Tim McGee. How could he say he loved him when he'd been angry with him since he joined the team? And hurt, some days it just hurt to see him; he couldn't stand to look at him. He wrote that down too. Sighing he put his notepad back in his pocket and headed to the kitchen for more coffee. It was still too early to call DiNozzo.

* * *

><p>Many thanks to Starsinherhair for all her wonderful suggestions; she studied in Greece and has told me of lots of fun places for Tim to visit. We'll see more of her tips scattered throughout the story. Some I'm saving for a more romantic venture, he he!<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

By the time Gibbs had lunch with Ducky and Jimmy and returned home with his new laptop, it was late enough to call DiNozzo. Using his landline, he punched in Tony's cell number which rang a couple of times before he picked up. "Hey Boss!"

"Hey DiNozzo, how're you doing?"

"Pretty good. Had a decent week at work, my new boss is tougher than you – I know, hard to believe – but he liked a couple things I did on a case, so that was good. "

"Well of course, Tony, you're a hell of an investigator."

"Thanks but this was actually doing some searches – you know, like Pro…McGee does."

"So you learned something from him, just didn't know it?"

"Yeah I learned from him and I knew it, just didn't want to get stuck doing them…I wanted to be out in the field, not stuck inside like he was." Gibbs had to swallow at that, that wasn't the first time DiNozzo had said something like that and now he decided to call him on it. "You know, as Senior Field Agent, one of your duties was to let me know when I was doing something wrong, something out of line and that's a good example."

"So now it's my fault?"

"Both our faults. Mine for doing it in the first place, yours for not standing up for Tim, not standing up to me."

"Huh. Interesting take on it."

There was silence and then DiNozzo started talking again, much to Gibbs' relief. In this case he knew his pushing had been correct, Tony needed to know so when he was promoted again, he'd get it right. DiNozzo talked a little about the case, his first one as a newly demoted junior agent, and finally got around to talking about his counseling sessions.

"They're weird, you know. I think I have everything figured out and then the doc will ask me something and it all falls apart again."

"Yeah, I'm having the same problem. I talked with Tim again yesterday and I was happy and then I went to the doc's and fell to pieces."

"You?"

"Yeah, Tony, this is rough on all of us."

"Not Tim, I'll bet he's happy as a clam."

"You really mean that?"

DiNozzo sighed, "No, I guess not, it's just hard to admit, hard to realize how awful I was to him and for so long." He paused, "Boss do you know what the final straw was, what made him leave? Because when I think back on it, I thought we were ok, the three of us."

"I asked Ducky the same question, Tony. Did you realize that Ziva never spoke to Tim, never said goodbye? And we moped around like it was only our personal loss…Ducky said that according to Tim it was the same as when we thought she was dead. We never considered how he felt about it, never asked him how he was doing, nothing. Neither of us."

"And that was it?"

"Ducky seems to think that was it, that it was enough. Maybe it was also that you guys were away from the team, away from work for four months and then came back and we just went back to work, same attitudes, no changes. "

"Yeah, I guess I could see that. Geez, I don't even know…how do I change something like that?"

"We can't, Tony, it's already done. We have to accept responsibility, figure out why we acted the way we did, change our behaviors and never subject anyone else to that treatment. And in my case anyway, try to make it right with Tim."

"You call him Tim now. You never did before, it was always McGee."

"Huh, you're right. Another way to keep him at arm's length I guess."

"What?"

"Nothing, sorry talking out loud to myself."

"Boss, you just said 'sorry'."

"Yeah, been doing that, Tony, thinking the Duke might not have been so right about that."

"Ok. So…how is he?"

"He loves his new job and his new team. They threw him a party, actually two…did I tell you this already?"

"No. What kind of party?"

"One was lunch brought into the office by the SAIC's wife, but first they had homemade pastries that morning. The second party was that Sunday at the SAIC's home with the whole staff."

"Wow! My welcome was a phone message at the residence hotel telling me to have my ass in the office Monday morning at 0700."

Gibbs huffed, "Sounds like my style, only I'd just expect you to know it, wouldn't leave you a message."

Tony laughed at that, "Yeah, that's you. Tell me more about Tim; you've talked with him twice now?"

"Three times, he called me Monday at home after Vance told him about his case being closed."

"To thank you?"

"To thank both of us and because he was upset; it hit him like a ton of bricks."

"He wanted to talk with you about it? That was a tough case, Boss, and what happened afterward… I wish I'd known, I might have watched what I did, what I said."

"We shouldn't have had to know, Tony, neither one of us bothered to get to know him. We both saw the chubby pale kid – a geek and we never changed that image in our heads. And no, not really to talk about it, he said he needed to hear my voice, he was pretty upset. "

"God, Boss. You're making me want to jump on the next flight to Athens."

"Yeah I know. I've got flight numbers and times just about memorized. But we're not there yet, DiNozzo, we each have to make it right with him."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, he wants to know why."

"What if the only answer is that I'm an asshole?"

"Then I guess that's what you tell him, but I don't think that's going to be enough, Tony, he already knows we're assholes."

"That's what my doc says too, that until I know why there's no point contacting him. But you've talked with him…"

"He called me; Ducky said something to him last week that worried him and he gnawed at it until he couldn't stand it and called Ducky knowing he was in Stillwater with me, to talk with me."

"So he's angry but he doesn't hate us?"

"Something like that."

"You're going to fix things with him?"

"God I hope so, I haven't wanted anything so bad since my girls died. I want my family back together, Anthony, all of us. Even if we don't work together, even if we live in different parts of the world."

"That's pretty powerful Boss."

"Good, it feels pretty powerful, like it's the most important thing I have to do, Tony."

"Ok, got it, so I need to keep working on it too."

"Yeah and Tony…I bought a laptop today, I'm having internet service installed next Friday and Jimmy's going to get Skype for me. Tim says if you… here let me read my notes… if you set up a Skype account too, then you and I can talk face to face."

"Me and you or Tim and me?"

"Just me and you for now, son. And you and Ducky if you'd like. And me and Tim. You and Tim once you work things out."

"Can't believe you're joining the modern world, Boss. A laptop and Skype, wow!"

"At Tim's suggestion I went over and sat with Ducky when we called him yesterday. I could see him, Tony; he was right in front of me. I wanted to reach out and touch him. I want you to get it too, son, I want to see you too, I miss you."

"Uh…" Tony's voice dropped to a whisper and Gibbs thought he was probably fighting his emotions just as he was. "I miss you too Boss. I'm so glad you called, I was afraid when I left that would be the end of it."

"Told you it wasn't."

"I know but Boss sometimes you just…let people go. You just do."

"Guess I have, son, although usually they're redheads. But I'll never do that with you or the others. I promise!"

"Thanks." The two talked for a few more minutes and Tony promised to have Skype set up and ready by the following Friday.

XXX

Sunday morning, Tim went for a run on one of the routes Matt had showed him, enjoying the fresh air and the movement. While the running was good, he had more on his mind. He'd realized that he was now on a team without a former Marine, ex-cop or former assassin and while he was a good shot, had improved significantly over the years and could use a knife with deadly force, he needed more. He'd taken some basic mixed martial arts classes in the last few years and Ziva had worked with him to hone those skills but now he wanted more. He didn't need to be a street fighter but he needed to be able to use his body to defend himself and his teammates. He wanted the skills of Gibbs' Marine fight training, DiNozzo's street brawling and Ziva's, well everything, to defend his team. He'd lost the weight, he'd gained the muscle, he'd increased his endurance, he'd learned to shoot and shoot well, kept up his throwing and attack skills with his knife but he wasn't done yet. When he finished his run, he showered and dressed, finishing his breakfast and getting his stuff together to take with him today.

When everything was ready, he sat down with his phone and started looking for martial arts classes. What he would ideally like would be a private teacher, one willing to work around his work hours and perhaps tailor his teachings to Tim's specific needs. He found a few listings that looked good to him, looking at his watch he thought it was probably too early to call. He'd noticed last Sunday that most people seemed to go to church on Sundays, so he thought he'd wait until closer to noon. He wasn't meeting Eva and Caleb until 1300 and that would give him a few minutes to make those calls.

Later, after speaking with four martial arts teachers, Tim was bemused. When he tried to explain to the first one that he was in law enforcement and needed to work around his hours, the guy hung up on him. Tim wondered if he'd said something wrong but he put his side of the conversation into the translation app and it was right, so who knew what the guy was thinking or what he had to hide. The second man was enthusiastic and Tim had an appointment with him for tomorrow evening, provided they didn't get a case. The man had laughed and said he had relatives in law enforcement, he understood. He'd had to leave a message at the third one because the recording said that he didn't work or take calls on Sundays. Ok, he could understand needing a day of rest, but how would that work with his schedule? The fourth guy was so cautious that Tim wondered if he'd punched in the wrong numbers. The guy allowed an appointment to be set up, however, so Tim shrugged, he'd see what he was all about. Afterward he wondered if the man had reacted to whatever ID had displayed on his phone. He would approach that one with caution, if he had time he might do a background check on him, in fact he should do one on the other guy too.

He headed off to meet his tour guides de jour and had a fun and interesting afternoon touring the Ancient Agora of Athens. The agora had been the center of political and public life in Athens and was thought to have been laid out as early as the 7th century before the Christian era, although many argued it was a century later. Tim realized that "agora" had to be the root of the word agoraphobia, the fear of open or public places and he made note of that on his phone for a possible future literary reference. As they approached the site, Caleb steered them first toward the museum. Tim was fascinated with the various depictions of the agora which had first been hypothesized and then proven or revised when the excavation began a few years before World War II. After Caleb led him through the museum and Tim had the picture in his mind of what it had looked like, they went outside and viewed the ruins. Tim thought that had been a very effective way of doing it; when he saw the ruins after the museum, he understood what they'd been, what they meant. He enjoyed the afternoon with his new friends and was happy to discover that Caleb was not as quiet as he'd seemed at the party last week. He had a dry sense of humor and was obviously devoted to Eva, both traits Tim heartily approved. After they had drunk their fill of the agora, Caleb led them to the Kerameikos Cemetery, which was a few minutes' walk. It was large and quiet, with ornate steles (burial stones, monuments) and a great little museum with a lot of funerary and burial artifacts. Tim was glad he wasn't alone and it was still bright daylight even though he enjoyed seeing everything. He'd made a mental note on their walk there to come back and just wander through the Plaka and Monastiraki again, probably several times. Laughing to himself he hoped three years was long enough to see everything he wanted to in this fascinating place!

By the time he got home that evening, he was pleasantly tired. He took out all the postcards he'd bought over the weekend and wrote a few to send out in Monday's mail. There was a spectacular card depicting the whole of the Acropolis and Parthenon and Tim wrote a brief message to the kids at the shelter and camp, addressing it to a friend who worked at the shelter knowing she would share it with the children and then post it in the dining area. He wrote another card to James, he'd written one last week, and then realized that Rob would be arriving in London at about this time the following Sunday.

He looked at the time and realized it was close enough to their scheduled time to call his sister and brother. The three of them talked for nearly an hour, just catching up. They had finally had a letter from Geordie, sent to Sarah's address. He was excited about all of them moving to Europe and really excited about what each of them was doing. Sarah read the letter aloud three times while they drafted a group response to him, this time using Tim's office as the return address. When they were satisfied with the letter, Sarah promised to print and mail it in the morning. Before they ended the call, Rob asked that they have one last call before his flight to London, so they scheduled that for the following Saturday.

When Tim disconnected from the call, he grabbed a postcard he'd bought at the museum yesterday and wrote on it. He'd mail it later in the week so it would arrive at James' flat shortly after Rob did. He took another card and wrote a quick note of his own to Geordie and numbered it as he'd already sent cards to him during his travels in the UK and last weekend from Athens.

That done, he caught up with his e-mail, sending the photos of yesterday's lunch to Stars and updating James with the week's events. Then he fixed some dinner for himself and ate while watching a couple of favorite shows on his laptop. Remembering he needed to break in his boots, he ran upstairs and put them on, then clumped back downstairs again and started outlining his first post "Deep Six" book. That was still a book away, but he liked to get ahead of his writing. He would write the book in the same style as Tibbs & Co., but the characters would not be based on any of his current or past co-workers. He would make up a country, research several dissimilar countries and then combine traits for his fictitious place. He thought he would include some of the history he'd learned here and in the UK and do a lot of mixing. His notes finally as complete as they'd get this far ahead of the actual writing, he saved the work off into a future fic folder. He also left himself a note in the folder that he needed a new penname. He knew it would be a battle with his publisher or any publisher he went to since the Gemcity books were proven sellers but he was determined to try. He spent a little bit of time researching and came up with David Smith – a compilation of two of the actors who played his favorite Doctor: David Tennant and Matt Smith. Another idea was Edward Reese; he thought Reese Witherspoon was wonderful and Sarah's favorite stuffed animal was Winnie the Pooh, formal name Edward Bear. That gave him another name, Chris Baer. Lastly he input the one that meant the most to him as it closely echoed the meaning of his name: Zubin Cai. Saving his suggestions, he closed the heavily encrypted file.

Before he logged off, he sent a quick e-mail to Ducky, asking him to make sure he let him know Gibbs' new e-mail address when he got it. Just for fun, he included a few suggestions, "hardassmarine, Rule18, yathink and thwack". He got an answer back almost immediately, with several laughing emoticons and one that was a hugging emoticon, plus a wish for him to have a good evening.

He walked out into the garden for a few minutes, turning on the lights and enjoying the fairytale look of things. Then he turned them off and sat on the ground, looking at the stars and knowing his family could see many of the same ones. Thus reassured, he clumped back upstairs, took his boots off, hoping they wouldn't always clomp quite so loudly – they sounded too much like Abby's clomping boots and he didn't want to think about her or her boots - and went to bed.

XXX

Gibbs sighed and punching his pillow, gave up and headed to the coffeemaker. He and Tobias had arrived late last night and Tobias had begged him not to wake him early this morning. Dawn was just breaking and Gibbs had had more than enough sleep. He wanted to catch fish so they could go home. He huffed at himself, this trip had been his idea, to get him out of the house and have some fun. Or do something different anyway. The two of them had been fishing together before, but always on the ocean and mostly day trips, only occasionally staying over somewhere or sleeping on the boat. The cabin was fine really, but now he didn't really want to be here. After he got the coffee going and he made a trip to the head, he headed outside for wood to get a fire going in the woodstove. GEEZ, it was cold this morning! He hoped they wouldn't have snow and was momentarily glad he'd allowed Tobias to rent a 4 wheel drive for their trek up here. He was glad Vance had said he could use his work cell and reimburse the agency for personal use. Now he wondered if his cell would work and if he had enough minutes to call Dr. Cranston. Once or twice during the week, then they'd be home on Thursday. Maybe three times, he'd taken a lot of notes since their last session.

He got the fire going and left the damper wide open to build the heat in the place. Hearing the coffeemaker gurgling, he headed into the kitchen and poured his first cup. Ahh…that was better, maybe this place wasn't so bad after all. Ducky would get that frustrated look if he came home early and Tobias really did need a break, he worked too hard and still had to deal with their mutual ex-wife, the she-devil. He couldn't talk to Tim until at least Friday anyway, probably Saturday by the time the installer had finished with his internet setup. Tim had said they'd be on call next weekend, so he might not even be available. Tony was getting Skype set up too, so for sure they would talk. Both his boys, that would be really good. And maybe Abby would text Ducky; maybe she was ready to talk to him. And Ziva…he sighed, who knew what would happen with her, he just hoped she would surface and let them back in her life. In the meantime, he'd fish. There was nothing like the taste of fresh fish, nothing like it in the world. He poured another cup of coffee. Yeah, this was ok.

* * *

><p>If anyone has other suggestions for Tim's new penname andor Gibbs' e-mail address, I'd love to hear them!

For more about the ancient agora of Athens, go to  
>en DOT Wikipedia DOT org SLASH wiki SLASH Ancient_Agora_of_Athens<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

Finding Home

Chapter Sixteen

Tim woke before his alarm Monday morning, his second Monday in Greece, his first as the official Senior Field Agent. Taking a moment to send positive thoughts toward Carla and Norm, Tim set out for his morning run, nodding to the other runners he saw. Run completed, he showered and dressed and then made himself breakfast. After popping his dishes into the dishwasher, he parked his coffee mug on his desk, turned on the lights and then swung down the hall to turn on the copier. He was as excited today as he'd been last week and he hoped everything went as well as it had last week.

Tim booted up his computer and while he was waiting, did a quick once over of his desk and Carla's to see what would have to be moved. He wondered if Norm would come to collect her personal belongings and who would pack them up. He certainly wasn't in any hurry; their new junior agent certainly wasn't going to show up this week so he could stay put. These people had worked together for a long time and Carla's absence, no matter that it had been anticipated for months, would take some adjustment. He understood that Pete wanted to tell the rest of them this morning and also announce Tim's official promotion, also not a secret. He could change desks anytime.

He checked his e-mails and was happily surprised to see several responses to his request for junior agent recommendations. He had access and permission to view certain portions of the candidates' personnel files; he pulled those up and started sifting through them. Interviews would be via Skype but first he intended to do as much background work as possible. Being the organized being that he was, he made a spreadsheet with the attributes needed across the top and the names he had so far down the left side, leaving plenty of room for narrative. Having experienced this process once before, when they'd tried to fill Ziva's spot when she stayed in Israel, he knew the process could not be solely objective. A person could match every single criterion and still not be a good fit for the team. As it was, he knew two of the recommended agents and wasn't sure about either of them.

One was Susan Grady, the former polygraph tech and the other was Ned Dorneget, who had been for all intents and purposes working as a floater for two years. While he liked Ned, he didn't think another temporary position would be the best thing for his career. He also knew he was the only child of a single mother, although he also knew that could not be part of his decision. Yes, he'd be a good fit for the team and he'd love for the guy to be hired onto a team, but was it this one and again, for a temporary position? That didn't seem fair to Ned. And while he respected the effort Susan Grady had made for her career, he wasn't sure he wanted to work with her. No, he was sure he didn't want to work with her although he wasn't sure he could defend his position without revealing what had happened with her. Sighing, he realized once again that the junior agent would have to fit the team and he was part of the team. He moved down the list, carefully reading each one's file and updating his spreadsheet. By the time he got through a couple more names on his list, Pete, Tea and Kim had arrived. When Pete saw him, he nodded and grinned, tilting his head toward the desk. Tim thought that might be approval of his not moving just yet, but wasn't quite sure. Whatever the gesture meant, Pete was pleased and that was enough for now. After Matt and Eva arrived, Pete pulled everyone into the conference area and told them about Carla, reassuring them that she was doing ok; the doctors hoped that she could go a few more weeks. He had spoken with her this morning before leaving for work, wanting to have the latest news for them. Once all the questions had been asked, Pete then went on to announce Tim's official promotion and he was given a round of applause. Tea looked puzzled. "Tim, you knew about Carla…over the weekend?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, Pete called me Saturday morning."

Tea nodded, still looking puzzled and looked at Kim. Kim nodded back at her, she'd ask the question. "I guess we're wondering why you haven't changed desks yet."

Tim looked surprised. "I didn't want to poke around in Carla's personal things. I figured Norm might come in for them. I'm in no hurry; I can be SFA from anywhere."

The others smiled at him and Kim spoke up, "No reason you should know this, but we all switched desks, well except for Tea, a couple of months ago. Pete likes to shake things up every now and then. So that desk hasn't been Carla's for very long." She smiled at Tim, "That was sweet of you, but it's ok to take the desk, it belongs to the Senior Field Agent and that's you. Eva and I will pack Carla's things up today."

Tim nodded and decided to share something from his old life. "On my previous team, there was one desk in the bullpen that when I first joined the team was occupied first by an agent named Kate Todd. She was murdered by a Hamas terrorist during my first year on the team, right after he shot at and missed me. Before we got a permanent replacement, we had a TAD named Paula Cassidy who sat at Kate's desk; she was kidnapped by a copycat serial killer but survived. However a few years later she was killed saving us from a suicide bomber. A couple of weeks after Paula's TAD, the desk was taken by a Mossad liaison officer who left 4 years later; subsequently we were told she was dead. We eventually hired someone - a few someones - to occupy that desk, but none of them lasted. Our Mossad liaison teammate was found alive; she returned to us and became an NCIS agent, only to leave again last summer. So that desk became something of an issue to the rest of us, anyone not one of us who even touched it when it was empty was subjected to all kinds of bad behavior - and I didn't want to inadvertently cause problems here. "

Pete cleared his throat, "That's the one you went to Somalia to rescue."

Tim tilted his head, "We went to Somalia to avenge her and finish her mission, the mission she'd been assigned by her Mossad boss. We had been told she was dead and we had no evidence to disbelieve that. Only she wasn't dead, we found her being held by the terrorist cell she'd been sent to investigate."

Tea and Eva gasped, "In Somalia? That place is much feared."

Kim looked at him, "Was Mossad part of your operation into Somalia? Did they know she was alive?"

Tim shook his head, "They were not part of the mission and...I'm not sure if anyone knew she was alive."  
>He nodded to Tea and Eva, "Somalia is feared for good reason, but we survived, completed our mission and brought her home alive, an unexpected bonus." Tim took a sip of his coffee to disguise his emotions about Ziva. His partner who evidently didn't think of him as her partner, who had asked him to risk his career and his freedom to help her track down the assassin who murdered her father and Jackie Vance and then months later left without saying a word to him. He found he had no more coffee in his mug and jumped up to get more, wanting only to be present in the here and now. Kim and the others finished their beverages and went back to work.<p>

When Tim turned with his full mug, he found Pete standing behind him. "That was what happened, then, something she did was the last straw." Tim nodded and smiled, "Afraid big parts of it are classified."

"It was her father that was the target at Vance's home, the night Jackie Vance was murdered." Tim nodded.

"Ok, no more questions."

Tim smiled. "Thanks. I do have some good news this morning. I have a list of 14 people who were recommended for our junior agent." Pete gestured to him and they walked to his office, closing the door behind them.

"Wow, that's great! Wait, when you did start working on the list?"

Tim grinned, "This morning Pete. I really do know what no work on weekends means!"

"No worries, you'll be making up for that as soon as whatever good luck fairy has been visiting us moves on."

"There are actually 16 names but right now I'm concentrating on 14 of them."

"Pretty early to wash out two."

Tim nodded, "I know them both. One is a young woman who used to be the agency polygraph tech, I have a tiny bit of personal history with her and I have a problem with her…ethics, I suppose I'd call it. I don't mean she's an outright bad person but twice she's done things that I believe shows a problem with her concept of ethical behavior. The other one will be a fine junior agent, but he's been knocking around in temporary positions at Headquarters for two years now and I don't think another temporary position would help his career. I was actually hoping he'd be selected for Gibbs' new team."

Pete's eyes widened. "Gibbs is getting another team?"

Tim looked alarmed as he nodded, "I didn't realize that wasn't known amongst the SAICs."

Pete clapped him on the shoulder, "I'm surprised Vance would do that after losing two agents and well, you know. However, it's not my business to discuss, so no worries, Tim that was an honest mistake. So where are you with the 14?"

Tim pulled his work up on Pete's computer and showed him what he'd done so far. Pete added a couple of items to the criteria, one was a required second language spoken in the region and the other was really a talking point, having to do with living so close to the always boiling cauldron that was the Middle East. When Tim raised an eyebrow at the language requirement, Pete chuckled, "Matt is learning, by the time he makes junior he'll be speaking as well as we do." He continued, "I know we're not supposed to look at this or talk about it, but we need people who will be here for the agency, not for their own agenda. We're federal agents in a foreign land, even in our off hours we represent the agency and Uncle Sam. No proselytizing, no politics, no coming here to meet girls or boys."

Tim bit back a smile at that one and Pete grinned, "Ok, so I met Trina here, but that wasn't why I took the job." Now Tim openly laughed at him. "It wasn't, really! How was I supposed to know that some Greek-American goddess would descend upon me weeks after I got here and save me from a life of lonely bachelorhood?" He looked at Tim, eyes twinkling, "Just you wait! I predict you'll be saying something similar someday!"

Tim grinned back, "I can only hope! Ok, I'm going to go back through and check out the additional criteria on these names and then keep moving down the list. When I'm done with that, I'll contact Major Fleming at FLETC and get his opinion on them, might be easier to send him the list of names and get his take. Then we do some more whittling and when we get to our short list, we can start interviewing. Thought we'd use Skype for that. Oh, did you ever remember the name of Joel's junior?"

"Yes, finally and you're lucky you didn't get a call in the middle of the night! It's Laurel."

Tim shook his head, "No, I didn't meet a Laurel. If Julian is still there, do you think Joel would be willing to part with her for the better part of a year?'

"Possibly, let's just add her name to the list and go through the process. No use even bringing it up with him if we find another gem in there somewhere."

Tim smiled, "One of the things you should know is that I'm confident none of these people have sent me names of people they'd just rather get rid of - send off somewhere."

"Of course not, Tim I trusted I didn't have to worry about that. Now, you and I have a Skype appointment with the Director at 1800 so you can present your plan. Do you mind staying late? Your commute will be a little easier after that." They both chuckled.

They spoke a little more about Tim's new position and some tasks Pete was delegating to him. One of those was dealing with Mossad. As the office closest to several hot spots, the SAIC and the Mossad Director had a call at least once a month. That call was coming up this week and Pete wanted Tim to sit in on it and be prepared to handle it from here on. "With your experience with Mossad, you'll have a clearer take on their concerns than I do. "

Tim nodded, "I hope things have changed with the new Director, Orli Elbaz."

"Meaning?"

Tim hesitated, "I'm sure Eli David was a good Director for his country, a good soldier for Israel, he must have been since they're still there. But he played fast and loose with his operatives sometimes – and especially with his daughter. After the Somalia mission, he sent one of his lead operatives to DC to burn Ziva with us. We figured it out and burned him instead but yeah, that was what seemed to be a classic Eli David manipulation. He also raised a son to be a mole in Hamas, only to have the son turn on him and become a double agent with Hamas, with his loyalties to anyone who was against his father."

Pete put the puzzle pieces together and paled, "Are you saying the Hamas terrorist who killed your co-worker…"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, his son."

"Is this going to impact your dealings with Mossad?"

"He's dead, Pete. I can't blame the whole agency or the new Director. So no, I won't have a problem as long as the same sort of things aren't happening and affecting our operations with them." Satisfied, Pete went on to another topic and the two spent another hour going over staffing, the budget and various other things. Tim told him of his plan to take additional martial arts training and Pete approved both of the classes and Tim running discreet background checks on the instructors. He also mused aloud whether Matt or Kim would be interested. Tim laughed as he'd already thought of that but wanted to find the right instructor before approaching the others with the idea.

When Tim returned to his desk, he noticed that there was a neatly packed box on Carla's desk and he smiled his thanks to Kim and Eva. He spent the rest of the day alternating working with Matt on cold case files, having him do the reviews, and on working through the files of their 15 candidates, having added Laurel, whose last name was Miller. He was sure the others knew what he was doing, it certainly wasn't a secret that they were short a junior agent. If Vance approved the TAD idea, then Pete thought they should tell Matt so he could make plans accordingly. As he pointed out to Tim, they didn't even know if their probationary agent would want to stay. Wanting to get through the list before the call with Vance, Tim made himself lunch and ate at his desk. He figured it would take at least a month before the new person could arrive, so the sooner they selected that person the better for them all.

As usual when Tim had his head down in a project, time flew by and he laughed at his surprise when the others left for the night at 1700, calling out their goodbyes. Tim's appointment with the martial arts guy wasn't until 19:30, so he had plenty of time. He'd finished his list of 15 and run a background check on tonight's appointment, all was well there.

After the others left, Tim's stomach started growling and Pete, on his way to the copier, chuffed at him. "Why don't you stop and have something to eat? I'm kind of hungry too and Trina and the kids are out this evening, so I'll be on my own to forage for myself when I get home."

Tim nodded, he'd like the company. He checked the refrigerator, suggesting a simple meal to Pete. His boss's eye lit up, Tim thought that was funny as he was feeling bad about cooking an American meal but apparently Pete liked the idea. So Tim quickly cooked pasta and heated frozen meatballs with jarred pasta sauce and a little olive oil, throwing some fresh spinach in the water with the pasta for the last minute and offering freshly grated Romano cheese as a topper. It certainly wasn't anyone's idea of a gourmet or even particularly healthy meal, but it was quick and filling. While Tim was cooking the pasta, Pete ran out and got ice cream, so they had that for dessert, Tim desperately hoping the martial arts instructor wouldn't want him to demonstrate what he already knew this evening.

They still had a few minutes left before Vance called, so Pete took their coffees out to the garden while Tim ran upstairs to grab his boots. He'd told Pete who had laughed and told him he still hadn't bought boots and now Tim and Matt could take all the sandy, muddy or steep crime scenes. When Tim clomped downstairs in them, he found Pete nearly doubled over in laughter at the noise. He passed along a tip to help break in the things, for which Tim was grateful.

Finally it was 1800 and the two gathered in front of the plasma, waiting for Vance's call. As this was his regularly scheduled weekly call, his first order of business when he appeared on the screen was to congratulate Tim on his promotion and express concern for Carla. Pete updated him on the previous weeks' business although Vance already knew about the case. Vance also wanted to bring them up to date on some international cases that were active, although there was nothing that would likely impact them in their region of the world. Finally, _finally_ they moved on to staffing and Pete turned the floor over to Tim. He gave a brief summary of what he'd done to gather candidates and then segued into his idea, keeping it to their office and not mentioning the idea of a group of TADs. When he finished there was silence; he looked at Vance and was glad he'd gotten to know him a little better because now he could see the twinkle in his eyes. He relaxed a bit. Vance finally nodded and then gave in to a grin. "I should have know you'd come up with something unique, Senior Field Agent McGee. See, Pete, this is part of why he's so special, he looked at current staffing needs as well as future. I'm very pleased, Timothy that once again you've seemingly read my mind."

"Sir?"

"You know about Julian Bashow in Joel's shop, I pulled his post in Bremerton."

Pete and Tim nodded.

"He needs to be assigned somewhere. Now, I know of a couple of names that went out in an e-mail to you, tell me who the others are."

Keeping quiet for the moment about the removal of Grady and Dorneget, Tim read the rest of the names, including Laurel Miller. Vance tilted his head, "So Bashow is off the list but Miller is on."

"Yes sir. Pete figured Julian wouldn't be happy with another TAD and we thought if we TAD'd Miller, Bashow might get the spot in London, if that's what you and Joel decided of course."

"Of course. Go on…"

"We added a second language and additional criteria to our search and I've whittled our list down to 7."

"Not your short list yet. Ok, this is me poking my nose in, but are Grady and or Dorney…Dorneget on the list?"

"No sir, neither."

"I understand Grady from your perspective; I think I would do the same thing. What about Dorneget?"

"Sir, my objection to Grady isn't personal, if it was only that, there would be no problem. My problem is what I'm calling an ethical gap. First is my original experience with her – she mandated a second polygraph for me, which is serious stuff for any agent as it can be a career buster, solely for personal reasons - to nose around my personal life to see if I was in a relationship. And I just realized that happened in the previous administration."

"Yeah it did and when it came up on the subsequent case, Gibbs said he'd handled it."

"Good. I hope he spoke with her then, told her how inappropriate that was. The second thing was something she disclosed during the subsequent case. During the investigation into the explosion at her other employer, the one where she was moonlighting about three years ago, she mentioned that she had downloaded several polygraphs to her home computer, she said to "study them for responses" because she couldn't read people without the machine. Again she seemed to make it a personal matter; that's why Judge Wallace broke into her home and destroyed her computer. I object to her downloading, sir, confidential means confidential and downloading confidential files to one's home computer without approval is a breach of security and a breach of ethics, in my book."

Vance looked at him, "I wasn't aware of her actions, Agent McGee, but I do see your point about ethics. If that had happened here she would have been subject to termination. Again, I understand your reluctance to take her on for that reason. Would you have any recommendations for her?"

Tim nodded, "Ethics training, Sir. In the electronics age, it's too easy to forget what's confidential, what you have a right to download or even view. Hopefully a decent ethics seminar maybe with emphasis on electronic files and confidentiality of a position would help her understand how wrong both those incidents were." Vance nodded, "I'll take that under advisement and I'll take a look at that case file too. Do you know if the fact that she downloaded files made it into the file?"

"Yes it did sir, as it provided a motive for Judge Wallace's actions at Grady's home."

"Very well. All right, thank you for explaining that. None of us are perfect, but if we can help ourselves with additional training, that's good. Now, back to Dorney, huh, I need to stop that…Dorneget!"

"I've worked with him many times and I believe he's got real potential, Director Vance, but he's been in temporary positions for nearly two years, mostly in the evidence room. I didn't think another float would be helpful to his career and well, frankly I was hoping he might be selected for another team."

"Think he'd manage?"

"Yes, Sir, absolutely. He's worked within the confines of a team and worked with some difficult people in difficult situations. He's done good work with several of the teams in DC. Assigning him somewhere, preferably to a team, will do wonders for his confidence."

Vance did his best not to flinch at that, feeling a twinge of guilt for Tim's experiences and now Dorneget's. "For your ears only, the two of you, he's on the short list for that particular team."

The grin on Tim's face cemented his decision, their new SFA was a good judge of character and he was willing to take a chance on the heretofore unassigned 'Dorney'.

"Ok, so I'm now going to remove my nose from your staffing plans. You have funding for an overseas transfer. It's up to you and yes, you may implement your TAD plan. Will you let your probationary agent know?"

Pete fielded that one, "Yeah, Leon, we'd rather he know he has a job if he continues to do well and wants to stay; he can settle in and not have to worry about where he'll be shipped to next."

Vance nodded and they moved on to other topics. They were done by 18:45. Afterward Tim brought up his cell phone call with Gibbs the previous Monday, telling Pete he would pay the bill for the call. Thinking about the news Tim had received last week and how NCIS had dropped the ball on the family's murders, letting a case sit cold for 27 years, Pete refused his payment. They would tag it as an expense for the case and forward the bill to DC. Tim opened hi s mouth to argue and then decided to gracefully and gratefully accept. With a pat on the shoulder, Pete packed up and left. Tim went out to the garden with his tablet and read for a few minutes before he grabbed one of the agency vehicles for his appointment. He'd been surprised when Pete suggested it but the address was only a few minutes away so it wouldn't be a big expense and as Pete said, there would likely be times he'd use his own car on agency business.

The martial arts instructor, George Avramidis, welcomed him with a hand shake that turned into an offensive move. Tim blocked it and the other man smiled at him. "Excellent, Mr. McGee! Now, what can I help you with?"

Tim took a deep breath. "I'm in law enforcement, Mr. Avramidis, as we discussed yesterday. I shoot well, I'm trained on other weapons and I can hold my own with hand to hand combat. As you can see, I am also comfortable with mixed martial arts' basic moves. But I have a team to protect and I need to do more. I need more than "holding my own" or being comfortable. I don't necessarily need to be a master but I want to use my body as an efficient weapon. And I'm afraid with my crazy hours that private classes are the only answer for me."

"You may call me George and I can help you. As I told you, I have family in law enforcement, my brother and his son, and I understand the crazy hours, the sudden calls and the disappearing for a case. I like your goal; as much as we all want to be Steven Segal, it is not possible nor is it practical. A defense for your teammates – and it will help you bring down the bad guys, yes?"

Tim nodded.

"What I would like to do tonight, Mr. McGee is to put you through your paces. I need to know your skill level before we go any further. "

Tim laughed, "Please call me Tim and I knew I shouldn't have eaten the pasta and the ice cream tonight!"

"How long has it been since you ate?"

Tim looked at his watch, "Just over two hours."

The man was trying to hide a smile. "I will forgive that this once but from now on, unless you have not eaten that day, do not eat before you come here."

Tim nodded his acceptance. "Now, I still need to see where you stand, I will just have to take it a little easier on you than I'd planned."

By the time George was through with him, Tim was very glad he'd resumed his running and had worn comfortable clothing and that the man had taken "it a little easier" on him. They discussed cost and schedules with George pushing for classes three times a week and Tim only willing to commit to two, knowing full well if he made both of those it would be a miracle. From various conversations and Matt's file, he knew the young man was about the same level as him in martial arts; Tim raised the question of possibly bringing a teammate or two to class. George just grinned, that would be icing on the cake as far as he was concerned. He took the time that evening to show Tim one new move; his homework between now and Thursday night's class was to practice that move and be able to defend with it in class.

Tim left George's studio a little sore but very satisfied with the setup. He'd talk with Matt about it the next morning. As he walked into the darkened office, he practiced his new move. Unfortunately he was a little too close to his workstation and his desk phone went clattering to the floor. Laughing at his clumsiness, he stopped to pick it up and decided now was as good time as any to switch desks. He was done in 10 minutes and still wasn't sleepy, so he ran upstairs, picked up his tablet and ran back downstairs. He did his new move again, this time without causing anything to crash to the floor, grabbed a lemonade and headed out to the garden. He sat in his favorite chair, prepared to do some reading, but he was still revved up. Giving up on the reading, he found a wide spot in the garden and practiced both his new move and several of the other moves he knew already for nearly an hour before he caught himself yawning. It had been a long day and finally he was ready to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Matt was in early Tuesday morning so Tim had a chance to talk with him about the martial arts classes. He was enthusiastic and mentioned that it would look really good on his record during his probie year. Tim had to bite his tongue to keep from telling him the other news just yet. The SAIC and he would tell Matt together.

Pete also arrived a bit early and grinning, motioned to Tim to bring Matt in. They sat down in Pete's office, Matt looking both curious and nervous. Pete reached over and patted him on the arm, "Relax, Matt, we hope this is good news for you. "

Matt took a breath and released it, making an obvious attempt to relax.

Pete smiled, "You know we're short a junior agent. With only four months into your probationary year, both our SFA and I feel you're doing a great job and have a lot of potential. We can't promote you to junior now, it wouldn't do you any favors, trust me, but here's our plan..."

The two men told Matt of the plan to bring in a TAD junior until he was through his probie year and ready to assume the junior position. They ended their explanation by adding the caveat that it was up to him, if he continued as well as he had and if he wanted to stay in the office, he'd have the job. Matt's head was spinning, he loved it here and hoped he was doing a good job but had been trying not to look too far ahead, knowing that he'd face reassignment at the end of his probationary term. Finally he was able to form a response and let his face do it for him. Pete and Tim smiled at the huge grin threatening to split Matt's face in half.

Pete chuckled, "I take it that you're happy?"

"Yes sir, yeah, this is…I never expected…" Matt drew himself up in his chair. "I'll continue to do my best and yes, if I earn the position I'd love to continue working in this office." The three men talked for a bit longer before Tim and Matt returned to their desks. The probationary agent went back to reviewing cold case files and the Senior Field Agent continued his work on their junior agent candidates. He fired off an e-mail to Major Fleming, the head of FLETC, with the seven names and a request for any additional information available to help their cause. He knew FLETC was currently in session and figured the earliest response he could hope for was sometime next week.

Since the day had been quiet so far, Tim decided to press his luck and treat everyone to lunch. He'd called Carla earlier in the hope that she could join them but found that although his new friend was in good spirits and feeling well, her doctors were insistent on strict bed rest. She did invite him over for coffee after his fitting this evening, quipping that "bed rest" included "couch resting". Tim thought he would show her the photos he'd taken last weekend as well as update her on everything in the office.

He'd asked Pete about lunch and he'd been fine with it, knowing Tim would have the food brought in. He'd made arrangements for Vosporos' to deliver a variety of entrees, salads and beverages. It was a bright sunshiny day and the table in the garden was big enough to fit all 6 of them, although Tim realized there were only four chairs. Slipping outside and poking around, he noticed a small shed at the far end of the garden that he hadn't noticed before, although to be fair it was covered in a wisteria vine and difficult to see. Finding his way through the woody vine, he shoved open the door and found more patio chairs. He took them out, ran the hose over them and then placed them at the table. That done, he headed back inside to get to work, thinking he was getting entirely too comfortable living here.

Returning to his desk, he saw his message light was blinking; it was his tailor, Archimedes confirming his fitting that evening and he quickly sent him a text. As he continued to think about their future junior agent, Tim decided he'd better start looking for his own place to live and a car of his own. He made a note to call Evander later and talk with Norm tonight. Then he settled back into cold cases. He was working on deciphering an agent's chicken-scratch case notes at the back of a file when the food arrived.

Lunch was delicious, relaxing and enjoyed by all. There were pitas with meat and without, souvlakis, Greek and pasta salads, something for everyone. Tea brought the phone outside with her and to everyone's relief it didn't ring a single time. After they'd eaten their fill, Pete and Tim packed up the leftovers and put them in the refrigerator. The group sat in the sun for a while longer, enjoying their beverages before heading back into work. Tim thought it was funny that Pete was the last one in and then realized he'd done it on purpose. It had been a slow day and while there was always work to be done, he hadn't wanted to put any pressure on anyone to follow him inside. This was a whole new work ethic for Tim and while he'd already seen evidence of the team's readiness, it was nice not to have to keep up that breakneck pace and hours when they weren't needed. As Pete reminded him, the 'good luck fairy' was evidently still with them but when it left, there would be more than enough excitement.

As he slid into his desk chair, his phone chimed at him with the two reminders he'd set up. The first one was to talk with Norm about the car and Tim planned on doing that this evening. The second was to set up an appointment with Evander to look at apartments and possibly condos. He'd want two bedrooms although three would really be better. When Sarah and Rob visited, his sister would have her own room while Rob could share with him. However, if he had a third bedroom to use as an office, he could put a cot or fold out couch in there. He thought James might visit as the same time as his siblings, so then he could sleep in the office. He pulled out the card Evander had given him at Pete and Trina's party, called and left him a message that he was ready to look for apartments and possibly condos, 2 or 3 bedrooms, as close to the office as possible. He also said his best times for looking were weeknights, explaining they would be on call this weekend.

Immersed once again in cold case file reviews, the afternoon slid away. Matt brought his files over at 1600 and Tim took the time to look over Matt's findings. He was having him go through each file and make notes of anything that needed updating or that he had questions about. Tomorrow he would get starting on doing the actually updating. Tim had no idea if it was more or less efficient, he did think it would help keep Matt's interest active; Tim knew too well the frustration of not getting anywhere on a cold case and feeling like it was futile to even try. Evander called at nearly 1700 and said he had several places for Tim to look at, 3 apartments and 2 condos. They needed to get an early start however so Tim consented to Evander picking him up here at 15:30 on Wednesday, unless of course there was a case. Tim remembered that part of the transfer package when he'd moved from Norfolk to DC had been a reasonable amount of time off work to find someplace to live. New to Gibbs' team, he'd never considered taking advantage of it but he did remember it being in the transfer papers. Off the phone, he sent a quick e-mail to Pete who answered with, "Only if you bring me back a treat!" Tim chuckled and then realized he was laughing at work. Again! They laughed here, smiled and laughed. Vance was right, the atmosphere was really different, even with last week's case it had been different. He supposed one of the reasons was that Pete was happily married with a family, actually when he thought about it he and Matt were the only singles.

By 17:30, everyone but Tim had left for the day. He worked for a few minutes more and then packed it in for the night. He wandered out to the kitchen and looked in the cupboards and refrigerator at all his options and then realized he really wasn't very hungry. He grabbed a container of yogurt and some salad and sat at the table to eat. After he ate and brushed his teeth, he took the keys and locked everything up as he left the building for the short walk to the tailors. The tux would be finished by Thursday. Before he left, he told Archimedes he also wanted a suit and they looked over fabric swatches, finally picking a dark navy. Back at the office, he looped his finger in his jacket collar and scooped up the keys to an agency sedan and headed out again, this time to Carla and Norm's. He found it with no problem thanks to GPS, and smiled as he saw the "For Sale" sign in the window of the VW. Parked next to it was a brand new SUV; Tim didn't stop to see what make. He was happily greeted by first Norm and then Carla. He'd brought some cookies left from lunch and Carla greedily attacked them while Norm made coffee for Tim and an herbal tea for Carla.

Carla looked good and Tim was relieved to see she no longer looked as fatigued as she had last week. She showed him the latest sonogram of the babies and Tim pretended he could tell what was what. He did see, however, that there were three tiny bodies in the photo and looked up, surprised, as he thought they were having twins.

Carla grinned at him, "Yeah, we had somewhat the same looks on our faces when we first found out…Surprise!"

"Wow, that's incredible! Do you know the genders yet…hmm, can't really tell from this."

Norm laughed, "Either our kids are camera shy or they're playing games as they always seem to cover up the important bits!"

"Huh! Do you have names picked out? I guess that must be kind of hard to do, not knowing!"

"We figure we'll decide on three girls' names and three boys' names and then we'll use the surplus names as middle names."

Carla stage whispered to Norm, "Tim doesn't have a middle name."

"Wow, not even a confirmation name?"

Tim shook his head, "Never got confirmed. Don't know why no middle name, although my father's was Zebulon, don't know if that had something to do with it."

"That is a mouthful, but still, it's a middle name!"

Tim laughed, "I used to think I'd just pick one and use it when I was grown, but I got used to it and never bothered."

"If you did pick one, what would you pick?"

"Hmm, my father's name was Daniel, so that would be good although I'm not sure I like two long names, Timothy Daniel McGee. My other choice, just because I like the name, would be Sean. Timothy Sean McGee; has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Norm laughed while Carla nodded, "Yes that is nice, very Irish, not that anyone couldn't guess that by looking at you!"

"Wait until you meet my sister Sarah, she has almost olive skin and dark eyes; we don't look at all alike!"

"Really? I always thought siblings would have some resemblance."

"Not us! She looked like my dad and our brother Patrick. I guess I look like my mother." Carla smiled and changed the subject before Norm asked any questions about Tim 'guessing' he looked like his mother.

"So tell me about the gang, what's going on?" Tim filled them in on everything going on in the office, including the plan for Matt and the junior agent.

Carla's eyes lit up, "Ooh, that's wonderful Tim! So you get to train and influence two agents!"

Tim laughed, "Hadn't thought about it that way, but yeah, I guess so." After they'd thrashed out all the news from work, Tim turned to Norm. "I see you have the new car and the VW is for sale."

"Yep, want to buy it?"

"Actually I might."

"Wow, I was kidding!"

Tim grinned, "I know, but I do need a car and I'd rather buy from someone I know than from a dealer."

"You've thought about this."

"Yeah, when you picked me up for the party last week, you mentioned you were selling it and I was thinking I haven't had a convertible before. Thought Greece would be a fun place to try that."

"Tim, I'm blown away, well let me get you the fact sheet I wrote up, hang on." Norm hurried off to get that while Carla shook her head at Tim. "What did you drive in the States?"

"For the last 6 months I was there, I drove a very small very gas efficient car. I got that to replace a sports car that was my dream car, but too expensive at the time."

"Why at the time, weren't you at NCIS?"

Tim waited until Norm came back and sat down. "It's not in the portion of my file that you can see, but no, I wasn't. My teammates and I walked last May; we turned in our badges and weapons and quit NCIS."

Carla's mouth dropped open and she stared at Tim. "You were part of that thing…the witch hunt that was rumored to be going on in DC."

Tim nodded, "Yes and the reason for that, or the catalyst, is classified, so that's as much as I can say. Except that my kids still needed help with their schooling and something had to go, so the Porsche went."

Norm's eyebrows climbed up his forehead. "You had a Porsche? How…?"

Tim smiled, "I had a second job that paid very well."

Carla's eyes narrowed, "How on earth could you have a second job?"

Norm laughed, "He means a second income, hon. Something he could do on his own, I'll bet." Tim nodded. Norm looked at him and frowning, handed the fact sheet to Tim and left the room again.

Carla shrugged, "Don't know what that was about!" Tim smiled, he figured Norm was going to look for a book jacket or look him up on the Internet, although he didn't think the latter was likely, didn't seem like Norm to do that while he was still here.

He chuckled as the man came back with a book. "I don't keep many books these days, but I do have this series in hardback, I love the characters, I can just hear them in my head when I read the stories. It's like they're real people."

Tim winked at him, plucked the book from his hands, took a pen out of his pocket and signed the fly page, "To my new and good friends Norm and Carla, best of luck with your little ones, affectionately Thom E Gemcity".

He handed it to Carla who looked at the autograph and then at Tim. "Tim…you're…oh that's an anagram, isn't it?"

Norm roared with laughter, "Finds out you're a famous author and that's the first thing she says!"

"That's ok by me! I never know what to say when people figure it out."

"Does anyone else in the office know?"

"Pete knew before I got here and Matt figured it out last weekend."

"Not Kim? She loves these books too, borrowed them from us."

Tim laughed suddenly, "And Evander must have read them too. He started to figure it out at the party but backed off." He nodded, "Yes, I'm a writer and that's how I could afford a Porsche. I do ask that you keep this to yourself."

Norm had taken the book from Carla, "Absolutely and I'll never loan them out again. I'm kind of surprised Pete hasn't asked you for an autograph, he's the one that turned me onto these."

"Kind of a weird thing to ask the new guy, your new subordinate, isn't it? Hey, are you really someone I should get an autograph from?"

Norm made a face, "Oh yeah, you're right. So what do you think of the car facts? Want to test drive it?"

Tim nodded, "I sure do, but how about tomorrow or Thursday? I don't want to drive it for the first time at night."

"Oh, good point, I could bring it over to the office tomorrow at lunchtime, I'm picking up Carla's stuff."

Tim smacked himself on the forehead, "I'm an idiot, I'm so sorry! I should have brought it over tonight."

They laughed at him, telling him not to worry. It was getting a little late for Carla, so Tim and Norm set up a time for lunch the next day and Tim took his leave.

When Tim got home, he sat at the conference table and read the fact sheet on the car. It sounded good to him; it had been well maintained, got decent mileage and was under a warranty that would transfer to the new buyer. Suddenly he realized he had no idea what he needed to do to legally purchase the car. He decided to look it up in the morning; he was tired tonight and still needed to get in some practice.

* * *

><p>Note: I want to give a shout out to skyjadeprincess for her suggestion of martial arts for Tim.<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

Finding Home

Chapter Eighteen

Norm arrived at the office at the agreed upon time on Wednesday. After a quick hello to everyone, he grabbed the box of Carla's personal belongings, grabbed Tim and they headed out for the test drive. Tim had gotten up before dawn that morning to do his purchasing research; he'd also mapped out a route he wanted to drive. He wanted to see how the car handled on steep hills and curves as well as acceleration on roads with higher speed limits. While he didn't expect the response of a Porsche, he did hope for some play. He'd also slipped out to the bank as it opened for a cashier's check for Norm, knowing that would be easier than waiting for a check to process.

The hill went well, there was no problem holding the speed and power and Tim liked the feel of the air on his skin as he rounded the curves. When he punched the button for power on the multi-lane roadway, the car responded nicely although he had to almost immediately slow down to accommodate other drivers. The brakes handled well and soon they were heading back to the office. Norm had given him a decent price and Tim was ready to buy. He'd input his information and as much of Norm and Carla's information as he had into the necessary forms before work that morning and printed them out. After returning from the test drive, the two men sat at the conference table and completed the paper work. They made copies and Tim gave him the cashier's check for the purchase price. Then he offered Norm a bite to eat since there was still food from Tuesday's lunch. They had a quick bite, prepared a paper plate of goodies to take home to Carla and made a quick call to Evander. Tim walked Norm to the door; he'd take the car home now, give it a good wash and after their apartment viewings this evening, Evander would drop Tim by the house to pick up the vehicle.

Tim grinned all afternoon, he'd have his own wheels and a convertible was going to be fun! Pete teased him about Carla's job and Carla's car and they laughed, Tim reflecting that he was genuinely amused by the tease, knowing it was an affectionate tease, that his boss was not mocking him as had happened so frequently in the past. Tim made a joke of his own, wondering if Norm and Carla were going to sell their house and pretending to be thinking about it.

Evander arrived a little early but Pete waved them out of the office. Tim admitted to a certain excitement as he hadn't looked for a new home for more than 10 years and had a lot more knowledge and money now than he had then, a newly transferred probie agent transferring in from Norfolk where the three of them had lived in a furnished studio, the two kids still in school. Tony and Kate had made fun of Tim's small apartment in Silver Spring, but to the three McGees it had been a palace. While there had been room in the bedroom for all three to sleep, Sarah wanted privacy and slept quite comfortably on a rollaway bed purchased used, eventually tucked between the mismatched bookshelves, enjoying her very own space after a childhood of sharing a tent and sometimes a sleeping bag with her brothers. Her 'room' was separated from the rest of the apartment by the solidly filled bookshelves while a pretty print sheet made a door for her. Every morning before she left for school, one of them would roll her bed into the bedroom, which Rob and Tim shared. All three siblings were thrilled when Tim won a king sized bed in a contest, but they kept the old bed in the closet for Geordie when he was home on leave. They ate at a small folding table they put up every morning and took down every night with three chairs that did double duty in the living room for watching the TV donated by a friend of a friend. It was only after they'd been in DC for awhile and Tim's book brought in money that he bought the large flat screen and upgraded from basic cable to a satellite provider.

Tim was thinking of those first days in the old place when they arrived at the first apartment. The building was on a hill about 20 minutes from the office which disappointed Tim as he'd hoped to be closer. Determined to be positive, he and Evander walked into the vacant apartment and he saw the view. The living room had a stunning view over the Aegean Sea and Tim could see a slice of the harbor. The apartment was older but looked to be in good shape, the kitchen had been updated and the floors were tiled throughout the place. There was a balcony off each of the two bedrooms. The larger bedroom had an en suite bath and nearly the same view as the living room. The second bedroom was tiny and with his desk and worktable in there, there wouldn't be room for a real bed or even a pull out couch; guests would have to sleep on either a rollaway, an inflatable bed or a pullout in the living room. Tim was not thrilled by the hall bathroom either and after asking the cost of monthly rent, Tim mentally crossed the place off the list. He understood the price reflected the spectacular view but he was more concerned about his family and friends being comfortable – and being closer to work. When Evander asked his opinion, he said just that. Evander smiled, telling him this place was the only one this far from the office, it had just come on the market that morning and he'd added it to the list to give Tim more choices. Tim liked that and they went on to the next place.

Along with the apartments, there were two condominiums that Evander was excited to show Tim. The second viewing was one of the condos. It was about 10 minutes away from the office and a 2 story building with only 2 units, separated by a staircase. Liking the idea of only sharing one wall which Evander said housed closets on both sides, Tim looked forward to seeing the place. They entered on the ground floor and Tim saw right away he'd have to bump up security for the door. The small entryway was tiled in a colorful pattern that almost looked like a carpet. The living area was bright and airy, with a view out to a lush side garden with shade trees. The dining area bordered the living area and the kitchen which was at the rear of the first floor. To the side of the dining area was a hallway that led to a decent sized den/ bedroom with a door into the downstairs bathroom. The bathroom also had a door that opened into the hallway. As the hall led from the dining area, it split off to the right and ended up in a laundry room that had a storage room attached, with a door to the backyard. The yard was split by a tall fence so that each condo had visual privacy. Tim thought the downstairs was fine, he wasn't particularly excited by it but he withheld judgment until he'd seen the upstairs. There were two bedrooms up there and one bathroom which had a door to each bedroom. The larger bedroom had a walk-in closet that Tim would never need although he did think about putting his writing desk in there. There were two windows but the room seemed dark. The other bedroom was a smaller version of the larger one and even darker. Overall, Tim felt the place would be ok but he wasn't prepared to purchase anything that was just ok.

It took them a few hours to see the rest of the dwellings. At the end, Tim thought two of the apartments would be fine if nothing else became available. Evander told him he now had a much better idea of what Tim was looking for and not to lose hope, that they would find a great place for him. Tim perked up with that and again when Evander dropped him at Carla and Norm's house to pick up his car. Norm heard Evander's car and came out to give Tim the keys and a notarized letter saying he had sold him the car. That would do until the paperwork was processed. Tim left the top down for his drive back to the office and once again enjoyed the open air. He put the top up when he parked it in the agency lot and attached the steering wheel lock that Norm insisted he take with the car.

Remembering the need to practice his martial arts' moves, Tim ran upstairs to change into his sweats, then back down and out to the garden to stretch and do his work. He had been doing the kick George taught him nearly every time he was alone in the last two days and felt he'd made good progress with it. He would see just how good tomorrow night. While he practiced, he wondered how Gibbs and Fornell were doing on their fishing trip. He'd had a very entertaining e-mail from Ducky waiting for him yesterday morning saying that Gibbs had purchased a laptop on Saturday and that his internet connection would be installed on Friday. Ducky also said that while Gibbs had been at Ducky's last Friday for their Skype chat, he'd happened to see Ducky's TV, a new one Tim had set up last summer. It was a midsize flat screen, attached to the wall and because the doctor had varying tastes in entertainment ranging from the Public Broadcasting channels to some of the wilder cable outlets, his service provider was a satellite system rather than conventional cable. Ducky reported that he'd had the Military Channel up on the screen when Gibbs arrived, that he'd been fascinated by it and was even more entranced when he was shown the Fishing Channel and the range of shows featuring woodworking. Ducky said apparently it had made a distinct impression because Jimmy reported that Gibbs had asked him to go TV shopping with him and the same satellite service would be at the house Friday. Ducky added that Gibbs told Jimmy that Jackson was always complaining about his lack of modern TV shows when he visited and Jimmy had wisely just nodded.

An hour of practice was enough for Tim and he stretched again before heading in and locking up. Suddenly realizing he'd never eaten dinner and was starving, he grabbed the last of the leftovers and heated them in the microwave. He'd brought his tablet downstairs with him, so he sat at the table and ate while he caught up with the world.

XXX

Across the Atlantic, Gibbs and Fornell had just returned from their morning fishing and Tobias was fixing lunch: steak. They'd eat their catch of the day for dinner but for now, he wanted beef and he'd never known Jethro to turn down steak. They'd had a good time, at least hadn't killed each other and Tobias was feeling nicely relaxed. They'd head for home tomorrow as Jethro was suddenly having all kinds of electronics installed in his house on Friday. The FBI agent personally thought the whole situation with his friend's team was very sad but he was happy to hear that Jethro was starting to patch things up with both McGee and DiNozzo. He had listened patiently to Jethro all week and had offered advice when he had any. He was fond of both younger men, although he frequently found DiNozzo's methods bizarre to say the least. He admitted to a bias in McGee's favor but the young man had a slight advantage after having been very helpful with his daughter Emily's science and math school work. The girl had even won a science fair with the help of Agent Timothy McGee. He would miss working with them – and Ziva – and could only imagine how his friend felt about everything that had happened. Some days he wished they both could just walk away from their jobs but he didn't know what either of them would do with their time. There was only so much fishing a guy could do. He sighed, he needed more hobbies but who had time to find one when you lived the job? He looked outside and saw the threatened snow was finally starting to fall. The door swung open as Jethro brought a load of wood into the cabin. They'd spent an hour on Sunday stacking wood on the front porch, now it was being moved inside to avoid getting wet in the snow.

"Need a hand, Jethro?"

"Yeah sure, Tobs, as long as you don't burn the steak!"

"Funny man." He grabbed his jacket and headed back out to the front porch for a load of wood. They moved enough in for the rest of the day and evening and then Tobias returned to fixing lunch while Jethro built a fire.

"Hey Tobias, you ever used that Skype program I'm getting?"

"Yeah, Emily made me get it to talk to my old man in Florida. It's good, I can see how he's doing and not have to take his word for it. Diane has the program, talks with her friend Joy in Australia."

"So if I have any questions about it?"

"You can call Emily or Diane." Tobias looked at his friend, smirking. Jethro threw one of his gloves at him but he caught it and put it on the table.

"So you ready to go home?"

"Yeah, this has been good, man, but I'm looking forward to Friday and hopefully talking to Tim on Saturday."

"Why hopefully? I thought this was all set up between you two."

"It is but his team is back on rotation now, they're on call this weekend."

"How many teams are there?"

Jethro huffed, "It's not like DC, Tobias. There's one team but they share out of the area cases with the other European offices. So if there's a problem in Turkey for instance, it's assigned to them as that's their jurisdiction, if they need help, whichever of the other offices' is on call responds."

"Oh, so if there's a problem in the UK and they need help, Athens is on call, one or more of McGee's team could be sent to the UK?"

Jethro nodded. "Yeah, Tim says that both the London SAIC and his boss like the way it works. All the teams eventually work with each other, makes for a cohesive group that's spread pretty thin in Europe. Hey, do you remember Stan Burley?"

Tobias squinted, "Tall, before DiNozzo, had ulcers?"

"Yeah, that's him…he's been an Agent Afloat for over a decade but got married and applied for a transfer – he's the SAIC in Rota now."

"Ah, so Tim isn't totally bereft of Gibbsness in Europe!"

Jethro squinted at the word. "Gibbsness? That's worse than the Gibblets tag Abby made up years ago."

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much." He set plates and cutlery on the table along with toasted garlic bread, a tiny salad he knew he'd be eating by himself, and the steaks. "Here, lunch is served. Eat hearty!"

The two men sat down to enjoy their meal.

XXX

Across the country near Seattle, Tony DiNozzo trudged through the mud behind the SFA, carrying the heavy gear to their crime scene and mentally cursing himself for every prank, every tease, every bullying anything he'd ever pulled on his former probie. He would do what it took to reclaim an SFA position but he figured he was stuck here for awhile. Luckily the SFA was kinder than he'd ever been and didn't rub his nose in it. Silently the man turned and grabbed one of the heavy cases. Tony tried not to grit his teeth. The man's kindness was almost harder to bear as that left him with nowhere to redirect his frustrations. He changed the subject in his head. He'd downloaded Skype and was just waiting for his former boss to return from a fishing trip with Fornell and get his internet stuff so they could chat. He thought that might happen Friday evening or Saturday, depending on how long it took to solve this case.

He'd mentioned it to his shrink who seemed pleased by the effort he'd made with Gibbs. Tony had raised the possibility of chatting with his former teammate but the doctor said he had a way to go before he would advise that. Tony realized it was a two way street, he could call Tim, but Tim had to be willing to speak with him. He sighed, wishing time machines really existed.

XXX

In Louisiana, Abby climbed out of her brother Luca's car and headed into his house after her job interview at LSU. She felt it had gone well; when asked about her departure from NCIS, she had managed to bury her flare of anger and respond with the words her employment counselor had recommended. The rest of the interview had been a piece of cake and she really hoped she'd get the job. She'd be doing some lab work but mostly she'd be teaching forensics. As she changed out of her interview suit, she wondered how Gibbs and Tony were. She wouldn't spare a thought for the hated bastard McGee but she was softening toward her silver haired fox and the former SFA. She figured McGee had used his evil influence with Vance to depose her Gibbs and her Tony. She hoped her former lover rotted in hell, blaming him for everything that had happened. She had tried to talk with Ducky about this but to her astonishment and dismay he'd been on Tim's side, trying to tell her she'd done things wrong, that they all had. That confused and angered her and now Ducky was on her bad list too, although she thought probably Tim had used his evil influence on him too. After her conversation with Ducky had failed, she'd tried to talk with Luca's parish priest but he hadn't been much help and advised her to pray for forgiveness rather than vengeance. She huffed at that and then looked at the papers she'd brought home from her alma mater, God she hoped she got this job!


	19. Chapter 19

Finding Home

Chapter Nineteen

While there was no new case on Thursday, Pete had word from Roger in Marseilles that they had a troublesome one that might need help from Athens and possibly the other offices. A Navy Lieutenant had been found murdered near the harbor and they'd found enough evidence to point to a fledgling drug cartel being responsible. Although they had dealers throughout Europe, Roger believed the cartel was small enough to break up. As of that day they'd found at least one other cartel territory in France, if they found additional, they'd need help. Currently the plan was to move in on every dealer linked to the cartel simultaneously, not only to bust the dealers but to flush out the leaders.

By the end of the business day Thursday, there had been no call to action although Pete warned them it could come at any time. Matt ran home and grabbed more clothes, thinking they might be away for a couple of days. As he had already planned to go to Tim's martial arts' class with him, he figured he'd just stay over. Tim was of two minds about canceling the class. From the update he'd heard on the conference call at 1700, Roger's team was still scrambling to gather and verify their intel. They could get the call tonight or it could roll over into Friday. He just wasn't sure he'd be able to concentrate on his moves or what George was teaching him. On the other hand, he'd better learn how to compartmentalize things or he wasn't going to have much of a life outside of work!

His mind made up, he told Pete where he and Matt would be, holding up his cell phone. Kim made sure she had Pete or Tim sign anything they might need in the next few days. The paychecks and paystubs were in the safe and Kim had the authority to hand those out, although everyone but Tim and Eva was on direct deposit. Tim's transfer check was also in the safe; Kim gave him both checks and he popped out to the bank to deposit them. She promised to let Evander know to save Tim a call. Pete sent an e-mail to the Mossad Director to reschedule their call. He left for home after the last update; the three men made plans to meet back at the office if they got the call out. Even so, when Tim got back from the bank, Matt put his go bag in the trunk of his car. They'd had decent sized lunches, knowing they couldn't have dinner until after the class and after Matt shut down for the night, Tim leaving his computer on in a secured mode, they walked over to Archimedes' shop and picked up Tim's tux.

Back at the office, they went out back and did their warm ups, stretching and running in place. Finally it was time and they climbed in Tim's car, top down, for the drive to the martial arts' studio. George was happy to include Matt and put him through his paces. Then he engaged Tim in practice and was pleased that he was able to defend using the new move. Matt had watched Tim practice and tried it himself. When he demonstrated it now, the instructor corrected his stance and told him he needed additional practice before he could defend. George was satisfied with Tim's level of practice and told Matt he expected the same from him. The time passed quickly and soon the two young men were bowing to their instructor and heading back to the office. Between Tim and Matt they had checked Tim's cell phone at least 20 times during their class but there had been no further word. Matt volunteered to get some dinner together while Tim checked his e-mail. There was a brief message stating that the case was on hold until the morning. There was a contingent of visiting government officials visiting the region and with the increased security they had decided the dealers and the cartel in general would be lying low tonight. Tim wondered if Ted or Jack had been contacted for information and he sent a quick e-mail to Pete. He was immediately pinged with an IM to go ahead and call them, see what information they might have. Pete's second IM said if this thing was bigger than Roger thought, they might need the CIA agents for extra manpower again. Tim agreed and immediately called Ted Edwards. Ted answered on the second ring, "Hey Tim."

"Hey Ted. Wanted to give you two a heads up, there's a case brewing in Marseilles that could involve us. It might grow big enough to need you two and if you have any intel that would be great."

"Is that the drug cartel that took out the Naval officer? "

"Yeah. Marseilles has the green light to take the cartel down and they're working to define their territory. How did you hear?"

"Briefing this evening, our posts in France were notified and we're automatically notified when it's an NCIS case." He paused, "I was going to call you or Pete but we don't like to stick our noses in unless you need us."

"Pretty sure if this thing gets any bigger and/or spills over into our jurisdiction, we'll need you."

"All right, we're officially on alert. Jack's working his contacts now to see what intel he can get and I'll get back on the phone with mine. We'll call you with whatever we get – how late will you be up?"

"Don't worry about waking me up Ted, I'm a fed, you know all the sleep I've been getting recently can't be healthy!"

Ted laughed at that, "That's a good one! Hey, I heard official congratulations are in order, although I'm sorry to see Carla leave."

"Yeah, us too and thanks!"

"You find a place to live yet?"

"No, started looking yesterday but nothing that grabbed me."

"Yeah, sometimes it takes awhile. Ok, one of us will call as soon as we know anything and if you need us tonight, let us know."

"Thanks and will do!"

Tim hung up feeling better about their available manpower for this operation and then chuckled at the difference in his attitude. A little over a week ago he hadn't even wanted to meet the CIA duo, now he was relieved they would be on board with them. Realizing that once they got moving on this they wouldn't be able to stop to let people know they were away, he sent a quick e-mail through the NCIS secured server to Jimmy and Ducky letting them know there was a case brewing and not to worry – or let Gibbs worry – if he went silent for a few days. Once again he'd forgotten the time difference and was surprised when he got a ping back from Jimmy. He said they had 'guests' coming in shortly and that he'd let Gibbs know when he saw him on Friday, and then told him to stay safe and wished him good luck.

Matt had dinner ready, so Tim headed into the kitchen. He hadn't noticed before, but someone, likely Kim or Tea, had left the large insulated zipper bag on the counter. He figured it was for their use if they got called out on a road trip. He chuckled to himself and nodded. "Hey Matt, how many away missions have you been on since you've been here?"

Matt laughed, "That's good. Pete's a Star Trek fan too. You haven't heard him say "Make it so" yet, have you?"

"No, I'd remember that!"

"Ok, let's see, Athens doesn't count, right?"

Tim nodded.

"Then Croatia, the Tuttle case in Thessaloniki, the McIntyre case on Crete, our case last week, that's four."

"Four away missions in four and a half months, wow!"

"It was really just the one outside of the country, although we flew to Crete."

"That's impressive, Pete wasn't kidding when he mentioned the good luck fairy, was he?"

Matt chuckled, "No, don't think so!"

"I think we'll add one more notch this week. My gut tells me we'll be moving out tomorrow." He paused, "How big were the other cases?"

"I was an observer for Croatia, happened my second week here – the junior was already gone. We had the assignment and Marseille sent their junior to work with Pete and Carla. It was really only unusual for the location. The Tuttle case was the following week and it was a little more exciting probably because I'd had another week of training so knew a little more about what was going on. Plus Carla was sick the whole time."

"Oh? Oh! She didn't know she was pregnant during Croatia?"

"Right."

"Yikes, glad that went smoothly."

"Yeah, that's what we said when we found out. The McIntyre case was a few weeks later and it was interesting. First of all it was on Crete – awesome and secondly it was Pete, me and then he called Jack Hughes in for help once we got there. Carla wasn't on desk duty yet but Pete didn't want her to be away from her own doctors. The suspect was in jail already so we were going for an interview and make nice with the PD so the eventual extradition would go well. But when we got there, we found the bust hadn't been handled properly and they'd had to let the guy go and of course he vanished! We got the LEOs to put a hold on all boats leaving the harbors but not every boat is anchored in a commercial berth. Luckily the guy gets seasick, like you, but he didn't know about the stuff you use and he didn't really know how to sail. We actually rescued him at sea just as the 30 ft sailboat he'd stolen was capsizing. He was so thankful he confessed to everything!"

"And then you got to stay the weekend."

"Huh, that's funny. No, my first embassy party was that weekend and while Pete said I could stay, I didn't think I should miss the party. I can go back to Crete anytime."

"And you made a good impression on your new boss."

Matt grinned, "Well, yeah, there was that too."

They finished their dinner; Tim put the dishes in the dishwasher and decided to run it. If he was home, he'd run it again on Sunday or Monday morning. He brought his laptop out to the kitchen and they watched an episode of a show both of them liked. After it was over, Tim decided to head up to bed, not knowing how much sleep they'd be getting tonight. As he put his foot on the first stair, his phone rang. It was Jack with the intel he and Ted had gathered; the information provided a new possible link that Marseilles hadn't disclosed, if they were even aware of it. After Jack hung up Tim decided to call Marseilles with it, figuring someone would still be there. The SAIC, Roger Martinez, answered and when Tim gave him the information, told him that was the link they'd been looking for. They would verify it and do more background but he thought they'd be ready to roll on this by 0700. After that call, Tim texted Pete and Jack with the expected call out time. He got acknowledgements from both men, along with an "attaboy" from Pete. Tim still felt funny about getting kudos from Pete, he wasn't used to it and really he was just doing his job. He just hoped his boss wasn't giving them because he knew of his prior situation. Then he gave himself a headslap for doubting Pete. He needed to be more accepting and to be truthful he did need to hear kudos now and then, how else was he to judge his performance?

Matt had gone back out to the car to get his go bag; after his diligence earlier he'd forgotten it when they came back from class. When he returned, Tim updated with the new information and the two decided that making it an early night really would be a smart thing to do. Tim still hadn't decided whether to let Rob and Sarah know, he knew they'd worry but they'd worry more if he wasn't around for their call on Saturday. Finally he bit the bullet and typed up a message on his tablet, letting them know something was on the verge of happening and not to worry if he couldn't make the call. He reminded them that Jimmy or Ducky would be able to find out what was going on and that if they couldn't reach them to call Kim, she'd volunteered her number when she heard about ' his kids'. He also let them know that he had additional resources to draw on here so it wouldn't just be his immediate team. He left the message in draft form, he'd send it out right as they deployed tomorrow. That would save them from worrying all day today and they'd sleep tonight..., well their night.

He was afraid he wouldn't sleep but the martial arts practice, the before warm ups and the after cool downs had given him sufficient exercise to let him sleep. He slept straight through til 0500 and then hopped up, made enough noise to wake Matt and put his running gear on. Downstairs he grabbed a banana and did some stretches, feeling like he was getting back into fighting shape after his little vacation from his fitness routine. Matt joined him in a couple of minutes and followed his own routine. Once they had warmed up, they took off for their run. It was early but there were a few other runners out and about.

Afterward, Tim took his shower and padded back downstairs to make a hearty breakfast for the two of them. By the time he was scrambling the eggs, Matt had joined him and they ate quietly. Tim made sure he answered any of Matt's questions about the operation as best he could and asked him a few more about the cases he'd been on. Not knowing whether they'd be operating around here or somewhere else in their jurisdiction or even flying to France, all they could do was conjecture. Tim figured if it was big enough, London and Rota would be in on it too. Breakfast finished, they washed their dishes and headed back upstairs to dress and make sure they had everything they needed in their go bags. Tim decided they should wear jeans and tee shirts today; knowing if they were going after drug dealers they'd need to blend in as much as possible. Matt asked about boots and Tim thought about it before he answered. "Probably not, I'm thinking neighborhoods in cities if we're going after the dealers. Don't take any expensive shoes though – don't want to stand out or ruin them." Matt nodded, he'd already found that out the hard way. They brought their go bags downstairs with them, leaving them behind their desks.

Pete arrived at 0630 with his go bag; he was dressed in jeans and a dark sweatshirt. Tim was not surprised when Kim came in five minutes later. He smiled when Ted and Jack walked in at 0645 with their bags. At 0655, the phone rang. It was Roger and they were on. There were two assignments, the team would be split. Two of them plus one CIA agent would fly to Bucharest, Romania where they'd be joined by an additional agent from the Central Intelligence Agency and the others would fly to Brindisi Italy. Once they reached their target cities, they'd position themselves and wait for the word. The dealers would be taken down simultaneously in the cities and countries they worked in.

All the European offices were involved and the sixteen team members had been split into two; altogether there were 8 teams which would be bolstered by the addition of one CIA agent per team. Athens was the only office with just two fully qualified agents and a probationary, so they would keep both their CIA agents and be joined in the operation by a third agent. Roger mandated that each team have someone who spoke the language.

As Tim spoke Italian and was a SFA, he was made Team Leader of the Brindisi operation. Neither Pete nor Matt spoke Romanian, but Ted did, so Ted would go to Bucharest with Pete and Matt. Jack would go with Tim to Brindisi where they would be joined by Laurel Miller from the London office. As the Marseille office had a double responsibility – taking down the local dealer/murderer of the Navy Lieutenant and the heads of the cartel, they had been split into two teams and would have additional CIA agents. The other target cities were scattered throughout Europe: Toulouse France, along with Marseille, Hamburg, Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic and Gdansk in Poland. Roger said that contact had been made with each country's government and they were clear for the operation. The local police would be on hand to take the dealers to lockup. Pete remarked after the call that the countries involved were probably just as happy that someone else was coming in to help clean up their streets. They were to learn later that at least six other Navy and Marine personnel had been attacked by the same cartel.

Pete was uneasy about not having his whole team with him, this would have been his first case with Tim, but he also saw a chance for his SFA to really shine in the operation. He was also curious to see the progress Matt had made over the last few weeks. The bonus of course was hearing that Laurel Miller was assigned to Tim's team, that would give Tim a chance to evaluate her, see if he thought she'd fit the team. He was relieved that Jack was going with Tim and that they had had the chance to work together last week.

Tim was focusing on the assignment and trying not to think about being split from the rest of his team. He'd wanted a chance to prove his worth, this was it. He just thought he'd be proving it to Pete, not the entire NCIS European population. He was looking forward to meeting and working with Laurel Miller and he was very happy that Jack would be with him on his team.

Kim was on the conference call with her agents; however once she'd heard their assignments she dropped off and got busy making plane reservations. By the time they got off the phone, she had flights lined up for them. The flight to Brindisi was scheduled to leave at 1200 and the flight to Bucharest at 1230, so they would ride to the airport in two cars. All of them carried their permits for their weapons and Tim had both his knives on him. The airport was crowded on a Friday morning but Kim had called ahead to the security office so they were discreetly led to a private area where they were searched and their permits examined. Tim had removed his backup weapon from his ankle holster and knives from his belt buckle and shoe before they left the car; while being searched he showed the security officer where they were normally kept. He was proud to see that Matt now also had a backup weapon and amused to see Pete, Ted and Jack removing their backups and Ted a knife from a holster on his calf. Tim hadn't thought Pete noticed his weapons but he got a pat on the back as they walked out to their gates.

They grabbed lunch together and then split for their gates. Tim put his best reassuring and confident face on when he saw Matt looking back at him. Jack patted him on the back. "They'll be fine, Pete will take care of Matt and Ted will take care of Pete."

Tim grinned, "Two weeks ago I couldn't even imagine this, but I'm damn glad you're with me!"

"That's good to hear, partner! You know I have my marching orders too."

"From Pete you mean?"

"Well yeah, Pete gave me the fish eye, but I meant my boss, he wants to recruit you, doesn't understand why you've turned down every offer the CIA has made you in favor of staying at NCIS, especially after…oops."

Tim gave him a look and Jack chuckled, "Ok, so that was semi-deliberate. Yeah, we got nosy but we didn't have to look far. You've had a very challenging life, Tim; I'm sure everything has left scars but you've also developed skills and accomplished more than most people would even think about. And I know your team at NCIS HQ has dealt with a fair number of us, but now you know we're not all psycho whack jobs."

Tim shrugged, "I'm good where I am, man. And yeah, you're right about my life; to tell you the truth, I was too busy trying to keep us alive – literally – to think about developing my weapons expertise or observation skills, although I still have trouble with that one. Anyway, feel free to tell your boss you tried!"

They boarded the plane and soon were in the air for their short flight to the southern coast of Italy, the heel of the boot that formed the country. Once they landed, Tim called Kim and was told Laurel's flight would be arriving in an hour. He was surprised until she told him the London contingent had flown to Marseille the night before. The two men spent the hour looking at maps of the city. They'd been given the coordinates of the drug dealer's territory so now they tried to work out the best way of tracking and busting him. They'd been sent photos and the guy's id but they'd still need to zero in on what street he was working.

They heard Laurel's flight arrival announced and they strolled over to the gate. She was in the middle of the pack of departing passengers and Tim wondered at that. Was she trying to be inconspicuous or had she not thought about the urgency of this operation? It probably wasn't a critical point as other teams had farther to travel, but it was one of those questions he couldn't help kicking at in his head. Anyone trained by Gibbs would be expected to be inconspicuous _and _first off the plane! Every minute counted, if the others were ready and they weren't that would be bad, he did not want his team to be any kind of stumbling block on this operation. Tim shook it off, he needed to focus on this and just get it done, stop evaluating the agent before he'd even met her.

However, he was still not impressed when she stood in the waiting area looking around. He and Jack were standing against a trash can, as pre-arranged and she had not yet looked over to them, even though she would have been shown photos of Tim.

He finally huffed and walked over to her. "Excuse me Miss, I believe you dropped this?" She blinked at him in confusion and finally seemed to realize who he was. She didn't however, reach out to take the brochure Tim had in his hand as a cover. He pushed it at her. "I do think you dropped this." She finally seemed to get it and took it and then followed Tim. Jack sauntered after them once he'd made sure nobody had paid any attention to Miller's odd actions.

Once they got into their rental car, she spoke. "I'm sorry, the flight was so turbulent I had to take a Dramamine and that has made me rather spacey. "

She reached her hand to Tim, "I'm obviously Laurel Miller and you're James Powell's friend Tim. And you are?" She turned to Jack. "Jack Hughes."

Tim knew he had to get his position stated right away. "Special Agent Miller, I am Special Agent Timothy McGee. As Senior Field Agent, I'm Lead on this op." She tried not to blanch as she realized she'd made another faux pas. "Yes of course."

"How long ago did you take the Dramamine?"

"An hour."

Tim sighed, that meant she would be impaired for the next 5 hours. He didn't have the luxury of time to take her aside and quietly explain her error in taking a Dramamine on the way to a covert operation.

"Agent Miller, have you taken Dramamine before?"

"Yes, I frequently have to on flights."

"And does it always affect you this way?"

"Yes."

"Did it not occur to you that by taking it you were jeopardizing our mission?"

"How so?"

"How long does the effect of the Dramamine last?"

"Well, it can only be taken…"

Tim cut her off, "How long?"

"About 6 hours."

"And do you suppose we'll get the signal to take our guy down within the next 5 hours?"

"I hope so. Oh, I see, I've made myself useless to you, haven't i?"

"Yes, you should have asked the flight attendant for a ginger ale or something."

"I do apologize, I didn't think."

Tim shook his head. "You'll stay with the car; I'm not risking any of us or the mission." He was furious but shook it off as he needed to rethink their strategy. For a brief second he thought of calling Pete and telling him to take her name off the list and the thought of doing that in the middle of this nearly made him laugh out loud. It was logistics he needed to worry about more than anything. Jack had the map out and they drove to a park outside but close to the dealer's territory and got out to stretch their legs. Miller stayed in the car and they figured she'd be asleep by the time they returned. Tim frowned.

"Can't leave her in the car, she's a sitting duck, at the least could attract attention. Let's find a hotel, get her into it and settled before we check in with Kim. "

To prevent the confusion of 8 teams checking in to one place, each team was contacting their own office manager as they reached their destination. That person would then contact the Marseille office. Once they had a go, however, the teams were to contact Marseille directly with their sitreps.

Jack agreed and they looked through the guidebook they'd purchased while waiting for Agent Miller. There was a Novatel two blocks from them and Jack said he'd stayed there before, the security was decent. They returned to the car and Jack woke the agent while Tim drove to the hotel. Jack stayed with the car while Tim took Laurel in and got them registered, telling the front desk clerk the truth about the Dramamine. The clerk nodded sympathetically and gave them a quiet room. Tim got the agent into the elevator where she slumped into his arms. He thought of one of Tony's favorite movies, "Weekend at Bernie's" as he tried to keep the woman upright and awake long enough to get her to the room. She roused with the ding of the elevator as it reached the floor they needed and was able to stumble along the corridor to the room. He got her into the room and let her flop onto the bed. He put her go bag down and took her shoes off. Taking one of the card keys, he pulled the door shut behind him. Hurrying back to the car, he was happy to see Jack in the driver's seat, now he could call Kim.

Her voice was controlled when he called and he realized she'd probably been worried. "Sorry, we have a bit of a situation here, our London agent took a Dramamine on the flight over; she's sleeping it off in a hotel room. Jack and I will handle this."

Kim decided she could freak out later. "Ok, Tim, I'll let them know you're on the ground and ready to roll. The teams have not yet landed at Gdansk or Hamburg, so it might be another hour."

"Ok, Kim thanks."

They drove to the park again however this time they parked on the other side of it and took their bottles of water, granola bars and fruit to a picnic table. Tim spread the map out, "All right…in all the drug busts I've been on, the dealer worked his way out from the center of his territory. That should put him right…here." He pointed to an intersection of two main roads. There was a college campus across one street and small stores and cafes on the other side. Jack nodded, "Yeah, I was thinking that too. And college campuses are a prime target for dealers. They'd be chased off the premises by security so they'd have to be nearby." They circled the streets they wanted to canvass and moved the car closer. Splitting up, they went to opposite ends of the street and entered cafés that had good views of the campus and the street fronting it. Tim spotted their dirtbag and texted Jack. Jack moved up the street and joined Tim. They waited, Tim nursing an Italian ice while Jack had an espresso. Finally Tim's phone chirped with a one word text: "Go!"


	20. Chapter 20

Finding Home

Chapter Twenty

In a quiet house in Virginia, a man abruptly stopped what he was doing and stood still in the middle of his living room. He had been preparing for service techs to invade his home, now he stood listening to his gut as it roiled. Something was happening with one of his kids and there was nothing he could do about it. His hands were fisted so tightly his short nails left marks on his palms; he turned toward the phone, only to stop again in defeat. There really was nothing he could do, except say a prayer and listen to his gut, hope he'd know when the danger had passed or been dealt with.

XXX

Tim left the cafe first and went right, crossing the street at the upper end and coming at the dealer from the north. Jack wandered out and turned left, crossing at the lower end of the street and coming at the guy from the south. Rather than approach him directly, they ignored him as they spotted each other. "Hey man, what are you doing here? I thought you were going home today?"

"Hey kiddo, that was fun last night, huh? Too bad, Christina got sick, too much grappa. We'll head out tomorrow." They met in front of the dealer who was clearly listening.

"Wow, I didn't realize she drank that much."

As Tim finished his sentence, he turned to the dealer as if he was going to include him in the conversation but instead said, "Carlo Monteleone, you're under arrest."

As surprised as the man was, he still managed to throw a move at him but Tim blocked it and they struggled until he miscalculated and took a blow to the stomach with what felt like an iron bar and while he was winded, was pinned down by the dirtbag. Before Jack could come to his rescue, he used his new move and the guy went down, heavily. Jack slapped the cuffs on him and kept a foot on the dirtbag while he helped Tim up. Tim flashed his badge to frightened passersby. They called the city police and a car arrived within 2 minutes. The officer had been briefed and thanked the two American agents for helping them rid the city of this slime. He and a backup searched the dealer and found plenty of evidence. They put the miscreant in the back of the squad car and took off.

Tim called in, "Special Agent McGee from Brindisi. We've arrested our target; he's on his way to local lockup."

"That's great, Agent McGee. Who's on your team?"

"Agent Jack Hughes."

"Isn't one of Joel's agents with you? "

"She became ill and is resting in a hotel room."

"So she was not on the actual takedown?"

"No, she was too ill to work and I didn't want to leave her in the car, so got her a room. We'll stay until she's well enough to travel, make sure she gets safely on the plane." He hoped his written report would be soon enough to break the news of the agent's mistake.

"Thank you Special Agent McGee – and thanks to our friend Agent Hughes." Jack just smiled. Tim heard other voices now and realized they were on a conference call as one by one the teams reported in. When he heard Pete's voice, he relaxed. By now they'd retrieved their car and moved back to the park. Sitting at the picnic table with no one but the two of them around, Tim put the phone on speaker so Jack could hear the other teams reporting in. Tim heard Joel's voice reporting from Hamburg and Stan's from Prague. Finally just one team remained to check in, the team responsible for taking down the heads of the cartel. There was silence for a full five minutes and then Roger spoke, "We have them, all three of them. I repeat, we have all three in custody."

There were cheers and then Tim's eyes widened as he heard a very familiar voice. "That's excellent work, all of you. You've not only cut the head off a criminal organization, you've destroyed the organization itself. Congratulations! And thanks to our friends for your help, it's been invaluable. "

Tim tensed as the Director paused, willing him not to single him out. "Special Agent McGee, I imagine the London SAIC will be very interested in your report."

"Yes sir."

"Good work, all of you. You can't see us, but there are several of us in MTAC quietly cheering your accomplishments today. Now…get yourselves home safely and relax over the weekend. Who's on call?"

Pete answered, "Athens, Director."

"Perhaps that can be changed since your Senior Field Agent is stuck in Italy watching over a sick taskforce member. Joel, how about it?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth, sir, I'm texting the office right now. Julian, Lydia, let me know when you're home."

"All right, Athens, you're off the hook, well when you get home you're off the hook!" Pete responded, "Thanks, my wife will be happy to hear that."

Tim smiled and then realized he needed to say something too. "And my real estate agent, thank you sir, Joel."

"That embassy party isn't this weekend is it?"

Pete chuckled, "No sir, not for another couple of weeks." Tim didn't know exactly why he was embarrassed that the Director knew about their next embassy party, but he was and he hoped that the man would not ask him if his tux was ready. Fortunately, one of the other callers had a question and that deflected the man's attention.

Finally the call was ended and he relaxed. He looked at Jack, "So, what do you want to do? I've never been here before. "

Jack laughed, "How about we check on Miller and then do some sightseeing?"

Tim shook his head, "Sure not what I expected to do today!" Then he smirked and raised five fingers to Jack, counting down. He'd just said "One" when his phone rang and they laughed, knowing without looking it was Pete.

"Hey Pete, how are you guys? What's Bucharest like?"

"We're fine, glad it's over; it's an old city, we're on the way back to the airport now. Now tell me about you. How are you and what really happened with Miller?"

"Jack and I are fine, just trying to figure out what to do with the rest of our day until Miller is well enough to travel."

"Really fine or playing tough guy fine."

Tim huffed, "Ok, I promise I will always tell you if I am not fine. But we are, really. A little discombulated now that the adrenalin's gone and we'd rather go home."

"Tim."

"Shouldn't I be telling Joel this first?"

"Oh he'll be calling, but they had to go check in with the Police Chief so I've got a few minutes and I want to know what happened with _my _Senior Field Agent."

"Yes sir." Tim told him the whole story, talking over the angry huffs from his boss.

"You did great handling that situation Tim and then the operation, I'm proud of you and I know the Director is too, he'll be even prouder, once he gets through being angry, when he hears the whole story."

"Thanks Pete. It was just common sense, really."

"Maybe for you but as you can see, not every agent is blessed with that."

Tim's phone beeped and Pete heard it.

"Got another call?"

"Yeah, it's Joel."

"Good, you tell him the same thing – all of it, Tim."

"Yes sir."

"And get home, tell him to send someone else to babysit Miller, I want you home and I'm sure the CIA doesn't need Jack hanging around Italy. Never mind, I'll tell Joel to send someone else, that's not something you want to do right now."

"Ok Pete, talk to you later, I'll keep you or Kim updated."

He clicked over to Joel. "Tim, you and your new friend are ok?" Tim laughed, "Just got through convincing Pete of that, Joel, yeah, he and I are fine, your junior agent, not so much. "

He proceeded to tell the story once again, this time having to stop and answer Joel's questions. He'd never seen or heard Joel angry but he heard the difference in his tone. He was surprised, however, when he was told that Joel's Senior Field Agent was on her way to Brindisi, in fact her flight was due to land in less than 15 minutes and Tim should expect a call from her once she was on the ground. Tim and Jack were sincerely thanked for taking care of Joel's errant agent and released from their babysitting duties. By the time Tim was off the phone, Jack had their flight home halfway booked. They had an hour before they needed to be at the airport, so they wandered along the waterfront, Tim buying postcards as he didn't think he'd come back here. The rest of Italy, sure, but right now he had no desire to visit this place again. They were on their way back when Tim's phone rang. It was the London SFA, Lydia, on her way in from the airport. They agreed to meet her in the lobby to hand over the card key.

The two men took their time getting back to the hotel, stopping to put the bag with Tim's postcards and a refrigerator magnet for Sarah in the car. They reached the lobby and Tim paced, not wanting to sit down. His gut was beginning to hurt and he knew if he looked he'd find a bruise. He was angry with himself for his miscalculation and Jack, seeing the look, figured it out. "Hey that could have happened to anyone, he knew his moves. He's a dirtbag, he's practiced at getting out of things."

"And I'm…who I am, I should be too."

"Man, you did great! You recovered and took him down."

He saw the eye roll and he chuckled, "What, did you forget you're human?"

Tim smiled at that, yeah, he was human and he made mistakes. He just hoped they'd always be as easy to recover from as this one had been.

"You starting to hurt?"

"Yeah, some."

"Put some ice on it when you get home."

Tim nodded, "Good idea."

"Word of advice?" Tim looked up. "Tell Pete about it. He'll be pissed if you don't. I know from my own experience with the man and I've seen him chew Carla out for not telling him about an injury."

Tim started to take a deep breath and winced. "Hey, you don't have a cracked rib, do you?"

Tim shook his head, "Don't think so, I'm just sore. I've just started a new martial arts class and our second session was last night. I think part of the soreness might be from that too."

Jack twisted his lips. "Ok, when we get back, you're going to let me look and maybe we go get an X-ray."

Tim opened his mouth to refuse and then remembered being hurt and no one doing anything to help him. He nodded and grinned. "Yeah, ok, if it'll make you feel better."

Jack opened his mouth to reply when a woman walked into the hotel. Tim realized he'd seen her in the office in London although they'd never been introduced. He wondered at that as he walked forward. "Tim McGee, thanks for coming down here to relieve us."

She pursed her lips and looked at him. "It wasn't my idea, believe me. What room?"

"Room 209, here's the key card." Tim started to hand it to her but she snatched it out of his hand. Tim raised an eyebrow but turned toward the front door, Jack right behind him.

The other agent commanded, "Wait. Who paid for the room?"

"I did. Agent Miller was asleep on her feet."

"Did they run it yet?"

"Probably not. There was no way I could know how long she'd need the room."

" I want to transfer it to my card so we won't have to pay you back."

Tim stood in the lobby and looked at her and her snotty attitude and decided to give it right back to her.

"That's fine since it's my personal credit card paying for _your_ agent, the one misguided enough to take a pharmaceutical before an operation. The one my partner and I had to take time from the entire mission schedule to get out of harm's way. So yeah, I'll be just as glad to have this hotel bill off my personal credit."

He stood straight, his eyes expressionless, face blank. Jack backed off thinking that now he knew what a pissed off Timothy McGee looked like. Without another word, Tim turned to the front desk and explained the situation in fluent Italian. The front desk clerk, who spoke perfect English, got that he was annoyed with the woman and it seemed like the snotty one didn't speak Italian. She liked this man, he'd obviously taken the time to help a sick co-worker; she answered him in Italian and took both cards. She quickly processed the return on his card, giving him a receipt and then stopped to watch him walk out with the older man. Nice ass, Mr. McGee, especially in those jeans. The bitchy woman cleared her throat and the clerk decided to have some more fun. She stopped to get herself a bottle of water and slowly taking the top off, took several sips, swallowing each one before asking the woman in Italian if she wanted anything. Then she returned to the card and took her sweet time with it.

Jack cleared his throat as they reached the car. "You know the clerk heard everything? From the look on her face, that agent might be at the front desk for awhile."

Tim shook his head, "What a piece of work. You ever seen her before?"

"No, but I've only worked with your office and Rota."

Tim nodded, "I think I'll ask Carla about her."

"You going to tell Pete?"

"Nah."

"You were in the London office before Athens, right?"

"Yep, for a month, working on an IT project."

"Huh, and you never met her?"

"No and I realized when she walked in that I'd seen her in the office, walked by her a few times, in fact I think she used to ride the same train from the office."

"Odd."

Tim snorted. "Ya think? Carla will tell me her story."

The drive to the airport seemed to take longer than the drive in but the traffic was moving swiftly. They turned in the rental, went through security with their weapons and permits and soon were in the air, on their way home.

By the time they landed, Tim was in a considerable amount of pain. Without saying a word, Jack took his gear, the car keys and drove them to Tzaneio General Hospital. While Tim waited to be seen, Jack persuaded him to call Pete. His cell went directly to voice mail so Tim left a message saying he had a bruise that had gotten more painful and told him where they were. That took enough out of him that he didn't want to make another call so Jack took his phone and called Kim, knowing she would be waiting to hear from both teams. He told her what was going on and Tim was trying to say a breathy hello when the nurse came for Tim. By that time, walking was more trouble than he wanted so he rode in a wheelchair to the exam area. When his shirt was removed, he was surprised to see that almost his entire abdomen and the lower portion of his chest were bruised. The nurse told him it looked like one big bruise. He was asked questions and he answered as best he could without divulging their operation. The nurse told him the doctor would be in as soon as he could but they were having a busy night. Tim lay back and tried to relax.

He was just drifting off to sleep when something poked him and he cried out in pain. A new voice apologized, "I am sorry, Mr. McGee, I just barely touched you." The voice turned away from him and Tim heard it ordering an immediate CT scan. Tim asked them to get his friend Jack from the waiting room and someone left, Tim heard footsteps. He sighed with relief when the curtain was pushed aside and a familiar voice spoke to him, "Tim, they're taking you for a CT scan. I'll be here." Tim nodded. It was Pete.

XXX

In the house in Virginia, the man's gut had relaxed over the last couple of hours and he'd let his shoulders stand down. It was midday when he felt another flare and knew someone was hurt. Now he'd have to wait again, either for the fire in his gut to subside again or…he pushed that thought away. Surely someone would tell him if it was bad.

* * *

><p>"Mistakes are a fact of life<br>It is the response to error that counts." Nikki Giovanni (b. 1943), U.S. poet.


	21. Chapter 21

I'm running behind answering reviews (again!) and hope you all would rather have new chapters, right?

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Twenty-One<p>

In DC, Vance turned from the screen as the call ended and faced a large part of his senior staff, one and all with big grins on their faces. "McGee?"

"Yes sir, he sounds great and he's a SFA - finally!"

"Ah yes, that's in the weekly update that I haven't...huh…updated yet!"

"Just this week and he handled his part of the operation today by himself?"

"Not quite by himself. He was lead and he had a CIA agent with him as backup."

"Leon!''

"We're stretched thin in Europe and they're a great help over there." He laughed at the expressions on the faces in front of him.

"Yes, I am well aware of our experiences here and believe me, Agent McGee voiced his own concerns. However, since Athens is still short an agent he called in the CIA cavalry last week for an out of town case. He had three suspects, a victim in the hospital who needed security 24/7 and only his probationary agent who hadn't yet done any guard duty, with him. The two resident spooks joined them and they followed his lead, just as they did today." Vance chuckled, "Changed Tim's mind, I'll tell you that!"

Ducky had slipped in late to the early morning staff meeting. "He just texted me that he's going to ask Pete to adopt Jack – that's the CIA agent who partnered with him on this operation."

Vance nodded proudly. "Good, I'm glad to hear he's seen the light. Now, I know we're all proud of him, but I still have concerns about his security. Direct order to all of you here: do not divulge that Special Agent McGee was involved in this nor should you tell anyone in any fashion where he's posted. Questions? No? Good, let's get back to our own work!"

He smiled at Ducky as they walked and patted him on the shoulder as he turned left outside of MTAC and Ducky turned right. Then the doctor stopped, turned and moved toward the Director. Vance sensed his movement and turned, "Question, Doctor?"

"Will this remain a classified operation, Director? I want to brag a bit about our boy."

"If it's to Gibbs, that's fine, he's still got his security clearance and Dr. Palmer is fine too, even DiNozzo I suppose. But if anyone is in touch with Ms. Sciuto they may not know McGee's whereabouts. And outside of NCIS, no, we don't want to give the defense attorneys any fodder."

Ducky nodded, "Thank you, Gibbs and Jimmy were just who I was considering."

"Have you spoken to DiNozzo?"

"Sadly no. He has been in contact with Jethro however and I take that as a positive sign."

"And Ms. Sciuto?"

"Yes but I'm afraid we've had a disagreement – she is still blaming Timothy for everything; she refuses to budge from her stance."

"Is she still in Louisiana?"

"Yes."

"Good. As long as she's there, doesn't know where McGee is and doesn't track McGee electronically, I'm not worried." Ducky nodded, shocked by the idea of the Director being worried about Abigail, and the two continued to their respective offices. On automatic pilot, Ducky filled his electric kettle and turned it on for a cup of tea. He'd never considered the idea of Abby being dangerous to Tim but now the idea had been planted. If she continued her diatribes against Timothy, he'd have to do something, tell someone. Even though Tim was thousands of miles away, she could find him electronically. He suddenly understood why no one had known until today where Tim was posted, why he was no longer listed on the NCIS employee list and why Vance had given the direct order. Was Abigail so deeply in denial that she'd become this…unhinged? He must have said it aloud because Jimmy gave him an answer, "Doctor Mallard, where Tim and Gibbs are concerned, Abby has always been unhinged. Alternating between loving and hating Tim and worshipping Gibbs no matter what he did, what he said."

Ducky looked up at his fellow Medical Examiner, startled. "You're describing someone with a personality disorder."

Jimmy nodded. "Did her work well though."

"Jimmy, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because until Tim left, until he told us everything before he left, you were part of the "protect Abby at all costs" group. Either Tim or I saying any of it before this would have ruined our relationships with you and Gibbs would have denied everything anyway, he would have found a way to save her job. And…Tim didn't want me to."

"He didn't trust me?"

"Let's just say he wasn't willing to put that trust to a test and he didn't want me stuck in the middle, nor did he want me to lose your affection."

"Jimmy, I…I don't know what to say. I've been so angry with Jethro and now I find I'm to blame as well. He couldn't trust me, you couldn't trust me. My dear boy."

Ducky felt the weight of the world descending onto his shoulders and then the strong arms of Dr. Jimmy Palmer wrapped around him. "I'm still here, you're still here, Tim's safe and happy, Gibbs is working toward understanding, please, don't do this to yourself. I should never have said anything."

"NO, Jimmy, that would be a thousand times worse. Oh my poor boys!" Jimmy gently helped Ducky over to the couch and then made two cups of tea. They sat in an awkward silence, drinking their tea.

Upstairs, Vance thought about what he'd said to his elderly Medical Examiner and realized he'd probably shocked the man. He headed to autopsy to explain to the doctor and was saddened but not surprised to find him huddled on the couch, Dr. Palmer beside him. The door was open so he poked his head in. "Doctors, may I join you?" Jimmy nodded and he slipped in. "Dr. Mallard, I apologize for being so…cold about Ms. Sciuto. I think the person you see is far different from the one I see."

"Director, I didn't think you were cold, but it did hit me like a pitcher of ice water. I've believed Abigail Sciuto to be misguided, not outright dangerous but Jimmy has told me I've been as blind as Jethro was."

Ducky looked up at the Director, "Has Timothy really had no one to turn to?" He half turned toward Jimmy, "No one in authority who could help him?"

Vance answered, "Until I came here, he had the other Team Leaders although it was from a distance. Before he left, he told me that years ago, during Shepard's tenure, he'd come in and find little notes on his desk that he'd done a good job with such and such or a cup of coffee or treat, or he'd be invited to join in another team's drinks after work or weekend barbecue. It was very subtle and kept very quiet; Carter, O'Brien and the others knew Tim would be the one who'd take the brunt of Gibbs' anger and DiNozzo's bullying if either one found out. When I got here and moved him to Cybercrimes, I saw how much he hated it, felt like he was being punished but the truth was he was doing a great job down there. When I was persuaded to move him back onto Gibbs' team, I promised myself I'd protect him – and get him out of there. And I tried, several times, but he was never ready. He's pretty stubborn as I'm sure you know and in the end it needed to be his decision. In the meantime, he had me and the other Team Leaders in his corner. But until he was ready to go, he would never speak of either his misery on Gibbs' team or his mistreatment by Ms. Sciuto."

"He didn't want to displease Jethro any further." Ducky looked up to see two sad faces, "Or me…oh dear."

Jimmy spoke up now, "There was a big difference in how he saw Gibbs and how he saw you, Dr. Mallard. From Gibbs he felt disrespect, anger and dislike; he never understood why Gibbs had selected him for his team when he so obviously disliked him and he never knew why, still doesn't. From you, he felt affection and understanding, as long as he never spoke of his problems with Abby."

"So I offered him conditional love and because it had been so many years since he'd experienced any kind of parental or familial love besides his siblings - that was enough for him?" Jimmy looked at the Director, not sure how to say what he needed to but he opened his mouth anyway. "Ducky, Tim loves you and he is confident in your love. You've been there for him more than anyone else in his life, ever. He told me once that he raised two kids and understood how difficult it was to avoid having favorites and he never faulted you for that, you may have given Abby more attention, but you never rejected him."

Vance shook his head, "That's not true, Dr. Palmer, not if we are being brutally honest here. There were two occasions when Tim was not given the support he needed from you, Doctor. When that damn dog mauled him and when he was ordered to step into that hazmat hot tub. None of you, including you Dr. Palmer, gave him the slightest bit of support." Vance continued, "I asked him about that and he said you were both human, that you'd made mistakes, just as he had. You made a couple of mistakes with him, however and this is a big however, he knew you cared about him. He already knew that, so he also was able to accept that you'd made a mistake, the both of you and he never held it against you."

Jimmy raised his head, "I…don't understand."

"Simply put, Dr. Palmer, your friendship with him and everything you've ever done for him far outweighed your mistake. Dr. Mallard, same with you. You can forgive a hurt or slight if you know the person loves you, if they've been supportive in the past. You just chalk it up to being human; we all are, you know."

Ducky sat up straighter, putting his hand on Jimmy's back, "We shall work on forgiving ourselves then; who are we to question Timothy's heart? I am still concerned about Abigail, Director do you think she is a threat to him?"

"I think she needs help, Dr. Mallard, professional help and my hands have been tied as far as suggesting it to her." He paused, "I do think she's capable of doing something irrational to injure Tim. But as her former employer, there is nothing I can do except to keep tabs on her and keep Tim's whereabouts as quiet as possible. I'm afraid today didn't help that much. If either of you hear or see anything from her that is in the slightest bit threatening toward him or anyone at NCIS, let me know immediately; he's a federal agent, any threats will bring the FBI down on her head."

Both doctors agreed and the Director left for his next appearance on the Hill. They looked at each other. Ducky said, "I think I'll plan to be at Gibbs' with you this evening, Jimmy."

"Thank you, Doctor. I wasn't planning on bringing up any of this but you know how nervous I am around him."

XXX

Tony walked into his office that morning to find it abuzz about some big thing going on in Europe. Curious, he watched the ZNN news headlines about the "little agency that could", talking about how one of the smallest ArmFed agencies had taken out an entire cartel spread throughout several countries in Europe. He wondered if his former teammate might have been involved and waited to hear if there had been casualties, relieved when none were mentioned. He watched an interview with Director Vance before he settled in at his desk, finishing his reports on the case they'd cracked. In the back of his mind he was going over what he knew of the European offices; there were only four and they each had a team comprised of three agents, four if there was a probie. He thought London might have additional agents, but he wasn't sure. Wanting to send Tim a message congratulating him, he typed in his name and then remembered he didn't have his new e-mail address, although if it all went through the NCIS servers, why did he need a new e-mail address? Before he could stop and think about it, he sent Ducky an e-mail with a note for Tim, asking him to forward it. It was simple, a congratulations on the big takedown, that he'd seen it on ZNN out here on the West Coast. He hit the Send button quickly so he wouldn't have time to talk himself out of reaching out to McG…Tim.

XXX

Tim knew he'd had a scan, he remembered being moved down the hall for it, but that was the extent of his memory. When he awoke, he was in a bed in a white room and he knew he'd been admitted. He closed his eyes again, sighing and then winced with the pain. Something stirred nearby and he tensed. "Relax, Tim, it's just me."

He turned his head and saw Pete sitting next to the bed. "Hi Pete, how long you been here?"

Pete shrugged, "A few hours. They took you for the CT scan and then admitted you; you've been asleep for about an hour."

"Jack go home?"

"Yeah, I sent him home."

"He tell you what happened? I screwed up…but I didn't think it was more than a bruise."

"That's what he said too, not that you screwed up, but that you'd both thought it was just a throw. The doctor hasn't been in yet, so maybe this is just a really bad bruise."

Tim laughed and then winced again, "Hope so! Although if it is it's the worst one I've ever had and I had a lot of bruises when I was a kid. This hurts like hell."

"Yeah, looks like hell too."

"Matt ok?"

"Yeah, worried of course."

"How he'd do on the op? Great, right?"

Pete chuckled, "Yes, my Senior Field Agent, he did great and you're right, he's got a lot of potential. He might even be the next you."

Tim smiled, "Can't be, I'm not done being me!"

"Jack told me about Lydia's attitude and how you stood up to her."

"Yeah, was gonna ask Carla."

"I'm only conjecturing but I have a theory."

Tim cocked an eyebrow at his Team Leader who smiled and continued, "I wonder if she wanted to move out here, take Carla's place."

Tim nodded. "I wondered if they were friends and she resented me for taking Carla's job."

"Hey, Carla has been happy since she heard your name and you know she approves of you taking the job, hell man, she sold you her car; she likes you!"

"Not worried about Carla. Lydia could have formed her own opinion. When she walked into that hotel lobby, I realized I'd seen her nearly every day at the London office, even on the train once in a while. I would nod at her but she never reciprocated, never said a word. And that's not good, Pete, I need to fix that because sooner or later we're going to have to work together."

"While I'm sure she'd be a professional on the job, Tim, you're right." Tim thought about Ziva nearly killing him in the MCRT van when she was angry with him about the book. While he trusted his new teammates with his life, he realized he still could not automatically trust another agent.

"I'll call Joel on Monday, Tim, talk to him about it."

"No no, Pete, this is personal, I'll talk with her."

A woman walked into the room then and introduced herself as Dr. Eleni Pappas. "Mr. McGee, I usually only speak with the patient and perhaps his family."

"Pete is my family, Doctor; I'm fine with him staying."

"Very well then. I have good news. There is no organ damage, no internal bleeding. There is some internal bruising but it is light, not enough to cause concern. I understand that you are in pain and now that we know there is no bleeding, no internal injury, we can give you something for the pain. I'm going to keep you here overnight just for observation; you can go home in the morning."

Tim smiled, that was good news. And then Pete just had to ask, "Doctor, what about restrictions? We're in law enforcement, we get sent out on calls, have to chase bad guys, take them down…in fact that's how this happened."

The doctor nodded. "I read between the lines of Mr. McGee's account of how he was injured. He will be sore for a few days but once the soreness has passed he can resume his normal duties. His muscles are in good shape, I would say he should be recovered enough by Tuesday or Wednesday, IF he takes it easy between now and then."

Tim looked at her, "What do I need to do?"

"Tomorrow once you get home, you rest. In bed and only up to use the toilet or to eat."

"Stairs?"

"Do you need to climb stairs to get to your home or your bed?"

"Yes, both."

"You may climb them once tomorrow and twice on Sunday."

She paused. "You should apply cold compresses to your abdomen every day, 20 minutes – no more, at a time. Twenty on, forty minutes off while you are awake."

Pete shook his head. "If he doesn't do stairs tomorrow, Doctor, does that mean once on Sunday or can he just go ahead and do twice on Sunday."

"Twice will be fine on Sunday."

"And then he can do desk work on Monday and Tuesday?"

"Yes, although he will likely be recovered enough to go out after the bad guys on Tuesday. Now, Mr. McGee, I will write a prescription for you for some pain pills with a descending dosage. More tomorrow, a few less on Sunday, etc. Tonight we will give you a shot for the pain and it will be enough to let you sleep through the night."

The doctor patted him on his foot as she left the room. Pete looked at his agent. "Ok, so here's the plan and it is not negotiable. You are coming home with me tomorrow morning and staying until Sunday. We have a bedroom downstairs, we will feed you and Trina will fuss over you, deal with it. On Sunday, IF you behave yourself, I'll bring you back to the office after lunch. That way I'll know you've had at least two meals that day. And maybe Matt…"

"No Pete, he doesn't need to stay with me again, it's his weekend, let him enjoy it."

"We'll see. I think he's going to be pretty unhappy if he doesn't get to help."

Tim sighed and looked away. "This is hard. I'm not used to having people take care of me, well Sarah and Rob if I needed them."

"And I imagine you managed to rarely if ever 'need' them. People like to help, Tim and you'd better get used to it, buddy, because you're part of this family now!"

Tim nodded. "I'll need some stuff from my room. I have a couple of Skype calls tomorrow night, one with my little brother who's flying to London on Sunday; the other one is with Gibbs."

"Didn't you talk with him last weekend?"

Tim smiled, "Last Friday. I'd asked him to sit in on one of my calls with Ducky so he could see what Skype looked like…he's pretty much a technophobe, still has a black and white TV and no cable. Anyway, he really liked being able to see me and he's getting internet service today. I had one of the Cybercrimes guys recommend a basic laptop and Jimmy, that's Jimmy Palmer, the second M.E. in DC, went with him to buy it. He's downloading Skype for him today so we can talk tomorrow."

"You working things out with him?"

"Sort of, we've got a long way to go, but we're talking. " Tim huffed and then decided not to do that for a few days. "We've talked more in the last two weeks than we did in 10 years, aside from work stuff."

"Wow Tim."

"Yeah. It took me leaving to get him to listen to me. Took me telling him how great it was here, how I felt welcomed and respected instead of bullied, ignored and disrespected – I think he started to get it. Or maybe it was when I said everybody worked and there weren't any pranks or crap like superglue on my keyboard."

Pete's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Superglue…please tell me that person was fired."

"Demoted several years later."

"Your SFA…I'm not sure I want you talking with them, Tim."

"Have to, Pete, I need to heal too and part of that is working through stuff with them or at least with Gibbs, after he figures out why he did what he did and why he allowed the others to do what they did."

"Sounds like bratty children who all needed disciplining."

"They needed something, that's for sure."

"Must be more that that though. Vance has you listed on the employee directory under an alias and your e-mail address is another alias."

"Yeah, it's another name and that name is also entered on the employee list. And my alias has an e-mail address, so there are two sets of false names but one for the directory and the other for e-mail. That's mostly because of a crazy forensic tech who lost her job after I left. Part of it was due to her actions toward me and the Director is worried she's vindictive enough to come after me, either physically or electronically."

"Do you agree with that, Tim?"

"Yes, unfortunately. From what I've been told, she's gone over the edge. The thing to keep in mind, Pete, with all this crap, is that I'm not there anymore; it's not on my mind a whole lot these days. I'm here. When I talk with Ducky and Gibbs, sure, but not much in between. I left and now I'm here and as you've said, now I'm part of this family." Pete beamed, glad to hear that and sure that as the days and weeks went on, Tim would settle even deeper into his new life here.

The two men talked for a few more minutes and then the nurse came in with Tim's shot. Pete stayed until Tim had drifted off to sleep and then he headed for home. He had Tim's personal effects with him and he thought about looking up Dr. Mallard's number and calling to let him know Tim was injured. But what good would that do, he was going to be fine, only staying overnight for observation and Tim would speak with Gibbs tomorrow. He decided to talk with Trina about this, he was used to relatives and spouses, not a chosen family who were not related by either blood or marriage, he was uncertain as to his responsibilities. Although Dr. Mallard had called him before Tim arrived, that was certainly a sign of a strong familial relationship. His mind made up, he arrived home and walked into the welcoming arms of his wife. His children had been sent to bed hours ago once he'd called to tell them he had landed and was on his way to see his injured agent. It was now nearly 0130, but hearing the car his kids came tumbling down the stairs as they always did, happy to have him home. He hugged and kissed them all and then sent them back to sleep. He told Trina about Tim and she agreed he should call Ducky. As the takedown had been on all the news channels here, she thought there was a possibility that news of Tim's injury would get out. Pete sighed, that also meant he had to call Vance. Resigning himself to another hour before he could sleep, he first called his boss, who was understandably upset. He calmed down when Pete pointed out that it was Tim's miscalculation, a simple mistake, that had led to the injury and that he was sure the young man would prefer no one make a big deal out of it. Vance agreed and then said he would contact the McGee siblings and Dr. Mallard. Once he hung up, he dragged himself upstairs to bed.

XXX

Gibbs' gut didn't calm down until late afternoon, after the internet guys were gone. Whatever had happened, it was all right now. He took a deep breath and turned to the coffeemaker.

* * *

><p>AN: 7:03 PM Thursday, Feb. 13th, 2014: I've just learned that Ralph Waite has died. Our beloved Jackson Gibbs; for me, he was first beloved as John Walton Sr. All I can do is thank God for the gift he brought to us in his warm and realistic portrayals. I'm glad I live in an age where beloved characters live on in film and the digital world long after the actors who brought them to us have passed. Godspeed and RIP, Mr. Waite - and thank you!


	22. Chapter 22

Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Two

Pete didn't wake until nearly 0800 the next morning. He called the hospital and because Tim's medical forms had been faxed to the hospital, the charge nurse on Tim's floor was able to tell him that their patient had had a restful night and would be discharged around 1100. Pete took a shower, dressed and walked downstairs to see his family and have breakfast. He had only been away for a day but the flight to and from Bucharest, the takedown, hearing the unexpected news about Tim and his vigil at the hospital all conspired to have made the day seem more like a week.

He enjoyed a hearty breakfast with the whole tribe and then he left, taking the family 'wagon' as they called their minivan so Tim would be more comfortable. He first went to the office to grab Tim's laptop; he'd had his go bag with him on the trip so there was no need to hunt for clothes. From there he drove over to the hospital and found Tim signing the papers for his discharge.

"Hey Pete, gre't timin'!"

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Bet'r…ya know pain pills."

"As well as a good night's sleep I hear."

"Yup, that too. Matt's here, he came in to hav' breakfas' with me, he'sh gone to the pha'macy to get m' pain pillss."

"Ok, we'll wait for him then. I have your laptop."

"Oh tha'ks man! I have callss tonight, oh…I shoulda called th' sibs, they'll be ang… angr…mad."

Pete laughed. It seemed the pain medication was having an effect on Tim. "Vance called them."

"Huh, how'd he know?" Tim leaned forward, "Di' you call him?"

"Yep Tim, part of my job."

"Ok, that's coo' man."

"How long ago did you take that pain med Tim?"

"Uh…right befor' you got here Boss… ah mean Pete. Oh man, he's gonna freak."

"Who?"

"Gibbss."

"Vance will call Dr. Mallard today, let him know, he can tell Gibbs."

"Ok, be prepa'ed, he mi' call you."

"That's ok, I'm not afraid of that badass Marine! I'm Navy, you know!"

"Oh yeah…no I din't know that…uh Pete, I nee' ta sit down."

"Yep, that's a good idea, Tim. Here comes the orderly with a wheelchair."

"Oooh, ge' 'nother one, we c'uld have whe'lchair racess." Pete and the orderly helped Tim sit in the chair. He leaned back and then forward again. "A'wayss though' be fun… ex'ept I always feel so crappy in hosp'al."

"Well if you felt good, you wouldn't be in the hospital."

Tim squinted at his friend. "You'r righ'…you 'r a smar' man, Pe' Russssell."

"Thank you Tim McGee." Looking up, Pete saw that Matt had returned from the pharmacy and was staring wide eyed at Tim. "He's ok, Matt, sometimes pain meds affect people this way."

"Ok Pete, that's good to know. Uh, here are his pills and the instructions."

Matt hesitated and Pete thought he knew what was on his mind.

"If all goes well today, Matt, I'm going to bring him back to his room early tomorrow afternoon. Would you want to hang out with him then?"

The young man nodded. "Yeah I would, if that's ok. I could get him dinner and stay over, make sure he's ok."

"If you want to, Matt, don't feel like you have to. And Tim might have something to say about it, he's worried about you losing your weekend."

Matt gave Pete a smile, "Nah, that's ok, I was just going to hang out anyway, I'm kind of tired after yesterday. And I want to help Tim, Pete."

"Ok that's great, son. I'm tired from yesterday too, I think it was the flight back and forth, we're not used to doing that in one day!"

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that, makes sense."

Tim's paperwork was finally done and Matt took his bag while Pete pushed the wheelchair out to the entrance. Matt stayed with Tim while Pete got the 'wagon' and they helped Tim into the front seat. The go bag went in the back and Matt headed for his own car while Pete and Tim drove off.

Tim was asleep by the time they turned out of the hospital parking lot and didn't stir as Pete pulled the wagon as close to the front door of his house as possible. He was surprised when he saw Stephan and Lukas out front with a wheelchair. He'd forgotten they had it – his mother had broken her ankle one year while visiting and they'd found the wheelchair at a flea market. Trina had used it a few times when she was pregnant with Kyra. He was glad someone had thought of it today. He motioned to Stephan and he pushed the chair over to the passenger side door, Lukas trailing behind him.

"Thanks guys, this is thoughtful of you. I'm going to try to wake him up, but he just took a pain pill so he'll probably be pretty groggy and might be a little silly. If I can't wake him up, Stephan maybe you can help me get him into the chair. Lukas, if you'll set the brakes on the chair and hang onto it that would be very helpful. Ok, here we go."

Pete opened the passenger door and gently tapped Tim on the face, "Wake up Tim, we're home." Tim was having a very nice dream. He and his dad were out for a drive in their station wagon, now they were home and Patrick and Sarah were waiting for him. His dad was telling him to wake up and he knew he had to because he was too old for his dad to have to carry him. But he was enjoying being with his dad and he didn't want the dream to end. However the sun was shining on his face and he opened his eyes and his dad, brother and sister vanished to be replaced by Pete and his two sons with a wheelchair. Swallowing his reaction to the dream, he gave them a tired smile and knowing it was important, moved himself from the car to the chair, with Pete hovering close by. It was nice they were taking him in, that felt good. Not as good as seeing his dad and brother again, but good.

He accepted the ride into the house in the chair but then insisted on walking once they were inside. His muscles would atrophy if he rode around in a chair and his injuries were not all that bad, more painful than damaging and the pain med was taking very good care of that, thank you very much. He smiled at Trina and the girls when they appeared, and thanked the boys for their help. He was still feeling a little loopy but now he recognized it so he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to make an idiot out of himself.

Pete and Trina walked him into 'his' room, Pete helping him to sit on the bed, back against the headboard and his legs stretched out. He sighed in relief, other than laying down flat this was the most comfortable position. He kicked one shoe off and had to bite back the surge of pain that caused.

Trina shook her head at him. "Bet that didn't feel too good, did it?"

Tim shook his head. She sat on the end of the bed and took his other shoe off. "If you're anything like Pete, you're going to hate anyone taking care of you. It's just for one day, Tim but if you don't let us help you and you overdo things, it could be more than just one day, understand?"

Tim nodded, not having the energy to argue with her and he thought that would probably be a pretty bad idea anyway.

"Honestly, what did you do when you were growing up and you were hurt? Did you never let your mother help you?"

Pete's eyes widened and Tim shook his head, "Didn't have one."

"Oh yes you did, everyone has a mother."

"She died when I was a baby."

"Oh my god, Tim, I'm so sorry, I didn't know."

Trina backed away, obviously upset. Tim looked at her, "You can't miss what you never knew you had. Don't worry about it Trina, please."

"I hope your father took good care of you then." Tim looked at Pete who cocked an eyebrow and Tim nodded his ok. There wasn't any reason to keep any of this secret anymore. For years he had kept it all to himself so he could be an NCIS agent and not a homeless orphan or someone who'd lived on the street and almost as importantly to keep DiNozzo off his back. Now it was only a matter of privacy and he trusted Pete and wanted to trust Trina.

Pete gently grabbed his wife's arm. "C'mon with me, love. Tim would like to sleep now." Tim gave them a genuine smile and once the door was closed, crawled under the comforter and got as comfortable as he could. As he drifted off to sleep he hoped he'd dream of his dad again, he hadn't seen him in a really long time.

XXX

When Vance got off the call with Pete on Friday, he sat quietly in his office for awhile. He trusted that Pete had told him the truth, that Tim's injury was more painful than debilitating and that he'd be back to work on Monday, ready for the field before the end of the week. That wasn't really the point. It was that as Director he'd given Roger the green light to take every single agent they had in Europe and put them on an operation that could have proved deadly. That it was a success almost didn't matter. It was his hatred of the cartels, their pervasiveness and growing evil that had led to his approval of the plan. He knew the Reynosa cartel had done a number on Gibbs' team, even though NCIS had eventually prevailed. Today he'd risked every one of his European based agents without really stopping to think about what could happen. Every single one. They were spread thinly enough as it was and he had approved an operation that could have wiped them out entirely. And of course the only one injured - aside from the mystery illness of Joel's junior agent - was the one he cared most about.

He didn't know whether to laugh or pound his fists in anger that he wasn't there to protect Tim McGee and what a revelation that was. The young man, and he wasn't a kid anymore, was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, he had successfully taken the suspect down even after being injured. He may not have had all the field training he needed from Gibbs, but his instincts were spot on and he'd gotten good training from his buddies in the Silver Spring PD. Probably more 'street' training as those guys didn't have the resources a federal agency did. One thing Vance did know and that was that he now had a much better understanding of Gibbs' protectiveness than he'd ever had. Damn, he hadn't thought when he sent Timothy McGee off to Europe to allow him to prove to himself what everyone else already knew, excluding Gibbs, DiNozzo and Sciuto, that he'd miss him this much or be exposing him to this much so soon. And then he laughed at himself, what the hell had he done on his first mission? He'd gone to Amsterdam to be killed by a Russian and was luckily saved by Eli, in those days a Mossad operative, before he joined the bureaucracy. He stood up; this wasn't doing him any good. He needed to call the McGee siblings and if Joel didn't call him with word on his agent, he'd call him after the McGees. He also needed to brief the SecNav but she was in a meeting for another couple of hours.

He picked up the phone to call and then had to decide which one. He knew Rob McGee was leaving for London on Sunday and decided he would call him, thinking his sister might be there helping him pack.

He was glad when he was right. Rob saw his ID on the phone and picked it up, trying not to panic. "Director Vance, Tim…how bad?'' In the background Leon could hear Sarah cry out, "Tim no, Oh God."

"Rob, he's all right, he's not badly injured. Can you put me on speaker?"

"Yeah, ok, it's on, we're both here."

"Ok, Sarah, I just told your brother that Tim is not badly injured. He took a blow to the abdomen and is badly bruised but there are no internal injuries. He was on a classified operation that's probably all over the news now, he was with another agent; he was not alone. They took down their target; Tim took him down even after being injured."

"Is he in a hospital?"

"Yes, the other agent saw how much pain he was in when their plane landed in Athens and took him straight to the hospital. They're keeping him there overnight." Vance told the siblings Pete's plan for Tim for the rest of the weekend and eventually the two calmed down. They knew Tim trusted the director and his new boss and so were willing to believe.

"Pete said that Tim had a call planned with you two tomorrow night, uh I guess that's our daytime. He will make that call, he'll have his laptop at Pete and Trina's house and if he's asleep one of them will wake him up in time."

"Ok Director Vance, that's good to know. You're sure he had a CT scan and they did the follow up and…"

"Yes, Dr. McGee, Pete was very careful to give me all the details; he knows you're a doctor."

"Almost a doctor. Sir…"

"From what your brother's told me, there's no 'almost' about it. Now the name of the hospital is Tzaneio General Hospital and the phone number is…" Vance gave Tim's 'kids' the phone number and his room number, reminding them to add the country code when they called.

XXX

Tim slept until midafternoon; he awoke hungry and feeling better. It felt good to wake up in a bed in a house, not in a hospital. He listened to the sounds of the family for a few minutes until his stomach started growling which he took as a sign to get up and get moving. He slipped his shoes on, working his feet in without bending over and wisely making no attempt to tie them. He walked around the room for a few minutes until he felt less like Frankenstein's monster walking stiff legged. His legs were fine; they just needed some stretching and movement. Remembering where this room was in relation to the rest of the first floor was a bit of a challenge and he finally decided to just wander in the hope that someone would rescue him. He hadn't taken two steps away from his room when Kyra appeared. They smiled at each other and she giggled when his tummy growled again. "Come on, I'll take you to the kitchen. "

They headed down a hallway and then took a turn or two and Tim admitted he would never have found the kitchen by himself. Kyra giggled again, "That's because I took you the back way. The front way is easier but your room is closer this way."

Tim just nodded. Kyra pointed him toward the island with several chairs scattered around it. He shook his head, "Think I'll stand, Kyra, sitting low is kind of uncomfortable right now."

"Ok, well, there's a stool you can perch on against this counter."

"Ah, that's better, thank you!" Trina walked in then, fussed over him a bit and then asked him what he wanted to eat. Tim was dying for another gyro pita and said so. Grinning at him, Trina opened the refrigerator and plucked out all the ingredients, heated what needed to be hot, popped it all into a pita and then onto a plate. Kyra poured him a glass of lemonade with no ice and he was set. Trina sat at the island and ate slices of an apple with peanut butter while Tim devoured his gyro pita. When he had eaten enough to take a brief break, he told Trina about his sister's favorite pizza, with peanut butter and Tabasco sauce. She was both horrified and amused, making him promise to bring Sarah and Rob to the house when they visited. He thought that might be Christmas but wouldn't know until they were settled in England.


	23. Chapter 23

Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Three

Across the Mediterranean Sea from Greece, Ziva David sat watching the news report in amazed disbelief. She found it difficult to believe that NCIS had been so successful in taking down an entire cartel. She felt a quick jolt of pride and then realized she had no right to it. She'd left NCIS behind; it was only part of her history now. She looked at the letter on the table in front of her, the offer from the current Director of Mossad. Could she go back, should she? She would not be an operative; she would not go back to her life as an assassin. Abruptly she remembered her statement to Malachi all those years ago, something about a snake trying to crawl back into the skin it had shed. That was enough of an answer and she crumpled the letter in her hands. She could not go backward, not to Mossad, not to NCIS. She needed to find a new path.

XXX

At 1500, Tim's watch alarm beeped at him and he walked back to his room for his call with Gibbs. He found Pete in his room with his laptop, trying to decide where to put it. "I think the bed will work best, Pete. Right now I'm more comfortable sitting where I can stretch out. I can put the laptop on my lap, ha!"

Pete smiled at him, "You sound much better. Now don't overdo it. Gibbs and then the kids?"

"Yeah and I figure Ducky will be with Gibbs – if he's not on his way here."

"I think that's why Vance wasn't going to tell him until today, so he would only have a few hours to wait to see you."

"And not in the hospital. That director of ours, he's a pretty smart guy!" They grinned at each other.

Pete left, closing the door behind him. Tim found Gibbs' Skype information in an e-mail (thank you Jimmy!) and made the contact. He chuckled to himself when the images appeared; Jimmy was at the keyboard while Gibbs and Ducky argued about something in the background. When Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, Tim winked at him and put his finger to his lips. They waited to see how long it would take the legendary investigator and medical examiner to notice he was on screen.

"Jethro, the doctor said he's fine, I spoke with the woman myself and I know Rob did too. Pete took him home this morning, their morning, he's probably slept all afternoon and maybe having something to eat, he'll be fine and…" Ducky happened to catch a glimpse of something in his peripheral vision and now looked over to see their injured hero grinning at them.

"Timothy, oh my boy, you look…good! Jethro, he's here, waiting for us to notice him."

Jethro turned and Tim saw the moisture in his eyes. "I'm all right, Boss, I promise. All these doctors are right, you need to listen to them and look at me."

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise and if you're good I'll show you my bruise later."

"Bruise? I thought it was more, Tim, I felt it."

"You felt…your gut, Boss?" He reeled at the nod, how could he have known? He kept going, "It's more like one big bruise. Come on guys, don't you want to know about the operation, how I took the guy down…or you just want to look at my "owie"?

"You can talk about it?"

"Pete said it was all over the news last night so yeah. I can't tell you names but I can tell you some stuff." He told them of the countdown to the mission, how they'd got intel from 'his' CIA agents that had provided the final link needed, how the teams were split and how because he spoke Italian he was sent with Jack to Brindisi, Italy.

"You were that part of that takedown? The news reports said that dealer was one of the toughest with the worst history of violence."

"I wasn't part of that takedown, Boss, I _was _the takedown." He paused and grinned as the others commented. "So here's the rest of the story. One of the junior agents from London flew in…did you know we had every single NCIS agent in Europe on this? And several CIA agents. Anyway, Jack and I met her at the airport…" Tim told them only that she had been ill and needed rest. Then he told them about their stakeout and waiting for the command to go for all teams.

Jethro was listening and trying not to freak out. He had been working on the trying not to freak out – apart from his gut freaking out yesterday - since Ducky had arrived early this morning to tell him Tim had been involved in the big news item from yesterday, had been injured but was being released from the hospital today and back in the field by Wednesday. Gibbs was down the steps of his front porch and nearly to his car to drive to the airport when Jimmy drove up and blocked him in. The move was deliberate; the two doctors had figured Tim's former boss would want to fly to Greece and Jimmy had been waiting down the block. It had taken them several minutes to get him back in the house, finally he saw the sense in being able to see Tim and talk with him in an hour or wait at least 9 hours, probably more, until a flight could get him to Athens and his injured boy. So Gibbs had stayed but he was still working on calm. He needed to touch his boy, make sure he was really living and breathing and he put his fingers on the screen. Tim saw that and positioned his hand so that it seemed as if the two were touching.

He paused in what he was saying, "I'm really ok, Boss, I promised, you know I don't make promises lightly."

Jethro nodded, "We're alike in that." He sighed, "Go on, Tim, so what happened during the takedown?"

Tim told them everything, including his mistake and recovery with his new move and Jethro beamed with pride as he wrapped up the story of the arrest.

"It was weird then, I called Marseille to tell them our target was busted and on the way to lockup and I could hear all these other agents chiming in. Heard Pete right after me, that was a big relief, he was not happy about us being split up but hey, he got a trip to Romania out of it."

"He stayed?"

"No, I was being facetious; they came back as soon as they busted the guy. When I woke up in the hospital after the CT scan, he was there with me."

Jethro had to let that one go, he needed to be here with Tim and not get lost in his jealousy of Pete Russell and his disgust with himself. Wanting to chew nails, he put on a calm front and said, "That's good, Tim, that he was with you. A good man." Tim looked at him, not fooled but not knowing how to counter it and truth be told, not wanting to. The fact of the matter was that in the brief amount of time he'd known Pete, he'd been shown more affection, respect and care than he'd gotten in 10 years with Gibbs. He also tried not to think that in that same amount of time – since he'd known Pete - he'd received the only affection, respect and care he'd received from Gibbs.

"He is. And I'm in his home now, Boss. He told me last night that it was not negotiable, I'd spend today and tonight here and if I follow the rules the Doctor set out, he'll take me back to my rooms tomorrow after lunch. I'm allowed to go up and down the stairs twice tomorrow. "

Gibbs eyes blazed, "He's letting you stay by yourself?"

"I'm a grown man, he's respecting my decision. Besides, I'm pretty sure Matt will be there."

Gibbs just nodded, needing a minute to get hold of his temper. Jimmy jumped in, "So what happened after Jack slapped the cuffs on, were you standing or down or what?"

"I just thought it was a punch to the abdomen, you know, I was mad at myself for miscalculating but I got him anyway, so I didn't think it mattered. Once I reported on the conference call that the London agent was ill, I had Pete calling me and then Joel and honestly, I was afraid the Director was going to as well, but he didn't. I'd said we'd wait until Miller was well enough to travel but neither of us wanted to hang around. "

He completed the story telling them about walking around, meeting the London SFA and her attitude and laughing, told of his comeback to her. Gibbs was listening and commenting again and Jimmy was helping Tim direct the conversation. After he'd finished telling them about the flight and the hospital and all that boring stuff, he asked how yesterday had gone with the installers. Obviously it had been a success but he was curious to know Gibbs' reaction to it all. Jimmy grinned and Tim knew something was up. At Ducky's urging, Gibbs picked up the laptop and moved it to show the big screen TV mounted on the living room wall.

Tim pretended he hadn't already heard about it. "What? Wow, Gibbs, how did you find a black and white TV in a big screen?" Jethro cracked up at that and pointed to Jimmy, "He's my enabler, I was going to get a smaller one but he talked me into this one!"

"Well, Boss, what can I say, welcome to the 21st century! So, how many channels did you get?" Gibbs told him and Tim was impressed.

The four guys talked for another few minutes and then Tim's watch alarm buzzed. "Sorry guys, that's my thirty minute warning for my call with Rob and Sarah. He's flying to London tomorrow and he's nervous."

Jimmy frowned, "I thought James was meeting him at the airport?"

"He is and they've met on Skype but Rob's never flown overseas before, well Sarah hasn't either come to think of it. It's a long flight and then you're in Heathrow which is huge, crowded and confusing, then you're in Customs which is intimidating the first time and then he'll finally see James."

"Is he going to do a sign like he did for you?"

"Yep. Only it's going to say Dr. McGee not Rob." Gibbs was listening avidly again, he'd missed the whole London thing and he didn't know much about James; he was pleasantly surprised to hear he was meeting Rob at the airport and apparently would also meet Sarah when she arrived.

"Timothy, I want to see your injury before you ring off."

Tim sighed, "I was so hoping you'd forget Ducky. Ok, feast your eyes on this!"

He unbuttoned his shirt and three pairs of eyes nearly fell out of their respective skulls. "Impressive, isn't it? I tell you, when I do something, I do it big." Ducky and Jimmy spent a few minutes telling him what he should and should not be doing and Tim listened with affection.

Tim paused before they disconnected. "Ducky, Jimmy, do you guys mind, I'd like to talk with Gibbs alone for a bit." They nodded and walked off.

Gibbs looked at him. "Boss, who did I call when I was upset about my dad and brother?"

"Me."

"Who did I call when I was so worried about the changes to the team?"

"Me."

"So…we won't ever work together again and we're not 100% but you told me I'm a member of your family, remember? I told you I love you and you said you did too."

Gibbs nodded, "I know son, and I meant all of that, I just…I'm working on it."

"I guess that would be hard. I'm trying to imagine what I'll feel like when Sarah and Rob bring their future spouses to meet me." Tim huffed, "That's not the right analogy, Pete's not my suitor, but he is a friend and my new boss. I remember Sarah's first serious boyfriend, I wanted to kill him and I was jealous too. So I understand a little bit. Just please remember I've got a big heart and I can be fond of other people and still love you, ok?"

Gibbs nodded, "Tim, I know that in my head, but in my case it's more. It's that I failed you and Pete is doing so well by you. And sometimes I don't understand why you want to keep in touch, why you're willing to let us work this out and it scares me, I'm afraid I'll fail again and lose you for good this time. I'm grateful you've stuck with me, but I don't understand."

Tim sat there and put his fingers on the screen again and Gibbs reached out to cover them. "I've only had my sister and brothers for most of my life. We were a little family but I had to be the head of it, I had to make all the decisions, I was the one that kept us alive. Yeah, Geordie helped, but I was in charge, always. And I only knew what my dad had managed to teach me in the brief time we had together. I never had a father figure or even an authority figure after he died, Boss. Until I met you. And as bad as things got, you were still far more than the black hole of nothingness I'd had all those years. One of the things I know about family is that family works through things and forgives. Might take time, but it's what we do as family. When I marched into your house that night and said what I said, I was hurting so badly, hurt that Ziva had asked me to put my career and freedom on the line, that I'd had to quit my job because of what I did for her and then she just left without a word to me. She talked to Tony, she called you but I got nothing. And to me, it suddenly became clear that was my story on your team. I got nothing, nothing good anyway. All my skills, hopes, all my affection, nobody wanted them. And you and DiNozzo acted like it was your own personal tragedy – same as when we thought she was dead, Boss. That whole summer she was gone, it was all about DiNozzo. None of you ever thought about me having been her first friend at NCIS or ever having been her partner. That told me you didn't see me as her partner or as DiNozzo's partner. I was the tech guy, I might as well have been a desk chair for all the consideration I had from anyone. I was hurt and angry – and I'm still hurt but I've moved on with my life if not my heart and I'm gradually losing the anger. I made the right decision for me; for once I did something for me, by leaving. It was the only thing I ever did that got your attention. And somewhere along the line in the past few weeks, I've realized that although I never was or felt like I was part of _your_ family; _you_ are part of _my_ family. And family does their best to work things out. Family loves each other even when there are other people in the picture. I don't know if you and I will ever be what I'd wanted all those years ago, but I'm ok with that, I know you love me now, so that's something. As for the others, if you and I can get through things then maybe eventually DiNozzo and I will too. I don't know - I can't see that yet. But it won't happen with Abby, Boss, she's hurt me too badly over the years and she's a big part of what you and I need to fix between us. I have no desire to try to fix things with her. And now I'm afraid I'll have lost you again because I've finally told you the truth."

Gibbs shook his head, "Tim, no. I won't lose you, son, I will not lose you, I will not push you away or walk away, I give you my word. Abby's my problem, not yours. I don't expect you to do anything you don't want to do and I respect you for telling me the truth, Timothy. I just wish we could have had this conversation years ago…and I know it was me, my lack of leadership, my bullheadedness that prevented it."

Tim looked his former boss straight in the eye. "I'm not perfect. I made mistakes and continue to make mistakes. I'd been handling things on my own forever…it never occurred to me to talk to you about things. I heard you say you had an open door, but I didn't really know what that meant and because I was accustomed to handling problems by myself, I never thought about it applying to me. And…I hid things from you, I kept to myself because that was what I learned was the safest thing to do. Be invisible. Be the best you can be and be invisible so nobody has to see that you're there and deal with you; that's the way to get through 9 years of homelessness without getting killed. It was only when the hurt and anger threatened to overwhelm me that I did something."

"And I didn't read your file. If I had, I might have seen you. That was my responsibility."

Tim shook his head, "You have to let me be responsible for my own actions, right or wrong. You can't take on everything, that's just as bad as taking on nothing; don't diminish my role in this."

Gibbs looked at him, feeling like his eyes were crossing. "Tim, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to let you be accountable for any of this. I was the Team Leader, whatever happened is on me."

Tim just sat and looked at him. "Gibbs, I can't help you with that, don't put it on me! You need to talk to your doctor about that. You're seeing Dr. Cranston, right?"

"I didn't mean to put it on you, Tim…I'll talk to the doc."

"Then when you get that figured out, would you ask her if we can have a counseling session together, you and me, over Skype? That way we'll both be sure to be clear – or get clarity – about things between us."

"You'd do that, Tim?"

"Yes, this is important to me too."

"We can call her right now if you want - to set it up."

"Ok, while you do that, I'm going to send Rob an e-mail, let him know I'll be late."

He quickly sent Rob a brief note telling him he'd be on with him in another 15 minutes, that he was on with Gibbs and needed to finish something. Rob pinged him back with an IM saying that was fine.

Gibbs came back with the phone and Tim smiled seeing it was a new cordless. "Not just the laptop and the TV, huh Boss, you also went for the phone?"

Gibbs smiled back at him and then frowned at the phone. "Where's that speaker button?"

"It'll look like a megaphone, probably up toward the top."

Gibbs pushed a button and there was Kate's sister. "Gibbs? GIBBS!"

Both men chuckled and Tim said, "Hello Dr. Cranston. You're on Gibbs' new speaker phone and I'm on his new laptop."

"Hello Tim, it's great to hear your voice!"

"And yours, Doc. Boss and I are working on things and we're at a little bit of an impasse, I've asked him to get some clarity about something and then I was wondering if we could find a way to have a session together – through Skype."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea. Let's see, you're…how many hours ahead?"

"Seven, so I was thinking late morning for you two, that would get me past my workday, unless of course we get a case."

"Sure, how about Monday?"

"No, for one thing he really does need to talk with you first and secondly Mondays and Thursdays are out, I have a mixed martial arts class after work. What about Tuesday of the following week, the 18th?"

"I can do the 18th at 11, what about you Gibbs?"

"Yeah that works for me. Tim?"

"Yeah, that's 1800, that'll be fine."

"You're off then?"

"Yes, unless we have a case or are working on case reports, we're off at 1700." Gibbs' eyebrows rose but he didn't say anything, it wasn't his office.

"Ok, so what do I need to do?"

"You have a laptop, Doctor?"

"Of course."

"Ok, you need to set up an account on Skype," Tim spelled it for her and gave her the URL, "and download the software, it's pretty easy."

"Well if Gibbs can do it."

Gibbs snorted, "I didn't; Jimmy did it for me."

"No problem, I'll get one of my kids to help me."

"Gibbs, you're going to her office, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, then Doctor, once you get your Skype information, you need to give it to….oh shoot, Boss, can you see if Ducky's still there?"

"He is but I can do an e-mail, Tim."

"You know how to forward one?"

"Uh not sure, Ducky or Jimmy can show me."

"Ok, Doc, if you'll e-mail your Skype contact information to Gibbs, it'll get sent on to me. Then I'll contact you on the 18th."

"And I'll know when you're on?"

"As long as you're on the Internet, you'll know."

"Ok, that's a great plan. I'll talk with you both then. Gibbs, plan to stay after and call me back when you're done Skyping with Tim today."

"Yes ma'am." Dr. Cranston hung up and Tim said a quick goodbye to the three men, ending the call. His throat was dry and the lemonade glass was empty, so he angled himself carefully off the bed to reach the pitcher of water sitting on the desk. He drank half the pitcher and then decided he'd better use the bathroom before he called Rob and Sarah. He'd just situated himself on the bed again when his laptop chimed with their call.


	24. Chapter 24

Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Four

"Hi guys! I'm sorry to be so late but Gibbs and I were getting somewhere, I didn't want to break off then."

"That's what we were hoping, now let me see your injury."

"Yes, Doctor." Tim hadn't bothered buttoning his shirt again so he just pulled it apart and showed off his very colorful lower chest and abdomen.

"Wow. That looks like it must hurt a lot, Timpa, you're lucky there were no internal injuries."

"It did hurt like blazes yesterday Rob, it's not so bad today. I haven't had a pain pill since I came home from the hospital."

"What? Have you slept?"

"Today, yeah, I've slept all day, only been up for a couple of hours."

"Ok. When you get off our call, you need to take another one, with some food."

"I promise I'll take one, Rob."

"Ok, so now tell us everything." Tim huffed and told them as much of the story as he could. And he told them the short version of Miller's illness. Then he started asking questions about Rob's readiness for the trip.

"I did as you said, Tim, my clothes are ready but I'm not putting them into the suitcase until tonight. So that's a few less wrinkles, right?"

"Yep. And when you get to James' place, unpack right away."

"Ok."

"When do your classes start?"

"Thursday, don't ask me why."

"That's good for you though, you'll have three days to get over the worst of your jet lag. How long do you think you'll stay with James?"

"I'm thinking at least a couple of weeks until I find a place closer to the university…if I can find a place closer."

"Yeah, I figured staying at the flat will give you about a 30 minute commute on the Underground. Which isn't bad but probably more than you want considering the hours you'll be working."

"Yeah, I'm hoping for a 5 minute walk, or even better, a room upstairs like you've got!"

Tim snorted, "Good luck with that! Well, I'm glad we have a friend there; James will be able to help you. Rob, why don't you pay James a month's rent out of our account? The reason I'm suggesting it is because I know NCIS covered my stay with him but he decided to forego getting another flatmate until you two are settled somewhere and that's not right, he's just starting out in London and it's expensive. So if you stay two weeks and Sarah stays two weeks, he's got some income to cover the extra expenses – gas, electricity, etc. Plus it'll give him time to look for a flatmate."

"Ok, how much should I pay him?"

"I'll nose around; see what I can find out."

They talked about Rob's plans for a bit longer and then moved on to Sarah's departure, scheduled for two weeks from now.

"I have to stay here without you guys, that's going to be so weird."

"We can Skype every day, Sissy."

"Oh Rob, you're going to be so busy. I'll be ok; I'm just giving you a bad time."

"Sarah, I uh…I've asked Jimmy, Breena and Ducky to keep in touch with you."

"Oh Tim, that's both sweet and maddening. I'll be fine."

"Then talk to them for me, little sister, so I can sleep at night."

"Oh, low blow, Timpa, playing the guilt trip."

"Did it work?"

She sighed, "Yes."

"Good because it's true. Of course if you don't want to talk with them, Gibbs has a new phone."

Sarah yelped. "Timothy McGee!"

Tim laughed. "Ok, just teasing. We're still working on things; I told him some more stuff today. About Abby."

"Almighty Goddess in the Universe, you told him all the things Abby's done to you?"

"Not yet; I told him I wouldn't be working things out with her, that she's hurt me too badly."

"Way to go, bro….wait, did he hang up on you or yell?"

"No, he said Abby was his problem, not mine and he respected my decision."

"I'm sorry who did you say that was? Sounded like Gibbs but that can't be right."

"Yeah, guys, I think we're going to be able to work things out eventually. We're even doing a joint counseling session next week."

"On Skype?"

"Yeah."

In her brother's apartment in Maryland, Sarah moved out of Tim's sight and looked at Rob. He nodded. "Um, Tim? We have a question for you."

"Ask, Robbie."

Sarah stepped back in, "We don't get why you're trying to work things out with him. You left his team, he was awful to you and really good things are happening to you now, except for the bruise, but we don't get it."

Tim nodded. "Because I need him, guys, and I still love him. He's the only father figure I've had since I was 9. You guys have me, but I haven't had anyone and I want that relationship, even though I'm an old guy now, I still want a dad. Need one."

The younger siblings looked at each other feeling awful, they'd never thought about Tim needing a dad. He'd always been there for them and he'd had no one to be there for him. Sarah kept talking, "What about Pete?"

"He's a good friend and he's been really good to me but I didn't meet him on a dock in Norfolk when I was 22, I met Gibbs."

Sarah huffed, "I still don't get it, Tim, but if you want him for your dad then I'm glad you guys are working things out."

"Yeah me too, Tim."

"Thanks guys." They moved on to other topics and talked for another few minutes before they ended the call, Rob promising to text Tim when he landed at Heathrow the next day. Tim had the flight number and the departure and arrival times memorized; he knew he'd drive himself crazy checking on the flight Sunday afternoon and evening. It was scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at 22:40 London time which meant 23:40 for Tim but he knew he'd be awake. Rob agreed to text as he was boarding, as soon as he was in the terminal at Heathrow and then again when he'd found James; Tim knew he'd be able to sleep once Rob had found James.

Finally done with his calls, Tim put the laptop down on the bed and slumped back, tired again. Remembering his promise to Rob, he carefully swung his feet to the floor and was stuffing them in his shoes when there was a knock on his door.

"Tim, you still Skyping?"

"No, I'm done, come on in." Pete came in with a tray of goodies, a small pot of tea and the bottle of pain pills.

"Thanks Pete, I was just coming to get one of those."

"You need to eat something with them and Trina figured with two calls you might need some warmth on your throat."

"She's right! I got on a roll with Gibbs and then Rob and Sarah and hot tea sounds good." He moved his feet, "Here sit and talk to me. What have you been doing today?"

Pete laughed, "Napping! I can't believe how tired I am!"

"Oh, well that makes me feel better! I thought I was wimping out because I feel like I swam to Italy and back!"

"I know the feeling. I called Matt about half an hour ago and woke him up, he feels the same way. I guess the adrenaline started pumping Thursday and then we had to wait to get our assignments and go. We've had multi-office cases before, but never one that involved every single agent!"

"I'm so glad Joel took the on-call this weekend."

"Oh yeah, there's no way we could have handled it." Pete snorted, "I hope Agent Miller is doing the whole on-call by herself."

Tim shook his head. "I told everyone that she became ill on the flight and Gibbs just gave me a look. He knew there was more."

"Did he press you on it?"

"Nah, he didn't. I told him to back off about something on our last call – not work related – so he's kind of hanging back as far as pressing me about anything."

"I would think so."

"We were doing ok tonight, well I was telling him stuff and we sort of reached an impasse, so I'm going to do a counseling session with him and his doctor next week."

Pete looked at his new agent in surprise and then shook his head in admiration. "Timothy McGee, you are an amazing person. After the way he's treated you, you're doing that for him?"

"I'm doing it for both of us, Pete. I want to fix this, I don't want all this bad stuff hanging over me and he doesn't either."

"It's his bad karma, Tim, not yours."

"True, but I'd still have to live with it and I'd rather not. He…" Tim had to stop talking and covered it by sipping his tea. "I told my sister and brother tonight because they don't understand either, that I had no father from the time I was 9 and before that it was hit and miss, my dad being in the Navy. I raised Sarah and Rob by myself the best I could, the only things I had to lead me were what my dad had taught me and what I learned in school, and church when Sarah made us go. But I had no one to go to; I couldn't afford to trust anyone. Then one day I met Gibbs on a dock in Norfolk and I can't seem to let go of him."

"Then don't, there's nothing wrong with that, Tim. For all his faults, he meant and still means something to you; that's powerful." Tim nodded, relieved and Pete realized that this young man had been seeking his help too, that he might still feel like he had no one to teach him, to mentor him. He felt honored, knowing Tim had sought his advice and approval. The two men sat, munching on the goodies and Tim took the pill. When Pete saw him drifting off, he moved the tray and the laptop and covered him with a quilt.

Tim slept till nearly 2000 and then woke to find a soft light had been turned on in the corner of the room. There was a bowl next to the bed with what looked like bits of ice floating in it and a cold pack; Tim realized the family must have been putting ice or cold packs on his bruise throughout the day. He was still tired but not as drained as he'd felt after the two calls. He got his feet into his shoes, hit the head and then left his room, in search of people. He found them all gathered in the kitchen, the two oldest Russell kids just putting the final touches on their dinner.

He was greeted with smiles and a gentle hug from Trina, "Good, we planned that well. Now, come and sit at the table. Phoebe and Stephan cook for us on the weekends and they've made us a feast tonight."

Phoebe smiled at him, "I hope you like roast lamb."

Tim's mouth was watering with the wonderful smells and he nodded. "I do!"

He looked around nonchalantly, "What are the rest of you having?" That got a laugh from all of them. Kyra was sitting on one side of him, Lukas on the other and each reached a hand out to him. Not sure what was happening, he took their hands and then followed their lead in bowing his head while the family said grace. Then the meat platter was passed and his eyes lit up as he helped himself and then took the bowl of tiny roasted potatoes and vegetables from Kyra, dished out a serving and then passed it to Lukas.

He enjoyed his meal, eating slowly and listening to the chatter going on around him. Abruptly he realized he'd been asked a question. "I'm sorry; I was concentrating on the wonderful food, Phoebe, say again please?"

"Oh, I wondered where you're going to look for an apartment. Is Evander helping you?"

"Yes, he is, oh!"

"He knows, Tim, Kim told him. They called today to see how you're doing. In fact you had quite a few calls today. Kim and Evander, Tea, Eva and Caleb, Carla and Norm, Jack Hughes, Joel, someone named James Powell and heaven help me, my boss."

Tim's fork stopped on the way to his mouth. "All those people called?"

Kyra laughed, "Dad was napping so we grabbed his phone and took turns answering it."

At the look on Tim's face, they all laughed. "Don't worry Tim, we checked the ID. Mom talked to your friend James, Mr. Hughes and Director Vance."

Trina's lips twitched, "Joel would like you to call him back and Mr. Powell too."

"Thanks Trina. They're an hour behind us; I'll wait until after dinner."

He looked at Pete, "Vance?"

"Well yeah, they wouldn't tell him anything when he called the hospital. In DC, he's the Director of an Armed Federal agency and I'm sure when he calls Bethesda to check on an agent he can get at least some information; here he's just an American on the phone, so he called me to make sure you had arrived safely."

Tim's eyebrows climbed his forehead, "But he lived here…how could he think…?"

"Been gone a long time, Tim." Tim was having a hard time not laughing about that but he manfully suppressed his amusement. He realized he'd gotten sidetracked. "Sorry again, Phoebe! I'm hoping to find an apartment as close to the office as possible." He paused. "Although not quite as close as where I'm staying now."

They all chuckled at that. "But I don't know what the neighborhoods are called yet. I've looked at several places. There's a couple that will do if I don't find something else but nothing that really reached out and grabbed me."

"Is it fun…looking for a place to live?"

"Fun, yeah I guess it is in a way, although it's also work and can be frustrating. But every new building you stand in front of is exciting, you don't know what you're going to find inside and there's always the hope that this could be something really awesome."

"What's your favorite place that you've ever lived?" Tim opened his mouth and then shut it again, looking at Pete and Trina, both nodding at him. "Don't know whether you know this, but my sister, brother and I spent some years living on the streets in Baltimore, Maryland when we were kids; we lived in a tent. When I was 18 I got a full ride scholarship to MIT, we took the train up to Massachusetts and looked at the bulletin boards in the Student Housing office, found a private home that had a room to rent to students." Tim laughed, remembering, "You never saw three people so excited about a room! I remembered living in a house, but Sarah and Rob didn't, so it was all new to them. The house was about 5 blocks from the college campus, there was a bus stop across the street and the school where Sarah and Rob would go was just a block away. We checked that out first because I didn't want them to have too far to walk. We walked up the steps to the front porch - we were all cleaned up and had our best clothes on – and the lady who answered the door, Mrs. Ferguson, was surprised to see a college student with two kids - Sarah was 12 and Rob 11. I explained that I was their legal guardian and they'd be living with me. She showed us the room which was pretty big, although anything bigger than our tent would have looked big to us anyway! Her husband had been a professor at MIT and the room had been his study, he'd had all his books and his desk and worktable in there. It was plenty big for us and it was furnished with a double bed which Rob and I could share. I figured we could find something for Sarah and put a screen or something up so she'd have privacy. I was thinking out loud when I said it and all of a sudden the lady got all excited and ran out of the room. I told the kids to stay and I went after her, she was pulling down attic stairs, do you guys know what those are?" Everyone nodded. "She says to me that there's an extra bed somewhere in the house that would be perfect for the little girl and a big folding screen in the attic that we could use. That was our first place and it's still my favorite."

"Wow, did it seem weird to be in a house?"

"Yes it did. For one thing it was really quiet. We were used to people around us all the time, sirens and cars, you know, the sounds of a big city. It took us a few nights before we could sleep. I think aside from being warm, the best thing was being able to leave our stuff behind when we went anywhere."

He saw the blank faces. "When you live in a transient camp, which is where our tent was, you can't leave anything behind when you leave the tent or it won't be there when you get back. So you pack up your sleeping bag, all your clothes, shoes and stuff and carry it around or roll it around in suitcases all the time. "

"To school too?"

"Yes. We were lucky though, we made friends with the school secretary and she let us leave our cases with her all day."

"That was nice of her."

"Yes it was, we still keep in touch with her, in fact I sent her a postcard from London. "

"That's good! Do you keep in touch with Mrs. Ferguson?"

"We did, yes, unfortunately she died a few years ago."

"Oh, that's sad."

"Yes it was and we still miss her. But you know what, she was 95 when she passed and she just went to sleep. She always said she'd had a good life, she'd been very happy and I think that matters a lot."

The kids all agreed with him while their parents looked on affectionately. Tim changed up the conversation by asking them about their lives, school, friends, etc. and he got to hear about the school play that Stephan and Phoebe were in and some of Kyra and Lukas' projects. The kids rattled on until Trina saw Tim swallowing what had to have been his third yawn.

"I saw that, Timothy! Ok guys, Special Agent Sleepy needs to get some more rest so he can get back to being Special Agent McGee on Monday."

Tim grinned and worked his way out of the chair slowly, finding he was still very stiff and sore. Pete noticed and had an idea. "Tim, let me get you some swim trunks and you can relax in the hot tub for awhile, I'll bet that would help those sore muscles."

"That sounds good, Pete, thanks." Tim headed to his room while Pete went to the cupboard where they kept extra swim stuff for visitors. He found a bathing suit he thought would fit Tim and pulled them out. Deciding he'd go in with Tim, he turned only to find his wife there holding his own bathing suit. "Here you go, sweetie."

"How'd you know? I just decided."

"Because I know you! Don't stay in more than 20 minutes."

Tim sighed as he relaxed in the hot tub. "Oh man, Pete, this is heaven. How do you ever leave this place?"

Pete snorted, "Trina's art is heavily in demand but she's not quite earning enough yet to pay for the upkeep of the family and the house."

Tim nodded, "I've just added this to my wish list."

"A hot tub or a house?"

"Both! Although I'd need to have enough money to pay someone to do all the maintenance because I'll never have the time."

"Yeah, hire a handyman and then have him teach your kids what to do. It's worked well for me!" They chuckled.

Tim sat for a few minutes and then asked, "Did you talk to Norm or Carla?"

"Both, they were on extensions."

"How is Carla?"

"Bored and uncomfortable."

Tim shook his head. "Wow and she's got…eleven more weeks, right?"

"I think it's closer to ten, but yeah."

"Hmm, does she like movies? I know she and Norm like to read, how about e-books?"

"She likes movies; she loves spy movies and old black and whites."

"Do they have Netflix?"

"In Europe, Netflix is only really available in the UK and the Netherlands."

"So no subscriber service here?"

"No."

"But…"

"There are ways around it but you have to know what you're doing."

"So your choice is to watch DVDs or live streaming on your computer."

"Yeah, pretty much, although we have a VHS machine and tapes still. We've been here a long time, Tim!"

Tim laughed, "In Baltimore, we knew all the librarians at the branch closest to us and sometimes they would run movies in the kids' room for all of us street kids. Those were VHS."

"Never thought of that, but of course no TV or movies."

Tim shook his head, "Any extra pennies that didn't go for food went for clothes and we didn't have any electricity in the tents anyway. Sometimes there was power in the restrooms – the camp started out life as a city park and thank god nobody ever locked up the restrooms so we had flush toilets and running water some of the time."

"I can't even imagine! Hey, that was quite an adventure you told the kids, about your first place."

"I was terrified at the time. I was so worried I wouldn't be able to find a place that would let me have the kids with me. I'd already had to hammer that out for my scholarship and with MIT, all freshman are required to stay in the dorms. Thank God I was 18 and was their legal guardian by then."

"You went to Johns Hopkins first, right?"

"Yep, I started there when I was 15. Geordie was 18 by then so he was our legal guardian and signed all the forms and legal documents. "

"And you had a scholarship?"

"Yes I did. Because of my age they wanted me to stay in the dorm, not off campus and Geordie was the legal guardian of the kids so the Housing office didn't see them as my responsibility. Geordie was in college himself, he'd never had custody of the kids and there wasn't any other money. We ended up staying at the camp, part of the reason I pushed to get my degree in three years. Well, that and Geordie had stayed and gone to college so he could help us out with the guardianship; all he wanted to do was go off and be a Marine like his dad."

"And he is, right?"

Tim snorted, "Oh yeah, he's a Lieutenant."

"So he got a degree."

"He did. He got a scholarship of his own and went on to a four year after community college."

"And Sarah's got her degree and going on to grad school and Rob is in Medical School. Wow, that would be amazing for any four young people but considering your childhood, that's just astonishing."

Tim huffed, "Trust me, most of the time it was the only thing that kept us going, the idea that education could help us get out."

"I'm sure I know the answer to this, but do you keep in touch with anyone from the camp?"

"Yes, the camp and the shelter - we stayed in a shelter for a couple of years, another story sometime. But yeah, we've stayed in touch with the kids who grew up with us and we've always volunteered there."

"And have other kids done as well as you?"

"Sure, there are military, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, police, fire fighters, nurses - all kinds of medical people although I think Rob will be the first doctor - teachers, insurance agents, even a county supervisor that have come from the camp or shelter. It takes a lot of effort, more than most kids have to make but it can be done."

"Too bad the plumbers weren't around when you were at the camp, would have helped with the bathrooms, huh?"

Tim laughed, "How do you think Freddie and Jose got to be plumbers? They figured it out, kept the toilets flushing and the water running. By the time they were old enough, they sped right through their formal training. They still keep the pipes running there; both of them help out at the camp. But back to Carla, so we know about movies and books. What else? "

Pete snorted, "Oh well, about the books, it seems Norm had some inside information on one of her favorite series, so she re-read those earlier in the week. Have anything else ready?"

Tim blushed, "Uh, not at the moment and I told Matt that I'm not basing any more books on real people. I'm changing my penname and there will be no more photos of me! So what about e-books, does she have an e-reader?"

"Yes, she had one; I don't know how much she uses it though. Any ideas for authors?"

"Well, uh, I keep track of some up and coming authors and they have novels on Goodreads and Amazon. " Tim had a sudden idea. "She has a laptop or a tablet, right?"

"Laptop. As I remember she bought one of the first e-readers, it's not a tablet."

"She should write, she should write a blog about being pregnant and on bed rest. She's so smart and funny, that would be a great way for her to get through this, plus she'd make all kinds of online friends."

"Online friends?"

Tim laughed, "You don't go online much, do you?"

"Read the news for here and the States, sports, look at something the kids have done or check out what they're up to, otherwise no."

"There's a whole world out there, Pete. I know people from all over the world – literally. I realized on our flight to Italy that I know someone who lives in Brindisi and I probably know someone in Greece or the region."

"Is that through Gemcity?"

"No, I only use that name at clubs to get in and ruin the evening for everyone but the fans."

"Oops, oh yeah, I heard that story."

Trina popped her head out the back door, "Gentlemen, it's been more than twenty minutes, time to get out! Oh and dessert is being served in 3 minutes."

"What are we having?"

"Oh no, I'm not telling. You have to get out and find out for yourselves!"

Tim sniffed, "I smell something delicious."

"Ok, let's go then."

Tim snorted, "As if there was ever a doubt."

The two men laughed at themselves as they got out, Pete helping Tim and then dried off. Wandering into the kitchen, they found an apple pie sitting on the table, fresh from the oven. Lukas was just getting a container of frozen yogurt out of the freezer and Kyra was distributing plates and forks. Tim grinned; he couldn't wait until he had a family and a home like this!

After they finished their wonderful dessert, Tim tried to reach James on Skype but his friend wasn't online, so Tim sent him an e-mail, he didn't want to risk interrupting a date by calling on his cell. He then called Joel's cell but got only his voice mail. He left him a voice mail letting him know he really was in the land of the living. Once all the calls were returned he relaxed. He was invited to watch a movie with the family and was happy to see that it was one that he'd missed growing up. He drifted off at some point and woke to find Trina rousing everyone to go to their own rooms. Pete helped him up although he was already feeling stronger than he had this morning. Getting comfortable on his bed, he pulled the covers over him and wondered if he'd be able to sleep after sleeping so much already that day. His last thought as he drifted off was that he was glad that Rob would be on the same side of the world as him by this time tomorrow night. One here, one to go.


	25. Chapter 25

Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Five

Early Sunday afternoon, Matt drove up just as Pete was helping Tim take his stuff inside the office. Tim gave Pete a look but the man just shrugged, "It was his idea, I told him what you said."

Tim huffed, "I've gone from the team pariah to the team burden, not a good trade off."

Pete nearly growled at him. "That had better be a joke Timothy, none of us take family lightly and I don't think you do either. You need to learn to accept help gracefully."

Tim swallowed, Pete was right. "Sorry, used to being on my own. I'll work on it."

Pete patted him on the back, "That's the right answer son and all I can ask." Luckily Matt missed the exchange and Tim smiled at him as he approached. "Hey, let me get that, Tim. Pete, I can take that too."

"All right you two, behave yourselves. Tim, you're not going to your class tomorrow night, right?"

"Unless I'm too tired I'll probably go and do some leg work, Pete, some things I can do without hurting. And I can watch Matt go through his stuff. I really want to tell our instructor about using that new move on the perp."

"Unless you're too tired."

"Yes sir."

Pete took off as the two younger men entered the building.

"So how was it staying at the Russells?"

"Oh you know…wonderful. Great people including the kids, delicious meals, good conversation." Tim laughed, "I usually refer to my former teammates as having been raised by wolves but now I'm sounding like it too. If I get grumpy Matt, it's because I'm not used to having anyone take care of me or help me out. I really am glad you're here, glad and grateful."

"No need to be grateful, Tim, that's what teammates do. So…you've been the one giving, not the one receiving?"

"Pretty much."

"Guess that does take some getting used to."

Tim stopped at the stairs and Matt laughed, "Yeah, you're only allowed one up and down, huh?"

"It's two sets today but yeah, have to think about this."

"Hmm, well let's figure out what you want to do first."

"Good idea."

"So…?"

"Well, we could sit outside for awhile."

"Aren't you supposed to be on bed rest again today?"

"Yeah and I will, but I'm feeling kind of restless right now. How about we go outside and you practice your moves and I'll critique you, help you out. You know, since you'll have the spotlight all to yourself tomorrow night."

"Uh, ok. I didn't practice at all yesterday."

"Yeah, I heard you were napping when Pete called. So no practice yesterday means double the practice today man. C'mon, I'm not going to be able to do anything, George is going to think we're not serious about this."

"Hey, we could get Kim to go with us tomorrow night!"

"Devious, I like that, you should be a federal agent! Let's call her later."

"All right, in the meantime, I'm going to go change so I can do my double practice in comfort…because I know you're not going to let this go!"

Tim shook his head, "Nope, you're right; what do you want to drink?"

"Just water and give me your bags, I'll take them up with me."

"Leave the laptop in case we decide to watch a movie down here later. I'll just catch up on my e-mail while you're upstairs." Matt set the case on the table and Tim took it out and plugged in the power cord before he sat down. Sitting wasn't as painful as it had been Friday night or yesterday; it was using his body to get up and down that was still giving him some pain. He'd taken a pain pill after breakfast and was not due for another one until 1500, so he would need to be extra careful until then. He opened his e-mail, noticed a message from Ducky and saw he'd missed it last night. He read Ducky's note and the brief note from Tony. He had to think about that, he didn't know if he was ready to respond. He really didn't want to deal with both Gibbs and DiNozzo at the same time; he had too much going on. On the other hand, you couldn't exactly tell people they'd have to wait in line. He left it for now and moved on to his other messages. One was a note from his friend StarsInHerHair about clothes for clubbing. Laughing, he sent her a quick reply thanking her for the tip and that he had that covered, he'd send pictures later.

Matt reappeared and they headed outside. Tim remembered seeing a folding chaise lounge in the shed, so Matt got that out and set it up for him. After Tim was settled, Matt practiced for an hour, stopping when he realized Tim hadn't said anything for a long time. He turned and saw that his friend was sound asleep. That's just what he had been hoping for, so Matt went in and grabbed the throw from Pete's office and put it over him. Then he continued his practice.

When Tim woke, he found himself covered with a throw and Matt was sitting at the patio table doing something with his tablet. Tim looked at his watch, it was nearly 1700, he'd slept several hours and he'd missed his pill time. He grunted at the time, he could start watching for flight information now as Rob's flight should be in the air.

Matt grinned "Have a good sleep?"

"I guess so! So much for being restless, huh? Did you get your practice in?"

"Yeah and I was perfect."

"I'm sure!"

"I sent Kim a text about tomorrow night and she said yes."

"Ah good, that'll make up for the lack of…me."

"You know Pete was right, you might be too tired tomorrow night."

Tim opened his mouth to protest and then shrugged, "We'll see. You guys will go even if I don't, right?"

"Yeah, no worries! Here, you want your phone or laptop?"

"Uh, I think I'm going inside, it's a little chilly out here."

Matt snorted, "We're so spoiled, it's November, and we're sitting outside and getting chilly at 5 in the afternoon!"

"You're right, but we deserve it!" Tim thought for a moment. "I'm going to call Carla; I haven't talked with her in days."

"Good idea, I talked to her yesterday. Hey, did you talk to your brother yesterday?"

"Yeah I did. And his flight should be in the air now so I'm going to see what the status is." Matt was a younger brother himself and was used to an older sibling checking up on him. He just nodded and then tried not to tense up as he watched Tim work himself out of the chaise lounge. He first sat up and swung around, getting his feet and legs positioned and then got up without too much difficulty. He stood and beamed at Matt, "Did it! It wasn't pretty but I did it!"

Matt chuckled, "And no help from the peanut gallery!"

"I'll probably need help getting upstairs later."

Tim headed inside and pulled his phone out to call Carla. He didn't want to sit again so he rested a hip against the kitchen counter. Carla answered the phone saying, "Yay, it lives!"

Tim laughed, "Hey, how are you?"

"Me? Doing great, better than you I think!"

"Aw, I'm ok, just got a little bruised. Hurt like hell but it's better now."

"A little bruised! Pete told me it covered your entire abdomen and some of your chest. You're lucky you didn't have any internal injuries. And Tim, don't pooh pooh it to me. I'm not DiWhateverhisname is."

"Ok, ok, I just didn't want to worry you."

"What else have I got to do?"

"I had an idea about that."

"Oh thank God! Talk to me."

"There must be other women around the world who've been or are in the same situation you are, on bed rest until it's safe to have your babies. You should write about it!"

"What? I should be another Gemcity?"

"Oh yes please, take the name, I would owe you forever! No, well yes, if you'd like, but what I was thinking about is a blog."

"Oh…I've read some, they're written about all kinds of different subjects, aren't they?"

"Yes, just about anything you can think of and some differ from time to time, bloggers change topics to match their lives. I was thinking you could be specific about being on bed rest."

"And you think other women out there, also on bed rest, would respond?"

'"I do."

"Hmm, that does sound sort of fun."

"I can show you how to get it set up if you'd like."

"Maybe, let me try to figure it out first, ok? I'm kind of a cranky student."

Tim laughed, "Oh yeah, been there, experienced that. How about you let me know if you need help?"

"I forgot to congratulate you."

"Thanks but…you know."

"Yeah yeah, just doing your job, although I heard it was a new martial arts move that you learned last week that brought the guy down!"

"I'm pretty proud of that. Now if I just hadn't gotten myself injured."

"Don't worry about it, can't be perfect all the time and you're all right. Pete says you might be released for the field as early as Wednesday."

"Yeah, I have to see the doctor Wednesday morning to get cleared." Tim laughed, "I'm used to just popping downstairs to Autopsy to see our M.E. who also served as our primary physician."

"Spoiled rotten."

"I guess; Matt and I were just saying that about the weather, that we're spoiled rotten."

"You say that now, wait until summer."

"Huh, you ever been to DC between May and October?"

"No."

"Ok, I'll let you know after this summer. Hey did either Pete or Matt tell you about the deal we made with Vance for a junior agent?"

"Both of them did and I think it's the best idea I've heard in…forever. We get to keep Matt and train someone else the right way."

"Yep."

"Speaking of training, I want to hear the real story on Joel's junior. Pete said I had to wait and hear it from you."

So Tim told the full unabridged story of the hapless Laurel Miller and her upset tummy. When he finished, Carla made a noise.

"Where did she do her probie year, do you know?"

"I think it was the Southeast office."

"Someone didn't catch on to her lack of common sense, that's for sure."

"Or they did and it was ignored."

Carla made a rude noise, "Like that doesn't happen! I'll be interested to see what happens with her."

"Fired or more training?"

"I don't know; can you learn common sense?"

"Good question."

"Personally, I'd fire her ass, but I'm not Joel."

"Yeah, I don't know. Pete told me last night he would have fired her on the spot." Tim chuckled, "Did he tell you we had her on our list as a possible junior?"

"Wow, talk about an epic fail."

"Yeah, I do feel kind of sorry for her; I suffer from seasickness and have had to take a lot of Dramamine in my life, anytime we get near a ship. But my boss always knew about it, sometimes he was the one giving me the Dramamine."

"Huh, wonder if Joel knew…no, never mind, stupid thought."

"That reminds me…the SFA from London."

"Lydia, what about her?"

"What can you tell me?"

"Professional, good at her job, not very personable from what I've seen. I've never warmed up to her or her to me although we're both strong and opinionated, you'd think that we would have bonded. Why?"

"Joel sent her to Brindisi to relieve Jack and me from babysitting Miller and she was something of a snot."

"Oh My Heavens, she must have been a total bitch for you to say that."

"I've seen worse and I wasn't in a very charitable mood considering it was her junior agent; I gave the attitude back to her. Wondered if you knew her."

"You thought maybe we were friends and she was upset because you replaced me?"

"Uhhhhh...yeah."

"Or that she wanted the spot for herself and was pissed at you?"

"Oh she was definitely pissed at me, it sure felt personal, business-personal; you know what I mean."

"Huh. You tell Pete?"

"Yeah he was the one who came up with the idea that maybe she wanted the spot for herself. I'd just like to know before I have to work with her."

"Call her on it, Tim, confront her. I imagine that's her style but she won't be expecting you to make waves, since you're new out here. You'll probably shock the shit out of her by doing that."

"Yeah, I don't see another good way to find out and I need to know before some other case throws us together."

"And of course you'll let me know! How about you and Matt come for dinner Tuesday night? Unless…you know."

Tim laughed, "Yes for me, I'll ask Matt. Hey, Kim's going with us to our martial arts class tomorrow night."

"Oh great! Wait, you're going?!"

"I'll just go and watch unless I'm too wiped out from the day; I want to tell our instructor about me taking down the perp with my new move. And I might be able to do some leg work without hurting anything."

"Do I trust your judgment?"

"Yes because Matt and Kim will be there."

"That sounds about right."

"I'll see you Tuesday night, let me know what to bring. Now I have to go; my brother's flight to London is in the air and I'm over an hour late freaking out."

Carla started laughing and was still laughing when Tim disconnected. He immediately checked the status of the flight and found it had left on time, was still in the air and the ETA had not changed; the flight was still scheduled to land at 22:40. He set his phone alarm for an hour to check again and was just replacing the throw in Pete's office when his phone rang. Thinking it was Carla, he answered without looking at the id. "I'm all done freaking out for now, I'll check again in an hour. Did you forget something?" He walked back to the kitchen as he talked, wanting something hot to drink.

And a very non-Carla voice said, "No, Agent McGee, I haven't forgotten anything, just calling my injured agent to see how he's doing."

"Director Vance, hello! Sorry, I'd just been talking with Carla and…never mind. I'm doing much better, sir, thanks. Pete drove me home, er, here after lunch today and I've been napping out in the garden."

"You alone there?"

"No sir, Matt's here. He's still out there practicing his moves for tomorrow night; we have our martial arts class Monday evenings."

"The two of you?"

"Kim's starting tomorrow night too."

"And are you going?"

"Maybe, if I'm not too tired. If I can do some leg moves without killing myself I'd like to do that. Otherwise I'll just watch; I really don't want to risk not being cleared for the field."

"My thoughts exactly although I can see why you might feel a little conflicted. Pete tells me the move you used to bring your target down was one you learned last week?"

"Yes sir."

"Impressive, Tim! Now what were you freaking out about and why are you doing it again in an hour?"

"Oh, my brother's flight to London is in the air and I just did my first check on the status and I set my phone alarm for an hour to check again."

"Is your former flatmate meeting him?"

"Yes, I had an e-mail from him that he was all set, he'd check the flight before he left for Heathrow."

"That's good. I know your kids are well balanced, but flying internationally for the first time is a bit daunting, especially alone."

"You too?"

"Yes, my mission in Amsterdam was my first time outside of the U.S.; at least Rob's heading into a country that speaks the same language. In theory anyway." He paused, ""Have you talked with Joel?"

"No sir, Pete said he called yesterday but I slept nearly all day so I missed all the calls…yours too."

Vance chuckled, "I might have been upset if you'd been awake and not following doctor's orders!"

Tim laughed, "To tell you the truth, sir, even if I hadn't been injured I probably would have had a nice long nap yesterday. Pete and Matt both admitted they'd had long naps. I think it was the flying to and from in such a short time frame, plus all the adrenaline!"

"Could be, I'm just grateful that you weren't hurt any worse than you were and that no one else was injured…except for Agent Miller's illness. "

"Uh sir, about that, I just didn't think the entire European contingent of NCIS needed to hear it."

Vance sighed "No, you're right, Tim, discretion was a good choice. So you haven't heard from Joel today."

"No sir, but should I be talking with him? I can call him tomorrow…"

"No, no, I'm sure he'll contact you if he has any questions or anything, I'm just being nosy."

Tim laughed, "Well, it is your agency, Director, I'm pretty sure you're allowed to know what's going on!"

"Funny guy. So you need another name for your list now."

"Yes sir, do you have anyone in mind?"

"Maybe, but I'm not sure yet, I'll do some more checking tomorrow and let you know."

Just then Matt popped into the kitchen from the garden and evidently didn't see the phone in Tim's hand. "WHOOHOOO, I am so gonna kick butt tomorrow night! I've got the moves, oh yeah."

"That'll be great, Director, we can use more names. I sent the list we have to Major Fleming last week, hoping to hear something in the next day or so."

"Are you taking your pain pills and following doctor's orders?"

"I have been but I'm running a couple of hours behind now, Matt's getting me some crackers so I can take one now." Matt's eyes were still popping out of his head, had been since he'd heard Tim say the word "Director" after he'd done his Kung Fu banshee yell while entering the kitchen. He looked up with a puzzled expression when he heard his name, then shook his head to clear it and started opening cupboards looking for crackers.

"And why are you behind?"

"Because I was asleep most of the afternoon sir, I've only been awake for about 15 minutes now. Matt's making me a snack so I can take the pill." Tim and Matt spotted the pill bottle on the counter at the same time and Matt made a big show of putting it on the table with the crackers and a glass of water.

"See that you continue to follow your doctor's orders or I shall be forced to tell Dr. Mallard."

"Oh Lord, sir, don't do that, please!"

Vance started laughing, "All right, I won't, take it easy. Let me talk with Matt while you take that pill."

"Sure! Thanks for calling Director; you know what that means to me." He handed the phone to Matt who looked like he thought it might explode in his hand. Tim deliberately turned his back while he ate a few crackers and then swallowed the pain pill. A couple of minutes later, Matt handed the phone back to him, "Wants to talk with you again."

"Forgot to tell you the kids send their love."

"Back at them, how are they doing?"

"Pretty well, you might get some e-mails asking for help in math, Kayla's facing some challenges."

"Always happy to help! Just let me know." The two men said their goodbyes and ended the call.

Matt was smiling so wide it almost split his face. "He wanted to tell me he was impressed with my work and my potential and my "pitch in and help" attitude. He's in charge of this whole agency and he took the time to tell me that. "

"He makes it a point to keep an eye on young agents and employees just starting out. He's got a lot of positions to juggle; he needs to always have future juniors, SFAs, Team Leaders and SAICs in mind. Not to mention all the other positions – forensic specialists, crime scene specialists, profilers, volunteers for the Contingency Response Teams, Management and Administration positions…you know, who's next to run MTAC, etc. He's got 18 field offices and 165 other locations to keep staffed, so yeah, he likes to keep an ear and an eye out for promising employees."

"Wow, that's a lot and I know we're considered a small agency."

"Yep, small and mighty! Uh, Matt, now that I've got crackers crumbs all over me and have dribbled water all over my shirt, I've realized I need to do something really prosaic – laundry. And that means going upstairs."

"Ok, are your laundry supplies up there?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm, let's take the laptop up then and maybe watch a movie." The laundry machine was in the hall bathroom and was a commonly used European model that functioned as both washer and dryer. While efficient, it also took much longer to do multiple loads of laundry for those people who used the dryer function and didn't hang their clothes out to dry. Tim had had to do that for all his years at the camp and vastly preferred the dryer method.

Tim started up the stairs, stopping halfway up. "Glad I took the pain pill, I can still feel this but geez I need to get moving!"

"You're doing fine, just take it easy."

He made it up to the second floor and stopped again to ease the twinges. He sorted his clothes and carried them down the hall to the bathroom, setting aside the shirt he'd worn Friday to take to the dry cleaners as it was a mess. He thought he'd wear button downs for a couple more days and then go back to his other shirts.

Once the first load was washing, the two friends settled in to watch a movie. Tim insisted Matt pick the movie as he figured he'd only fall asleep anyway. He did, about ten minutes into the movie and woke when his phone alarm chimed for his second status check on Rob's flight. It was also time to reset the laundry machine to dry. That done, Tim checked on the flight and found it was still proceeding as planned. He sent a quick text to James who answered him with "LOL, of course you're checking every hour."

He settled on his bed again, determined to watch the movie this time but once again felt himself drifting off. This time he was awakened by his phone ringing. It was Joel. "Did I wake you? You're supposed to be resting, I know. I just wanted to check in with you, see how you're doing."

"Hi Joel. I'm doing pretty well; Matt's staying with me today, helping out. Yeah, I was dozing but I keep doing that, I don't mind waking up!"

"Right, well you sound good, better than I'd hoped. I wanted to thank you again for taking care of Miller."

"Yeah sure, Joel, how long was your SFA stuck in Brindisi with her?"

"They didn't get home til yesterday. Miller slept so late there were no more flights Friday night. Lydia was not happy." Tim couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't generate questions he didn't want to answer, so he just waited. "I'm stepping out of protocol here, Tim, but since this directly affected you, you have a right to know. I fired Miller this morning."

Tim nodded to himself, he wasn't surprised. "It's too bad, Joel. It's not like any of us are perfect, we all make mistakes."

"If your CIA buddy hadn't been there, her actions would have compromised your part of the operation."

"True."

Matt looked over at him and Tim made a throat cutting gesture and the younger man nodded with a grimace, understanding who and what they were talking about. The London SAIC and Tim chatted a little longer and then disconnected.

Tim turned to Matt. "Wow, I guess that was a foregone conclusion, although I thought they might go for additional training." He looked at Matt. "In my ever present need to find some little tidbit to teach you this is what I'm getting out of that mess: If you have anything that could in any way affect your team or an operation, let your boss know. If you're worried about a sick friend or have suffered a death in the family or have a migraine coming on or need to take something that could change the way you do your job, let him or her know! It doesn't necessarily mean you'll get pulled, it does mean your team will be safer. You'll develop your own instincts for stuff like this as you gain more experience and grow in the job but until then, report in."

Matt nodded. "How did you know I have migraines?"

"I didn't but I've known agents who've had them. How often do you get them and do you have the right kind of medication to stop them?"

"I haven't had one in two years, since I got out of college and yes, I have my prescription with me, I keep a dose here at work, one at home and two doses in my go bag. And Pete and Carla know."

"Ok, good and now I know too. You know what? I just realized I haven't reviewed your file!"

"We've been pretty busy."

"Mmm, I hate to keep bringing up examples of what not to do but one of the reasons I had so many bad experiences on my old team was that my boss never read my file. Never read anyone's but in my case reading it probably would have made all the difference in the world."

"So he didn't know about your background, wait, how did he hire you…or transfer you?"

"That was part of it, since he wasn't hiring me from outside NCIS he only looked at my experience and education, so yeah, he didn't know about the years on the street or my skill with a knife, the languages I speak besides English and a few other things."

"How come he never read anyone's file?"

"His mentor taught him to ignore the written stuff and to find the details by getting to know his agents. Unfortunately, Gibbs only paid attention to the ignoring part, not the getting to know bit, in my case anyway."

"So is that what he's doing now, trying to get to know you?"

"To some degree, yes, Vance made him read my file after I left and he's been trying to make things right between us."

"You're not going back, are you? I mean to work with him, once things are better?"

Tim shook his head. "No Matt, I won't go backward, need to keep moving forward. And I'm here now, not DC. You all are my team now, my job, my post."

"Good!"

"Have you been worried about that?"

"A little, I mean you left the top MCRT in the agency to come here and Pete told us a little bit but then when you got here you talked with your old boss and I… was confused."

"I guess that does sound confusing. Here's the deal, when you work with people long enough and I think you already feel this here, you become like a family. A work family and in the case of Gibbs' team a wildly dysfunctional work family. You know about us quitting last spring?"

"Um, I know there was something that Carla referred to as a witch hunt."

"Ok, it's complicated and really doesn't matter anymore but there were three of us who turned in our badges to save someone else's career and freedom. DiNozzo and I eventually returned, but Ziva didn't. She moved back to Israel, in essence, she "broke" the team. And there was stuff that happened afterward that showed me it was also time for me to move on. Anyway, the team has dispersed, but there is still the possibility of healing the family and that's what Gibbs and I are working toward."

"Oh, that makes sense then, especially because you don't have any parents. Um…I didn't mean…"

"But you're right! I don't have parents and I still need, still want a parent or two - or reasonable facsimiles of them." The dryer buzzed, Tim took his clothes out and put the next load in to wash. His phone buzzed, he checked the status and Rob's flight was still on target.

The evening passed slowly with the mundane chores of everyday life, laundry, cooking and eating dinner and washing dishes interspersed with Tim's hourly checks on Rob's flight. He fell asleep again during a TV show he and Matt were watching but woke when his phone buzzed. Eventually it chirped with a text from Rob, he was at Heathrow. Matt went off to bed while Tim changed into his pajamas and tried to concentrate on the same e-book he'd been trying to read for weeks. Finally he got the text that said Rob had found James and they were on their way to the flat. Tim sent a grateful goodnight text, put his tablet down and slumped down in bed, turning out the light.

* * *

><p>Note: the information about the positions at NCIS and the number of offices "forensic specialists, crime scene specialists, profilers, volunteers for the Contingency Response Teams, Management and Administration positions…you know, who's next to run MTAC, etc. He's got 18 field offices and 165 other locations"… came from the website for the Real World NCIS. As fan of the NCIS show I found it pretty exciting reading about it. If you've never been to the website, I recommend it. Just Google it and find the real NCIS in the mass of TV NCIS refs.<p> 


	26. Chapter 26

Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Six

Gibbs hoped to talk with Tony on Saturday but after he'd talked with Tim he got a text that DiNozzo had been called out on a case. He left his laptop on and Sunday night he heard the sound that meant someone was using Skype to contact him. It was a tired looking Tony.

"Hey, did you get your case solved?"

"Yeah, drug deal gone bad; luckily no one died. Just took us awhile to figure out who all was involved and bring them in."

"You look tired."

"Yep, was at the office until 0300 this morning then we were released to get some sleep, went back in at 0900, just got home. Paperwork tomorrow."

"Come closer to the screen, Tony. What did you do to your hair?"

"Got a buzz cut, Boss. I know, I know, weird, but I was hearing comments about my pretty boy do and I just decided to make the move to fit in."

"Tony…look, don't bury yourself, you have a right to your personality."

"Except for the bullying part."

"Well, yeah but that got learned somewhere, you need to unlearn it. But I really meant your style, how you take care of yourself. Don't subdue yourself, don't hide your light. Yeah, no pranks and you want to lose the bullying altogether and for all time, but don't try to be someone you're not. Don't hide your sense of humor or your love of film just to fit in. It's not going to work and will just come back to bite you."

"How do you know that's not all I am, the jokes, the movies, the pranks and the bullying?"

"Because I know you and that's not the sum total of who you are. You're smart, clever, curious, funny and a hell of an investigator. Don't bury those traits!"

"I also open my mouth before I think and manipulate others to get what I want."

"Not news, we've talked about that for years. Now you need to pay attention, work on those things. I'm not there to protect you anymore."

"Protect me?"

"Yeah."

"Shit. It's not that easy."

Gibbs huffed, "Tell me about it. But it'll be worth it, to me anyway, if it means I can go back to work, if you and I can still be close, if I can fix things with Tim."

"I still…is **_he_** having to fix things? What's _he_ working on?"

"His life, Tony. For one thing, he's having to play catch up in the field because I kept him benched. He had to take a lateral move in order to get out from under our boots."

"I heard he's a Senior Field Agent."

"He is now, yes."

"So Vance protected him."

Gibbs had tried to keep his temper at bay but he was rapidly losing the battle. "Someone had to; it sure as fuck wasn't either of us!"

Tony's eyes widened and he backed off.

"DiNozzo, you still don't get it, do you? We screwed up, you and me. Yeah, there were things Tim could maybe have done and he's not perfect, but it was our responsibility and we screwed up, we let him down in just about every way possible. This is not Tim's fault. And until you understand and admit your part in that, you're not going to get anywhere. Not by being what you think your boss wants you to be, not by your damn haircut, and not by carrying a grudge against the guy **_you _**hurt, you wronged. Stop being so damn jealous, what the hell do you think got you into this mess in the first place?"

"**_What_**_?_"

"You've been jealous of Tim since the day you met him, jealous and insecure. And I tried to help by paying more attention to you, trying to help you, but it was the worst thing I could have done. So now it's time, way past time to get over it. Stop blaming him for being who he is and grow the hell UP!"

Gibbs reached over and disconnected the call. He hated talking with DiNozzo when he was this whiny and letting his jealousy shine. He knew he shouldn't have talked to him that way but maybe it would get through to him; help him see what a jerk he was being about Tim. He hoped his oldest surrogate son would understand all of what he'd been trying to tell him. He needed to lose the jealousy, stop blaming Tim but also be himself. He was shaking he was so upset. He got out his notebook and wrote it down, writing for several minutes before he felt himself calming. He thought about calling Ducky but it was getting late and he didn't want to upset the older man, especially on a Sunday night when he had to be at work the next day. He would talk with Dr. Cranston tomorrow, geez he had a lot to go over with her.

XXX

In Louisiana, Abby was still fuming after seeing the news report about NCIS' big bust the day before. It looked like McGee's Evil Influence which she had now given capital letters to, had now spread to another continent. She tried again this morning to speak with the parish priest but he'd directed her to pray for forgiveness and enlightenment. She had walked away, scoffing. She was still waiting to hear about the job, as soon as she got that, she'd do something about enlightenment all right. Maybe it was time to take matters into her own hands, let people know how Evil Timothy McGee really was. She just had to be careful that whatever got out there on the internet couldn't' be traced back to her. She was smart, smarter than everyone around her, smarter than that evil monster masquerading as a geek, she'd figure it out.

XXX

Tim slept through the night, not needing any further medication. When he woke Monday morning he felt normal. His alarm hadn't gone off yet so he lay there relishing the feeling. Rob was over here, in London anyway, once Sarah got there, he'd feel a lot better. Not quite on the same continent, but close! Oh yeah, he felt good – normal. Yep this was going to be a good day. He got out of bed and still he was ok. He looked at his upper body, yep, the bruise was still there, starting to turn some interesting colors. He smiled as he got into the shower, he'd be cleared for the field on Wednesday. As he dressed, he smelled food cooking and realized Matt had beaten him downstairs. He bent to put his shoes on, ok, maybe that was a little twinge, tiny though. He walked carefully down the stairs repeating his mantra, back in the field on Wednesday, back in the field on Wednesday and was pleased when he made it without more than another tiny twinge. Not worth even mentioning.

Matt looked up. "You did good on the stairs. What are you going to tell Pete?"

"That I'm…fine, I'll tell him the truth. Just a few little twinges, when I was putting my shoes on and walking downstairs."

"That's good because you know he hates BS and he wouldn't believe you if you told him you were perfectly normal today."

He got a seriously scary look and his eyes widened. "Wow, are you mad at me? I'm just telling you the truth."

Tim shook his head, "Sorry man, I know that. That was sort of an automatic reflex…a learned one so I can unlearn it. Or just learn to use it on dirtbags and not friends"

"Well if it's meant to intimidate, it does."

"Huh, Gibbs will be happy to hear that his work goes on."

"Oh, that's a Gibbs look. Yikes and that's the guy you look to as a father figure!" The coffeemaker gurgled as it finished its brewing and Tim fixed two mugs of coffee, one just the way Matt liked it.

"Sorry, Matt. Can we start over? Good morning my friend, thanks for cooking breakfast and staying with me yesterday. Means a lot to me, you doing that."

"Promise not to ever give me that look again?"

"I promise!"

"And I don't want to ever meet Gibbs."

"Ok, I can't speak for professional gatherings but as far as personal appearances that won't be a problem."

"Ok, then we're good. " Matt looked at Tim, "So if you ever do give me that look, I'll know I've screwed up big time."

"Especially not then."

"Huh?"

"If you're anything like me, you'll know when you've screwed up and the last thing you need is that look."

"Yeah, good point. So what look will I get?"

Tim gave him the look he'd perfected with Sarah and Rob over the years, the "Really? I'm so disappointed in you" look.

"Ouch, that's almost as painful."

"I'm messing with you now, Matt! No look, we'll just deal with whatever happened. We all screw up, don't worry about it ahead of time."

"Another good point. Breakfast is served." They sat at the table and ate while they talked about plans for the week. Matt said he would let Carla know he would be there for dinner Tuesday night. Tim needed a haircut and he wanted to get it this week so it wouldn't look too freshly cut for the Embassy party, now only 11 days away. Matt laughed at first and then stopped, thinking about it. Tim hoped he and Evander could look at more places during the week and on Saturday. And now he thought he'd use this evening to call Sarah and Rob, find out how Rob's first day in London had been. Eventually they finished their coffees, put the dishes in the dishwasher and headed back upstairs, Tim taking them slowly. He completed his morning routine and grabbed his laptop bag. He was ok until he reached up with the strap in his hand, ready to sling it over his shoulder. That caused a twinge and it wasn't tiny. He didn't want to take the last pain pill, he needed to be alert; he found his bottle of Advil, took one and then stashed the bottle in his laptop case.

However, he must have made a noise because Matt appeared in the doorway.

"What happened?"

"I lifted the strap on this, the whole bag really, to put it on my shoulder and it hurt a bit. Still a twinge but it hurt and didn't fade away so I took an Advil and I'm bringing the bottle downstairs with me."

"That's good that you took the Advil. Here, give me the bag. If it hurt lifting it up there, it's not going to be good walking down the stairs with it on your shoulder."

Tim made a movement toward the strap, but Matt stopped him. "Wait. Better just let me take it off."

Tim nodded and stood still while his friend slid the strap off his shoulder and grabbed the carry handles on the bag.

"Anything else you need to go downstairs?"

"Don't think so." They walked downstairs, Matt going first and then turning and watching Tim for signs of trouble. Tim smiled when he got to the bottom. "Thanks man. That went better than the first time!"

Pete came in shortly after they reached their desks. "Ah good, my two favorite agents. How are things?"

Tim grinned, "Slept like a rock and didn't need a pain pill; had some twinges this morning – Matt had to carry my laptop bag down for me – and I've taken some Advil. But I feel a lot better. When I woke up this morning, I felt normal."

"Good, that's great news! So you'll take it easy today and tomorrow. Matt, how are you doing?"

"I'm good Pete. I learned something about haircuts this morning."

"Oh, what's that?"

"To get them several days ahead of an event so your hair will look more natural, not so just cut."

"Yeah, unless you're military that's always a good idea. Rob get to London ok?"

"Yes, right on time!"

"That's great! Now, I have something for the two of you, well for everyone really, but I'll start with you two." He took an envelope off his desk and took two tickets out of it. "These are for the kids' play which opens Friday night. It'd be really great if you guys would come."

Tim grinned, "Wouldn't miss it, Pete. Sarah and Rob were in their school plays and it was a lot of fun!"

Matt smiled, "Sure thing, I was in our senior play in high school."

"Oh yeah? What play did you do?"

"We did "Grease" and I played Doody."

"Hey, that's great!"

"Yeah, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the kids do "Bye Bye Birdie", it's sort of the same era."

"Guess that's true. Any news from anyone?"

"Carla's fine, we're having dinner with them tomorrow night."

"Great, Trina and I stopped by yesterday, she's really bored. And a bored Carla is dangerous."

"I mentioned the writing thing, she liked the idea."

"Good, something for her to do."

Matt grinned and Pete's eyes narrowed. "And?"

Tim tried not to roll his eyes. "Director Vance called to see how I was."

"Good!"

He looked at Tim's face, "What?"

"It's great that he's been so nice to me, but I don't want to get the reputation of being um…never mind."

"You're not and he'll get used to you being over here. He told me last week he misses you in the office. I guess the bullpen where your former team sat is empty and he's still getting used to it."

"Oh. Yeah, that would be weird." Tim's shoulders suddenly slumped; Matt recognized the look and wisely turned to his desk while Pete steered his SFA into his office.

"You're homesick."

"Yeah, it just kind of hit me."

"That's how it works."

Tim gave a little laugh, "The Director told me to find a McDonald's, said it would help."

"Believe it or not, it does, a little. You'll be talking with your sister and brother tonight, right?" Tim nodded, "That should help. Easier for you now than it was for Leon and me."

Pete got a full smile for that suggestion. "We have the internet and Skype now and you and the Director really didn't all those years ago."

"Wasn't all that many years ago! My brothers and most of my friends had e-mail but it could be a little tricky to send internationally. And my mom didn't have a computer at home. She'd go to the library and sign on there." He laughed, "She bought a laptop when Skype first came out. I think she was Skype's first customer in the U.S., no way was she going to miss any opportunities to see her grandchildren!"

Tim thought about that as he returned to his desk. He didn't remember his mother and Natalie had certainly never shown any maternal or any other kind of interest in them. Mrs. Ferguson their first landlady had been wonderful to them but Tim didn't know if she had been maternal. He realized he didn't really know what "maternal" meant aside from the dictionary definition and wondered if that was part of his problem with women. He hadn't been around any nurturing women that he could think of, his teachers, certainly not Natalie, there was no mothering there. His high school girlfriend's mother liked him and the school secretary who had helped them.

Shrugging, he opened his NCIS e-mail and found a reply from Major Fleming. As with everyone else these past few days, his first comment was to send congratulations for the cartel takedown. Then he launched straight into the list. When Tim saw what was said about Laurel Miller, he again felt that they had dodged a bullet and wondered why she'd been promoted from Probationary to Junior. He pushed past that, she was no longer his concern. He inserted the Major's findings onto his worksheet and studied it. He went back to the files and read the six pertinent ones again. Making a decision, he cut the list down to four names, updated his document and sent it to Pete. They still needed to cut one more to reach their short list.

The day went quickly, the phones were quiet and the three agents were busy doing their reports of the cartel takedown. All the reports would be submitted to Marseille and they would do the final write-up. Pete and Tim had already received Ted and Jack's reports this morning and folded them in with their own. Eva was off as she'd worked late on Friday, helping Kim support their agents. Tea and Kim disappeared at lunchtime, visiting Carla. Pete offered to pick up lunch and Tim decided to go with him, he needed to walk and get some fresh air. He felt like he'd been penned up for weeks rather than two days, plus he could drop his shirts off at the laundry. Matt insisted on going upstairs to get them and Tim didn't fight him. The walk to and from the deli was brief but it did him a world of good to get outside and stretch his long legs. They dropped his shirts off on the way, picked up the lunch order they'd called in and walked back.

After lunch, Tea finished sorting the mail and gave something to Kim with a question. Kim read it, grinned and pointed to Pete. The others saw the grin but Pete had been on the phone. Tea waited until he was off to give him the formal looking envelope. If they hadn't already been given their embassy party invitations, Tim might have thought this was it. Pete read whatever was in the envelope and came out of his office, smiling. He called Tea in so she could listen.

"The USS Baton Rouge is coming into port on Saturday and they're holding a reception Sunday afternoon." He held up the document in his hand, "We're all invited!"

Tea asked, "All of us?"

Pete nodded, "Yep, all of us. Spouses too, so Eva, Caleb can come and Kim, I think we can stretch to include Evander, he's almost a spouse."

Eva looked disappointed, "Unfortunately we have other plans that can't be changed."

Kim nodded, "Weekends are Evander's biggest days for work, but I'll check with him."

Matt grinned, "I can go!" Tim laughed, "Me too!" Pete chuckled, "I'm glad the play is Friday night and Saturday, there's a matinee performance on Sunday but I think Trina, Kyra, Lukas and I can skip that." They talked about the reception for a little while, hoping there would be a tour of the ship. Everyone was going to the play on Friday night and that seemed funny to them too, that they had two "work" events in the same weekend.

Tim had been considering going to class that evening but Pete was still making noises about it and he realized his boss was right, he should not be overextending himself at this point, he owed that to his team. After telling Pete, he called George to let him know he'd be unable to come to class tonight but that Matt and Kim would be there. To Tim's chagrin, the instructor was as excited as he was concerned; he had decided on his own that Tim and Matt had been in on that big bust. Tim wondered if it was his original mention of his team that had planted the seed that led to George's conclusion. He decided not to tell him about his new move taking down the target until he saw him in person and then maybe not for a few weeks; he needed some semblance of anonymity and was afraid George would brag to his friends. Sure he was normally discreet, but to have his very own pupil participate in that newsworthy of a bust and using a move he'd taught him? Even a monk who'd taken a vow of silence would be sorely tempted to brag about that! During the afternoon, Tim pulled Matt and Kim aside and shared his concerns and they agreed, they would not bring the subject up and if George did, they would downplay it and emphasize the need for discretion.

By 1700, Tim knew he wouldn't have gone no matter what his decision had been earlier, he was tired. He texted Rob during the day and his younger brother said he was doing ok as long as he took naps. He'd gotten outside and walked around, said he'd stopped in for a bite at the pub Tim and James had frequented. Rob said he could stay awake long enough for a Skype call with Sarah and Tim. Sarah had finally answered his text and said she'd be around the rest of the day as she was still sorting out her belongings.

XXX

Leon had finally compiled the list of names for Gibbs' team. There were six agents, three SFAs and three juniors to choose from. Two of the juniors were here in DC, Ned Dorneget and Susan Grady. After Agent McGee had voiced his concerns about Grady last week, Vance had done a little more digging and had a chat with the young woman. She now had a better understanding of workplace ethics and would also be assigned an additional training class on the subject. Pamela had found one offered by the DOJ that emphasized ethical use of electronic records and Agent Grady would be attending that. Vance made a note to contact Gibbs with his selections. He had been shocked but pleased to hear the man was in counseling and hoped he would stay with it until he figured out what had gone wrong and how to change his behavior. He thought by now the prospects for the future MCRT were as vetted as they could be, it was time to hand over the list to Gibbs and let him make the final decision.

XXX

Pete had gone out to run some errands and the others left, so Tim set up the Skype sessions with his siblings. They didn't talk long, Tim just wanted to touch base with both of them, see how Rob felt after his first day in London. Pete came back into the office to find Tim stretching his legs out in the garden. They had a few minutes before Vance's call so Tim decided to do the stairs up and down once while Pete was there. He did fine this time, no twinges, he didn't have to stop and he hadn't taken any more pain relievers. That made both men happy and they were in decidedly good moods when Vance called. With all the talking they'd done over the last few days there wasn't any real news for the Director, except that they'd whittled their junior agent list down to four names. The call was short and sweet and Pete took off for home after making sure Tim didn't need anything.

Tim decided to fix something to eat, he'd planned to walk down to the Flying Pig but he was tired and wanted to rest tonight so he could relax at Carla and Norm's tomorrow night. He made himself a simple dinner, making a note that he needed to buy some groceries. He had just finished when his laptop chimed with a Skype call. Looking at the id, he saw it was Gibbs and grinned. He answered with a smile, "Hey Boss! I was just finishing dinner, good timing!"

"I called Sarah and she told me you weren't going to your class tonight."

"Yeah, being in the field with the team is more important than the class right now. So what are you up to this morning?"

"Going to see Rachel in a little bit, just wanted to check in and see how you're doing today. I figured you probably sacked out most of yesterday too, didn't want to risk waking you up."

"Thanks! I did, Matt was here and we were out in the garden." Tim laughed, "He didn't do any practice on Friday or Saturday so I critiqued while he practiced. Only I fell asleep at one point, we found a chaise lounge in the shed here so I was stretched out on that. I swear, two minutes stretched out and I'm sound asleep."

"That's good though Tim, it's what your body needs to do to heal."

"I guess, I did fine on the stairs today, just a few twinges but an Advil this morning took care of that and I haven't needed one since."

"Good! You look a lot better than you did Saturday; geez, I was ready to get on the next flight."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Ducky didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Vance called him Saturday morning and told him about you being injured and of course you were home from the hospital by then. Ducky called Jimmy before he came over to tell me. When Duck came over to the house and told me, I just grabbed the car keys and headed out the door, I was on my way to you, Tim. No question about it. I was halfway to my car when Jimmy drove up and pulled in behind me, blocking me in. Then they managed to talk me down and get me back inside the house. Timing was all; I got to see you an hour later."

"Wow, Boss. That's…thank you."

Gibbs just shook his head, remembering the cloying fear when Ducky told him. "You'll always be mine, Tim."

"I like that." Tim chuckled, "Guess that means I have rights to you too."

Gibbs smiled, "You sure do, son. So, what'd you do today?"

"Did our reports, thank god those are done and sent to Marseille. After that, I worked on our list of prospective junior agents, whittled it down to four names out of the original 16."

"16, you had 16 names submitted?"

"Yep and I vetted them…well a few vetted themselves, that agent from London is off the list and a couple from DC. Contacted Major Fleming and he sent me his findings."

"Wow, that's some great work."

"Did I tell you what we're doing? I can't remember!"

"No, don't think so."

"Vance has approved it so I guess it's ok if I talk about it. I want to keep Matt when he finishes his probie year next September. But we don't have a junior now, so my proposal is to bring a junior in for a long term TAD, close to 10 months and then ship them out someplace. Maybe to one of the other European offices, will save the agency some moving expenses."

"So you get to train the junior and your probie the way you want and then send Junior out to work elsewhere. That's a great idea, Tim!"

"Thanks! It just makes sense for us, Matt's going to be an awesome agent and if things work out here he could be a SFA anywhere in a few years."

"You mean he could be your SFA!"

"Maybe, I'm not sure it's a good idea for an agent to only have worked in one office, that's a pretty narrow field of exposure."

"Good point."

"Yeah, so you like the idea?"

"I do!"

"Luckily so does Vance."

"That's good! He's putting together my new team, he's selecting a bunch of agents and then I get to pick and choose."

"Great! Yeah I might as well tell you that I rejected one of the names Vance gave me because I'm hoping you'll want him."

"Oh yeah, who's that or do you feel comfortable saying?"

Tim chuckled, "Went this far, sure. It's Ned Dorneget."

"And why did you reject him?"

"Not for lack of ability, that's for sure. He's worked hard on his shooting, I taught him how to handle a knife last summer and he's good at it, especially with his build. He's taking a mixed martial arts class and has taken all the in-house training on investigation, crime scenes, etc. My only concern was that he hasn't had a permanent post in two years and I didn't think floating again would be good for his career."

"Hmm, I see. Well, I like the guy and he's worked with us before. If he's on the list, I won't have a problem."

"Great to hear, Boss!" Tim went on to tell Gibbs about the plans for the Russell kids' play on Friday night and the reception on the Baton Rouge on Sunday. Gibbs gently teased him again about being a man of the world, wanting to know if he was going to wear his tux Friday night or Sunday. They talked for another few minutes until Gibbs could see his youngest was tired and he signed off. Tim went upstairs with a smile, today had been an excellent day!


	27. Chapter 27

Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Seven

While he didn't quite bounce out of bed Tuesday morning, there was considerably more 'spring' available in his body than there had been even last night. He'd slept straight through, an anomaly he liked a lot; he was rested and ready to take on the world when he awoke.

He was at his desk, nose deep in a cold case file when the others filtered in. He had put aside his list of prospective agents for now, deciding to let the facts percolate a bit and see what Pete was thinking about them. His plan for today was to work cold cases unless a case came in or Pete had something for him. He and Matt would have dinner this evening with Carla and Norm and he was looking forward to that. He wondered if Carla had had a chance to look into starting a blog. He left a message for Evander that he was ready to start looking again if the real estate agent had anything and that he'd be available Wednesday and Saturday. He'd forgotten about calling Lydia yesterday but figured she and Joel would have been dealing with the fallout from Miller's departure. He'd call her today if he could get a few minutes of privacy; he figured the garden was the best bet or Pete's office if his boss went out at lunchtime.

He looked again at the cold case in his hands; it hadn't been updated in ten years. Fifteen years ago a young ensign had disappeared in the process of transferring from one post to the next. The case had been investigated at first as a UA and then had morphed into a probable kidnapping. No trace of the officer had ever been found, no body, no leads, nothing. For the life of him, Tim could not see what had caused this to be investigated as a kidnapping. Opening the envelope containing the lead agent's personal notes on the case, he began to understand. The SAIC of the Athens office, one Leon Vance, had been ordered to treat the case as a kidnapping. The young ensign was the son of an Admiral and extreme pressure had been brought to bear to keep the term "UA" out of the file. Vance's notes indicated that he'd spoken with a younger brother who believed that the young man had walked away from his commission. The brother reported his sibling had talked about it for months, how much he hated being in the Navy and that he'd been forced into it by their father. A further note stated that NCIS Director Tom Morrow had dictated they investigate it according to the wishes of the Secretary of the Navy - as a kidnapping. Tim did some research and discovered the brother was now living in France. He found a phone number and called the man. When Tim told him he was an NCIS agent wanting to update his brother's case file, the younger sibling sighed and after a long silence gave him an address in Athens. He didn't say what it was, just gave him the address and hung up.

Tim poked his head into Pete's office. "I've got a lead in Athens on an old kidnapping that was probably a walk. "

"Solid?"

"From the guy's younger brother who'd tried to tell NCIS 15 years ago that his brother had walked. Son of an Admiral; SecNav and Morrow played it like a kidnapping. There was no discovery on the case, nothing."

"Whoo, we could close one! All right, I'm coming with you, let's go!" Pete stopped and looked at him when Tim just stood there with a funny look on his face. "Oops, I forgot."

"I'm good, you know. I'll just sit in the car, what's the difference between sitting in a car and sitting behind a desk? I'm more likely to have to run upstairs two or three extra times here and re-injure myself than hurt myself sitting in a car."

"Huh. We both know you won't sit in the car, but you're less than 24 hours away from being cleared for the field. So help me, if you get hurt…"

Tim grinned, "I'll be good."

Tim got behind the wheel and the two took off. Within a few minutes they were at the address Tim had been given. The street was clean and neat, the homes well maintained although not particularly high end. Remembering the two houses in Larissa, Tim knew that meant as little here as it did in the States. The house they wanted was on a corner; they drove around so they could see the back of the house. They spotted a car in a carport and a door at the back of the house, the yard was surrounded by a high wooden fence which would take some time for anyone to jump or climb over. Tim parked behind the car, blocking it.

As Pete got out of the car, he ordered Tim, "Unless you hear me yell or a gunshot, you STAY in the car!" They took out their communication devices and tested the audio. Tim nodded; he would not disobey a direct order. He watched as Pete walked to the street and around the corner; Tim really didn't like not being able to see his partner. Knocking at the front door, Pete was almost surprised to have it opened by a man who looked like an older version of the young ensign.

"NCIS, are you Michael Nicholas Stavros?" The man nodded with an unhappy look on his face. "Yeah, that's me. You finally found me. What happens now?"

"We need to take you back to our office and hold you there. We'll contact our JAG offices, see what they want to do with you and go from there." Tim heard the conversation but didn't relax, knowing the man could still panic and try to make a run for it.

"Sorry sir, have to cuff you."

"I understand. My old man put you up to this?"

"Mr. Stavros, Admiral Stavros died five months ago."

"Oh geez, then how…?"

"Cold case file. Just your luck it was picked up by the best agent at NCIS." Pete told Tim it was all clear and to bring the car around. While he waited, Tim peeked in the back gate and noticed a kid's wading pool and other assorted toys. He took the car around front and joined Pete at the front door, showing his badge.

"Mr. Stavros, you have family here?"

"Yeah, my wife's at work, I work swing shift, we have three kids in school."

"When we get to our office, you can contact your wife."

"Wow, this is going to be news to her." Behind the prisoner, Pete and Tim raised eyebrows at each other; the guy had a family and in 15 years had never mentioned he was a fugitive from the US Navy!

They had a quick and quiet ride back to the office, Tim again driving and Pete sitting in the backseat with the fugitive. When they arrived, they sat him down in front of a phone and he called his wife. Then he was offered a bathroom break and declining it, was escorted to their interrogation room and locked in. Matt was given the responsibility of sitting in Observation to make sure the man didn't need anything, didn't ask for anything and didn't cause any problems.

When Matt stood to leave his workstation, he pulled his weapon out of a desk drawer and looked up at Tim for approval. Tim nodded and then pointed at a file on Matt's desk; he could take work in with him as long as he kept one eye on their prisoner. He walked with Matt, giving him a quick update on the case. He needed to be on the call with Pete and JAG; then he'd be in to relieve Matt. They called the closest JAG office which was in Naples and the officer they spoke with said he would come to them. He sent them his flight number shortly after that; he would arrive in Athens at 07:30 Wednesday morning and would transport the prisoner back to Naples on a return flight at 1300. Tim had his doctor's appointment so wasn't available to pick him up but Pete thought it would be a perfect independent task and good experience for Matt.

As they couldn't leave the prisoner in the interrogation room overnight, Pete explained that the normal procedure was to house their prisoners with the Piraeus PD; they would bill NCIS for the service. While Tim listened in, Pete called the Chief of Police and arranged for a cell for one night. Either Pete would pick him up in the morning or the PD would deliver him. It was nearly 1400 by the time everything was set and neither man had had lunch. Tim hadn't even thought of it but as he headed to his desk, his stomach growled rather loudly. Eva was there and offered to pop out to the deli and get food for them. Knowing there wasn't much food left in the kitchen both men agreed, giving her their orders and the money for them.

They quickly ate lunch and then prepared their questions for their recovered fugitive. Bringing him a bottle of water, it only took a few minutes to get the details of his fifteen years of hiding in plain sight. Tim updated the file and was just finishing when the man's wife called, distraught. Pete took the call and Tim listened in. Pete hung up after he'd told the woman what would happen next. "Geez, I hope for his family's sake JAG just gives him a slap on the wrist."

"His father might have screwed the pooch for him by insisting on a kidnapping investigation."

"Yeah, but that wasn't the kid's call. Leon was right, you were right, there was absolutely nothing pointing to a kidnapping. It was the old man, SecNav and Morrow who forced that."

Tim relieved Matt in the Observation room and was just punching in the number he'd been carrying around all day, Lydia's number, when his phone rang. He chuckled to himself when he saw the caller ID, it was Lydia. He wondered what this meant. "Tim McGee."

"Agent McGee, this is Lydia Worden in the London office. Am I interrupting anything, do you have a few minutes?"

"A couple of minutes, yes, I'm guarding a prisoner right now, Lydia, but he's not going anywhere for awhile."

"Agent McGee, I want to apologize for my behavior the other day. That was uncalled for and just plain rude. I've been rude to you before, I ignored you in London and I'm sorry for that as well. I…well, to tell you the truth I was resentful that my junior agent had to go take your place in Athens but even before that, it was like you were the Second Coming or something. And then you went and lived up to that…you know what I mean, with your über successful launch and Joel wouldn't stop talking about you. I was jealous and resentful. And then you saved our asses in Italy with that twit. Honestly…well that's another story. I realized I was blaming you for a reputation you've clearly worked hard to earn and that's just wrong. I have a friend who works in DC and she told me some of what you've been through in your career and I realized I've been a total bitch to someone who didn't deserve that at all. And now I understand why you've suddenly popped up out of nowhere; it's not suddenly, you're just finally being recognized. I do apologize and I hope we'll be able to work together in the future."

Tim was rocked by her admission. "Lydia, thank you, I can't tell you what that means to me and yes I accept your apology. I was a little afraid that was the problem and I'm glad you called, tell you the truth, I was just punching in the numbers to call you. I'm sure we'll be fine working together, maybe we can just start fresh, how's that?"

The other SFA responded enthusiastically and further apologized for not calling sooner. Tim stopped her on that one, telling her he was sure there had been plenty to handle in the wake of Miller's dismissal. She got quiet then and asked how he knew about that; he told her Joel had called him Sunday to see how he was after his stay in the hospital and had mentioned it. She hadn't heard about his injury and they talked about it before finally disconnecting. Tim smiled, that was good, he was glad that was resolved. He briefly wondered who she knew in DC.

Still in Observation, he was sitting down to work on another file when his phone chirped with a call from Jack. He'd called on Saturday and Tim had in turn left him a message on Sunday, letting him know he was healing and would be fine. When Jack started off the call saying he'd heard a rumor that Tim had been in on the cartel takedown, Tim cracked up. "How'd you know man?"

"Talked to Pete yesterday, he said he was getting calls and e-mails from people he hadn't heard from in years. Thought you might be too."

"Well it does have a way of bringing people out of the woodwork!"

"You still doing ok? You sound good."

"Yeah, I'm doing well, thanks. I'll see the doc tomorrow morning; I'm expecting to be cleared for the field." Tim laughed, "I went out on a lead with Pete, but I stayed in the car until he had the guy in cuffs. I figured sitting in the car was the same as sitting behind a desk, right?"

"Uh yeah sure, I'll buy that; I just wouldn't try and sell it to your doctor!"

"Hey, it was my case, my lead!"

"Oh I totally understand, done it myself. Hey, I guess this might be sort of my business, but have you heard any more about that flaky agent?"

"Canned. Sent back to the States to the unemployment office."

"Huh, I'm not too surprised, guessing that wasn't her only problem then."

"Probably not. Your timing is impeccable; I just got off the phone with the SFA from London, the one who relieved us of agent-sitting duties."

"Oh yeah, that one. What'd she have to say?"

"Apologized, seems she was jealous and resentful of me, pissed at Miller and probably exhausted."

"Huh? She was jealous and resentful, had she ever met you before…oh, you said you'd seen her in London."

"Uh huh. Anyway she called me just as I was dialing her. I accepted her apology and I'll see how we do when we have to work together."

"Proceed with caution then."

"Nah, I think we'll be ok."

"Good, I was beginning to think your London office had some real problems!"

"I think just the one and she's gone. I worked there a month and never saw or heard of any problems."

"That's good!" Tim noticed Stavros moving around restlessly and realized he might need a break. "Hey, Jack, I've gotta go, I'm guarding a prisoner and I need to get him to a restroom, fast. Thanks for calling!"

"Sure, see ya!"

Tim disconnected and hurried to the Interrogation door, quickly unlocking it.

"Agent McGee, I gotta go!"

"Ok, hang on, it's right next door." He guided the former ensign to the restroom next door and back to Interrogation and then sat down across from the man. "In awhile, you'll be taken over to the Police Lockup for the night; they'll feed you dinner and breakfast. In the morning you'll be brought back over here and meet with the JAG officer. Your wife called, Agent Russell spoke with her and told her everything I'm telling you."

Tim looked at his watch, he figured the man wouldn't get any dinner for several hours. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Yeah, I can't believe I'm hungry, but I am."

"Ok, I'll see what we can scrounge up. Anything you're allergic to?" Stavros shook his head. Stepping back out of the room, Tim poked his head into the main office and caught Kim's eye. "Can someone please take a look in the kitchen and see if there's anything we can feed this guy? Even a protein bar would be good…there's one in my pack behind my desk."

Kim nodded, "I'll take a look through the kitchen first, I heard you muttering about grocery shopping yesterday."

"Yeah, that didn't happen. Thanks, Kim."

Tim waited in Interrogation with Stavros. "Agent Russell said 'the best agent' found me. Was that you?"

Tim shook his head, "Don't know about that, but yeah, I reviewed your case file this morning."

"How'd you find me?"

"I called your brother to get his updated information and he gave me the address. Didn't know it was you. "

"Huh, wonder why he did that now?"

"I thought it might have to do with the recent death of Admiral Stavros."

"That son of a bitch! God I hated him."

Tim was relieved when there was a knock on the door. He exited the room and found Matt there with a plate of cheese and crackers and a mug of coffee, with another bottle of water tucked under his arm. "It was either this or make scrambled eggs and toast with your last two eggs and last slice of bread. The coffee's for you."

Tim chuckled, "Thanks! I'll stop on the way back from Carla and Norm's tonight and shop."

"Why don't we ride in one car then, leave my car here and I'll help you carry stuff in. Because you know, you don't want to mess up your appointment tomorrow."

Tim bit back a groan, man this was getting old. "Yeah ok man thanks."

Matt grinned at him. "You know we've been through this with Carla, only she was far worse."

"Much better reason though." Tim quickly stashed his coffee in Observation and then escorted Matt into Interrogation. The prisoner was happy to see the food and they left him to it.

By 1700, the prisoner had been delivered to the police lockup and Tim finished updating the case file with all the new information. He saved everything and sent the file to Pete in case he was delayed at the hospital in the morning. He'd brought his jacket downstairs with him this morning so all he needed to do was lock up his laptop and wait for Matt. The younger man was also ready so they headed out to Carla and Norm's in Tim's car. They stopped on the way for tomatoes; Norm had called during the afternoon and asked them to pick up some.

Norm answered the door, "Hey guys, good to see you! Come on in and go see Carla before you do anything else. She's in the living room, in the recliner." He stopped Tim as he walked by him and looked at him searchingly. "You don't look battered."

Tim chuckled, "Under my clothes. Trust me - I'm a rainbow of colors!"

Carla had the chair in full recline to accommodate her now substantial pregnancy bump and was reaching out to Matt for an awkward hug when they walked in. Tim smiled; he knew Matt was happy and relieved to see her.

Norm served them tiny potatoes and slices of roast chicken. Tim tasted garlic and something different, he thought maybe it was rosemary and definitely olive oil. They sat in the living room to eat so that Carla could be part of the group. Tim saw that she was uncomfortable and her 'bump' seemed to have grown considerably since he'd seen her. He added up the weeks and wondered if the babies were far enough along yet. Norm nodded, guessing what he was thinking.

"If we have the babies now, they'll have to stay in the hospital for a bit, but they should be fine, they're developed enough now. The problem will be their lungs but medicine has advanced tremendously and under-developed lungs are treated successfully every day."

"Have you got names picked out?"

"Yeah, we decided we'd better do that as Hofstadler is kind of a tough name to match. "

"We've been calling them Huey, Dewey and Luella, but we're actually not sure about Dewey, that baby has been very shy about sharing!"

"Yeah, so we've picked names for two girls and two boys."

Matt grinned, "Do we have to wait?"

Carla chuckled, "Not necessary, of course we may not know about Dewey until he or she is born!"

Norm nodded, "Boys names are William and Jason and will have Carla's maiden name, Santos, as the middle name."

Carla smiled, "Girls names are Samantha and Camilla. Middle names are still to be determined but might also be Santos."

Tim nodded, "Those are great names."

"Thanks, we've been saying them aloud to make sure we like the sound of the whole name. William will be Will, not Bill and we figure Jason will be shortened to Jase. Samantha to Sam and Camilla might be Cam or Cammy."

Tim said the names aloud with Hofstadler and nodded, "Yeah, those go very well."

Matt looked upstairs, "Is the nursery ready?"

Norm shook his head. "Almost! I finally got it painted and the furniture we ordered will be delivered next week. Pete said he'd come help me with it but if either of you would like to pitch in, the more the merrier!"

Tim looked at Matt and they both nodded, "Sure be happy to, especially since Pete will know what he's doing!"

Carla snorted, "Well Trina will be here too so we'll see who's the expert! Now, enough about me and the babies. I want details from both of you! Matt, you first!"

Knowing she meant about the big bust, the two men kept their hosts entertained for the next hour. When they were finished, Matt pointed to Tim. "He broke a cold case today, Carla, just like that." He snapped his fingers.

"Tim?"

"It was a purported kidnapping but there was nothing in the file that supported that, nothing. The original agent had spoken to the guy's brother and he'd said he was sure he'd just walked away. Turns out he was right, the missing ensign has been living in Athens with his wife and three kids for the past 15 years."

Carla of course wanted details so Tim told her what he could. Since the case was still open, he couldn't divulge everything. When he thought he'd said all he could, he mentioned the reception on the Baton Rouge on Sunday. That generated more conversation and then Norm wanted to know how the car was running and if he'd looked at any more apartments. They spent nearly another hour talking; by that time all three men noticed that Carla had been quiet for several minutes and seemed to be even more uncomfortable. Matt looked at Tim and he shrugged.

Norm leaned over his wife, "Honey, how bad?"

"Worse than two weeks ago, not as bad as last month."

"Ok, guys we need to get to the hospital."

"Anything we can do?"

"Maybe. Carla, car or ride?"

"Ride."

"Ok, I'm going to call for an ambulance and our doctor, if you could stay with her for a minute?" They nodded and Matt reached out and took Carla's hand. Tim tried to think of practical things, "Carla, do you have a bag or anything to take with you?"

She nodded, "Upstairs, next to my bed, it's pink and blue, says "Mommy's Bag" on it.

"Ok, I'll get that." Tim headed upstairs and found the master bedroom and the bag, not that he could have missed the pink and blue polka-dots.

When he walked downstairs he realized he could already hear a siren. Looking at his watch, he wondered if he should call Pete. But she'd said it wasn't as bad as last month so hopefully that meant they could again stop her labor. Making a decision, he silently invoked Rule 18 as he punched Pete's contact info. "Tim, trouble?"

"We're with Carla and Norm; she's on her way to the hospital again."

"Car or ambulance?"

"Ambulance, they just got here."

"Shit! Ok, tell Norm one of us will be at the hospital."

"I can stay with your kids, Pete."

"Yeah, that'd be good, Tim, they're not quite old enough to leave alone." He gave Tim the address.

"Ok, I'm going to check with Matt, see what he wants to do. I'll be there as soon as I can." The medics were working on Carla and Matt was standing nearby.

Tim put his hand on his shoulder, "She'll be ok, Matt, they'll be ok. I'm going to head over to the Russells and stay with their kids so Pete and Trina can both go to the hospital. Do you want to come with me or maybe drive Norm's car to the hospital, stay there for awhile?"

"I'm…I want to go to the hospital, Tim."

"Ok bud; let's get the keys from Norm."

"Yeah." Matt got the keys from Norm and the two men watched as Carla was carefully helped onto the gurney and wheeled out to the ambulance, Norm crawling in after her. Matt locked the front door and climbed in Norm's new car while Tim drove to Pete and Trina's home.


	28. Chapter 28

Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Eight

Tim was sound asleep in the guest room, the one he'd stayed in just the other day, when his cell phone chirped. He woke enough to grab for it and make a noise. "Erm."

"Tim, it's Pete."

That woke him up. "How's Carla?"

"She's in Recovery with three babies. They decided to do an emergency C-section."

"She's ok, babies are ok? Norm's ok?"

"Yeah, Carla's ok, still out of it from the anesthetic but they said she'll be fine and the babies are in decent shape. They're pretty small, they're in the preemie section of the nursery and Norm's there now, meeting them."

"So two boys, one girl, two girls, one boy?"

"Let's see, there's Jason, Camilla and William."

"So Dewey is a boy after all."

Pete chuckled, "Yep."

"How are you and Trina holding up - and Matt? Everything's fine here, I wrote a note to the kids right under your note."

"Ok good, thanks. We're fine, it's a heck of a lot easier when it's not your own! Matt's fine… actually he's asleep."

"You going to stay for awhile?"

"Yeah, when Norm gets back he'll call Carla's sister and his brother. Cafeteria opens for breakfast at 05:30 so we'll take him to get something to eat then Matt can take my car to the airport; Trina and I will take Norm's car and swap out at some point. What time is your doctor's appointment?"

"08:15"

"Ok, then would you mind waiting until the kids leave for school? Carpool will pick them up about 7:20."

"Sure, no problem. What do they normally have for breakfast?"

"Don't worry about that, they'll get their own…you make sure you eat too. I'll call Kim at some point, tell her the news. There's an extra key to the front door in the top drawer to the left of the dishwasher, just please lock up when you leave. Ahh, I'll head into the office when Matt calls from the airport, need one of us there with JAG. I'll call the Chief and ask him to have his people transport Stavros back to us and put him in Interrogation and stay there. Kim has the authority but she's not armed, I'd prefer they do it."

Tim had to think about that and he didn't like it. "You mean the Piraeus Police Department will bring our prisoner back and sit with him, guard him? In the NCIS building?"

"Yeah."

"Is that in the legal agreement with the PD?"

"Uh, no."

Tim did not like this at all. "Pete, I'm really uncomfortable with this, I'll reschedule my doctor's appointment for later in the morning after you're back."

"No you will not. That's our number one priority."

"I'm going to have to disagree with you about that. Guarding our prisoner and making sure nothing happens to taint the case should be our number 1 priority. Seems to me NCIS, an American agency, has the responsibility to guard our own prisoner. He hasn't broken any laws of the Greek Republic."

"Tim, don't worry about it."

"I can't do that Pete. Look, you go have breakfast, I'll get the kids off to school and then head over to the office."

"Kim's perfectly capable…"

"I'm sure she is, but she's not a federal agent, she's not armed. Pete, that's the U.S. flag flying over our building, our office is a little slice of U.S. territory. Yes, it's not the same as an embassy but from what I've read it's pretty damn close. I cannot in good conscience allow law enforcement from another country, no matter how friendly, stand guard over a prisoner of the U.S. government, on our property. He is our responsibility."

"Timothy!"

"Look, it's no big deal; I'll reschedule my appointment for later in the morning when you and Matt are in the office." Tim disconnected and looked at the clock; it was just 03:00 which meant three more hours to sleep. Except that he couldn't, he was reeling with what Pete had said, thinking he must have been tired beyond belief to have even thought of that scenario. Well, their first disagreement was bound to happen sometime, he just hadn't expected it at three in the morning. He drifted off again and woke at 05:45. He decided to take a quick shower before the kids started waking and getting ready for school. The hot shower felt good and he felt much better as he dressed and then headed to the kitchen. He grinned as he heard a coffeemaker gurgling. He grabbed a mug and had his first cup while he thought about what he wanted for breakfast. With JAG there, it would be a long morning so he decided to go for a full meal – eggs, bacon and toast with a side of yogurt. He found bagels in the freezer and decided to take them into work, figuring with everything going on they might need a mid-morning snack. He added a note to the one he'd left last night that he owed them a bag of bagels. By 06:45 the kids were dressed and eating breakfast, excited about the babies. Stephan found the extra house key for him and Tim put it on his own key ring to give back to Pete later. Their teeth brushed, hair combed, uniforms on straight, book bags with the right student, all four of them were ready for the carpool when the other parent arrived. To Tim's amusement, all four of the kids hugged him before they left. He went back in, brushed his own teeth, put the dishes in the dishwasher and since it was full, started it up. Everything back in his go bag, bagels in a tote Kyra had found for him, he made a quick call to Kim. She was just leaving for the office. When he told her he was on his way in, she told him she was relieved.

Tim had just walked into the office when the Piraeus PD drove up with Stavros. He put him back in Interrogation and then called the doctor's office to reschedule for 10 AM. He'd grabbed a few files and was in Observation when Kim came in with coffee and a generous slice of coffee cake. Tim looked through the window at Stavros, he looked tired. Leaving Kim in Observation, he stuck his head in Interrogation, "If you want to take a nap, man, go ahead. JAG won't be here for awhile." The man nodded and put his head down on the table.

Stavros was asleep and Tim was reviewing files in Observation when Pete got to the office thirty minutes later. He had been upset when he saw Tim's car in the parking lot, but Trina had calmed him down, pointing out that the young man could not be damned for doing his duty. Pete finally understood he was mostly upset with his own bad call. He didn't have much of a temper but he'd been up all night and worried they were going to lose Carla and/or the babies. He was just getting out of the car when Matt pulled in with the two JAG officers. He stopped and waited for them and was introduced to Col. Davies and Capt. Dupree and was told their flight out of Naples had been delayed due to a storm rolling through. They walked in together; Eva and Tea were both at the front desk so he asked Eva to show the JAG officers to the kitchen for coffee. Then he grabbed Matt and they went to check on their teammate and fugitive. Tim had tired of sitting and was pacing, file in hand when they came in. They exchanged greetings although Matt thought Tim sounded different. He mentally shrugged; he was tired, he was sure it was his imagination.

Tim was happy to see his teammates, although he wasn't sure what his standing was with Pete. He'd worry about that later. He realized again it was the first thing Pete had done that he'd disagreed with. He understood Carla and Norm were dear friends but he'd felt strongly that one of them should be there when they had a prisoner in the building. Kim was not a federal agent. Yes, she had some authority that Pete had delegated to her but she was not armed nor was she trained and if the police officers had stayed to guard Stavros, they could very well have had to turn Stavros loose. A defense attorney could poke holes in the custody arrangement since he'd been guarded by law enforcement not only outside of NCIS but of a different country. The overnight custody arrangements had been hammered out legally and there were signed legal documents. He guessed Pete saw this morning's delivery and stay as an extension of that, but he still didn't feel right about it. Tim was feeling very strongly about his decision. Pete parked Matt in Observation and turned to head for the kitchen. Tim followed, feeling like he was back in DC. He shrugged, nobody was perfect. He was introduced to the two JAG attorneys; he grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and motioned to them. They followed him to the hallway and into Observation. Tim summoned Matt into the hallway and had him cover him while he gave the prisoner the bottle of water. This guy might be nonviolent but Tim was following strict protocol; he'd once witnessed a seemingly placid prisoner take advantage of an agent with his hands full, the prisoner had been subdued and the agent was uninjured but Tim had adhered to that particular protocol ever since. The two JAG officers observed the prisoner for a few minutes and then went in to question him. Tim stayed in Observation and sent Matt back to work. His phone alarm alerted him to his rescheduled doctor's appointment; he called Matt and asked him to step back in. When he walked into the main office he didn't see Pete, so he told Kim he was going to his doctor's appointment. She looked at him quizzically, "I thought that was this morning, early?"

"I rescheduled it. I shouldn't be long. Have you seen Pete?"

"I think he's outside." Tim nodded and decided to pop his head out the kitchen door. He looked out and saw his boss sitting with his back toward the building. "Pete, I'm headed out to the doc's, won't be long. Matt's in Observation." Pete didn't turn but raised a hand in acknowledgement; Tim closed the door and walked out to his car.

As he'd hoped, the doctor was pleased with his progress and signed the papers releasing him from all restrictions, although she did warn him not to lift anything over 40 pounds for another 5 days and told him he could not resume any active martial arts until the following Monday. When he questioned that, she said he could practice but she didn't want him defending or learning any new moves until he was farther along in his healing. She made it simple, if it hurts, stop. He grinned as he took the papers from her and left for the office.

When he returned, the two JAG officers were outside in the garden, discussing their next steps. Pete was in Observation, the others were at their desks. Tim decided telling Pete he was cleared for the field now was a better idea than waiting, although he would have been happy at this point to just put the papers on Pete's desk. Despite his best efforts, he was really struggling not to return to his tried and true "Gibbs is mad at me" persona which included being as quiet and invisible as possible. It wasn't just Gibbs; he'd learned it early in his life after his stepmother came to live with them. Physically and mentally tired, he headed into the kitchen for coffee. He was just pouring the dark brew into his mug when he heard footsteps behind him. Half turning, he saw it was Kim. "Pete's mad at himself, Tim; whatever happened this morning, he's not mad at you."

Tim nodded, "Good to know, Kim, thanks." He turned to face her, "I just hope our 'good luck fairy' stays with us as I'm pretty sure I'm the only one qualified to be out in the field today."

Kim nodded, "Yeah, I wondered about that, both Matt and Pete seem pretty tired. But you came in this morning so…you weren't here last night? Not that it's any of my business!"

"That's ok. No, Matt and I were at the Hofstadlers for dinner and then Carla needed to go to the hospital and Matt wanted to go too. I called Pete and ended up staying there with the kids so both Trina and Pete could go to the hospital and they were there, along with Matt, all night."

"Ohhh, now it's all starting to make sense. But…the babies were born about 2 AM, right? Why couldn't Pete be here this morning?" Tim shrugged; he was not getting into Pete's decision to take personal time.

"Don't know and I am sorry, I was so focused on Stavros this morning I never thought of explaining any of this."

"That's ok, I just knew I got a phone call from Pete saying I'd be on my own with the prisoner and that the police would stay and then you called saying you were coming in."

Tim chuckled, "Nothing confusing about that, right?!"

'"I was so relieved I didn't care!"

She started as the kitchen door squeaked open and Tim had to bite back a chuckle. He hoped the JAG officers had come to some decision; he would really like to put this case behind them. They asked to speak with both Pete and him, Kim slipped out saying she would have Matt relieve Pete in Observation. As soon as Pete joined them the two officers told them they were taking Stavros back to Naples for court martial, but that their collective gut feeling was that he would probably be given a short sentence. Pete nodded and went with the officers to break the departure news to Stavros and prepare him for transport. As both officers were armed, NCIS was not expected to escort them to the airport or on the plane. They left and Kim and Eva set about cleaning Interrogation. Tim went back to his desk and stared some more at his junior agent list. Whoever it was going to be, he or she needed to get here as soon as possible; they could not keep running short of agents like this! Suddenly he realized that with all his introspection and inner struggles, he'd forgotten to give Pete his clearance for the field papers. He grabbed them and headed into Pete's office.

"Tim, good, I just realized I hadn't heard whether it was good news this morning."

"Sorry, I got sidetracked with JAG and everything."

"Sit for a minute, Timothy. I want to talk with you about this morning." Tim sank into the chair. "You were right, 100% right, not just about guarding the prisoner but about letting me know how uncomfortable you were with it. You were following my order to tell me and I am sorry, that was a bad call on my part and I'm grateful you called me out on it."

Tim was relieved to say the least. "I just figured you were tired."

"No excuse, I had no business staying at the hospital this morning. That was personal, staying the whole night was personal, letting Matt stay all night was personal. Carla's my friend but she's going to kick my ass when she hears what I did. I left our team exposed. If we have a callout today, Tim, you're the only one fit enough to go out. That's inexcusable." Tim didn't know what to say as his own feelings were very close to what Pete had just said. "Ok, so keep calling me out when I do dumbass things like that."

"I will and I trust you'll do the same with me. And remember that you're human, I'm human…we all are."

"Yeah, ok. So…I saw you staring at your monitor, back to the JA list?"

"Yeah. Whoever we pick needs to get here fast!"

Pete huffed, "You need to find a place to live, although I suppose he or she could just stay in the other room."

Tim shook his head, "Mm, hope not! Evander's picking me up at 1630 to look at more places and then we'll go again on Saturday."

"Woo, it's going to be a busy weekend – play, apartment hunting, reception."

Tim grinned, "That's the best kind as far as I'm concerned – unless we're coming off a case, then I want peace and quiet. What's the dress code for the play?"

"Uh, whatever you want. Trina wants to dress up a little bit, being mother of two kids in the play sort of thing, so I might wear a suit. Other than your tux, you're fine with anything."

"I was thinking about my new suit, it'll be ready Thursday night."

"You had Archimedes make you one?"

Tim nodded, "I know it'll fit better than anything I could buy off the rack and it'll last longer. Price wasn't bad."

Pete grinned, "He's made tuxes and suits for me too. And I think he made Leon's when he was here."

"Ok, what about Sunday?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely wearing a suit. Although I hope Trina won't wear a dress. That gets a little weird aboard ship."

"Especially if we have a tour."

Pete nodded. "Ok, so tell me who you're thinking for the JA?"

"I think we should interview our current list and go from there."

"All right, ask Tea to set up the interviews for late afternoon Thursday. Oh, are you going to class tomorrow night?"

"Depends on the interviews. It'd be great to do them all tomorrow."

"You say that now, wait until you've asked the same questions to four different people and try to remember who said what."

"Hmm, good point. What about 2 tomorrow and 2 on Friday? The play's not until 2000, oh but you need to be home and everything, I remember…nerves and stage fright and forgetting whole pages of dialogue."

"Rob or Sarah?"

Tim chuckled, "Both! Too bad we can't just call one of them this afternoon and see if he or she has time."

"Do it! Hey, this is urgent, our JA will need to get used to that. If Tea can find one available at 1500 today, that gives us 90 minutes before Evander gets here and if we run over, Kim can join me."

"Ok, I'll go talk with Tea and then get to work on our questions."

"Sure, hey it's almost time for lunch; want to work on this over lunch?"

"Yeah, that'd be great."

"Ok, I'll see if someone can get lunch in for us."

Tim laughed, "I think it's my turn to go."

"You and Kim held the fort down this morning, why don't you see if she wants some fresh air." Tim nodded as he left the office and then stopped as he spotted Matt sound asleep at his desk. He was going to have to do something about that; Gibbs would have sent him home however Tim didn't think that would be fair considering everything. He shook his head, his probie needed to think about his job first. It was a fact of life; this was not a job where you could count on just skating through a day. He woke Matt up and told him to go upstairs and sleep for two hours. Matt opened his mouth to argue but decided against it. He headed upstairs. Tim heard Pete come out from his office and he turned to look at him. Pete nodded. Tim grabbed his prospective junior agent list from his desk and took it to Tea, asking her to see if she could find one of the prospects who would agree to an interview at 1500. With the time differences, that narrowed the possibilities down to those on the East Coast and even then it was pretty early to call anyone. Tea said she'd wait until 1300 as that would give her the early birds. Tim bit back a smile as he told her 0700 was the regular starting time for many teams. They put together what she needed to say and what message she could leave. Satisfied, Tim gathered Kim who had already taken lunch orders and called them in. They set off for the deli.

"Pete apologize?"

"Yeah and now seeing Matt sound asleep at his desk, he's realized just how screwed we'd be if we get a call out." He stopped Kim. "Carla ever send anyone home?"

"Um, yes for coming to work drunk."

"Oh GEEZ! With a team of three, a federal agent?"

"Yeah, that was the junior who fled to the States, Kyle." Kim paused, "Are you thinking of sending Matt home?"

"Can't do that as long as Pete's still in the office. I may just send both of them home."

"What will you do if…?"

"Don't know. If we were in DC I'd take us off rotation but that won't work here. I can't call anyone and ask them to cover us for the day!"

"Wow, this is a mess."

"Nah, it's not but it could be and it's a lesson for us all, we need to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again."

Their order was ready by the time they got there and they only had a short wait to pay. Tim was calmer by the time they got back, the fresh air and talk with Kim had helped. He thought he'd let Matt sleep till 1600 unless they got a call out. Tomorrow would be soon enough to set him straight about staying up all night and expecting to perform as a federal agent. He huffed to himself, they'd done it many times on Gibbs' team when they'd been working a case but once again, they had backup, a whole building full of agents plus their entire team was experienced. He had Ted and Jack as backup and sooner or later they were going to be busy with CIA work. And really, how often could they be pulled in to do another agency's work?

Taking his lunch and Pete's into his office, the two men quickly came up with their questions and what they'd want to talk about. Pete asked Tim if he'd thought about sending Matt home and Tim told him what he'd told Kim. Pete nodded, that was only right. Tea interrupted them to let them know she'd found an early bird who could interview at 1400 but was not available to start at 1500. She'd scheduled it for 1400 and wanted to know if she should continue looking for 1500 or 1530?

Matt was still upstairs when Tim rejoined Pete in his office for their first interview at 1400. The interviewee was currently working as a second junior in an office only budgeted for one. He'd done his probie year there and was waiting for reassignment. He'd listed Italian and the Tosk dialect of Albania as his language skills. They had a good interview with the young man; he was bright, enthusiastic and thoughtful. He had learned the language from an Albanian exchange student who had been a friend in high school and had worked afterward to keep his skill levels up. When questioned about living close to and possibly having to work cases in the combustible Middle East, the young man said he'd thought about it, that he figured the world was small enough now that anywhere could be a 'hot spot'. He had several questions about their operations and a few about transferring overseas which Tim fielded, explaining he was himself a recent transfer. All in all, they were satisfied with the results when they ended the call.


	29. Chapter 29

And now debuting Gibbs' new e-mail address; kudos to DS2010 for her suggestion! Remember that way back in Ch. 15? Thanks to everyone who sent suggestions, it was a tough choice and Gibbs just might need to have multiple e-mail addresses. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Finding Home, Chapter Twenty Nine<p>

Tim was just finishing up his notes at 1630 when Evander came in. Matt was still asleep upstairs. Shaking his head, Pete sent Tim on his way promising he would wake their probie and have a chat with him about what could have gone wrong today.

Evander looked at Tim as they drove off the lot. "A little stressed today?"

Tim smiled, "I'll cross my fingers for good luck when I say this Evander; it could have been a lot worse!"

"Well I hope you'll enjoy our viewings tonight. I have two more apartments, a condo and a house for you to look at."

"A house?"

"Yes, it's a rental so you would not be responsible for maintenance. I think you'll be pleased with it, I hope you will love it!"

"I'm intrigued!"

Evander laughed, "First we will look at an apartment, then the condominium, the second apartment and lastly the house."

"Ok, sounds great!" Tim was quickly relaxing.

The drive to the first place was much shorter than their last trip out. By Tim's watch, it only took 8 minutes from the office to the first apartment. When he got out of the car, he stood and looked at the building. It appeared to be fairly new; Evander confirmed it had been constructed five years ago. It was a small complex with 40 units built around a center courtyard that featured shade trees and a swimming pool. The unit they were viewing was close to the gated entrance, not close enough to be noisy with the security gate opening and shutting but close enough for a quick exit on a callout. The apartments were all townhouse style, two stories and sharing just one wall with an adjacent apartment. The living area downstairs was pleasant and with a large picture window that had a nice view of the courtyard garden so there was some privacy there; it was not visible from the pool. The kitchen was modern with a full size refrigerator and had what Tim thought of as a breakfast counter separating the 'dining area' from the living room. There was a short hall off the living room with a full bath and bedroom large enough for Tim's writing desk, some of his bookshelves and a full sized bed. Tim smiled at Evander when he saw that. Upstairs, there was a large window to their left at the top of the staircase, bringing in a lot of natural light. Down the hall there was a good sized guest bedroom with the bathroom across the hall and a small covered alcove with a washer and dryer. At the end of the hall was the large master bedroom suite. It was big enough to fit Tim's king size bed and additional furniture if he wanted. Once again, the closet covered the shared wall while the en suite bathroom was back to back with the hall bathroom. It was a nice apartment and Tim could see himself living here. He liked it far better than any of the places he and Evander had seen their first time out.

While Evander drove them to their next destination, Tim gave him his review of the place, which pleased his agent. "You see, I've done much better this time out, now that I have a better understanding of what you're looking for!"

"You sure have, this is exciting now!"

Their next stop was the condo. Tim thought the architecture looked more Spanish than Greek but he really hadn't seen enough of the local style to judge. The condo was in a small gated complex, although the entrance to the unit was outside the gate. Tim didn't like that much. The unit, which was close to the busy street, had three stories with the master suite taking up the entire third floor. The kitchen was small but he could deal with it. There was a storage room opposite and Evander explained that other units had their storage units out on their patio but because of the location of this unit there was no room for it. The patio was indeed tiny with barely enough room for a small table and perhaps two chairs. There were two planting beds, one was bare and the other had a large messy tree, almost completely cutting out the sunlight but Tim could also see it blocked the view from the apartment across the street which would have probably been looking right down into the patio. The living room and dining area looked out onto the patio and because the patio was so small, the tree so large and three sides surrounded by the rest of the condo it was quite dark, which in turn left both the living room and the dining area dark. There was a half bath on the first floor along with a room Tim thought might hold his desk but not much else. The staircase was well lit but Tim thought he'd have to have the lights on even in the middle of the day. The second floor had two bedrooms and one bathroom. Neither room was especially large but Tim thought he could squeeze a full-sized bed in each. The third level opened right up into the staircase which Tim didn't especially like. It was large, although not as large as the master in the apartment had been and the shared wall was not as cleverly designed as the other places had been. The closet would be fine for Tim but he wondered at the relatively small size. The en suite bathroom was a little small but had everything it needed and it looked in good shape. When Tim asked about laundry facilities, Evander took him down to the second floor, into one of the bedrooms and to the window. They peered over the gate into the complex, just below the bedroom window, and to the narrow door in the clubhouse. "There, the laundry room is in there."

"So I'd have to carry my laundry downstairs, out onto the sidewalk, through the gate and into the laundry room?"

"Yes."

"Is it coin operated?"

"Yes."

Tim mentally crossed this place off the list. Too many things he didn't like; however he continued with his questions. "Parking?"

"There is street parking in front, of course and you would have an assigned covered parking space at the back of the complex. Would you like to see it?" Tim shrugged, might as well complete the tour. They walked out the front door, down the walkway to the sidewalk, over to the next walkway and up it to the gate, buzzed in which Tim thought could probably be heard in the room they'd just looked out of and continued past the fenced and gated pool which was full of kids. And that was fine until Tim spotted a baby in a diaper in the pool and shuddered, no thanks. They finally came to the parking lot at the back and Tim saw how far it would be to haul groceries or anything to the unit. He smiled and shook his head at Evander, "Have to say, I'm not wild about this place! And the rent is higher too!"

Evander nodded and steered him back to the car, not wanting to mention that his boss had practically ordered him to show The American the unit. The second apartment was two blocks away; Evander estimated it would be a 6 minute drive to the office which earned him a grin from Tim. It was two bedrooms and an extra room and Tim again thought it would be fine but he liked the first apartment better. And he really wanted to see the house.

On their way to the house, they drove past the office and Tim smiled to himself, oh yeah, this could be good. Two minutes up the hill and Evander turned into a driveway with lush landscaping on both sides reminding Tim of Pete and Trina's home. He said as much and Evander told him the same architect and builder had worked on both houses. Tim's eyes lit up at that.

There was a tiled entrance although smaller than the Russells' and not personalized, and a beautifully carved door with side panel frosted windows, providing light and privacy. The foyer was a smaller scale than Pete and Trina's and led to a comfortably sized living room and dining area. The kitchen was very much like the Russells and Tim headed for a doorway in the back of the room to see if it led to a hallway and a guest bedroom. It did, with the same full bath Tim had enjoyed during his stays. Dying to see the backyard, he slid open the patio door and saw that while it was a smaller scale, the gardens and pool were every bit as lovely. Back inside, they headed upstairs and Tim smiled as he saw the second and third bedrooms with the bathroom accessible to both, called a 'Jack and Jill' in the U.S., with the master suite down the hall.

The whole place was beautiful and he wanted it. He knew with utilities it would cost more but he also figured it would be worth it. If he had to, he could rent out a room to help with the rent, but he didn't think that would be necessary. He'd put his office either in the room downstairs or one up here and there'd still be room for a bed. He'd need furniture and wondered if he could find any secondhand. When he was finally ready to go downstairs he stood in the living room and stared at what was there. "It's too bad I can't just buy these things, they're perfect here."

Evander chuckled. "The owner would probably love to leave them here. They are college professors and will be in Argentina for three years. If you don't want the furniture, they'll have to sell or store it. I'm sure we could make some agreement."

Tim nodded, "That would be great! Except for the bed in the master, I have a king size so don't need the queen." He stopped and thought. "I could swap out the double bed in one of the other rooms for the queen sized."

"Yes and you could store the double bed in the garage."

"Oh good idea."

"Come, we have not yet seen the laundry room or the garage."

Tim happily followed and made appropriate noises at the laundry room and was thrilled with the garage. He'd never had a garage before, but then as an adult he'd only lived in one house, Mrs. Ferguson's, prior to this one. When he told Evander he wanted this place, he wasn't the least bit surprised when his friend and agent pulled out a rental agreement. They sat at the table and filled out the paperwork.

Evander told him he had another advantage in not having to wait until he moved in, he had no notice to give anywhere, he could just move his clothes over and he would be in. All the appliances and kitchen items would be left along with the furniture. In fact, Tim was told he could decide what he didn't want and if he didn't want to store it in the garage, Evander would contact the owners. Tim thought he'd leave everything for now and wait until his stuff got here to see if anything needed changing. He privately thought it would be his industrial look bookshelves that would go, although they could be used in the garage. Evander promised to contact the owners that evening and drop by the office on Thursday with any additional paperwork and hopefully the key and the remote for the garage door.

They were both hungry and decided to head down to the Flying Pig for a pub dinner. Tim ordered a souvlaki and Evander had a gyro. Tim had decided to try a different beer whenever he came in and therefore ordered one he hadn't had before. Evander thought that was a good idea and followed suit. They drank to the successful house hunt and enjoyed their dinners. Tim had hoped to be finished in time to visit Carla and the babies but decided he'd go at lunchtime on Thursday; he was tired and wanted to get home and get some sleep. Although he thought he might first call everyone he knew to tell them about the house. When he got back to the office, he locked up and turned off the light some thoughtful person had left on for him. Grabbing his laptop, he belatedly remembered his injury and stopped himself from running upstairs.

He texted Rob and Sarah and heard back from both almost immediately. Rob was at the pub with James and they were going to a Bond marathon after they ate. Sarah was at a surprise going away lunch and didn't know when she'd be home. Both expressed happiness about the house. Looking at his watch, Tim thought he could call Ducky or Gibbs. Realizing he and Ducky hadn't had a conversation by themselves in awhile made the decision for him. He was about to initiate the Skype session when he looked at the time. Ducky would be at work. He laughed at himself because he had no trouble figuring out what time it was when he called Sarah but when he wanted to call Ducky or Gibbs he guessed his subconscious figured that if he was done with work for the day, they should be too. He hit Gibbs' contact info on Skype but he evidently was not online at the moment. Tim decided that was a sign he should get some sleep. He sent a quick e-mail to Ducky, Jimmy and Gibbs, whose new e-mail address 'coffeeorelse' cracked him up, that was too funny! He left his e-mail up while he got ready for bed and saw a new message from Ducky when he returned from brushing his teeth. It was from Ducky and Jimmy and was full of congratulations and a demand for photos of his new house. Tim shook his head; he'd been so entranced he hadn't taken a single photo, never even thought of it! He promised photos the next time he was over there and after sending that, signed off. Once again he was afraid he wouldn't be able to sleep and proved himself wrong.

He bounced out of bed the next morning, thinking that along with everything else going on today, he could finally contact the moving company and have his belongings shipped. Once the container reached Greece, a local moving company would pick it up and deliver it. That was fine with Tim, moving his king sized bed upstairs would not be a whole lot of fun! He showered, dressed, ate and was at his desk booting up his computer by 0700.

Pete came in shortly after, carrying a bag of pastries. "I know they won't be as good as Tea's but they are fresh from the bakery." Tim took one that Pete said was called a bougatsa, a breakfast pastry filled with custard, the top lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. When Tim looked it up online, he found the pastry was said to have originated in the Macedonia region of Greece, in the northern part of the country and that the name came from the Turkish _Pogača_ which shares the name with the Italian _Foccacia_ (from the ancient Roman _panis focacius_). The pastry smelled so wonderful that Tim stopped working to savor every delicious bite. When he finished it, he poured another cup of coffee and stood in front of Pete's desk, using what he knew was his very persuasive 'puppy eye' look. Pete laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair and could do no more than hold the bag out for Tim to take another pastry. Grinning, Tim took his treasure back to his desk. He couldn't keep doing this! The doctor had said he could resume his morning run over the weekend, he thought he'd better move that up a day to Friday. He'd seen Kim with a smoothie one morning and thought that would be a great breakfast routine for him, a healthier alternative to what he'd been eating.

After he'd satisfied his greedy taste buds a second time,Tim distracted himself by reviewing the schedule of interviews Tea had set up for them. He opened his spreadsheet and saw that Pete had updated it with his notes. He moved onto his e-mail and laughed when he saw a note forwarded by Pamela from Rick Carter, asking for his electronic help with a case and then the words…'just kidding, we really miss you and are hearing great things'.

He hadn't yet checked his personal e-mail and took a minute to do that. There was a note from Gibbs telling him he was sorry he'd missed him, he'd been at an appointment and he was thrilled to hear about the house and hoped for pictures soon. It was only then that Tim realized he hadn't told Pete.

He headed back into the man's office and shook his head with his eyes closed when Pete offered the bag again. "No, no more, thank you. They're too delicious and I'll have to have Archimedes let all the seams out of my new suit before I can wear it! So…you haven't asked how I did with house hunting last night."

Pete sat up in his chair, "Ooh and my investigative skills tell me you wouldn't be prompting me if you hadn't found something!"

Tim decided to tease him a little and gave a description of the house followed by a description of the condo, stated with an increasingly enthusiastic voice. Pete frowned at him and Tim started laughing. "The house, Pete, I'm renting the house and it's by the same architect and builder as yours!"

"The one up the street, the college professors?"

"Yes, you know them?"

"I've never met them but Norm works with one of them."

Tim filled him in on what they were doing and the deal on the house and Pete let out a whoop startling Eva who had just come in. "That's great, Tim, and they're leaving the furniture?"

"Yeah, I don't have much at all, really just my bed some shelves and a couch, so this is perfect!"

"Huh, well if you need anything more, Norm and Carla have stuff they had to move out of a bedroom to put the nursery together and we have stuff in the garage."

"Great! There are some paintings and things on the walls that aren't quite my style, I'll replace those eventually."

"Trina will be happy to help!"

"That'll be great."

"She'll be helping Carla for awhile when she comes home from the hospital and maybe when the babies come home but the plan is for Carla's sister to come over for a couple of months and possibly Norm's sister-in-law."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, three infants, I can't even imagine. The idea of one terrifies me!"

Pete just laughed at him. "When are you going to move?"

"Probably Saturday, I don't see any reason to wait."

"I think you broke the speed record for finding your own place."

"I'm motivated by the need for a room for our junior!"

"Ah yes, good point." The two spent a few minutes with the door closed as Pete updated Tim with the talk he'd had with Matt last night. Although Pete had taken full responsibility, he said that Matt had been very embarrassed. Tim went back to work, figuring he'd have a chat with Matt during the morning. Their probie was all about work that morning and never lifted his head up from the files in front of him. Seeing that and figuring a good solid day of work would do them all some good, Tim didn't say anything yet. Rather than interrupt everyone's morning, he sent an e-mail to his co-workers with his new address, once again wishing he'd taken pictures last night. Realizing he still had a picture of the Russells' pool, he downloaded it and attached it to his e-mail. He loved the responses: Kim and Pete laughed while Tea and Eva looked at him in confusion.

Eva finally asked, "Tim, is that not a photo of Pete's pool?"

"Yeah, but the house I'm renting is a smaller version of the Russells, including the pool."

He saw Matt madly typing and Tim heard him say "Sweet!" He blushed, "Sorry, I looked it up on Google Earth. This place is right up the street! Total win!" Tim grinned at him, all awkwardness forgotten. Evander came by midmorning to drop off the keys and a copy of the rental agreement, now signed by the owners and returned via FAX. As Tim was saving his landlords money they would have had to spend storing their furniture, there was no extra charge. Evander gave him the contact information for the gardener, pool man and handyman who would take care of maintenance. Tim's head was spinning with just the thought of having any of those three, of even living in a place that might need any of them!

He made a quick trip to the hospital at lunchtime. He found both Carla and Norm sound asleep in her hospital room so he quietly left the gift bag with the 3 stuffed animals, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore, on the floor beside Norm. He went down to the nursery and was just able to see the triplets, so tiny. One of them was waving its arms and another was kicking which he supposed was a good sign. He drove back to the office and ate his gyro pita at his desk. Tea had been able to set up their first interview at 1400; Tim headed into Pete's office a few minutes before and they went over their game plan. Both wanted to add questions to the ones they'd asked their interviewee the day before. The agent they were interviewing first had impressive skills, came from a Navy family and spoke Greek and Turkish. Tim was impressed with her portfolio and was curious to see if he thought she'd be a good fit. After they were done, the two men looked at each other, both thinking of Joel's Agent Miller. This woman was late for the interview, her clothes were dirty, her hair disheveled and she seemed to have had trouble focusing on the questions. Her cell had buzzed a few times during their session, very bad interview etiquette.

There was no time between that interview and the next one. That was a young man who had an impressive education, had placed first in nearly everything and spoke Romanian. While his family had not been military, his father worked for a global engineering firm and the young man had lived in various spots around the world. He did fine in the interview, there was absolutely nothing wrong in his answers or his deportment but Tim didn't feel he'd fit in with the team. It had been well covered but he felt the young man had a bit of an elitist "I'm better/smarter than you are" attitude, although he did think that could be due to nerves. He made a note to check that out.

Their fourth interview was a pleasant young woman with an interesting background; she also spoke Romanian and did a good job with the interview. Tim was satisfied with her; she'd do fine as their TAD junior agent. Her parents weren't military but had taught English in several countries, taking their children with them. As with all of the prospects, Pete had questioned her motives for moving to Greece and hers were simple, that she'd lived there when she was 8 and wanted to see it again as an adult.

They had just disconnected from their fourth prospect when Tim slammed his pen down on Pete's desk. "She was on a case!"

"What?"

"Bec, she'd been out at a crime scene! Geez Pete, we may need to boot that good luck fairy out of here, we're losing touch!"

"Oh…late, dirty, yeah, that could be it."

"I'll bet she came back for the interview, didn't have time to clean up and was focused on the case."

"That's actually good, that's what we want in a junior!"

"Ok, let's call her back."

Before they could do so, Tea buzzed Pete with a call from an American woman who wanted to talk to him about someone named Bec. They grinned at each other, figuring it was either her Team Leader or SFA. It was her Team Leader and Pete put her on speaker. She explained that they had been out at a triple homicide and that Bec had been late and dirty because she'd spotted something and slid down a muddy slope to get at it. Pete told the Team Leader that they had figured she'd been out on a case and were eager to speak with her again when she was available. Her boss sighed in relief; she didn't want to lose her but she needed to reduce staff and she knew this would be a great opportunity for the young woman. She promised to have the young woman call them back within the next two hours.

Relieved as she had been their pre-interview favorite, the two men went over their notes on the others and agreed that if Bec still didn't work out either the other young woman or the young agent they'd talked to yesterday would do well on the team.

And so it was that B. Elizabeth Childers or Bec (pronounced Bek) as she preferred to be called, became their temporary junior agent. She contacted the Athens office less than two hours after her Team Leader had spoken with Pete and Tim. Apologizing for not telling them she'd been out at a crime scene, she spoke with them for over an hour, answering their questions and asking her own. When she asked what it was like to live so close to the Middle East, Pete reached over to Tim's pad of paper (yes he does that sometimes, writes on paper) and wrote one word: "YES!" Tim and Pete grinned at each other when they got off the call.

"She's it!"

"Oh yeah, she's the one."

"Maybe funding will be increased and we'll get to keep both of them!"

"Wow, I like your thinking, Special Agent McGee! You never know, maybe the new SecNav will be embarrassed at having to pay the CIA for the use of their agents especially when it was splashed all over ZNN. Maybe someone besides our Director will finally notice that we're over here by ourselves."

"At least we'll have her for 8 months!" Although a formal request for transfer would have to be made, Bec had been offered the job and she'd accepted. Pete called her Team Leader to confirm that and to offer his thanks for her participation.

Tim input the data to the transfer request form, attached Pete's electronic signature and sent it to Bec's current boss and to Human Resources in DC, with a blind copy to Director Vance. Human Resources would contact the young woman and begin the transfer process which could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. One of the questions Tim had asked was how soon Bec would be available. He grinned again at the answer; she could be here in less than a month.


	30. Chapter 30

Surprise, a special two chapter treat!

* * *

><p>Finding Home, Chapter Thirty<p>

Later Tim would look back on these few days as the most pivotal of his adult life. Thursday evening as he and Matt walked to his tailor's to pick up his new suit, he was content and happy. Their new junior agent had been selected and would be here soon. He would go to their martial arts class tonight with Kim and Matt, although he still couldn't do much. His injury was so much better he'd actually been surprised this morning when he caught sight of the fading bruise covering much of his torso. The play was Friday night and he was looking forward to it, especially because everyone from the office would be there. It might have sounded silly to anyone who didn't know his background but he was treasuring being part of a cohesive group. He'd survived his first disagreement with Pete and he thought they were stronger for it. He sure felt stronger.

He and Matt were ok; they'd had a little talk earlier as Tim wanted to make sure Matt understood things and was taking it in stride as lessons learned for all of them. The Hofstadler babies were doing well and Carla herself would be released from the hospital on Friday. Saturday he would move into his new home and had offers of help from everyone, even though all he was moving was two suitcases and a garment bag full of new clothes. He'd put in his shipping order so the rest of his belongings would soon be on their way to him. Sunday most of the team - Tim saw all of them as a team - would go together to the reception aboard the USS Baton Rouge. Rob's first day of school and work in London was today and Sarah's arrival was not far off. While he had not spoken with his DC friends this week, they had corresponded via e-mail and he was content with that for now. Yep, life was good.

After they picked up the suit and Tim's dinner from their favorite deli, they walked back to the office. Matt suggested they go up to the house before class and take photos so he wouldn't have to cheat and use Pete's pool photo again. Tim liked the idea so grabbing keys and jackets, the two piled into Tim's car and drove the two minutes up the hill to the house. Tim smiled as he saw the light on in the house; he'd spotted the timer yesterday and was pleased to know his new home already looked occupied.

Tim laughed, "This is surreal. I'm in my new place, haven't even moved in yet and I know where everything is!"

Matt raised an eyebrow and Tim grinned at him, "So far everything is in the same place as it is at Trina and Pete's."

"That is kind of weird, but you know with the different furniture and stuff on the walls, it's not totally like the Russells'." He looked around. "You should stay here tonight Tim; you have your go bag in the car?"

"Yeah, I do. I might or I might just pack up between work and the play tomorrow night and move up here." He thought about that. "I know Pete is having dinner with his family before the play, but everyone else could come up here for dinner, what do you think about that?"

"Sounds like fun!"

"Ok, we can ask Kim tonight and I'll text Tea and Eva right now." Tim sent texts to the two women asking them to come to dinner at his new house tomorrow before the play. Tim's phone buzzed with a yes from Tea and Adan and a probably from Eva. Caleb wasn't home yet and she needed to check with his schedule first. They took a quick peek outside at the garden and the pool. Tim couldn't wait to live here and he thought he just might sleep here tonight. He'd see how tired he was after class.

George was happy to see him, although disappointed he was on restriction until Monday. When Tim showed him part of the continent sized bruise on his torso, the man's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"You are very lucky you had no internal injuries! You certainly must wait another few days. Just exercise as much as you are allowed, yes?" Tim nodded, thinking he'd try doing some laps in his pool on Saturday. In the meantime, he was able to do some leg and arm exercises so he felt like less of a slug. Kim and Matt were challenged to defend and Tim enjoyed watching. He couldn't wait to restart his training and catch up to his teammates.

After they finished Tim asked Kim about dinner the next night. She grinned, "A picnic dinner in your new house, that sounds great! What can I bring?" Tim was nonplussed, he'd planned to get take out from the deli. Remembering everyone would be in nice clothes, he decided against finger food. He finally settled on "Surprise me! We'll make it simple but a sit down at the table. Don't want anyone to wipe greasy hands on their nice clothes before the play!"

"Nothing with any tomato sauce please. I'm a magnet for the stuff." Tim nodded, he had the same problem. Anything that could leave a stain loved him. He was pretty familiar with the offerings of their local deli by now and he had a good idea of what he'd get.

When Eva texted Tim with a yes for dinner, he started getting excited and as they pulled into the parking lot of the office, he looked at Matt who was laughing at him. "You don't have to take everything tonight."

Tim nodded, "Go bag plus."

"There you go! Want some help?"

"Nah, I got it, thanks." Matt took off while Tim went inside and gathered his bath items, borrowing a towel and washcloth. He also borrowed his favorite pillow. He took a bag of coffee and his deli dinner but no other food as he figured he'd just eat breakfast when he got in to work. It was then he realized both he and Matt had forgotten about the grocery shopping. He shrugged, he'd do it Saturday. Leaving the light on upstairs, he shouldered his laptop bag, tucked the pillow under his arm and piled everything else into the tote bag Kyra had loaned him Wednesday. He put everything on the front seat of his car and then went back to double check that he'd locked the front and back doors. Reassured, he drove off to his new home.

He parked in the garage and found that the front door key also worked on the door into the house from the garage. It opened into the hallway near his office and he hauled everything in. Leaving the coffee in the kitchen, everything else came upstairs with him. And then he realized he might not have internet service yet. When he realized how hungry he was, he went back downstairs and quickly ate. Back in his new suite, he put his things in the bathroom, the pillow on the bed and hung up his clothes from the go bag. The drawers and closets were empty. He thought he'd run home at lunch tomorrow with his suit and the shirt and tie he'd wear to the play. Might as well bring his tux and dress shoes as well. Thinking about the embassy party the following week, Tim realized he'd never gotten the planned haircut. He would have to do it Saturday but that would be fine for the reception aboard the Baton Rouge on Sunday. Evander had given him the name of the place he went to, turned out Matt went there as well. Tim made a note on his phone to call tomorrow for an appointment on Saturday. He laughed; he was getting far too used to a life without cases or just the occasional case. Even though last week's had been a monster they were only in on the takedown, none of the investigation.

He realized that aside from the haircuts he'd had since leaving Gibbs' team, he couldn't remember actually being able to show up on time for any personal appointment in the last ten years. Except for doctors' appointments and that was Ducky's doing. He looked at his watch, not quite 2300. Ducky would still be at work, but Gibbs might be home. He powered up his laptop and was pleased to find wifi service available, although unsecured. He'd have to sort that out at some point but for tonight he was happy with what he could get. Still wanting a chat with Ducky, he sent him an e-mail and got a reply that he was at work and would be for some time, as they had several 'guests' but that Saturday morning at 0900 would be wonderful for a chat.

XXX

Sitting in his living room watching the fishing channel, Gibbs stole a look at his watch and then the laptop. It was 2300 in Piraeus; Tim should be home from his martial arts class by now. He wondered if he had packed his things and moved into his new home yet. Gibbs was happy he'd found someplace he liked and admitted to being relieved that he was renting, not buying and he knew that was an extremely selfish take on it, one he would not be sharing with anyone except Dr. Cranston. Oh, he knew Tim wouldn't move home for at least three years, but renting made it easier for Gibbs to hang onto the hope that he really would come home then. He decided to be a big boy and make the call himself rather than sit here and hope Tim would call. He sent a ping through Skype and got an immediate response.

He smiled as he looked at Tim. "Hey, Tim you look much better!"

"Hi Boss, this is a nice surprise! Yeah I'm about 95%. I was just lying here wondering if you were home. I'm at the new house, want to see my room?"

"Yeah!" Tim picked up the laptop and slowly moved it around so Gibbs could see the room. "Wow, that's a big room!"

Tim nodded, "It'll be perfect for my bed when it gets here."

"King size?"

"California King; love that extra length so my feet don't hang over. I hate that!"

Gibbs chuckled, "Yep. Are you going to have to buy furniture? It looks like there's a lot there still."

"I asked them to leave it. They'll be away for three years and were going to have to pay for storage so they're happy to have me use it! No extra charge for leaving it here, plus all the bedding, towels and kitchen stuff too."

"Wow, that's a great deal Tim!"

"Sure is. I'm not crazy about some of the stuff on the walls, it's a little too pastel for me, but Trina's offered to help me redecorate. I hear there's a great flea market that I hope we'll go to, see what treasures we can find. Want to see the rest of the place? Laptop battery is fully charged, I can give you more of a tour if you'd like."

"Let's do it."

Tim unplugged the power cord from his laptop and moved down the hall, showing Gibbs the other bedrooms on this floor, the bathroom and then took him down the stairs. He did a slow sweep through the living room, showing Gibbs the paintings he would replace and the dining area with the lighting fixture that he wasn't crazy about. He moved slowly through the kitchen and then down the back hallway to show him his office and full bath. "Boss, this room is furnished nearly the same as it is at Pete's; it's the room I stayed in last weekend. It'll be my office but you can see it's not crowded, even with a double bed in here. "

Gibbs swallowed, blessing his boy for sharing that detail, now he could see how comfortable he must have been. "That looks good, Tim, helps now that I can see it."

Tim grinned at him, "Ready to see the backyard? I'll light it up so you can see the pool and garden."

"A pool? That's great, think you'll have a chance to swim pretty often?"

"Hope so, won't be every day but maybe three times a week."

"Is it warm enough there in the winter to swim?"

"No, probably not although if I wanted to do that there's some sort of dome thing you can have installed over it so you can swim year round."

"Huh, that's something to think about once you get settled in, see how often you have time to swim."

"If what Pete calls our 'good luck fairy' sticks around, I can swim nearly every day."

Gibbs chuckled, "Business slow?"

"No one's complaining but yeah. Hey are you going back to work next week?"

"I am, yeah, on Monday and my new team members will report in by Tuesday. Dorney says he'll be there Monday but the other one is transferring in."

"You feel good about it?"

"I…I'm a little nervous. Don't want to screw up."

"You making progress with Dr. Cranston?"

"Yeah, I've been every day this week and I'll go tomorrow too. I'm ready for our session on Tuesday if you still want to do it."

Tim put his fingers on the laptop screen and Gibbs matched him, just as they had last week. "I do and I'm ready too. I know it isn't my place to say, but I'm really proud of you."

Gibbs huffed, "Thank you, son. I appreciate that. And really, that's my line because I am so proud of you I could burst. So tell me, other than finding the house and 'business' being slow, how's your week been?"

"Pretty good. Did you know Carla had the babies? That was very early Wednesday morning."

"They ok, that was pretty early wasn't it?"

"Yes but they're ok and there are three babies, triplets!"

"I can't even imagine; one baby is a lot of work, but three? Is Carla ok and will she have help?"

"Yes, she'll be released tomorrow and when the babies come home her sister will come for a couple of months."

"I imagine that caused quite a stir in the office." Tim had decided not to mention what had happened.

"Oh yeah. So aside from Dr. Cranston, what have you been up to?"

"I'm trying to come up with something to make for Jimmy and Breena's new little one when he or she comes along. Don't know how old the kid will be, kind of tough."

"Hmm, so what have you got in mind?"

"The usual for a baby, rocking chair, changing table, but for a toddler or even a school age kid, that's harder."

"Do you know what size bed they'll have if it's an older kid? Twin probably, huh?"

"I'd imagine."

"I'm not real familiar with cribs, but would the end piece of a crib be an equivalent size to a headboard for a twin bed?"

"Good question, I'll check that out."

"You could maybe do the cuts now and then add whatever else you want when they find out about the kid."

"You're a lifesaver, Tim, I was thinking a dresser and that's a lot of work with the drawers."

Tim chuckled, "That was my only other idea! Unless you do something for the backyard, but they're renting so it would have to be something they could take with them."

"A playhouse or something?"

"Yeah, that would be cool…maybe call it a fort."

"Did you ever have one, I mean when you were with your dad?"

"Yeah, in San Diego, our house there had a little room off the back of the garage and Patrick and I made it our fort. I remember having fun in it and it was a place to get away from Natalie. Did you have one?"

Gibbs snorted, "It started out as a cardboard box when we got a new refrigerator and then my dad helped me piece together wood to make a real little building. Later he built onto it and used it for a chicken coop."

Tim laughed, "Poor fort!"

"Yeah, really, what self respecting cowboy has a chicken coop in his fort?!"

"We were astronauts and cowboys; sometimes the fort was a spaceship."

"Huh, cowboy fort that flies in space. Hey that's funny because the guy that created Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, he always said he pictured it kind of like "Wagon Train", that's an old TV western, to the stars."

"Boss?"

Gibbs chuckled, "Guess it's about time I 'fessed up!"

"You're a trekker, really?"

"Don't know about that, but yeah, I've been a fan since 1966, I was 7 years old when it started and nearly 10 when it was cancelled. Never watched any of the other ones though, just the original. And none of the movies, although I've heard some of them are pretty good." "

"Boss! I don't know what to say! So all those red shirt jokes we used to make?"

"Laughed quietly to myself."

"Wish I'd known."

"Would it have made a difference?"

"It would have been something we had in common, so yeah."

"Hadn't thought of that Tim; was just trying to keep my private life private."

"That I can relate to Boss, kind of hard to do with things the way they were."

"Yeah, tried to stop that, the prying and the nosiness but I would have had to boot him off the team."

Tim huffed, "Guess I took care of that, huh?"

"Tim."

"Sorry I just… all I wanted was to move on, Boss, I never thought it would be anything more than me leaving."

"Because no one had ever taken any steps before, not Morrow, not Shepard, not Vance once he let me get you back from Cybercrimes?"

"Yeah. Vance tried to talk me out of that, going back to the team."

"Why did you come back? Not that I'm not glad you did."

"Really? Because I never got that, that you were glad." Tim sighed, "I came back because it had been four months and I'd been in charge of a successful project and was stupid enough to think things would be different, same as this past September. Stupid to keep hoping. And Boss, when we came back as a team that time, you greeted Ziva with a kiss and Tony with a handshake, I got nothing…nothing whatsoever. And it wasn't like I'd seen you at all until you wanted to know about Ziva. You never came to see me, never contacted me to see how I was doing."

"I left you alone in Cybercrimes Tim because I thought it would be a fresh start for you, didn't want to taint any chances of success for you there. The way Vance blamed us for Jenny's death I thought you were better off without me. But I hadn't realized I hadn't greeted you when you came back, Tim, I'm sorry, I guess I thought Abby's hugs and kisses were enough."

"Those were from Abby, not you! I mean… I didn't want hugs and kisses, but something, some acknowledgment."

"I am sorry kiddo. I really was glad you were back; I guess I missed the point that even though you were still at Headquarters, it was still a big change – both leaving and coming back. I dropped the ball on that too, son."

Tim was quiet, processing. "It kinda helps to know now that you did want me back, that you were glad."

"You thought I didn't want you on the team?"

"I've thought that for most of the last ten years, Gibbs, wondered why the hell you put me on your team in the first place. I left when I finally realized, like I told you before, that Ziva's total lack of recognition of me as her partner, somebody who would be worthy of at least an e-mail saying she was leaving, made me realize that it was time, that her lack of respect was the same as what I got from you and DiNozzo and I was an idiot for staying so long."

Tim was losing control of his emotions and all the hurt was coming back. He mentally stepped back and imagined the good things that had happened this week, everything he'd thought about earlier. That gave him some strength.

Gibbs wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull Tim into his arms but he was an ocean away and he didn't know if it would help anyway. In a flash he realized that he needed to say it, to let Tim know and he did. "Tim, I wish I could just hold you, hug you, let you know how sorry I am."

Tim nodded, "The thing is, Gibbs, if I hadn't left, things would still be the same. I waited and I waited and hoped and nothing ever changed. It was only leaving that gave me the courage to say what I did and start this whole thing. But you…you never did anything to help, to change things. I love you, I can't help that but I still don't know that I can trust you and I still hurt, as wonderful as everything has been here, I still hurt, in fact sometimes being this happy here makes me hurt more about all the team's crap from before. You weren't a leader Gibbs. You were a dictator who showed favoritism, with an insecure jealous bully of a frat boy as second in command."

Before Gibbs could say anything, he heard a buzzing and realized it was Tim's cell. "I have to go, Pete's calling."

He switched off, leaving Gibbs sitting in Virginia wondering what just happened and once again how he could have been so blind, cruel, harsh and just plain stupid. And hoping they hadn't just lost all the progress he thought they'd made together. Rachel had warned him there were bad times ahead, was this what she meant? That while he hoped they'd gotten past the worst of it, Tim evidently hadn't. He remembered Tim saying they had plenty of things between them still, but he'd hoped…ah he'd hoped. Just as Tim had hoped all those years. Damn it hurt.

Pete was at the office. "Tim, you ok? Your car's not here but your stuff is; I peeked upstairs."

"I'm at the new place, Pete, just brought a few things. How come you're at the office, we get a call out?"

"No, I forgot my cell and it needs charging. You ok? You sound upset."

"Yeah, I'm o...no I'm not ok, Pete. Have I told you how much it means to me to have people care about me? How much being here means to me, how much I appreciate the respect and affection from you?" Tim took a deep breath, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize Timothy, they're called emotions and you have every right to them. And I'm glad you're letting us care about you! Have you been talking with Gibbs?"

"Yeah. He called and it started out fine but then…I don't know, I just get so angry and I know he's trying but I can't let go of all the years he didn't try, that he treated me like crap and let the rest of his team do the same thing. Geez, I'm kind of over the top right now."

"Tim, I told you I'm always willing to listen. I want you to remember something: Gibbs' lack of humanity is his problem and from everything I know and I know a lot now, I've made it my business to talk with Rick Carter and Dr. Mallard, you've borne the brunt of his bad tempered badass self for far too long. You are worthy of respect and affection and you are an excellent agent who just needed a chance to get away from a Team Leader who held you back and a SFA who's a bully. If I weren't so selfish, I'd let Vance know you're ready for your own team now. I don't know what training you think you missed, but I sure haven't seen any lack in anything you've done. Have you realized that, my friend…that you've been running the team and doing a hell of a job? "

"I've noticed that you've given me the chance to run with things and I really like that. As long as you tell me when I'm out of line or just crazy."

"And if it ever comes to that, I will. The other thing I wanted to tell you is that it takes time to heal. You're trying to fix old relationships that were probably broken years ago or never healthy to begin with, from a distance of 5000 miles. Not only that but you're establishing new and healthier relationships, if I may say so, here with us. You need to cut yourself some slack; you're juggling a lot right now."

Tim huffed, "I told Gibbs I wouldn't even consider trying to deal with DiNozzo right now, have too much on my plate that has a higher priority."

"I can't imagine he liked that too much."

"He had his chance, all of them and I'm not even sure I want to try and fix things with DiNozzo." He paused. "I told Gibbs I don't know if I can trust him."

"Meaning Gibbs or DiNozzo? And did you mean it?"

"I meant Gibbs and yes I meant it."

"Then let him deal with it. You've already dealt with it." Pete paused, "It's hard, I imagine this must be sort of what a divorce must feel like, only you're trying to make it amicable."

"Hadn't thought of it that way, but I could see that, although it feels more like going for a partial reconciliation than making things amicable. Plus I want answers as to why things were done the way they were."

"And if there are no answers?"

"Then we're done."

"You know you won't like whatever answers they do come up with."

"Yes, but I still want to know how they justified their actions."

"Just…take care of yourself, Tim. Don't get buried in their angst and guilt."

"I won't Pete, I promise. This team, this office, this job are my priorities."

"Attaboy! And Tim, your life should be in there as a priority too! Now, it's late and we should both get some sleep. I'm going home with my cell and you get some rest!"

"Yes sir!" Tim yawned as he disconnected. He felt much better for having talked with Pete. He thought his main problem with Gibbs right now was that whatever the man was working on with Dr. Cranston, he still didn't seem to get that this had gone on since Day One. It wasn't one or two incidents but many over a decade. There were plenty of things Tim hadn't said yet. Maybe that was the wrong way to approach it. Maybe instead of talking about the incidents it needed to be about the overall treatment and the "why". He really hoped that would answer a lot of his questions. But did that mean he shouldn't mention the incidents? Not for the first time, he thought about getting some counseling himself. Maybe it would help him work things out with Gibbs and maybe DiNozzo and help him learn things he needed to do differently. He'd think about it, it could only help, right?

* * *

><p>Two steps forward, one step back.<p> 


	31. Chapter 31

Finding Home, Chapter Thirty One

Tim thought it was his talk with Pete that allowed him to sleep as peacefully as he did. He was here now, in his new home. He got up early enough to watch the dawn breaking through his bedroom window. After his shower, he dressed and headed to the kitchen for coffee. Before he poured his first cup though, he took out enough plates, bowls, glasses and cutlery for everyone coming tonight, put them in the dishwasher and got it running. Then he had his coffee, walking over to the patio door to view his new playground. He was grateful they weren't on call for another couple of weeks, thank you former Agent Miller, so he could really get settled in here. Except for getting a haircut and grocery shopping, he would have all day tomorrow and parts of Sunday.

It felt a little strange to be driving to work after nearly two months of commuting by train or living upstairs from the office, but then again, he didn't think two miles really constituted a 'commute'. He should be walking, not driving! He coasted down the hill a few blocks and then had to use the brake. Reminding himself he was not a child, he drove properly the rest of the way although he did wonder what it would feel like to ride a skateboard down. He and Patrick had saved their allowance and bought one to share the summer before the car wreck. Tim suddenly realized he was remembering things. Not big things but bits and pieces of his childhood that he thought were lost forever. He liked remembering things about Patrick, he still missed his brother. They'd been so close in age that even though Tim was definitely in charge as the elder, they were like twins. He loved all three of his siblings dearly, as much as he had Patrick, but they were different people and had different relationships with him. He parked his car and went into the office to make breakfast. He was just finishing eating when Matt came in and snagged the last piece of toast. Tim snorted, "I made extra, I knew you'd come in early."

"Investigator in training - figured you weren't going to stop to pack up food last night so would be here early for breakfast. You going to eat that last piece of bacon?"

"Nah, go ahead."

"So how was it?"

"Great! I slept really well, felt good. Want to help me move the rest of my stuff after work, the food too?"

"Sure!"

"Ok; I have to set up my haircut too and order food for tonight."

"Food for tonight? What's that for?" Pete sneaked in while they were eating the last bits of bacon and toast.

"Morning Pete! We're having sort of an impromptu picnic dinner at Tim's new place tonight. Just take out, nothing fancy. You said you were having company over before the play so we didn't ask you guys."

"Everyone else going?"

Tim nodded, "Yep but it's not my official house warming, it's just a 'before the play' dinner."

Pete laughed, "Sounds like fun! So what are you ordering?"

"Been thinking about it, don't want finger food and nothing with a lot of sauce or Kim and I will be in trouble."

"Huh?"

"She says she's a magnet for tomato sauce and I pretty much am too, but for any kind of sauce. It can be across the room and it'll find a way to my shirt." Both the other men laughed.

"I'm thinking a variety of meat sliced up and vegetables with some salad stuff and those little roasted potatoes. Oh, no garlic though, we'll be in public."

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that since we're all sitting together."

Matt laughed, "Come on, guys, we're in Greece, there's garlic, onion and spices in nearly everything we eat."

"We'll figure it out, I know there's a menu here; we'll take a look at lunchtime."

"It sounds like fun, I might have to sneak out and join you guys!"

When Kim arrived, Tim and Matt stared at each other and then at the large dish she carried. She smiled happily and took it into the kitchen. Tea arrived with two dishes, although smaller. When Eva came in with a covered container full of something, Tim had to know. "Hey guys, we were just going to do deli food, I didn't mean for you to bring anything." The three women looked at each other; Tea spoke for the trio. "We decided to help! Take a look and you can order whatever you feel is missing."

Tim and Matt took a look and if the ladies hadn't been watching might have snitched. There was souvlaki, moussaka – a dish with eggplant, meat, onions and tomatoes, and a wonderfully smelling vegetable dish of some kind. The two men looked at each other and Tim thought for a minute, "Little potatoes and some salads, that's all we need." Matt added, "Some baklava?"

Tim shook his head, "Matt, we're going to be waddling to our crime scenes!" The women agreed so dessert was voted down.

It was another quiet day that seemed to drag on as Fridays often do. At lunchtime, the order was placed at the deli and Tim made an appointment for a haircut in the morning. By midafternoon Tim was heartily sick of cold case files. He took some time to write up his training plan for Bec's first week. Matt had asked him a question earlier about some rule he'd mentioned so now he wrote down the rules he wanted to continue using. He threw out rule 13 about lawyers, and re-worded Rule 12. He also scrapped the one about never apologizing. He liked Rule 9, always carry a knife and one of the Rule 1's, never screw over your partner. He also liked Rules 10 and 11, the ones about walking away when the job was done and the other one about not getting personally involved. He jotted down some ideas of his own. He'd lived by some of them for years – some had come out of his life on the street but he hadn't ever bothered to write them down. At 1600, Matt brought his files over and they went through them. After so much time spent on cold case files recently, Matt was on his way to becoming an expert. At 16:30, Tea's boyfriend Adan walked in the door and Pete appeared in the doorway of his office. "You guys pack it up and go have fun. I'll stay till 1700 and watch the phones. Have fun at Tim's house, don't fall in the pool!"

Eva and Kim would stay behind to wait for Caleb and Evander while the others shut down their computers. Tim headed upstairs to pack his clothes while Matt ducked out to the deli to pick up the rest of the food for dinner. Tim was only taking breakfast food with him; the rest of what was there could be shared. Adan went upstairs to help Tim carry the suitcases, Tea having remembered Tim's weight restriction. Both suitcases and the garment bag were soon downstairs and the four of them waved to Pete and the others as they left. Caleb was just pulling into the parking lot, so they waited for Eva and then Tim led the little caravan up to his new house. Kim and Evander arrived a few minutes after as everyone was still oohing and ahhing and laughing at themselves.

Once everyone was there, Tim took them on a tour which felt a bit silly since they were all familiar with the Russells' house. Tim had parked his laptop on the top of the dresser in his room and when the tour reached there, he saw someone was trying to contact him via Skype. Matt was closest and with a mischievous look in his eyes, he reached up and opened the contact. Tim saw the curious brown eyes of their Director and laughed, "Oh we are so busted! Hello Sir!"

"Tim, hello! Oh you have company…where are you?"

"We're at my new house sir, I'm just moving in and my team came over for dinner, then we're all going to Pete's kids' play."

"Ah, I see." The director peered out, "Hello everyone!" Matt and the ladies answered and then Tim introduced Adan, Caleb and Evander.

"Sir, are you in MTAC and is anything wrong?"

"Yes I'm in MTAC and nothing is wrong, want to say hello?"

"Sure!" Vance moved away and Tim called out greetings to Sandy, Ed and Larry, the three techs currently in the room. They smiled and waved and Sandy blew a kiss his way. Vance came back into view. "I wanted to congratulate you on your new JA, good work Special Agent McGee."

"Thank you Sir; Pete, Kim and Tea worked on it with me."

"Good teamwork then, Kim, Tea. Bec's Team Leader was particularly impressed that you were calling her back when she called after that first attempt at an interview."

Tim laughed, "Sir, do you remember my slide into Rock Creek during the Senator's case?"

"Oh, when you were after the gun…yes, you were pretty muddy and wet, I remember Gibbs dragging you in here and someone squealing."

In the background Sandy was laughing and said "Sir, I was not squealing and Tim knows how delicate this equipment is, he helped train me on it!"

Tim's ears were red by now. "Anyway, it took me nearly an hour to realize that she'd probably been out at a crime scene, hadn't had time to clean up and was trying to focus on both the case and the interview. As Pete said, that's the kind of junior we want, we already have a Probie who'll jump right in!" It was Matt's turn to blush.

"Exactly. Well, that was all. I know you all have a busy evening planned. Which kids are in the play?" They told him and Tim grinned at the man as he sensed he had something he was reluctant to ask.

"How's Kayla doing?"

"Aw Tim, she's having an awful time. Do you think you could spare her 10 minutes tomorrow?"

"Not ten minutes, not if she's having that bad a time. Let's make it an hour, at 10:00 your time?"

"Ok, thank you so much. I've never felt so inadequate as a parent! We'll call you at 1700 your time then."

"That's fine, have her do what she can so we can go over what's right and what needs revising."

"Will do."

"Sir, another question…personal, well sort of. Gibbs is due back to work next week. He says everyone but Dorney is reporting in on Tuesday, but he has a meeting with Rachel – and me – at 1100. I know he's not the best at letting people know things."

"Timothy, you're…?"

"Yes sir, my idea."

"All right, thanks for letting me know. You're right; I'd probably think he was gone for coffee." They both snorted; in fact Tim was pretty sure he heard the techs snorting too. They disconnected and Tim turned to his friends. Kim finally found her voice, "The Director calls you by your first name? And he calls you at home? You help the Director's daughter with her homework?"

"Yes to all of the above, he's been sort of a lifesaver for me in recent years and I've tried to be of some help after Jac…his wife died. As for the homework, I used to tutor kids in math at the shelter where I lived as a kid. Kayla found out when she was volunteering there one weekend with her parents and called me at the office one day, begging me for help. She's smart as a whip so she's in an advanced class and it's tough, I remember! So I help her and Jared, her brother, with math and science when they need it and sometimes the daughter of another friend who's an FBI agent."

Eva smiled, "You are a man of many talents!"

Tim just smiled, "And now I'd like to show you one of my favorite talents – eating!"

Caleb nodded, "That was very interesting but yes, let's eat!"

Nobody hurried through their dinner but they managed to enjoy the food and the company, clear the table and still have time to change into their clothes for the play. They reconvened in the living room and then split up into their vehicles with Evander leading the way. When they pulled into the parking lot, Tim was glad he'd worn his new suit as he saw a few men, fathers he supposed, walking in, all were wearing suits. Matt and Tim hung back and let the others go in first and find the seats the Russells had saved for them. Tim was looking for any of the Russells and spotted Kyra talking animatedly with a woman with curly dark hair with red streaks, Tim thought they might be called highlights. The young girl saw Tim and Matt and waved them over. "Dani, this is Tim and this is Matt, they work with my dad. Her son Ross is in the play and he's also Stephan's best friend."

"Oh, Tim, you're the one that stayed with them when you were hurt and then when your friend had her babies the other night."

"Yes, that's me, I'm happy to meet you! And Matt here is the one who stayed at the hospital with Pete and Trina all night."

"Oh Matt I've been hearing wonderful things about you for months!"

Kyra tapped Matt on the arm, "We're all sitting together over there…see?" She pointed to the others and they saw there were still some empty chairs with programs on them as a way of saving the seats.

"Ok, we'll go then chiquita!" The men escorted Kyra and Dani to their seats, joining their teammates and friends. Lukas slid in next to Matt who was one seat off from the aisle, "Ok if I sit here?"

"Sure, you can tell me who's who."

Lukas laughed, "Mom told me to save another seat for Dani's housemate. She's working backstage on the sets with Mom still." Tim heard the conversation and caught a glimpse of a dark haired woman, hair almost shimmering under the lights, next to Trina doing something with a piece of furniture.

Lukas followed his glance, "That's a couch; the cover just tore so they're fixing it." Tim was watching the dark haired woman's movements and noticed that her hair was not all dark, it had red highlights in it; a color he thought was auburn. There was something about the way she moved, quick sure movements that kept his eyes glued to her. When she moved out of his sight, he sighed and then leaned over to Lukas, "What's Dani's friend's name, Lukas? "

"Oh um, I think it's Lina. She'll come down with Mom in a minute and sit with us."

"You're saving that seat for her?"

"Yeah."

Tim looked at Matt, "Mind changing places with me?"

Matt grinned at him. "Not at all!"

Tim gave him a happy smile as they swapped places. Tim sat pretending to read the program while waiting for the woman with the auburn hair to sit next to him. He felt like his heart was thumping loud enough to be heard outside of his body. Finally he saw her approaching – along with Trina. He stood as they reached their aisle and Trina quickly introduced them, her eyes widening as she saw that Tim's eyes were glued to the other woman.

"Melina, this is our friend Timothy. Timothy, Melina whom we call 'Lina." Tim smiled and hoped his hands weren't too sweaty as he reached for hers. She smiled back and he thought it was the prettiest smile he'd ever seen. "Lina, you must be an artist too, working with Trina."

"Yes, I am, how perceptive of you! And you, Timothy, what do you do?"

"I work with Pete at NCIS and please call me Tim."

"You are lucky to have such a wonderful name. And yes, I think I've been to your office once, to pick up Ross. I remember the building is very cleverly done."

When Tim looked puzzled, she leaned in, "Dani's son, Stephan's best friend."

"Oh of course, sorry, I haven't met him yet."

"That's perfectly understandable. How long have you been in Greece, Tim, you speak the language beautifully!"

"I've been here four weeks now; I learned to speak Greek several years ago, in the States."

"My compliments to your instructor, you speak like a native."

"Thank you." Tim opened his mouth to say something else when the lights dimmed, a sign the play was about to begin.

The play went well and Tim followed everyone's lead, laughing and applauding but he never had any memory of anything but this wonderful woman sitting next to him. He offered to buy her a soda at intermission and she smiled, asking for a lemonade. He bought two and they stood chatting while they drank their beverages. When the lights flickered, a signal to return to their seats, he leaned in to her, "May I buy you a cup of coffee after the play?"

She smiled and her green eyes twinkled, "Yes, I'd like that very much. I have my car here though."

"I can bring you back afterward."

"Good, that's a good idea." Turning they returned to their seats and sat, each very aware of the other throughout the rest of the play. After it was over, they stood in the lobby, chatting with the others, waiting for the Russell kids and Ross to appear.

Kim had had an eye on Tim for much of the evening and now she whispered to Tea, "Looks like our Tim just got taken off the singles' list."

Tea laughed quietly, she'd noticed the same thing. She whispered back, "She seems just as attracted to him as he is to her."

"That's good, he deserves someone like that."

Eva joined them, "Now we just need to find a young man for Matt."

"Shh, he doesn't know we know."

"Ahh, such a lot of fuss."

Pete walked over to them, "Ladies, did you enjoy the play?"

"Yes thanks Pete."

He lowered his voice, "I think Tim and Lina might be waiting for us to leave so they can leave."

"Oh, then we should go, yes?" Eva grabbed Caleb, "Come, let's go." He laughed and shrugged, "Of course!"

Kim gave Matt a look and he sauntered over.

"We're leaving so Tim and his new friend can do whatever they want to do without us watching over them."

"They're just going for coffee."

"Fine, come on!" And so the NCIS contingent, with the exception of the Russells, waved goodbye and left. The kids tumbled out from backstage soon after and Tim was introduced to Ross. After congratulating the three teens for their wonderful performances – he'd heard the others say so – he and Lina slipped out.


	32. Chapter 32

Author's Note: Credit for Gibbs' mistreatment of Tim because he reminds him too much of his daughter Kelly goes to the incomparable Tigyr in her wonderful Written in the Stars series. I highly recommend reading the series, as well as the rest of her stories. She's even got two wonderful St. Patrick's Day-related stories. Thanks, my friend!

* * *

><p>Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Two<p>

Gibbs finally gave up trying to sleep and got up at 0300, had coffee and headed down to the basement. He had some carpentry project books and brochures down there and he thought he'd do some research on Tim's crib/headboard idea. And wasn't that a kick in the pants, to have gone from the friendly conversation to hurt, angry and accusatory minutes later. He sat down on a sawhorse and let the book slip out of his hands. He sat there, the palms of his hands digging into his thighs once again feeling helpless and hopeless. After a while he got cold and tugged on a sweatshirt that always seemed to be down there. Sighing, he took out his notepad and wrote down what had happened on the call, what he'd felt after, what he imagined Tim felt. He'd been too upset yesterday. He wished he could call Tim but he knew he would be at work; he didn't want to make things worse. Then he remembered he had e-mail at home, he could send something to Tim at his personal e-mail, the new address that Tim had made when he left DC. He'd promised Duck he wouldn't send Tim anything without someone else vetting it, but Dr. Cranston could do that. He could write it up and send it to Dr. Cranston. Now a man with a mission, he sat down at his laptop and worked on his note. As he worked on it, he reviewed everything that had been said and finally got what Tim might have been thinking. If he hadn't left, nothing would have changed, was Gibbs only working to change now because Tim had left, was it some sort of control thing rather than genuine remorse and affection? He stopped and added that to his notes before he realized the Doc would see it in the e-mail.

Over the course of his sessions with Dr. Cranston, Gibbs had come to realize that his feelings for Tim had been love/hate from the start, although hate was too strong a word. More that he didn't want him around. And yes it was because he reminded him too much of Kelly. What had attracted him to Tim in the first place had turned out to cause Gibbs more grief and anger. Having McGee sit there with those damn eyes of his every single day brought the anguish and anger at losing Kelly, of Kelly losing her life, back to the forefront of his heart and mind and worse, into his days he had spent hours 'going for coffee' just to get away from his youngest agent who was so much like his daughter, but he was alive, she was dead. And he'd never done anything about it, never even really admitted it to himself. He knew Tim was a good agent but he couldn't afford to let him get any closer so he never told him after that one time when he was leaving the agency anyway or so he'd thought. He kept him at arm's length, always. Let DiNozzo keep at him half hoping it would drive the kid away. So was it because he'd left, relieving Gibbs of the pain and anguish, that he was trying to reconcile with Tim? Was it a control thing? He couldn't reach Ziva but he could Tim and by God he was not letting him go no matter what? And did that mean he was still treating Tim as second best…no Ziva so I'll work it out with Tim? Or that he subconsciously felt that he could safely reach out to Tim now that he was 5000 miles away? But he'd wanted to see him; he'd needed to see him. Oh God, was that more of the Kelly bit, was he so sick and twisted that after years of pushing Tim away because he reminded him too much of Kelly he now missed that remembrance?If he was this conflicted as to his own motives, what must Tim think? It was no wonder Tim didn't trust him. He stopped himself. He'd drive himself crazy and he still had four hours to go before his appointment. He decided to go for a run, hoping that would clear his mind. He changed and headed out on his old running route; now if his knees behaved he would call it a win.

XXX

Abby had the doorknob in her hands but somehow it slipped out and the door slammed shut. "Oops." She whispered. A light flicked on upstairs and she shrugged. Her sister-in-law appeared at the railing and nearly flew down the stairs, stopping when she was within smelling distance of Abby.

She hissed, "What the hell are you doing, it's 4:00 AM!"

"Wen' out with some frenz be…cauz th…they undershtan' me."

She poked her finger at her sister-in-law. "You don'. You don' care…they doo. I tole them all 'bout tha' ra' bastar' McGee, how he's th' Evil Influence. He's th… reassson I din' ge' th' job. Schtupid."

"What did you do?"

"Not gonna tell you. Ma frenz gonna tak…take care of him…he won't cast his Evil Influenz annnymo…anymore." She paused, swaying. "Don' fee' so good."

She yelped when she was grabbed by her arm and pushed into the downstairs bathroom, the door slamming shut behind her. After she got rid of everything in her stomach, she sank to the floor, thinking "stupi' bastar, he gonna pay fo' ruininining mah life."

Upstairs Luka had heard a door slam and found his wife was not curled up next to him. He sat up when she stormed into the bedroom. "Your sister just got home, she's drunk…again. She's supposed to be looking for work and she's getting scarier by the day. Luka, you have to do something!"

Luka looked at Jeanette, feeling stuck. He had a familial responsibility to Abby but his first priority was his wife and their daughter. She was right; Abby had been here for two months and hadn't found a job. She'd been turned down at LSU, claiming they'd hired internally but Luka had found the shredded letter and pieced it back together, reading between the lines that these people knew something that told them they didn't want her. Abby had told them that agency politics had cost her the job she'd loved so much and they'd believed her - at first. Luka hadn't spent more than a few days at a time with her in years and as the weeks went on he found it difficult to reconcile this whiny emotional high maintenance brat with his beloved fun, quirky and smart sister. Sure, she'd been disappointed and upset, that was only natural, but he'd never known Abby to give up on anything. Once rejected by her alma mater, she hadn't done anything else. And now she'd taken to blaming everything that happened to her – from losing her job to breaking a fingernail – on her former friend and colleague. That scared him, his sister had lost her perspective and balance; he was beginning to think Abby might be capable of inflicting harm and she was making threats left and right. The man was a federal agent, one of these days she was going to mouth off to the wrong person and the FBI or whoever handled threats would come looking for her. He sighed. She needed help. He'd offered to pay for counseling but that had earned him a 30 minute diatribe against him and every shrink that had ever existed. He'd been lucky Jeanette wasn't home that day or Abby would have been long gone. Now he knew she was right. "All right, I'll tell her she either goes to see a shrink or she needs to find someplace else to live."

Jeanette shook her head. "No Luka, I know she's your sister but I don't want that foul mouthed drunken…person around our daughter or in my house a day longer. Our little girl is scared of her, and frankly I'm afraid of what she'll do. She has money; she told me when she got here that she had enough for several months. She can find a place to live; she can go live with whoever she was out drinking with last night and figure this out for herself. If you still want to pay for a psychiatrist for her, that's great, but I want her out of here, please!"

"All right, sweetheart, I'm so sorry, I had no idea my wonderful sister had turned into this…troll. Did she go to her room?"

"No, I left her throwing up in the toilet downstairs."

"Guess I'll wait until she's sobered up then."

XXX

After the Bremerton office had successfully closed their latest case, Ken Saunders their SFA, announced they were going for drinks after work that night. It was a tradition with them but Tony had begged off from previous celebrations. This time he just grinned and nodded, knowing that no matter what Gibbs said, he still needed to fit in here.

With their office so close to the Navy shipyard, the bars were not the sophisticated places DiNozzo was used to. As he sat at the table, trying not to compare it to the pubs of Georgetown, he suddenly missed Ziva and McGee. The longing was so strong he left the table and went to the restroom to take several deep calming breaths. He missed what Abby had called her "Three Musketeers". Evidently that had been an illusion as neither Ziva nor Tim had shared that take on their relationship. He was homesick. He didn't want to talk with Gibbs, he wanted to go back to the table and find it occupied by Ziva and Tim. He couldn't even speak with them. Ziva had not answered any of his texts or calls since he'd left Israel and Tim...damn he'd screwed up. He hoped Gibbs knew that the anger and whining he'd expressed in their last call had really been toward the guy in the mirror, not Tim, not Gibbs. He texted his doctor and asked if he could see him over the weekend. He'd been doing well but then had gotten tired of the effort and slipped back. It was time to step back into this; he wanted to put things right. Washing his face, he straightened his tie and had his "I'm fine" mask firmly in place before he went back to the table.

XXX

Ducky hummed to himself as he and Jimmy cleaned up after taking care of their latest guests. He'd been glad to see the e-mail from Tim and had shared it with Jimmy. While he was sorry he couldn't speak with the dear boy now, he was looking forward to their chat in the morning and he chuckled at that. He and Jethro were having dinner tonight and he was happily anticipating that as well. He had an inkling his old friend had spoken with Tim this week and he was eager to hear what had transpired.

XXX

Gibbs walked into Dr. Cranston's office, his notebook and print of his e-mail to Tim in his hand. Rachel smiled at him as she looked up from her desk and then doing a double take, wore a concerned frown as she looked again. Her patient looked like hell this morning; he hadn't looked this bad in weeks. She wondered if he and Tim had hit the spot she'd figured was coming: Jethro thinking they were quickly approaching good and Tim telling him they weren't anywhere close and likely expressing anger or hurt.

He sank into the chair he normally sat in. "Doc, I…I don't know what to do. I called Tim last night, on the laptop and we had this great conversation. But then it went south and I don't even know how it got there but he was all over me about not wanting him on the team, how he'd never understood why I brought him on and not welcoming him back after Vance busted us up. I…don't know what else is out there…I keep thinking I've dug as deep as I can, feel as bad as its possible to feel and then there's more."

She nodded, "Some things to keep in mind, Jethro. You've been home so you've had time to work on this and you've done some incredible work. Tim is at work, new team, totally foreign land and he's probably not thinking about this all that much. So then he's talking with you and things start to bubble up, things he hasn't had a chance to say, things that aren't going to come up in conversation unless he's talking with you or Ducky or I suppose even the Director. This probably isn't what you want to hear, but I'm glad he's telling you things, that he's still expressing himself. I'm going to take that as a positive sign."

He stared at her. "Positive? He pretty much hung up on me last night."

"He's still hurt and angry, Jethro and it sounds like he's not dealing with it unless he's talking with you."

"Ok, second time, I got it now, Doc." His shoulders slumped, "Is there going to be an end to this, do you think? And I'm telling you, he was rough, told me he didn't trust me; that if he hadn't left things wouldn't have changed. And that led me to thinking about my motives for trying to fix this. I'm second guessing myself all over the place. This isn't the way I want to live, Doc."

"And may I remind you that the hurt and anger were built up over ten years, Jethro. There is no quick fix for this or do you still want to pursue fixing your relationship with Tim McGee?"

"Yeah I do, I just hope it's for the right reasons." He told her of his confused thoughts earlier that morning, tapping his notebook. "Did you write it all down?"

"Most of it. Doc…is it time to tell him now…about why I let things go on?"

"First I want to see what you were thinking this morning." He turned the notebook to the right page and handed it to her. She quickly read it and looked up. "Ok, bear with me on this. You don't ever second guess yourself and now you are." He nodded. "Once again, I see this as a positive sign. Jethro, you've kept your feelings about Shannon and Kelly locked up and that came to include your feelings about Tim as well. So the fact that you're questioning everything tells me you're starting to get close to the real answers. Yes, you're questioning your motives, but that's necessary. I'm going to quickly ask you some questions or make statements and I want you to respond without thinking, just whatever comes out of your mouth." Gibbs nodded.

"Is Tim trying to replace Kelly?"

"No."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

"Do you blame him for Kelly's death?"

"No."

"Does he remind you of Kelly?"

"He looks like her."

"How?"

"His eyes, his smile, his gestures."

"When you see him on the screen, how do you feel?"

"Relieved and happy."

"Why relieved?"

"Because he hasn't given up on me."

He dropped his head into his hands and Rachel waited, feeling his grief. "Jethro I want you to remember he said he loves you and that trust can be rebuilt. What you two are experiencing is a compaction of ten years of problems into a few phone calls. If you had worked these out along the way, they would have happened naturally, not all at once. But you didn't see and he didn't tell you."

"That's what he said before, that he never came to me and told me about things that happened and that I have to let him be responsible for some of it."

"Yes. Can you do that?"

"I don't know how."

"It involves letting him be human. You've been told all these things you've done and now you're thinking Tim was right. He's not always right and he doesn't want that any more than he wanted to be thought of as wrong all the time. He wants you to see him as a human being, not as your agent or your former agent who had problems with you." She paused. "It sounds like that is what he's pushing himself to do with you too. Treat you as a fallible human being rather than his invincible Team Leader."

"He said I was a dictator."

"You were."

Gibbs sighed. "I guess; I even knew that sometimes but I needed things to be done."

"There are other ways to inspire people to do the work you want them to do."

"I'd better learn them fast then, Doc, because I've got a new team coming in and I'm scared I'm going to screw up."

"I don't believe you will. I think you've done enough work now that you'll build your new team the right way. And I'm sure Director Vance will be happy to give you feedback."

"Vance! I haven't told him about our session with Tim on Tuesday."

"Then call him when you leave here, let him know. You're doing much better at communicating, Jethro but it's going to get tough again when you go back to work; you're going to have to keep it up."

All in all, he felt a little better when he left. The doctor had changed a little bit of his e-mail to Tim but he didn't mind the changes and she said it would be all right if he sent it to Tim. She'd also agreed to meet with him early Monday morning before he went into the office. He was hungry when he got home, so he fixed himself some lunch. After he devoured his bacon and egg sandwich, he called Vance and was surprised when he was put right through.

"Gibbs, you ready to come back to work next week?"

"Yes sir and I just realized I have an appointment I forgot to tell you about. It's at 1100 on Tuesday; I'll be back by 1300."

"This a medical appointment?"

"It's with Dr. Cranston and Tim is joining us."

"Really? I'll take that as a positive sign!"

"Hope so, Director."

"He's doing great over there. I just spoke with him a little bit ago, surprised him taking his co-workers on a tour of his new house."

"It's a beauty; he gave me a virtual tour yesterday."

"Oh? Good to hear! Did he tell you they picked a junior agent?"

"Knew he was working on it and that you'd approved his idea."

"That one, he never ceases to amaze me, he's always looking at all sides of the picture. Yeah, they selected a young woman currently in the Southeast Office. He'll tell you this story but I gotta tell you first. She blew her interview, came in late, she was messed up, her clothes were kind of damp and a little dirty and her cell phone kept buzzing during the interview. After the whole Laurel Miller thing…uh, don't know if you know about that?"

"Is that the London agent that was supposedly too sick to work the cartel case?"

"Yeah, she took a Dramamine on the flight over, that's what happened, she was totally spaced out."

"Oh geez."

"Yeah, so anyway…" Vance went on to tell Gibbs the story of Bec and how Tim had suddenly realized she had been out at a crime scene and her second interview.

Gibbs realized as Vance talked that he was feeling comfortable hearing and talking about Tim, as his former agent, now gone on to do great things…more great things. He was appreciative of his boss dealing with it this way rather than never saying his name in front of him. He got off the call feeling better about his return to work. He pulled up his draft of Tim's letter, glad the system had apparently saved it for him, changed the few words as Rachel directed and sent it. He sat back and took a deep breath. He wanted to make something for Tim. It couldn't be very big but he wanted to do something. He'd already made a picture frame for his birthday and once he had decided to include a picture with it, he'd really had to step out of his comfort zone to get that done, but he was happy with it and hoped Tim would be too. Now he wanted to make him something else, something to remind him of home. He remembered that Ducky or Jimmy had the photo album Abby had put together years ago. Ginger had found it in the lab after Abby's departure and taken it to Ducky. Maybe that would trigger some idea of what to do next. He texted his friend and asked him if they could look at it this evening. He got a quick reply and Gibbs relaxed a little more. Maybe he'd take a nap; he thought he could sleep now.


	33. Chapter 33

Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Three

Lina gave a light laugh as Tim took her hand while they slipped out of the school gymnasium/theater. "Your whole group left, except for the Russells."

Tim smiled at her, "They're a clever bunch!" He paused, "I have to confess I only know three places in town and none of them are cafés."

"Really? Oh, of course you've only been here four weeks!"

"A month today as a matter of fact."

She smiled at him. "I know a place that's fun and lively but there is privacy as well."

"Sounds perfect, what's it called?"

"Piraikon."

"Do you mind navigating?"

"Not at all!"

Tim opened her door for her and she gave him another electric smile, one that was making him weak in the knees. Lina proved to be a good navigator and they reached the café without any problems. They walked in, Tim with his hand on her back and found a table in a quiet spot where they could talk without having to yell over the noise of the various billiard games. Tim spotted chess and backgammon boards set up and nodded. "There is a lot to do here!" As they sat, he added, "This is good, a quiet corner for us tonight." The server took their orders and they sat back. Both started talking at once and laughed. Tim gestured to her. "Please!"

"Oh! I was going to ask you where you were before Piraeus. Where in the States?" Tim told her a little about London, DC and Maryland. Then he turned the tables,

"How about you, are you from this area?"

"No, I was born and raised in Thessaloniki -in the Greek Macedonian region; do you know where that is?"

"Yes, in Northern Greece." He leaned back, "Thessaloniki, known for its host of Byzantine monuments, is considered an open-air museum of Byzantine art." He paused and smiled, "And its beautiful natives."

Lina blushed. "You are too kind. It is an historical city of course, there is nothing in Greece that isn't! But naturally there is more and someday you must visit there. I came here to university and I have never left. While I love the north and my parents' home, I love the vibrancy, the ebb and flow of life here. And also the ease of travel to the islands and the rest of Europe."

"And you're an artist, what a wonderful place to live! What kind of art? Other than working on sets for plays?"

"I have my degree in Art History but my heart lies with mixed media – in other words I cannot make up my mind!"

"I imagine it's more likely you're multi-talented. Mixed media…painting, sculpture…?"

"Yes to those two, I also do some work in glass – fusion and I've done some glass blowing as well. And furniture design, photography, some film, clothing, and even a bit of landscape design."

"Wow, you are indeed a woman of many talents."

"Or a lot of dabbling!"

"With your degree, have you done any restoration work? I know there's a difference between history and restoration, but it would seem to me that knowing the history would be very useful in restoration. I read about the "emergency archeology" digs when the Metro was being excavated, that sounded fascinating. Not the same thing, I know."

"Well but it is close! Yes, I have done restoration work, oddly enough not only in Greece but in the U.S. as well, in California!"

"Wow, what kind of restoration work was needed there?"

She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "It is not only ancient works that may need restoring. In California it was an original Monet that had been damaged in a fire. You know those horrible fires they have there that burn houses and trees and everything in the path?" Tim nodded. "The painting was in a home that was close enough to one of those fires to suffer quite a lot of smoke damage. I was called to see if it could be restored and then hired to do the actual restoration."

"Wonderful, I mean that you did the restoration, not that it was damaged in the first place."

"No of course, but it was so wonderful to see the owner's relief that it had not been lost to flame, then there would have been no restoration possible. It was a painting her 2 times great grandfather had purchased new from the artist so not only is it an original Monet it is also a treasured family heirloom."

"Have you traveled other places for your work?"

"Yes, I have been fortunate. I have worked in New York, Atlanta, Portland - the one in Oregon - and San Francisco, Honolulu. And to a few places in Europe. I think my most exciting consultation was in Japan."

"Japan, wow! Why was it the most exciting?"

"Because it is so different from everything I know and because the painting I worked on was from their Muromachi Period, which dates back to the 1300s."

"Now that's ancient! What caused the damage, was it age or the earthquake or flooding?"

"The earthquake and we were able to bring it back to life again. It was very rewarding to do."

"That's amazing! What does your family think of your work and your traveling?"

"My father thinks I should go home and design furniture for him; I do some of that but for custom pieces, not for mass manufacture. My sister is envious I believe. She married quite young and has a child, I think she would have liked to have seen a bit of the world first. My mother would like to do that now, but my father has not been willing to give the leadership of the family business over to my eldest brother."

"The family business is furniture?"

"Yes, my many times great grandfather started it over 200 years ago and now it is a chain of stores. The furniture is still made here in Greece, which is good, and customers are able to order custom pieces, just not of my design!"

"200 years as a family business, that's incredible!"

She laughed lightly again and Tim had to resist the urge to swoop in and kiss her beautiful laughing lips. "It is not so incredible in Europe, Tim. You are from a very young country."

"You're right; we are young, comparatively speaking."

"You have me speaking of myself. Tell me more about you! Where did you grow up?"

"My father was in the Navy, so we lived in several places. I was born in Maryland, then we moved to Puerto Rico, to Japan and then to San Diego. From there we moved to Northern California, across the bay from San Francisco, to Alameda."

"Yes, I know where that is!"

"My father died when I was 9 and we moved back East, to Baltimore."

"Maryland again."

"Yes."

"Did you have family there?"

"No, that's just where we were sent."

"Sent?"

Tim inwardly cringed; there wasn't any way around this. "My mother died before my father and he remarried. When he died, our stepmother didn't want to take care of us, so she sent us away – to Baltimore."

"Oh, that's quite sad. But who raised you then?"

"As it turned out I did. My younger sister and me and a little boy we adopted along the way."

"How is that possible?"

Sanitizing the story as much as he could, Tim told her of growing up on the street. By the time he finished, she'd taken his hand.

He smiled at her, "We have happy endings. I'm here, my sister Sarah is packing to move to the UK for graduate school and the little boy I adopted, Rob is already in the UK, in medical school. Our older brother Geordie is a Marine."

"Oh, you're right, that's a wonderful ending; you've all done extraordinarily well! And where did you go to school?"

"I got my bachelor's degree at Johns Hopkins and my graduate degree at MIT."

"You must be a genius!"

He laughed, "Sorry, no!"

They talked for another hour before Tim could see Lina was tiring. She was currently working at the Benaki Museum and had gone in early this morning so she could leave early for last minute work on the sets for the play. She had to be at work early again on Saturday morning. He commented that he'd been to 'her' museum once and that he foresaw many visits. She smiled happily at that, it was one of her favorite places; she had chosen to work there. He paid the bill and drove her back to the school, parking and escorting her to her vehicle. He opened her door and turned to her, gently pressing his lips to hers, welcoming her response. "Lina, will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Yes, Tim, that would be wonderful. "

"If I pick you up at 8:00 will that give you enough time after work?"

"Yes, that's perfect. Here's the address." She took back the card she'd given him with her cell number and work number on it and added her home address. She handed it to him and leaned in for another kiss. Tim thought he'd died and gone to heaven kissing this woman. They stood there in the school parking lot kissing and murmuring to each other until they realized how late – or early - it was.

He watched her drive off and then headed for home. He was so entranced by the wonderful Lina that he caught himself just before he turned into the office parking lot. Shaking his head, he drove up the hill and right into the garage of his new house. He carefully hung up his suit and got into his pajamas, foregoing the rest of his nightly routine for now. He was still too keyed up to sleep so opened his e-mail to send a couple of messages to Sarah, Rob and his friend Ralph. He saw Gibbs' message sitting there and opened it, feeling badly for hanging up on him the day before although he was not sorry for what he'd said. The note was conciliatory and Tim smiled at the sentiment expressed by his former boss. He was starting to believe Gibbs really did care about him, that it wasn't some control thing or anything to do with having apparently lost Ziva forever. He shook his head, he knew he was running hot and cold with Gibbs but despite his flares of anger and hurt he really wanted to fix this.

He pulled up Skype and pinged Gibbs who was sitting in his kitchen waiting for his coffeemaker to give him more coffee. He heard his laptop chime and he jumped up, hoping it was Tim. It was too early for Tony and they'd arranged to speak on Saturday anyway. He grinned when he saw Tim's face. "Hi Tim, had a good night, did you?"

"How did you know?" Gibbs remembered the boys using CDs as mirrors and grabbed one Jimmy had left and held it up. Tim leaned in and then he saw the lipstick. He laughed, "Guess what Boss, I met someone tonight!"

"Met her and kissed her, Tim! So…?"

"I met her at the school play of all places! She's an artist and was helping Trina with the sets; actually I think she designed the sets. Her friend's son …um I can't remember his name, was in the play. Her name's Melina Kalivas but she's called Lina. She's wonderful; she has auburn hair and beautiful green eyes. She lives here in Piraeus, but she's from Thessaloniki, which is up north. She has two brothers and a sister and her family has owned and operated a furniture business for 200 years! That just blows my mind, 200 years. Anyway, she's been to the U.S. several times, worked over there. And we like a lot of the same things, Boss."

Gibbs was smiling at his kid, oh yeah, he was smitten. "So you met her before the play and did something after? Nice going Tim!"

"No way was I not going to spend more time with her Boss. She's…the most wonderful woman I've ever met. We went for coffee."

"That's good son, now are you going to see her again this weekend?"

"Yes, we're going out to dinner tomorrow night. Oh, I have to find a restaurant and make reservations!"

"You could ask the Russells, I'll bet they have their favorites."

"Great idea, Boss, thanks!"

"So how was the play?"

Tim laughed, "I won't tell anyone here this, but I have no idea. Lina sat next to me and I couldn't concentrate; it could have been a Tony award winning performance and I wouldn't have known…or cared. I heard the others saying how good it was so I congratulated the kids when we saw them."

Gibbs laughed, "That's probably all they'll care about anyway. So besides calling Pete and making reservations, what else are you doing tomorrow?"

"Have an appointment to get my hair cut, look how long it is!" Tim turned his head sideways.

"Good thing you're getting it cut, starting to look like a hippie there, Timothy!"

"Huh, my hair was a lot longer than this when I was a kid, Boss. I wouldn't let anyone but Geordie cut it and he hated to do it, said it dulled his knife."

"Yikes!"

"When Rob got old enough, he'd do it for me. I let Sarah do it once and she tried to do some weird Miami Vice cut or something on me. I had to get Geordie to take it nearly down to a buzz cut to get rid of it!"

"There's something called a professional barber."

"Yeah, I'm going to the guy who cuts both Evander and Matt's hair. Afterward I'm going to the Flying Pig for breakfast and I think Matt is meeting me. Then I'll pick up some groceries and head home. At some point I think I need to go back to my room at the office and clean, guess I'll do that Saturday afternoon. Nobody has said anything, but it's not a hotel, so I'll clean up after myself! Then I'll talk with Ducky and I promised Vance I'd help Kayla, she's in an Advanced Math class and having problems. Then…an evening with Lina."

"The part with Lina sounds like a good birthday for you, the rest, well, things have to get done! You won't remember anything else about tomorrow but your evening with Lina."

"You're right, I probably won't! And it'll be the best birthday ever." Gibbs grinned at him, happy to see his youngest almost giddy with happiness.

Tim continued, "Boss, I'm sorry I hung up the other night, I thought we had a callout. I was upset but that was rude and I really didn't mean to be rude," he huffed, "hurt and angry again but not rude. And I really appreciate your e-mail; that means a lot to me." Gibbs nodded, his throat having apparently closed up again. He managed a smile when Tim put his hand on the screen and he matched him. "Glad you thought of this, Tim, I know it's really an illusion but it sure helps."

"Helps me too."

"So you closed a cold case this week? Nice going!"

"How…?"

"Vance mentioned it."

"Oh. Yeah, it was pathetically easy, could have been closed years ago except for politics. Was a supposed kidnapping of a young ensign 15 years ago. Did some follow up, called the guy's brother to see if he'd heard from him in the last umpteen years and all he says is their father died and gives me an address in Athens. Pete and I drive over – he wouldn't let me get out of the car because I hadn't been released for field duty yet. Pete goes to the front door, says he's NCIS and the guy gives it up, right then and there. He was living right there with his wife and kids the whole time! JAG came over from Naples and took him back with them. But no new cases and I am not complaining! Did I tell you about our new junior?" Gibbs shook his head and Tim told him his version of the "Bec interview".

When Tim paused and asked if he remembered when he fell in the creek, he nodded. "Yeah, you were almost as wet as when you went through that carwash your first year, although the mud was a nice addition! I guess the carwash was an honest run through, not like the creek where Tony let go of your belt."

"That was an accident Boss. He was slipping and falling."

Gibbs just nodded. They talked for a few more minutes, only disconnecting when Tim started yawning and Gibbs told him to get some sleep. Then he called Ducky to tell him they'd need to revise their birthday plans to accommodate Kayla's call and Tim's plans with Lina. After talking about it, they came to the conclusion that Vance needed to be brought in on it and Ducky volunteered to do that. Assuming they would have Vance's agreement, the two older men revised the schedule. The original plan had been for Sarah, Ducky, Jimmy, Breena, and Gibbs to gather at Ducky's and link in Rob and James for a surprise international birthday Skype call from all of them. But having Kayla Vance's call scheduled so tightly afterward didn't work. Ducky had e-mailed with Pete earlier in the week and knew what his teammates were planning, but that would take place hours before their call. A quick call to Vance had everything settled, not only that but the Vances were asked to join the party at Ducky's. Vance sent a text to Tim saying that Kayla's call needed to be earlier and that he'd contacted Ducky and they were in effect swapping times.

Saturday morning Tim overslept and had to skip his run and breakfast to be on time for his haircut and was grateful for the free coffee and pastry he was given at the shop. He wasn't too surprised to see Matt in an adjoining chair as his friend had said he might join him for breakfast and he knew he'd planned to get his hair cut. When they were both done, Matt suggested he help him with the grocery shopping and then he'd cook breakfast for them both. Matt was a good cook so Tim had no problem with that.

Shopping went quickly as Tim was hungry and wanted to get home. Matt zipped on up the hill in his car and pulled onto the side of the driveway, giving Tim room to drive into the garage. The younger man grabbed some of the grocery bags and the two men walked into the house through the garage. Tim was seriously in need of more coffee and feeling a little bleary after his shortened sleep and the relaxing haircut; he figured Matt would cook, they'd eat and talk and at some point he'd have a chance to take a nice long nap.

Matt had told him the name of a great restaurant and he'd already accessed their website and made reservations for tonight. Tim was thinking of the evening ahead, or more precisely, he was thinking of Lina and the evening ahead when they reached the kitchen and he almost dropped the bag with the eggs when he was faced with his team, their significant others and the entire Russell family yelling "Surprise!"

He stood in shock, he'd never had a surprise birthday party; his birthdays were mostly spent at work with little or no recognition or with his siblings and a few friends, never anything like this. He looked around; the whole downstairs was decorated with "Happy Birthday" banners, streamers and balloons. He spotted a pile of presents and cards and blinked away tears. Not quite knowing what to do, he caught Trina's eye and she came to his rescue. "Now, Tim, as the birthday boy, you get to just sit, relax and try to enjoy being the center of attention. Matt and Tea are cooking and the rest of us have brought goodies, we're having brunch. And at some point you're going to tell us all about your coffee date with Lina."

Tim's face, already happy, lit up even more and the men patted him on the back, "Welcome to the club!"

Pete laughed, "Who laughed at me two weeks ago, Timothy? _Two_ weeks! You beat me by a whole month!"

Tim did his fish impression while he figured out what Pete was talking about, oh yeah, coming to Greece to meet girls.

He shrugged, "Really, well who invited me to the play?" He turned and looked at Trina with one eyebrow raised.

She gasped her laughter, "Oh no, I admit I had plans but last night wasn't one of them!"

Matt and Tea shooed everyone out of the kitchen; they headed for the dining area and Tim looked over at Evander, "Sure glad you worked out the deal for the furniture, Evander or we'd be eating on the floor!"

His friend smiled back at him, "We would have thought of something Tim. I'm glad you moved in right away, the surprise was originally planned around us helping you move but this is much more fun!"

Kim brought the coffee pot around while Caleb followed with the teapot. Brunch was soon served and Tim was floored by the wonderful friendship and food he was offered. As they ate, he talked a little about his coffee date with Lina and disclosed their dinner date that evening. That raised the noise level again and the one thing he heard was a question as to where he was taking her. He mentioned that Matt had recommended the #2 rated restaurant in Piraeus, Vassilenas and was pleased to hear approving noises from the women. Pete gave Matt a thumbs up but looked a bit worried. Guessing at what might be bothering his friend, Tim just held up his phone and told him he'd already made reservations and that brought the smiles back to Pete's face.

Tim was further astounded when he looked through the presents and found gifts not only from his wonderful new friends including Carla and Norm, but also from Sarah, Rob and Geordie, James, Ducky, the Palmers and Gibbs. Kim and Adan piled all the gifts and cards around him and he just looked at it all, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world. He grinned. "Ok, I'm just going to dive in!" He vaguely remembered childhood birthday parties and except for the funny hats, he felt much the same today, almost giddy with happiness. He opened the cards first and found a card from Joel, another signed by his former project team, one from Jackson Gibbs, another from the techs in MTAC, one from Rick Carter, another one from Tobias and Emily Fornell and one from the Vance family. The gifts ranged from some much needed towels to a promise of a painting from Trina to a beautifully handcrafted picture frame from Gibbs, with a photo that melded the images of the photo of Tim, Rob, Sarah and Geordie that first day in the shelter with an image of Patrick taken shortly before he died. It had been artfully and tastefully done so that all five McGee siblings appeared in the photo that was in the frame. That one stopped him for a few minutes until he could explain about Patrick. There were toys for the pool, garden tools and gadgets, a gift card for a local nursery and a large houseplant that was perfect by the sliding patio door. Geordie had sent a wood carving that could have been Asian, Russian or Scandinavian and Tim laughed, his brother might have carried it with him for years before he decided the operation in that particular region was far enough behind him that it was safe to give the gift.

When he finished opening everything, they were given champagne flutes and Stephan and Phoebe poured sparkling cider into each. Pete cleared his throat, "A toast for Tim! Happy Birthday and welcome to your new life. May it always be filled with love, laughter, health and happiness!" They all raised their glasses, "To Tim!" He blushed as he sipped the cider.

Before they left, he'd promised to host a pool party when the weather was warmer and Adan had offered to teach him some basic gardening skills. The Russells handled the clean up while Matt helped Tim bring some of his gifts upstairs. He stayed to help Tim pick out what to wear that evening and agreed that he should have another suit made. Soon enough Tim found himself alone and he set the alarm on his phone and collapsed on the bed. He'd loved every minute of it but he was still in desperate need of a nap!

Note: According to tripadvisor Vassilenas is the number 2 rated restaurant in Piraeus. The number 1 is listed as a curry shop and while I'm sure it's a fine place, I wanted Greek food and something more romantic sounding for Tim and Lina's first real date!


	34. Chapter 34

Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Four

Tim woke from his nap several minutes before his alarm was set to wake him. He checked his e-mail and saw the note from Vance that the calls had been switched and shrugged it off. He dug out his wallet and found the card from the Ambassador's assistant and sent her a quick e-mail asking if he could bring a date to the embassy party the following Saturday. He thought about showering but decided to wait until after his calls, then he could concentrate on his date with Lina and not be distracted. He did pop downstairs to see if there were any leftovers and had a bite or two of a delicious casserole Eva and Caleb had made.

Pouring a glass of juice, he went back upstairs just in time for Kayla's call. Although he was fond of Kayla and Jared, he knew he was distracted and wished the problem could have waited til tomorrow. Nevertheless he was his usual smiling self when Kayla appeared on his screen. She showed him what she'd done and he looked at it. "Kayla, I'm not seeing the problem, these are all correct."

"Ok."

He looked up sharply, that was the tone she'd used in the months after her mother died. She'd gradually improved but now was sounding down again.

"Want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Whatever it is that's bothering you."

"I can't tell Dad."

"Can't tell him what?"

"That it's not the work, it's the class."

"All right…"

"Tim, do you remember when I signed up for this last year? Mom was so excited, she'd loved her advanced classes in school and we were going to work on this together."

"Oh Kayla!"

"I don't want to do this without her, Tim. It makes me hurt more. I miss her so much."

"Of course you do, Kay. You need to tell your dad, he needs to know. "

"You think I could drop the class?"

"I don't know but I do know you need to tell your dad, he'll help you with this."

"I haven't wanted to, Tim, he's hurting so much."

"I know but if he knew you weren't telling him because you didn't want him to hurt, that would make him crazy. He's upset because he hasn't been able to help you with the class work."

Kayla's eyes widened, "Oh, that's bad."

"Just talk to him, Kayla, that's all you need to do. He's a good listener."

"I will, Tim. Can we still call you though, me and Jared…you know sometimes?"

"Sure, I'd like that!"

The young teen nodded, "All right, I guess I'd better go tell him. Thank you Tim…oh I forgot to wish you a happy birthday! Are you having a good one?"

"I am, thanks, I had a surprise party, and I've never had one before!"

"That's great! All right, I'd better go, thank you for listening to me and have a good rest of your birthday."

"I will, Kay, tell Jared and your dad hi for me." She nodded and they disconnected. He sat for a few minutes, thinking about Jackie Vance and the sad and painful days and weeks after her murder. From that perspective he didn't regret helping Ziva track down Bodnar. Jackie had been such a good person; she was a wonderful mother and had been kind to him on numerous occasions. She would not like her daughter giving up on her dream of the advanced classes but that was not up to him.

Now having some free time, he puttered around the house. He took down the paintings and other things he didn't like in his room, the guest rooms and downstairs, although he left the dining room light fixture up until he found something he did like. He wondered if Lina would want to go to the flea market with him to look. He took one of the garden tools he'd been given this morning, a clipper thing, as well as some sturdy gloves and went out to the garden. There were several different rosebushes out there, still with new buds and blooms. He cut several in different colors including a few buds and then found some other long green leaves he thought would look nice with them. Bringing them into the house, he clipped the thorns off the rose stems, cut a bit off the ends of the long green leaves and put them all in water. He remembered seeing vases in the back hallway closet and he dug through, finding some small glass cylinders that he could put the stems in and then wrap them in….tissue paper? Or maybe plastic wrap first with tissue paper over them? He left the roses in water for now with the cylinders, plastic wrap and the tissue paper out on the counter.

Back upstairs, he changed the sheets on the bed. In his experience, changing the sheets usually wasn't necessary until around or after the 3rd date, but just in case. As he thought about it, he moved his package of condoms from the bathroom to the top drawer of the bedside table. He stopped and took a deep breath, reminding himself to take it easy, not to get his hopes or anything else up too soon. He didn't want to scare her off as he'd done with other women he'd thought were special. Not the same as Lina though. He freely admitted he was head over heels with her and idly wondered if he could propose on their first real date. He shook himself again, he needed to focus on the present, not dream his way into the future and then have it snatched away when he presumed too much.

He checked his e-mail but there was no reply from Beth Donahue, the ambassador's assistant. He shook his head at his expectations, it was Saturday and this was the young woman's work e-mail, not her personal. He hoped Monday wouldn't be too late to ask Lina if the answer was yes from the Embassy. What if she needed a dress or needed to take time off of work or something? He was going to end up a gibbering idiot if he didn't stop! He needed to just relax and enjoy the evening.

He was putting his birthday towels away when he heard the laptop chime; maybe it was one of his siblings. He'd told them they didn't need to call and now he was regretting that. To his surprise it was Ducky, nearly thirty minutes early and when he answered, he was shocked once again to hear many voices yell "Surprise, Happy Birthday!" He grinned as he spotted Rob and James in a smaller panel on the screen and waved to them. Tim shook his head when he spotted Kayla, Jared and their father in the crowd. Grinning, Kayla turned the laptop slowly around the room so he could see everyone who was there and that the room was decorated for a party. His long distance, international party. He wasn't surprised to see Gibbs, Jimmy or Breena, he was surprised to see his baby sister there with her best "Ha I fooled you" grin.

"You guys are the best…and have you all met Rob and James now?" They nodded as they'd linked Rob and James in a few minutes before they'd called him. Gibbs smiled, "I'd know them anywhere from your photos, Tim."

"I haven't had a chance to thank you all for your cards and gifts. Boss…that photo and the frame, that's unbelievable."

"I had it uh…what do you guys call it?" Sarah, Jimmy and the Vance kids called out, "Photoshopped."

"Yeah, that! Sarah had the separate photos and went with me to the place to have them scanned so they were on the computer and then they moved things around, it was really interesting to watch."

Beside him, Sarah was watching her brother's face and knew her decision to help Gibbs had been a good one, despite her personal feelings. Rob and James were laughing at something Breena said. They turned, "Hey this is a three country party, that's pretty awesome, I wonder if it's a record or something."

Another chime on Ducky's laptop and he saw Jack and Ted pop up in a third panel. "Hey Tim, we couldn't make your earlier party, sorry! Pete checked with Dr. Mallard for us, we just wanted to wish you Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks guys, hey, I want to introduce you, you're my new poster boys for your agency you know! I'm not quite sure the others believe me." One by one he introduced them to his family and friends. He looked at them and noticed a window behind them with scenery that was distinctly not Athens. He decided not to bring it to anyone's attention or he would have nightmares about someone burning them on Twitter or some media site and that would be very bad. He turned to the others and saw Gibbs' eyebrow up in a question. He discreetly shook his head, don't ask and went on 'partying' with the others. His new friends couldn't stay long and Tim wondered if they had finished an operation or were just starting one.

Most of the party goers hadn't yet seen the house so he did another virtual tour, first the upstairs and then downstairs and lastly the backyard, lit up. James joked that he was booking a flight and did Tim think Joel would mind if he "worked from home", meaning Tim's home? When Vance cleared his throat and said Joel might not mind but he would, James blanched and then relaxed when the Director laughed, obviously having meant to tease the young man.

The party went on for nearly 2 hours before Gibbs looked at his watch. "Hey guys, we'll need to break this up in a few minutes, Tim needs time to get ready for his date tonight."

That caused more upheaval and Tim had to explain to everyone who hadn't heard all about Lina. He was eternally grateful he'd sent e-mails to his sister and brother that morning. When the tumult quieted a bit, he asked to speak privately to Breena. He asked for her opinion about Lina and the embassy party, ask her now, knowing the answer from the embassy might be no or ask her later in the week? Breena said that was a tough one and that she needed a couple of minutes to think it through. Vance who had been hovering out of sight but not quite out of earshot approached the screen. "Tim, the answer will be no to a date. You have to be at least engaged to bring a date."

"Thanks sir, I thought the answer might be no, that's why I was torn about asking Lina before I knew."

"Yeah, sorry, I was lingering nearby because I wanted to let you know Kayla and I talked and I really appreciate your encouraging her to come to me; thank you."

"You're welcome, Director, I wish there was something more I could do."

"Keep being the friend she needs, both of them need, please."

"That's easy to do, Sir."

"You say that now, wait until you and Lina are farther along in your relationship!" Tim blushed as Vance winked at him and then moved aside to find Breena. Sarah took his place and the three siblings talked for a few minutes. Her flight departed on Friday, same as Tim's had, arriving on Saturday which would make it easier for James and Rob to meet her at Heathrow. She was feeling a little nervous and like Rob before her, asked for a family call the day before. With Rob at school and work for long hours, and Tim's martial arts class on Thursday night, scheduling was a little trickier than before, but they figured it out.

Sarah moved away and Gibbs and Ducky appeared. Tim smiled. "You guys are the best, you know that? I can't believe you did all this – and coordinated with Pete!"

"We didn't want to miss your birthday, dear boy. Now are you ready for tonight?"

Tim laughed, "Uh, yes, have reservations and have taken care of everything else."

"Bringing her flowers?"

"I was planning on bringing her roses from my garden; I cut them earlier and found some long green leaves to go with them. Is that ok or should I find a florist?"

Both men shook their heads, "No, home grown from your own garden is the best. Shows more thought put into it."

Gibbs leaned in; "You might want to cut the thorns off though."

Tim nodded, "I did that already, Boss." He spent the last few minutes of his party talking with Gibbs and Ducky. At one point he could see Vance off to the side watching with a smile on his face and he smiled back, wanting him to know how good this felt. Between this morning and now, he'd been with all of his favorite people except for Lina – and Geordie -and he would be seeing her in just about an hour and he never knew when he'd see his older brother. With a start he realized the time and Gibbs nodded. "Go son, have a wonderful time! And don't worry about saying or doing the right thing, just be you." Tim nodded and waved goodbye to everyone as he disconnected.

He showered and dried his hair then decided to get the flowers ready before he got dressed. He had to cut some of the lower leaves off to get all the stems in the little cylinders but finally they were in and he added water. Wrapping them in plastic wrap didn't hold them together tightly enough, so he dug through kitchen drawers until he found a large enough rubber band. That did the trick and he wrapped the whole thing in tissue paper until it looked halfway decent. He stood there holding the bundle in his hands. Now what? He couldn't lay it down or the water would spill out and some of the roses might lose their petals. He remembered seeing a pitcher in a cupboard and with one hand holding the bouquet of roses and leaves he went hunting again, this time for a pitcher or anything large enough to hold this thing upright until he got to Lina's place. Maybe he should have just wrapped them in wet paper towels but he'd wanted it to look nicer than that. He found a pitcher and stood the bouquet inside of it. It held ok so he left it while he went back upstairs to finish getting ready. Who knew fresh cut flowers would be such a pain!

Dressed and ready, he grabbed his jacket, keys and went to the kitchen for the flowers. Looking at it, he realized he'd need something to hold the pitcher upright in the car. He wanted it on the floor of the backseat where if it spilled it would not get anything wet that Lina would have to sit on or put her feet on. He dashed into the back hallway to the same closet and dragged out a blanket that was big enough and heavy enough, he hoped, to hold the damn flowers steady. Really, next time he'd just buy them from a florist! He stowed the troublesome things in the foot well of the backseat, swaddled in the blanket. Yeah, if they tipped they wouldn't go far.

He set her address into the GPS although he'd already looked up the directions online and memorized them. He was excited and nervous and needed to calm down. He practiced his deep breathing on his way to Lina's house and then realized he couldn't remember her housemate's name. Something that was also a boy's name. Terry? Pat? Robbie? Bobbi? Dani, that was it! Her kid's name was...no clue; it just hadn't stuck with him. Ok, he was a friend of Stephan and Phoebe…oh, Phoebe! That made him think of one of the few non-science fiction shows on TV he really knew anything about and that was "Friends".

"Ross! Dani's son's name is Ross." And with that he pulled up to the house he'd seen on Google Earth and parked. Remembering the roses, he plucked the bouquet from the backseat and carried it up the partially tiled walkway to the front door. He straightened his jacket and then knocked on the door, trying to remember to breathe.


	35. Chapter 35

Looks out into cyberspace...where did all my readers go? Anyone there?

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Five<p>

Ducky was thankful Gibbs and the Vances stayed to help clean up. He thought perhaps their Director was doing a little reconnaissance before Gibbs reported back to work on Monday. He was right; Vance had liked what he'd seen of Gibbs' interactions with Tim and was much heartened by it. He also wanted to make sure the Team Leader was ready to get his head back in the game. That might not be the topic for today, but he could engage him in some personal conversation anyway.

To his shock, Gibbs initiated the discussion. "Great to see him looking so happy, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, he's had good things happen for him these last two months."

"Haven't said this before, wasn't sure it was appropriate, but thank you for taking good care of him, making sure he went someplace where he'd be appreciated."

Vance opened his mouth to say his standard spiel about watching out for all of his agents and then just said, "I was glad I could do something for him. He's a special soul, that one, and I'm glad you're seeing that now too."

Gibbs nodded and Vance saw it was still a painful topic for him. He was almost happy to see that reaction, he thought it meant some hard lessons had been taken to heart.

Gibbs finally spoke, "I'll be happy to hear what his take will be meeting his relatives tomorrow, it's funny he hasn't mentioned it."

"He hasn't…what?"

"The reception on the Baton Rouge."

"Isn't that the ship his godfather and uncle are on?"

"Well, yeah, Leon."

"It's there, in Greece – in Piraeus? There's a reception?"

Gibbs was starting to worry. "Yes, the ship is on a goodwill tour. The whole office is invited to the reception."

"So he knows he'll be meeting his godfather and uncle?"

"No, I didn't tell him, you said you would give him the news, you ordered me not to talk about it with him. Leon, don't tell me he doesn't know."

"Oh boy." Leon's head started to pound. "I need to call him!"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, Director, don't do that now, right before his date with Lina. He's really crazy about this woman and that news is just going to distract him, upset him."

"You're right. Ok, what time is the reception?"

"Uh, I think he said it was 1500."

"His place is right by the office, so he'll probably leave about 14:45, earlier if he's going to pick up anyone on the way."

"He's picking up Matt and two of the women, Eva and Tea? No, that's not right. It's Tea and the one whose boyfriend is the real estate agent. Kim, right?" Vance nodded. "Yeah, he can't make it so Tim, Matt, Tea and Kim are all going in one car."

"So I should call him by 1400."

"Leon, maybe you shouldn't tell him. Maybe you should call Pete and let him know and see what he wants to do. If I was Pete, that's what I'd want you to do so I could decide how to tell him."

"Maybe. I'll think about it, Gibbs."

Ducky joined them and they filled him in. "Oh my, that will be quite emotional for Timothy, bringing it all back to him. And neither of you told him?"

"My fault, Doctor, I was adamant that I should tell him and then it…slipped through the cracks."

"Director, if I may, I would think your best course of action now would be to contact Agent Russell and let him know. Then he can decide whether to tell him ahead of time."

Vance grunted, "That's what Gibbs said too."

"Well, he is your top investigator Director; he's very good at thinking things through."

With a sigh, Vance nodded, "All right, I'll do that, as soon as I get home."

Gibbs pursed his lips. "Isn't there another performance tonight? The play?"

Vance swore and his children, halfway across the house, looked at each other and called out, "That's $5.00 in the swear jar!"

While his boss rolled his eyes, Gibbs chuckled remembering Kelly calling him on his language and watching him put quarters in their swear jar.

He decided to help. "Tim called me last night about 1900 our time. He'd been out for coffee with Lina after the play and I think there was probably some uh 'talking' in the car, if that helps with your timetable."

Ducky smiled, "Ah yes, talking in the car."

Gibbs chuckled, "When he called me, he had lipstick on his face."

Kayla and Jared wandered over, "Do you know what the play is?"

"Yeah, it's "Bye Bye Birdie"."

"Hmm, Dr. Ducky, can we use your laptop?"

"Certainly my dears."

Within a couple of minutes, the Vance kids had pulled up information about the play and they saw that the performance was between two hours and two and a half hours. Kayla looked at her father, "You know school plays usually start at 8:00."

"All right, so I can call him at 2300 tonight or 1400 tomorrow." That settled, the kids closed the search engine and gathered their jackets. Knowing Ducky had plans for the afternoon, Gibbs left at the same time as the Vances. His thoughts were about Tim, hoping he'd had a good birthday and was having a wonderful time with Lina.

XXX

Across the Atlantic, Tim heard light footsteps approaching the door and straightened his shoulders. When the door was opened he forgot to breathe as he gazed at the vision in front of him. Lina was wearing a dress that perfectly matched the color of her eyes; however as she turned, Tim noticed the color changed to a different shade of green and it shimmered in the light. The design was a simple cut that curved around her body perfectly and he longed to trace the pattern with his fingers. In the shoes she'd worn last night, she'd been a perfect height to reach Tim's face…for kissing… and Tim happily saw she appeared to be wearing heels of the same height this evening. Her lovely hair was pinned up in some sort of twist and he immediately thought of taking it down and watching it spread across her shoulders. She wore a simple necklace and earrings that reflected the dress and Tim, wondering if she'd made them, added them to his fantasy.

Smiling, he held out the roses and she gasped, "Oh they're lovely! Are they from your garden Tim?"

He nodded, feeling suddenly shy.

"Do we have time to put them in water?"

He smiled, thinking there would always be time for anything she wanted but just saying, "Yes, there's time."

She motioned him inside and Tim followed her hoping she couldn't hear his heart thumping. Quickly finding a vase, she removed the rubber band and tissue paper from the bouquet and then stopped, looking at the cylinders. "How clever, I've never seen these before!"

"I found them in the hall closet with the vases, thought they'd be handy."

"They're perfect. I'll just leave them in there for now and I'll get them back to you later, is that all right?"

He smiled, "Sure!" She put her hand on his cheek, "You're sweet to bring me roses Timothy; they are my favorite flower!"

He took her hand and kissed her palm, "They suit you perfectly." She made a happy little noise and then blinked. "I'll….I'll just get my wrap and be right out."

Leaving him in the living room, she disappeared down a hallway; quickly reappearing with a light wrap. He remembered Sarah insisting on something similar for a dance she'd gone to in high school. Lina's was a cream color that looked beautiful with her skin and hair and Tim loved the texture of it and her skin as he took it from her and tenderly draped it around her shoulders. "I have to ask, Lina, did you design your dress and jewelry?" Walking out the door to the car, she smiled, happy to be asked, "Yes I did. Do you like them?"

"Very much, they're perfect for you."

"Thank you." As she sat in the passenger seat, he started to close the door. She reached up and touched his leather jacket, "I loved your suit last night and this…this is yummy."

He grinned at her, "Yummy? I'd better get you to the restaurant if you think my jacket will be yummy!"

She laughed, "Where are we going?"

"To Vassilenas. Have you been there before?"

"No, I have not and I've heard wonderful things about it."

"Good then it'll be a first for both of us. My friend Matt, the one sitting on the other side of me at the play last night, recommended it."

Tim was a very careful driver but now he turned toward Lina, "How was work today? I hope you weren't too tired?"

"I was a bit tired but I didn't mind, Tim, honestly and I had time for a rest when I got home this afternoon."

"That's good, I had one too."

"A rest?"

"Yes, when I got home last night I spoke with my former boss in DC for nearly an hour and I slept so late this morning I had to skip my run in order to be on time for my haircut."

"Yes, I noticed you have a fresh cut." She reached over and fingered it. "It's so silky." He tried not to groan at her touch. She continued, "And you're a runner, as am I!"

He took a quick glimpse at her. "We should run together!"

"A good idea. Do you attend church on Sundays?"

"Uh no, I haven't yet."

She chuckled, "Nicely put. So if I am a devout churchgoer, I can assume you just haven't found the right church yet."

"And are you?"

"No, not at all; I'm afraid I am one of those people who attends church only at Christmas and Easter."

He laughed, "That's twice a year more than I go."

"No church for you in Silver Spring or in Baltimore?"

"We went occasionally in Baltimore when Sarah insisted. And we varied churches, we had to hide the fact that we had no adults taking care of us or the government would have put us in foster homes."

"And that would have been a bad thing?"

"Yes, we would most likely have been split up; I would have had difficulty ever seeing Sarah and I'd never be allowed to see Robbie as he wasn't related to us."

"That's heartless."

"Well, it's a system; I guess the goal is to make sure each child has a roof over his or her head, a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear and food to eat."

"That doesn't speak to love or family though."

"No, but I think that despite what I'm saying, there are plenty of good loving foster parents out there." He shook his head, "Unfortunately, we never heard about them when we were kids."

"Then you were wise to avoid the churches! How did we…oh I was going to suggest we run together on Sunday mornings."

"That's a good idea, shall we start tomorrow?"

"Yes and I have a good route in mind."

They'd reached the restaurant and Tim was thankful to find parking nearby. He'd been warned the area didn't look like much but to him it just looked like a neighborhood. Opening Lina's door, he took her hand to help her out of the car as the pavement was a bit uneven. At least that was the story he had prepared if she commented. He'd learned women didn't necessarily like being helped out of cars or having their doors opened for them, at least not the ones he'd dated, so he proceeded with caution.

She smiled at him, "You're such a gentleman, Timothy, that's a dying art and I love it."

He smiled back at her, "It was one of the things my father taught my brother and me - to always be a gentleman."

She reached out and softly touched his cheek and he brought her hand down to his lips and kissed it. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as they walked into the restaurant and were quickly seated. Their table was in a small alcove decorated with tiny white lights; the atmosphere suggesting a cozy privacy in this fairyland of a restaurant. To heighten the experience, the table was next to a window that overlooked a garden, also lit with the tiny lights. Lina looked around, "Oh, this is so romantic, Tim, it's wonderful!" He smiled and took her hand. "I wish I could say I had something to do with it but all I did was ask for the quietest table for our special date."

"Ooh, that did it, I'm sure!" Their server appeared and they both ordered drinks and appetizers. They continued talking and it wasn't until the server reappeared with their appetizers that they realized there were menus on the table. Tim had no interest in looking anywhere but at Lina. He asked the server for the day's specials and they each ordered an entrée from that. Lina ordered the slow cooked entree and Tim ordered a mushroom risotto with salmon 2 ways. After the server left, Lina took an envelope out of her clutch and handed it to Tim. "A little birdie told me that today is your birthday! I'm sorry I wasn't there to celebrate with you."

He smiled, "it is still my birthday, and we're celebrating tonight. I had a great time at both parties but this, with you is the best!" He picked up the card and opened it, noticing it was from the museum. The picture on the front was lovely and the signature even lovelier. Lina had signed it with an imprint of her lips, a SWAK. He leaned over to capture those lips in his own. When asked he told her about both parties and she giggled at the idea of one birthday party happening simultaneously in three countries. They talked and laughed through their dinners, Lina telling funny stories about her projects and Tim telling stories of his sister and brother when they were very young and a little about his travels with James. At her insistence he talked a little about his work but kept it mostly to the people he worked with.

After she'd heard all about Pete, Kim, Carla, Matt, Tea and Eva, she wanted to know about his former team. He hesitated for the first time and finally told her there had been problems that were still being worked out. He talked about Ducky, his vast wealth of knowledge and stories and his staunch support. He talked about Jimmy and Breena and their plan to adopt and make Ducky a grandfather. He talked a little about Vance and how much he'd helped him and finally he talked about Gibbs, mostly about him as he was now. She thought that was where the problem might have been and put her hand over his on the table, told him she too had a very difficult father and that sometimes they showed their love in ways their children couldn't fathom. He squeezed her hand, appreciating that she saw his image and need for Gibbs as a father figure. He turned the conversation back to her life and she went willingly, understanding he had gone as far as he was able.

They decided to share dessert, a lemon tart that Tim had seen highly recommended in an online customer review. Two spoons and they ended up feeding each other a bite here and there. They finished with coffee and left the restaurant hand in hand. Instead of turning toward his car, Tim stopped on the sidewalk. "It's a beautiful night. Want to take a walk?"

She smiled; she didn't want this evening to end yet either. "Of course."

"Not too chilly for you? Of course you can always wear my jacket."

"I'm not cold, Tim, I promise to let you know."

"Shall we walk along the harbor? As I remember the area here seemed relatively safe."

"You're right, it is and there will be other people walking."

Tim laughed, "You say that like it's a good thing!"

She chuckled, "Yes, I was thinking of safety, not privacy."

They walked the few blocks to the harbor, still hand in hand, talking of this and that. The walkway along the water was clearly lit and there were other people out, some strolling hand in hand as they were and some walking their dogs. They walked for a while before Tim spotted a bench. He guided Lina to it, "Shall we sit for awhile? Your feet must be tired!"

"They are, a little."

They sat on the bench and snuggled together. When Tim kissed her, he again thought he'd died and gone to heaven. For her part, Lina felt the same way, she'd never felt this connected with anyone, ever. They cuddled on the bench, their kissing and touching getting more heated. A sailboat motoring by blew its horn at them, three toots and they surfaced, laughing. By now it had grown chilly and Tim gave Lina his jacket. His body was plenty warm without it. She took his hand as they walked back; Tim spotted a taxi and motioned to him. The driver was not excited about such a short fare but perhaps the young man would give him a big tip to impress his young lady. The young man did tip him generously although it was discreetly done in recognition of the short fare and not to impress Lina. They hurried to the car and Tim got the heater going while Lina pulled her shoes off her very tired feet. Tim noticed and hopped out to get his go bag from the trunk. When she looked at it with an eyebrow raised in question, he chuckled. They'd already discovered they were both Star Trek fans and so he used a reference to explain. "In my work, I have to be ready for 'away missions' at any time. It's easier to keep this in the car."

She gave that little laugh he loved so much and nodded while he opened the bag and rooted around until he found a pair of athletic socks. "Here you go; these will at least keep your feet warm."

"Oh thank you Tim, oh they feel like heaven!" He drove back to Lina's place as slowly as possible, wanting the evening to keep going and also knowing neither one of them were ready for more at this point. When he finally reached her place, she looked at him, "I would love to ask you in, but you know there is a young teen living under the same roof."

He smiled as he spoke. "I understand, Lina. We'll have many more opportunities; I know that in my heart."

She leaned in and he kissed her again and before they knew it, the windows were fogging up. They came up for air and noticed they could barely see out the window. Tim wrote his initials with a heart shape and Lina added her initials. "Lina, I know we've known each other for just 24 hours, but I have never felt so connected, so in sync with anyone."

"Nor have I, Tim."

"I want us to do this right, take it slowly…well as slowly as you want."

"I'm not too certain about how slowly we should go, Tim, it feels so right."

He grinned at her and kissed the top of her nose. "We'll know when it's the right time; we've known everything else so far."

She nodded as he got out of his side of the car and hurried around to her door. When she bent down to take his socks off, he shook his head. "No, leave them on; it's cold out here now. If you'll grab your shoes, I'll be your transportation." She grabbed her shoes, shawl and clutch as he bent down and carefully picked her up out of the car. Carrying her in his arms, he delivered her to the front door and put her down gently. They stood there for a few more minutes kissing some more until Tim started to shiver. She finally went inside and handed him back his jacket. She blew one last kiss to him as he turned and nearly ran back to his car. His car already seemed to know the way home and before he knew it he was parked in his garage. He grabbed his jacket and then noticed her scent clinging to it. Dreamily he smiled, thinking about their evening. He walked up to his room, holding the jacket to his face.


	36. Chapter 36

Thanks for all the reviews and reads!

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Six<p>

The doorbell rang Saturday morning as Luka was finishing breakfast. His wife and daughter were already up and out, they'd gone to visit her parents; Jeanette determined not to return until after Abby had moved out. His sister was still asleep. He looked through the peephole and was dismayed to see a man and woman, both in suits. He tightened the belt on his robe and opened the door, hoping these weren't the federal agents he'd dreaded, coming to arrest Abby for her verbal threats.

His hope was in vain. Abby's threats had been more than verbal, she had been threatening Tim McGee electronically, both on Twitter and Facebook, referring to him as the Evil Influence. One of the new friends she'd been seen with recently had a criminal record of assault and battery; when his parole officer questioned him, he admitted that Abby had approached him about attacking her former co-worker and had already paid him part of his fee. The FBI was there to arrest her for her threats and conspiracy to commit a felony assault on a federal officer. The two agents woke Luka's sister and the female agent stayed with her while she dressed. As they led her out of the house in handcuffs, one of the agents handed Luka a card with his number and office address. He called a friend who was an estate attorney; while he couldn't help Abby, he knew someone from law school who could and Luka was soon on the phone with a criminal defense lawyer.

XXX

Saturday afternoon Vance looked at the time and swore again. He'd had a call from his counterpart in the FBI advising him of the arrest of Abigail Sciuto; he was angry that as much as he'd tried to protect Tim, the woman had still let loose on social media and apparently conspired to hurt him although she probably had no idea where he was in the world. Hopefully that was over now. His children weren't in the room but he put $10 in the swear jar anyway, still owing for his lapse at Ducky's this morning. On top of the Sciuto arrest and the impending fiasco with McGee's relatives, Carter's team had caught a case that needed Vance's diplomatic touch with another agency, one of the more difficult ones. He would need to update SecNav first before he started the phone calls.

It looked like he would have to call Pete on Sunday. Knowing the family faithfully attended church, Leon figured out that to be fair to Pete and Tim, he needed to make the call before the family left for church. That would mean a very late night for him. Maybe he could still squeeze in the call this afternoon.

Carter's team finally got the information from the other agency late Saturday night. Vance had stayed at the office, wanting to be on hand in case his boss needed to be brought in for a second round of "let's play interagency cooperation". He arrived home shortly before midnight and decided to call Pete. Once he convinced Pete that World War 3 hadn't broken out somewhere causing the early Sunday morning call, the SAIC did fairly well with the news of Tim's impending surprise reunion with relatives he didn't remember.

XXX

Tony woke up with a start. He was missing something but he couldn't think what it might be. He ran through his plans for the day. He was going to Skype with Gibbs later, hopefully that would go better than last time. They were not on call this weekend and he was going to look at apartments in the afternoon. He was going to a party tonight, a birthday party for one of his co-workers. Birthday…that was it, he needed to buy a card and some sort of gift. That felt right but it wasn't all. Ok, so birthday…OH! McGeek's birthday was in November, he didn't know the date though. He decided to buy a card for his former Probie and mail it to Ducky, ask him to forward it. He'd hadn't heard back after his e-mail but then he hadn't checked with Ducky to see if he'd sent it on to Tim. He sighed, remembering the nice card and gift Tim had given him last year on his birthday. Yeah, he'd definitely buy a card for the man.

XXX

Pete disconnected the call from his boss and looked at his bleary eyed wife. "What was that all about?"

"People messing with Tim's life again."

"Oh God, that poor man! Now what?"

"Apparently one of the questions he had after they finally solved his family's murder was who was supposed to be their guardian. He asked Gibbs, Gibbs asked Vance for permission to pursue it and they did. Gibbs found the information and Vance ordered him not to talk with Tim about it, that he would do it. That was about when he arrived here, maybe after his first week."

"And?"

"And the boss forgot. Gibbs has been uh, oh hell, you'll never meet him, has been on suspension and so hasn't been in contact with Vance. Until yesterday when they were both at a Skype birthday party for Tim and the subject of the reception on the Baton Rouge came up after the party. Imagine Vance's horror when he realized Tim is about to be ambushed with relatives he doesn't know he has."

"So they decided you should tell him?"

"Gibbs said if it was him, he'd want to be there to help…at the last minute like this and apparently Dr. Mallard, that's Tim's friend Ducky, agreed. So here we are."

"Pete, how…?"

"I don't know. Should we not go to the reception at all? Then I could tell him after and he can contact them. The ship will be in port all week."

"If you do that you know you'll get some case that will take all your time and he'll miss the opportunity. You're going to have to tell him before we go."

"We have church in 90 minutes hon; do I call him before that and tell him? He'd have more time to digest the news before the reception."

She sighed. "I agree that the sooner the better but sweetie, you can't call him with this news. He deserves to be told in person, especially since he'll be meeting them today."

"Yeah, you're right, that's what Gibbs' point was, huh?"

"You need to go now and stay with him until you think he's handling it all right. Don't worry about church; I'm sure God understands Tim needs you more right now." She paused. "Is there any other part of his life that the agency has not screwed with?"

"I'm just hoping I won't be the one to mess up a morning with Lina."

"Ah, their evening last night…no, that wasn't a dinner to breakfast date."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Was ours?"

"Well no, but…"

"They have the same look to them that I've been told you and I had when we first met."

"Oh, ok, so taking it slowly," he grinned at his wife, "more or less!"

"Yes dear. Now go get dressed and go talk to our Tim." He leaned over for a deep kiss before he went for his shower.

XXX

After their run, Tim walked Lina to her car, happy to see her feet had apparently recovered from her long day at work and the walk in her heels. They'd enjoyed the run, although both knew it was the company more than the exercise. Still, the crisp morning air felt good. He gave her a kiss as she opened the door to her car and they laughed as they were both still sweaty. He watched as she drove off. He'd told her about the reception and asked if she'd like to go, but she had plans she'd made prior to meeting him and felt obligated to stick with them. He promised to call her that evening and they agreed to have dinner together Monday night after Tim's class, at the Flying Pig. He took the top down on his car so the air would evaporate the sweat, and drove home.

He was in the shower when he heard the doorbell. He rinsed off quickly and grabbing a towel ran down the stairs. He looked through the peephole and was alarmed to see Pete. Flinging the door open, he stood there half naked, towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping on the tile. "Pete, do we have a case, why are you here now…God, it's Geordie… Sarah, Rob? Oh God…please don't…."

Pete gently grabbed his arm to stop him as he walked inside. "Timothy, no one is dead or injured and there's no call out."

Tim nodded and then stood still. Closing his eyes, he took a few breaths to calm himself. Finally he opened his eyes and nodded again. "They mean everything to me, Pete. I've never been this far from the kids or so long out of touch with Geordie." He straightened his shoulders. "There's coffee in the kitchen, help yourself. I'm going to put some clothes on."

Pete felt awful and went from being mildly annoyed with his boss to full out angry with the man. He thought what his reaction would be if back in the day, Vance had showed up at his house unannounced early on a Sunday morning. Sheer panic. Being a federal agent did not keep you from worrying about your children or family or from panicking if something threatened them. Yes, it made you better equipped to handle the emergency or neutralize the threat, to not give in to the panic, but that initial message that something was wrong, no training could stop that horrible feeling.

Upstairs Tim found his hands were still shaking and he had to resist the urge to call both Sarah and Rob, needing to hear their voices. He knew Rob had worked a double yesterday and was probably just getting home to sleep and Sarah…well it was just past midnight in Maryland, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what she was up to. He threw on a clean pair of sweats, a tee shirt and the socks Lina had returned to him this morning. He padded back downstairs, frowning at the slight twinge in his stomach. Had he been doing a little too much? He probably should not have run down the stairs earlier, but he hadn't wanted to miss whoever was at the door. He'd take it easy the rest of today and maybe cut back on his run tomorrow. If it wasn't better he knew he'd be calling his doctor.

He found Pete in the living room, staring out the window. "All right, sorry, just got back from a run with Lina and really needed a shower." Pete turned, smiling. "I really want to be nosy and ask about your dinner, but that's not why I'm here. Vance called me this morning…no Tim everyone is fine. He called me because he was given some information after your party yesterday and he realized he'd forgotten to tell you some pretty big news." Tim had poured a cup of coffee and now he sank onto the couch, carefully putting his coffee mug on the side table. Pete sat next to him. "I think this is going to be good news but you needed to be told before the reception."

Tim looked at him quizzically. "Is this about my guardian? It's the only thing I can think of…"

"Yes, your guardian and some relatives. They're officers aboard the Baton Rouge. Your godparents were to be your guardians; he was your father's commanding officer and best friend; his wife was a close friend of your mother's. Their names are David and Elizabeth Crane; he's an Admiral. The Captain is your uncle, your mother's brother and his name is James Hubbard. He married after your father died, his wife's name is Claire and they have two children, and I'm sorry I didn't write down their names." He paused. "You also have grandmothers: your mother's mother, whose name is Maisie and your father's mother, Penelope something, didn't write that down either."

Tim sat and stared in his direction although Pete could see he was thinking. "Why didn't they search for us? Oh, Gibbs told me, Natalie told them we were dead and they believed her." He swallowed, "Do they know I'm alive?"

"I'm not sure but I'm leaning toward no."

"So they're not expecting to see me today."

"No…Tim?"

"We need to tell them, I need to tell them. They were Natalie's victims too." He looked at Pete. "I don't remember them, or any of those names. Most things, people especially, outside of the immediate family have been a blank since I woke up in the hospital."

"I'll be with you when you tell them."

"Thanks Pete. I guess I'd better take some photos or something to prove who I am." They talked for a few more minutes and Pete hung around until he felt confident that Tim was taking this in his stride. Then he left for home, feeling better about the situation.

After his boss left, Tim wandered around the house, thinking about new relatives – or reclaimed ones – and how shocking it was going to be for them to meet him as an adult after thinking he'd been killed at age 9 and Sarah only 3. He went upstairs to start printing photos and then realized it would just be easier to take his tablet. He took the frame Gibbs had made off his dresser and carefully opened the back, removing the photo of all of them. He took a few photos of it with his phone and then downloaded the best one to his tablet, storing it with his other photos. He already had photos of the original photo Gibbs' photoshopped portrait was based on, the one with Sarah, Rob, Geordie and him. Those two photos were the best visible proof he had, other than his ID and passport, that he had been the child and was now the adult Tim McGee. He thought about DNA and decided that would be easy enough to do while the ship was in port. His was already in the NCIS system so it could be easily matched to Captain Hubbard's.

He added a couple of their school photos, and a few of the graduations of the four of them, as well as more current photos. He felt as ready as he'd ever be. He had already decided to tell Rob and Sarah after he's met these people. He dressed in his suit once again, this time with his badge affixed to the breast pocket. He looked with yearning at the coffee but knew he'd be drinking more at the reception and that would be more than sufficient. Taking his ginger root, putting his seabands on and tucking his tablet in a small carryon along with additional ginger root, he got in the car and headed off to pick up Tea, Kim and Matt. Once they were in the car, he told them the news. They'd been anticipating hearing about his dinner with Lina and were very surprised to hear that they were about to meet Tim's uncle and godfather. Although as Tim pointed out, it was likely no one would be more surprised than the two men.

They went through security at the harbor and had just parked when the Russells pulled in next to them. There was a matinee of the play this afternoon, the last performance, so Stephan and Phoebe were not with their family. The eight of them gathered and walked toward the gangplank, Tim feeling both nervous and excited.

Pete took the lead walking up the gangplank and Tim brought up the rear. They presented the invitation and their credentials to the Officer on Deck and were welcomed and escorted to the forward deck. They were met there by a Lieutenant Hadley, who told them he was their tour guide for the day. He'd take them on a tour of the ship and then bring them to the officers' mess which was where the reception was being held. Pete nodded and then leaned in to talk quietly with the officer.

"Lt. Hadley, I'm the SAIC of the Athens NCIS office and I will need to spend a few minutes, privately with Admiral Crane and Captain Hubbard."

"Sir, is there a problem?"

"No, this pertains to an old case that has new information."

"I'll try Agent Russell, but there are a lot of people aboard today. Perhaps you could see them during the week?"

"No, it needs to be today and before we're presented to them."

"I'll do my best, Agent Russell."

Tim saw Pete talking with the Lieutenant and knew what it was about. Inwardly he shrugged, if the officer couldn't get them time with his godfather and uncle then he would have to make a decision whether to leave before they met or to just go through the line and see what happened. He knew the polite thing to do would be to leave and contact them during the week but he felt that was a sure way to bring some time consuming case down on their heads. He'd also sensed that Pete was annoyed with Vance for not telling him when he should have and the man was stubborn enough to insist on him staying. He had to admit that now he knew about them and was here, he was looking forward to meeting them.

The tour was interesting and Tim noticed that Matt, Kim and Lukas paid a lot of attention and that Tea's eyes were open very wide throughout the tour. Tim had been on this class of ship before but there was always some little thing that was different. In this case it was the ship's nickname…somehow Baton Rouge had morphed into "Moulin", swapping the city name for the saucier name of the old French cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, although he'd also heard "the Blush" as a nickname, a play on the word Rouge. Tim didn't know whether to grin or grimace; he and Pete exchanged a look. He supposed he'd heard worse, there were some pretty earthy interpretations of ships' nicknames out there…The Big Stick for one.

Finally the tour was over and they were taken to the line to meet the officers. Lt. Hadley left them to see if he could arrange the meeting with the Admiral and Captain. The line was moving quickly and wasn't overlong. Evidently some people were brought directly here and afterward given the tour while others, such as their group, were first given the tour. Lt. Hadley reappeared in a few minutes and shook his head, "I'm sorry Agent Russell, but neither can break free." He looked at the line, "You'll be with them in less than 5 minutes anyway sir." Pete just nodded and looked at Tim. Tim walked forward and the two stepped away to talk. "I should leave, Pete, this is going to be a big shock to them, hell of a way to find out." Pete looked at him, steely eyed and Tim smothered a laugh. "Or not!"

"No, we're going to play this out as if we don't know any of this…DAMN the man!"

"He has an awful lot going on Pete, between work, a new SecNav and home, struggling to be there for his kids without Jackie. He probably should have asked Ducky to tell me when they first knew."

"You're right, it's just so…uh oh, here we go…" Their group was next in line and Pete first introduced his family to the Captain and Admiral and then had them step over to the refreshment tables while he introduced his team. Kim and Tea had been greeted and he was introducing Matt when he noticed the Admiral staring at Tim. The Captain noticed and glanced over at the young man who was next in line. His eyes widened and he went pale; the Admiral grabbed his arm. "Steady Jim."

"Sir, that…"

"I know, I see it too."

They somehow finished their meet and greet with Matt and both turned to Tim. Pete tried not to squeak as he introduced Tim. "This is our Senior Field Agent; he's just been with us for a month and has already done wonders. Special Agent Timothy McGee." Tim held his hand out for a shake and both his hands were grabbed.


	37. Chapter 37

Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Seven

_Previously: Tim held his hand out for a shake and both his hands were grabbed. _

"Timothy McGee, how is that possible?"

"That can't be! What's your middle name, son, where and when were you born?"

"I have no middle name, Sir and I was born at Bethesda Nov. 15th, 1977."

"What the hell?" Hubbard was angry and upset while Crane was trying to keep him relatively calm and find out more about Tim.

"Sir, is there a problem?"

"You're my nephew, my dead nephew!" At this point, officers appeared and whisked away the people in line behind them.

"Sir, I'm obviously not dead."

"Where have you been?"

"It would be helpful if you applied a timeframe to that, Sirs."

"Since you were 9 years old, how is it possible, oh my God…" The Captain was peering at Tim's face and had spotted the scar. He reached out to touch it and Tim at first jerked away and then stood still.

"How did you get that scar?"

"From a beating my stepmother gave me."

"What is her name?"

"We called her Natalie."

"Back to what happened, where have you been since you were 9?"

"I was in Alameda CA at the naval station there when my father and brother were murdered and I was badly injured. I was in the hospital for several weeks with broken legs and severe head trauma and then Natalie and my sister Sarah picked me up and we went to some house she'd rented. We were there for a few weeks until Natalie got tired of us and then she shipped us off to Baltimore and Sarah and I grew up there."

"Don't you know who we are? And where is Natalie now?"

"Sirs, respectfully you're the Captain and Admiral of this ship. Natalie is in federal custody."

"For?"

"Murdering my father, brother, three counts of trying to kill me, child endangerment and abandonment, conspiracy to murder, several other murders and attempted murders and espionage."

Captain Hubbard finally got that this really was his nephew, apparently risen from the dead and fast forwarded from age 9 to adulthood. "Son, I'm your uncle, your mother's brother."

Tim didn't know what to say to that, even though he'd been told beforehand. "I'm sorry I don't remember either of you. I still have huge gaps in my memory of anything before the wreck."

"Memory loss?"

"Yes Admiral. When I woke in the hospital I knew my name, Sarah, Patrick, Dad and Natalie, that was about it. I knew where we'd lived and I hadn't forgotten any general knowledge but friends, family…all gone and it's still gone. You tell me, Captain that you're my uncle and I'm glad, that's really wonderful, but I have no memory of you."

"Or me, Timmy..ooh sorry you probably don't like that, I'm your godfather."

Tim blinked, a bit overwhelmed. He felt Pete's hand on his back. "Gentlemen, this is a wonderful thing, but a difficult situation for the three of you. Perhaps we could sit?" He looked at Tim. "You hurting?"

"Yeah, I think I've overdone it a bit. It's not bad but it's twinging more that it has since last week."

The Captain touched his arm softly, "You're injured?" Pete answered that. "We were in on the cartel takedown last week. Tim led his own team and took what we think was a metal pipe to the abdomen. No internal injuries but a horrendous bruise and a lot of pain."

Within minutes, Tim was settled in the Captain's private office with both his uncle and godfather trying their best not to hover over him. He felt all kinds of emotions, so many that he clamped them all down. He looked at them, "You must have a lot of questions."

"Yes. First, you mentioned Sarah. Is she alive too?"

Tim nodded. "Very much so. She has her undergraduate degree and after working for a while decided to go to grad school. She's moving to the UK to start classes at the end of this week."

"Wonderful! But not Patrick?"

"No, he…he died with Dad."

"Who raised you two? We don't have any relatives in Baltimore that I know of, not on either side of the family. But then why would anyone keep you two a secret…?"

"Nobody raised us. When Natalie sent us to Baltimore she told me her cousins would meet us and take us in, but nobody showed up, she had abandoned us."

"Oh God, you poor kids, I can't even imagine. Were you in foster care?"

"No, we lived on the streets and I raised Sarah and Rob."

"Who's Rob?" Tim smiled and told them the story of first Geordie and then Rob. The two officers sat in shock, staring at their long-lost loved one. Tim continued, "I have photos…here." He brought his tablet out hoping neither would think to ask why on earth he had his tablet with him - and that was when the Admiral noticed his sea bands. "Sea bands? Oh, I'd forgotten that, Timmy…er, Tim, you were always seasick."

"Never got over that. Now I take ginger root and wear these and I can be aboard ship without being sick."

"Helpful for a member of NCIS, I imagine!" Tim smiled at his godfather as he brought up the photos. He started with the one he'd just received, the one with Patrick, and then moved on to the original shelter photo and then the school photos. The last two were of the four of them, taken during Geordie's last leave and one of Tim, Sarah and Rob taken the morning Tim left for London. His uncle and godfather were still asking him questions about his life and looking at the photos when his cell phone chimed.

Puzzled, he looked and grinned. "This is Sarah calling, want to hear her?" They nodded and Tim accepted the call. "TIM! Oh, there you are…hey, I couldn't wait any longer to hear about last night Bro!"

"I'll tell you in a minute, Sarah, but first tell me what you're up to today?"

"Oh I finished clearing out my place; it's empty, so I'm staying with…uh, a friend until Friday."

Tim forgot there was anyone else in the room. "Who, Sarah? Who are you staying with?"

"I'm a grown woman Tim; I can stay wherever I want."

"Tell me who or I swear I'll call Gibbs."

"I'm not scared of him anymore, HA!"

"You've only seen nice Gibbs, tell me…" This last came out in a growl and he jumped when the other men chuckled.

"Tim, who's that? Oh God, this isn't on speaker is it? I tell you Tim, you…" Tim, knowing she was about to let loose with one of her profane rants, quickly cut her off. "Just tell me, Sis. Make it easy on both of us."

A sigh, then, "Greg."

"Oh, he's not so bad."

"What? You hated him when we were dating!"

"I hate every guy you date, especially if they don't treat you right. But he's ok, I liked him after you broke up."

"You are so weird. Now tell me about dinner with Lina."

"It was wonderful and I'll tell you more when we talk with Rob. Right now I want to introduce you to a couple of people."

"Ok?"

"First is Admiral David Crane…Sarah, he's my godfather!" The Admiral leaned over and said hello to Sarah who managed a hello back. "And next is our uncle, Sarah, a real live uncle, he's Captain James Hubbard." The Captain leaned over and spoke into the phone. "Hi Sarie! It's so wonderful to hear your voice and know you're alive!"

Sarah was getting excited now, more family! Just as she started asking questions, there was a knock on the door. Tim took the opportunity to say goodbye to his little sister, they could all talk later, and stand up; he'd had enough of a rest and he was hungry. It was Pete at the door and he looked carefully at Tim. "You look better, Timothy."

"Feel better, Sir."

The Admiral and Captain were like little kids, "We got to see all his photos and then Sarah called, we talked with her."

Pete smiled at them. "That's great!"

Tim cleared his throat, "Captain, we should have our DNA run so we'll know with a certainty."

"Oh. that's a good idea. Where…? "

"Mine's already in the system, if yours is, then it'll just take a lab a few minutes to run." He looked at Pete who gave him a subtle nod. "We contract with a lab here in Athens."

Hubbard nodded, "Yeah, broke my arm a few years ago and they did the DNA swab then, just to get it into the system." He paused. "You won't know this, but you have more family, Tim. You have two grandmothers, my mom, Maisie and your dad's mother Penny, an aunt, my wife Claire, your godmother Liz and my two kids Callum and Ainsley."

Tim grinned. "I can't wait to meet everyone! Will you two have any free time while you're here?"

They nodded, "We both have leave, different days, but yes."

"Can we meet then, when you're off so we can talk some more? If I can, I'd like to set up a Skype call so you can meet Sarah and Rob. And maybe we could do the same with your families."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Timmy. Dang, sorry son, I'll work on it."

"I don't mind; just not in front of our team please…although Pete's all right!" He smiled at Pete.

"Tim, do you want to stay? We can fit Matt, Tea and Kim in the wagon."

Tim looked at his new family members and saw regret in their eyes. "I think these officers have their duties to get back to, Pete, thanks anyway!"

"We'll be done by 20:00, Tim, if you want to meet us for dinner somewhere."

"That's great! How about I come back and pick you up; I'll take you to my favorite pub."

"Sounds wonderful!"

Pete slipped out of the room and Tim stood, wanting to hug them both. The Admiral saw the longing in his eyes and reached out to him, "I'm still your Uncle Dave, little one. Even if we are the same height now!" They hugged and Tim turned to his uncle who embraced him for a long moment. "I hope you'll tell us more about Lina over dinner, Tim. From what Sarah said, she's either new to you or last night was a special night for the two of you."

Tim blushed, "Both actually. We just met Friday night. Last night was our first real date…or our first planned date."

The Captain reached up and ruffled his hair, "Sorry, been dying to do that since we got in here."

"That's ok, it feels good. Er, are you Uncle James or…"

"Oh! Of course you wouldn't know that, I'm Uncle Jim."

Tim grinned at them. "I can't believe this, the woman of my dreams, a godfather and an uncle, my first surprise party…actually my first two surprise parties, all in three days. "

"Tim, your birthday was yesterday!"

"Yeah. I'll tell you about it later, you two should probably get back to your official duties, don't want SecNav coming down on you because you were entertaining an NCIS agent!"

"She wouldn't…do you know her?"

"Not well, but yes. She…you know what, I'll tell you that later too!" He got more hair ruffles for that as they exited the room and made their way back to the reception. Other officers had filled in for them and there were only a few people nibbling on what was left of the food on the table. Tim had a bite as he proudly introduced them to his friends, this time as his godfather and uncle. The others played along as if they were surprised. They soon took their leave and walked down the gangplank to their cars.

By the time Tim had driven out of the secure parking area, he was laughing at the women and Matt. "Go on guys, just ask before you burst!"

"We know you've had nosy teammates before, Tim, we don't want to be like them."

"Trust me, you couldn't be if you tried. And you heard about the murders after the case was closed and this is still part of that."

"Ok, so the taller one, the Admiral. He must be your godfather because the Captain looks like you."

"Yeah, that's right and it's pretty cool that I look like my uncle. I've never looked like anyone, not even when my dad and Pat were alive. My sister has the same coloring as our dad and brother and the only photo I have of my mother is after she lost her hair – she's wearing a scarf and her eye color doesn't show up that well, so finding that I look like somebody is a relief. Although I'm guessing I got the height from the McGee side."

"Did they realize you knew already…we weren't sure what you were going to do."

Tim huffed, "I wasn't either! When we couldn't get time with them, I thought about leaving but figured Pete wouldn't let me and I really didn't want to. And then I realized it would be a shock to them no matter how and when they found out. I just had to watch how I said things but no, I don't think they noticed. When I know them better, I'll tell them the truth, hope they forgive me."

"Are you going to see them again while they're here…are they going to Skype with Sarah and Rob and you?"

"Yes and yes. I'm picking them up for dinner at 2000 tonight and I was going to take them to the Flying Pig. But now I'm thinking I'll take them back to the house for dinner and then they can meet Rob and Sarah. They've already talked with Sarah; she called while I was talking with them."

"That's a great idea and what about Lina?"

"She won't be home until late tonight; she'll call me when she gets in and I'll tell her then."

"Wonder if she'll be able to meet them?"

Tim opened and closed his mouth. "Um, isn't it a little early? I don't want to overwhelm her with all this stuff, I've told her a shorter and cleaner version of living on the street."

Kim and Tea looked at each other and then shook their heads as Kim responded. "You're right, it probably is a little early but you should tell her about meeting them today. And you're going to have to tell her the whole story at some point."

"I know, just don't want to scare her off!"

"So your dinner…"

"Was wonderful and we met for a run this morning."

Kim nodded, "Good, so that could be your second date."

Tim shook his head, "No, we're having dinner tomorrow night, that's date #2."

Matt cocked his head, "Wait, you're not counting coffee on Friday night and what do you mean second date? I thought it was the fifth date!"

"Fifth date? Well, I guess that's up to the couple." Tim suddenly laughed, "That was on The Big Bang Theory, right Matt?"

"Yeah, but I'd been told that before. One of my sisters told me."

That brought an "Ahh, that explains it." from his friends.

Kim turned to Matt, "She was messing with you and I don't know about the TV show! As far as I know it's always been the third date, although there's absolutely nothing wrong with waiting."

"So dinner tomorrow night, Tim and then something else during the week?"

Tim shook his head, "I don't kiss and tell, guys. If you want to know if the restaurant or movie or whatever the date is about was good, fine, but I won't respond to anything more than that." He got a dreamy look in his eyes. "At least not until we make an announcement of some kind."

That brought laughter from his friends. After he'd dropped them off, he stopped at the market and bought meat and those tiny potatoes he loved so much, along with fresh tomatoes, fresh garlic and other fresh herbs and spices. On his search for vases yesterday, he'd spotted a box that said 'Slow Cooker'. He thought there might be enough time to cook the meat in that and hopefully find a recipe online for the potatoes with garlic and a typical Greek salad. Or he could call the Russell kids; they'd made those same potatoes. He also bought a bag of charcoal in case the box he'd seen held something else; in that case he'd barbecue the meat so he added a locally produced barbecue sauce to his purchases. He also added some pastries he spotted and remembering the frozen yogurt with the pie last weekend, he grabbed a container of that as well. The sign on the pastry display said they were from the bakery next door, closed today but he knew it was open on Saturday, so these were only a day old. The last thing he put in the cart was some locally brewed beer. While he was sure his efforts wouldn't equal any restaurant, he did want his godfather and uncle to taste some local cuisine or as close as he could get.

He got home, put the groceries away and took the charcoal to the patio. Back in the house, he went to the hall closet and grabbed the box that said 'Slow Cooker'. It did indeed hold a slow cooker, along with instructions and a basic recipe book. He thumbed through that and realized he really didn't have the time to use it for dinner tonight. Glad he'd purchased the charcoal, he went online to make sure he had good information about barbecuing and to find a recipe for the garlic potatoes. After wading through what felt like hundreds of differing opinions about barbecuing, he left that topic and went after the potato recipe. He found one that sounded close to what he'd enjoyed so much at the Russells and in the restaurants and printed it out.

He stood in thought for a minute and then looked at his watch. What the heck, he knew he'd call him at some point to tell him about his new relatives and he was the expert on barbecue. He opened his e-mail and saw that Gibbs was online or at least had his e-mail open. He sent an IM that just said "Available to talk now? Skype?" Within minutes his laptop chimed with a call. He opened the application and saw Gibbs' face, trying not to look anxious. He relaxed when he saw Tim with a big grin on his face. "Hey Boss! You won't believe why I'm calling you!"

"Tim…you didn't propose last night did you?"

He laughed, "Not that I didn't think about it, but no, I did not."

"Good man. I did that once. "

"To one of the exes?"

"Nope, never made it past our second date."

"Saved you some lawyer's fees."

Gibbs nodded. "So…?"

"I'm having company for dinner tonight, kind of last-minute and I want to barbecue. I thought I could figure it out online but man there's a lot of opinions and some outright fights!"

Gibbs chuckled, "Tim, every guy has his own thing for barbecue but I'm willing to share. Now tell me, charcoal or gas? What kind of meat, what's the cut and how much do you have?" Tim gave him the answers and wrote down Gibbs' instructions and tips which started with cleaning the grill. After Gibbs finished he looked at Tim expectantly and got a super sized grin in return. "You're being very patient, Boss. Yes, we had a wonderful time; she loved the roses by the way. She hadn't been to the restaurant before and it was very romantic," Tim described the ambiance, the food and some of their conversation. "We split a dessert and then after we left the restaurant…" He continued with the story of the night, finishing with him carrying Lina from the car. Gibbs had a big grin on his face when he finished. "I am so proud of you, you did good son! When are you going to see her again?" Tim told him about the run this morning and the planned dinner tomorrow night. "Good, that sounds great!" He paused, "Did you go to your reception already?"

Tim laughed outright. "And if I have?"

"Tim!"

He laughed again. "Ok, ok. Yes, first, I guess Vance called Pete early this morning, our time, because he showed up after my run and…" he filled Gibbs in about the visit and the subsequent meeting with his godfather and uncle. "It was surreal, all these people around us and the two of them are staring at me like they'd seen a ghost…well I guess they thought they had, a grownup ghost of their dead nephew." He finished by telling Gibbs his new relatives were the ones coming for dinner tonight and about his plans to Skype with Sarah and Rob while the men were here.

"Smart thinking! That's a whole lot of relatives – godparents, grandmothers, cousins, an uncle and an aunt."

"Yeah, I know, it's exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I'm kind of glad it's just Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim at this point."

"So you can kind of ease into the family?" Gibbs paused, "Two grandmothers, no grandfathers, hmm, I might have to make a special point of letting Ducky and Jack know that."

"Hey, that would be fun, Boss! But you know I don't know where they all live yet. It would be really helpful if everyone lived on the eastern seaboard, then when I go for a visit I won't have to travel too far."

"Or they can travel to DC, if that's where you'd be visiting."

"Or course it would be and man that's weird to even think about." Tim shrugged, "Oh well, not like I'll be there anytime soon."

"They might want to come see you in Greece."

Tim grinned, "Good thing I have lots of room here then, isn't it?" The two talked for another ten minutes and then disconnected so that Tim could get started on his dinner preparations.

He changed into an older tee-shirt and jeans, found a wire brush in the garage and cleaned off the grill. Much to his relief his landlord had left it in pretty good shape. He prepared the potato dish and the salad but left both in the refrigerator until it was closer to time for him to pick up his godfather and uncle. Or uncles, he was already finding it was easier to think of them both as uncles. Finding a big skillet and some olive oil, he let that heat a bit while he inserted cloves of garlic into the meat. Then he seared all sides and turned the heat off, letting it rest. He sent an e-mail to Sarah and Rob, confirming their Skype time that evening and got a quick note back from Rob saying he'd heard about the two uncles and he hoped to see photos or something. Tim grinned as he wrote back saying it would be "or something" and to make sure his face was washed, teeth brushed and hair combed. Sarah finally answered saying she was asleep and to please leave her alone until their call – and then added a hugging emoticon so they'd know she was teasing.


	38. Chapter 38

Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Eight

Fifteen minutes before he left to pick up the two officers, Tim covered the meat and put it back in the refrigerator, popped the potatoes into the oven and put the charcoal into the barbecue, although he did not light it. After changing into another shirt and a decent pair of jeans, he looked over the house and decided he really hadn't been home enough to mess it up much. He straightened one of the paintings he'd left on the wall and then grabbing his jacket and keys, flew out the door again, remembering to bring his badge and id so he could get back into the secured parking area.

His uncles were waiting for him on the dock and started walking toward him when they saw him. Both had changed out of their dress uniforms into casual shirts and slacks. Grinning at them, he gave them each a hug. "Glad we could do this tonight, I have a million questions now that my brain has kicked in again."

As they climbed into the car, he asked them, "Want the top down?"

"No, this is fine, can't hear as well with the top down."

Uncle Jim nodded, "Pretty cool to have a convertible, Tim, did you bring it from home?"

"No, I sold my car and bought this one here. I actually bought it from friends of mine, one of them worked in the office with me." Briefly he told them about Carla and Norm and the new babies.

"So you were brought over to replace her and then bought her car?"

Tim nodded. "They're really good people and I knew Norm had taken care of the car. Thought a convertible would be fun, especially with the weather here. I hope you don't mind, but I thought we'd eat at my place, it's more private plus we can Skype with Sarah and Rob so you can meet them."

"That's a great idea, Tim, not only meet them and get to know them, but see your place too."

Tim chuckled, "Well, I just moved in and none of my stuff is here yet, but I don't have much anyway. I'm renting the house furnished."

"Oh, that makes things a lot easier. Were you renting furnished in DC too?"

"No. But with our crazy hours there, I wasn't home that much. I lived in that apartment the entire time I worked in DC and I only bought a couch two years ago. The only things I've kept are my bed, clothes, books and TV, my writing desk, some shelving, worktable and my extra electronics."

Uncle Jim laughed, "Glad you still have books; you were a bookworm when you were little."

"I still am, to some degree. Once I'd been working for awhile and had a little bit of extra money, I bought a few first editions. Not many, I was too nervous to spend much money on anything besides necessities but Sarah and Rob encouraged me."

"What kind of extra electronics?"

"One of my sources of income before NCIS was building and refurbishing computers and other electronic equipment and I still have a lot of it. There was also a time in my life when I was doing a fair amount of gaming and had all kinds of extra stuff for that. When I was told I was coming here, I didn't have time to sell it so it's all on its way here."

"You know, we really haven't heard much about your life other than the streets of Baltimore and NCIS. You'll have to tell us more."

"I will and I want to know more about all of you too."

Uncle Dave looked over at him, "I'm sure there are a lot of things you won't want to tell us about Baltimore Timothy, but I hope you will someday."

"Maybe. I try not to dwell too much on those years." He paused, "Something I want to say to you two. Before I found out what Natalie had done…how she had told everyone that Sarah and I had died along with Dad and Pat, I was angry that people besides Natalie had abandoned us. When I found out what she did, that changed everything. You were as much her victims as Sarah and me. "

Uncle Jim reached forward from the backseat, laying his hand on Tim's shoulder. "Thank you, son, although I'm not sure we deserve that. It's killing me that you were alone all those years when we could have…"

Tim interrupted him. "How would you have found us, Uncle? I didn't know we had anybody; we were two kids in a big city across the country from where we'd been living. There weren't Amber Alerts and stuff like there is now." He shook his head. "Must be tough for you, I get that. But I hope you can come to accept that it wasn't your fault, any of you."

His godfather sighed, "Tim, you're a good soul, I'm thankful you haven't lost your innate ability to find the best in people. But Jim's right. All any of us had to do was pick up the phone and call the hospital and we would have at least found out you had survived. Yes, it might have taken time to find you and you're right, it's possible we would not have found you, but it's knowing that we never made an effort."

Tim had nothing to say to that, nothing he could yet articulate. After being angry with his father for the apparent lack of attention to his children's safety, he didn't want to take on the rest of the family and be angry with them too. He couldn't do this, it was too much. He kept driving, they were almost home. He pulled in the garage and shut off the engine. He hoped to be able to get in the house before he let loose with what was demanding to be said, but apparently turning the key was the signal for his mouth to open and let it out.

"Look, I'm just going to be blunt. I've had people fail me in various ways throughout my life. I'm sure everyone has had people fail them. If you'd like you can go back to why nobody called my father on the lack of any vetting of Natalie or his apparent desperation to have another child of his dead wife…so desperate that he turned a blind eye to everything Natalie did to us. Hell, he wasn't even legally married to her; he had no idea who she really was. He put his living breathing children at risk so this unknown person would have one more child of his dead wife. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister like she's my own kid, but why weren't we enough? Why didn't anyone remove us after Natalie beat us? She put us in the hospital, she gave me this scar and Patrick still had scars when she murdered him. Do you want me to continue? Because I don't think I can handle being angry with anyone else. On top of my anger with my dead father, I'm also trying to work things out with my former team. One was fired in part for her actions toward me, another one demoted. My former boss who let all this go on for a decade, is trying to work things out with me and I'm participating because he's the only father figure I've had since I was a kid, at least with him I can deal with a living breathing person and I need him. But I'm dealing with his guilt and everyone else's. I just don't think I can handle yours too. I don't want it, I'm trying to live my life, I've already dealt with this crap, did it for a lot of years. I'm trying to rebuild my life and I just can't handle your guilt." Tim tried to get out of the car but his hands were shaking with emotion and his eyes too blurred to find the door handle. He did manage to find the release for the seat belt and then found himself pulled into strong arms. He just…this was too much. He wanted Gibbs. He felt like he was three years old and he just wanted his daddy. He must have said Gibbs' name out loud because the next thing he knew he was in the kitchen and his phone was being pressed to his ear.

"Tim? Tim! What's the matter?" All he could do was choke his name out. "Gibbs."

"Tim, listen to me son. Listen, I'm here. Try to take a breath. That's my boy, now let it out. Good, now another one, try for a little deeper one…good, that's good Tim. Keep going son. Breathe in deeper, let it out slowly. That's good. Tim, are you anywhere near your laptop? Click on Skype, I'm right here, son."

Jim Hubbard used Skype to keep in touch with his wife and kids and now he reached over Tim's shoulder and brought it up. The worried face of a grey haired man appeared. "Tim, look at me son. Tell me what happened."

"I can't take any more of this, Boss. They're blaming themselves and I can't handle anyone else's guilt."

"Your uncle and godfather?" Tim nodded. "Ok, I want you to listen to me, look at me, Tim, focus on the screen."

Tim saw Boss's hand was on the screen and he reached out to cover it. "That's my boy. Think you can listen to me for a little bit?" Tim nodded. "You're exhausted, I can see that. Too much at once, nobody's fault Tim. The universe seems determined to dump everything on you at once." That got a small smile. "That's better. Now listen up. You are not responsible for anyone else's guilt. I know you know that."

Tim nodded. "But you still feel it, don't you? Mine, Leon's, hell even Ducky's and now theirs." Tim nodded. "Tim, you can't do that. You can't carry all of this…everything…you need to find a way to let it go. We love you, all of us and we want you to have a long and happy life and you can't do that by taking on everyone else's guilt. I know you yourself are not feeling guilty, we've talked about that. It's the burden of dealing with everyone who feels guilty, right? I know, son, I know that's part of that big heart of yours." Tim just looked at him. "Oh Tim. They just found you again, it's only been a few hours; they need to process all of this. You told me yourself they were as much victims of Natalie as you, Sarah, Patrick and your dad were. They need time to process, son. Do you remember how awful we felt when we were told Ziva was dead?" Tim winced and nodded.

"Tony told me that when Saleem dragged her into that cell with you two, he felt an overwhelming grief."

Tim nodded and whispered, "Me too. She was alive instead of dead but I felt overwhelmed with grief just like Tony...oh."

"Yeah, oh. You need a rest, son. Just relax, maybe one of them likes to barbecue – Admiral, Captain?"

"I'll do it, Gibbs."

"The barbecue is to the right of the patio door, Captain. The grill's clean and the charcoal is probably in there." At the puzzled looks, Gibbs laughed. "Tim's never barbecued before so he called me earlier for instructions."

Tim tilted his head, stretching his neck. "There you go, letting some of it go?"

"Yes Boss. Just embarrassed."

Gibbs smiled at him, "Nah, nothing to be embarrassed about Tim, just being human. Now go on, enjoy your time with your family, your dinner and tell Sarah and Rob hello for me…I love you Tim."

"Love you too Boss."

They disconnected the call and Tim sat back. Gibbs was right, he was exhausted. A glass of water appeared next to his hand and he looked up. "Thanks Uncle Dave."

"I'm sorry Tim; we didn't mean to dump all that on you."

Tim shook his head. "I've had a lot of wonderful things happen to me in the last few weeks and finding you two is part of that. But yeah, it's all coming at once and I guess it was just too much for me." He looked up, "Sorry! I really am happy to know you and that you and Uncle Jim are here in my home with me."

"Good, then let's eat, talk and get to know each other, shall we?" Tim had a smile on his face by now and his godfather reached out and pulled him into a hug. Hubbard, peeking in through the screen door, called out, "No fair, I want in on that too. You guys put your jackets on and get out here."

Chuckling, the two men grabbed their jackets and joined the Captain on the patio. He handed the tongs to the Admiral and pulled Tim in for a strong hug. "We'll get through this, Tim. We're family."

Tim nodded, "That's what I told Gibbs before; family gets through stuff."

"So Gibbs is your former boss. The one you're working things out with."

Tim felt his ears turn red. "He's more dad than former boss now but he was my boss for 10 years. A real hardass Marine."

"I'm glad he's there for you now, Tim."

Tim nodded. "Me too."

The other two flinched when Tim's phone alarm chimed. "Excuse me; that's for the potatoes. Uncle Jim, are you ready for the meat yet?"

"Just about, maybe five more minutes. I found a coal starter."

"Ok." Tim reset his phone for five minutes and went back into the kitchen to turn the heat down on the potatoes. He took the meat and salad out of the refrigerator. The table was already set but given the chill, he put on a pot of coffee and filled the teakettle with water for tea. By that time his phone chimed again, so he took the meat outside.

"Ah, just in time, Special Agent McGee. Your boss called you something else."

"Senior Field Agent; translation to your terms, I'm his XO." Both officers nodded, that was a title they understood. "Your father would be so proud of you!"

Tim gave them a shy smile, "Thanks, that means a lot to hear." They stood outside talking while the meat cooked. The prep work Tim had done earlier helped speed things along and in just a few minutes they were sitting at the table. Tim offered beer, coffee or tea. He'd decided he didn't need any alcohol or caffeine and stuck with a robustly flavored herbal tea. His godfather had one of the Greek beers and his uncle had coffee. They relaxed even more over dinner, enjoying the meal and getting acquainted. They had just finished their pastries when Tim's laptop chimed with an incoming call. Tim put the laptop in the middle of the table so that all three of them could see and be seen and accepted the call.

Sarah was the caller, "Hey Tim…oh, new relatives and you're right there! Hi!" She waved. The two men stared back at her. "Um, do I have something on my face?"

"No, Sarah, but you were three last time they saw you."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." She leaned forward and said in a stage whisper, "What are we calling them?"

Tim laughed, "Uncle Dave is my godfather, and the one who looks like me is our Uncle Jim, our mother's brother." The two men had snapped out of their trance while Tim was saying their names and now they introduced themselves to Sarah. They chatted for a minute before Rob joined the call. Rob was Tim's shy child, so he made extra efforts to include him in the conversation and had him tell their uncles what he was doing in London. The two older men were entranced with their nephews and niece. When they found that Rob was staying with a friend of Tim's and that Sarah would be staying there too, they asked to meet him. So James joined Rob and met the uncles. He wasn't on long and Tim saw that he had his eyes on Sarah while he was there. Sarah's older brother and de facto father had to think about that, especially since she would be staying in James' flat. In the meantime the three siblings kibitzed with each other and the uncles watched and listened, fascinated.

When Rob called Tim 'Timpa', both the older men were startled and Tim put his hand up to stop his siblings. "Guys, guys! " Sarah and Rob stopped.

"Uncle Dave, Uncle Jim. I know you remember Sarah calling both Pat and me Timpa when she was learning to talk. It was a combination of our names. She was still calling me that when Rob joined us and the meaning changed."

Rob nodded, "Yes, ever since I can remember, it's what we've called Tim. He's our brother Tim and our 'Pa'…so Timpa."

Uncle Jim nodded. "That makes sense." The three siblings grinned at their uncles. By the time they disconnected, they'd spent close to an hour chatting and the two older men were amused, astounded and utterly fascinated by them. After the call was over, they congratulated Tim on the two wonderful adults he'd raised. Tim liked that and he realized this was the first time anyone who had known Sarah as a baby or toddler had seen her as an adult.

The three men had another round of coffee and tea and then shrugged into their jackets; it was time to return to the ship. They'd made arrangements to meet Tim during the week; Uncle Jim would come in for lunch on Tuesday, Uncle Dave on Thursday; Tim and possibly Lina would join them for dinner aboard ship Friday night. They weren't leaving port until Sunday but with the Embassy party Saturday night, Friday would likely be their last chance to meet. The drive back to the harbor was too quick for Tim. He dropped them as close to the gangplank as possible, giving each a final hug. Both men kissed him, Jim on the cheek and Dave on the top of his head and he smiled all the way home. Uncles and dads, he liked this and he thought it was amusing, in an ironic way, that he'd gone from clinging to Ducky and hoping Gibbs would start caring about him to positive healthier relationships with both men, plus Pete and his uncles. Then he edited the thought as Pete was far more of a friend and mentor than 'dad'.

He walked in the door just as his phone rang, this time it was Lina. She'd had a long day and was glad to be home, telling Tim she was going to relax in a hot bubble bath after they got off the phone. He made a noise that was almost a growl and she laughed. "Oh am I tempting you, Timothy?"

"Yes, Melina, you are a temptress and if I weren't so tired that I don't think I could make it as far as the garage, I would swoop in and share your bath."

She giggled, "Perhaps another time then?"

"Oh, you can be sure of that!" They talked for over an hour. Lina told Tim the details of her day, spent helping a friend unpack and decorate her new apartment and then Tim told her everything that had happened to him since their run that morning.

She was amazed, "I'm away from you for one day and new relatives fall into your lap? They were right here on their ship? That's truly astounding! Now tell me again who they are and do they have families themselves?" Chuckling for having worried that this was all too soon, Tim told her about his godparents, grandmothers, uncle, aunt and cousins. He didn't include his meltdown but did mention his call to Gibbs to learn about barbecuing. She liked that. "I must meet him Tim; he is someone very special to you."

"You will meet him someday, Lina, even if it's just over Skype. He wants to meet you too."

"Will you be seeing your uncles again during the week? " Tim explained the plan, finishing with dinner Friday night. "I didn't know if you'd be interested or if it was too soon but if you are interested, I'd love for you to join me, meet them."

"Yes, I would be interested; they are new to you too, so it's a bit different from say, me taking you home to meet my parents." Tim's tongue got stuck in his mouth and Lina laughed merrily. "Ah ha, I have managed to render you speechless! Don't worry, my mother already likes you and she'll protect you from my father. Besides I think you will find him quite like your Gibbs."

He finally managed to speak, "That's what worries me! It took me 11 years to break through to him."

"Well then you have had excellent practice!"

Eventually they wound down the call and finally disconnected. It was nearly 0100 and Tim was exhausted. He locked up and except for putting the food away and making sure the coals were covered outside, left the kitchen as it was and barely managed to take his shoes and clothes off before he crawled into bed, his usual nightly routine ignored just this once. He let himself sleep in and arrived at the office at 0745, the latest he'd ever arrived but well ahead of the official 0800 start of the work day. He'd made himself a breakfast sandwich and brought it with him; parking himself in the kitchen with a full mug of coffee, he ate every bite and then poked around looking for more food. A bag appeared on the counter in front of him and he looked up at Matt. "Is that for me? You know what, even if it isn't, I'm eating it."

He waited two beats and when Matt made no move to stop him, broke the pastry in half and nearly inhaled one of the halves. Matt shook his head. "Wow. Must have been quite an evening!"

Tim nodded and washed down the first half of the pastry with a long drink of coffee. "Yes, oh man, thank you, I needed that!"

"No breakfast this morning?"

"Yeah, I just ate it but it felt like two bites."

"I get like that when I'm tired, it's like I need more fuel."

"I'll go with that. Tell me I didn't just eat your breakfast!"

Matt laughed, "No, I stopped and got pastries for everyone. You were the last to pick one."

"You're a lifesaver, I owe you big time. C'mon, we'd better get to work, I'll tell you about the evening later."

The two men went to their desks and got to work, Tim going through his e-mail. He spotted one from Bec and read it, his eyes nearly whirling. He started to call to Pete but his boss beat him to it, "Tim!" Grabbing his coffee, he hurried into Pete's office. "Thursday? Why would she arrive on Thursday?"

"I hope she meant her flight is on Thursday, she'll arrive Friday morning."

"I thought she was coming next week!"

"So did I Pete. Maybe she forgot to say "next Thursday". We should tell her, we've got so much going on this week!"

"We can always use her. It's just…you're right, this week is crazy, with the embassy party and your family in town." Tim grinned; he really liked the sound of that. "I won't be available Friday night to show her around like Kim and Matt did for me."

"Well, no, she's a week early! No reason any of us should be available."

"Maybe Saturday."

"Really and when are you going to see Lina?" Tim looked at him. "Yeah, this isn't going to work."

"Let's see what the rest of her note says, maybe she's got her weeks wrong." Tim opened his mouth and then snapped it shut again, no need to repeat the obvious.

"Tim, look here, we have a second e-mail from her." Bec's second e-mail sounded embarrassed. The person helping her with the flights had misunderstood the dates and booked it for the wrong week; Bec had not looked beyond the day and flight number when she'd sent the e-mail, nor had she thought to mention the date; she'd assumed the flight was for the following week. The flight had been changed to the following Thursday, arriving on Friday and she was sorry for the misunderstanding. Tim couldn't help it; he sat back and laughed, mostly in relief.

Pete chuckled along with him. "I'll bet it'll be a long time before she assumes anything again."

Tim nodded, "She reminds me how nervous I was when I was a probie!"

"But she's a junior!"

"Who's getting ready to leave the nest and she doesn't know us yet."

Pete thought about that. "Yeah, you're right."

Tim frowned. "Do you want to meet her at the airport on that Friday or shall I?"

Pete grinned at him, "I will. I've met almost all my new agents on their arrival. The only one I missed was Kyle and look what happened there." Kyle was the junior before Tim, the one who'd left for a family emergency and never returned.

Tim nodded, that was fine with him and he liked the tradition; if - when he had his own team, he'd continue it. Pete shared the news with the rest of the staff that their new junior was arriving a week from this Friday. He looked at Kim, "The room's ready, right?" She nodded, "Yes, the cleaning service took care of it last week."

They returned to work. Pete signed the request form for the DNA run for Tim and Jim Hubbard and it was faxed to the lab. Tim had already drafted notes of what strengths he'd seen in Bec's records and what he thought could use some bolstering. When he'd done his vetting, he'd noticed that some of her strengths were in areas in which Matt had not yet trained or where he needed additional training. That would not only help immensely with his probie's training, it would greatly reinforce the team. The morning passed quickly. It was again Tim's turn to fetch their lunch orders and Matt went with him. They laughed at the rather large orders for the two of them and Kim. Eating after their class meant a very long time between lunch and dinner. Tim smiled happily, he would meet Lina at the Flying Pig for dinner, and he couldn't wait to see her.

Matt snorted, "You are so in love."

Tim nodded, "I know, can't help it." He looked at Matt, "You know what you want in your mate?"

Matt nodded. "Sense of humor, patient, fun, interesting…um and more stuff."

Tim nodded. "Yeah, me too, all those things and she's perfect. This sounds so corny but she gets me."

"Like how?"

"She gets all the stuff about Gibbs, she likes that we're all so close here, she understands that I can't talk too much about work, she knows I'm a geek and she's fine with that." He paused, "You know what I think the difference is?"

Matt shook his head.

"Remember how I said the other night that it was great that you're comfortable in your own skin? Lina is too. She knows who she is and she's comfortable with that, she's not always pushing to fit in or try to be something she's not; she loves what she does and she's accepting of other people. A lot of women I've dated have been judgmental and controlling, whether about me or the rest of the world. And she's just herself, she doesn't put on airs or try to control me or anything like that."

"Oh, I see. Yeah, I've run into some of that too." He looked at Tim, tilting his head. "She have any brothers?"

Tim smiled, "Two, one older, one younger. Haven't heard much about them yet. If it hadn't been so long since I've seen her, I'd invite you to dinner with us tonight."

"Uh no, thanks but no way I'm sitting there with you two making puppy dog eyes at each other and you just saw her yesterday."

"I know, but it was yesterday morning and we were sweaty and not in a good way. You need to meet someone and then we could double date."

"Brothers, remember? See if you can find out if either of them are gay or bi."

"Ok."

Matt laughed, "Really, just like that? Hey Lina, are either of your brothers interested in dating men at all, because I have this friend…"

Tim shrugged, "I was just going to ask her if they're married or have kids or something."

"That works better." They teased each other about the line of questioning all the way back to the office. While Tim ate lunch, he checked his personal e-mail and saw he had one from Rob. He'd noticed that his little brother hadn't mentioned flat hunting in a few days and wondered what was going on. As far as he knew, Rob had planned to be out of James' flat by the time Sarah arrived and that was in five days. The note from Rob said he was going to stay another month or two with James; he was okay with the commute so far. Someone at work had an extra twin bed they were giving James and they were going to move it into the little dressing room off the hallway. Rob would take that room as between school and work he was in and out at odd hours; Sarah would take the guest room. Tim realized he'd never gotten back to Rob about what to pay James and sent a reply asking if he'd found out anything. He had and assured his older brother that the rent was all taken care of, he'd increased the initial amount to cover the extra utilities from having both Sarah and him staying there. He added that as soon as Sarah got settled in they would make their flight arrangements for their Christmas holiday in Greece. He'd looked at flights and costs and there was enough money to spare in their combined account, if that was ok with Tim. That was very ok with Tim and he wrote back, happy that Rob and Sarah would be in the same place and with James. He also extended an offer for James to join them for Christmas. Even if he wasn't there Christmas Day, maybe he'd like to come over afterwards. He shook his head, he couldn't believe Christmas was so close! He wondered what Lina usually did, he thought she probably went home to her parents and frowned, hoping she wouldn't stay too long. Glancing at the time, he closed his personal e-mail, finished his gyro pita, yes he was becoming addicted to them, and got back to work.


	39. Chapter 39

A visit with just about everybody in this chapter...enjoy!

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Thirty Nine<p>

Luka sighed as he returned to his car after his sister's arraignment in federal court. Bail had been denied as Abby was deemed a flight risk and other legal jargon. The FBI and DHS - Luka was horrified to realize that the Department of Homeland Security was involved - had been obvious in their support of the court denying bail. He'd contacted Kyle, Abby's other brother and his…he didn't really know what Kyle was to him. Kyle was really upset with everything that had happened and was trying to arrange for time off so he could be there to support their sister. Luka had decided to talk with Jeanette about having him stay with them but he wasn't sure. While he understood the man was some sort of family, he'd only met him a couple of times and after their experiences with Abby, he just didn't know anymore. He and Jeanette had already decided they would convince Abby that she needed help and a psychiatric evaluation would be the first step. In Luka's opinion, there was something seriously wrong with her and he wanted his sister to get help. The criminal attorney he'd spoken with Saturday had mentioned a psychiatric evaluation as a way of holding off prosecution. In the end Luka would pay for the time he spoke with him on the phone, but they couldn't afford any more of his help. He'd told Abby that, expecting her to say she had her own money and that she would pay the lawyer. Instead she shrugged and asked for a public defender.

XXX

Gibbs straightened his shoulders as he waited for the elevator in the parking garage. He'd just come from his early appointment with Rachel and he was feeling good about being back at work, although still a little nervous about his new team. He'd only have Dorneget today and he made a mental note to ask the man what he preferred to be called, last name, nickname or first name. First thing would be a meeting with Leon, well no first thing would be coffee, then Leon. He was early enough to be the only one at the Security checkpoint and he was relieved to see Henry on duty.

"Gibbs, welcome back! Good to see you!"

"Thanks Henry, how you been?"

"Good, thanks! You go on in, my friend, hope you have a good first day back. You hoping for a case or not?"

"Not today, I'll only have part of my team. Tomorrow's soon enough!"

"Ah, that's right, young Agent Dorneget is joining you."

Gibbs nodded, "Yeah, I'm happy about that and he was Tim's recommendation too."

Henry's eyebrows rose, "You've talked with him? How's he doing?"

"Yeah, talked to him twice yesterday as a matter of fact, he's doing great, he made SFA on his new team, you know."

Henry smiled at his old friend, he seemed much more relaxed than he'd seen him in years and it was both a surprise and good news that he and Tim McGee were in touch. The two men smiled at each other and Gibbs went on into the lobby feeling cheered by Henry as he always did.

As he knew from experience, there weren't many day-shifters around at this hour and the night shift folks ignored him. He slid into his desk chair, throwing his overcoat over the partition. He powered up his computer and poked around his desk a bit, moving things here and there. He looked up when he heard footsteps and saw Dorneget approaching with a box.

"Good morning, Agent Dorneget and again, welcome to our team!"

"Thanks Agent Gibbs…uh should I call you Boss now?"

"Going to change a few things and that's one of them. Call me Jethro or Gibbs." He paused, "And what do you want to be called, other than Special Agent Dorneget? Do you prefer Dorneget, Ned or Dorney? Or something else?"

Dorneget stood, still processing the 'Jethro or Gibbs'. He shook himself out of his trance. "Actually Gibbs, I prefer Ned."

"Ned it is then. For now we'll stick with the old setup for the seating, see how that plays out, we might switch things around but not until the whole team is here."

Ned looked at him and then turned to look at the desk across from him. Gibbs smiled, "It's ok Ned, it's your desk now." The new junior agent nodded resolutely and put the box down on the desk.

"Oh, Tim asked me to tell you he's sorry he didn't clean off the back partition before he left. He has everything he wanted; he said you can throw the rest away."

"Tim…you've talked with him?"

"Yep, several times; we Skype. In fact we had a Skype birthday party for him on Saturday at Ducky's. It was a three country party!"

"Three?"

Gibbs remembered only a few select people knew where Tim was posted, although he thought that would have changed after all the news coverage of the cartel takedown. "Yeah, his brother is studying in the UK and friends of his joined in from another country."

"Oh wow, that's something."

"It was fun – we surprised him."

Ned was having a little trouble associating fun and his new boss but then he guessed things had changed. A lot of things had changed.

"I'm going for coffee, do you want anything, or want to come with me?"

"Ah, n…yeah, actually I will come with you, Gibbs." He'd decided if Gibbs was changing, he'd better follow along, keep up!

The two men set off for coffee, one excited about the future, the other resolutely not thinking about the past.

XXX

In the state of Washington, Very Special Agent DiNozzo slapped his alarm off and rolled out of bed. He'd had a good weekend and now he was ready to get back to work. The Skype chat with Gibbs had gone well, they hadn't argued about anything; each had apologized for their earlier behavior toward the other. There had been some sort of group Skype call with Tim that Gibbs had talked about; Tony had been right, it was McGee's birthday, he was glad he had mailed the card to Ducky. It would be late but he'd gotten a "Happy Belated" card figuring it would be by the time the card got to McGee. There, he said it right, McGee. Not McGeek or any of the other names he'd called him over the years, although he'd really thought his co-worker liked some of them. Gibbs talked a bit about his new team and that felt really weird and it actually hurt to think about. There shouldn't be another Gibbs' team, should there? The whole concept should have been retired, like retiring a memorable player's number from a sports team. Willie Mays' #24 for the San Francisco Giants baseball team, Joe Namath's #12 from the New York Jets football team...Leroy Jethro Gibbs' team #1 from NCIS. Or would that be team…let's see, first was Burly, that was Gibbs' first team, then Viv and him, that was #2, then Gibbs & him by themselves, #3, then with Kate, #4, Kate, Tim and him, #5, Ziva, Tim and him, #6….he guessed he'd go with that. If he added in the temporary teams, when Paula Cassidy was with them or Michele Lee, the first time Ziva left and they had those temps, he'd drive himself crazy.

He checked his e-mail before he left, hoping he'd have more apartment leads from the rental agent. Nothing. Well, he had until the first of December and really the residential hotel wouldn't cost him much more than an apartment. Except it was a temporary place and DiNozzo knew in his heart this wasn't a temporary posting. Once he proved himself he could move on, hopefully somewhere warmer and with more to do. If he hadn't found one of his old fraternity brothers living in Seattle, he thought he would have gone stir crazy by now. He sighed, he missed friends, well he missed the people he'd thought he was friends with. At least Tim had been honest with him about things, who knew what Ziva really thought or felt.

XXX

Ziva smiled as she watched the breeze rustle through the olive grove. She was having a good day. After recently making the decision to find a new path, she had consulted with her trusted friend Shmeil. The suggestion he'd made had surprised her but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. She wasn't sure at what level she'd be most useful but she was sure she had much to offer. Shmeil had left her a contact name and phone number and now she punched in the numbers.

XXX

The rest of that Monday flew by with the agents working cold cases. Matt and Kim took a break out in the garden after work while Tim did some writing, waiting for the weekly call with Vance. At about 1730, Pete came out of his office. "Just had an e-mail from Ms. Cook, the Director can't make our call this week. Something about SecNav." Tim nodded; he wasn't surprised as the man was on the run 24/7. He continued writing for another hour and then went outside to stretch and warm up for class. He felt better today. He had practiced his moves as best he could; now he just hoped he hadn't lost too much ground since his injury.

He was dismayed but not horribly surprised to find that he had fallen behind and he resolved to get back into his practice. George was mostly philosophical about it, telling him he needed to resume the push and drive he'd had that first week. Tim agreed and made a promise to himself. If he looked at the big picture, one new move learned well had already saved him from a more serious injury and that had been his intent in the first place, that everyone on the team would be better protected and better able to take down dirtbags.

George let him use the shower there at the studio after class, amused at the younger man's excitement about a simple dinner at a pub. He thought there must be a young woman involved. Of course he was right and Tim beamed as he walked into the Flying Pig and saw his beautiful girlfriend. He'd been practicing thinking that all day; he couldn't wait to introduce her to someone. "This is Lina, my girlfriend." Or "This is Melina, my girlfriend." He felt like a 12-year-old with a crush and then he'd see her and his feelings quickly became much more adult. As he joined her at the table she'd selected, he greeted her with a warm kiss. He slid into the booth next to her, not willing to be any farther away from her than absolutely necessary. She'd been off work today and filled him in on everything she'd done. Along with errands and some chores around the house, she'd also worked on a wall hanging she had been commissioned to do. He loved hearing about her work and her life. When she spoke of the wall hanging he got a look in his eyes and she smiled, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking a wall hanging created by you is just what I need in the living room."

"Oh, that would be fun! I can't wait to see your house."

Smiling, he took her hands. "How about Friday night after we have dinner with the uncles? Then you can see what colors are there, what the light is."

She smiled back, "That would be lovely, Tim, yes." Their dinner arrived, interrupting the moment. Tim had one of his favorite dishes, a minced meat souvlaki, while Lina had a pita full of veggies. They each had a beer and sipped them slowly, rarely taking their eyes off each other. Tim made a satisfied noise as he ate the last bite of his souvlaki and Lina giggled. "You sound just like my brother, he loves his souvlaki!"

"Is that Nicolas or Damian?"

"Nicolas, my elder brother. He's addicted to the dish and my poor sister-in-law is always going on about being sick of making souvlaki."

"Ahh, a man of good taste!" He paused, "She could just teach him how to make it himself."

"Now there's a thought! I will suggest that to her next time she complains."

"He works for your father, doesn't he?"

"Yes and he runs the company really, although my father refuses to officially turn it over to him. "

"Does Damian work in the family business as well?"

"No, well sometimes, he does occasional design work, but he is an architect by trade and by heart."

"Wow, that's something. Has he done any buildings around here?"

"Yes, although the credit went to the company he works for. He hopes to have his own company someday, but he must first build his reputation. I will show you the buildings he has worked on, they are mostly in Athens although there is one in Thessaloniki."

"So he lives around here?"

"Yes, in Athens, he bought an old house and has renovated it to his design, it's quite modern. He says Thessaloniki is not his style."

Tim chuckled, "I imagine your parents don't appreciate that!"

"My father, no, but then Damian and my father don't get along well. He's always been the rebel of the family, which was nice for me."

"How so?"

"My father was always busy trying to 'fix' him and so mostly left me alone to pursue my own interests. I think if it weren't for Damian, I would have been sucked into the family business." She covered her mouth, "Oh I am so sorry, that makes my father sound awful."

Tim shook his head. "No I think I understand. I used to work with someone whose father was a businessman and could never understand why his son wanted to be a cop. And I get that sometimes when people find out about my education, they want to know why I work at NCIS."

"And it is because of your father, isn't it?"

"Yes, my dad and making sure no other military dependents are left without resources as we were."

"Was it difficult yesterday, meeting your uncles?" Tim looked at her, shocked that she had even thought about the possibility of it being difficult. Four days, they had known each other four days.

"Yeah, it was, more than I expected it to be. They didn't have a lot of time to process everything, our story, and when I picked them up for dinner last night, they were trying to apologize to me and I…well, I kind of lost it."

"Oh, my poor Tim, did you feel you were expected to deal with their failure to protect you?"

"Yes, but how did you know that, Lina? I mean, we've only known each other four days and you know me so well."

"And you me. Timothy, I think that we were meant to find each other. Do you believe in soul mates?"

"I never gave it much thought before, but yes I do believe in them now."

"As do I and I have been skeptical my entire life. Tell me, how did you deal with the uncles?"

"I was so upset I just wanted Gibbs, like a little kid. I must have said his name and somehow they found him on my phone and called him. We talked on the phone and then got on Skype and he made me understand that they were still in shock, not really understanding what they were saying, still processing the news. I've known for a few weeks that someone had been named as our guardians although I didn't know who, but at least I knew it was someone. But they had no idea that Sarah and I had survived."

"Ah, Gibbs. I am so grateful he was there for you."

"Me too. He's really come a long way but you know, I never went to him with any problems before, Lina. I didn't want him to see me as weak."

"Weak? For being human?"

"Yes, that's the way it was on his team. Former Marine, ex-cop and former assassin and I was the civilian in the bunch, I could never live up to their expectations. And I guess I didn't know how to reach out, I'd never really had anyone to reach out to. My dad, God love him, was away most of the years he was alive and Natalie at her best didn't want to listen to any problems."

"And yet you were on Gibbs' team."

"Yes and Gibbs picked me – specifically – for his team."

"Then why?"

"I don't really know why, not yet anyway. I'm joining in a counseling session with him and his psychologist tomorrow; I hope to learn more then."

"Tim, that is so generous of you, to make yourself available." She smiled, "You truly do love him like a father, don't you?"

He nodded, "Yes I do."

"Then you're right to do everything you can to make things right between you." She tilted her head. "From what you've told me, even you leaving your old team was a way to make things better."

He blinked in surprise, having never thought of it that way. He leaned over and kissed her softly. "You are a wonder, my Melina." They talked for nearly another hour before noticing the server had been by three times to see if they were ready to pay and vacate the table; the volume on the big screen TV around the bar seemed to be louder. Tim looked up and noticed the place was packed for a Monday night. Lina giggled, "There is a big football match on tonight." They laughed at the server's barely hidden relief when Tim handed her the payment. Squeezing through the crowd, they made it safely to the door. Tim bent to Lina's ear, "Where's your car?" She pointed to the left and he took her hand as they walked down the block.

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><p>Note: There's a new NCIS Community called "The Geek and The Marine" - go check it out, please :) !<p> 


	40. Chapter 40

Finding Home, Chapter Forty

As part of his warm up before his run Tuesday morning, Tim practiced his martial arts. He felt better just knowing he was resuming practice. He thought about the day he had planned unless there was a case. He hoped the lab would send the DNA results, depended on their work load but he knew the run itself would only take a few minutes. His uncle the Captain was coming into the office and they'd have an early lunch before he sent him off to Athens for an afternoon of sightseeing or shopping; Uncle Jim had mentioned going to the Monastiraki flea market. Tim would leave work shortly before 1700 and head home for the Skype joint counseling session. After that, a quick dinner and then he'd visit Carla and Norm for a few minutes. She had been home since Friday and was doing well while the babies continued to improve at the hospital. Pete said Norm had taken her to the hospital on Monday to see their children. He wouldn't see Lina this evening as her housemate was at a meeting so Lina was at home with Ross.

The day unfolded just as planned. No cases came their way and at 1100, Uncle Jim walked in the door. Tea greeted him with her customary welcome and brought him to Tim's desk. Tim had been working with Matt on a pair of cold cases that they thought might have a connection and was on the phone with someone when the Captain arrived. After introducing him to Eva who hadn't been at the reception on Sunday, Tea went back to the phones and Kim took the Captain on a brief tour of the kitchen and garden. He'd heard about the 'residential hotel' upstairs and got a kick out of the kitchen/conference room and loved the garden.

It was tradition in this office to post their case closures on a cork board on the wall in the kitchen, behind the staircase. Jim Hubbard was impressed to see the Kirk and Stavros cases listed as Tim's busts along with the cartel case which was listed twice – a close for each team. Tim finished his phone call and gave Matt the updated information and some tips on what he might want to do next. Then he joined his uncle who was still reading the cork board.

Pete exclaimed as he came out of his office to greet the Captain. "I do see now what the ladies were saying; there is a family resemblance between the two of you."

The two grinned as the Captain said, "Well, thank you, although he certainly didn't get his height from my side of the family!"

Pete grinned, "Before you go to lunch, I have something for you." He handed a piece of paper over to Tim whose eyes went straight to the bottom line. Giving a loud whoop, he handed it to his uncle. The Captain grinned, "Oh yeah, you're my nephew, I'm your uncle!" After a quick hug, they left for lunch.

Since they were going to the deli to eat, Tim offered to pick up the usual lunch order while he was there. They walked over, Tim pointing out the dry cleaners and the tailor. When Archimedes saw him walking by, he popped his head out the doorway and called to Tim. The two men stopped and Tim introduced his uncle. Archimedes spoke a little English and looking at the Captain welcomed him to Piraeus. He wanted Tim to come in and pick another fabric for his second suit. Tim already knew which one he wanted, the light colored swatch he'd seen previously. That was all the tailor needed to know and the two continued their walk to the deli. The Captain laughed as they placed their orders and found a table, "How long have you been here…a month, right? You've settled right in, people greet you downtown, you've got clothes being made and you can just tell the guy what you want, you speak the language fluently – or so it sounded to me. You're a wonder, Timothy."

"I'm not, Uncle, I've spent a big part of my life adapting to new situations and making a home wherever and however I can. It's just what I've learned."

He grinned, "I do have to say this is my favorite place I've lived though."

"Yeah? What's your second favorite?"

"That would be the room the kids and I rented in Cambridge. We hadn't lived in an actual building since we'd left the shelter 6 years before and Rob had never lived in a house. Sarah had but didn't remember. That place was a palace to us."

Jim shook his head, "I just can't get it through my head that you kids lived on the streets like that."

"Do you ever get to Baltimore?"

"Sure, our home port is Norfolk, Baltimore is do-able."

"Sometime when you have a couple of days, drive over and visit the 59th St. Mission. That's the shelter where we stayed the first three years we were in Baltimore. You know that photo I showed you the other night with Sarah, Rob, Geordie and me, the one without Patrick?" His uncle nodded. "The original photo is hanging in the kitchen there. That was taken of us the first day we arrived at the shelter. Lu, our friend who works there, has more photos of us in her office. From the shelter, you want to walk north three blocks to the transient camp. You can't miss it; it's a sea of all kinds of odd looking shelters - tents, lean to's, tarps, towels, blankets, cardboard boxes. Ask for Juanita or Nate and they'll show you the spot where our tent was. Juanita and Nate are two of the scariest looking and oddest behaving individuals you'll probably ever meet, but they've saved many a kid's life; they're the ones who keep an eye on the new kids and the littlest ones, make sure they have a blanket to cover them and someplace to sleep, get a few bites to eat, whatever can be spared and get help if they're sick. The actual tent we lived in isn't there, we've replaced it, but you'll get a flavor of the place. There's a free clinic down the street from the shelter, that's the doctor who took care of us when we were sick, gave us our shots, gave us food on occasion."

"I'll go there, Tim, I want to see it." Tim laid his hand on his uncle's arm. "Look at me." His uncle looked at him with moist eyes. Tim shook his head, "No, .me. We survived and thrived afterward. And we aren't the only ones. Kids do survive and if they can get through school and stay away from all the temptations – stealing, prostitution, drugs and alcohol, they get out of there for good. Well, except none of us really do because we volunteer there, but we don't live there."

Their food arrived and Tim changed the subject, asking his uncle questions about his grandmother, cousins and aunt. They had just finished eating when the office order was announced. Tim quickly paid and they walked back to the office. Jim explained he was going into Athens with a shopping list from his wife, Tim's Aunt Claire, with specific instructions to shop only at the flea market. He would get as much as he could today with the possibility of another day of liberty on Saturday. Both Claire and Maisie, Tim's grandmother, sewed so he was looking for fabric. At Tim's amused look, Jim shook his head, "Ah you scoff now, nephew, but you wait. Your Lina will have you shopping for fabric or throw pillows or duvet covers soon enough and you won't give it a second thought." He paused, "I can't wait to meet her."

Tim laughed, "Too bad you're going shopping; she's at the museum today."

"Hmm, I haven't been to the Benaki, I might have to pop in!"

"That could be fun! If we look as much alike as people say then she'll know who you are without you saying anything!"

"Ok, I'll do it, but then I'll need help on Saturday, are you available?"

"For part of the day, yes, unless we have a case. There's a party at the Embassy in the evening that I have to go to, so I have to get back to get ready."

"Oooh, at the Embassy, that sounds special. Is Lina going with you?"

"Sadly no. Since they have to vet everyone attending, no dates are allowed in unless you're at least engaged. And I thought four days was a little early in our relationship to propose. Although..." Tim snapped his mouth shut, afraid to jinx everything.

His uncle patted him on the arm. "Be patient and enjoy your relationship as it evolves, it'll happen." When they got back to the office, Tim quickly took the office lunch order in and then came back out and drove the Captain to the Metro station.

The rest of the day flew by. Matt found the connection between the cold cases and they combined the cases; however they were unable to get any further than that. Tim had an e-mail that told him the shipping container with the rest of his belongings would reach Greece the following week. He took a quick look at the manifest, having pretty much forgotten by now what was included and what he'd sold or given away. He was looking forward to having his bed, typewriter, desk and TV and the rest of his clothes. He just didn't know when he'd have time to watch TV, although he had managed to squeeze time in for some writing.

Tim's phone chimed at 16:40 and he logged off for the night. Grabbing his gear, he caught Pete's eye and got a thumbs up. He was home in less than 5 minutes. He booted up his laptop, changed into more comfortable clothes and grabbed a glass of lemonade and his notes. He hadn't done a whole lot of preparation for this but he did have some things he wanted to mention. At precisely 1700, he contacted Dr. Cranston through Skype. Gibbs had forwarded her information last week.

In her office, Rachel Cranston smiled at the chime from her laptop precisely at 11:00 AM. Gibbs smiled proudly as they sat in front of the laptop. When Tim looked at him with what he thought was a fierce love, he wanted to cry. He felt the same way and gave his kid back what he hoped was the same look. Tim nodded at him and then turned to Dr. Cranston who was watching the two of them closely.

"Doc, thanks for letting us do this. I have to tell you both that since we set this up, I've needed Gibbs more than ever and he's been right there for me, every time. I keep falling apart and he holds me together." Next to her, she saw Gibbs put his fingers on the screen and Tim covered them. She had been shocked by the look on Tim's face when they logged on, that look of absolute love and now this. This screen touch was very interesting and obviously something they'd done before.

Rachel nodded, "That's good to hear from both of you; you've obviously made good progress in your interpersonal relationship. Now I have some ground rules for today. No interrupting each other and let's try not to raise our voices. I'm going to let you two talk; I'll cut in if I have questions or need one or both of you to redirect. Finally, let's make sure we're on the same page as far as the main purpose for this joint session. That is to identify and discuss the reasons for Gibbs' behavior during your time on his team. Do you both agree?" Both men said yes. She continued, "All right, now I want to record this. If either of you object to that, please let me know now. The recording will be for our purposes – the three of us – only. When we three feel it's no longer needed as a reference, it will be destroyed. Do you agree to the recording?" Again both men said yes. "Good, then let's begin." She hit the record button. The two men looked at each other, questions in their eyes as to who would go first.

Gibbs nodded, "You've been waiting a long time to hear this Tim and it's not pretty."

"I didn't think it would be. We're both here though."

Gibbs took a deep breath, "Tim, when I met you at Norfolk that day, you had an energy about you that stuck in my brain. And despite my disrespect toward your safety precautions, I liked that you stood up to me about that Captain. I also liked what I saw, your expressive eyes and your obvious intelligence, even some of your gestures. During that year you were in Norfolk, I found myself wanting to see you again. Yes, the work you did for us was stellar but it was more than that. It was your eyes, your gestures, and your demeanor, how you spoke. It reminded me so much of my Kelly and whenever I'd see you it brought me joy and a little peace. It was the work that you'd done that convinced me to add you to the team. And I thought it would be wonderful to be reminded of my daughter more often. But that backfired on me Tim – and on you, without you even knowing. Instead of a constant joy, I started resenting you for being alive while Kelly was dead. I started feeling angry and hurt every time I saw you. Some days it was all I could do to stay at my desk and see those eyes across from me. So much like Kelly's, but not Kelly's. It wasn't your fault, it was nothing you did, it was me, Tim, all me." Jethro was near tears now. "And I told you in our first conversations after you left…I told you I'd always considered you part of my family. And I believed that when I said it, Tim, but now I know I was wrong, I didn't want you around, it hurt too much. And I resented you for that. I didn't blame you for Kelly's death but I blamed you for being like her but not being her. But Tim, all that changed the day I almost lost you, last year, the day you almost died getting Harper Dearing's information to us. I was so scared I was going to lose you, Tim. **You**, not Kelly, you, Tim McGee. It was like the fear for your life wiped everything else away. I was there with you that day, Tim, not Kelly and I haven't seen anything but you since then. But I'm sorry, so sorry. "

Tim had his head bowed, his eyes closed. He shook his head, not looking at the screen. "I don't know what to do with this. I am who I am, I can't help who I look like or talk like. Are you sure you're just seeing me now? How do I trust that? Jesus, I was afraid it was a control thing or some way to make up for Ziva leaving you, but it's even worse. How do I believe you, how do I believe in your feelings for me? And how can I ever trust anything you say to me? How can I ever trust that you love me and not some ghost of your daughter?"

He reached out to shut down Skype when Dr. Cranston's voice stopped him, "Tim, you said you wanted to know. This is what he has. If you leave now, you'll be going back to square one. Is that what you want?"

Tim looked at Dr. Cranston, "How can I ever trust him, trust that he really has any affection for me?"

"TIM, don't leave me!"

"WHY, because you'd be losing Kelly again? How can I believe you?" Tim walked outside, utterly devastated, needing time to deal with this.


	41. Chapter 41

Finding Home, Chapter Forty One

Placing the large envelope full of papers on the table next to the most comfortable chair in the room, Ziva took a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator. She'd met with members of the Israeli Diplomatic Corps earlier in the day and had been greatly encouraged by their enthusiasm. It seemed Shmeil had done some 'smoothing of the way' for her; when she had called to inquire as to whom she should meet with about joining them she was given an appointment the following day. Now she had paperwork to fill out, an application and other assorted forms. What it boiled down to is that if she was accepted, she would be enrolled in a six month training course. During that time she could be sent on training missions to Israel's embassies around the world. When she finished the training course, she would theoretically be eligible to be assigned to a diplomatic mission as a low ranking diplomat. With her experience in Mossad and NCIS and being an American citizen, she had hurdles to overcome and advantages to offer. The first hurdle was that to be appointed to any post, she would have to have special approval from both the Israeli and US governments. She'd been told that it was highly likely she would never be allowed to assume any position with any authority to speak for the Israeli government as she was no longer an Israeli citizen and the US government would certainly not allow it. However, she could be of great use behind the scenes and that was what excited her. She took one of her favorite pens and opened the envelope, prepared to get through the paperwork stage and into training as soon as possible. Once she had a goal she marched straight toward it, obstacles be damned. In this she resembled her late father.

XXX

In New Orleans, Abby Sciuto sighed as she sat across from her brother in her orange jumpsuit. He was once again urging her to submit to a psychiatric evaluation. This time he mentioned that it might be her only way out of the charges and that piqued her interest. She was tired and had a headache. She could no longer remember any time she hadn't had a headache. She wondered where Gibbs and Ducky were, why they hadn't appeared to get her out of here. Gibbs always fixed things for her, always. And who was running her lab while she was away? She hated other people touching anything in her lab. Even her friends knew not to touch anything unless they at least had her verbal approval. She giggled remembering the mess Timmy, Tony and Jimmy had made one time when she'd been away. Her brother stopped talking and looked at her, frowning. Why was Luka always frowning lately? He was too young to be so serious.

She looked at him, "Will me having this psych thing make you happy, Luka? I haven't seen you smile in so long."

"Yeah, Abby it will make me happy. It'll make Kyle happy too."

"Oh Kyle, how is he?"

"He's good; he'll be here to see you in a few days."

"That'll be fun, maybe we can have a picnic, oh I know let's go to our favorite cemetery, show him all the cool places."

"Abby…yeah, we'll do that."

"Now you're sad, Luka. I'll do that thing you keep asking for if it will make you be not sad, I'll do it, I promise."

"Thanks Abby. I'll get it set up."

"Ok, you do that and then just let me know when and where it will be, I'll be there."

Luka nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. If he'd ever had any doubt that something was wrong with Abby, that doubt was gone now. Still, her agreement finally gave him hope. Hope that they could find out what was wrong with her and get it treated. Hope that they could prove that her erratic and criminal behavior was caused by whatever was wrong with her; hope that she might not have to stay in prison. As he left the lockup, he called her attorney, a young public defender.

XXX

Tony signaled to his partner that he was in place; the two counted down and then Tony kicked the door in. As they knew he would, their suspect tried to flee, but not before he tossed a lit match into a pile of rags on the floor. His partner stumbled backwards in the ensuing explosion; Tony dragged him out of the building, calling for backup and working to keep his cool as he watched the suspect head for the alley. Their boss came running; he and their probationary agent tackled the suspect, brought him down, slapped the cuffs on him and read him his rights. By now Tony had called 9-1-1 and was gently pouring water onto his partner Ken's eyes, recognizing that the man had suffered flash burns. The probationary agent ran back to their car for another bottle of water and the fire engine and ambulance with the EMTs arrived as he was heading back to the injured Senior Field Agent. The EMTs took over treatment and took the injured man off to the hospital while the firefighters battled the blaze.

None too gently, Tony took the suspect's arm and propelled him into the backseat of their vehicle, climbing in after him while the others covered him. Cazal and their probie got in the front and silently headed back to their office, to Interrogation and lockup. Tony wondered if anyone from the team would be going to the hospital to support Agent Donaldson. Sure his wife would be there but what about his team? This was a whole different operation than Gibbs' team, although since he'd usually been the one injured he didn't really know who had been at the hospital and who continued to work. Before the explosion, he'd talked with Ken about possibly participating in the interrogation of their suspect. Ken had been amenable but they both knew it would ultimately be up to Cazal.

Back at the office, Tony had the man booked, strip searched and given an orange jumpsuit, then brought to Interrogation, cuffed and shackled. You don't intentionally injure federal officers and expect to be treated with respect or goodwill. When DiNozzo reached his desk, he froze, realizing he had unconsciously assumed his former role and taken control of the prisoner without orders from his Team Leader. He decided to let it ride, not say anything to Cazal and see what happened. It wasn't as if he'd stepped on Ken's toes or anything, the man was in the hospital.

XXX

Ducky looked at the clock as he and Jimmy worked on their latest guest. They'd been called out first thing this morning with O'Brien's team, a dead marine found in an alley in Georgetown. He was attentive to the body and what it could tell them while part of his mind was thinking about Timothy and Jethro and their joint counseling session. Jethro had told him what he'd figured out and the older man was saddened; his heart ached for Tim. He didn't know if there was a way back from this for their young friend, didn't know how he could ever believe in Gibbs' affection for him. No matter that Gibbs had given him solid support these last few weeks, the dear boy was likely to see that as an extension of Gibbs' obsession with his dead daughter. And really, who could blame him or feel any differently themselves, given the scenario? He couldn't think of a way Gibbs could ever truly prove that his affection was for Tim, not for his imaginary extension of Kelly, even if he claimed that obsession had disappeared with Harper Dearing's bomb and Tim's injury.

XXX

Standing in his backyard, looking at the stars and trying to stop the whirling dark thoughts in his head, Tim was truly at a loss. His emotions were overwhelming him, his grief and anger guiding his thoughts and actions. Finally he remembered something Ducky had told him long ago, that any situation no matter how dire could be handled, it was just how you approached it. Thinking of Ducky calmed him, he knew the older man loved him; he had no doubt about that. He certainly knew Sarah, Rob and Geordie loved him and he thought Lina was beginning to, he knew he was beginning to love her. His new uncle and godfather didn't know him well yet, but he knew they loved him. His grandmothers, godmother, aunt, cousins, they would love him and he them, he was sure of that. He had friends, good friends, Jimmy, Breena, James, Pete, Matt, Trina, Kim, Tea, Eva, Carla, Norm, heck the Russell kids had hugged him, the Vance kids had hugged him, he guessed Vance was fond of him, Rick Carter had made an effort for him, some of the other DC Team Leaders, even Jack and Ted cared – as did Joel, Evander, Caleb, Adan and his other friends. He was not alone, he hadn't been alone in a long time and he needed to stop that way of thinking immediately. That was an old habit and he needed to stop going there! He felt stronger and thought about what to do next. He didn't know what to say to Gibbs. He had to decide whether he trusted him. He wasn't even sure he could trust that this past weekend or any of it had been support for him and not some weird extension of Kelly Gibbs. He would rather have had the man tell him he hated him for something he'd done. But he'd had to know.

He took a deep breath and walked back inside, only then realizing he hadn't disconnected from Skype. He moved the laptop to a kitchen counter so he could stand as he looked into the screen.

XXX

In Dr. Cranston's office, a devastated Gibbs had his head between his knees as he struggled through a panic attack. Rachel gave him a bottle of water as he started to recover. While she was personally saddened at the breakdown between the two men, she was not surprised and in her professional capacity had tried to prepare Gibbs for it. She understood Tim's need for the truth but she also understood that this could very well be the end of the road for any relationship between the two men. She was glad the younger man had developed new friendships and hoped those were strong enough to see him through this. If she had a chance to speak with him again, she would recommend he seek counseling. With everything else he had going on, this could be too much for him to handle. She decided if he didn't come back to the screen, she would find a way to contact him. As for her patient, she saw only devastation and anger. She mentally shook her head; there was no way she could sanction him returning to work today. He'd need to come to terms with this first.

She started at a noise from her laptop, it seemed like the scenery was changing on the screen. Suddenly she saw Tim's face. "Dr. Cranston, I need time to process this. I have to decide if I can trust him at all or have any belief that the affection he shows now is for me and not his dead daughter. I know what the answer is probably going to be, but do you believe he's really through with it? Can that just happen like that?"

She nodded, "You know what the answer is; I can't discuss that with you. As far as an obsession disappearing like that, yes, in a life or death situation it is hypothetically possible that a person would be able to let go of that kind of obsession and see the real person."

Tim shook his head. "I'm lucky I have so many people who love me and I'm going to hang onto that. I suppose I never should have tried with him; I should have just let him go when I left. But I had to try and I had to know. I needed him and I needed to know. I don't know if I can balance that now, my need for him and what I know. I need help of my own; I'm going to speak to my doctor here about counseling. I've got wonderful positive relationships growing and I don't want to ruin them by trying to deal with this on my own. Just do a favor for me, would you please? Call Dr. Mallard to see if he can come get him, take him home with him." He paused, "I'm sorry to have to put you through all this. Sorry we did."

With that, Tim disconnected. Behind her, Gibbs let out an anguished sob.

XXX

Tim logged off his laptop; he had no desire to talk with anyone online tonight. He needed to think, and he needed to talk. He couldn't see dumping this on Carla and Norm; they had their own troubles and worries to deal with. He knew Pete was busy with Lukas and Stephan tonight, both were Scouts and they met on Tuesday nights. He didn't feel he knew Trina well enough and he didn't think he wanted to muddy up his and Lina's new relationship with this. His mind made up, he sent a text to Norm and Carla, excusing himself, just telling them something had come up he needed to handle and then he called the newest number on his cell phone.

"Tim! Hey, I'm just waiting for the Metro back to port. You busy, want to have dinner with me too? I don't have to be back until 0200."

"Yeah, Uncle Jim, I'd like that. I…can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course son, whatever you need."

"If you get off at the main Piraeus stop, where I dropped you this morning, I'll pick up you there."

"That sounds good son. Let's find some nice quiet place to talk, huh?"

"Yeah, would you mind if we got takeout and just came back here?"

" Excellent idea, then I can put my feet up; have to tell you, these dogs are tired!"

Tim chuckled, "Walking on pavement instead of a steel deck, who would have thought they'd hurt?"

He called in an order to the Flying Pig and picked it up on the way to meet his uncle, figuring they could reheat the food easily enough. He pulled into the station parking lot just as a train came in and his uncle stepped off, several shopping bags in his hands. Tim smiled as he climbed out of the car and grabbed a few of the bags from his uncle.

"Ahhh, thank you son! I don't know how shoppers do it, now my hands and feet are all killing me and I'm _not _a couch potato!" Jim took a good look at his nephew, yep, something was wrong. He remembered he had that call with his former boss after work today, the one who had helped him on Sunday. The bags went in the trunk and Jim gratefully sank into the car. "Ooh, that feels good. Rather stand a 24 hr. duty than do that again!"

"Does that mean you aren't going back on Saturday? Because I haven't been yet, I was looking forward to going with you."

"Oh no, we'll go, just don't tell my feet!" He reached over and rubbed Tim's shoulder. "Relax son, we'll talk and figure something out, whatever it is."

Tim nodded, "Boy you guys came along at the right time!"

Jim chuckled, "Any time would have been good, but yeah, seems like you have an awful lot going on right now, including all of us."

Tim tilted his head, "Most of it is wonderful, but it's still happening, you know?"

"Yes I do." He paused, "Did anyone die?"

"Not exactly, but someone who died years ago is involved." Tim turned his head, "Not any of our family."

"Ok, good. I was going to say that as long as no one died, almost anything is fixable."

Tim started talking while they were driving, he told his uncle of some of the problems he'd had working on Gibbs' team and how he was trying to work things out with the man, how well he'd thought things were going for the most part. Jim nodded; he'd witnessed that on Sunday. Then Tim told him what he'd learned today and Jim's jaw dropped. He wasn't sure what upset him more, what Gibbs had admitted to or the fact that his nephew had almost died last year from that horrible bomb that crazy freak Dearing had planted. They'd all heard about it and of course had known or heard rumors about the attacks and problems he'd caused the Navy. Jim hadn't yet pulled the pieces together having only known of his nephew's survival for a few days, that he would have been in DC at the time of the bombing. He decided not to focus on that, Tim needed his help with the Gibbs' thing.

By this time, they were back at Tim's. While Tim pulled their dinner bags from the back seat, Jim opened the trunk and rustled around until he found the housewarming/'glad you're alive' gift he'd bought for his nephew. _God that sounded good, his nephew, his living breathing nephew._ He wished he could pack him up and take him home with him. He was thankful he was in the Navy, hadn't retired yet. The Blush spent a lot of time in Europe and the Med., so he'd be able to see him a couple of times a year at least. Not a lot but better than the rest of the family would do. He thought about flying everyone over here for vacation, he'd have to figure that out and of course check with Tim.

As Tim re-heated their dinners, he continued talking and Jim listened intently. It seemed to boil down to a matter of trust and belief. Was Tim willing to believe Gibbs' claim that he now saw Tim as Tim and not his dead daughter? The Captain had to suppress a shudder, it was a bit creepy. More to the point, was Tim willing to forgive him for all the years when he was obsessing about his likeness to his daughter? And did he trust in his affection now? Jim would have sworn that what he'd witnessed on Sunday had been genuine affection and concern for Tim but now he wondered.

While they ate, they also chewed over the situation, talked about it up one side and down the other. In the end it seemed to boil down to two things: could Tim trust that Gibbs' current attitude was genuine and could he forgive him for the past? Jim amended their questions. He thought the questions were more clearly stated as: was Tim willing to take a huge leap of faith and trust Gibbs and was he willing to forgive him?

For Tim, it was a big relief to talk with someone who had witnessed him with Gibbs, someone who had a slightly different perspective than anyone else, Pete for instance or even Matt. They continued to talk over dessert, the frozen yogurt Tim had purchased Sunday.

They stopped long enough for Jim to present Tim with his gift, a wood carving of one word in Greek, οικογένεια , family, pronounced eeko YEN eeya. When Tim looked closer, he saw that scattered across the word were the names of all of his family: his mother, father, grandmothers and grandfathers, all three of his brothers, his sister, his godparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. He held it to his chest and smiled with joy as tears rolled down his face.

When he could finally speak, he looked at his uncle, "How…how did this get done in one day?"

"It was the first thing I saw at the market and I knew it would be perfect for you; I wrote out all the names and then came back for it at the end of the day. What can I say, the craftsman spoke some English and when I told him about you, he promised he'd be done by 1800 and he was finished before that. And when you marry, you can take it back to him and have your wife added on. There's room for more, Tim."

Tim blushed. "Did you get to the museum at all?"

"I did, however Lina was involved with a class of students. Yes, I got to meet her and yes, she recognized me but we only spent a few minutes together. I'll look forward to more on Friday night." He chuckled to himself as the tips of Tim's ears turned bright red. So that was the way of it. He'd have to make sure he and the Admiral didn't keep them too long over dinner.

By the time they left the house again, this time to take Jim back to the ship, Tim was feeling considerably better, more confident that this didn't have to be the end; that it could be worked out. Truthfully, he was thinking more about Lina and Friday night than about Gibbs. He realized she had to work on Saturday and thought they could stop in and say hello at some point in the day. He sure wished she could go to the embassy party with him. He hadn't even mentioned it to her, why do that when she couldn't go?

He parked as close as he could get to the dock and the Baton Rouge, then helped his uncle carry the bags as far as he was allowed to go without having to be formally signed in. With a suppressed chuckle, one of the enlisted men offered to help his Captain. A quick hug and Tim was on his way home again. When he got there he stared at his laptop. He was almost afraid not to call Gibbs. Promising himself a nice long chat with Lina afterward, he booted up and wondered whether Gibbs would be at Ducky's or his own home. He tried Ducky's first and was gratified when his friend quickly answered. "Timothy, are you all right, dear one? I've been so worried but with your request to Dr. Cranston I decided you wanted me to take care of Jethro."

"You're right, I did. And I'm better than I was, Ducky. I called my uncle and he helped me to sort through things. Is Gibbs still there by any chance? If he's willing, I'd like to talk with him for a little bit."

"Lad, I know you're likely in the same condition but I do want to warn you he's quite fragile."

"Ducky, that's what I was afraid of. That's why I didn't want to wait."

"All right, I'm going to take the laptop to him."

"Ducky, wait a second." The older man stopped and looked in the screen. Tim smiled at him, "You know I love you, don't you? I don't know what I'd do without you; you've been so wonderful to me. I just was afraid that with all the trouble between Gibbs and me, I hadn't said that enough. And Ducky, if things don't work about between me and Gibbs that won't make any difference with us, will it?"

Tim saw Ducky take a deep breath. "No, Timothy it would not and I have to confess I've been a bit concerned about that. Thank you for having the courage to say it. I do know you love me; however it is always good to be reminded. And you know I love you, dear boy, even with the mistakes I've made?"

Tim smiled and nodded, "I've never doubted that."

Ducky nodded back to him smiling and then continued walking with the laptop. When Ducky set the laptop down and Tim had his first glimpse of Gibbs, he grimaced. The man looked worse than he'd ever seen him. He called out, "Boss…it's Tim. I'm here, I'm here. Please can you just listen to me for a minute?"

Tim saw a slight nod and wondered if Ducky had given him a sedative. "Boss, I love you and I've thought about this, talked with my uncle and just talking about it made me see that whatever else has happened, I know… I know in my heart that what you've shown me in the last few weeks has been real love…for me. I trust in that much." He put his fingers on the screen, hoping that Boss was aware enough to recognize that. He was and he covered the image of Tim's fingers with this own. Tim smiled, "I hope that what's happened between us recently is enough to build on, I guess that's up to us and we'll work through the rest. I haven't had a chance yet but I'll look through my journals for things that happened after Dearing, Boss. And I'm going to get help too. You and me, we'll let our doctors help us put ourselves back together, ok? I just hope that this was the worst and it's out there now."

Gibbs finally spoke, "Tim? You… mean tha'?… You… aw rig't son?"

"I'm… better than I was. I'm done freaking out."

"No, no, that was underss…tanbl…sorry, sound like ahm drunk, ahm not."

"I know. Boss, did Ducky give you something?"

"Ye'."

"That's good, it'll help you relax and get some sleep."

"Tim? I lo…ve you…you all **you**."

"I want to trust that."

"Trus' me?"

"I don't know. I think I could trust you again someday if you're willing to work at it."

"Ye, I will. Yo' th' besht, Timo'hy."

"I'm not, Gibbs, I'm just a human being, I'm just me."

"Besht to me."

"Will you be able to sleep now?"

"Ye'. "

"Ok, I'm going to call you again tomorrow, on Wednesday Boss, ok?"

"Ye', tha…t good." The laptop moved away and Tim figured Ducky was taking it back to his study or the kitchen so Gibbs would sleep. "My dear Timothy, you are amazing."

"No I'm not, Ducky. I'm either very gullible or very determined, maybe both, I don't know. I just want this right between us; I seem to be gaining more family by the day but he's still the one I want as my dad. God help me, I still love him, same as I love you and as much of a shock as that was tonight, I believe what he's saying." Tim paused. "You know what I remembered? When he found me that day, the day we got blown up, he sounded so shocked, looked so surprised. I believe he just saw _me_, Ducky, I believe that was it. _Just me_ for the first time in… maybe ever."

"That could very well be, my boy. He's asleep now, finally."

"Good. Do you know what Vance was told?"

"Yes. I called him, told him Jethro had taken ill and I was going to collect him and bring him here, not to expect us back today. But I believe the Director was going to be tied up with Secretary Porter all day."

"That might be a good thing. Do you think he'll be able to go in tomorrow?"

"I hope so. I heard you say you would call him, do you know what time?"

"I could call him early, say at 0600 your time? I'll take a late lunch, do it then."

"That would be splendid if you're able to do that – so generous of you, Timothy, that is probably far more than he deserves. That will fortify him to go into the office."

"I'll drop Dr. Cranston a note too, I don't want to talk with her now, well I would, but I promised myself I could talk with Lina after this and I'd rather do that than talk with the Doc."

Ducky laughed, "Ah, I love your honesty! I cannot wait to meet your young lady."

"I can't wait for that either, Ducky!"

"All right, off with you then and sleep well tonight."

"I'll try. Have a good rest of your day."

"I will now that I know you're all right lad, I will."

Disconnecting from Skype, Tim swapped over to his e-mail and sent a note to Dr. Cranston letting her know what had happened after their call. He was just pulling out his cell phone to call Lina when a reply arrived from the doctor. She thanked him for letting her know, hoped he would still pursue therapy and congratulated him for his big heart. Nodding and hoping with everything he had that he hadn't just set up his big heart to be tromped on again, he closed his e-mail and called Lina. He wanted to hear her voice, to talk about her day and laugh with her.

* * *

><p>AN: There's some discussion online as to whether or not an obsession such as Gibbs' could vanish in a crisis. I decided for the purposes of this story that it could. I have very little knowledge of psychology or any formal study of human behavior, except through my own life experiences. Oh and I did take Psych 101 in college many years ago :-) but that's about it.


	42. Chapter 42

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Two

After a long chat with Lina, Tim slept well Tuesday night. He bounced up Wednesday morning, did his practice moves as warm up and headed out for his run. After his shower, he made himself a smoothie with fresh fruit and protein, enjoying every bit of it along with the cup of coffee that followed. Dressing, he gathered his gear and headed into the office. He hadn't checked the time and was surprised to find that it was just 0715 when he walked in. Checking his e-mail he was a little worried to see one from the Director but evidently it had been sent after the man had talked with Ducky last night, DC time. It was a simple thank you for following up with Gibbs and that he didn't know what was involved, but that he was proud of Tim. Amazingly it was signed "Leon" and Tim understood this was a personal note from his friend Leon Vance, not a note from the Director of NCIS. He smiled; this was a good way to kick off the day. He also had e-mail from both uncles and he sent quick replies that included his personal e-mail address.

Matt showed up next and the two kibitzed for a few minutes before settling in to work. Matt was determined to break their combined cold case and Tim was inclined to let him work it for another day. If he didn't have any leads or new information by the end of the day, he'd have him move along. Both young men were deep into their work when Kim, Pete and Eva arrived. Tea was last in but she had the farthest to commute. Pete cocked an eyebrow at Tim as he walked in and Tim just smiled and gave him a little nod. He'd tell him about last night at some point but not right now.

About 11:30 as his stomach was beginning to make noises, he got an e-mail from the Captain. It was addressed to Pete with a cc to him; a quick note to say that there was a problem aboard the Baton Rouge and the Agent Afloat was handling it but would probably need their help. Tim read it and turned to look into Pete's office. Pete nodded, "Yep just saw it."

Tim turned, "Matt, looks like we may have a case this afternoon. We need to stay in for lunch today."

Matt nodded. "Know where yet?"

"Yeah, the Baton Rouge." Kim entered the conversation, "Do you know what it is?"

"No, the Captain e-mailed Pete that there was a problem and he thought the 'Float would need help."

"Oh, must be something big then."

Tim nodded. "Yeah, big or complicated…or both!"

Rising, he stuck his head into the office. "Pete, I need to make a quick phone call to the States. Ok to use my cell?"

"Yeah, sure go ahead. Everything ok?"

"Ok yeah, bit of a story, I'll tell you later." Pete smiled and waved him off and Tim ducked upstairs to make the call. It was a lot earlier than he'd planned but he'd rather wake Gibbs early than miss the call because he was on a case. He called Gibbs' cell and almost laughed when a very awake Gibbs answered. "Gibbs."

"Hey Boss it's just me. Sorry to be calling so early, but we got word of a case we might get, didn't want to miss you this morning."

"Tim, I was afraid I'd dreamt that last night, your call."

"No, no dream; that was me. We can talk more later; I just wanted to make sure you were ok this morning."

Gibbs huffed, "Been lying here trying to persuade myself that was really you. Tim…really, you think we can do this?"

"Yeah I do. I said I needed to know why and now I do, you trusted me enough to tell me. As weird as it was and as painful as last night was for both of us, I believe we can move forward, need to keep plugging away at it. Uh, Boss, I gotta go, Pete's calling for me…I came upstairs to call you. Ducky talked with Vance last night and I e-mailed Dr. Cranston and heard back from her."

"Tim, you're far better to me than I deserve, thank you for your strength and your love. I promise you I'll do everything in my power, give everything I have, that I am, to be there for you." Gibbs paused.  
>"Yeah, I will go in; we're not on rotation anyway. Thank you, son, stay safe, get the bad guys and remember I love you, always."<p>

"Me too, Boss! Bye." Tim disconnected and headed downstairs to find that Pete's question was about lunch. Tim huffed at him while Pete tried to look innocent. Eva did the lunch run and the agents ate quickly and efficiently. Matt pulled the van around and double checked it for supplies. It was gassed and parked in the front of the lot.

It was nearly 1200 when the call came in. The Baton Rouge had a dead sailor, one who had been on leave, then reported UA and finally had been found in one of the cargo holds of the ship. The Agent Afloat said she'd appreciate any help she could get. The coroner's van was there to take the body; she would delay that until the office team arrived. The three agents put their NCIS coveralls on and climbed into the van. Tim took his ginger root and fastened his seabands around his wrists. Pete drove with Matt and Tim in the cab with him. Tim made a mental note to check the back of the van for safety later as once their JA arrived, someone would be riding back there and he didn't want that person to be subjected to the frequent tossing around he had been.

Waved through Security, Pete parked the van close to the gangplank and they hopped out, Pete handing out the equipment they'd need. They headed up the gangplank to be met by the Captain and a Petty Officer. "Glad you're here. I'll take you down to the hold. Petty Officer Timmons can help you with anything you need." Behind Tim, Matt twitched and Tim wondered if he had stopped himself from blurting out that right now everyone aboard was a suspect and they couldn't ask anyone for help.

The sailor, Albert Sawyer, was lying on his back in a very large pool of blood, much of it congealed. The team stopped to put their booties and gloves on and then continued in. Agent Gordon-Parks greeted them with a nod as she joined them; they'd met her Sunday on their tour. While the coroner and his assistant waited to remove the body, she updated them on what she'd done so far. "I took pictures of the entire scene and as many angles of Sawyer as I could. I haven't been through the entire hold yet, I did what I could while staying in sight of the body. No one but me and those two," she nodded to the coroners, "has been in here since the body was found."

Pete nodded, "Ok, so we need a sweep of the hold and guards to watch the crime scene. Has the coroner said anything about approximate time of death?"

"He estimated about twelve hours ago."

"He have a preliminary COD?"

"Yes, Agent McGee. The man was stabbed, I visually counted 6 wounds but it's hard to tell with all the blood. The coroner says he bled out and he believes it was a long process. He also pointed out a head wound."

"So Sawyer might have been hit on the head and then stabbed. We'll know for sure when we get the autopsy results. Do you mind if I ask the coroner a couple of questions?"

"No, not at all."

Tim nodded and turned to the coroner, speaking to him in Greek. He wanted to make sure there were no discrepancies or gaps due to translation. He asked if he had any approximation of time for the original injury. The coroner told him he wouldn't be certain until he autopsied but from the head wound and the congealing of the blood, he thought the head wound had happened first and had occurred between 48 and 60 hours ago. That made the earliest time for the attack to have occurred 0100 Monday morning and the latest early afternoon the same day. Tim thanked the man and turned back to the group. Pete had understood the conversation and Matt had understood enough to know they were looking at a crime committed shortly after a large group of strangers had been aboard the vessel. Tim updated the Agent Afloat and her eyes widened. "So it could be someone from the reception."

"Yeah, we'll need to check the logs and it would be really helpful to know if any crew were off the ship during that whole time. Since the murder occurred here, we can clear anyone who was signed out during that time."

Pete huffed, "That will not only help us with the suspect list - it will also give us some extra manpower."

Tim nodded. "Ok, so we need the logs and we need to search the entire hold."

Matt had taken the measuring tape to find the distance from the hatch to the body. He frowned as he noticed something and called out. "Found something." The other agents joined him as he put a marker on the deck next to the cigarette butt. He had their camera so he first took photos showing the object and then the location and distance from the hatch. When he was done with the photos he looked at Tim who just blinked at him. He looked again and couldn't see any other angles for more photos, so using a tweezers, he picked it up and put the cigarette in an evidence container and labeled it.

Agent Gordon-Parks huffed, "Smoking is only allowed on deck in designated areas. But the occasional butt is found in the more isolated compartments of the ship."

Matt cleared his throat. "That's a Greek cigarette."

Pete pursed his lips, "How long was Sawyer on leave and when did he report back? And was he a smoker?"

"He had a 48 and was due to report to his duty station Monday 0600. UAs aren't reported to me for at least 24 hours as most of them just show up late. When he didn't report by 1000 on Monday, the Shore Patrol started looking and the local police were alerted. Other sailors returning from leave were questioned as they returned. I got the UA yesterday and started questioning everyone returning from leave. The SPs and police hadn't found him, he'd checked out Sunday from the place he'd stayed in. The log shows him returning late Sunday evening; two of his buddies came back from leave this morning and verified he'd returned to the ship early." She paused, "I don't know if he was a smoker, we'll have to ask around."

Tim nodded. "And we'll get DNA from the cigarette." While they had been talking, the coroners left with the body. Tim felt his spine tingling and he had to fight the urge to swing around and look into the depths of the hold. Someone else was in here with them, he felt that. He turned his head a little bit so he could see Pete's face and saw a frown there and the older man lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. They silently made eye contact.

Tim spoke casually to Gordon-Parks. "Carol, have we got all the photos we need?" She looked at him puzzled, they hadn't gotten as far as first names yet and she had already told them they had all the photos needed. Looking at him and the SAIC, she realized something was up and just nodded. "Yeah, we've got them all."

Pete cleared his throat and spoke a little louder than necessary. "I don't think there's much more we can do in here then, we'll have to wait for the autopsy report and the DNA on that cigarette butt. We should have both tonight. Then we can call in all the help we might need." Tim, still facing away from their watcher, grinned. Pete had just baited the hook. There were only two ways out of this cargo hold – the hatch in front of them or the seaward hatch that opened to the bay. Pete nodded at Tim and he left the compartment to call his uncle. "Captain, we need a 24/7 watch on both hatches of that cargo hold."

"Tim, you mean internally and from the water?"

"Yes sir and a spotlight on the hold hatch from the water would be really helpful."

He lowered his voice, "Someone is hiding in the hold, possibly the murderer. Pete's just laid out some bait so that whoever it is will likely try to make a break today or tonight."

"All right, hang on." Tim heard his uncle give orders and then he was back with him. "How did you know, did you spot someone down there?"

"No sir, I felt him and so did Pete."

"Felt him?"

"Ever have your spine tingle or feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up?"

"Uh no, can't say as I have."

"Must just be the job then. My spine was tingling and Pete was rubbing the back of his neck. Someone was watching us. We'll try to flush him out first, easier and safer than turning the place inside out as he or she could still evade us and possibly attack someone else."

"Oh geez. Whatever you need to do, son. The watch is on both hatches and I've alerted the harbormaster."

"Thank you Captain."

"The logs from Sunday are being assembled for your review too, I'm assuming your team or Agent Gordon-Parks will handle that?"

"Yes sir, at this point just about everyone aboard is a potential suspect."

"We've canceled all leave. The Admiral is hoping you'll have this solved by tomorrow!"

Tim huffed, "I'm sure he's not the only one. We'll have to wait for the autopsy and the lab results." He had another call, "I have to go Sir; we'll keep you posted."

"All right, just…be careful."

"Roger that." The new caller was the coroner's office reporting they had not found any smoking paraphernalia in the sailor's clothing. So he had either cadged a smoke from someone else – and had it lit – or the cigarette had not belonged to him. Tim's gut was telling him the smoke had not been his. From what he had seen of the sailor's body, he had the shape of a body builder and while not impossible, in Tim's experience that didn't really jive with cigarette smoking.

He found his way to the Agent Afloat's office to join his colleagues. Pete had already told them of the watcher, now Tim updated him with the news of the guards for the hatches and the call from the coroner's office. Matt nodded, "That guy looked like he was a body builder; I bet anything that wasn't his smoke."

"DNA will tell us."

Matt looked at Pete, Tim and Gordon-Parks. "Ok, so we wait for the guy to take the bait?"

He got three confirming nods and then Tim spoke, "The logs from the reception guests will be delivered to us within the hour. We'll go through those, make sure everyone who came aboard also left." He paused, "I wonder if there will be any indication of groups?"

Gordon-Parks nodded, "Yes, I saw the format; there was an indicator for groups and the number in them."

"That'll be helpful."

"Have a theory Tim?"

"Just my gut, Pete. It's too much of a coincidence to have had all those strangers aboard a few hours before a murder. But why stay aboard? This ship isn't due to sail until this Sunday, so it's not like…oh!"

Three voices replied, "What?"

"Why would you hide aboard a ship? Either to stowaway which doesn't seem likely considering the ship is here for the week – OR to hide from someone or something. But why this ship, there are cruise ships, Grecian Navy ships, why this one?"

"The reception?"

"Yes, whoever it is must have heard about the reception and had a way to be included. And it wasn't publicized, was it?"

Gordon-Parks shook her head. "No, Navy doesn't do that anymore, not since 9/11. Have to vet everyone coming aboard."

Pete exclaimed, "Except they didn't! They didn't vet my wife or kids – two of my kids couldn't make it, we could very well have invited two other people to join us. Eva and Kim's spouses were invited and they're not vetted by the Navy. By us, yes… and Matt that is classified, neither woman needs to know that."

Tim chuckled, "Who did it?"

"Carla. Evander when Kim started getting serious about him and Caleb along with Eva before she was hired. But my point is, we did that through our office and the Navy would not have known."

Gordon-Parks paled, "I hadn't realized that."

"Won't happen again I'll tell you that and that wasn't your job, the Captain's or Admiral's. That would fall to whomever in the Navy made the decisions about who to invite. Seems like they blew it."

Tim twisted his lips, "Maybe, we don't know yet."

"I'll warn the Captain and Admiral. They can point out the gap in security to SecNav or whoever; they don't need our guts to be right to start the ball rolling."

Tim nodded, "In the meantime, let's look at the groups that came aboard, that seems the likeliest gap and we'll need to interview the invitee of each of those groups; except for Pete's group - we're all accounted for. Along with the logs, we'll need the feed from the security cameras."

Gordon-Parks had a thoughtful look on her face, "Can we find out who might be on the loose, who might be hiding and who it is searching for them?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah. If you'll talk with the police, I'll check with some other local sources." Pete started laughing and Tim rolled his eyes at him. "Hey, not my fault I was exposed to the worst of them before I got here!"

Matt looked confused and then got it and grinned, "Jack and Ted?" Tim nodded as he pressed the contact info for Ted. Pete briefly explained to the Agent Afloat who nodded. She already liked working with this bunch, they were thorough and she really liked the way they communicated and included her. She wouldn't mind working with people like this when she'd finished her float. She thought about calling the local police departments and realized she would be at a disadvantage not knowing the language. Pete figured out her dilemma and offered his help which she gracefully accepted.

In the meantime, Tim was explaining the situation and his theory to Ted. When he finished there was silence, then "Damn!"

"Ted?"

"Ok, I have to talk to some people and then get approval to talk with you. You're aboard the Baton Rouge you said, so an Agent Afloat as well as your team?"

"Yeah. Her name is Carol Gordon-Parks."

"She's NCIS too so we shouldn't have a problem but let me do some work on this first."

"Ted, we're not sure yet; this is just a theory, just a small step from being a wild ass guess."

"Ok, but from what you've told me, it's credible enough and I trust your gut – and that's where this is coming from, isn't it?" Tim made a sound that might have been affirmative. "All right, I'll get started and if you find anything that negates your theory, let me know, ok?"

"Yeah, will do."

He disconnected and walked back into the main room of the cabin they were using, hearing Pete on the phone with someone. He heard a name and realized it was the Athenian Chief of Police. There was a knock on the door and Gordon-Parks answered it. She took the log book from the ensign and thanked him, shutting the door again. "I asked for the originals. Admiral Crane is a little old fashioned; he likes to have a paper trail as well as an electronic one. So this log has been scanned onto an electronic log which we have access to, but I wanted to see the original."

Tim looked at Matt, who was avidly listening. "Matt, why not just use the electronic log?"

"Because it isn't the original and could have been modified as it was input to the computer and there could be notes that didn't get input."

"Attaboy!" Tim turned to the other agent, "Good call!"

Gordon-Parks bit back a smile, she even liked the way the SFA was training the probationary while they were working the case. She wondered if he was single.

"We should also look at the crew log and see who left the ship, came back etc. beginning Sunday. I don't think we should have all our investigative eggs in the 'killer at the reception' basket."

"That's all electronic, here, I'll pull it up." Tim gave Matt a head tilt and he nodded, accepting the assignment.

Carol, they were on a first name basis for real now, made copies of the incoming guests from the log book and then she and Tim sat side by side at a small table to match the attendees. They decided to go through the groups first. Carol read each member of a group and Tim looked for the corresponding check mark as they left the ship. They moved smoothly through the groups, there weren't that many. The second to last one to arrive was a group headed by a Greek government official, the main invitee. Listed on the incoming log were his wife, son and daughter-in-law, a note that mentioned the husband of a granddaughter and his grandfather, but not the granddaughter herself. That seemed a little odd and they went back over the list again. The main invitee's name was Papas, a fairly common name in Greece. The grandson-in-law's name was Peter Arktos; his grandfather's name was Vasa Arktos. Tim thought about the word arktos, he thought it meant bear. Vasa was a common enough word and place name and Peter was a name used in several countries. Not only English speaking countries but Germany and Russia as well as Greece.

Carol's laptop chimed at her and she checked. "It's the feed from the security cameras. Pete, will you check these out? Here are the times from the log for the Papas/Arktos arrival. We don't have the rest of it yet, but I'm sure we will by the time you get through the arrivals; hopefully we'll have a decent shot of them." Pete nodded and slid into the chair facing the laptop.

Tim went back to the disembarking log. There was a check mark for Papas, husband and wife and the son and daughter-in-law, and the check mark on the disembarking log was for the same time. Those four had left together. He jotted the time down and continued.

Several minutes later there was one mark that just said Arktos. Next to it was a question mark that was partially erased. That was odd and needed investigation. One of the Arktos' had disembarked, but it looked like there had been a question about the second one. Tim again jotted the time down and then passed the paper with the times over to Pete.

Going back to the single mark, Tim looked at the officer's name on the log and showed it to Carol. She nodded and made a call; they would need to interview him as soon as possible. When the interview was confirmed, Carol and Tim took the logbook and joined the young ensign. His eyes wide, he listened as they explained the discrepancy. He looked at the listing and nodded. "Yes Ma'am, Sir, I remember the one that came through by himself. He said his grandfather was the other Arktos and that he'd gotten tired and left earlier with his in-laws, who had already been checked through. I remember because the guy said his grandfather had taken the car keys with him and he was going to have to take a taxi home to get the keys and a ride back. I felt kind of bad for him."

"Do you remember if he said what kind of car it was or where he lived?"

"No Sir, I don't think he did; there was a long line of people behind him waiting to leave and I didn't want to hold the line up any further. Is there a problem?"

"We're just covering all our bases, Ensign and saw your question mark."

"Oh, I was going to check with the officer who'd handled the earlier disembarkations but I never had time."

"Looked like you were starting to erase the question mark."

"I was, Sir, I was going to write something more specific to ask Lt. Fuentes but I got interrupted and I guess I never got back to it."

They thanked and dismissed him and returned to Carol's office. They found Pete sitting beside Matt, helping him with the crew log. Matt kept going while Pete looked up. "Nothing unusual so far. We have confirmed Sawyer checked in early Sunday night."

Pete tilted his head. "Tim, our friend called and said he's almost ready to meet with us if your wag is still relevant."

Carol blinked, "Wag?"

Tim shook his head, "I told this source that our theory was little more than a wild ass guess, known as a wag."

"Oh, I like that!"

Tim continued, "We have a discrepancy in the disembarking logs. We've interviewed one officer and our next step is to interview a Lt. Fuentes. So far, the wag is holding. Any movement in the hold?"

"Nothing so far. I'm thinking this guy will wait until late at night. If he's not familiar with navy or shipboard life, he might assume it will be safer later. Ok, I'm going to call Ted and tell him we're a go whenever he's ready."

"Pete, will you have him join us here?"

"Yeah, unless he has other friends with him, then there could be a problem. Otherwise his clearance will be good for the ship. I'll find out."

Tim nodded. He wished there was more he could do but unless the mystery watcher bolted, they had to wait for the autopsy, lab results for the cigarette butt and Ted's story. Then he realized two things: someone needed to interview Lt. Fuentes about the Papas group and he needed to start looking into Vasa Arktos. He grabbed his laptop and quickly logged on while Carol made the arrangements for the Fuentes interview.

It appeared the elder Arktos had lived and worked on the island of Corfu since the late 1940s. He'd had a variety of businesses - owned an auto repair shop and at one point a bed and breakfast. He'd married and had one child, a son, Alexander. The son had married on Corfu and raised his son, Peter there until the child was a teenager, then he and his family had moved to Patras, leaving his parents behind. The senior Arktos' wife had died 15 years ago. Although there had been many failed ventures, Vasa's last venture had been a moped rental service and that had done better, he'd sold it for a healthy profit 10 years ago. The man was now 84 years old. There was one photo online but it was too grainy to be of any use. Tim looked for his origins but could find nothing prior to his appearance on Corfu in 1948. That could be odd, or it could be that nobody had bothered putting that information on the internet. He did remember reading that there had been a lot of movement around Europe after the end of World War II, there had been a lot of displaced refugees who couldn't go home or they were fleeing the spread of Soviet Russia. Tim wondered about East Germany and looked it up, only vaguely remembering an airlift to help the residents of Berlin in the late 40's. He saw that the Soviet Union had administered part of Germany after the end of the war and formally split Berlin in 1949. A year after Arktos appeared on Corfu. Could be a coincidence, could very well be some other reason. He had nothing to link Arktos to Germany or the Soviet Union; it was the memory of the upheaval after the war that had caught his interest.

He then did the same searches for Peter Arktos. He verified he was married to a Papas granddaughter, Irina and they lived in Patras. There was quite a distance between Corfu and Patras and Tim wondered how the grandfather had come to find out about the reception or how all of that had come about. He looked up ferry schedules and found it was a 7 to 8 hour trip by boat from Corfu to Patras. Of course, he could have traveled by air.

Ted called from his car, he and a 'friend' were on their way but the friend would not be able to board ship as he worked for another government. Pete and Tim agreed to meet them at a nearby restaurant while Matt switched from working the crew log to reviewing the camera feeds. They'd found the Papas group arriving but there was no clear view of the senior Arktos. Carol remained aboard. She would interview Lt. Fuentes, monitor the mysterious occupant of the cargo hold and also contact the younger Arktos and arrange to interview him as well as his wife's grandfather. They had already asked Port Security to check their security cameras for any cars in the lot that had been there since Sunday.

They'd removed their coveralls once they'd left the cargo hold but now Tim and Pete also removed their jackets and caps with the agency acronym. They walked to the restaurant, not wanting to drive up in their clearly marked NCIS van, and went in. Pete spotted Ted and another man in a dark corner and the two headed back there. When they arrived at the table, Tim looked at the occupants and shook his head. "Well this has been a week of surprises."


	43. Chapter 43

**WARNING: Part of this chapter makes reference to some of the atrocities committed during the Second World War. Although it's just a paragraph and not detailed, please don't read it if you'll be uncomfortable with it. **

* * *

><p>Previously on Finding Home:<em> When they arrived at the table, Tim looked at the occupants and shook his head. "Well this has been a week of surprises."<em>

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Three

"McGee! I too am surprised. It is good to see you."

"And you, Ben-Gidon. So tell me, how is your mothership involved in our murder?"

Malachi laughed, "I had forgotten that little quip, although I believe it came from DiNozzo, yes?" He paused, "Tim, what are you doing here?"

"Funny, I was just going to ask you the same question."

"I think I am a little closer to home than you, old friend."

Tim huffed. "I suppose it seems that way, but this is my home now."

"You've left the almighty Gibbs?" Tim just smiled as he introduced Pete to Mossad Officer Malachi Ben-Gidon. Ted was still in shock, this was one of Mossad's top echelon operatives, highly secretive and rumored to be Kidon. For Tim to know him as well as he seemed to was… well, illuminating to say the least.

Ben-Gidon looked at Tim and the Team Leader. "Tell me what you know so far."

Tim sat in silence while he studied the man.

Ben-Gidon finally spoke again. "The atmosphere has changed in the new administration, my friend. I am not here to burn anyone or to apprehend the wrong man."

That gave Pete a big clue as to who this man was; he remembered Tim telling him about Eli David sending someone to burn his own daughter with NCIS only to have the tables turned on him. Ted didn't know any of this and was confused and on the verge of annoyance, although he had to admit he was also fascinated.

Tim turned to him, "I'm sorry Ted, Pete; we're being rude. Malachi and I obviously know each other; we have worked together. One of his teammates, Ziva David, was liaison between the two agencies."

"She was your teammate as well, Tim."

"So I thought, yes." Tim spoke quietly and Malachi looked closely at him, seeing a strength he'd never noticed before. Of course the over-the-top DiNozzo always made sure his younger colleague was kept in the shadows, out of the limelight. Now, along with the strength he saw something else new when Ziva's name was mentioned: anger. What had she done to him?

He turned to Pete, having recognized the surname. "Are you the Special Agent Russell that is the liaison between NCIS in Europe and my agency?"

"Yes, that's me."

Ted had been watching Tim and saw the decision was made and also saw the small movement that Pete made toward the younger man. He was dying to know the background of all this but that would have to wait as Tim began to talk.

"We have a dead sailor on the Baton Rouge, found in a cargo hold with a head wound and several stab wounds. We don't have the autopsy yet but the coroner believes the man bled out. We have a theory that someone came aboard for an invitation-only reception on the Baton Rouge on Sunday and never left. One of our sailors found his hiding place and was murdered for it. The sailor bled out slowly so there was very little decomposition when his body was discovered. He was found because he didn't report for duty and no one on the ground could find him. The man we've pinpointed from the guest logs is called Vasa Arktos. He's 84 years old, he's been staying in Patras with his grandson, he formerly lived on Corfu and I can't find any record of him prior to his arrival there in 1948."

Malachi nodded and began to tell what he knew, "After the end of World War II, many Nazis escaped to various points around the globe. Arktos as you call him was one of those. His birth name is Heinrich Behr which means the same thing – bear – in German. Imagine the conceit of the man thumbing his nose by using the same name. He enlisted in the German army at age 14 and no one stopped him, apparently due to the lack of manpower. He was posted to Dachau and worked…" Malachi paused and took a breath before he started again. "Worked in the ovens. He was noted as being especially cruel to the Jewish prisoners as they were being stripped in preparation for their deaths. We have known where he was since the 70s when two vacationing Israeli girls returned home and complained about an "old Nazi" running a bed and breakfast on Corfu. Any news about locating possible Nazis was welcomed and the agency investigated. We have watched him since then but have never had proof that he was in fact Heinrich Behr and evidence is very necessary with this. A half brother, born after Heinrich joined the army, recently moved back to Germany and we have finally been able to get DNA to match what we've obtained from your suspect over the years. I was sent to arrest him for his war crimes and bring him to Israel. He somehow got word, perhaps from the half brother, and fled the island. I tracked him to his grandson's house in Patras, but no one was there. I found a letter from him to his grandson, begging to be included in some group attending a reception on an American ship. That brought me to Athens and I contacted Agent Edwards and here we are."

He leaned in to Tim. "Do you know where your suspect is?"

"Yes, as I said we believe he is still aboard ship, hiding in the same cargo hold where he murdered our sailor. There are only two ways in and out and both are now heavily guarded. Pete and I felt him watching us earlier and threw him some bait so that he knows he must leave the ship. We believe he'll make a try later tonight. As far as I could find, he has no experience with large ships or the Navy; he must be tired by now."

"Possibly. Or he will stay as he'd rather face Americans for a murder charge than us for war crimes."

Tim shook his head, "Either way, he's going down for what he's done. Do you have a recent photo of him? That will help if we end up sweeping the cargo hold. Not that there are any other 84 years old fugitives aboard!"

Malachi gave him a grim smile. "You have changed much, my friend. Yes, I have a photo." He pulled a photo out of his jacket pocket and the other men took a good look.

"Malachi, may we keep this?" Ben-Gidon nodded.

Tim smiled at him. "I haven't really changed, I'm just not being held back in the shadows anymore." He paused, "Do you know if Behr has a gun, or had access to a gun?"

"Yes, the grandson owns a 22 caliber weapon. And before you ask, I did not find it in his home, it was missing."

Pete shook his head, "That changes the game. The knife is one thing and it didn't really look like the guy knew what he was doing. But a gun…"

Tim nodded, "Will the ship's security force be enough plus us five? How many SPs do they have aboard the Baton Rouge? I really wish we could conjure up a squad of Marines to go through that cargo hold with us."

Ted jumped in. "We can get Marines. The embassy has a squad and I've used them before."

"How many can we get?"

Pete shook his head, "We'll have to factor in the ship's security force first and then add in the Marines."

Tim had his phone out and nodded at Pete. "Calling Gordon-Parks." When their colleague answered, Tim told her they were working on manpower numbers for a sweep of the cargo hold and that they had a few questions. "How many square feet is that hold?" He wrote down the number. "Ok for the ship's security force, how many are usually on duty aboard ship while in port and how many do you think it would be safe to pare that down to and still avoid chaos….because the crew is supposed to be on liberty?" He wrote down a different number.

The Agent Afloat had a comment, "They know that Sawyer was murdered and that we're investigating. None of the crew is likely to cause any problems, more likely they'll want to help."

"Ok, that's good information, thanks. We haven't figured out the time or anything yet…do you have any ideas about that? Duty shift changes or anything that might make a difference?"

Gordon-Parks mentally went through the daily routine. "If the suspect isn't aware of the routines aboard ship, then I can't think of anything. Tim, no one answered the phone at the Arktos residence. I've contacted the Patras police; they are going to pick up Peter Arktos and hold him until we can interview him. "

"Good, that's really good Carol. All right, we'll be back in a few minutes, it's your case and we need to update you with the new information we've found."

"We'll be here."

Tim disconnected and updated the others with Carol's numbers and the news about the younger Arktos.  
>Ted looked at the others. "You want to bring Jack in? He can do that interview or accompany one of you."<p>

Pete shook his head, "Arktos can wait until we have the suspect out of the hold, thanks Ted. All right, so Mr. Math, with that square footage, how many do we need for the sweep?"

"To prevent him from escaping or moving around or behind us, I'd say we need at least 20."

"Ok, we have the 5 of us plus 8 armed SPs. If we had 7 Marines, that would do nicely. Vests and helmets for all of us, I want to look as scary as possible."

"What time do we want to do this?"

"We'll need to confirm this with our Agent Afloat, but I'd say if he hasn't ventured out by 2100, then we move in."

"All right, I'll call and put our Marines on alert."

Pete nodded, "We need to get back and get our agents updated with this information and put everything in motion."

Ben-Gidon sighed, "You are certain there's no way I can come aboard?"

Pete shook his head. Even if he had been so inclined, this man was from a foreign government, even though an allied one and from what he knew of Mossad, the officer might just see his mission as having a higher priority than their own. That was for their two governments to work out, not them. What the man had done to his own teammate was also forefront in his mind. He thought if the situation were a bit different, they might have a chat with the Admiral but Tim would be very unhappy, feeling that they were taking advantage of his family. No, caution would be the name of the game today.

"Sorry, no."

"Very well. I will wait."

Ted spoke up, "I've sent my partner a text, Malachi; he'll be here in a few minutes to take you back to our office. You might as well be comfortable while you wait."

Pete and Tim waited with Ted and Ben-Gidon. Malachi turned to Tim again. "You have not asked about Ziva."

"No, I haven't. She's a closed book to me, Malachi."

"I see. And what of your friends…what of DiNozzo and your friend Abby?"

"DiNozzo is working in an office outside Seattle."

"Ah, he has his own team?"

"No, he's their junior agent."

"Junio…he has been demoted?"

"Yes."

"And Abby?"

"Abby was fired from NCIS and moved back to New Orleans. I haven't heard anything about her since I left the States."

Ted scrunched his face, "Was she a forensic tech?"

"Yes."

"At this morning's briefing, we were told the FBI and DHS had arrested a former federally employed forensic tech in New Orleans for verbal and electronic threats against a federal agent and conspiring to have him attacked."

Tim paled and sat in shock. Malachi touched him on the shoulder and said something in Hebrew. Tim nodded and managed to whisper, "Toda."

Ted wanted to kick himself, what a thing to say on the verge of an operation or without knowing if it was the woman Tim knew. Pete took one look at Tim and thought he knew which federal agent the woman had been threatening and conspiring against. He just hoped he was wrong. He put his hand on Tim's shoulder and left it there and got a rather woebegone smile from his agent. Jack arrived and Malachi left with him.

Ted apologized and Tim shook his head, "I truly have no idea. I'm sure the news will catch up with me sooner or later but I have no clue right now and I'd rather focus on our case." He huffed, "Or almost anything else in the universe."

Pete nodded in agreement and patted his friend on the shoulder. He was eternally grateful he'd never have to deal with DiNozzo, Gibbs or this Abby person if she was indeed the one Ted had heard about, because he'd be tempted to do some real harm.

XXX

In DC, Leon Vance decided he'd better contact Tim today about the arrest of Abigail Sciuto. He'd been told last night that the FBI, despite their duty and promises, had dropped the ball and never notified the young man. They were still on the hook to tell him but Vance felt he should also be checking in with his agent. This would be a major shock for Tim; Leon suspected he had not seen or heard of the threats - with everything going on in the new SFA's life, the Director thought he probably wasn't spending much time on the social networks. The threats had been quickly removed from Twitter and Facebook but the Director had no idea how many people might have seen them. He called the Athens office only to be told by Kim that her agents had been called in to assist with a homicide on the Baton Rouge. Vance asked that Tim call him when he could break free and then hung up, thinking that with cyberspace as chatty as it was, Tim was likely to find out long before he had a chance to talk with him. He also realized that Tim was not the only one he should be concerned about. Gibbs, Mallard, Palmer and DiNozzo should also be told before the news broke. At least he had the advantage of a three hour time difference with DiNozzo.

XXX

Gibbs came into the office early on Wednesday and found a note on his desk to see Vance first thing. He remembered what Tim had told him this morning so he wasn't too concerned. He left a note for his new SFA, Maggie Barnes and walked upstairs. Ms. Cooke was there and gestured to him to go on in. He found Vance at the table, sorting through some papers. "Ahh Gibbs, I was hoping you'd be in early this morning. Feeling better today?"

Gibbs just nodded, having no idea what the man had been told.

"Afraid I have some news you're not going to like much. Abby Sciuto has been arrested by the FBI, she's in Federal lockup." Gibbs took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Without opening them, he asked, "I don't suppose it's some kind of colossal mix up?" He opened his eyes and squinted at his boss.

"I'm afraid not, Jethro. She had been making verbal threats against Agent McGee, then graduated to electronic threats on social media – Facebook and Twitter. She's also been accused of paying a former convict to track down and physically harm Tim." Gibbs sat down heavily on a chair at the table and now he had his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. He kept shaking his head. "Director, something must be wrong with her. Yeah, I know now that she was mean and petty but doing this, that's an extreme change in her behavior. Does Tim know?"

"Not from me and as far as I know Pete doesn't know."

"Does the media have it?"

"They've managed to keep a lid on it for a few days but I can't see that lasting. A former federal employee being arrested for these charges, that's going to be big news for a long time. And once the media figures out who she worked with…"

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, so no comments all the way around."

"Absolutely. " Vance paused, "Jethro, have you been in touch with her since she left DC?"

Gibbs shook his head, "I left her messages but I haven't heard from her since she was fired, Leon. She isn't speaking to Ducky either. Director, is she having a psychiatric evaluation?"

"I don't know and it's out of our hands, Jethro. I do have her brother's number if you want to speak with him."

"Luka or Kyle?"

"Luka."

"Yeah, I'll give him a call…Ducky and I should give him a call."

"Uh, I haven't yet told Drs. Mallard or Palmer, nor does DiNozzo know."

"Oh geez. Any chance you could call DiNozzo before 0630 his time? Probably be easier for him to hear this and absorb it before he gets into the office."

"Sure, I can do that." He paused. "One more thing. I'll announce this in the senior staff meeting but since it affects you now…you should know the agency has been allocated additional funds in the mid-year budget adjustments. I believe we can thank the cartel take-down, the ensuing publicity and most of all the loan of several CIA agents for that operation. We'll be bumping up staff in Europe now and if plans hold, will do so again in the next fiscal year. I also have the funds to bring your team up to four agents. I've added two more juniors to your pick list."

"Leaving Grady on?"

"No, she's been assigned elsewhere."

Gibbs nodded, "That's just as well, with the exception of Ned I'd like to stick with agents I don't have history with."

"That might be a problem then, as one of the picks has some history with you." Vance handed him a print out, Gibbs took it while he reached for his reading glasses. "I don't see…oh, Dwayne Wilson!" He huffed, "That was one week a few years ago. I don't think that will be a problem. But I thought he had a spot on Cassie Yates' team in South Florida?"

"He does but there's some illness in his wife's family who live up here somewhere so he's been putting feelers out to move back." Gibbs nodded. "He's a good man and I'm sure of Cassie's training." He looked at the other names on the list. "I suppose I'd better look at the others just to be fair."

Vance smiled, "That's good to hear." He paused and then decided to step into Gibbs' personal life as it also pertained to his professional life. "How did the session with you, Tim and the Doc go yesterday?"

Gibbs shook his head, "It was a tough day, Leon, I'll tell you that. Started out as a disaster but eventually things worked out. Thanks to Tim. And the fact that the Baton Rouge is still in port and his uncle was able to help him…help us, really. And Ducky swooped in and took care of me." He paused. "Dr. Cranston believes that the worst is over. Sure hope so."

Vance patted him on the back. "Then I'm glad it's out of the way. I haven't said this but I'm proud of you for taking all this on."

Gibbs started to glare and then gave it up. "Abby and Ziva have removed themselves from us, one way or another. I really did think we were family…delusional I guess …but I couldn't stand the thought of losing contact with Tim or Tony too. And I needed to fix things for myself. I don't want to repeat the same crap with a new team, but even if I'd decided to retire I needed to fix things for me. I have to live with this; I need to at least know that I've worked to change."

Vance nodded. "I know I haven't said much on the subject because well, frankly because I'm part of it too as were Shepard and Morrow. I let you down by not dealing with things along the way. I dealt with it by trying to help Tim but I should have been working with you."

Gibbs gave him a small sad smile, "And we'll pretend I would have listened?"

"Yeah, sure."

Gibbs tilted his head. "I was going to tell you at some point, but I'm making some changes to how we work. No more "Boss" and I'll make sure everyone gets called what they want to be called and I'm either Jethro or Gibbs. No more nicknames. I've been sort of keeping an eye on what Tim's team does, of course it's different but I can see some things I like. When we don't have an active case, I won't keep everyone as long as I used to and everyone will know how to do the searches and electronic wizardry that Tim used to do for us. Found out DiNozzo learned how to do a lot of that over the years but never said so because he didn't want to be benched like Tim. Not having that again. Maggie will know her responsibilities toward me and the team and the others will know too." He took a breath. "The advantage to this team is that they're already NCIS trained and proven."

"You know, I've never known, how did David get onto your team?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Happened right after Kate – Agent Caitlyn Todd – was murdered. Seems like it was the next day Morrow suddenly tells me he's moving up and out and by the way meet your new Director who just happens to be here in the room and surprise, it's my former partner. Next thing I know there's a Mossad operative in my bullpen and my new director says I should work with her. After Ari was dead, she left to escort his body back to Israel. Imagine my surprise when a few weeks later she shows up again in my bullpen. I go to see the Director and she informs me that it's true, that if we're fighting terrorists we need help and Ziva can help us and I'm responsible for training her. No choice in the matter, not until after Somalia."

"If she asked to come back to NCIS now, would you take her?"

"To the agency, not my call. To my team, no. She's been in and out a couple of times now, this isn't someplace to work or to hide while you figure out what you want to do with your life. By the way, that's pretty much why Director Shepard brought her here in the first place – Ziva needed to get away from Mossad for awhile."

"As it happens, she appears to be looking at a new path…the Diplomatic Corps."

Gibbs's eyebrows flew up. "For which country?"

"Israel, although she can never be an accredited diplomat with them, she's no longer a citizen and our government would never sanction it."

"That's…wow. She'll work behind the scenes then?"

"Apparently; I was asked for my opinion of her work ethic."

"Work ethic is fine but she never really lost her Mossad suspicion of everything and everybody."

"Yes, they'll figure that out, I'm sure."

Gibbs thought for a moment, "This is going to sound like the pot calling the kettle if you know that old saying, but she's not the best people person. She's impatient and isn't the warmest human being, except when she wants something and she is a game player. In that respect, she's more like her father than she'd be willing to admit. After putting his career and freedom on the line for her, Tim is still waiting to hear from her with some reason why she never bothered to say anything to him about leaving. Not even a simple goodbye. My thought is that she didn't need anything from him, so that was it. Tony was in her face so she had to deal with him although she left him hanging as she always has and I really think she only contacted me because Tony was right there and told her to." He paused, "So if she's some sort of special attaché or liaison she'll be fine, as long as no one expects anything in the least bit personal from her."

Vance nodded, "I agree with your assessment. All right, I'll fill out that paperwork and fax it back. One last thing - when are you planning to join the rotation?"

"Next week, Leon. We're all trained agents and yes we need a few days to gel but that's not really going to happen until we have a live case."

"That's fine, Gibbs. Let me know what you decide on your second junior and I'll get the transfer in motion. And yes, I'll call DiNozzo later, I'll have Pam remind me, and I'll speak with the doctors when they come in."

"I can do that if you'd like, Leon."

"All right, thanks. As a courtesy, the FBI has agreed to copy me on their report; we'll have more details when that comes in."

He nodded at Gibbs who turned and left the office. He ached for Tim finding out about this and Tony, both of them so far away. He walked downstairs and knew he needed some air to absorb the news. He had to believe something was physically or mentally wrong with his Abby. Even if she was a lot different to the others than she was with him, he could not reconcile the vindictive angry person who had done what she was accused of with any part of the woman he'd known and worked with for so many years. Then he remembered all the "innocent" suspects whose friends and families denied they could ever do whatever evil they had and sighed. They were all human and capable of just about any behavior one could imagine. He had misjudged Abby for years but he still hoped there was a medical reason for it. Something.

* * *

><p>Author's Triva Note: Did you know the Hebrew word Kidon means "bayonet" or "tip of the spear"? So in "Last Man Standing" when Eli David tells Director Vance that Ziva is the "tip of the spear", he's saying (among other things) that she is Kidon, which is the part of Mossad that takes out terrorists or anyone else that presents a threat to Israel and a very covert group. I hadn't caught on to Eli's double meaning before. Those NCIS show writers are so very clever!<p> 


	44. Chapter 44

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Four

Back aboard the Baton Rouge, the three agents joined Carol and Matt in her office. After introducing Ted, they briefed her with the information and the tentative plans and she agreed. Before she called the Captain, she updated them with the results of her interview with Lt. Fuentes. He reported that when the Papas family left, he'd looked at the arrival log and asked where the other two were and was assured they would follow soon, that they'd driven in separate cars. He remembered because he thought it was a funny response, he was a naval officer on a ship they'd been visiting, why would he care about them driving in separate vehicles? The agents agreed they should do some more digging into the whole Papas –Arktos connection, especially now that they knew who and what Arktos senior was hiding from. Carol called the Captain to update him on the plan, asking that the Shore Patrol be armed, protected with vests and helmets and be ready to move into the cargo hold at 2100 if there was no activity before then. Captain Hubbard agreed, fighting the urge to ask for Tim. He was a bit surprised that several Marines were coming aboard but understood when he thought about the size of the cargo hold.

XXX

Lina and Tim had had a call planned for late Wednesday afternoon when she got home from work. When she didn't hear, she got a little worried and called the office. The office manager told her they were on a case but that if they called in, she'd tell Tim that Lina had called. Lina sighed, she'd thought about this, knowing that in his work plans could very well be disrupted and his life be put on the line.

She found a blank canvas and decided to deal with her worry by painting. She'd probably never show it to anyone, but she could do something while she waited. She started with the colors of their relationship, colors that represented hot, sweet and fun to her, the colors of the roses he'd brought her, greens for the leaves that made up the bouquet and her dress, the warm brown of his leather jacket, white for his athletic socks he'd given her for her poor feet. She added generous amounts of blue for the connections the two of them had together. Once she had their new relationship captured on canvas, she would surround it with the colors and forms that demonstrated her worry about Tim.

XXX

When Matt's stomach growled, the others smiled but then Tim's stomach growled as well and they laughed out loud. They had more than two hours until 2100 and there was no reason for them to hole up in Carol's office, so they headed for the mess. They were intercepted by Lt. Hadley, the NCIS office group's 'tour guide' from Sunday. "Agent Gordon-Parks...everyone. I was just on my way to your office. The Admiral and Captain would like you all to join them in the Admiral's private dining room for a light meal."

That sounded good to them and they followed the Lieutenant. Tim quickly told Ted of his relationship to the Admiral and Captain and Ted just blinked at him. "Geez, I think you're a regular guy, then I show up with this mystery operative from Mossad who's rumored to be Kidon and I find you two are old friends. And now I find you're the godson and nephew of the Admiral and Captain of this ship. What else are you hiding?"

Pete and Matt started laughing so hard they all stopped and waited. Tim blushed, "Well, I met a wonderful woman last weekend and beat Pete's record." Gordon-Parks cursed to herself, why were all the good ones taken? It just wasn't fair.

Tim thought about calling Lina but knew he needed to maintain his focus. He texted her instead, letting her know he was on a case and please not to worry. He thought of adding that he loved her but they hadn't said it to each other yet and he was afraid that it would only worry her even more. Added to that was the fact that he just did not want the first time he told her he loved her to be in a text. So he finished his message to her with a row of smiley faces and flowers instead.

XXX

When Lina's phone buzzed with an incoming text she grabbed it disregarding her paint covered hands. While the message didn't do much to reassure her, other than to let her know he was thinking of her, she appreciated the smiles and flowers. He was the sweetest, best man she'd ever met and she knew she was falling in love with him.

XXX

Gibbs' gut was twinging a little bit but he thought that was his concern for Tim and Tony about Abby's arrest. He went to see Ducky and Jimmy and told them about the charges against Abby. Ducky had to sit for a few minutes; Jimmy made them tea and Jethro stayed to drink it with them and make sure the doctors were all right. Jimmy drank his tea and then, patting his mentor on his arm left them alone. Jethro reached out and pulled his old friend into a hug. "We'll get through this, Duck. Leon gave me Luka's number, we'll call him later, see what we can do, if anything."

Ducky pulled back, "Jethro, you mustn't automatically think she's innocent. Abby has become completely unhinged about Timothy."

"I know it's possible, Duck. But I want to make sure she's not ill, see if there's a medical reason for her behavior."

Ducky nodded, "Yes that is a good idea. I did speak with Luka a couple of weeks ago and he told me he'd tried to get her to a doctor but she wouldn't go."

"Hopefully she'll change her mind."

"Does Timothy know yet?"

"Vance said he hadn't told them and they're out on a case. I'm going to call and leave a message, just to let him know I called. Vance is going to call Tony in a while, catch him before he goes to work."

"Jethro, you need to speak with him as well."

"I thought I would wait until tonight."

Ducky shook his head, "No, please don't wait. He'll be devastated and afraid that you'll see him as somehow aligned with her. He'll need your reassurance, Jethro."

"All right, I'll ask Pamela to let me know when Vance has called him and then I'll call." Ducky patted his hand, "That's good, Jethro. And keep trying to reach Timothy as he'll need to speak with you too. Do you know where the case is? "

Gibbs shook his head.

"All right. We'd best get back to work."

Gibbs nodded and hugged his friend again before he walked out. Jimmy was just coming back in and Gibbs gave him an affectionate pat on the back as they walked by each other.

XXX

Admiral Crane was having a hard time not being Uncle Dave while his godson was aboard in his official NCIS Special Agent persona. At least Jim had spent some personal time with Timothy; he hoped he would still have a chance. He conversed with Tim's boss and the youngest agent, Matt and realized he really needed to talk with their own Agent Afloat, he shouldn't be playing favorites. He had been very surprised to find a CIA agent with his godson and the others but remembered Tim telling them Sunday about their lack of staff and using the CIA agents as backup.

He saw none of them were eating much and remembered that eating before a battle – or in this case an armed operation – was tricky. One needed fuel but shouldn't overeat. He chuckled to himself as he watched the young one, Matt, covertly watching his mentors to see how much they ate.

Tim was quietly watching his godfather watch the others and keeping an eye out on Matt to make sure he didn't overeat. He hoped there would be a peaceful ending to this case and that he could still have some time alone with his godfather tomorrow or Friday. He thought of all the wonderful things that had happened since he'd left DC and was thankful for them all. He thought about Christmas in a few weeks and how much fun it would be to have Sarah and Rob and maybe James with him, meeting Lina and taking in the sights. He turned his head to look at his uncle, saw he was looking at him and they smiled at each other. Uncle Jim's hand flexed and Tim chuckled to himself, quite sure the man was resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. He couldn't wait to meet the rest of the family. He wondered if they could come during the summer; that would be a lot of fun.

They relaxed in the Admiral's dining room for nearly an hour, chatting with the two officers and relaxing before their sweep of the cargo hold. The guards were updating Carol regularly so they knew there had been no movement. Pete caught Tim's eye and he nodded, he knew it was time to go, to get into their battle gear and prepare. The two of them stood and the others followed. The Admiral looked at Pete who nodded and reaching out to Tim, told him to catch up with them. As the others left, Tim felt strong arms around him and he relaxed into the affection he was being given. "It'll be ok, we're all trained and experienced, we'll have your SPs and the Marines, all against one old guy who must be pretty tired and frightened by now."

Uncle Dave spoke, "I know that son, but we just got you back, our miracle. We want to continue seeing you."

Tim smiled and then had an idea. "Uncle Dave, Uncle Jim, I love you both and I'll talk to you in a few minutes when this is over. I've just had an idea and I need to talk with Pete."

"Go then Timothy. Be safe!"

Tim shyly kissed them both on the cheek and then left the room, using his long legs to hurry back to the Agent Afloat's office. Once there he gestured to the others. "This guy is 84 years old, right? Who did he run to when he left Corfu? His grandson. That tells me the two are close. Carol, have we heard anything more about Peter Arktos?"

She shook her head. "At last report, the police hadn't found him."

"Ok, so we'll have to talk our way through this. Pete, I'm going to appeal to this guy's love for his grandson…does anyone know whether the grandson has any kids? I don't remember seeing any mention of any online."

Matt shook his head, "No kids, they've only been married a couple of years."

"Ok, we play on that then, his love for his grandson and the possibility of great grandkids. We don't say anything about the war crimes, just the murder. Maybe we say some nonsense about that – citing his age and being startled and scared, some bullshit like that. We need to give him a reason to surrender. Maybe he's uninformed enough to think he can get away with it or be able to disappear again."

Pete nodded. "Good ideas, Tim." Tim shook his head, "For all we know, Vasa and his son hate each other and the grandson was in on it and has left the country. We're flying by the seat of our pants here."

Carol nodded. "When I spoke with the Patras police about Peter Arktos, I asked them to speak with his neighbors, see what they had to say about the old man and his grandson. They reported the old man kept to himself and the younger man seemed very fond of him. They'd never suspected any trouble. None of them seemed to know anything about Peter's father, so we might want to keep him out of the conversation."

Pete looked at Tim. "That could mean the son knows his father's background and wants nothing to do with him, or just that the old man is cantankerous. And the grandson, did he lie about the old man leaving with the others or is that what Vasa told him? And if so, where is he now? You'll have to keep that part pretty vague, Tim, Carol."

While they were donning their protective gear, the coroner called to let them know that Sawyer had indeed died of exsanguination. The head wound had happened first, as they'd theorized and the coroner told them it had been serious enough that he doubted Sawyer had ever regained consciousness or that he ever would have awakened had he not bled out. The coroner pointed out that the killer had applied a decent amount of force in slamming whatever it was into Sawyer's head. Tim got his point, this man might be 84 years old but he still had a lot of strength, enough to wield a deadly weapon. The autopsy had not found any evidence that the young man had ever smoked although there was cigarette ash on his body. The coroner speculated that the killer had the lit cigarette in his hand as he bent over the sailor to stab him. Tim thanked him for the call and his findings. He then called Kim and found that the lab had called with the findings on the cigarette butt. The exact DNA was not in the system but there were close relatives. When Tim heard the names, Alexander Arktos and Peter Arktos, he nodded grimly. Vasa Arktos, birth name Heinrich Behr, was their killer.

After the Marines arrived, they gathered with the Security Force or SPs who would be participating and the NCIS agents briefed them on the operation. They had already been told they were assisting in capturing an armed suspect in a sailor's murder and would be sweeping a cargo hold. Carol explained the full gear was to really scare the man but that he had enough strength to crush the sailor's skull and they didn't want anyone to underestimate him because of his age. The new plan was for two agents – Carol and Tim – to enter the hold with several SPs and try to communicate with the suspect, play up the connection to his son and grandson, future great-grandchildren. The SPs who were going in were briefed that there could be nonsense spouted about Sawyer's death and that Tim would be speaking in Greek. They'd felt the SPs should know ahead of time so they would understand what was going on.

A little after 2100, the standing guard at the internal hatch stood aside to allow the two agents and their escort into the hold. A portable flood light was also brought in and set up to shine into the dark corners. Tim started off the communications, speaking in a loud but respectful voice and in Greek: "Mr. Arktos, we know you're in here and we know you killed the sailor, Albert Sawyer. There's no need to continue hiding, we already know everything we need to know to prove it, everything except why it happened. Did he do something to you; force you in here for some reason? Did he have some secret you stumbled upon? Really, you don't need to continue in this dark place, we just want to talk."

Tim stopped talking and let the silence sit for a few minutes. The agents and their escort stood motionless. When three minutes had gone by with no response, Tim tried again. "Vasa Arktos, you need to come out of hiding, now. Your grandson wants you to come out." He stopped speaking again and waited. He was just about to step back when a shot rang out and footsteps could be heard moving quickly in the hold.

The shot had been wild and hit a box. They already knew nothing explosive or toxic was stored in here so they paid no attention. Tim shook his head, they had their answer. The man would have to be confronted and arrested the hard way. He spoke into his collar mic and the rest of the agents, SPs and Marines moved in. Overhead lights, only used when loading or unloading the hold, flooded the entire large compartment with light and the organized search began.

It took a few minutes but soon enough, Arktos faced them. He snarled at them in Greek, "I will not be taken. That man had to die, he smelled my cigarette. This is his own fault." Over the hours, Carol had memorized the words Pete and Tim had taught her and now she spoke, "Vasa Arktos, you are under arrest for the murder of Albert Sawyer. Surrender your weapons." The man had his gun in his hand and turned it as if to hand it over but at the last minute turned it again to shoot, his finger on the trigger. He was dead before he could complete the motion and they watched as his body fell to the floor.

Pete shook his head, "That needed to be done decades ago. We've just saved the governments of the United States, the Greek Republic and Israel a lot of money and trouble, although I regret it cost the life of one of our sailors." The Marines and SPs looked at him quizzically. Tim huffed and clarified. "This guy was an alleged Nazi war criminal who has hidden in Greece for nearly 70 years. Once we had him in custody there was going to be a battle over which trial he'd have first, for killing Petty Officer Albert Sawyer or who knows how many victims of the Holocaust." He looked at the troops in front of him and saw shock and some satisfaction. Pete added, "There's less evil in the world tonight." There were murmurs all around at that and then Carol spoke, thanking them all for their good work that day, adding, "I'll be sure to let Petty Officer Sawyer's family know of your participation. That you stepped up to help bring his killer to justice." In near silence, the Marines drew up and saluted her and then left the hold and the ship. Some of the SPs stayed to secure the scene while the coroner was called out once again. As the five agents exited the cargo hold, none of them was surprised to find the Captain and Admiral just arriving, having stopped to thank the Marines. They were quick to congratulate Agent Gordon-Parks on her handling of the case, although of course the suspect's death was regrettable. Tim wondered cynically who would be mourning him. The ranking officers shook the hands of each of the SPs and agents, including Tim. If Uncle Dave or Uncle Jim were shocked at the sight of their godson and nephew in full battle gear, they kept it to themselves. Neither had had much previous experience with NCIS, other than what their various Agents Afloat handled by themselves, and they were impressed.

They convened in Carol's office one last time. Ted called his office and briefed Ben-Gidon. Tim hadn't been sure what his reaction would be, but the man seemed to take the news in his stride, saying he had expected the old man to go down fighting.

Although the murderer was dead, there was plenty of follow-up and clean up to do. That included the autopsy of Arktos, the whereabouts of Peter Arktos and his wife, the continuing investigation into the Arktos family and what they knew and that might at some point include the Papas family as well. Tim wondered whether Mossad would be involved with that. He also wondered – aloud- whether anyone else was involved. Once the ship sailed on Sunday, whatever Carol had not been able to complete would likely be transferred to their office. The paperwork for this would consume the rest of the week and likely a good part of the following week. Albert Sawyer's body would be flown out early Friday morning on a C-130 on its way home with other fallen military. There would be an honors service at the airfield that Pete said they could attend. Tim was glad they'd be able to say their own farewells to the man.

It was nearly midnight by the time they returned with the van to the office. Matt was asleep on his feet, so Pete helped Tim stash the kid in the VW. Tim then grabbed the younger man's car keys from his desk drawer and removed his go bag from his car. Once again he was thankful to Evander for finding him a fully furnished home so close to the office. He woke Matt up when they reached the house and helped him stagger into the downstairs bedroom, making sure his shoes were off before he went off to his own rest. He'd sent a quick text to Lina from the ship, letting her know it was over and he was fine and would soon be headed home, hoping they could talk or possibly see each other on Thursday. He'd also sent a quick text to Gibbs, letting him know they'd resolved a difficult case. He'd gotten an immediate response from Lina with smiles and hearts, saying she knew he must be exhausted and they could talk tomorrow and possibly have a late dinner. Now as he crawled into bed he thought of seeing her sparkling eyes and bright smile the next day and fell asleep dreaming of kissing her.

Tim had set his alarm for a little later Thursday morning as Pete told him not to come in any earlier than 0900. When he did wake up it was to the smell of breakfast cooking. At first he was alarmed, thinking there was a fire and then he remembered that Matt was downstairs. His first thought was his need for coffee and he headed to the kitchen. Matt was there, grinning at him. "Hey Matt, did you sleep ok?"

"Well yeah, until I woke up and had no idea where I was. Then I saw my go bag and figured I was either at your place or Pete's – and the bathroom is in the same place in either house so it didn't matter. I still wasn't sure until I came out to the kitchen and there was no kid's stuff around. "

Tim snorted, he hadn't even thought about Matt being confused.

"You were sacked out in the van so when we got to the office Pete helped me get you into my car. But you were awake when we came in the house."

"If you say so, I have no memory of that!"

"Well relax; we don't have to be in until 0900…we should go for a run."

"Oh yeah, good idea, then we can re-heat breakfast." The two set off for a run, wanting to clear the cobwebs from their brains. They were back in plenty of time to enjoy their re-heated breakfast and coffee, had showers and drove down the hill to the office. Tim decided to coast again, for fun, and see if Matt noticed. He did and laughed. "You're too much, man, that was fun! You should get a bike and ride it to work."

"Riding down would be fine; coming home would be a walk."

"Great workout though!"

"Yeah, it's only two miles. Just not sure I'd want to do it at midnight, like last night. I'll think about it."

"Or you could get a skateboard and still walk home."

They both laughed at that image…a federal agent riding his skateboard into work. They walked into the office still chuckling. Pete wasn't in yet but the women were and hard at work. The three of them had stopped by to see Carla and Norm last night after closing the office and filled their agents in on Carla and the babies. Kim pulled him aside and told him the Hofstadlers were worried about him after he'd canceled his visit the other night. Tim made a note to call them later as they were spending most of their days at the hospital with the babies. Today was Uncle Dave's day of liberty; he'd be in around 11 and they'd walk over to the deli for lunch. Tonight was class and then hopefully a late dinner with Lina. If they didn't have another case or he could pull away from the work associated with the Sawyer case a little early, Tim thought he could drop by to see his friends before class. Although at this moment the thought of adding something else to his busy schedule wasn't terribly appealing, maybe lunch tomorrow would be a better idea. He was still tired after yesterday's events and he knew there was still plenty of work ahead of them. He grabbed another cup of coffee and took a quick peek at the news from the US and immediately wished he hadn't. He took his coffee out to the garden for a few minutes to process what he'd seen, then came back in and got to work, resolutely focusing on his reports and not in the least wondering why he hadn't been notified by the FBI. He was just finishing the first of many report forms when he heard a familiar voice at the front desk. He went out to the foyer, "Hey Malachi, I wasn't sure I'd see you again this trip!"

The two shook hands and Tim introduced him to Tea as 'his friend Malachi'. He took him into the office to meet Kim and Eva, forgetting that Matt had not yet met him. Malachi stopped him, "I have not yet met everyone, Tim."

Tim blinked, "Oh sorry, guys! Matt, I forgot you were working the case with Carol while we were kibitzing with my friend here."

Matt knew this man was Mossad although Tim had not mentioned it today and he smiled, excited to meet him. Tim showed the Mossad officer the rest of the office and the garden and then they sat in the kitchen for a cup of tea.

When Pete came in, he joined them in the kitchen. Ben-Gidon had come with a question. He'd heard about the service on Friday and, assuming they'd be attending, asked if he could join them. He said that he felt badly for Sawyer's death, that he should have been able to capture Arktos before he'd gotten to the ship and wanted to pay his respects. Pete said he would make some calls and for Malachi to call him before 1700, he'd have an answer. He thanked them and left.

Pete rubbed his hands together, "Oooh boy, lots of paperwork to do!" He frowned as he looked through his phone messages. "This one is for you, Tim…from Vance."

Tim sighed, "Did you see the news from home this morning?"

"No."

"Ted was right; it was Abby Sciuto that was arrested in New Orleans. They didn't release her name to the media, but someone messed up taking her in and out of the federal building there, there was a flash of her on camera."

"Tim…"

"Yeah, it's probably me she was after." He huffed, "I've been so busy I haven't logged on to Twitter or Facebook in weeks, maybe since I got here. And I changed all my logins, passwords and e-mail addresses. Haven't done any online banking since I switched banks, so I hope I haven't been hacked." He paused. "I should check my accounts though. Oh shit!" Pete's eyes widened, he rarely heard Tim swear. "The kids and I have a joint account and I didn't change anything on that. Rob just used it to buy tickets for Christmas, he said there was plenty still in there so maybe that's ok." Tim relaxed and then tensed again, "The FBI has a duty to warn me, to let me know my accounts might have been compromised." Pete picked up another message. "Know this name?" Tim looked, "Yeah, Tobias Fornell, he's FBI, worked with him on the old team."

"Tea's note says he asked for you first."

"Well crap." He looked at his watch. "Could do without the 7 hour time difference today."

"Do you know if that's his office line or cell?"

"I'd think it would be his office line, calling overseas."

"So call and leave a message, let him know you're pissed you weren't notified."

Tim smiled. He didn't say so but he thought that whoever had messed up in the FBI was very probably not Tobias Fornell. "All right Pete! Yeah, I think I'll go do that now." He went back to his desk and punched in the number on his desk phone, remembering to use the country code. The phone rang a few times and then a very sleepy voice answered, "Yeah, Fornell."


	45. Chapter 45

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Five

_Previously on Finding Home: …a very sleepy voice answered, "Yeah, Fornell."_

"Whoops, sorry Agent Fornell, I figured this number was your office line."

"McGee?"

"Yep."

"Left my cell number on purpose; wanted you to call me. You at work?"

"Yes and I saw the news online this morning."

"Damn! I'm sorry, Tim, someone should have called you when it happened."

"So it was me."

"Yeah."

"What's the damage?"

"Our Cybercrime guys said she didn't break through all your encryptions. They're putting together a report for you, Buzz…you remember Buzz? He said you'd need to redo a good number of them but she did not get all the way through. Your financials are fine, including your joint account; she didn't get far enough to cause any damage but Buzz said you should change that up too. But son this is the tough part, she hired a goon to find and attack you."

Tim reacted, "She **_what?_**"

"Yeah, sorry kiddo, she hired an ex-con, paid him."

"Tobias, that…that's not right."

"Well yeah Tim."

"No, I mean, that's not how Abby would respond to something, ever. The electronic stuff, yes, but she'd never hire anyone to do that. She might do it herself, but she'd never deal with an ex-con. There's got to be something wrong with her."

"That's up to her attorney and the courts to decide, Tim."

"Does Ducky know that – and Gibbs?"

"I would assume Vance has told them, I haven't seen either one of them since this happened."

Tim muttered something under his breath and Tobias chose to ignore it; the young man had every reason to be upset.

"Tobias, do you know when Vance was told?"

"Yeah Tim, he was told Saturday at some point, probably late in the day. My director called him and then when I was brought in yesterday, I met him at the office and went over the particulars with him."

"Wonder why he didn't call before? And Tobias, why didn't the FBI contact me? Don't they have a duty to inform?"

"Yes Tim we do and I don't know yet what happened, who dropped the ball and why, but I've opened an inquiry which has to be answered. As for Vance, I don't know."

"He did call yesterday but we were on a case and he didn't call our cells, guess he didn't want to distract me. Was the arrest over the weekend?"

"Yes, Saturday morning."

"So nothing really happened until Monday."

"Right. But you should have been contacted on Saturday, Tim. There's no excuse, this is the 21st century; they should have contacted you. I can't believe you had to see it on the news."

"Actually I heard about it yesterday from a CIA agent we work with. Someone was asking about the old team and mentioned Abby's name…" Tim went on to relay Ted's comments and Tobias shook his head. "I hope you were done with your case."

"No, as a matter of fact it was a few hours before we stormed the guy's hiding place with Marines and the ship's security force."

"And you had to bury that somewhere in the back of your mind."

"Yeah but I didn't mind burying it, wish it could have stayed buried." He paused, "I saw Vance on Saturday; he was at one of my birthday parties. If he'd known, he could have told me then." Tim huffed, "As it was there was other personal information he'd forgotten to tell me, he ended up having Pete, that's my Team Lead, tell me."

"Geez! Yeah, Ducky told me about the parties." He paused. "I'm sorry as hell this has happened to you Tim. Jethro's been keeping me up to date on your new life over there and working things out with him; I know with everything going on, you don't need this crap – not that you'd ever need this."

"Sure seems like the universe is having its way with me. Most of it's good stuff but it's still coming at me all at once. And now this…wow. I'm not going to have to testify, am I? "

"I wouldn't think so since the Bureau and DHS handled the investigation and had a lock on your accounts to protect them."

"Has Buzz looked to see whether she did anything else with my name?"

"He's been doing searches on all social media sites and hasn't found anything else. Oh, there was one thing. Apparently she found a fan fiction site, whatever that is, and wrote some atrocious crap about Thom E Gemcity. Buzz contacted the administrators and when they heard that she was allegedly using electronic media to stalk and harm someone, they took the story down and banned her from the site. He's been searching other sites but hasn't found anything else."

"Huh, now that's petty and mean, that's something I could see Abby doing. Just not the goon. All right, I need to work and I'm sure you'd like to go back to sleep. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Don't think so, you'll be getting a packet of information from us with the reports."

"Thank Buzz for me, would you? And the rest of your Cybercrimes guys? And Tobias, thank you too. I'm glad you're on this, helps to deal with someone I know and trust."

"You're welcome, Tim, glad I could do something. I miss you around here and I know Emily would want me to say hello."

"Hello to her too and thanks for the birthday card!" Tobias shook his head, trust this kid to think of that in the middle of this mess.

"You're welcome. Have a good rest of your day; try not to think about this, we'll do our best to keep your name out of it."

"Good, that would be really good." As he disconnected, Tim felt a hand on his shoulder and he leaned into it for a moment as his shoulder was squeezed. He looked up at Pete. "Come on into my office; let's talk for a few minutes." Tim nodded. He told Pete what he'd learned and then sat back, trying to relax and not think about it. He knew he was upset on some level, but it just didn't seem real and that was fine with him.

Pete, however, thought otherwise. He was worried about Tim getting called in to testify – a smart defense attorney could subpoena him to testify that he had not actually suffered any harm and could force him to admit he was not aware of what she was up to. He was even more worried that Tim's name would slip out, not sure how that could be kept quiet. He saw that Tim was really not taking it in and decided to just let it slide for now. He'd keep an eye out on his friend and on the news and deal with things as they happened. He would ask Ted – and Jack – not to raise the subject again. After they talked for several minutes, Tim went back to his desk and both men returned to work.

XXX

Uncle Dave arrived at 1100, bringing freshly baked treats for the office and a certificate of thanks signed by as many of the sailors as could squeeze their signatures on to the paper. The certificate itself had a graphic of a palm tree up one side and Tim looked at it, wondering why.

Pete grinned, "Mr. Roberts, right?" The Admiral smiled back at him and nodded. Tim and the others looked at the two of them.

Pete laughed at them, "One of the best movies made from a stage play, starred Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Jimmy Cagney and William Powell. Takes place in WWII. The jerk of a Captain has a miserable palm tree in a pot that he forces Mr. Roberts, his XO, to water. I won't give the story away but eventually the crew gives him a crudely made metal Palm Tree 'ribbon'."

Admiral Crane chimed in, "The palm tree is still used when a ship's crew want to express gratitude and/or admiration."

Tim and Matt nodded at each other, now understanding the gesture. "What about Gordon-Parks, it was her case!" The Admiral smiled, "Agent Gordon-Parks received her own commendation." His eyes twinkled, "We faxed these to Director Vance, thought he'd get a kick out of them."

Tim momentarily had a flash of one of the inner hallways at NCIS HQ, lined with photos, letters of gratitude and commendations. He'd made it a point to look at them every so often and there were a few entries for Gibbs' team. He'd even spotted Gibbs looking at them once. He grinned at the idea of this one appearing on the wall.

Pete chuckled, seemingly reading his thoughts. "There's a hallway at NCIS HQ where things like this are displayed." He turned to Tim, "I've seen your name up there and your old team." Tim nodded, smiling at his godfather and Pete. "Yeah. It always feels so good to get something like this, to know that people recognize they've been helped."

That got a bite of laughter out of the Admiral. "You're saying they don't always?"

Now it was Pete and Tim's turn to chuckle. "Oh yeah. A lot of times during an investigation other things get dug up or turned up and people aren't real thrilled about that. This case is a good example with the Nazi war criminal father and grandfather; I'm sure the daughter-in-law, granddaughter-in-law and the Papas family are not thrilled with their Arktos connection right about now."

The others nodded, trying to imagine their own families being dragged into the public eye for an unfortunate connection.

While Tea called in the staff lunch order, Tim and the Admiral left the office for their short stroll to the deli. When they walked by the tailor's, Tim stopped his godfather, "Hang on for a sec, Uncle Dave."

He was reaching for the door when Archimedes popped out. "It's not quite ready yet, Timothy. Stop by after your work tonight, please?"

Chuckling, Tim nodded and then revised that, "It'll have to be tomorrow at lunch, Archimedes."

"That's fine, my friend."

As they continued their walk, Tim explained the brief conversation. As Uncle Jim had before him, Uncle Dave chuckled and gave his godson an affectionate shoulder squeeze. "So glad you found us, Timmy!" Tim added that to the list of wonderful things that had happened to him - the affection of his godfather and uncle.

Tim asked his godfather to tell him more about his mother, the Admiral's friendship with his father and the Crane family and those were the main topic, although the case, Tim's work and naturally Lina popped into the conversation. Tim showed him what photos he had of her, including one their server had taken the previous Saturday on their dinner date. At his godfather's request, he sent that one to him and Uncle Jim. Uncle Dave had photos his wife had e-mailed to him since Sunday and he brought them out now, surprising Tim with a copy of a photo of him as a happy smiling baby with both parents. He'd only seen – or remembered seeing - the one photo of his mother, with her head wrapped in a scarf turban style and so had never seen her hair. He smiled as he touched his own head, knowing his coloring and features were so similar to hers. He was a Hubbard in looks, a McGee in height.

There was another photo of the joint family at Tim's baptism, with his grandmothers, two older men that Uncle Dave said were his grandfathers, his parents, a younger Uncle Jim and his smiling godparents holding him. There were some older children in the shot, almost teenagers, those were the Crane children. Uncle Dave said that at four months, Tim had been a little squirmy but hadn't cried. He also told him there was an uncle missing from the photo, his father's older brother Mark, also in the Navy. Dave smiled as he told Tim how long it had taken to get all the Navy personnel in one place and that Mark had been the only one who hadn't been able to attend.

Tim hadn't heard of this uncle before and Dave told him sadly he'd been lost in a shipboard accident in the late 90's. Tim looked at his godfather and said what he was thinking, "How has my grandmother - Penny - gone on?"

"When Dan and…well when we thought we lost all of you, Mark was there and the Hubbards and us. We've been a circle of family, really, since Lily was first diagnosed. Penny was strong for the Hubbards, Dan and you kids then. She's remained very close to the Hubbards and to us; my parents were gone by the time my children were teenagers so she's been a substitute grandmother to them and the Hubbard kids regard her as an extra grandmother. She travels a great deal and always brings Callum and Ainsley gifts and teaches them about the cultures she's visited – sort of a modern-day Auntie Mame, although I'm not sure Penny would like that analogy!"

Tim nodded, "I can't wait to meet them all, at least to talk with them!"

Uncle Dave nodded, "The wonders of technology, thank heaven for the internet."

Tim grimaced at that and then told his godfather about Abby's attacks and her arrest. The deli wasn't crowded and they were sitting at a table in the back, talking quietly. Uncle Dave moved to a chair next to Tim and wrapped him in his arms. Tim finally felt the bite of the news and relaxed into his godfather's embrace, knowing this is what he'd needed. Eventually he was able to speak again and his godfather asked him to spend the evening with his uncle and him. Their XO could handle the ship for a few hours; the Admiral wanted the three of them to spend some more time together, just them. Tim thought that he now had almost an embarrassment of riches; he'd gone from no father to three of them, four counting Ducky. He knew he needed time and help to process what had happened with Abby and although he thought he was being selfish, he wanted their support. It would mean missing his martial arts class – again – but Tim felt he needed to get his head straight with this and that was just as important now. The two men walked back to the office and as Tim walked in the door, the Admiral turned to leave, only to hear Tea ask him to come in. She explained that the Director had called and wanted to speak with him, Pete and Tim.

The two men joined Pete in his office and he pinged Vance's private Skype account. Vance answered the ping and thanked them for returning the call.

"Admiral, I'm glad to meet you, wish it were under different circumstances." "As do I, Director."

Vance looked at Tim, "Agent McGee – Tim – I apologize for my delay in contacting you and I would like to speak with you privately in a few minutes. When I called and heard your godfather was there I decided to take advantage of his presence. Gentlemen, this is about the service for Petty Officer Sawyer tomorrow before his casket is loaded on to the C-130 for his last ride home. I know your staff will all want to go and that's fine, I know you'll forward your calls to one of the other offices. Here's the thing: Secretary Porter wants to be there as well. I'm also hearing the Israeli Ambassador wants to attend which means our Ambassador will as well and that also means the Greek government will need to send someone other than the mayor of Piraeus."

The Admiral shook his head. "I appreciate the Secretary's wish to be here, Director, as well as the Ambassadors but that means additional security and even worse, the media. My crew is hurting and we would like this to be as low-key as possible – the crew, our NCIS friends and their loved ones if they'd like, the Marines who helped the other day and I understand a couple of other people. And isn't one of those an Israeli agent?"

Pete nodded and said to Vance, "Officer Ben-Gidon asked permission to attend. Director, you know with him present the Israeli government is already represented. And we represent the US."

The Admiral added, "And the mayor will be there."

Vance thought for a moment, "All right, I'll explain the situation to her and let her deal with the diplomats. I'm sure she'll agree as she's not entirely comfortable with the media circus."

The Admiral smiled, "Thank you for understanding, Director Vance."

"You're welcome, Admiral. We went through somewhat the same situation last year after the bombing here…just be glad there are 5000 miles between you and DC." He paused. "Pete, may I impose on you for a few more minutes? I'd like to speak with Tim about something in private."

Pete looked at Tim who nodded. "It's all right Sir, they both know about it. I spoke with Fornell this morning, saw it on the online news feeds and well, one of our friends heard it in a briefing yesterday and let it slip." While he was speaking, the Admiral and Pete quietly left the office, closing the door behind them.

"Timothy, I am so sorry. I waited to see what the damages were before I contacted you, but I knew I was walking a fine line."

Remembering all the good things the man had done for him and in his presently still fairly numb state, Tim found it easy to forgive him and nodded, "Sir, you've been a big source of support for me over the years and really pulled the rabbit out of the hat when I asked for reassignment. This whole thing with Abby's arrest has been strange from the start. Of course I accept your apology!"

Pete and the Admiral walked out into the garden for a few minutes. Uncle Dave told his godson's friend that he and Tim's uncle would be spending the evening with him and Pete nodded. "That's good, I'm glad, Admiral. I was planning on persuading him to come home with me to my family tonight. I'm happy he'll be with his family."

"I'm just glad we've been here this week, Pete, to help him with this and the thing with Gibbs the other night."

"Ah, I know something happened but he hasn't filled me in on that yet."

"Oops, ok, lips are sealed." The two men smiled at each other and then at Tim as he poked his head out the door. "Thanks you two."

"Did you forgive him son?"

"Yes sir, the last few years he's been a lot of support for me, I can certainly forgive him this – and he did try to call me yesterday, not his fault we were on a case. I'm more upset with the FBI who had a duty to tell me over the weekend. If it hadn't been for Tobias, I'm not sure I would have heard from the agency at all."

They talked for a few more minutes and then the Admiral went on his way, promising to check with Tim later in the afternoon. Tim worried about Lina, not sure what to do as they'd planned to have a late dinner together. As he pulled his phone out to call her, his phone lit up with a call from her.

"Tim, we have a problem at the museum and I'm going to have to work late tonight. I'm so sorry."

"That's all right, sweetie, I understand. To tell you the truth I was trying to figure out what to do, my godfather and uncle want to see me tonight."

"Tim, is everything all right? You sound a little off." Tim told her about Abby; Lina hadn't seen the international news reports and was horrified to hear that he'd been the target of someone so vindictive. They talked about it for a while, finally realizing nothing would be settled anytime soon. Lina remembered her other reason for calling, "I also wanted to ask if it is possible for me to attend the service for your poor sailor tomorrow. Would that be permissible?"

"Yes, it would be and I apologize, I meant to call you earlier and ask you, I know you're not working tomorrow but didn't know if you had plans."

"Nothing more important than that." As he would return to the office after the service, they agreed to meet outside the gates of the airbase. Tim hung up feeling considerably better and he texted his godfather that tonight would be fine, as long as he was available for his Skype call with Sarah and Rob late in the evening.

He walked into Pete's office. His boss looked up, "You ok?"

"Kind of hit me when I told my godfather at lunch. "

"I'm glad they're here for you Tim and I'm really glad you're dealing with this. As far as missing class, your godfather and uncle will only be here for a few more days, I'm glad you're not passing up the chance to spend more time with them."

Pete walked into the main office with Tim and called for everyone to join them at the big table. He explained about the service and that they were all invited, including their spouses and significant others and that their calls would be forwarded to Rota. There was some discussion about that. Tim noticed the others were giving him cautious glances. He shook his head, "I'm ok guys, just some weirdness from my old team, nothing to worry about now though." They nodded and went back to work. Tim returned to his reports and started the next batch, for once glad he had a lot to do, to focus on.

XXX

Nearly 8000 miles and several time zones away, Tony DiNozzo shot up out of a deep sleep when his cell phone rang. He fumbled for it, looking at the clock it was just 0600; he had another 30 minutes before the alarm went off. He answered without looking at the caller id, "We got a case?"

"No DiNozzo, it's Leon Vance and I am sorry to wake you. I have news I need to tell you but first let me say no one has died or been injured."

Tony let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Ok sir, thanks for that."

"It concerns Abby. The FBI and DHS arrested her on Saturday, Tony, for conspiracy to harm a federal agent along with verbal and electronic threats against the same agent."

"Oh God…Abby…conspiracy…who… and that's just nuts sir!"

"I agree it doesn't seem rational and her victim was Tim McGee. She hired someone DiNozzo; she paid an ex-con to find him and "pay him back"."

"Unbelievable sir! Is Tim all right? God, this is really going to mess him up."

Vance noticed that DiNozzo's concern was for Tim. In his mind, that was progress. "I spoke with him earlier. He'd already spoken with Fornell, heard about it from their CIA friend yesterday and saw it on the news feeds this morning. The arrest took place Saturday, so as you well know things didn't really start rolling until Monday. Fornell was brought into it on Monday night or Tuesday. When I called the Athens' office I was told the team was out on a case on a ship and their office manager didn't expect them back until today. It sounded pretty nasty, they were bringing in Marines as well as the Navy's Shore Patrol, so a lot of fire power."

"So Tim was on this case and didn't know Abby had been arrested? He didn't know what she'd done?"

"Not from me, not until today and from what I understand, he hasn't been on any of the social media sites for several weeks, so was unaware of her threats and actions." Vance sighed.

"You said he saw it on the news feeds, it's out then?"

"Started to break this morning, Abby's name isn't known yet and they don't have Tim's name. We're working to keep that quiet for as long as possible."

"Good, I can help with that, oh that's why you called me before work."

"Have to admit I hadn't really thought of that DiNozzo; Gibbs was worried that you'd need some time to absorb the news, didn't want you to hear it at work. I know he's planning on calling you."

"He should be calling Tim!"

"Anthony, a parent can be there for all his kids."

Tony had to swallow past the big lump in his throat. "I...uh… yes sir."

"If you need to take some time to yourself, I can clear it with Cazal."

"No, thanks anyway, Director, I'll be all right. We're already down an agent. I just…I'm really glad you called me before work."

"All right." Vance paused. "DiNozzo, I'm hearing good things about you from Adam. With Ken out on medical leave, you'll be stepping into your old role. You ok with that?"

"Yes Director, I'll be fine with the work and I've learned some…different and more positive behaviors from Ken that I'll be following."

"Good man! All right, now I've got to go – have to talk the Secretary of the Navy out of an impromptu overseas trip."

"Sir?"

"There's a service in Athens tomorrow for the sailor that was murdered aboard the Baton Rouge, she wanted to attend."

"Sir, if you speak with Tim again and if…if it's appropriate, will you tell him hello for me, tell him I'm thinking of him?"

"Can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do. Why don't you write him a note and Dr. Mallard can forward it?"

"Yeah, I've done that before. I just…wanted it to be more immediate but if it's not…never mind sir, I understand."

Vance shook his head; he couldn't believe he was feeling sympathetic toward Tim's bully. "You keep working on things, DiNozzo, it'll get better."

After the call, Tony sat on the edge of his bed thinking about everything. He worried about Tim but knew there was nothing he could do there but keep going to his counseling sessions and hope his former co-worker would be ready to talk with him at some point. His next concern was for Gibbs, this had to have hit him hard. He decided to step out of his usual pattern and picked up the phone to call his former boss and surrogate father. He'd be at work but he hoped he could take a few minutes to talk, he didn't think his new team was on rotation yet.

XXX

Gibbs was able to smile when he saw the name on his phone as it rang. He'd been debating whether to call Tim or wait until he knew he would be done with work. He rose from his desk as he answered it. "Tony, you all right son? Did Vance call you?"

"Yes and yes, Boss. I just wanted to make sure you and Ducky and Jimmy are ok. I can't reach out to Tim but I can to you."

"Thanks Anthony; I'll ask Ducky to get word to Tim from you. I'm…well I'd be lying if I said I was ok. It's a horrible shock, I can't believe she's that far removed from the Abby I thought I knew."

"I agree Boss and I know the mean and petty side of the woman, I mean more than you do. I wonder if something is wrong with her; when Vance told me she'd hired someone to hurt Tim…that just…I can't believe that even an angry and bitter Abby would do that. The electronic and verbal threats, yeah, that's Abby, but a hit man? Wow!"

"Yeah I know. Ducky and I are going to call her brother tonight and see what's really going on."

"Should you do that, Boss?"

Gibbs sighed. "Probably not, you're right, but Ducky can and I can at least listen in."

Across the country, Tony nodded. "That's a good idea. You talked to Tim yet?"

"No, Vance said they had a big case yesterday, not sure they're back yet; don't know where it was, other than a ship."

"Vance said there's a service tomorrow for the sailor who was murdered on the Baton Rouge."

"Geez, I hope his uncle and godfather are ok."

"Huh?"

"That's the ship they're stationed on and they're in Greece this week, Tim's finally had a chance to meet them, spend a little time with them. "

"Um Boss, I think I'm missing some information here."

"Huh. You know what, DiNozzo? You're right!" Gibbs explained about Tim's questioning his father's arrangements for a guardian for his children and what Gibbs had found.

"Wow!"

"Yeah, I had a chance to meet them on Skype the other night and Captain Hubbard – Tim's uncle – looks a lot like him. Or Tim looks like him."

"That's great he's met them and now I see why you're concerned. But you'd think if two high-ranking officers were involved in a case, Vance would know. Although maybe that's why SecNav wanted to go over."

"I guess we'll find out at some point. So you got a couple more minutes? Tell me how things are, son."

Tony quickly updated him about Ken's injury and his having to step into the SFA role while he was out on medical leave. "You're a three-man team though, Tony, doesn't that leave just you and Cazal?"

"No. Seattle has two Juniors and a 10 month probie, so they're loaning us a JA for the duration."

"Good. You ok with that?"

"Yeah, I'll be ok. Boss, I thought about what you said and you're right, I do need to be myself, my real self. I'm working on it, I promise."

"Ah Tony, that's all anyone can ask and I'm proud of you son!"

Tony smiled, that was good to hear. In the 'old days' praise was rare. He looked at his watch, "Boss I gotta go. I…you know I care about you and Ducky and Jimmy – and Tim, hope to tell him myself someday."

"I care about you too, son. And I hope that day will come too, Tony, just keep up the good work."

Tony had to hurry once they disconnected; he hopped in the shower and afterward threw his clothes on, for once glad he had the buzz cut; today it saved him time. He made it to work with minutes to spare and remembering the SFA duties in this office had more to them than in DC, he checked the overnight logs for any new cases or updates. He pulled out the ones that might involve his team, put them together and printed that out, then went online looking for more information. By the time Cazal came in, Tony had a list ready for him and was working with their temporary junior, updating her on a recent cold case that had just gotten hot again. Cazal had heard about Abby's arrest from Vance and the news. He watched DiNozzo carefully and then gestured for the man to join him in his office. "Tough news this morning, DiNozzo; I had a text from Vance and saw the news."

"Yes sir, I spoke with him and Gibbs this morning."

"You ok? Big shock."

"Yeah it was. I'm just grateful the FBI and DHS got to her before anything worse happened." He took a deep breath. "I'm ok. It's bad but it could have been far worse and I'm going with that for now. We've got enough going on with Ken out and a loaner agent; I need to focus on our team."

"You need time, DiNozzo let me know. Nothing wrong with taking some time to absorb it."

"Thanks, but I'm thinking once the trial starts I might need time to disappear…when it breaks wide open. I'll save days but until then and for now, I just want to do my job or rather Ken's job while he's out." He looked at his boss. "That's more important now."

Cazal nodded, "Got it. If you change your mind, if it gets too much, you let me know. I understand this woman was family."

Tony nodded. "Like a sister."

"Ouch." He paused again, "All right, we'll do business as usual then, well almost as usual, huh? What do we have for this morning?"

Tony handed him a copy of the list and they went over it. Cazal was impressed with the depth of information on each item. "That's a good job DiNozzo. What's uh…what's her name again?"

"Joanie Robb."

"Robb…what's she doing?"

"Working on this item, Bo…sir. The cold case with new information."

"I know you're comfortable with 'sir', but feel free to call me Cazal."

Tony just nodded. For some reason that made him incredibly homesick and he forced himself to focus on their work.


	46. Chapter 46

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Six

Once Abby agreed to the psychiatric evaluation, things started to happen quickly. Luca called his own physician and got a referral. He contacted the Public Defender that had Abby's case and gave her the contact information. The young woman was happy to hear that her client had changed her mind and to get the referral. The next step would be to contact the prosecuting team and get this rolling. She knew they wouldn't be happy but this was something everyone she'd talked to about her client had insisted needed to happen. The first thing she discovered is that her client would first have to have a physical examination before she would be allowed a psych evaluation.

XXX

Ziva gathered all the paperwork and carefully put it in a large manila envelope. She had another meeting with the Diplomatic Corps today; she would hand over her paperwork while she was there. She thought they had probably started their 'vetting' of her, perhaps contacting Gibbs or Vance. She stood still, trying to decide how she felt about that. Nothing, she felt nothing about it, or perhaps numb was a better term. It was still far too early to leave for her appointment so she decided to catch up on the news in the US; it was entirely possible she'd be sent there during her training and she hadn't paid much attention to her adopted country since she'd left. When she heard the story of the former forensic tech arrested in New Orleans, she had a very bad feeling, which she immediately dismissed. The crimes they'd described could not possibly have been committed by Abby; that was coincidence. Despite Gibbs, she believed in coincidences.

XXX

After his chat with Tony, Gibbs finally received a text from Vance saying he'd spoken with Tim and Pete and that they were back in the office. Announcing he was going for coffee and taking orders for his team, he called Tim's office phone as soon as he was outside. "Agent McGee."

"Tim, it's Gibbs, I'm glad you're in the office, your case get cleared up then?"

"Yeah Boss, it was a weird case and we had to pull in a lot of backup, ended up killing the guy. Suicide by cop, basically. And you'll never guess who was involved." Tim told him about Ben-Gidon.

"Wow, now that is a surprise."

"Yeah and while he was asking about the old team, Ted told us something…" He relayed Ted's guess about the arrested former forensic tech and continued before Gibbs could say anything."When we came into the office this morning, there was a message for me from Tobias, so I called him, woke him up and he told me, Boss. "

Gibbs sighed, "Tim, I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel."

"Kind of numb. I don't really want to deal with it. I haven't been on any social network sites since I left London, so I had no idea. Not about any of this." He paused. "How are you dealing with it?"

"I don't know. I can't believe it and then I know I should, how many times have we heard family or friends deny some horrible thing a loved one has done? "The two men talked for several more minutes and hung up both feeling better for the contact. Gibbs ached for Tim and was glad that his uncles were there to help him, to comfort him. He wished he could be there and for a few brief seconds considered hopping a plane to Athens. He sighed, that wouldn't help matters at all and he didn't think Tim was ready to see him in person anyway. He knew the younger man was working on forgiving him, but showing up unexpectedly and uninvited was not a good idea.

XXX

Tim worried about Gibbs, knowing the man's affection for Abby. After their talk, he started to feel more in touch with the situation. He stopped working on his reports and gave himself a few minutes to think about his current life and how well it was going. He was now part of a wonderful team with a new position, new friends, reclaimed relatives, working things out with Gibbs. There was Sarah's impending arrival, Rob's presence in London, Ducky, Jimmy, Breena, James and Norm and Carla and the triplets, the new house and car and best of everything, Lina. He had so much to be happy about and he decided to concentrate on all of that instead of focusing on whatever craziness his former friend and long ago lover had tried to heap on him.

Having made a decision he walked back into Pete's office. "Pete,I'm only asking you this because on the old team it would have made me a subject for more ridicule, but do you have a problem with me getting some counseling?"

"Me? Why would I have a problem? I think it's a great idea, Tim, you've got so much going on I don't know how you cope with everything. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met but all this, Tim, it's so much."

"Started out that I needed to figure out what changes I need to make in my behavior, now I'm adding everything else…all the wonderful things that have happened and this crap."

Pete nodded. "You know moving and changing jobs are two of the most stressful things you can go through and you've done both at once. Not to mention everything else."

Tim nodded. "I'm going to call Dr. Pappas – the doctor from the hospital – and see if she can refer me to someone."

"Good idea. Trina saw someone after Kyra was born, I don't remember the doctor's name but I can get that for you too."

"Appreciate it, Pete." Tim went back to his desk considering his options and decided he needed choices. He sent a text to Dr. Cranston on the off-chance she knew someone over here. He also put a call into Dr. Pappas and got her voice mail which said it was secure, so he left a specific message. He felt better for having taken the first steps to get some help.

During the afternoon he told Matt and Kim he wouldn't be going to class tonight, that he'd be spending it with his family while they were here. Kim looked like she wanted to say more and Matt just nodded quietly. Tim called George to let him know, leaving a message. He sighed as he hung up; he hadn't wanted to let anyone else know he was Abby's intended victim. For one thing, he really wanted to keep his name out of the mess for as long as possible and the more people who knew, the less likely that was going to happen. For another thing, he still really didn't want to deal with it. But if Kim and Matt suspected or knew something was up, should he just bite the bullet and tell everyone?

He went back in Pete's office, shutting the door. "I haven't told anyone else here."

Pete nodded. "Ok."

"But they know something's up or at least Matt and Kim do."

"I think they're just more open about it than Tea and Eva."

"Oh… I really hoped to keep my name out of this for as long as possible."

"You're afraid they'll tell Evander, Adan and Caleb…and that I'll tell Trina?"

"Something like that except that I've already told Lina and will tell my sister and brother tonight, so it starts with me."

"No, it started with the nutcase former lab rat. But Tim, maybe it's just better to get it out there in the open. The sooner it hits, the faster something else will come along and bury it."

Tim was sitting with his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. "I've always been so careful about my privacy."

"Tim…no matter what you do, it's going to get out there. Your name was on Twitter and Facebook, she did that. Even if it was only for 5 minutes, that's how many hundreds of people by the time it's shared or repeated on Twitter? People will put two and two together and come up with Tim McGee as the intended victim."

"Yeah I know."

"You could make a statement you know. Put out your own press release that says how appalled you are and that you hope to just live your life, ask for privacy. And don't say where you are. You know the agency will protect you and so will the FBI and DHS. Talk to Agent Fornell about what you can do to minimize the hit."

Tim nodded, "I'm going to have to do something like that Pete, to keep any sort of control over this. In the meantime, I'll tell the others."

"I'll come with you." Tim smiled and leaving Pete's office went to the front and for the second time that day the team gathered in the kitchen. Tim started by apologizing. "I know you've noticed something was not right with me today and I'm sorry I haven't said much but really I was just trying to maintain some privacy. Don't know whether you saw this news item from the States. If you haven't, here's the story." He told the story of Abby's verbal and electronic threats against a federal agent. "And yeah, it's me she's been threatening. To make things worse, she paid an ex-con to find and attack me. Luckily, the FBI found out and got to her and the goon before anything more could happen, but yeah, at some point my name is going to be out there as the intended victim. I just found out yesterday when Ted Edwards mentioned being told in a briefing. I haven't been on either Facebook or Twitter in…well since before I left London, so at least five weeks." He huffed. "I'm more upset by the probability of having my whole life disrupted by the media and being known as a "victim" than I am by what she actually did, although that's sinking in now too. And I'm just realizing that this will involve all of you too, once it gets out there. I really don't want any of us to be dragged into this and the more we talk about it the more likely that will happen."

Eva raised her hand. "May I ask a question, Tim?"

He nodded, "Sure Eva."

"Who is this person, why would she do this to you?"

"She was the forensic tech at NCIS headquarters. When I started working there 10 years ago we dated for a while and while that didn't last, we were friends for a few years, sort of. It's hard to explain the team dynamics; I'll try to keep it as straightforward as possible. She was my boss's favorite and she knew it so she pretty much did anything she wanted, treated anybody the way she wanted because my boss would always protect her. To be fair, he didn't know what she was really like. She lied to him and the rest of us never told him, it was just easier that way." He turned to Pete, "That's one thing to change right there." Pete nodded. "To make a long story short, when I asked for a transfer off the team she saw that as a betrayal and was very angry. Turns out her actions had been noticed and she had apparently done more that had nothing to do with me. She was fired from the agency. She blamed me and it's escalated."

Tea shook her head, "Is she treli (crazy)?"

Tim opened his mouth and thought of defense lawyers subpoenaing the team to hear what he'd said. He shrugged. "You know how we don't talk about cases outside the office so they won't get thrown out of court?" Nods all around. "Same thing here. I don't think we should talk about this anymore, ok?"

Eva reached over and laid her hand on Tim's arm. "But she is evil, Tim; I'm glad nothing happened to you. What can we do to help?"

"Just be yourselves, don't talk about it. I know you're going to tell Caleb and Adan, Trina and Evander and yes, I'll be telling Lina, Sarah and Rob. But please, let's ask them to keep it to themselves, no matter how tempting it might be to say that you know the guy or the story. It's for all our sakes, our peace of mind, not just mine."

They verbalized their agreement and still shaking their heads returned to their desks, except for Matt. He stood there looking at Tim, obviously wanting to say or do something but not quite sure. Tim recognized a look he'd seen many times on his little brother's face and smiled at Matt. "I could use a hug Matt, if you'd like."

Matt nodded and gave his friend a comforting hug.

"You know what the silver lining is in this, Matt?" He shook his head. "I'm here, with all of you. I don't need to worry about who my friends are because I know."

"It's awful."

"Well it's not good, but I'm alive and it could have been worse. It's going to be rough for a while, not sure how bad it'll get but I'll get through it, we all will. I'm going to go to counseling to help me deal with all this stuff."

"That'll help?"

"Sure hope so! I know it can be tough to go through but I believe it'll be worth it in the long run."

Matt nodded. "I want to help any way I can."

"Thanks, man. I don't know what that help will look like, but I sure appreciate knowing you'll be there."

The two went back to work and the rest of the afternoon passed without incident. He called Fornell, leaving a message on his cell. After work he would pick up his godfather and uncle at the ship and then take them home for dinner. They'd maybe call in an order when he picked them up so it would be ready when they got back here. He'd then take them back to the ship and get back home in time for his Skype call.

He was very surprised when the two men walked into the office at 1600. Pete nodded at him, "Wanted you to have some more time with them tonight, Tim. You go on, they're taking one of the agency sedans and we'll pick it up after the ceremony tomorrow. Of course if there's a call out…"

Tim smiled, "Understood. Thanks Pete!" He logged off, stuffed his laptop in its case and grabbed his gear. The older men climbed in one of the sedans and Tim took his car, leading them up the hill.

When they got to the house he was relieved to find they'd brought dinner with them, take out from The Flying Pig. The two men got comfortable as Tim re-heated and then plated their dinners. They talked more about the family as they ate and Tim asked questions about his parents, feeling as if he was finally getting to know them, especially his mother who really was a mystery to him. When they finished and were having coffee, Uncle Dave asked him to tell them the story of Abby and his old team. Jim knew some of it and had told Dave, but they didn't have the whole story.

Tim painted a picture for them with his words, talking for nearly an hour and then stopped, drained. He was on the sofa, sitting in between his godfather and uncle and he had to say it was a wonderful feeling to have them here with him. They talked about the media, what Tim thought he could expect and agreed that Tim should contact the FBI to see what they recommended. Uncle Dave thought that he should file a civil suit against Abby and deal with her acts against him that way. Tim had thought about it, he certainly had grounds and it would not impact the federal case. His friend Steve's brother was an attorney, he'd get in touch with him and willingly pay the fee for a consultation.

When they had exhausted their ideas, Tim realized that there was something more about him that he hadn't shared. He asked them what their hobbies were aboard ship. Both were readers which didn't surprise Tim and he asked what sort of books they liked. Uncle Dave was a fan of science fiction which excited Tim, that was two new sci-fi fans he'd found, first Lina and now his godfather. The Admiral also liked mysteries, police procedurals and westerns. Uncle Jim said he also loved mysteries as well as police procedurals and that he maybe had read a western or two. He added historical novels on to his list. When they asked Tim what he liked to read, he told them about his love for science fiction as well as non-fiction scientific books, mysteries and police procedurals. He admitted he'd also read some westerns, explaining that when they were growing up in Baltimore, they spent many hours in the public libraries and that he'd read every book he could get his hands on.

By the time he'd said that, he'd found what he wanted to show them on his tablet and held it up. "Either of you guys like this guy's books?"

Uncle Dave looked at it and then at Jim and Tim. "That's Thom E Gemcity, he writes my favorite series, he's…Tim?"

Uncle Jim looked. "He's one of my favorites too…uh…Tim, really?"

Tim nodded. "I just realized I hadn't yet told you about my alter ego, Thom E Gemcity."

Jim grinned, "I can't believe you hadn't told us yet! Timothy McGee, awesome federal agent and international bestselling author!" Uncle Dave was looking at the name under the photo. "Jim, it's an anagram of Timothy McGee. If we'd been smarter, we might have started looking for Tim when the first book came out."

They talked about the stories, how they'd evolved and how much they were looking forward to the next one. Tim grinned, "It's coming out soon. There will be one more Tibbs book after that."

"The end of the series, well I guess that had to happen at some point, dang it." They spent another few minutes talking about Tim's plans for his new pen name and they agreed with his choice and his decision to be as anonymous as possible, especially with whatever muck was about to be thrown about with Abby's case.

All too soon, it was time for them to head back down the hill. They decided to stay for the first few minutes of the call, wanting to say hello to Rob and Sarah. The siblings were surprised and pleased to see their new relatives again and said a quick hello and goodbye as the two men hugged Tim goodbye and headed out. They knew they would see him in the morning and again at dinner tomorrow night and Tim and Jim would spend time at the flea market on Saturday. All three of them were deliberately not thinking about having to say goodbye when the ship sailed on Sunday.

In the car on the way back to the ship, Dave was idly musing about asking their Agent Afloat to switch places with Tim when Jim laughingly reminded him about Lina and the fact that their relationships with the young man would likely prohibit Tim from serving with them. Dave shrugged, he hadn't been serious anyway, just wanted to spend more time with his godson, in reality he was well satisfied with their Agent Afloat; she was doing a good solid job. They talked about the threats from Abby and what that might do to Tim and everyone around him. The news about the Nazi war criminal had broken in Greece this morning and it would be on the international news by now. When Pete had called the two officers asking them to come at 1600 and offering the car, he'd told them the media had not been given the names of any individual agents. It was standard procedure.

Once the uncles left, Sarah took the lead on the call as she had last-minute questions for both of her brothers. They answered the best they could. When she was satisfied, Rob turned to Tim. "I saw the news…is that Abby? And is that you, did she come after you?"

Tim looked sadly at his siblings. "Yes. It was me she's been after." He paused but before either of the others could get another word out, he continued. "Is James there, Rob? He may as well hear this."

Rob nodded and disappeared off-screen for a few seconds. When he reappeared, James was with him, looking upset. "Hi James! Listen guys, I just found out today. I haven't been holding out on you, I would have told you, would have tried to protect you. I haven't been online except to talk with you guys and the others, and my e-mail of course."

"Who told you, why did they wait?"

"Remember Agent Fornell, the FBI agent?" They nodded. "He left a message for me while we were out on a big hairy case yesterday that you'll probably see on the international news tomorrow. I didn't get the message till this morning, called him at 0300 DC time and he told me. But I'd already heard that a former forensic tech had been arrested in New Orleans, I just hoped it wasn't her – and that it wouldn't be about me. And I don't know why they waited, Fornell is looking into that."

"Tim…"

"I know guys. Listen, it might get pretty bad. They're trying to keep my name out of it but it's already been out there in her online threats. You know Joel…James' boss and mine while I was in London?"

More nods. "I'm going to talk with the FBI about what to do as far as the media and I'm also going to ask Joel if he could be available to help you if things get bad there too. For once it's an advantage that we don't look like each other."

James cleared his throat, "What can we do to help, Tim?"

"Don't talk about it with anyone. That includes dates, co-workers, people at the pub, on the train, anyone making casual comments about it and certainly not the media…anyone who says anything to you or contacts you in any way. Don't say anything, not even 'no comment'."

Each of them agreed and they talked some more, James dropping out to give them some privacy. After Sarah had agreed to text Tim in the same way Rob had when he'd traveled, they said their goodbyes and disconnected. Tim yawned; he was exhausted and for once had an opportunity for an early night. Before he crashed completely, he sent an e-mail to Fornell asking for his advice.

* * *

><p>OOPs! Here's the note about Auntie Mame that should have been in a previous chapter! Thanks for Alix33 for letting me know she'd had to Google Auntie Mame - and my beta for wondering what it was doing at the end of this chapter. Sigh…here it is anyway:<p>

Auntie Mame or "Mame" is a book, Broadway play and movie about a woman who takes in her orphaned nephew in New York City in the 1920s, shortly before the Great Depression (that is, the one before the one we're having/had… whatever L.). She marries well and travels the world, sometimes bringing her nephew with her, sometimes bringing him fabulous gifts. I first read the book many years ago and still think it's hilarious and quite wonderful.


	47. Chapter 47

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Seven

Friday morning came soon enough and Tim hopped up early, he wanted to make sure everything was perfect in the house in case Lina came home with him tonight. After his run, he changed the sheets and tidied up a bit. Finally satisfied, he showered, had breakfast and then dressing in his suit he fastened his badge to his pocket in preparation for the honors service for Petty Officer Sawyer. He drove to the office and waited for Matt and Tea. Adan had a commitment that couldn't be changed so the three of them would ride to the service together. Trina was coming with Pete and Tim thought possibly the two older children. Eva and Caleb, Kim and Evander would go straight to the service.

Matt drove the agency sedan so Tim could keep an eye out for Lina. As they pulled in she was just parking her car next to the sedan his uncles had borrowed the night before and Matt parked next to her. As they gathered, Tim introduced her to Matt and Tea again, having forgotten she'd met them at the play the previous week. In his mind, it had only been the two of them. They chuckled and that helped lighten the mood a bit. As the agents walked to their seats with Tea and Lina, Agent Gordon-Parks walked up to them, again thanking them for their help. From that point until they reached their seats, they were approached every few steps by crew members wanting to shake their hands and thank them for finding the man who'd killed their crewmate. Tim was touched by their gratitude and was glad Matt was along to get his fair share. He also noticed that Lina was taking it all in and he hoped that the sight of these men and women thanking them for doing their jobs would help when she worried about his work. She had her arm linked with his and as the last sailor turned after thanking them, she squeezed his arm and whispered, "I'll remember this, Tim." He smiled at her and nodded. As they approached the row where Pete and the others were seated, he spotted his uncle and godfather standing near their chairs in the front and across from them. They saw him at the same time and nodded. Tim thought perhaps they would acknowledge the agency formally after the service. He murmured to Lina and she looked toward them with a small smile.

Peeking discreetly over her shoulder, Trina watched Tim and his lovely new girlfriend make their way forward and bit back a smile. She leaned in to Pete, "I think we should plan for a late spring wedding, maybe offer our place for the reception?" He looked at her, eyes wide. "Trina!" She nudged him, "Look at them." He took a quick glance and nodded to his wife. "You're right as usual my love." The four slid into their seats and within minutes the service began. While it was dubbed an 'honors' service, it was a memorial service for their fallen crewmate. He had been a part of their crew and the Navy and they'd wanted to honor him before his remains were sent home to his family. The service wasn't long but it was heartfelt and Tim saw that it was being discreetly filmed by one of the junior officers. He imagined the video would be sent to Sawyer's family. He thought of his own father, also a part of the Navy family and wondered what his service had been like. That brought a lump to his throat. The Admiral opened the service, followed by the Crew Chief who spoke of Sawyer and then some of his buddies from the crew came up front to speak. The last one, who'd been the P.O.'s bunkmate turned toward the row with the NCIS agents and thanked them for bringing down the murderer. After playing the Navy hymn and a brief prayer, the Captain stood and thanked the Greek and Israeli governments for their help, along with NCIS, the US Marine Corps and some 'special' friends. He was looking at a point behind Tim; he thought Malachi and Ted were probably there as the mayor of Piraeus was sitting in the row in front of them. As the Captain finished, several sailors rose; they would carry Sawyer's casket to the loading ramp of the C-130, waiting on the tarmac. Once they'd set their burden down, the Marines would pick it up and take the Petty Officer the rest of the way home.

Once the chaplain ended the service, the crowd remained standing quietly as the Marines carried the coffin into the plane. The crew was dismissed and returned to the buses the Greek government had provided for their transportation. The Admiral and Captain spent a brief few minutes with the NCIS staff, Ted Edwards and Malachi Ben-Gidon, again thanking them for their good work. Of course Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim were thrilled to meet Lina and Tim had to stop himself from preening when he saw the look in Malachi's eyes, he could have sworn he saw some pride there. Ted shook everyone's hands and then, his hand on Malachi's arm, steered them back to the parking lot. Tim excused himself and went after them, wanting to say goodbye to his Israeli friend. He didn't take long, just wanted to have a parting word and then he returned to Lina and the others. He'd drive the Admiral and Captain back to the ship and Tea would ride along, while Matt, Pete, Kim and Eva would ride back in the other sedan. He quickly kissed Lina goodbye, telling her he'd pick her up at 1900 for their dinner.

Once they were at the office and took the phone off call forwarding, everyone got right to work. They were quieter than usual, perhaps reflecting on the service or the shortness of life. The three agents were still working on their mountain of reports from the Sawyer case. Agent Gordon-Parks let them know she thought she'd be finished before the ship sailed on Sunday; once they were done they would not have any further responsibilities for the case.

By lunchtime Tim had made a pretty good dent in his share of the reports. He ate at his desk, continuing to work and then, after checking with Pete, left for the hospital to see mama Carla, papa Norm and the three little ones. He'd missed seeing his friends over the past few days and he was happy to catch up with them and to meet the babies. He was allowed to hold the babies for a minute or two, once he was properly attired of course, and he marveled not only at how tiny they were but how active and alert they seemed. Will and Camilla were kickers while Jason was more of a 'wave your arms in the air' type. He hadn't expected this and watched in awe. He hadn't been around a newborn since Sarah's arrival when he was 6 and he remembered not being allowed to even touch her until she was a couple of months old. As he held them in the nursery, Carla was nearby and Norm was outside the room, looking in through the window. When Tim finally and reluctantly handed the babies over to Carla and the nurses, he emerged from the room to find Norm waving his phone at him. "I took pictures of you. No denying it, you're a natural with our kids. Now I know who to call when we need a babysitter! "

"Three at once, have mercy, Norm!"

"You took care of the Russell kids."

"A. None of them are tiny infants, B. No three of them are the same age and C. They were asleep 90% of the time I was there." Norm grinned at him, "You're going to have babies, Tim, going to be a daddy. Trina called Carla right after that service, said to start planning the wedding."

Tim's jaw dropped. "Wha…? Norm, we haven't …we're just getting to know each other." He shook his head, "Go ahead. Plan the wedding. We'll just elope or something." He closed his eyes and snapped his jaw shut as he realized what he'd just said. "Norm, can you please just forget I said that? It really is way too soon and I'm terrified of scaring her away."

Norm nodded, "Yeah, I can see your point, with all of us gawking at you, could be a problem. Ok, I've forgotten it. Good luck convincing Carla and Trina though."

"Convincing me of what?" Carla emerged from the doorway to the nursery.

"Uh, letting me babysit when the triplets are older. A lot older."

"Now why would I have a problem with that? You're a natural!" Tim groaned inwardly as Norm snickered. Luckily it was close – or close enough - to the end of his lunch hour, so he fled, no other way to put it, he fled the hospital and after stopping to pick up his new suit, spent the rest of the afternoon buried in his report writing.

Mid-afternoon, he received a phone call from his doctor and an e-mail from Dr. Cranston. Both women had recommendations for a local psychologist. His doctor had called him with two names and contact information. Dr. Cranston had e-mailed him with one name and the contact information. Much to his surprise, Dr. Cranston's recommended doctor was the same as one of Dr. Pappas' recommendations. He called and made appointments with them, knowing from experience that not every doctor is a good fit for every patient. Dr. Agnos was the one recommended by both women; his appointment with him was for late Tuesday afternoon and he let the scheduler know he was in law enforcement and might have to cancel at the last minute. The other appointment was with a Dr. Hoines and he would see him late Wednesday afternoon. He felt a little better after making the appointments.

Having thought that, he studiously ignored the sudden laughter he heard from Pete's office and he ignored the curious looks from the others. He shook his head; apparently he'd jumped out of the proverbial frying pan right into the fire. However and here he stopped and smiled to himself, Lina didn't know and hopefully he could keep the pressure from her. He hoped. Realizing this was their one week anniversary, he made a note to bring her flowers again tonight. There were some new ones blooming in his garden along with the roses so he'd add some of those in. He also realized he was going to have to tell her about the Embassy 'do', the party to which he wasn't allowed to take her. He frowned at that, he really didn't want to go without her. Yeah, sure the tux was all ready and the others were going but it just wasn't right that he wouldn't be with Lina.

He almost jumped when Pete suddenly appeared at his desk. "Take a walk with me?" He nodded; saved the partially completed form he'd been working on and joined Pete. When they got outside into the garden, Pete shook his head. "Tim, I need to apologize for my wife, Carla, Norm and me. We're prying and jumping to conclusions and pretty much acting like that DiNozzo guy. I am sorry, I realized after Norm's call that this is none of our business, you and Lina…your relationship."

Tim sighed in relief. "Thanks, Pete, I appreciate that. I really wasn't sure what to do about it, this is so personal. Lina and I need to get to know each other on our terms and not feel pressured by anyone. I already have a track record of pushing back and frankly, what I suspect has gone on today comes pretty close to one of my reasons for leaving Gibbs' team. I appreciate your help and friendship, you taking me into the family, but I treasure my privacy and Lina doesn't even know Norm and Carla, it's hardly fair to her. I don't care who it is, I won't put up with reckless invasion ever again. Our relationship is our business, period, end of sentence." He paused. "I have enough worries about my privacy being destroyed with this Abby thing; I really would appreciate everyone just minding their own business."

"We will, Tim, none of us were even considering that. I'll explain it to Trina and Carla will follow our lead."

Tim nodded, "Thank you." He turned and went back to work, still pretty worked up. He worked straight through. At 1700 he packed up and left, wishing everyone a good evening, knowing he'd see them tomorrow night at the Embassy soiree. He and Matt would drive together, picking up Kim and Evander on the way.

He drove home and parked his laptop on the coffee table. Finding the garden shears, he went outside and clipped some of the new flowers he'd noticed yesterday as well as more of the roses and the long green leaves he'd used last week. Bringing them in, he clipped the thorns off the roses and then placed them all in water. He was going to have to go with wet paper towels this week, although he figured he could then wrap a plastic bag around them and cover it all with tissue paper. Not quite as nice but somewhat presentable. That done he stood back and admired the colorful combination.

He powered up his laptop and pinged Ducky, hoping this might be one of his Fridays off. It wasn't, when Ducky appeared on the screen he could see the gleaming autopsy tables in back of him. "Timothy, this is a delightful surprise. How are you dear boy?"

"I'm all right Ducky. Just thought I'd check in with you, see how you're doing."

Ducky suddenly realized he hadn't spoken with him since the Abby fiasco had broken. "I'm all right, still a little shaken up as I imagine you must be."

"Yeah, I don't know what to do. I've asked Fornell to contact me, see what advice I can get from him. So far I've been pretty much ignored even though I was the intended victim. I can't decide whether that's a good thing or not."

"Oh lad, I am sorry to hear you're struggling with this, although not terribly surprised. And I apologize for not having contacted you, I fully intended to yesterday."

"My uncles – that is my godfather and my uncle came over to the house after work yesterday and they were a big help. But I don't know what, if anything, I should be doing."

"Oh Timothy and once again we've let you down."

"Abby's the only one who's let me down, Ducky and I'm not worried about that, I have support here and naturally they're far more objective…well maybe that's not right. They know me but not Abby so they're not torn as you and Gibbs must be."

"Torn?"

"Worrying about her and about me."

"Oh…oh dear, Timothy. You think we're torn between sympathy for her or you? Oh my dear boy, nothing of the kind. Shell shocked but not the least bit torn."

Tim shook his head, he was confusing things again. "I'm sorry Ducky, I thought I had this handled but I'm not doing very well. Can we please talk about something else? How are Jimmy and Breena?"

"Doing well, they're interviewing with the adoption agencies and hoping to bring a child into the family soon."

"Soon, like before the holidays soon?"

"I shouldn't think so; I believe it takes far longer than that, but perhaps as that child's foster parents?"

Tim nodded. "Yes, I suppose that's possible." They chatted for a few more minutes and then Tim pleading time constraints, disconnected. He didn't know exactly how he felt now, but it wasn't good. He was still steamed about today's little incident and finally realized it was really the Abby thing that had him bothered. If it weren't for that, he would have graciously accepted Pete's apology and moved on. His laptop dinged, Ducky pinging him. "I forgot to tell you, Timothy, that Tony gave Director Vance a message to pass along to you, that he's concerned and sending his best regards. The Director told me that asking after you was his first response when told about Abby's problems." Tim nodded, taking it in. Tony had been worried about him.

He drew in a shaky breath, "Ducky, would you please give Tony a message for me?"

"Yes of course."

"Tell him thank you and that I really appreciate his concern and his earlier message that you sent in your e-mail. Both mean a lot to me. "

"Certainly Timothy. And now regrettably I must go; we have new guests coming in."

"Thanks Ducky, talk to you soon, love you."

"As do I dear one." Tim sat down, feeling shakier but much better. Tony…wow. He took a shower and allowed all the emotions of the week to just pour out for a few minutes. He was still early but he didn't think he should call Gibbs at work. It wasn't an emergency, he was feeling homesick and a little overwhelmed again. He settled for writing an e-mail telling him about the service this morning and the sailors thanking them. He was just about to press the Send button when his laptop made another dinging sound. He switched over to Skype and found Tobias Fornell waiting for him. "Hi Tim, sorry I haven't gotten back to you before this. Got a minute?"

"About 10 minutes, Tobias, no more than that now."

"Ok, that's good. I've taken the opportunity to talk with Homeland Security and they're pretty confident your name will be kept out of the media."

"Great but how is that possible if she put it on Twitter and Facebook?"

"She didn't use your last name, just referred to you as Timmy or the former Timmy; she was using a screen name and her real name is not on either profile. "

"Oh, yeah that would help, but then do you even have a case for the electronic threats?"

"Yeah, we intercepted some Private Messages she sent out with your full name."

"You intercepted? So they didn't go out, they were stopped?"

"Correct. We already had the warrants for her phone and computer and stopped those cold."

"So as far as the social media sites go, my full name didn't get out there."

"Correct, it did not and I apologize, I not only did not have all this information when we spoke, I didn't understand when I was given it. So you've had to wait while a very patient Buzz explained it all to me. And he's offered to speak directly to you if you have questions."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea, Tobias. Maybe tomorrow…oh it's Saturday."

"He won't mind, Tim, he said you'd want the technical information."

"He's right, I do. And the contract on me?"

"There's a gag order on everyone and the goon she hired sure isn't going to spill, he's hoping to avoid a life sentence by helping any way he can; this will be his third dance."

"And Abby?"

"In a psychiatric hospital for a 72 hour evaluation which has now gone close to 96 hours. And she's there voluntarily."

"Huh. Think it's a ploy?"

"I think it was inevitable, I only saw her after the bust but she was clearly over the top. Way over. Nowhere near the Abby you worked with. Could still be a ploy, but my gut's saying something's wrong with her and the extended time for the evaluation sends me in that direction too."

"Think I could still be subpoenaed?"

"I thought not, but Morrow is worried you may be."

"Shit."

"Yeah. Won't be for a couple of months though, January or even February."

"So if Defense subpoena's me, who pays for my expenses?"

"They do."

"Any chance of an electronic deposition or a Skype session?"

Fornell huffed, "Don't think the courts have progressed quite that far, Tim. If you get the ticket, you're coming home."

"Ok, I'll deal with that if and when. So you and Morrow are thinking I should just keep quiet, no preëmptive press conference or anything?"

"Right, stay quiet. Both agencies are watching the news feeds and social media, we see anything we'll act on it."

"And let me know."

"Hope so, if I'm not told or Morrow isn't involved I can't guarantee it. The conventional wisdom seems to be that since you were never actually harmed, her crimes were criminal intent and you don't need to be dragged into it."

"And I appreciate that sentiment, but I still want to be informed."

"I've told Morrow that and he's working with the US District Attorney to fix it."

"Tobias, I'm feeling very strongly about this, I can retain counsel to get an injunction against the DA."

"You'd risk doing that?"

"Either way is a risk. I can't trust that my name will be kept out of it."

"I'll pass along your concerns and your promise of action."

"Thank you." His phone buzzed at him. "Sorry, I need to wrap this up. If you'll give me Buzz's contact info, I'll get in touch with him at some point tomorrow, probably between 1800 and 1900 my time, that's 1100 or 1200 in DC."

"All right. Sending you his number now." Tim's phone chimed with a text and he nodded. "Got it, thanks Tobias. You going to see Gibbs this weekend?"

"Yeah, going fishing."

"Good, tell him I'm sending a hug." Tim laughed at the look on Fornell's face. "Sending it, you don't have to give it to him."

"Thank you. He's a good friend but we're really not the hugging type."

They disconnected and Tim sat back on the couch, relieved at the possibility that he wouldn't be drowned by the media. Although he wasn't happy with the thought of a subpoena, there wasn't anything he could do about that.

His hair was still wet, so he dried it and then got dressed in his newest suit. He liked the lighter color and he'd worn a shirt and tie that he'd been told brought out the color of his eyes. Putting everything else together, he was finally ready to leave. As he passed through from the stairs to the kitchen to get the flowers, he saw his laptop still open and stopped to update the e-mail to Gibbs and send it. Then he grabbed the flowers and was off to pick up Lina.


	48. Chapter 48

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Eight

_Previously on Finding Home: Then he grabbed the flowers and was off to pick up Lina. _

Lina had thought carefully about what to wear for a dinner aboard ship and picked one of her favorites, an outfit she'd designed and made for herself, a long silky tunic with matching leggings. The colors were one of her interpretations of the Mediterranean Sea, various hues of blues with greens splashed among them. She'd fashioned the outfit so she could wear low heels and she thought that would be a good idea tonight. While she hadn't been on the Baton Rouge yet, she'd seen it while driving along the waterfront and it was a big ship, which meant a lot of walking and probably a lot of stairs. She also fished out a heavier wrap than she'd worn last week.

She heard Tim's car pull up and she finished with her hair, leaving it down tonight. With the wind on the water, anything else would just come undone too easily. By the time her boyfriend, ah she loved the sound of that, rang the doorbell she was just putting on a touch of lip color.

Tim smiled in appreciation as Lina opened the front door. "Hi Lina! Wow, you are beautiful, that's more beautiful color on you." His eyes lit up, "The colors of the ocean! Appropriate and just…beautiful, so lovely I've lost my vocabulary." Lina thought how lucky she was that her man was a writer and understood nuance; he also didn't take himself too seriously. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You are the sweetest man." She smiled as he handed her the flowers, "And the most thoughtful." Tim smiled, "Happy one week anniversary!"

"Oh Tim, you are…" With the flowers in one hand, she reached up to his face with the other and cradling it, gave him a very welcoming kiss on the lips. He responded and they enjoyed each other for a few minutes before they heard a buzzing coming from somewhere. Pulling apart, they laughed as Tim pulled out his cell phone. "I forgot I set the alarm for a 10 minute warning." She gave that light laugh that made him weak in the knees and pulled him into the house. "Come, I'll put these in water for now and then we need to fix our faces." She quickly cleaned her lipstick off Tim's face and lips and applied more to her own lips. Tim loved the intimacy of being here with her, watching while she applied the color to her lips. She realized what he was thinking, feeling very much the same and blushed a bit. Tim just thought it made her even more beautiful, if that was possible.

Lina did have something she needed to talk to Tim about and thought she'd better bring it up now. "Timothy, I have a government thing I have to go to tomorrow night and I'm not allowed to bring a date."

Tim's eyes widened and he wondered if it could be…no… well maybe. "I understand, Lina, what is it?"

"Well, I did some work for your ambassador a few years ago, before she was posted here. Do you remember the story of the fire in California and the painting that suffered smoke damage? The painting was hers. Ever since she arrived here, she's made sure I'm on the guest list for events at the embassy."

Tim frowned and pretended to be upset – for about 3 seconds before he burst out laughing.

"What… oh you're not upset, that's good. But what can be so funny?"

"I've tried all week to think of a way to tell you Lina, that I have a party I have to go to Saturday night and I'm not allowed to bring a date."

It was her turn to open her eyes as wide as possible. "Do you mean…?"

Tim nodded, his smile nearly splitting his face in half. "I believe, my dear Melina that we will both be at the U.S. Embassy party tomorrow night."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Lina threw herself into Tim's arms; she'd been so worried about this. They kissed for a few more minutes, Lina finally drawing back. "Oh I've made us late!"

"_We've_ made us late and it'll be fine; the ship's not going anywhere tonight."

"Here, I need to fix your lips again…" She reached into her clutch and nearly pulled out the extra panties she had stashed in there. Instead she took out a tissue and dabbed it on his lips, removing her lipstick. When she was done, he grinned at her, "I don't mind, really, I earned those lipstick'ed lips! But I don't mind you taking it off either!" She blushed deeply now as he escorted her to his car and they drove off.

The ship wasn't far and by now the security guards were familiar with Tim and gave a cursory look to Lina's id. They'd find out later that the Admiral had made sure the security guards had information on both so there wouldn't be a holdup. They parked as close to the gangplank as possible and walked up, arm in arm. Tim had noticed Lina's low heels and appreciated her forethought. It would be a bit of a walk to the Admiral's private dining room and from his observations heels on a ship were never easy. Her hand moved down his wrist and found the sea band. "Tim, what is this?"

"It's called a sea band; helps prevent me from being seasick."

"Helps?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, the sea bands combined with ginger root are what works for me."

"Ah, that's good to know."

He smiled when he spotted Lt. Hadley waiting for them on deck. "Good Evening Agent McGee, Miss Kalivas. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Admiral's mess." While they walked, Tim explained to Lina that the Lieutenant had been their guide for the tour and reception the previous Sunday. She smiled; it seemed Tim had friends and well wishers everywhere.

While it was a bit of a hike, it didn't take too long to reach their destination. Hadley knocked once on the door, opened it, smiled as they passed into the room and then closed it behind them. Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim stood and welcomed Lina with handshakes while they each gave Tim a hug. Uncle Jim pulled back and looked at his suit, "Is that the one you ordered while we were walking down the street the other day?" Tim nodded and laughed at their expressions as Jim turned to his godfather, "Admiral, we need to change our sail date…Wednesday perhaps?" The Admiral shook his head, "Sorry, no can do and we're both fools not to have thought of it sooner." He paused, "Next time!" Tim beamed at that, relieved to hear that there might be a next time for another visit. Wine was poured despite wide eyes from Special Agent McGee. "I'm an Admiral, Timothy. I'm allowed a little hooch now and then. Especially when there's a beautiful young woman among us." The two older men toasted Lina and Tim and they sipped their wine, enjoying the appetizers and the company. Conversation flowed freely and Lina asked questions about Tim as a child, questions Tim didn't know the answers to any more than she did. Then the officers turned the tables and asked her questions about her work and her family. Tim was a little worried by their questions, but Lina took it in stride, answering in good humor. She told Tim later that she understood their need to be overprotective of their long-lost godson and nephew and that she knew Tim would be subjected to the same interrogation when he met her family. That left him thinking!

Dinner was brought in, served and enjoyed while the four of them continued talking. Tim was asked if he could talk about any of the cases he'd worked on; he trotted out the case of the koala on a submarine, always good for a laugh and in the case of the Admiral some seriously raised eyebrows followed by a mischievous smile when he figured out who might have been in command of that sub. When dessert was brought in, Tim spotted something that could prove deadly to him – slices of kiwi fruit on top of the vanilla ice cream. He shook his head when Uncle Jim tried to hand him his bowl. "No, sorry Uncle Jim, I'm allergic to kiwi, it causes anaphylaxis if I get anywhere near it."

Lina had just swallowed the slice she'd been nibbling. "Can you safely be in the same room?"

Tim smiled ruefully at her. "Yes."

Uncle Dave shook his head, "I'm so sorry Tim; Jim and I went through all your allergies, or thought we did."

"It's all right, Uncle, I didn't touch or eat any, I'm fine!" What Tim was thinking but didn't say was that the "special night" with Lina was going to have to be postponed as she'd already eaten a couple of bites of kiwi. While he was fairly certain brushing one's teeth and using enough mouthwash would eliminate the danger, he remembered his last bout all too well and didn't want to take the risk. He smiled at his girlfriend and gave her a little twinkle…not quite a wink. Tim was thinking of the Embassy party the next night hopefully ending with a sleepover and all day Sunday to themselves.

Lina wasn't sure what he was thinking but saw that he didn't seem troubled and decided to follow his lead. She did ask for the restroom where she scrubbed her hands – as relaxed as she'd been after the wine and the pleasant company, she'd used her fingers to pick the slices of fruit off the ice cream to eat them. There was an anti-germ lotion next to the sink and she liberally doused her hands in that, rubbed it in well and then washed them again.

She returned to the dining room to find the men chatting about some of their own experiences and more importantly some shipboard stories of Tim's father. Tim was enthralled and she felt privileged to be with him as he was learning about his father and his own childhood. Although he looked like his uncle, it seemed that along with his height, he'd inherited a goodly amount of traits from his father. From what the uncles were relating, Dan McGee had been a little shy, highly intelligent, and intensely curious with many interests. Tim asked them to tell him again – it had been one of his questions at that first dinner they'd had – about his parents' meeting. Lina and Tim smiled at each other knowingly as they were told of the almost instant connection of Lily and Dan. She'd gone to a Fourth of July party with her roommate – it was the roommate's boss's annual party and it was 1976, the bicentennial. Dan was a newly minted naval officer invited because of the host's connection with his father the Admiral. Lily met Dan at the drinks table and as Uncle Dave said, the fireworks exploded early that night. Inseparable from that moment, they'd married just a month later when Dan received his first posting to the East Coast. Within a year Lily was pregnant and while she'd had a healthy pregnancy, Tim was born several weeks prematurely. Uncle Jim revealed that the couple had been a little embarrassed to find Lily had conceived again while Tim was still an infant, just weeks after he'd been brought home from the preemie unit at Bethesda.

Knowing what was coming next and not ready to hear the story of Lily's illness and death, Tim diverted them with a question about Penny. Both men grinned and Uncle Dave surprised them by telling them that "Penny was a trip". Lina had an idea of what that might mean but wasn't quite sure and so asked the uncles. They answered it by telling them all about Tim's paternal grandmother. Penny Langston McGee had been a bit of a rebel but had kept it under wraps, in public she'd been a proper and loyal Navy wife until her husband, Tim's grandfather Nelson McGee made Admiral. Then she 'broke the mold' as Uncle Dave put it. She was a scientist by nature and education, curious about everything and here they all chuckled as that trait had obviously made its way to her grandchildren. She went to work at a company that worked with the military, with the idea of finding ways to save lives. She'd also become a feminist which in that time was considered daring for anyone, but especially the wife of an Admiral. She was a strong, kind, opinionated, caring and funny woman who now spent her time traveling the world lecturing and teaching. She still owned the home she and Tim's grandfather had purchased together in Virginia, close enough for a commute to the Navy Yard. Tim shook his head to think he'd been that close to his grandparents all the years they'd been in Baltimore, not to mention his time spent working in the Navy Yard!

Jim glanced surreptitiously at his watch and saw that it was nearly time for the surprise. He and Dave had set up a Skype call with the Hubbards at home and Tim's godmother, Dave's wife Liz. Penny was traveling someplace with no internet so couldn't make it but Maisie, Claire, Callum and Ainsley would be online as well as Liz. He gave his boss the high sign and Dave grinned and spoke while Jim slipped over to a side table to get things set up. "Tim, Lina, we have something special planned for you this evening. I know it's been a very eventful week for the two of you and we'd like to add to it – in a good way."

Tim had a feeling and hoped he was right, the timing would certainly be right. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his uncle powering up a laptop and he grinned. "Need any help there, Uncle?"

"Oh no, Timmy…oops sorry, I'm good. I'm good."

Dave saw the look on Tim's face and laughed, "Forget it, Jim, he's already figured it out!"

Lina tried to play along by looking confused but she knew Tim used Skype to communicate with his siblings and friends in DC, it made perfect sense that his godfather and uncle would set up a session so that he could meet the rest of his family. She was happy to be here with Tim while he reconnected with his extended family. She'd thought about his history, not even able to imagine how difficult it must have been and how well-balanced he was for someone to have lived through so much tragedy and so many challenges. As she pondered, Jim exclaimed and Tim grabbed her hand, pulling her to his side. Again she wished she had not eaten that kiwi fruit!

Two young faces filled the screen and Jim exclaimed, "Hi kids, so good to see you!"

"Dad, we talked with you last night!"

"I know but it's still great, it's never enough." The two nodded solemnly and then moved off-screen to be replaced by a woman who had to be their mother; Tim could see the likeness in both children.

"Hi hon, you ready to go? Tim and Lina are here and ready to meet you!"

"We're ready at this end too, Jim, we have an extra surprise." The screen changed to include a second window with an older dark-haired woman. Dave and Jim grinned at Tim. "Ok, kiddo, here you go…the Hubbard, Crane and McGee online family reunion."

Tim grinned and then said, "Partial reunion, unless you've found a way to add Sarah while she's flying over the Atlantic and Robbie while he's at work?"

There were chuckles from everyone, "We did try but changing Sarah's flight would have cost huge amounts of money and Rob couldn't guarantee he'd be able to break his work at any particular time."

Tim beamed at them. "Hi, I'm Tim…yes, I'm alive and all grownup. And this is my girlfriend, Lina Kalivas." The dark-haired woman leaned forward, "Can you get any closer to the screen, sweetheart? I just want to see you…every bit of your sweet face." Tim obligingly leaned forward but Jim solved the problem by lifting the laptop off the table and holding it close to Tim's face.

Penny nodded, "Oh my darling boy. You look so much the same, just all grown up. And Lina, I'm so pleased to meet you! Now Timothy, Jim and Dave have my contact information, please give me a call, I'm in Egypt and I'm trying to arrange a visit with you before I head home."

Tim nodded with a smile, "I will, Penny. Will Sunday evening be a good time?"

"Yes, dear boy, that's perfect. And now, I'm sorry but I've had to cajole a friend of a friend to use his internet connection so I can't stay. I love you darling and I can't wait to see both of you in person – and Sarah and Rob as well."

She waved goodbye and blinked off. The next person he saw was an older woman with a sweet face and bright blue eyes. "Timothy, my boy!" She spoke with a lilting accent that reminded Tim of Ducky. "I'm your grandmother Maisie! You used to call me Gram."

Tim nodded and gave her a smile, "Hi Gram, I'm so happy to be here with you, to see you after all this time." He pulled Lina closer to him, "I don't know whether you heard me, this is my girlfriend Lina Kalivas."

"Hello my dear, ah you're lovely!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Hubbard." Maisie continued talking with the two of them for a bit until Tim's cell buzzed. "Excuse me Gram." He looked at the text, it was from Rob. "Don't know if Sarah texted you, but her flight's in the air and we will remember to let you know when she's at Heathrow. We love you; sorry couldn't be with you tonight. R"

Tim looked up, "Ok, who in the Hubbard McGee family can't remember to make important calls." The response was immediate, everyone on both sides of the call crying out: "Penny!"

Tim nodded with a grin. "Ah, a Langston trait then, I'll be sure to let Sarah know that."

"Is something wrong dear one?"

"No Gram, Sarah promised to text me when she was boarding her flight to London and she forgot. But Rob checked the flight, it left on time with no problems."

"Oh, you are still a good brother."

Tim smiled, "Years of practice, Gram. She'll text me when the plane lands at Heathrow and again when she gets through Customs and meets up with Rob and James."

"I know who Rob is, dear, but who is James?"

"He's a family friend; I stayed with him while I worked in London."

"I see. Oh dear, I'm being so rude, you haven't met your aunt, cousins or godmother yet!"

Her face disappeared and Jim's wife appeared, "Hi Tim, I'm your aunt Claire. And these are your cousins Callum and Ainsley." They waved and Tim introduced Lina to them.

Finally his godmother made it to the screen. "Hello Tim, it's so wonderful to see you after all these years. I still can't believe it, but here's the proof. And Lina, hello, I'm Tim's godmother, known as Aunty Liz. I'm so pleased to meet you, dear!"

Now that everyone had met Tim and Lina, they relaxed and chatted for nearly an hour. At some point Tim realized it should have been a school day and looked at his young cousins, "So, no school today?"

"Mom talked with our teachers and explained everything so we didn't go today. We just have our homework assignments for the weekend, but we're already finished."

"Ah, that's good! Good students then!" The two kids giggled and Tim grinned at them, remembering Sarah and Rob's giggles at that age. He pulled Lina close again, hoping for their own giggling children in their future. Gram came back up front, she had a million questions about their lives and Tim answered the best he could. He did not want to overwhelm her but he also didn't want to lie to his grandmother. When she exclaimed in horror at something he'd said, he remembered what he'd told Lina last week. "Gram, please, look at me. I'm alive, Sarah's alive and we are well. Sarah's on her way to the UK for graduate school, I've got my Masters, we have a wonderful younger brother Rob who's going to be a doctor; he's won an award to attend medical school in the UK for a year and we have an older brother Geordie, serving our country in the Marines. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life, we survived."

Lina moved her face closer to the screen, "Not only have they survived, Mrs. Hubbard, they've thrived. And I assure you, your grandson is the most wonderful person!"

Maisie smiled at that, recognizing a young couple in love. She doubted she would ever forgive herself for believing Natalie's lies but Tim didn't seem to blame them. Jim said that Tim believed they were all victims of Natalie and he'd asked her to honor Tim's belief. She would do her best.

They were still chatting when Tim's phone rang. He looked at the id and frowned, "Excuse me, it's my boss." He moved off camera, "Pete, did we get a call out?"

"Yeah, don't think it'll take long but there's a problem at the Stavros home and the Athens PD want our help."

"Ok, I'm aboard the Baton Rouge with Lina. If you pick me up here, she can take my car home."

"All right, I'll see you in 15."

"Good." Tim disconnected and looked up to see Lina, his godfather, uncle and the onscreen family members looking at him in concern.

"Sorry, we have a case. Lina, would you mind driving yourself home in my car? I've got extra keys, so don't worry about that."

"Of course Tim. Is it…can you say where it is?"

"In Athens, so I won't be too far away. I don't think we'll be gone long but the Athens PD has asked us to step in."

"Oh. Yes, I can certainly drive myself home; do you need your 'go' bag?"

"That's probably a good idea, sweetie."

That settled, they said a swift goodbye to the family in the States and Tim hugged the Admiral and Captain. "I really don't think this is going to be a big deal, with any luck we'll be home in a couple of hours."

"So we're still on for the flea market then, eh Tim?"

"Planning on it, Uncle Jim."

"Maybe you could come to the museum for lunch? My break is at 1:00."

The two men smiled at Lina, "We'll be there!"

Uncle Dave scowled, "I want to go!"

Jim laughed, "So go, you're the boss after all!"

"Nah, I've got to…well, we'll see. You driving in or riding the train?" The four of them had started walking down the corridor, Jim and Dave wanting to spend every possible moment with Tim.

Lina shook her head, "Never drive in Athens on a Saturday, it's the most chaotic day of the week."

Tim nodded, "We'll take the train in, Uncle. I'll drive over and pick up whoever is going and we'll park at the Metro station. Much easier that way."

Lina added, "If you have backpacks or daypacks, bring them along, easier to carry things on your back than bags in your hands." She paused, "What time do you sail on Sunday?"

"Bright and early, 0600, our next docking is in Antwerp on Thursday."

"And after that?"

"Home! We've been at sea for 5 months; it'll be 6 months by the time we get home."

Tim thought about the timing, "So you'll be home for Christmas?"

"That's the plan, yes."

"How long will you be home?"

"Not sure yet, at least until March; April if we get lucky."

Lina smiled, "You'll be wonderful Christmas presents for your families!"

They smiled back at her and Jim replied, "We've been gathering gifts along the way but the best one is this guy." By this time they'd reached the gangplank and the two officers stopped, knowing they'd have to eventually let Tim go anyway. The four of them hugged and kissed and then Tim and Lina walked down the gangway, arm in arm.

The Admiral clapped Jim on the back, "Come on Uncle, we need to say some prayers to keep Tim safe and for a nice short case."

Jim nodded. "Got that right, Godfather, Sir." Admiral Crane laughed and they waved down at Tim as he grabbed his bag from the trunk and slid into the agency sedan as it pulled up. Pete was driving with Matt in the front seat and they waved to Lina and the two officers as the car turned out of the parking lot toward Athens.

XXX

Tim climbed into the backseat and stretched his legs out across the foot well so that his feet were behind the driver's seat while he sat behind the passenger seat. "Sorry to interrupt the evening, Tim, you have a good time?"

"Yeah, Pete it was great and don't worry about it, work is work! What's happening with the Stavros family?"

"It seems Mrs. Stavros' father has just learned of his son-in-law's lies and incarceration and he's pissed as hell…at the whole world according to the officer I spoke with. Mrs. Stavros asked them to call us in so we can explain it to the man."

"Athens have him under control?"

"From what I was told, more or less."

"Alcohol involved?"

"Oh yeah."

"Oh goodie."

"Speaking of booze, have you had any?"

"One glass of wine about three hours ago."

"Ok, you're clear then, so really, how was it?"

"It was fun and they surprised us by having a Skype call with both of my grandmothers, aunt, cousins and godmother. I loved getting to meet them all and to introduce Lina to them."

Matt nodded, "Sounds like fun, did your sister and brother join you?"

"No, Sarah's in the air and Rob was working. But the Baton Rouge will be home over Christmas so I'm hoping we can schedule another call when everyone's in one place…well, two places."

"Good idea. And Lina?"

Tim knew what they were asking and had a quick answer that told them nothing important. "For dessert they served ice cream with slices of kiwi fruit on it. I didn't touch any because I'm allergic to kiwi; it sends me into anaphylactic shock. However, I haven't told Lina about all my allergies and you know- the stuff you just don't tell a new girlfriend and before I could say anything she'd eaten a slice."

"So that was the end of any plans for later?"

"I remember the last bout, we were out in the middle of nowhere, I had my epi pen of course but I still had to be airlifted to the hospital, stayed there overnight, was off work for 3 days and miserable for a week; there was no way I was risking that again." He shook his head, "Not her fault, not mine, not anyone's really, just happened."

By this time they'd arrived at the Stavros home and Pete insisted they go in 'suited up'…vests, jackets and caps. Tim gave Matt a pat on the shoulder as they walked to the front door. There was an officer outside and he shook his head, telling them the old man was drunk and crazy but that he seemed to have calmed down now. Pete, Tim and Matt walked into the house just as the old man broke free from the officers holding him, grabbing one's weapon, taking the safety off and raising it to fire, his finger pulling back on the trigger.

* * *

><p>- Starting the week of May 18th, I'm going to start posting three times a week. Thought that would be fun during the show's hiatus. I've put a poll up on my profile here so if you have preferences as to the days you'd like updates, please vote! You do have to log in, but voting is anonymous, I won't be able to tell who voted.<p>

- Readers of "At What Price" might have noticed I've changed Lily and Dan McGee's meeting and marrying, moved back in time a year. Also, in this story Lily was not pregnant with Tim when she and Dan met - Dan was biologically Tim's father. Everyone who thinks she or he is related to Tim or not related to Tim is right in her or his thinking. Mmm, well mostly ;)

- I don't believe that Tim's allergy to kiwi is canon. There is a story on fanfiction net called "Small, Green, Terrifying" about Tim inadvertently drinking some kiwi juice and going into shock. It's a great story, involves the team, the author is B-ston. Unfortunately, the author's profile doesn't include the ability to send a private message and I haven't found her/him on any other site, so I'm hoping giving credit here will be enough.


	49. Chapter 49

Finding Home, Chapter Forty Nine

As the man raised the stolen weapon and his finger began pulling the trigger to fire it, several guns aimed at him with warnings to put his gun down. Warned again,he didn't stop pulling the trigger. A shot rang out as his weapon fired. The incoming bullet hit his hand as the shot from the stolen weapon went into the floor. The older man dropped the gun and fell to the floor screaming. The three NCIS agents lowered their weapons; Tim put the safety on his and handed it to Pete. Knowing this was Matt's first time experiencing live weapons fire at a crime scene, Pete gave him a few minutes to pull himself together by sending him to the car to get the crime scene kit. He looked at Tim. "You all right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, you?"

"Me? Yeah, I am but I'm not the one that made that shot…that was one helluva shot, Tim! Gibbs teach you that?"

Tim huffed, "No, but I watched him take a shot like that and it never left me. I spent some time playing paintball to improve my shooting skills and that was one of the shots I practiced."

"Well I'm thankful! You know the drill, go wait in the car and we'll get this done, get back and start the mountain of reports."

At Tim's eye roll Pete added, "Rather have reports to handle than have to call Vance telling him one of us is injured or worse!" Tim nodded, he'd seen that the father-in-law was out of control and he had no way of knowing how proficient he was with a weapon. However, the way he'd grabbed the gun from the police officer told him the guy was thinking fast and reacting even faster. Relieved his shot had apparently just winged the man as he'd planned, his sole intent was to stop that bullet from hitting any of them. He knew he could no longer be part of the investigation.

He walked back out to the car. Matt was struggling with the cases, so Tim helped him carry them up to the front door and then left him to handle them the rest of the way. He took the driver's seat, figuring the other two might not feel like it after handling the crime scene by themselves. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He couldn't talk about this with anyone which basically meant he couldn't call anyone unless he had witnesses. Sighing, he pulled up a form on an app he'd created for his smart phone and started writing his first report. While he worked on that, he saw the ambulance arrive and the EMTs, or whatever their title was here, run in with their equipment. Another police car arrived and an older officer got out and marched into the house. In due time, the EMTs exited the house with the wounded man on a gurney. Tim was gratified to see that he was sitting up with one hand bandaged. His other hand cuffed to the gurney, he was escorted by the officer whose weapon he had stolen. Tim winced at that, he couldn't even imagine the trouble the officer would be in. Tim would have to undergo an interrogation as well as filling in and filing what would seem like a gazillion reports but that was procedure and he was confident that he'd be cleared for the field, that his shot was justified. He just hoped it would all go quickly so the team wouldn't have to call in Ted or Jack to do his job in the field. He grit his teeth reminding himself the situation could have ended a lot worse than it had; he continued working on his report.

Eventually Pete came out of the house with the older police officer Tim had seen go in. They shook hands and the man departed. Pete stopped by the car. "They'll handle it from here. That was a deputy chief and he's hopping mad that we pulled in to this, said it was like pouring oil on a fire. When we showed him the trajectory he said he would like you to teach all his officers how to make that shot."

Tim huffed. "Need to teach them to hold on to their weapons first."

"Very true my friend. All right, I'm going to help Matt finish and then we'll head home. And Tim?" He looked at Pete. "Out here we don't have any IA. So guess who fills in?" Tim shook his head; he was just hoping it wasn't JAG.

"It's a mutual agreement, we do it for them."

Tim's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me? The CIA? Ted or Jack?"

"Yep. We're all federal officers and that's all the regs call for. You get your preliminary report started?"

"Yeah, I'm about three-quarters of the way through. How's this work with them?"

"We'll get the hospital reports and everything by Monday, one of them will come over and question you; you'll hand in this report and the many many others that are required. The reports and the witness statements from the Athens folks will be read and whichever of our friends gets the short straw gets to make the decision. Also, there's a psychologist at the hospital who'll do your psych eval, we should have it wrapped up by end of day Monday."

"Do you want to get started over the weekend?"

"No, neither of them is available this weekend, I already checked."

Tim looked at Pete when he said that. "Pete…"

"Hey, that's what I was told, Tim. So we can all relax, have some fun tomorrow night and not think about this. You saved us from harm and who knows, he might have had time to get a second shot in before someone took him down and in that case I'm damn sure he'd be in a body bag now instead of the ER getting his hand stitched up. It was a through and through, it did just what you were aiming to do, HA, no pun intended. He's alive because you knew to take that shot."

Tim nodded. "I need to call Lina and my uncles."

"Go ahead."

"I need to do this by the book, Pete, please."

"All right, I'll stay, my friend." Pete walked around and climbed in the passenger seat while Tim called Lina. "Hi Lina, I just wanted to let you know that we're almost done except for the paperwork. Yeah, we're fine but I can't tell you anymore than that now. Probably be another hour, hour and a half until I can get the car. No, no sweetie, that's why I called, I knew you'd worry; I have my spare keys with me. You need to sleep; you have to get up early for work. Ok, yes, me too and Pete says hello. I'll see you at the museum for lunch tomorrow."

Tim ended the call, "Thanks man, she's new to this, we're so new and I figured she would worry."

Pete nodded, "At some point she should probably talk with Trina and maybe Carla."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Gotta call the uncles." Tim hit the button for his uncle and wasn't horribly surprised when the Captain answered the call before the end of the first ring. "Timothy? Are you all right, is your team all right?"

"Yeah, Uncle Jim, I'm fine, we're all fine, just wanted to let you know that."

"I suppose you can't talk about it."

"You suppose right, Sir. Listen, if you haven't already, talk the Admiral into coming with us tomorrow, will you please?"

Tim heard a laugh in the background. "I've already convinced myself, Tim!"

"Oh good. All right, I'll see you two in the morning as planned."

"Great. Thanks for calling, Timmy. Uh, have you…?"

"Yes sir, I called Lina."

"We're so sorry about the kiwi."

"It's ok, please don't worry about it. Nothing happened, no harm no foul."

"All right, well you sound tired, so I'll let you get back to work so you can get home and get some sleep."

"Thanks, love you both."

"Love you back son." Tim smiled as he disconnected. Pete patted him on the back as he got out of the car and went back inside to help Matt. Tim suddenly realized that no one had mentioned Mrs. Stavros or the children. Tempted to call Pete, he decided to wait to ask on the drive back.

Eventually the two men appeared at the front door carrying the cases, an Athens officer helping them. When the cases were loaded into the trunk, the officer came around to the door and when Tim put the window down, congratulated him on the shot and thanked him for taking the man down without doing any more harm. Tim just nodded suddenly feeling queasy. A bottle of water was suddenly in his hands. "Drink, slowly." Tim followed Pete's order and took first one sip and then another and another, quelling his nausea. Pete looked at Matt, "Feel like driving, Matt? Tim's having that delayed reaction I was telling you about." Matt nodded and changed places with Tim who continued sipping the water as they drove back to Piraeus. By the time they got to Lina's, he was feeling well enough to drive and graciously turned down Pete's offer of a room for the night and Matt's offer to drive him home. As their cars were at the office, they followed him that far anyway and waved as he headed up the hill.

Tim made it into the house and upstairs into the safety of his bathroom before he lost his dinner. Once he finished he rinsed his mouth and then brushed his teeth and admitted to himself – again – that he'd done what he'd known he had to do and that he was always going to feel sick after shooting someone. In a way he was glad he did, it made him feel human and he didn't ever want to be blasé about shooting anyone.

Five minutes later his phone rang, it was Pete. "You done throwing up?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I still do it when I have to shoot someone as did Leon and Carla and I'm sure Bec and Matt will too."

"I decided that's ok, that I don't ever want to not feel it."

"Yeah, I made that decision too."

"Listen, I realized I never heard what happened with Mrs. Stavros and the kids."

"Apparently there'd been trouble off and on for hours and the neighbors finally called the police. When they showed up, she asked them to have us brought in, that we could explain it to her father. The kids had already left; the neighbor snuck them out the back door when things got too noisy. When the LEOs got there, they encouraged Mrs. Stavros to leave and go to the neighbors' house too."

"Do you know why he was so wacked out about it?"

"Not a clue, other than possibly just general father-in-law distrust of son-in-law and then being proved right."

Tim was very quiet, too quiet and Pete, guessing in what direction his thoughts had gone, said, "You're not Stavros, you didn't walk away from a commitment to serve your country, lie to anyone's daughter, father children with her and then get hauled off to prison on a different continent."

"Yeah, except Lina's told me some about her father, she said he was tough and stubborn."

"Hmm, well maybe when the time comes, marry and run?"

Tim laughed, "Oh yeah, that'll help! What's Trina's father like?"

"He died a couple of years before we met, so I've never had to deal with a father-in-law. Now my mother-in-law is a sweetheart, but then we only see her in person twice a year." He paused. "She told me after Stephan and Phoebe were born that as long as I was good to her daughter and grandkids, she was fine with me."

"Wow! Hope I get that lucky."

"If Lina's father is as bad as you think he is, you'd better pray you get that lucky, her mother will probably be the one that keeps him off your back. Or you can throw Gibbs at him!"

Tim laughed, "That's how the conversation about difficult fathers came about."

Pete snorted. "Just remember you live several hours drive from him – and you can always transfer to a different country!"

Tim huffed, "I'd say that was the coward's way out but it just might be the smart way!"

"Well at least meet the man first! He may think you're the best thing since ouzo!"

Tim laughed. "Speaking of alcohol, if anyone will need the Admiral or Captain's witness statement about how much their guests had to drink this evening and possibly their nephew's state of mind, the ship sails at 0600 Sunday and I happen to know they'll be in Athens for most of the day tomorrow."

"Hmm, I see, well I'd best get to it then. Try to get some sleep; you got anything to help you if you need it?"

"Yeah, Ducky gave me four sleeping pills before I left DC and I haven't had to take one yet."

"This might be a really good night to try one then."

"That's a good idea, got lots of fun stuff going on this weekend, and I would really like to be awake for it all."

"All right then my friend, you take that and get a good night's rest and I'll see you tomorrow night!"

"Thanks Pete, good night!" They disconnected and Tim went back into the bathroom to find the bottle with the four pills Ducky had tucked in his luggage that Thursday before he left DC. He felt a pull to talk with the older man but knew he needed sleep now most of all. He took the pill and then changed into his jammies. He set his phone alarm to give him time for a run and then crawled into bed.

His alarm woke him the next morning and he stretched, glad Pete had suggested the sleeping aid. He didn't even remember falling asleep and he'd slept straight through. As he fixed himself a smoothie, he sent a quick text to Lina, wishing her a good morning. After consuming half of the smoothie, he popped a lid on it and put it in the refrigerator. Pulling his running clothes on, he stepped out into his backyard and did his morning warm-ups, as usual practicing his martial arts moves, stopping only to read Lina's reply. He shook his head, he really needed to get back to his class and make more of an effort to get there. Lately, his life…he snorted, no sense rehashing it all, it was highly unlikely that anything had changed overnight. He went for his run, nodding at his fellow runners and then after doing his cool down, returned home for a shower, dressing in his jeans and casual shirt for the trek to the flea market. He finished his smoothie and had a cup of coffee then gathered his pack and everything he'd need for the day. He stopped at the only ATM he knew of that was on his way to the ship and pulled out enough cash so he could have some fun if he found any treasures today. He was hoping to find a few things for his grandmothers, godmother, aunt and cousins. If he did, those items could make their way home on the Baton Rouge. He shook his head, in less than a week, he'd gotten used to having his godfather and uncle around and he knew he was going to miss them a lot when they sailed tomorrow. He was glad he'd been able to spend as much time with them as he had, he'd learned a lot about them, about himself, the McGee-Hubbard-Crane extended family in general and perhaps best of all, about his parents. He got a kick out of his parents having met and fallen in love as quickly as he and Lina seemed to be doing and he thought she'd caught that too. He was so glad they were both going to the Embassy party tonight! She assured him that as long as they each had their invitations and ids with them it wouldn't be a problem for them to arrive together. Tim had decided to keep it a surprise for the others. As he drove to the ship, he wondered what Lina would be wearing and knew without a doubt it would be the most beautiful dress worn by the most beautiful woman there. With a big smile, he turned in at the security gate and the guard just waved him in.

The uncles were just walking down the gangplank when he drove up, so he pulled up and let them climb in. Uncle Dave stopped before he got in and looked him over carefully. "Agent Russell called us last night."

Tim nodded, "Yes, that's part of the procedure. I'm not allowed to discuss it though."

"You all right?"

Tim nodded, "Yep, not the first time I've pulled the trigger and I'm sure it will not be the last." He smiled at the two of them, "I really am all right. I took a sleeping aid last night and had a good rest and a good run this morning."

"How long will you be benched?"

"Until the inquiry is done; Pete's thinking it can all be done on Monday."

"And if you get a call out?"

Tim shrugged and chuckled. "You know who our backup is!"

"Yeah. So who conducts the inquiry? They fly someone in from JAG?"

Tim looked at them and made a gesture as if zipping his lips. "Ok, you really can't talk about it."

Tim nodded. "So, I know Uncle Jim has his shopping list, do you have anything specific you're looking for, Uncle Dave?"

"Nah, I just want to spend more time with you, kiddo. And have lunch with Lina at the museum."

"Great, you can help me then! I'd like to send some gifts home for the family for Christmas so if you spot anything today that you think Gram, Penny, Liz, Claire, Ainsley or Callum would like, please let me know!"

Dave nodded, "I can do that! Sounds like fun!"

Tim laughed, "You're the only Admiral I've ever met that I've ever heard utter the word fun. Come to think of it, you're the only one I've ever seen smile when there wasn't some politico around!"

Uncle Dave gave him a toothy smile. "That's because most of them are unbearable stuffed shirts, full of their own importance. I've got them all fooled. I can play the game when I have to but politics really doesn't interest me that much."

Behind him, Jim Hubbard snorted. His boss just smiled serenely and Tim laughed at the two of them. "Family gatherings must be fun with you two, I can't wait!"

"How long do you think you'll be over here, Tim?"

"The Director told me there is a three-year minimum and maybe another few years after that. We'll see."

"Won't that put you woefully out of touch with what's going in the States?"

"Maybe, but we're also just getting funding to bump up resources here in Europe, finally making a name for ourselves here."

The Admiral chuckled, "Yep, I heard Secretary Porter and the Appropriations committee were embarrassed about having to pull in CIA agents from all over the continent for that operation that shut down the drug cartel. And all because nobody would fund NCIS in Europe."

Tim nodded, "And we led the op, they assisted. We were a success and for once our name was on the news monitors, not as "other Federal agencies".

"You sound frustrated, son."

"NCIS is nearly at the bottom of the Armed Federal Agency Food Chain; we get little publicity and we're lucky to get any funding at all, no matter how much support we give, how many dirtbags we send to prison. And yet I could tell you of cases we've solved for the FBI and the CIA." He paused, "Except I can't…well one of them I can, it's not classified. In '03 and '04, a Mossad operative who was really a Hamas double agent was touted as the next best thing; Homeland and the FBI were all over him, hoping to get an ear into al Qaeda. The guy invaded our Autopsy suite in DC and held the M.E. – Dr. Mallard – that's my friend Ducky, his assistant Gerald and one of my teammates Caitlyn Todd, hostage. FBI still thought he walked on water, even as they sent their SWAT team to assist in his removal. The guy SHOT Gerald and Gibbs and they still didn't do anything. Months later this supposed good guy reappeared and kidnapped Kate. We finally had a chance to stop his mission – and that is still classified – but while we were stopping him, he shot at me – and missed and having missed, made Kate his next target. He murdered her and the other agencies were still denying it was him. That's three agencies – Homeland, FBI and CIA – not paying the slightest bit of attention to us because we were so low on the food chain, even after he murdered our agent. By the way, he was finally taken out in Gibbs' basement as he was pulling the trigger on Gibbs. That's the kind of crap NCIS has to put up with. It's maybe not so bad now as Vance is better at dealing with the other agencies and getting our name out there than his predecessor who had her own agenda and I did not just say that! We also now have a former NCIS director at Homeland, but it's still not what it should be."

"And you have ideas how it should get there?"

"Some and the longer I'm at the agency the more I see room for change and improvement."

"Do you talk with Vance about this?"

Tim laughed. "No sir. He sometimes talks to me about internal changes that we can make at the agency – for instance I just worked on the end piece of a system upgrade that now allows all our databases to integrate and pull data. That was my project in London, to finish the testing and get it into production. But the political end of it? No way, especially not now that I'm here and in the field."

"Your databases weren't integrated before - you would have to do separate searches?"

"Yes and the parameters were different from database to database and then you'd have to import your results to your own database or documents and make sure to list your sources. It was a huge pain and nearly a decade past the time it should have been done."

"Ok and what did you mean, in the field?" Tim internally sighed while he explained more about his former team and his frequent benching to do the electronic work. "Even after I had a smart phone, when I could do the searches from the car or at the crime scene, Gibbs still kept me at my desk."

"Do you know why?"

"Yeah, it wasn't anything to do with my performance; it had to do with how he saw me."

"He saw you as the computer tech?"

"That was part of it, sure; the rest of it is going to sound weird because it is weird, but he didn't want me around him any more than he had to because I remind him too much of his dead daughter."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, I'd had some hints, but he finally said it to me the other day."

Tim explained about Kelly Gibbs and what Gibbs had told him about his resemblance to her and the pain it caused him and finished by telling them of the man's change of heart after the bombing at HQ.

"Change of heart is one thing, years of misconduct is another. He hasn't been fired?"

"Served a month's suspension and was given a choice of retirement or taking a new team with the supervision of Director Vance."

"Damn he must be good to overlook that."

Tim nodded. "He is the best at the agency. Comes with a price though."

Uncle Dave shook his head, "And this is your go-to guy."

"I know it sounds crazy but he's making every effort to change things. I'm starting to believe he's sincere."

"Would you go back to work for him?"

"No."

"Good. If you had an employee under you that did what's he done and wasn't as good as his job, what would you do?"

"Fire his ass and I'm pretty sure I'd do that even if he was as good as Gibbs."

Jim patted him on the back, "Good, you'll do fine."

Tim didn't have time to wonder what exactly he meant by that as they'd reached the Metro station, parked and were now walking to the train platform. They were soon sitting comfortably on their way into Athens. Disembarking at the stop for Monastiraki, they could see the flea market from the platform. It didn't look crowded yet as it was just 0800 and a little chilly, so they took the opportunity to look down on the market to see who had what to offer. The first thing Jim said was, "I see the fabric vendor I need." He led the way as he'd been there before.


	50. Chapter 50

Big shout out to my readers, you all are the best! Starting next week, I'll post three times a week, Mon., Wed., Fri. - the days you voted for. A little surprise for you in this chapter.

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Fifty<p>

Tim resumed his thoughts about NCIS as they walked. "The flip side to being a small agency is there's still an incredible amount of loyalty which flows in all directions - between agents, Leads and teams, in between teams, directors and employees. Most of us know a lot of us, or at least have heard things about us. I hope we always have that community feel. You don't see that at the other agencies; there's loyalty but it's mostly one way – upwards - and agents seem to only know the agents they've worked with at some point. I'm sure it works fine, but I'm more of a community kind of guy. While I protect my privacy I also like to be part of a community."

"That part of why you're working things out with Gibbs?"

"Yeah, a lot of it. I won't be part of his team, but I still want to be part of his community – his family."

Uncle Dave nodded, "Ok, I guess I can understand that."

Uncle Jim elbowed him, "We've seen the man step up for Tim a couple of times. From what little I know, I'd say he's sincerely trying." Tim nodded, glad they both seemed to understand, at least as much as he understood his driving need to fix things with his former boss.

They arrived at the fabric vendor's stall and the three men started looking for the type and colors of fabric Claire and Maisie had requested. Between the three of them they found fabric for both women. The vendor also had yarn, freshly spun yarn from different breeds of sheep and goats. Tim spotted a skein of the softest blue that he thought would look wonderful with the blue of his grandmother Maisie's eyes. He spoke with the vendor for quite awhile, wanting to know how many skeins he needed so someone could knit a sweater for Maisie. Dave had no idea what his godson was up to, but when Jim saw the color of the yarn, he had an inkling of what Tim was about. Realizing that one of the fabrics on Claire's list was to make a top for Maisie, he tapped Tim on the shoulder. "Are you trying to decide what size a sweater or wrap should be for Maisie? "

"Yes, this nice lady is suggesting a wrap since I don't have her size, but I'd really like her to be able to wear it anytime, not just going out."

"Ask her if it would help if she knew how much fabric would be needed to make a blouse for her?"

"Huh, ok." Tim turned to the woman whose face lit up when he asked and Jim offered his list, pointing to the fabric in question. She did some mental figuring and then pulled a few skeins from her supply. Tim looked at it and asked the woman how hard it would be for his grandmother to make the sweater for herself. The woman patted him on the cheek and offered to make it for him to send to her. Tim asked if it could be done in time for mailing to the U.S. for Christmas and she beamed at him. He laughed, he'd never envisioned giving handmade sweaters from the Mediterranean as gifts but he thought they'd be light, perfect for spring or fall climates back home. Remembering that Claire's eyes were hazel, he told the woman and she helped him find yarn that Uncle Jim agreed would look lovely on his wife.

Tim had worried about those two, not sure what to get them but he liked the idea of handmade. After arranging everything with the woman, along with Jim's purchases, they moved on. Tim remembered some Greek music the Russell kids had been playing when he'd stayed over and had written the group's name down, always looking for new tunes. He pulled the information out of his phone and realized he could probably buy the album online and send it to Callum and Ainsley via one of the music sites. He asked Jim whether they had i-pods or MP3 players and with an eye roll was told his cousins had the latest i-pods. That gave Tim another idea and as they walked through the vast market he kept his eye out for covers for their devices. Again, after seeing what the Russell kids were using, he thought that Callum and Ainsley would enjoy the same sort of thing.

As they walked, Tim was blown away by the variety of merchandise offered, from fabric to artwork, furniture to clothing to kitchen items, to bric-a-brac and fresh produce. Uncle Dave suggested a Grecian print handbag for Aunt Liz and eventually they found one that Tim liked and the Admiral knew his wife would love. Tim bought another, smaller version for Sarah and a sturdy book bag for Rob. He paused to look at some light fixtures but didn't see any that jumped out at him for his dining room.

Dave and Jim were having a great time, buying little items for their families. They asked Tim if he was going to look for anything for Lina and he chuckled. "She designs and makes her own clothes, so I guess if I saw some fabric that would be fine but her taste is impeccable. She also designs and makes her own jewelry and handbags, so I think shoes are the only items left there. And as she is an artist, everything in the house she shares is her work as well. I think a book might be safe or maybe luggage."

They laughed at that and Dave said, "Better figure out something she doesn't make herself, Tim boy."

"Lotions, perfumes?"

"Yeah, find out what scents she likes, that's good."

"Dedicate a book to her." Tim smiled as he'd thought of that too. For this Christmas it would be something simple, for instance those little glass cylinders for holding individual flower stems. And maybe a pretty vase, he didn't remember her mentioning pottery as one of her art forms. He decided to ask Trina. He spotted some handmade soap and purchased a variety for Kim, Tea, Eva and Trina. He knew Eva and Caleb loved to cook together and didn't have much extra money, so he would get a gift card from a kitchen shop they'd mentioned that day they'd spent together in Athens. He laughed to himself; new friends meant more fun buying Christmas gifts. He loved buying gifts for people, simple ones - things each would like. He'd rarely had time in his old life and only bought online but shopping like this was a lot of fun – especially with his two escorts. Each man was now carrying a pack on his back, Jim had one of his own and Tim brought an extra one that his godfather was carrying. Laughing, he pulled out his phone and took a photo of Admiral Crane in casual clothes, Tim's spare pack on his back and then one of Uncle Jim pawing through the book bags. Tim had noticed some of the crew around, they'd spotted their officers and mostly melted away into the growing crowd but he'd seen a few smirks and smiles too. There were even a few discreet nods.

By 11:30 they were getting hungry and decided to head over to the museum. Tim wanted to buy an annual pass so he'd do that today and they could wander through the exhibits until Lina's lunch break and possibly after their meal as well. All three men were very happy to check their packs while they were in the museum and after making sure Lina knew they were there but in no hurry, they strolled around. Jim hadn't been before and Dave said it had been years since he'd been and Tim had only been the one time so they enjoyed the sights. He stopped by the gift store, looking for items he hoped would interest some of the others on his gift list. He found a book that he knew Ducky would like and then spotted some beautifully made shadow puppets. He'd noticed an exhibit at another museum he'd visited and the gift shop had a good stock of replicas. He chose some of the most intricately made and purchased them for his cousins and Kayla and Jared Vance. He found some small dolls dressed in ancient Grecian fashion and bought several to send to the shelter for the children's Christmas. These would be sent home with Uncle Jim who promised to personally deliver them to Tim's friend Lu at the shelter. Tim had some other trinkets he'd purchased for them while in the UK; he'd already given them to his uncle who would delivery those to the shelter and camp as well.

At 1300, Lina found them and announced she could take extra time so they decided to eat out. Checking with Lina, Tim confirmed his suspicions that Thanasis was not all that far away and the four of them agreed, the two naval officers excited to try the minced meat souvlaki Tim had raved about.

The two older men were relaxed and kept the conversation going, telling Tim and Lina more stories about their escapades, some with Dan McGee, some of them together and some individually. They enjoyed the souvlakis, the company, the conversations and especially the laughter. Eventually they accompanied Lina back to the museum, reclaimed their packs and headed back out to the market. Tim and his uncle were still looking for gifts and Uncle Dave was having too good a time looking to want to stop. Besides, he'd given himself the entire afternoon off; he wasn't due back until 1800.

By 1600, they threw in the towel. As much fun as they'd had and as many items as they'd purchased, they were done. Tim was both relieved and sad, knowing the time to say goodbye to them was drawing closer. They walked partway back to the Metro station with their packs now stuffed full and stopped at a café for a coffee. Jim was a little pensive, something Tim had said earlier rang a bell with him but he hadn't yet figured out what exactly it was or why. He mentally shrugged; he'd rather enjoy their last hour with Tim than worry about some wisp of a memory. The three of them sat enjoying the company and the coffee and were just about to leave when Tim's phone rang. He answered it and began to look concerned as he listened. The men were surprised when he finally spoke. "We're not that far from you. Didn't you drive in today? Why don't we meet you and I can drive you home. Is there…yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Ok, we'll be there in a few minutes." Tim shook his head as he disconnected. "Lina's not feeling well, she's not sure if it's something she ate or if she's coming down with something or a combination of both. Do you two mind if we walk back to the museum? It's just a few blocks. She drove in today so we can all ride back together."

"Has she felt ill since lunch, Tim? Do you think it's something from the restaurant?"

"I don't know, but we three are fine, right? And I've eaten there before and so has Matt, with no ill effects." He paused briefly and then continued. "With the number of kids they have going through the museum, it could very well be some sort of bug. I don't know about Greece but at home, you know this is flu season."

"Uh oh, get your flu shot?"

Tim laughed, "Before I left the States! Ducky wasn't taking any chances!"

"Ducky, oh yes, that's the Dr. Mallard you were speaking of the other day. He gave you a shot? Isn't he a medical examiner?"

"Yes, but he also takes care of our general health. He didn't do our physicals, but most other things."

"Ah, yes. Tell me - is the nickname because of his surname?"

"Oddly enough, he says it has nothing to do with that. Although he's a Scotsman, he lived in London as a child during World War II. He claims that the nickname comes from a well-earned reputation among his friends for his talent in ducking the bombs."

He happened to glance from his godfather to his uncle and was a little alarmed to see the man had gone pale. "Uncle Jim, are you all right?"

"Yes, Timmy, I think I'm just tired. You'd think I'd be used to walking – we walk the ship every day, but this is different."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Walking slowly – strolling as we've been doing - does a number on my back."

His godfather frowned, "You have a back problem, Tim?"

"It doesn't generally bother me but yes, I do - from the car wreck and a later injury. It's strolling or kneeling that hurts, luckily I'm more likely to be on the run and I'm not a churchgoer so no worries about kneeling! As long as I stay in shape it's good."

They reached the museum and Tim texted Lina to let them know they were there. She quickly joined them, a pale version of the woman they'd had lunch with, and led them to her car. He opened the passenger side door and made sure she was comfortable before opening the trunk and putting all the packs in. When all four of them were in, they decided to drive to the Piraeus Metro station where Tim's car was parked. Uncle Jim would then drive it, following him to Lina's, there they'd change cars. They stopped at Lina's place long enough for Tim to help her inside as she was now experiencing some lightheadedness. Dani was home and she promised to take good care of their friend. She also mentioned that Ross had been feeling the same symptoms, making Tim think it was a bug that was going around.

After retrieving their stuff from the trunk of Lina's car and re-settling themselves into Tim's, the three men headed off to the ship. The two older men teased Tim because he was driving as slowly as possible. He shrugged, "I don't want to say goodbye. I know I'll see you again, it's just…this has been a phenomenal week and everything but I just found you, I don't want to let either of you go."

"We feel the same way, Tim. If I could think of any viable excuse to hold us over, I would. But I don't think Secretary Porter would be very happy with my saying I wanted to hold us over for a month or two to spend time with my godson and the Captain's nephew." They chuckled at that. Uncle Dave continued, "Now if you wanted to come with us, that would be great! But I know better than that."

"I've got an idea, let's plan our next meet and then we'll have something to look forward to – and don't forget Skype, we can see each other all the time on that."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, that's good and I like the idea of scheduling when we're going to meet. " He paused. "It'll be a while though, you two will be home through March, but I can't take vacation that soon. Maybe over the summer if you're home."

"Doubt we will be, depends on what's going on. We might be somewhere close by here though, not Greece, but possibly Turkey or maybe Israel." The Admiral snorted, "Or we could be off the coast of South Korea."

"Can't make it there, but if you're anywhere near here, I could get away for a couple of days and come visit."

"Any chance of you getting Stateside in the next year?"

Tim shrugged, "I wasn't planning on it but things change, you never know!"

Uncle Jim laughed, "We'll never get everyone in the same place!"

Tim grinned at him, "I love a challenge!"

They'd reached the harbor and were waved in by the guard. Tim shook his head, "I know this is picky, but security is too lax here. They should be stopping me every time I come in and they haven't since Wednesday."

"That's because they know you belong to us and you're a federal agent."

"Doesn't matter, protocols are in place for a reason. They're asking for trouble. "

"You're right. What are you going to do about it?"

"Sir, you're the Admiral! We're not allowed to do anything until something actually happens."

Uncle Dave nodded. "All right, we'll talk with the harbormaster tonight, call it a courtesy call." Uncle Jim snorted, "And by 'we' he means me."

Tim smiled. "You two crack me up."

His godfather and uncle grinned at each other and then at Tim, "We aim to please!"

They pulled up in front of the gangplank and Tim got out with them, trying to ignore the big lump in his throat. "0600 tomorrow, right?"

"Tim…from experience I can tell you it'll just be harder if you come down."

Tim nodded. "Ok."

He looked at the two of them. "I've had the best week of my life, even with Gibbs, your poor sailor and the case, Abby's craziness and my various meltdowns, you two…and the whole family…I'm so lucky, I think I must be the luckiest guy in the world."

They grabbed him and held on for long minutes. Uncle Jim finally managed to speak. "We were excited – all of us – to be visiting here, it's been a few years. But when I looked up and saw Dave staring at you, I remember thinking that ghosts usually appear as they were when they died, not as grown men. And then I just kept thinking how they say that everyone has a double, but how big of a coincidence would that be? When Pete introduced you…Tim, I can't even begin to tell you how that felt. To even think that you might be alive, that someone wasn't pulling a massive trick on us."

Uncle Dave was nodding, "It's a miracle, son, that's what you are, along with Sarah, Rob and Geordie. I look forward to meeting him too!"

Tim laughed, "There's been a lot of changes since last time we saw our brother the Marine, that's for sure." He gave the two men one last heartfelt squeeze and then stood back. "All right, I'm just gonna go."

"Tim, what about your pack?"

He smiled at his godfather, "Take it home with you, Uncle Dave. I'll get it next time I see you, all right?"

He got pulled in again, this time for farewell kisses from his uncle and godfather. "Love you, our sweet funny little boy, back from the dead and grown into the wonderful person you are, our Tim. This has been a fantastic week for us too."

Tim's phone alarm chimed and the three of them laughed. "Ok, now I have to go, got a fancy dress party to get ready for tonight. You'll give everyone kisses and hugs from me?"

"Yes of course."

"Ok, going then. Love you both more than I can say." Tim pulled back, smiled at them, turned around, got in his car and drove away, knowing he didn't dare look back.

As they watched him drive away, Dave elbowed Jim. "What's up?"

"Geez, I thought I slid that past you."

"No siree, now spill."

"I'm pretty sure Mallard was the name of Lily's father. I need to ask my mom."

"You think…?"

"Could be, I think the last name's right, he was a kid in World War II so he's about the right age, he's Scots, he's a doctor. Could be Timmy's been working with his own grandfather for all these years and neither of them knew it."

"At least they're close and he hasn't done any of the horrible things Gibbs has."

"You're right. Anyway, we don't know for sure."

The Admiral looked at him. "You have time right now and it's just lunchtime at home. Call her."

"And ask her and if she says that might be him, then what?"

"Then it's up to her. Hopefully she calls Dr. Mallard and the two of them decide what to do."

"Oh, that's a good idea, I like that. Huh, I wonder who would have his phone number…besides Tim."

"Good question, let's think while we walk, this stuff is getting heavy."

Two steps up the gangplank, Jim said, "He works at NCIS HQ, she can call there, ask for him."

"Yep. Simple."

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"Because sometimes my dear Captain Hubbard, it is more fun than I can resist to just torture you."

Very quietly under his breath, Jim muttered something about know-it-all Admirals but his boss just laughed at him. They reported in and continued their walk to quarters.

After Jim removed his shoes, he sat in front of his laptop and sent a ping to his wife. She answered, "Hi honey! I wasn't expecting to hear from you till later!"

"Just got back from the flea market with Tim and Dave. Got everything on your list, I'm proud to say."

"And did you have a good time with Tim?"

"Yeah, it was great, we had a hard time saying goodbye. Dave even hinted he could come with us." Claire laughed. "We had lunch with his girlfriend too, that was fun."

Claire looked at him. "What?"

"Geez, between you and the Admiral!"

"We both know you well, James Hubbard."

"Ok, here goes. In DC on his old team, Tim has a friend he calls Ducky. He talked a little more about him today and I realized his name is Mallard. He's the Medical Examiner and he's also a physician – and he's Scots. I was thinking…"

"Oh my gosh, Jim, you think he's Maisie's Donald?"

"Wasn't sure I had the last name right."

"It's Mallard, Donald Mallard."

"Didn't hear Tim say his first name."

"He works in DC?"

"Yeah and he sounds like he's about the right age, he's a doctor and he's Scots."

"We have to tell her."

"I agree."

"Do you have his phone number?"

"No, but he works at NCIS headquarters, you could call for her, ask for him, if you have any problems tell the switchboard you're the wife of a Navy Captain – throw my name in and that it's a personal call. That should get you through and then Maisie can talk with him."

"I can look that up online."

"Yes."

"Oh Jim, this is exciting and a little scary."

"Scary?"

"For your mum, it might be a little scary after all these years. To have to tell her first love that he was a father but that his daughter is dead."

"Geez, I was only thinking about him being Tim's grandfather – and Sarah, Rob and Geordie too."

"Now that's a young man who's going to have a whole lot of surprises when he surfaces."

"Maybe not, they write him every week and they tell him everything, they each number their letters so he knows which order to read them in. Tim says a lot of times he'll get several weeks of mail all at once and he insists on knowing as much as possible about what's going on with them."

"Jim honey, hold on, I think I hear Maisie and the kids coming in." Jim nodded as she disappeared from the screen. She was back in two minutes with his mother and the two kids. He spoke with his children for a few minutes and then asked them for some time with their mother and grandmother. He didn't look worried so they cheerfully agreed and blowing kisses at him, vanished from the room. He smiled, as much as he loved his nephew and as hard as it was to leave him behind, he couldn't wait to get home to see his kids.

He looked at his mother who sat there with a patient look on her face. "It's good to see you, son. Have you had a good time with our Timothy today?"

"Yes mum, it was a wonderful day and Dave went with us."

"That's good. Now, tell me what's on your mind, James."

"Mum, Lily's father I mean her biological father, his name was Mallard, yes?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Donald Mallard." Claire took the next bit. "Mum, Tim works with a Dr. Mallard at NCIS, he calls him Ducky. Jim says he sounds the right age and that he's Scots."

Maisie's already pale skin went paper white. "Ducky…oh my, I haven't…oh my heavens."

"Mum, was that your Donald's nickname?"

"It had been when he was a child in London during the war. He managed to duck away from all the bombs." Maisie was understandably flustered. "I thought of trying to find him after your dear father died, but then I realized I would have to tell him that he'd had a daughter he'd never met who was now deceased and three grandchildren he'd never met, also now deceased. I just couldn't do that to him."

"It's up to you, Mum. I didn't say anything to Tim, I wasn't sure of my facts anyway."

"Do you know how long Tim has known him?"

"Ten years, Mum."

"Would Donald have met Sarah and Rob?"

Jim had to stop and think about that and then remembered Tim's description of his second surprise party. "Yes, he's met Sarah in person at least once, she was at his house last week for one of Tim's birthday parties and Rob was there over Skype, like we're using now."

"Oh that's good then. Then perhaps the news about Lily won't seem quite so harsh." She shook her head, "I don't know what I'm saying, there's nothing in this world that will soften that news. All I can hope is that he'll forgive me." She stopped and took a deep breath and held it before releasing it. "I must tell him, it's only right, I should have told him years ago. Drew always urged me to, but I didn't want to shake things up. Your father and sister were so close."

Jim felt the familiar pang of grief when he thought of his father and sister. "It's up to you, Mum."

"There's no choice son, I owe it to my grandchildren as well as Donald."

The three of them spoke for a few minutes longer and then Jim signed off as it was time for him to relieve his XO. Across the Atlantic, his mother remained in front of the computer screen although her eyes were unfocused; her joy in finding her grandchildren alive now buried in the dread of the task ahead, one she could only envision as full of grief and anger.


	51. Chapter 51

Finding Home, Chapter Fifty One

When Tim got home, he called Lina to see how she was doing. Dani answered Lina's cell phone and reported that she was asleep and promised to let her know he'd called. He was disappointed that they wouldn't be going to the Embassy together but it couldn't be helped. As for everything else, they could wait.

As Tim was about to hop in the shower, Matt called to confirm they were driving in together and picking up Kim and Evander;they agreed to meet at their apartment. After they hung up Tim realized he'd never changed the drive share plan; that could have been awkward. He shook his head at his omission, he was usually more organized and certainly tried to be a more considerate friend than that.

After his shower, Tim dried his hair and then ran downstairs to have some dinner. He suspected any food served tonight would be of the appetizer variety and he didn't want to risk getting anything on his new tuxedo. He made himself a large sandwich and enjoyed that with a glass of lemonade. Back upstairs, he pulled his tux and dress shoes out of the closet. As he dressed he thought about how cool it would have been to surprise the others when he walked in with Lina – and then he put that thought right out of his mind. There would be other times, other surprises. He decided to think about his family instead. He couldn't wait to see Sarah, Rob and hopefully James over the Christmas holidays.

Pete had explained that the four European offices rotated holidays every year, one office worked Christmas Eve, another Christmas Day and the remaining two working New Years Eve and New Years Day. This year the Athens office would be working New Years' Day, so Tim could count on having Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. Matt was toying with the idea of flying home for Christmas but he hadn't made up his mind. Tim had a sneaking suspicion his family was pressuring him and that he didn't really want to go. He knew he'd spent several days traveling around Europe before reporting in here and he wouldn't have that much vacation time this year; he hadn't yet celebrated his first anniversary with the agency.

He was still early and looking at his watch, decided to try reaching his siblings. He pinged Rob's laptop and smiled happily when Sarah's face appeared. "Hi Sweet Pea, good you're awake!"

"Barely, but yeah, James and I just back from an early pub dinner – Rob got called into work this afternoon. I've been taking naps and I'm almost ready for another one. "

"That's good, but don't sleep for too long, you want to try to sleep as much as possible tonight."

"It's weird. When we got here from the airport, I took a shower and slept for two hours and then I woke up and I didn't feel like doing anything but I didn't feel like not doing anything either. So Rob and I went for a walk and he showed me all the stores and the pub. We came back to the apartment, I mean the flat and I had a sandwich and milk and then I fell asleep again. That's when Rob got called in. I was hungry when I woke up again so James went with me to the pub, probably the earliest dinner they've ever served!"

"Mmm, we might be tied for that honor!"

"How long did you say it took you?"

"A week really, but the first three days, including the day I arrived, were the hardest. So if you follow the same pattern, you've really just got two more days."

"Great, I'll fall asleep in my first class on Monday!"

"That's what caffeine is for – and you'll probably be full of adrenaline anyway. You going to do a dry run for the train ride tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Rob was going to but since he'll probably sleep late, James said he'd go with me. So how are you, OH Tim, you're wearing your new tux! Stand back a little, I want to see it." Tim put the laptop up on a shelf and then stood up and a bit away. "Ooh, Big Brother, you're looking very suave and debonair! Too bad Lina can't go with you!"

Tim shook his head, "Turned out she has her own invitation so we were going to surprise everyone by showing up together but she got sick at work this afternoon. I was in Athens with the uncles and we had lunch with her but by the time we were ready to go home, she was feeling pretty miserable, so no surprise tonight."

"Aw, that's too bad, that would have been fun. Maybe when she's better you can find someplace that's nice enough to wear your tux and whatever she was going to wear."

"Sarah, you're a genius!"

"About time you recognized that, Tim! Really it's just that I'm a girl and you have no clue."

"I humbly agree, little sister."

"So other than your girlfriend – look at that big grin – getting sick, how was your day with the uncles?"

"God, it was so great, I can't wait for you guys to meet them, they're funny and warm and it's just so nice having uncles."

"Um, why? I'm not getting what the big deal is. I mean, they seem nice, but…"

Tim looked at her, "Because we've never had them before. And they're kind of fatherly, they uh..." Tim blushed, "they hug and kiss me like a dad would."

Sarah looked at her brother, "Oh Timmy, I'm so sorry you haven't had that and you don't remember our own dad doing that."

"I do Sarah, but it's been so long and it kinda feels like they're making up for all the years I didn't have any dad. They've told me all kinds of things about our Dad and I wrote some down; I'll send them to you and Rob."

"Ok, that'd be great." She yawned and Tim chuckled, "That's ok, Sweet Pea, it's time for me to get going, you go take your nap! Tell James hi and tell Rob I love him. Love you too."

"Me too, Tim, always. So glad to finally be over here where I can just hop a plane and come see you!"

"Only a few weeks until Christmas."

Sarah yawned again as she nodded and they disconnected. Tim still had a couple of minutes and stood looking at his weapons. He wouldn't take the gun but he felt naked without his knife. Shrugging, he put his knife holster on his right calf and fastened his knife in. Now he felt more secure. He locked the others in his small safe and grabbing his keys, left to meet Matt.

He had just parked in front of the apartment building Kim and Evander lived in when Matt pulled up behind him. "Hey, perfect timing!" Tim locked his car and sat in the front seat of Matt's, sending a quick text to Kim letting her know they were here. He'd thought about going up to get them, but they lived on the third floor and she'd mentioned yesterday that the elevator wasn't working.

"Yeah, I'm glad you're coming with me Tim, always feels kind of strange going in alone."

"And yet apparently they want us there alone. Did I tell you I was told no dates unless you were at least engaged?"

"Wow, no you didn't. Let me guess, you didn't propose to Lina on the spot."

"As a matter of fact…" Tim laughed at Matt's eyes. "No, come on, we've known each other a week. Not to say I didn't fantasize about it, but no. We need to get to know each other and one week doesn't do it."

"Good."

"However, it turns out she had her own invitation to the party tonight but can't make it."

"Oh man, so you were going to have a date after all?"

Tim shrugged, "Doesn't matter, she's home sick." They stopped talking while Kim and Evander joined them.

"That's too bad, Lina being sick. So how was your first trip to the flea market?"

"Fun, my godfather and uncle are crazy and we had a good time. And I found some stuff for Christmas gifts."

"Hmm, find anything for me?"

"Not telling! I was really looking for things to ship home with them but the few things I found I'll have to mail home on my own."

"How come?"

"While Uncle Jim was looking for fabric, I found this yarn that I swear is the same color as my grandmother's eyes, so the woman who was selling it is knitting a sweater for her – and one for my aunt too. I'll mail them home when they're ready. What about you, have you decided whether to go or stay?"

"I don't know, I'd have just enough days including my flights and I'd only be able to stay a few days, not even a full week, just doesn't seem like it would be worth it. I know my folks miss me but I'd rather go when I have more vacation time and make it worth the cost of flying over and back."

"Hmm, how about you Kim, you two ever go to the States for the holidays?"

Kim shook her head, "I went home for Christmas two years ago and my parents came over to meet Evander when we got engaged, but no, we haven't both been."

"What do you do on Christmas?"

Evander spoke, "My family lives on the north side of Athens, we spend it with them."

"That's nice to have family close by."

Kim smiled, "It is, yes! Your sister and brother are coming from London, aren't they?"

"Yes and I can't wait. We've never been apart this long. I don't know what I'd do without Skype."

The four of them chatted as Matt drove. The conversation slowed once they reached Athens and found the right street. They pulled up at the security gate that fronted the parking facility and passed their IDs, badges and invitations over. Tim also leaned over. "Special Agent Timothy McGee, NCIS. I'm wearing a leg holster with a knife; I'm assuming you want to see it."

"Yes sir, if you'll pass it to me, and any other weapons you have on you, we'll get you escorted through building security."

Matt looked at the guard, "Uh, I have mine on too, sorry I thought I'd just need to tell them inside."

"No sweat Agent Watson; it's a courtesy to let us know here. Inside would have been fine."

Both agents passed their knives over and another guard leaned in the window and said to Kim and Evander, "Do either of you have weapons on you?" They shook their heads. "All right, after you park, you two can go on through regular security. You two," He pointed to Tim and Matt, "meet me at the security door and I'll take the two of you through that way." Tim and Matt both recognized him at the same time. "Hey! Good to see you!"

"Yeah, and look at you two in your penguin suits. Lot happier occasion than the last times we met." They nodded, he was one of the Marines who'd been with them during the case; they'd also seen him at the service yesterday morning. After parking, Kim and Evander went on their way and the two agents met the Marine; he escorted them through security and then to a side office where he gave them their knives.

"Expecting trouble?"

"No, just always prepared."

Matt grinned and pointed at Tim. "His fault, he's taught me to always carry a knife, says they don't run out of ammunition."

"That's true, that's actually a saying we have in the Marines."

The Marine looked at Tim quizzically and he chuckled. "Not me! I used to work for a former Gunny but I think I was told that by a former Mossad officer."

"You hang out with some scary people! Anyway, here you go and… Semper Fi." They thanked him and went on to the party, Matt leading the way.

As they walked through the hallway, Tim patted Matt on the shoulder, "You know, if you don't go home for Christmas, I'd like you to join us."

"You and Lina?"

"I think she'll be up north with her family. I meant Sarah, Rob and possibly James after Christmas."

"Wow that would be fun! That sounds better than flying 12 hours each way to be freezing for a week."

Tim shook his head. "They're your family, Matt. You'd be going to see your family, not because of the weather." He paused, "Although I do see your point."

"I was thinking I could surprise them for Mother's Day or the Fourth of July, I'd have more vacation days – and more money saved – by then."

"That's good, if you decide not to go for Christmas."

"You think I should go for that."

"Not my decision Matt and I've never been in your situation, so I can't – and won't – judge."

"Truth is I don't really want to go, Tim. I love it here and I'm not ready to go home and be the dutiful son."

"Ok."

"Yeah?"

Tim huffed, "Matt, I told you, I'm not judging and I meant what I said about wanting you to join us. You can stay over if you'd like."

"Oh, for Christmas Eve?"

"Yeah, gotta warn you though, Sarah will probably drag us all to church."

"That's ok, that sure won't hurt us!"

Tim had to resist the urge to reach over and ruffle Matt's hair. "So I'm not going back to the States. I'm going to stay here, it just seems more practical."

"You change your mind, you better do it quick, airfare's going to cost more the closer you get."

"Yeah, see that's the thing - if I was going to go, I should have planned. I shouldn't have taken that trip around Europe."

"It's hard to know all that practical stuff, huh?"

"Yeah. But you do."

"Raised two kids, had to learn early how to be practical." Tim thought about that. He loved his "kids" and was proud of them but he also wanted his own children. He wanted to give them all the love, support and guidance he'd missed. He planned to protect them in every way possible which he figured guaranteed they'd be rebellious. Laughing at himself, he followed Matt to the party.

When they entered what Matt said was the ballroom, Tim was surprised by the size. He'd only been to the Embassy once but he never would have guessed that this building contained a ballroom and wondered if the room was built specifically for that purpose. Matt saw him looking around and said, "The building is over a hundred years old and it's always been an embassy. I guess back then they built embassies to have parties in them!"

Tim nodded, "Sure looks like it." There was a large dance floor, musicians sitting on one side with small tables and chairs scattered around the edges of the room. Matt looked at his friend. "Come on, I'll show you where we can check our overcoats, plus the food and bar." Tim blinked as he saw servers in the ballroom. "Not allowed to bring drinks in here yourself, but you can order drinks to be served." Matt spoke softly, "Carla said they don't want noisy conversations in the ballroom so you can't bring drinks in, but people do like to have a cocktail while watching the dancing, so they can be served. She said the servers won't bring anything to anyone that they think has had too much. Keeps the rowdier people in the other room."

Tim very quietly asked, "How much dancing are we expected to do?"

Matt shrugged, "I've danced maybe three or four times and Carla said that was fine. Seems like people who are here with someone like to dance more."

Tim nodded, "That makes sense. Hope no one is expecting a waltz out of these two left feet!"

"Only the serious dancers get out there for those and they'll only play a couple of things like that."

They checked their coats and coming out, spotted Kim and Evander with Pete and Trina just sitting down at a table in the 'food and drinks' room. Matt and Tim joined them, Tim glad he'd eaten already. He wanted a glass of wine, preferably a Greek wine, so he asked Evander for his recommendations and then ordered a wine made from white Savatiano grapes, grown locally. Trina wanted to hear about his dinner the previous evening and his first experience at the famous flea market so he told them, including a few stories about his godfather and uncle.

As he listened to Tim talk about his dinner with Lina and meeting the rest of his family via Skype, Pete marveled at how well his friend was handling the many changes in his life in the two short months since he'd left his old team and the States. First he spent that month in England, his first trip outside the U.S. as an adult, with his successful project and making new friends before he traveled here to them. Pete reflected again that Timothy McGee was one of the strongest people he'd ever met. He wouldn't wish his bad experiences on anyone, but he was grateful that Tim had landed here with them. He'd still been a little shy when he got here but his self-confidence was growing stronger each day. He hoped that trend would continue. As he looked around, he wondered where Lina was.

Within a few minutes, Eva, Caleb and Tea had joined them and they relaxed together for a few minutes. When the band swung into its second or third piece, Tim recognized the song as one he could dance to without embarrassing himself. He reached out to Tea, "Tea, would you like to dance?" She smiled, "Yes, I would like that, Tim!" The two of them left the table and after exchanging puzzled glances, Pete and Trina followed. Matt had spotted a young woman he'd danced with at the last Embassy party and decided she would be a good first dance partner. While he wasn't interested in women, he did enjoy dancing. The young woman also remembered him and was happy to partner with him.

When Tim and Tea returned to the table, he found the others watching him a little carefully. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Trina patted him on the hand, "Timothy, we know Lina has her own invitation, we're wondering where she is!"

Tim sighed. "She got sick at work today, she's home asleep."

Pete shook his head, "Sorry to hear that."

Tim huffed, "I should have realized you would know! I'm sorry she's sick too, that's never fun, but we'll have plenty more opportunities for parties and dancing."

The next time Tim danced, it was with someone Trina spotted. The woman was sitting on a chair in the ballroom watching the dancers, her feet tapping in time to the music. Tim nodded, approached her and asked her to dance. The woman's face lit up as they took to the floor. The tune was a lively one but Tim was relaxed enough that he didn't over-think his moves and enjoyed the dance. Bowing to his partner at the end, he escorted her back to a table where her late-arriving friends awaited her.

When the band finally played a slow dance tune, the couples took to the floor while Tea, Tim and Matt held the table. After that one, they played a waltz and that cut the dance crowd down even more. Tim watched the remaining dancers, in awe of their grace and agility. He'd only seen the waltz performed on TV, never in person. Although he was having a good time, he couldn't help but think how much more exciting and fun it would have been if Lina were here, in his arms as they whirled around the dance floor. The variety of colors of the women's dresses made him wonder what Lina's dress looked like and he resolved to follow through with Sarah's suggestion.

The rest of the evening passed quickly. Tim and Matt found several women without dance partners and enjoyed themselves. The group mixed up their partners so that everyone had a chance to dance. By 12:30 AM, the party was thinning out and when Pete and Trina stood to leave, the others decided they would too. Tim was tired but knew he probably wouldn't sleep for a few hours, especially knowing he could sleep in on Sunday. He hoped he would sleep past 0600 anyway. He mentioned it to the others on the way home and they sympathized, Kim and Matt remembering how hard it had been to leave their families, and thinking that Tim had only known his for a week.

When Tim got home, he hung up his tux and decided that as fun as the dancing had been, it had been a little warm and his tux now needed a cleaning. He shrugged; he'd deal with that on Monday. As he'd thought, he was tired but not sleepy. As he opened his laptop, he laughed at himself for being so predictable. He pinged Ducky and was gratified when the older man answered.

"Timothy, how wonderful to hear from you. Was tonight your fancy ball?"

"Yes, Ducky it was, I just got home and I'm too wound up to sleep yet! Then I realized we hadn't had a chance to catch up since Tuesday's stuff."

"That's right, lad. Did you have fun? I never heard whether Lina would be allowed to go with you." Tim explained what had happened. "Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that. And that probably means you won't see her tomorrow either. A shame, dear boy."

Tim nodded. "Yes, but we had a great time Friday night. We had dinner aboard the Baton Rouge with my godfather and uncle."

"Wonderful! Now I know you saw your uncle Tuesday evening, did you also have a chance to see your godfather as planned?"

"Yes, I got to see them both a few times during the week, well part of it was because they had a case aboard ship and the Agent Afloat called us in to help." Tim filled Ducky in on the case, including the man's Nazi past and the service for the slain sailor. "And around all that, I had lunch with Uncle Dave on Thursday and then dinner with them both Thursday night. That was after I found out about Abby, I was so glad they were here with me."

"I'm relieved to hear you weren't alone, Timothy, although I envisioned Pete and your co-workers helping you through that first shock."

"Oh they did and if the uncles hadn't been there, they would have helped, I know that."

"And then you had dinner with them again on Friday night."

"Yes, with Lina. And we got to meet the rest of the Hubbard and Crane clan via Skype."

"Did you say Hubbard?"

"Yes, my mother's family. And Liz and David Crane are my godparents. He's the Admiral on the Baton Rouge; my Uncle Jim – Jim Hubbard – is the Captain."

"Well, I suppose it is a common enough name; I had a close friend during my time in London by the name of Hubbard. So tell me about the rest of the family."

"I have two grandmothers, an aunt - Jim's wife, two young cousins and my godmother."

"And you met them all via Skype?"

"Yep. It was a little confusing but it was fun and now we all know what we look like!"

"Splendid! Now tell me, aside from her unfortunate illness, how have things gone with Lina this week?"

Tim grinned and filled him in on their time together, including the close call with the kiwi. When he finished he asked Ducky what was new with him and how Gibbs' week had gone after his return to work Wednesday. "I think they're starting to gel. Agent Barnes is a former Marine herself so Jethro is more comfortable with her than he might be otherwise. And Ned Dorneget is doing well. I believe Gibbs requested they be put on rotation beginning Monday."

"Wow, that's good!"

"Yes, the Director is pleased. You know he will be watching quite closely and will be meeting individually with each team member for the first few months."

"I didn't know that. That's going to be tough to do with their schedules."

"I imagine if all goes well perhaps he'll revisit that, but I haven't suggested that to Jethro. He does not seem to be bothered by it."

"That's good. You still haven't told me what's new with you."

"Oh lad, not too much. I'm still enjoying my bridge club on Tuesdays and my Pilates class on Thursdays. There's a new walking trail that's opened near my home so I've used that now and then. And work of course, and waiting for my grandchild!"

"Any word on that?"

"Well, I'm not sure I should say but I will. Jimmy and Breena met with a young woman the other day, they're hoping to become the adoptive parents of her child."

"How far along is she?"

"Nearly 6 months."

"How did they do, did she like them, did they like her?"

"So far, yes, they believe they made a good impression and they liked her as well. We can only wait and see."

"That must be difficult."

"Yes, it seems that it is. I just hope they are able to adopt soon. I'm not getting any younger and I would like to play an active part in the life of my grandchild."

"Ducky, I know Tony, Ziva and I aren't your grandchildren, but you've been a big part of our lives."

"Thank you dear boy."

"Have you heard from Tony?"

"Yes, I had a good chat with him last weekend. He's doing better, he seems a little more accepting of things and not struggling so much to fit in."

Tim thought of the irony of Tony struggling to fit in when he'd been one of the ones who'd refused to allow Tim to fit in. The phrase "payback's a bitch" kept drifting through his head. Realizing that bringing up the subject of Tony was still a thorny issue for him he changed the subject and told Ducky a little more about the dancing that evening.

"Did you learn how to waltz when you were a young man, Ducky?"

"Oh heavens no. I did learn, but that was later. I was in Kenya of all places and someone decided to hold a dance and we doctors were told we should know how to waltz. Now, there were 8 physicians in our group and only 2 of those were women – and none of us knew the first thing about the waltz. Someone found a record album that walked us through the steps, it also had an illustrated guide that went with the album and that is how I learned how to waltz. The tricky part was that with just 2 women, we men practiced not just with them but with each other and of course had to choose who would lead and then the other man would have to figure out how to not lead! When we got to the party, we found we were the only ones who knew how to waltz and the hosts were quite impressed with our very clumsy movements."

Tim laughed, "I wish I could see a video of that!"

"I have an 8mm movie reel of it, if you promise not to tell anyone I'll show it to you when I see you next."

"I promise and I can't wait. Is there any chance of you extending your annual vacation to Scotland to include a week or four in Greece? You'd stay with me, of course and you can drive my car, so your only cost would be the flight."

"That sounds wonderful, Timothy. I would love to plan for that! Shall we wait until after the New Year to figure out when would be the best time?"

"Sure, that sounds good!" Tim yawned, his day – and week – finally catching up with him.

"I heard that young man, you'd best get some sleep and maybe try resting tomorrow, hmm?"

"I will Ducky, promise, especially since I won't be able to see Lina."

"Do check with her in the morning, lad, it may be a 24 bug and she'll be feeling better."

"That would be good, but still, she'd need to take it easy." He made a valiant effort to swallow another yawn and Ducky chuckled. "All right, that's enough. Off to bed with you, my boy."

Tim nodded, "Yes, you're right. Good night, Ducky."

"Good night Timothy, pleasant dreams." They disconnected and Tim finished his nightly routine and never remembered climbing into bed.


	52. Chapter 52

Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Two

While Lina was feeling a little better on Sunday she was obviously still ill, so although Tim offered to go over and take care of her, their contact was confined to the phone. He spent the day at his new home, getting things ready for the arrival of his belongings mid-week. He started the day with his usual warm-up routine and run, had a healthy breakfast and puttered around the house, really his first full day there with nothing planned. He hadn't realized how tired he was after the non-stop events of the past few weeks but found that for once he enjoyed the down time. He wondered how his uncles were doing and was glad he hadn't torn himself up and made things tougher for them by going to see them off this morning. He spent a couple of hours working on his martial arts moves and when he thought he'd done enough he did some more. By day's end he was relaxed and looking forward to the week. He hoped one more day would help Lina and they could connect at some point during the week. He had class Monday night, he hoped to see Carla, Norm and the babies on Tuesday, Wednesday his stuff would be delivered, class again Thursday night and their new junior agent would arrive Friday. The weekend would be his first on call weekend since leaving DC more than two months ago. With a start he realized that Thursday was Thanksgiving – in the States anyway. He wondered if his team celebrated it at all and thought he'd just wait and see. If nobody said anything, maybe he'd put something together for his fellow Americans, but he thought the Russells would probably be doing something that would include all of them.

After a good night's sleep, he was at the office bright and early Monday morning and met Pete as he came in. "Ready to get this shooting behind you, get you off the bench?"

Tim nodded, "Oh yeah, the sooner the better."

"Good, Ted will be here at 0830 and you have your psych eval at 1000. Once that particular form is signed, you'll be good to go." Tim nodded, it still seemed very odd that Ted would do the "IA" inquiry but he was very happy it wasn't JAG. Pete found the hospital report on the injured suspect in his e-mail, the man was treated for a through and through to his hand and released that same night to the custody of the Athens police. Pete also received all the witness statements from the Athens Police Department, plus the two Pete had done for the Admiral and Captain as to Tim's state of mind before the call out to the Stavros home. He'd faxed them the completed reports, a result of his phone interview with them, before they'd sailed. Their signed copies, witnessed by the XO, came in via fax. The originals would be mailed when they reached port but the faxed signatures were legally acceptable for Tim's reinstatement.

Tim got busy working on more of the reports to be signed before he could be reinstated for duty. There would be more reports afterward - follow-ups - but his concern today were the ones Ted and Pete would need to sign. He printed out each form as he finished it and gave them to Pete.

While Tim met with Ted and worked on the forms, Pete and Matt started working on the list of items from Agent Gordon-Parks that still needed doing on the Sawyer case. Peter Arktos, the grandson, had finally been found over the weekend; he was being held by the Patras police and someone would need to question him. With the help of an interpreter, Gordon-Parks had been able to question the wife's grandparents; copies of her personal notes and report had been e-mailed to Pete and Tim. Copies of all her case work notes and accompanying reports were also in their in-boxes, Tim took the time to send them all to Matt. The probationary agent looked at the driving time to Patras, about 2 hours and 40 minutes, not too bad.

Once Ted had interviewed Tim and signed his part of the report and release, Pete took Matt and they headed to Patras to interview Peter Arktos. With them gone and Tim still benched, that meant there were no agents to support any field callouts, although handling phone calls was allowed. While he waited for his psych appointment, Tim worked on more reports and made sure his training plan for Bec was ready. Just before he left, he was happy to receive e-mails from his uncles, just general chit-chat, wondering how the dance had gone. He took a few minutes to answer them and then gathering up his notes, left for his appointment. The psychologist was accustomed to these sessions; he worked with the Athens and the Piraeus Police Departments as well as NCIS and for all Tim knew, the CIA. He went through the process and was relieved to take the signed release back to the office where he handed it over to Kim. Tim's weapon was in the office safe; she retrieved it and gave it to him. While Kim was getting his weapon from the safe, she had remarked that once Bec got there, they wouldn't have this problem any longer as they'd have 3 fully qualified agents and could handle the occasional muddle. Tim crossed fingers on both hands when she said that. With a smile he put his weapon back in his desk drawer and taped a sign he'd made on the side of his desk: "Open for Business!" That caused some giggling among his co-workers and he grinned back at them.

With the unusual morning, nobody had taken lunch yet so Tim and Eva went on the lunch run. Pete and Matt returned in the late afternoon. While they hadn't gotten much from the grandson, they'd turn it over to JAG and let them decide whether it was worth it to charge the young man as an accessory to Sawyer's murder. He'd known his grandfather was up to something but claimed he didn't know what or why.

At the end of the day, Pete gathered everyone together and told them they were all invited – with their significant others – for Thanksgiving dinner at the Russells on Saturday. He said just this once the welcome party for Bec would be combined with the American holiday. Tim grinned, "Are we having turkey?"

"Yes, there will be turkey, I'm barbecuing it and we'll have some of the traditional foods but we'll also have Greek dishes."

Tim nodded, "And are we allowed to bring things?" The others chuckled.

"Yes, you're allowed, just this once."

Tim hoped Lina would be able to go with him. He called her after the others left; she said that she would love to go.

When Vance called that evening, Tim and Pete were very happy to learn of the new budget appropriations. They kicked around some ideas between the three of them but made no immediate decisions. Vance congratulated them on their parts in the Sawyer case and said he'd received an e-mail from the director of Mossad thanking the agency for their 'cooperation" in the difficult matter. Pete and Tim looked at each other with puzzled looks as they didn't remember being particularly cooperative. The suspect died; there was no question of extradition or allowing Malachi on to the operation. They shrugged guessing it was a political comment and Vance just gave his half-smile.

His instructor was pleased when Tim did much better in his martial arts class Monday night; it was obvious that he'd made a real effort. When Tim spoke with Lina, they decided to postpone dinner until Wednesday night. Lina had suggested Tuesday but Tim had his first counseling session late that afternoon and so countered with an offer to cook her dinner Wednesday evening. She accepted, hoping she would be feeling closer to 100% by then.

XXX

Ducky and Jimmy were working on their much hated inventory forms on Monday when the switchboard called saying they had a call holding, a woman asking for Dr. Mallard saying it was a personal call. Ducky asked them to put it through although he couldn't think who it could be.

"This is Dr. Mallard."

"Is this Donald Mallard?"

Ducky frowned, this was someone from his homeland; he'd know that accent anywhere. "Yes, I'm Donald Mallard."

"Donald, I'm sorry to call you at work like this but I've only just heard where you are and I didn't know how else to contact you. This is Maisie, Maisie Stirling that was, Maisie Hubbard now."

Jimmy grabbed his arm as he swayed but the man kept talking as he was pushed onto a chair.

"Please, would you repeat what you just said?"

"I'm Maisie Stirling Hubbard."

"Maisie? My Maisie? Oh my word, my dear, how are you, where are you? How…?"

"I'm well, Donnie, and you?"

"I'm…I'm wonderful, it's wonderful to hear your voice after all these years." Ducky had a sudden memory of Tim's mention of the name Hubbard.

"I know you're at work, Donnie, is there another number where I can call you when you can talk?"

"Yes, but we can talk now, Maisie. I'm not letting you go! Please, tell me where you are."

She laughed softly, "I'm not far from you as it turns out. But let me explain." Maisie and Claire had spent some time organizing the information she would need to explain to Donald. She would start with the discovery of her grandchildren and then go from there. She hoped he'd be willing to meet so she could tell him in person about Lily.

Ducky listened in awe as his first love explained their connection and how she'd figured out where he was. He hadn't known that she'd married his friend Drew Hubbard but was glad to hear they'd had a good marriage and saddened to hear his old friend had died a few years ago. When Maisie asked if they could meet, he leapt at the chance and they made a date for that evening. He would not postpone this chance to reconnect with her.

When they'd exchanged contact information and ended the call, Ducky sat in the chair trying to take it all in. Eventually he noticed Jimmy was making them tea and he joined him in the office. He told the young man of the call and of the connection to Tim, internally berating himself for sharing these two friends' private news with each other without either's permission. The younger man had many questions about Maisie and his mentor and Ducky did his best to answer them without getting too personal.

"I met Maisie during my year in London, at a Robbie Burns' Night gathering. Ah, she was beautiful and we were inseparable for many months. I knew she wanted marriage and a family and while I loved her with all my heart, I had for some time had a dream of going out into the world. I had an offer from "Doctors without Borders" and the woman, bless her heart, encouraged me to take them up on the offer. And so we parted ways, my first love and I."

"And you never saw her again, never spoke?"

"No, months later when my mail caught up to me I had a "Dear John" letter from her. She said that she was marrying someone else. She never said who and now I've found that she married my good friend Drew Hubbard. He's passed now but she said they had a happy marriage."

"Wow and she's Tim's grandmother? That's an incredible story!"

"Yes, I suppose it is, dear boy. The world is truly a small place, isn't it? Now come, we must get back to work on these boring but very necessary forms."

The rest of the day passed in a kind of slow motion blur. By 1700, Ducky was pulling on his overcoat and wishing Jimmy a good evening. Jimmy asked if he could drive him; the older man thanked him as he declined the offer.

When he arrived at the restaurant, there were only a few minutes to wait before Maisie walked in. He was still marveling at how wonderful she looked as she introduced him to her daughter-in-law Claire. He greeted Claire, "I'm so happy to meet you! Timothy told me just the other night how excited he was to meet you and your children and of course our Maisie and what a wonderful time he had with your husband and his godfather."

Claire smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, I can't wait to meet him in person – and Sarah, Rob and Geordie."

"Of course, they're wonderful children." Claire excused herself and left to run errands. She'd arranged to meet a friend for coffee; Callum and Ainsley were with friends so she had the evening free until Maisie called her to be picked up.

Ducky and Maisie followed the hostess to a quiet table and they sat, just looking at each other. Maisie was overwhelmed with the news she'd kept from him and fought to control her emotions. "What is it, my dear, you're upset."

"It's so good to see you, Donnie but I've been so unfair to you. I should have told you years ago."

"Unfair? Told me what?"

"My daughter, Lily…Donnie, she was yours, your child."

"Lily? Timothy's mother, your daughter…that Lily?"

"Yes, her full name was Lily Victoria."

"Victoria for my mother? Oh Maisie, Lily was my daughter, you were pregnant when I left…oh my God I abandoned you and our child!" Shocked and horrified by the news, he couldn't believe he'd had a daughter and abandoned her before she was even born.

"No, you most certainly did not. In the first place, I didn't yet know I was pregnant when you left. In the second place, I told you to go; I couldn't stand the thought of keeping you from your dream."

"Oh Maisie! How did you manage… of course, Drew."

"He kept his distance, Donnie, until I let him in. When I discovered I was pregnant I was quite upset, I didn't know where to turn and he was there for me. We married as soon as possible so there would be no question and then he took a job here in the States. He loved Lily as his own, they were very close. When we had Jim, our family was complete. We had a wonderful life together. And yet all her life he wanted me to find you and tell you. He didn't think it was fair. I thought Lily already had a father, why did she need a second one? I never understood how unfair I was being to you, I am so sorry, Donald."

Ducky sat working to absorb it all. He'd been a father and never knew. His good friend had stepped in to take care of his family - what would have been his family if he hadn't been a thoughtless idiot. His daughter had lived her entire and all too brief life without ever having met him or him knowing of her existence. Now it was too late, decades too late.

"Did she know?"

"Yes. She was nearly grown when Drew and I told her."

Ducky just nodded, he didn't know what to do with that information yet. "Timothy…and Sarah and Rob and Geordie…they're…Maisie, they're my grandchildren."

"Yes Donnie."

Ducky couldn't help the tears, joy mixed with sorrow. He'd never met his daughter but she'd given him precious grandchildren and Timothy had brought Rob to him as well. And Geordie but he hadn't yet met that young man. He grieved for Lily, his grandson Patrick and son-in-law Daniel McGee.

Maisie made a tentative move with her hand and he reached out and took it.

"Thank you for telling me. I'm a bit overwhelmed," he gave a rusty chuckle, "I begin to understand how Timothy has felt these last few weeks with all these things happening to him."

He looked at her. "We need to tell them."

"Yes, I hoped we could do it together."

"Yes of course. However, I need some time to get used to all this. Perhaps you could set up a Skype call with the three of them for later in the week?"

"All right."

"Not Thursday, Timothy has his martial arts class then and he's already missed too many classes due to his injury and then the odious news last week."

Maisie frowned, "Injury? Odious news?"

Sighing, Ducky told her of Timothy's injury during the cartel takedown and then an abbreviated version of Abby's actions and subsequent arrest.

"No doubt your son wanted you to focus on meeting Timothy and not on recent events."

She nodded, "That would be just like him, yes."

Their server arrived with menus. Ducky didn't think he could eat but knew he'd be better off with some sustenance. He finally settled on soup and a half sandwich while Maisie had soup. They ate in silence. Ducky was still reeling with the news and Maisie couldn't let go of her guilt. At least Donald had agreed to work together to tell the children.

Her feelings must have shown on her face because at one point he reached out and patted her hand. "I made the decision to leave, my dear. I didn't give you much choice in the matter. I'm saddened I never got to meet our daughter but I'm full of joy about the children – and that I've known Timothy for so long."

"How long have you known Sarah and Rob?"

"Sarah for about 5 years, she was involved in a case and was in the office then. I met Rob shortly after that, one night I had dinner with Timothy and his siblings joined us. I've made myself available to them throughout the years."

"That's wonderful, Donnie." Ducky nodded. He was suddenly exhausted and knew it was the stress of the news. He finished his soup. "Maisie, will you let me know when our call is set up and where I am to go?"

"Of course and I'll e-mail you the address and directions as well."

"Just the address, thank you, Timothy installed GPS in my car so I will be able to find my way."

"I've heard Jim and Dave talk about that – they use it on their ship."

"Yes, I imagine they do. My assistant and I have come to rely heavily on it when we're on the road as neither of us is much good at navigating." They hadn't yet talked about Ducky's work or his life but he wasn't feeling much like talking. Their dinner finished, Maisie called Claire while Ducky excused himself from the table and called Jethro.

"Hey Duck."

"Jethro, are you busy now?"

"Not for you - you ok? You sound upset."

"I am and under the circumstances I don't feel much like driving."

"I'll be right there, where are you?" Ducky gave him the name and address of the restaurant and Jethro promised to be there as quickly as he could. Ducky returned to the table and found that Maisie had already paid the bill. "My dear, I was prepared to take care of that."

"It's the least I can do, Donnie. Are you all right to drive?"

"No in fact, I've called an old friend and he's on his way."

"I'm so sorry."

Ducky nodded and patted her arm. He didn't think there was any good way of announcing this news; however it happened it was going to be a shock and cause pain and grief. He thought about the upcoming call to Timothy, Sarah and Rob and wished he could tell them in person. His grandson, how sweet that sounded, had had so many shocks in the last few weeks; he felt that doing this via Skype was inadequate. He would think about that, perhaps they could delay for a few days while he flew to Greece. Or perhaps Timothy could break away for a couple of days and meet him in London so the four of them could be together. He knew it would cost him money but he had more than enough and suddenly he realized that everything had changed, his will would need to be updated. He occupied his mind with ideas for that while he waited for Jethro. Claire must have been close by as she arrived within a few minutes of Maisie's call. Although his heart wasn't in it, he gave Maisie a kiss on the cheek as she left. She was after all, the mother of his child and grandmother of his grandchildren.

He was surprised to see Tobias in the car with Jethro when he arrived. Both of them got out of the Challenger.

"Duck, Tobias was over at the house and can drive a manual transmission. If you'd like, he can drive your car home for you."

"That would be good, thank you Tobias."

"Glad to help, Ducky."

"When we get to my house, I'd like you both to come in. I've just been given some news that I need to share; no, Jethro, it's not my health, no need to worry on that score."

Jethro swallowed the lump that had been in his throat, "Relieved to hear that, Duck."

"I do apologize, I should have told you that straight off."

His friend shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

Ducky handed over his car keys to Tobias; he and Jethro watched as their friend started the Morgan and backed out of the parking space. Then they pulled out to lead the small caravan to Ducky's home in Georgetown.

Once they were inside, Ducky picked up the decanter of brandy but Jethro held up his hand, "None for me Duck, I've had some already."

Tobias smirked, "I haven't and I'd love a brandy."

They sat in the living room and Ducky told them what had happened, starting with Maisie's call that morning. When he finished relaying the news, Jethro sat in stunned silence. "You're Tim's grandfather."

"Yes and Rob, Sarah and Geordie as well."

Jethro nodded, still too shocked to say anything more.

Tobias shook his head, "You had a daughter you never got to know. How old was Tim when she died?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but he has no memories of her so I would imagine he was less than 3."

Jethro shook himself out of his shock. "He was 15 months old when Patrick was born and she died a few months later, before his 2nd birthday. I know that much from their case."

"How are you going to tell him - them?"

"I asked Maisie to set up a Skype call with the three of them. But with everything that's happened with Timothy in the last two months, I'm feeling I should be there with him, with them."

"You want to fly over there?"

"Yes, I'm thinking either Timothy might meet us in London for a few days if he can get away or I shall fly to Greece to be with him, but that leaves the other children out."

Jethro was pacing. "They're going to his place for Christmas, but that's not for another month."

"What about Thanksgiving?" Tobias laughed at the looks on their faces. "Yeah, I know they don't have that holiday in Greece, but what if you flew over then, Ducky? That's this week, maybe you could go over the weekend; the other two could fly over for a couple of days."

"I don't know Tobs, that's pretty expensive. Tim's got them all on a budget."

"That's not a problem Jethro; I would certainly pay their airfare."

"You're feeling pretty strongly about this, aren't you?"

"Yes. I never had the chance to meet Lily and I want to do this right, even though I know the three of them."

Ducky felt his emotional control slipping and he suddenly found himself sitting on the sofa, Jethro beside him. He felt an arm around his shoulders and relaxed in the comfort, he was so glad not to be alone now.

"That's a couple of pretty big shocks you've had today, Duck. First, just hearing from Maisie must have been a shock and then being given that kind of news. And yeah, it's good news about your grandchildren, but you're mourning a daughter you were never given a chance to meet."

"I'm angry too, mostly with myself. We had been intimate, I'm a doctor and yes I'm sure we used protection, but I certainly know the odds and how pregnancy occurs. She told me to go, to follow my dream and I left almost immediately. And I was so caught up in what I was doing that I never thought to check back with her. I knew better, but I, well I just didn't contact her. I thought it would be easier for her, a clean break, never considered the possibility of a pregnancy. We had no further contact and as I said, I thought it was better for her. Now I know how foolish and irresponsible I was…"

Ducky sat back, shaking his head. Jethro kept his hand on his shoulder. "From what you've said, she didn't know she was pregnant and if you had contacted her, she probably was already married to Hubbard."

"Yes, I suppose. That doesn't excuse my inaction though."

Tobias cleared his throat, "Ducky, it was her decision not to tell you. She knew who you were working with; she could have found a way to contact you."

"Yes and I am a bit angry with her, but mostly with myself. If I hadn't spouted off so eloquently about all the good I would do, how I would change the world, she might have made an effort."

Tobias sat on the coffee table in front of him. "Ducky, I know this is new, but you're going to have to find a way to live with it. You know as well as we do you can't change the past and it's no good second guessing yourself, it's done."

Jethro nodded. "He's right, Duck, you can't continue to beat yourself up over it. It happened, there's nothing you can do to change it." Ducky nodded with a small smile at Jethro, "Throwing my own words at me."

Jethro huffed, "At least I've had a chance to make things right. You weren't given that chance or any choice."

Ducky nodded, "No I wasn't." He paused, "I'm going."

Jethro shook his head, "They're on call this weekend, Duck. It's the first time since Tim's been there; they traded with London after that agent got sick on the cartel operation."

"Very well, I shall go the following week then. Other than my need and I suppose Maisie's to tell them, there is no pressing reason to tell them immediately."

Jethro nodded. "That gives you more time to make plans. How long will you stay?"

"I think at least ten days, perhaps two full weeks, maybe longer if it's possible for me to stay over the Christmas holiday. Jimmy has already proved himself more than capable of handling things while I'm gone and HR has been pressing me to take some of my leave."

Tobias pulled up his phone and scrolled through his apps. "Tim sent me an app he wrote that does an airfare comparison without having to start the process of booking anything. Here, take a look." He handed his phone to Ducky.

"Oh, this looks vaguely familiar; I believe I have this application as well." He checked the airfares and saw that his favorite transatlantic carrier had a good deal. He handed the phone back to Tobias. "Thank you Tobias. I'll make the reservations tomorrow, after I let Maisie know of the change of plans."

"Think she'll go for it?" Ducky got a steely look in his eyes, one that Tobias had never seen and Jethro had only rarely seen. "This will be my choice. As you've pointed out, I was not given a choice with Lily, so I'm making one now with my grandchildren." Jethro felt that his old friend was in better shape now with his plan to visit Tim and Ducky said that he would be fine alone, so the other two left.

Ducky made two phone calls, leaving word for Director Vance and Jimmy that he would be arriving late in the morning; that he had personal business to attend to. Remembering Jethro's earlier concern, he also mentioned that it had nothing to do with his health.

* * *

><p>NOTE: Readers who want to know more about Ducky and Maisie can find their story "Maisie" on my profile that explores their relationship a little more. While I've obviously changed a few things for this story, the story of their meeting remains the same.<p> 


	53. Chapter 53

**WARNING:** **This chapter contains some detailing of mental illness and mental disorders and mention of alcohol abuse; please skip if you feel you'll be uncomfortable with it. Just stop once you get to the line of bold XXXXXs. I've researched and pulled information from the internet; I am in no way a psychologist nor do I have any medical knowledge other than how to treat a hangnail or scraped knee. I've referenced my sources at the end of the chapter but again, I have adapted what I found to fit the story. This is truly fiction, my friends! **

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Three<p>

_Previously on Finding Home: Remembering Jethro's earlier concern, he also mentioned that it had nothing to do with his health. _

When he woke the next morning, he realized he'd forgotten the most important call, to Timothy! It was a 5000 mile trip, he couldn't very well just drop in on the man, knock on his door, baggage in hand. He needed to find out what the young man's plans might be, see if his plan was even feasible. Looking at the time, he thought it would be just past Timothy's lunch time. Shrugging, he went ahead with the call.

Tim answered on the first ring. "Ducky? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, dear boy, I didn't mean to startle you! I had an idea and thought I would run it by you. Human Resources and our Director have been after me to take some of my vacation days and I wondered how you would feel about having a houseguest for a few days? I would not expect you to take any time off work. I know you have a lot going on, what with your new junior coming in this week, but I thought it would be fun and I haven't been to Greece in many years, I'd love to do some sightseeing."

"I'd love to see you anytime, Ducky! Did you have a specific date in mind?"

"How would the 6th of December suit you?"

"That would be great! You know if you could stay through Christmas, Sarah and Rob will be here too."

"Hmm, then what if I arrived on the 13th instead? I could stay through the holiday and leave on the 27th."

"Or you could just stay here and not go home."

"Oh my dear boy, you do tempt me. Let's plan for the 13th, shall we?"

"Yes, with Bec here for a couple of weeks by then, I might be able to get some time off, at least a half day here and there."

"Splendid dear boy. Now you're sure you don't mind? This is right out of the blue so to speak."

"No, this is perfect, I'm so glad you'll be here! I can't wait to see you!"

"And I you. Timothy, will there be enough room? I hadn't thought."

"Oh sure, there's plenty of room, Ducky, don't worry about that." Mentally Tim moved Rob into his room to share on Christmas Eve and Matt could sleep in Rob's room. That way Ducky could have the study downstairs and have more quiet and privacy. He thought about the possibility of Bec staying over for Christmas Eve as well and decided she could share with Sarah, it was just one night. They could possibly squeeze the bed currently in his room into Sarah's room.

Ducky hung up with a big smile on his face. His next action was to book his flights. He would fly British Air to London and have just enough of a time cushion to make his next flight also on British Air, non-stop to Athens. Using the frequent flier miles he had accumulated on his annual treks to the UK, he upgraded to first class for the Washington to London flight. That would be an overnight flight and he knew from experience he'd be far more comfortable in first class. He treated himself to first class again on the return flight, although he had to change his departure date to the 28th as there were no seats available on the 27th. As he'd told Jethro a few years ago, he had more money than he could possibly spend in one lifetime even now considering his new heirs, so he might as well treat himself to the comforts of first class travel.

Next he would call Maisie and tell her his plans. He checked the time; it was nearly 9:00 AM. He made a bracing cup of tea as he waited for the clock to hit 9:00 AM. He was the son of Victoria Mallard and she had firmly believed in the absolute necessity of civility and that included the rule that one just did not make personal phone calls before 9:00 AM. With a start he wondered if that was a genetic predisposition as Timothy was every inch a gentleman and Victoria would certainly have approved of him. He gave it one minute past the hour and then called Maisie's cell number. She picked up almost immediately. "Good morning Donald."

"Good morning, Maisie. I called to tell you that I've decided to visit our grandchildren to be there with them when we tell them the news. I'm going in early December and will spend Christmas with them. Since there is no urgency to our news, we can certainly postpone our call until then."

"You're traveling to Greece?"

"Yes I am. I thought about it and with all the shocks and upheaval they've had in their lives recently – new countries, new jobs, reclaimed relatives, separation from Tim, new schools for Rob and Sarah, I want to be there in person to tell them."

"You're doing this on your own?"

"The traveling, yes, but I thought we could still do the Skype call, I'll just be on the other side with them."

"Oh, I see. I certainly understand you wanting to be there with Timothy. Are Sarah and Rob joining him for Christmas?"

"Yes, they're flying into Athens on Dec. 22nd, so I thought we could have our call on the 23rd."

"All right, Donald. I'm disappointed you won't be here with me, but I understand."

"Yes, this is my choice, as I was not given a choice with Lily I want to be there now for the children. They're my priority now."

Maisie's voice broke, "Will you ever forgive me, Donald?"

"First I must forgive myself, Maisie."

"It wasn't your fault, it was my bad decision."

"I feel certain we could talk the rest of the day and not come to any resolution, my dear. I need time still to absorb all this. Tell me, do you have photos of Lily that you would be willing to share with me? I'm afraid I've only seen the one that Tim has, when she was close to the end."

"Oh yes, Claire has them all on the computer; I'll send them to you."

"Thank you Maisie, I look forward to seeing them. I must run, I'm dreadfully late for work, but I did want to let you know before you contacted the others."

"Thank you, Donald. Please, keep in touch."

"Of course. You take care." Ducky hung up, feeling rather odd. He found himself angrier with her than he'd thought and he knew he'd need time to work through that. He sighed; perhaps he'd better see a professional to help him through it. He wondered if Dr. Cranston had room for one more patient. He remembered that today was Timothy's first appointment with his new psychologist. He sent his eldest grandson – that wasn't right, Geordie was the eldest, hmm, well, all sorts of new things to think about – he sent Timothy an e-mail with his flight information and got an almost instant reply that he certainly hadn't lost any time making arrangements and that he was really looking forward to seeing him. He signed it 'Love Tim' and Ducky smiled and then found he was tearing up again. He waited until he was in control and then left the house for his drive to work.

XXX

After Ducky's phone call Tim sat there at his desk, grinning like an idiot. The others looked over at him and Matt asked, "What's going on?"

"Ducky's coming!"

"Here?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, he'll be here on the 13th. He's staying through Christmas and don't even think about it Matt, I have it all figured out."

Matt chuckled, "That's great, man!"

Tim shook his head, "We'd just talked about him coming here when he goes to Scotland this summer. This is so cool!"

Pete stuck his head out of his office, "What am I missing, what's so cool?"

Tim told him the news and Pete nodded, "That is cool, I'm looking forward to meeting him!"

Tim took his lunch dishes to the kitchen and Matt followed him in. "Are you disappointed that it's not Gibbs?"

Tim thought about it. "No, for one thing I have a different relationship with Ducky, we've had a couple of bumps but he's almost always been in my corner, I've never doubted his feelings for me. He's more…grandfather than father, from what I know about grandparents. You know about my problems with Gibbs and we're not to the 'seeing each other in person' stage yet. Plus he has a new team, he can't leave right now. Besides, he doesn't really do Christmas. The last few years he'd let us all be there at his house and his dad would be there but if Abby hadn't insisted I doubt he would have had us all there and she always did all the decorating."

"Abby, the evil one?"

"Yeah, she wasn't always that way. She could be mean, petty and demanding, but not outright crazy."

"So why doesn't Gibbs like Christmas?" Tim thought about what to say without revealing the man's personal history which wasn't anyone else's business. "Let's just say he's lost people close to him and Christmas is painful for him."

"Oh, man that's sad."

"Yes, it is."

"So you guys had Christmas together though?"

"Yeah, none of the team except me had local family so we'd have Thanksgiving at Ducky's and Christmas at Gibbs. It's only been the last four or five years. I wouldn't have gone when the kids were younger, or they would have come with me. Anyway, I'd celebrate with the kids and then go to Ducky or Gibbs. Of course, a lot of years we had to work."

"We lucked out not having to work Christmas this year."

"If I understand the rotation correctly, we'll be working Christmas Eve next year."

"That's next year, 13 months away!"

Tim shrugged. "You know me, I like to plan ahead." He gave Matt a knowing look and the younger man had the grace to blush. "Oh geez, you're right. "

Tim reached out and ruffled the probie's hair.

"So are you going to get a Christmas tree?"

"No idea! I'll do something but I don't know if they even have the types of Christmas trees here like we have in the States."

"Oh good point." They went back to work and the afternoon passed quietly, all three agents still knee deep in reports from the Arktos case and for Tim, the rest of the reports from the shooting at the Stavros house. At 1700, Tim left for his first appointment with the psychologist both Dr. Cranston and Dr. Pappas recommended. He got a kick out of that - both women recommending Dr. Agnos. Dr. Cranston knew him from graduate school and Dr. Pappas worked with him here.

The appointment went well; it was really a "getting acquainted" session which Tim expected. He'd made a list of the problems and issues he wanted to address, knowing as he wrote them out that other things would pop up. He felt a little relieved afterward just knowing he was starting the process of taking care of his mental and emotional health. He and the kids had counseling while he was at MIT; he'd promised himself when he was a young teen that someday all three of them would go. He was shocked to discover neither Sarah nor Rob felt they needed to go, but he insisted. It was only later during family counseling that he understood that his siblings never felt emotionally deprived, they had always had him. He was the one who was hurting. Now years later, here he was resuming therapy with a sense of relief. He liked Dr. Agnos, he'd asked questions and listened, and from his follow up questions, had listened very well. He would see how Dr. Hoines did on Wednesday, but he had a good feeling about Dr. Agnos.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

New Orleans, LA

Luka, Jeanette and Kyle walked to the entrance of the psychiatric ward where their sister had been under study for several days. After extending the original 72 hour period of observation and evaluation, the doctors now felt ready to discuss their evaluation. Abby's defense attorney, Virginia Bailey would be present today as well as one of the prosecuting attorneys. As the arresting agency, the FBI demanded participation; after an appeal from Attorney Bailey the US Attorney's office had authorized one representative and the FBI selected Tobias Fornell. In talking with Dr. Mallard, Luka learned of Agent Fornell's history with NCIS. He didn't know what to think about that; initially he felt relief that someone outside the family who'd known Abby before all this happened would be there, followed by the realization that the man was not, could not be a friend in this matter, he was an FBI agent. In the meantime, the US Attorney's office barred anyone from NCIS attending, much to Ducky's relief. However with his blood ties to Timothy he would have refused if they had allowed NCIS to attend.

The Sciutos and Kyle entered the psych ward and were ushered to a meeting room. They were told that Abby chose not to be present at the meeting but that they could visit her afterward.

When everyone was in place the doctor who had led Abby's evaluation, Dr. Rowe started speaking.

"First of all, I'm going to do my best today to speak in plain English. The purpose of this meeting is to present our findings and ensure that everyone involved has a basic understanding – and the same information - of Ms. Sciuto's health. Technical and medical terms will of course be used in our written reports.

When Ms. Sciuto first arrived she was mentally confused and her conscious mind seemed to bounce between past, recent past and current events. She would speak of an event in the past – an incident where several people caused a mess in her lab and she'd laugh about that and then segue into a rant about one of the same individuals and how he'd ruined her career and is an evil influence. That individual is her alleged victim, Timothy McGee, whom she referred to as "Timmy" in the former lab incident and "McGee" in the latter. She has also repeatedly asked if she could have a red jumpsuit instead of orange and wanted to know why the jumpsuits now matched the walls."

He paused for a drink of water and Fornell raised his hand. "Just a point of clarification, there are orange walls in the squad or common room at NCIS HQ where Ms. Sciuto worked for many years. And the jumpsuits or coveralls she usually wore when examining evidence outside of the lab are red."

"Ah, thank you Agent Fornell. That clears that up, let me just make a note of that."

The prosecuting attorney glared at Fornell who shrugged, "What? These are facts missing from their evaluation. Would you rather waste time by having them come up during testimony?"

The doctor cleared this throat and continued, "We determined at the time of her arrival that she was suffering from dehydration, alcohol withdrawal and malnutrition. From the records we've compiled we see no evidence of earlier alcohol abuse so this is recent. That led us to testing her stress levels, which were frankly off the charts. It all boils down to Ms. Sciuto suffering from multiple personality disorders and recent life events and her decisions put her over the edge. By the way that is NOT multiple personalities but several disorders affecting her personality. Until recently she has been able to deal with them as a fully functional, rational adult, although I'm sure there are incidents where she exhibited inappropriate behavior, whether that was rage, refusal to follow the chain of command -or orders - deceit and on the minor end of the scale, probably a tendency to invade personal space without thought or permission. However, it appears that several incidents pushed her stress levels up so high that she couldn't handle things in her usual fashion and she turned to alcohol. To put it bluntly, with her various disorders that was the worst decision she could have made."

Attorney Bailey needed more information. "Doctor, what are her personality disorders and can you please tell us briefly what personality disorders are in the first place?"

"Yes of course. To quote the US National Library of Medicine: 'Personality disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions in which a person's long-term behaviors, emotions, and thoughts are very different from their culture's expectations and cause serious problems with relationships and work. Symptoms vary widely depending on the type of personality disorder. In general, personality disorders involve feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that do not adapt to a wide range of settings. These patterns usually begin in adolescence and may lead to problems in social and work situations. The severity of these conditions ranges from mild to severe'."

He paused again to give them a chance to absorb the information. "Now as to the specific disorders, we've identified the three most prominent and I want to emphasize that it's highly likely none of these are new conditions. Most disorders are formed throughout childhood, many are worked out in the course of a person's growth into a mature adult, especially in middle age but as Ms. Sciuto is now what society commonly considers middle aged, it's obvious in this case that hasn't happened. Since these are complex situations, I've taken the liberty of writing up a description, symptoms and recommended treatment for each and will hand out copies to each of you."

He passed out the pages. "The first one you'll see on the page is 'Borderline Personality Disorder'." He went over the symptoms and the recommended treatment. "Next is 'Histrionic Personality Disorder', if you'll please refer to that page." He discussed that disorder as it applied to Abby's actions and mind set in greater detail. Fornell noted that the symptoms there really matched the Abby he knew and heard about from Gibbs over the years. Apparently people with this condition 'have overwhelming desires to be noticed, and often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention.' He kept that observation to himself.

"The third condition is Narcissism and this is where things really got set in motion." They turned to the third page and read about 'Narcissistic rage'. They read about Heinz Kohut's 1972 coining of the phrase:  
><strong>'<strong>Depression and anxiety lead to an increased susceptibility to rage and there are modern treatments for this emotional pattern…A person in a state of rage may also lose much of his or her capacity for rational thought and reasoning, and may act, usually violently, on his or her impulses to the point that they may attack until they themselves have been incapacitated or the source of their rage has been destroyed…They often focus only on the source of their anger."

'For Kohut, narcissistic rage is related to narcissists' need for total control of their environment, including 'the need for revenge, for righting a wrong, for undoing a hurt by whatever means'. To the narcissist, the rage is directed towards the person that they feel has slighted them; to other people, the rage is incoherent and unjust. Narcissists are often pseudo-perfectionists and require being the center of attention.'

Fornell sighed as he read. At one point a decade ago he would have pointed at DiNozzo as the narcissist in Gibbs' group, but the man seemed to have grown up and out of those tendencies. He had certainly matured over the years. Now that Fornell saw the definition of narcissism, he realized how well it applied to the former lab tech.

Luka was horrified reading all these things. Why hadn't anybody connected with Abby, including him, ever realized she needed help?

The doctor had resumed speaking and reluctantly Luka listened again. "We believe that alcohol fueled the narcissistic rage that was the underlying cause of Ms. Sciuto's alleged actions toward Timothy McGee."

He turned to the two attorneys, "I realize you'll have questions. My staff and I will be available." He looked at the family of his patient. "Your sister is now alcohol free and calmer although still confused on occasion. As her presence here is voluntary, we won't keep her."

The prosecuting attorney Anton Baudoin spoke up, "If she's healthy and not a danger to herself, she's going back to lockup."

Defense attorney Bailey bristled and the doctor held up his hand. "This is not the place for that discussion. We are a health organization, not a court of law."

The two attorneys nodded at him and gathering papers and notes left the room. Agent Fornell nodded to Abby's family and also left. He was still reeling with the information he'd been given and knew he could not discuss it with anyone outside the FBI, with the exception of the prosecution. He needed to take the information and have his own conversation with the FBI's profilers and staff psychologists to get their take on it. From what he'd seen and heard, Abby's extremism had been brought about a volatile combination of her disorders and alcohol. And the alcohol had been her decision, whereas the disorders were medical or psychological conditions. He'd insisted on being the one sent for this conference, he wanted to ensure that the decision on whether to go forward with a trial was a fair one for all parties. He sighed, realizing that the victim in all this needed to be updated and decided to wait until after any new decisions were made.

It took a few weeks but the decision was finally made, Abby would stand trial in federal court.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: <strong>

The reference to Tony as a narcissistic personality is canon; Ducky says it to Gibbs in Season 6's "Murder 2.0" (episode not yet verified), Gibbs says he's well aware of it and Ducky goes on to say (paraphrasing) "With Anthony the narcissism is tempered by empathy."

As for as the canon character of Abby Sciuto, I've noticed a big change in Season 11, I don't remember any of those sometimes disturbing bone-crushing hugs that clearly aren't always welcomed by everyone nor any of her usual histrionics. Her behavior, in my opinion, has been thankfully closer to that of the Abby in the first two seasons, smart, quirky, more flexible and fun, not so emotionally needy, whiny, demanding, thoughtless, mean, over the top high maintenance.

* * *

><p><strong>References: <strong>

US National Library of Medicine and . .gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001935/#adam_ .symptoms

Taken from the works of Blais MA, Smallwood P, Groves JE, Rivas-Vazquez RA. Personality and personality disorders. In: Stern TA, Rosenbaum JF, Biederman J, Rauch SL, eds. _Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry_. 1st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2008:chap 39.

Also: /health/histrionic-personality-disorderand wiki/Narcissistic_rage


	54. Chapter 54

A/N: Thanks for the reads, reviews, follows and faves. Even after a year of writing and posting my scribbles, I still get chills (the good kind) when I see that people are reading them. And from all over the world, that still boggles my mind!

A/N2: For more about Abby's personality, see Saissa's insightful story "Abby's Evaluation" on this site; she's not only nailed the problem, she's got it well documented. Also, thanks to Starsinherhair for comments on NFA that led to my research. Saissa's writing, Stars' comments and comments from other writers led me to do my own research and reach my own conclusions, which are mostly in agreement with theirs.

Ok, enough chit chat, on with the story…

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Four<p>

Wednesday Tim woke up excited, looking forward to the day. He'd make dinner for Lina tonight after his appointment with the second psychologist and his belongings would be delivered during the day. The moving company called yesterday and said they would be at his place at 1300. Tim thought he would just take a late lunch and head up the hill when he saw them; however Pete told him to leave at 12:30 in case they were early and to stay home until they arrived. He could report for a case from his house within 3 minutes if they got a call out. Wading through more reports, Tim was more than happy to take a break and headed up the hill just after 1200. He made himself a sandwich and took out the ingredients he'd need for dinner that evening. He was reading the recipe when he heard a truck outside, the moving van! He'd parked on the street so his belongings could be moved in through the garage. He took the lead guy on a tour of the house and told him where everything would go. The shelves would be put in the garage against the walls and everything else would go in the house.

At Tim's request, the movers took the existing bed out of the master bedroom and put it into one of the other bedrooms and then set up Tim's king. He tipped them generously for the extra work. The boxes of books went in his office along with the electronics, clothes went upstairs, the small collection of kitchen boxes fit on one counter and Tim was happy to see the two boxes marked 'linens' which meant he had his own towels and bedding again. It took longer to move the bed and set up the king than it took them to move all the boxes in. Last in was his large screen TV which was placed in the living room. The stand, which Tim had never used, was in one of the boxes and the men stayed while he dug it out, helping him place the TV. He went over the manifest with the guy in charge and matched everything. As they packed the pads and dollies back into the truck and pulled out of the driveway, Tim was right behind them, on his way back to work.

The rest of the afternoon flew by and Tim was just leaving for his appointment when his cell buzzed with a call. Looking at the caller id, he frowned; it was Dr. Hoines' number. The caller was the doctor's assistant calling to reschedule as something had come up. Tim noticed she hadn't said it was an emergency. He told her he'd call later to reschedule. At 1700, he left with the others, anxious to get back home and organize things a bit before Lina arrived. Nothing was planned other than dinner and catching up but he did want them to eat at the table which was currently covered with boxes. By the time he heard her car in the driveway he had the kitchen, dining area and living room fairly well under control. He opened the door before she could knock and he welcomed her to his home. After a lingering kiss, he gave her a grand tour of the house and grinned happily when she seemed to love it. Of course she commented on the empty spots on the walls and he showed her the artwork he'd removed, wrapped and carefully stored in an empty closet. He chuckled to himself when she squinted at the light fixture over the dining table, evidently she didn't like it any more than he did. Once she'd seen everything, she sat with him on the couch. "This is a beautiful home, Tim, it really is quite wonderful. Would you like any help with finding artwork more to your taste – and perhaps another light fixture?"

"Yes, I'd love that! Trina's promised me a painting for my birthday, but I would love your help!"

They talked about ideas and media and then Lina asked to see the garden. He saw the gleam in her eyes as she looked into the middle of the garden and she explained what she had in mind. He nodded, "As long as I can take it with me when I move in three years."

"Oh, of course. How sad that you'll have to leave."

Tim smiled, "Who knows what will happen between now and then? If anyone had told me three years ago that I would be working in Greece, I would not have believed them!"

She patted his face, "Lucky for me that you landed here!" He took her in his arms and they re-connected, only separating when the old fashioned and very loud kitchen timer rang.

She laughed as they both jumped. "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing…well, yes, you can come sit and talk to me while I put things together."

"What are we having?"

"I figured you probably don't have much of an appetite yet, so we're just having an egg, cheese and potato casserole with some vegetables added in. With ice cream for dessert if that sounds good, jello if it doesn't."

"I am at the point where my stomach is hungry but very little sounds good. But this, eggs and cheese, is one of my favorite combinations!"

"Good, I'm glad to hear that! It was one of the first things I learned to cook – my landlady at MIT taught me how to make it. My sister, brother and I call it 'The Ferguson Cure'."

When Lina looked puzzled, Tim laughed. "It's comfort food, cures whatever ails you, whether you've been sick or upset."

"Oh I see - a dish that cures all. And Mrs. Ferguson was your landlady, yes?" Tim nodded as he brought the hot dish to the table. "I didn't know what you'd want to drink. I have apple juice, all kinds of tea, milk or coffee of course."

"Apple juice sounds perfect. " She laughed ruefully, "I sound like an invalid."

"No, you sound like someone getting over a bug."

"Yes, Dani and I think I caught it either from Ross or one of the children visiting the museum."

"I was wondering about that."

"I am so sorry I had to miss going to the Embassy party with you. Tell me about it?" Tim told her about the group, the dancing and the food while they ate, telling her about Trina pointing out women lacking dance partners for him and Matt and then Matt recognizing a young lady he'd met before. "Oh, that was interesting. Will they see each other?"

Tim smiled, "Not until the next Embassy party. Matt's gay."

"OH! I mean, really?" She chuckled. "That must have sounded like an odd response."

Tim raised an eyebrow in question.

"My brother, Damian, the one who lives in Athens, is also gay and he is quite shy about going out and making friends."

"Huh, and I thought he was the rebel of the family."

"That is only with my father who could never accept him as he was."

"Still?"

"He's better now. Damian does some design work for the family business as a way to keep my father happy and quiet about his 'chosen' lifestyle."

"As far as I know, it's not a choice people make."

"That's what my brother says."

"So Matt and Damian?"

"Would it be wrong to introduce them to each other?"

Tim laughed, "Not at all. Maybe I'll have a housewarming party and you can bring him."

"Oh that's a good idea; he is overseas right now, working on a project."

"When he gets home then. Please don't say anything about Matt to anyone else, not even Dani. As far as I know, I'm the only one he's told and it isn't anyone else's business, he could run into trouble at the agency."

"From your team?"

"No, I don't think any of our team are homophobic but there are people in the agency who are and he's got what I think will be a great career ahead of him. If word gets out at this point, I don't know what it would do to his future, as ridiculous as that is to even have to say."

"Then I will not say a word to anyone but Damian and I will caution him to silence as well."

Tim thanked her with a kiss. They'd finished eating by now and were cuddling on the sofa.

"Tim, do you remember saying we could take things as slowly as I wanted?"

"Of course."

"I so want this to be right, the two of us. Would you mind waiting a bit?"

He kissed her gently, "I meant what I said, Lina. We have all the time in the world."

"I thought you would think that, I hoped you would. There's something else I want to tell you."

"Mmm?" He was nuzzling her ear.

"I've changed my work schedule so that I'm now off on Saturdays." He stopped nuzzling and looked up at her. "Wow, that's a big change. Won't you miss the families or having Monday off?"

"I'd miss you more." Tim grinned at her and showed her just how happy he was with the change.

Eventually she left and Tim climbed the stairs to bed. He was startled when he walked in and saw his own bed, he'd forgotten all about it being there. He'd already made it up so he performed his nightly routine and then slid in between the sheets, sighing with happiness. He'd spent the evening with Lina; Sarah and Rob were safely in London; Ducky and the siblings were coming for Christmas; his stuff had arrived, he had lots of people who loved and respected him and who he loved and respected; now if they'd only get word from Geordie, or better yet a visit, life would be very nearly perfect!

The rest of the week passed quickly with the agents working on the rest of the Sawyer case reports to send to the Baton Rouge and her Agent Afloat, cold cases and in Tim's case, more reports for the shooting Friday night. Thursday they laughingly wished each other a 'Happy Thanksgiving'. During the day they cleared off Bec's desk, the desk Tim had used until Carla left, and confirmed their plans for Friday morning. Pete would meet the flight and they'd have coffee and pastries again, but Trina was helping Carla and would be unable to deliver lunch. Putting their heads together, they decided they would provide everything themselves. Eva would bring the pastries, Tea would bring a hot dish, Kim would bring salad, Pete would bring the small potatoes they all loved, Matt and Tim would provide the ingredients to make various types of pitas and the two would then make them to order. They would split the cost of drinks and Tim and Matt would bring them in. At the insistence of Kim, who'd been the last woman to transfer in and stay upstairs, Bec had already been told of her 'in house' accommodations, so there would be no surprises for her.

During the day, Tim popped into his personal e-mail and found several e-cards waiting for him. He opened one to find it was a Thanksgiving card from Gibbs. He also had e-cards from Jackson, Jimmy and Breena, Ducky, the Vances, Rick Carter, Sarah and Rob, a few of his online friends, one from the Hubbard family with a separate one from Uncle Jim, one from the Crane family and again a separate one from Uncle Dave, and one from his grandmother Penny who said she hadn't been able to work Greece in and was now in South Africa until mid-January and might just pop over to visit him after that. He grinned, too bad she wouldn't be here soon enough to meet Ducky! He was glad he'd remembered to do his e-cards on Sunday and scheduled them to be sent yesterday. Realizing how long he'd been in his personal e-mail, he guiltily closed it and returned to work.

Before their Thursday class, Matt and Tim went to the butchers and picked up the meat they'd ordered and then to a couple of the markets picking up what they needed for the next day. They'd borrowed the insulated bag and ice packs from work, so weren't worried about leaving the food locked in the trunk of Tim's car during the cool evening. Kim, Matt and Tim did exceptionally well in class and George was quite pleased. The three of them were now at the same level of expertise and he taught them two additional moves, having them practice with each other. Afterward, they had dinner at the Flying Pig; Tim remarked that he hadn't been there in over a week, which the other two seemed to think was funny. While Tim was driving home, he got a call from Lina.

"Hi Lina, are you at work or home?"

"I am at work still, Tim. I've just had a call from Damian; he is home earlier than expected from his project in Toronto. And I was thinking…"

Tim chuckled, "Were you possibly thinking that he could join us Saturday and meet Matt?"

"Why yes I was or perhaps we could arrange to have brunch with Matt and my brother on Sunday but not tell them."

"I see we're both devious!" She gave that light laugh that now more than ever made Tim weak in the knees.

"If we do the brunch idea, then they'll have more privacy. As I said last night, I'm the only one who knows about Matt. We could have brunch at my place, what would you think of that?"

"I think that would be wonderful, thank you my Tim." He smiled dreamily as he pulled into his garage. No girlfriend had ever called him "my Tim" and he liked it…a lot. He recovered his senses enough to send Matt a quick e-mail, asking him over for brunch on Sunday, just four of them.

Friday morning was a little drizzly, the first rain of the season. Pete went straight to the airport to meet Bec's flight. He had quietly toyed with the idea of bringing Tim to the airport with him, but as he figured this would be his last time as the SAIC greeting a transferred agent, at least he hoped it would be, he decided to continue with his tradition. While he enjoyed sitting back and let Tim run the team sometimes, all right frequently, he was still the Team Leader and wasn't quite ready to turn over full control, not that Tim expected that or would ever push. He knew Tim had been told he'd be retiring in 3 years; however he and Trina were contemplating shaving a year off. They'd see what the economy was doing and what their children were up to. In three years, Kyra would be in high school and it would more difficult for her to make the transition to a new country and new school if they decided to move back to the States after retirement. Neither of them particularly wanted to return to the U.S. yet but both their mothers were elderly and they felt they should be helping their siblings care for them. Then again, they would be able to live better here on his retirement income than in many places in the States. He thought maybe if their families could hold out until Kyra was through school, he and Trina could spend a few months in the States and the rest of the year here at home.

Tim arrived at the office mid-drizzle and had just put the meat and other items, including the groceries they'd bought for Bec, into the refrigerator and freezer when he heard a car in the lot and popped outside to help Eva bring in the first platter of pastries. He took the platter from her and she turned back to get the rest from her car. He quickly stashed the platter in a cupboard and then went back out to help his teammate with the other dishes. She'd outdone herself; he counted three different types of pastries. He'd run extra miles this morning and had a healthy smoothie for breakfast knowing that today and tomorrow would be highly caloric days. His mouth watered but he valiantly resisted having a pastry before the whole team had arrived. Eva just giggled at him, "You're almost drooling, Tim."

"I know, they look and smell so good! But that wouldn't be fair to Bec, she should have first pick, don't you think?"

Eva nodded, "Yes and that is very noble of you." Tim rolled his eyes at her and they both laughed.

"Tim, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"The dish that Caleb and I made for your birthday, did you like that?"

"Yes, I ate every bite that you left, I loved it. Oooh, are you going to bring it tomorrow?"

"I was thinking of it. It is healthy and tasty; I think it will be a good balance for all the traditional American dishes Trina will serve."

"Stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas?"

"I don't know about peas, but there is corn and the stuffing, gravy and potatoes, yes."

Tim laughed, "I'm not the one to talk to about the traditions of Thanksgiving, Eva. The first time I remember Thanksgiving at all was at Mrs. Ferguson's, the place we rented when I was at MIT. She was Canadian by birth, so I'm sure we had different food than other people did. When we had our own place, we cooked a turkey that fed us for nearly two months, along with potatoes and green beans. And I attempted to make an apple pie, so we ate the mess that turned into. That was a feast for us and we stuck with those items for a few years. Then my friend Ducky, who's a Scotsman, started hosting Thanksgiving dinner and he served turkey, gravy, some Scottish dishes that I still don't know anything about and mashed potatoes. Other people brought rolls, stuffing, green beans with onions in a kind of mushy hot dish and celery with cheese."

Eva looked at him, her eyes wide and they both started laughing. When Tim stopped, he continued, "I guess every family has their own favorite dishes."

"Ah, so there is no one set menu."

"No. Some people would think it blasphemous to barbecue a turkey; other people don't have turkey at all. And really it's the side dishes that get tricky. There are probably thousands of different recipes for stuffing. And where the celery with cheese spread came from, I have no idea! Dessert is another craziness. Some people only have pumpkin pie, some only apple and one family I know has 5 different kinds of pie because everyone likes something different."

"Five?"

"Yes, they're an interesting bunch. The pies are mincemeat – one person likes that, sweet potato, that's a traditional recipe from our southern states and one person likes that, two or three insist on pumpkin, another on apple and some on chocolate pie because they don't like any other kind of pie."

"Oh I see; that's …"

"Strange, you can go ahead and say it; they'd be the first to admit it." They laughed again as Tim put the coffee on. "Bec's flight should have landed by now, she and Pete will be along pretty soon."

They heard the front door open and Matt and Tea walked in with their food offerings for the day. Kim soon followed and within minutes they had everything set out for their welcome party, except the pastry which remained behind closed doors, and went to their desks to start their work day. Matt sent Tim a one word e-mail "Yes!" and Tim threw him an amused glance.

Pete and Bec came into the office about 9:30. Tim was on the phone with a lead on a cold case when he heard Tea welcoming someone in Greek. He smiled, remembering his welcome six weeks earlier and then listened to what the guy on the other end was saying. His eyes got bigger as he correlated the new information with what was in the file. He confirmed the information, something he would not have known if the man on the phone hadn't just casually mentioned it. All he'd said was that the last time he'd seen the person of interest he'd been talking with a claim representative from an insurance company. He remembered the name of the company as he also did business with them. After Tim hung up, he pulled up the address for the company and saw they were in Piraeus. He looked up just as Pete walked into the room with Bec. Standing he shook her hand, welcoming her to the team and the country. She smiled, she was clearly happy to be here. Eva took her on a tour of the building while Matt and Tim carried her luggage upstairs to her room. They had just set it down when she arrived, "Oh it's lovely, this is what I was hoping for, a nice comfy room, lots of light! How long can I stay here?"

They laughed as Tim said, "That's what I said!" Matt chimed in, "Me too!" They left her to freshen up, letting her know there was a team meeting downstairs when she was ready. She'd flown in early just as Tim had; her official report date was Monday. While they waited for her to join them, Tim updated Pete and Matt with the new lead.

Pete grinned. "Who's going with you?"

Tim shrugged, "I don't care; flip a coin or do rock, paper, scissors!"

That made Pete laugh, "I'm going and this time we can both get out of the car!"

Tim nodded. "Ok! We can go after Bec's welcome. This isn't a suspect, just someone who might shed some light on the person of interest."

Pete snorted, "Famous last words! Who brought in the guy who'd been missing for 15 years because someone gave him what he thought was a random address?"

Tim chuckled, "Well um, uh…"

"Yeah. Ok, we'll go after pastries, before lunch; we'll be close enough if we get a call out."

Tim grinned, "Last time we'll have to worry about not having enough agents!"

"Hope so."

While they waited for Bec to reappear, Tim ran some searches against the insurance company but didn't find anything that sparked any interest as far as the case. He thought they'd ask the company to do a search for a claim involving their person of interest and see what dates he met with the claims representative. If there were any personal notes in file, that would be good, but it had been 5 years, so who knew.

Bec came downstairs and they joined her at the table; Eva shyly brought out the pastries with Matt helping her, Tim poured the coffee, Pete got the plates and cutlery and most importantly the napkins. Tea brought the phone in with her and Kim finally joined them, having been on a conference call with the office managers from Rota, London and Marseilles. Before they ate anything, Pete stood and formally welcomed Bec to the team. After the welcoming comments had quieted, Tim stood up and raising his coffee mug, offered a toast to their team, finally complete. He looked at Matt as he said that, for some reason thinking of their conversation about Gibbs and Carla picking them. He thought maybe it was because he was remembering his own warm welcome when Carla was still here.

They enjoyed the pastries, Bec complimenting Eva, who blushed. Tim chimed in, "And she's cooking tomorrow too, Bec. She and Tea are our resident chefs. Tea also makes wonderful pastries and all kinds of yummy things."

Bec looked confused and Pete cleared his throat, "Haven't had a chance to mention that yet. Bec, you're invited to join us all tomorrow for a 'Welcome to NCIS: Greece' party, which will also be our annual Thanksgiving feast."

"Oh, thank you, that sounds like fun. And all of you will be there?" She looked around the room at the nods. "Great, I'll know people!"

They laughed and Tim spoke up, "Trust me you've got nothing to worry about! This is a family, a community and we take care of our own…I can say that from the vantage point of 6 whole weeks being here."

They chuckled along with him and Bec relaxed. She asked some questions about the office and the building but seemed content to listen as well as talk. That boded well for her as an agent. After they'd enjoyed their pastries and beverages of choice, the group went back to work, leaving Bec to get settled.


	55. Chapter 55

Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Five!

Before he went to his desk, Tim showed Bec around the kitchen and the garden, remembering his own first day. As he had been, she was very happy with the kitchen. He also asked if she'd like to come out for a walking tour of Piraeus after work, telling her that Kim and Matt would be joining them and they'd stop for dinner when they got hungry. She grinned at that, she'd heard this was a great office to work in and was proud to have been selected as their junior agent. She agreed and then headed back upstairs to unpack and take a nap.

Tim gestured to Pete and they left to visit the insurance company. They were very cooperative, the manager had someone look up the file that pertained to their person of interest and told them the Claim Representative from the case 5 years ago was here in the office and available to speak with them. The rep was both disturbed and a little excited to hear that something she knew might help solve a 5 year old murder case. When questioned, she said she needed to go through the file and bringing her company laptop into the conference room; she brought up the claim file.

She read the claim, her notes and then rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I remember this guy. We get people trying to lie to us all the time, I'm sure you do too and this guy thought he was a master at it. By the time he was done his own mother would not have believed anything he said, so I had to do a little digging on my own. He claimed to have been in Thessaloniki the day that our insured's incident happened, so he couldn't have been involved. Guess he thought we wouldn't investigate that, but I did and he was in Athens that day. He'd been up in Thessaloniki and had booked a room there for the entire week but he came back early; I found three independent witnesses who were willing to testify that they had seen this guy in Athens during the day in question, in fact we have deposition videos from all three. The thing was he never checked out of his hotel up north, so if anyone called to ask if he'd been there all week, they'd just look at their books and say yes. And he was seen there later in the week. Now that's a long drive to do two round trips in a week; turns out he had a buddy fly him back to Athens and then back up again two days later. Anyway, he was royally pissed when we notified his insurance company of his involvement."

Tim nodded, "That's a lot of good investigative work, thanks!"

The woman smiled, "I take my work seriously; our insured was injured and he'd given a clear description of this guy plus the tag numbers from his car."

Tim tried not to smile, "Would you still have those, his tag numbers?"

"Oh sure, we have to keep everything for years. Here I'll print it for you." She printed a page from the file and handed it to Tim. It had the description of his vehicle, including the Vehicle Identification Number and tag/plate number. As it was a classic Mercedes, Tim hoped the guy still had it. If not, they could probably still figure out his current address.

Pete grinned as they left. "You're about to solve another cold case, my friend."

"Don't have him yet, Pete."

"Let's go now, we got an address or can you squiggle it up on your phone?"

Tim laughed at him. "Let's see what I can find." He found the same address online as was listed on the car information sheet, looked like the man still lived there. They updated Kim before they drove over to the address. Two blocks out, Tim pulled over to the curb. "We should call for backup from Piraeus PD."

"Thinking of last week?"

"Yes. We're taking a suspect in for questioning on a murder case. He knows he did it and he's probably been ready for this for five years, although maybe he's gotten sloppy, we can only hope. Yeah, I want backup! We lucked out with Stavros. And with Kirk's case, I wonder how much trouble Matt and I might have had if you and Carla hadn't called the Larissa PD plus Ted and Jack."

"Totally agree, Tim, you've got sound judgment and great instincts, go for it." Tim had the lead in this, so he made the call and they waited until two police cars pulled up behind them. They gave the two officers a quick briefing on what they were doing and the men nodded. They knew the neighborhood, said there was an alley in the back of the apartment building and that the fire escape ran along the back. Tim had a photo of their suspect he'd found online and he showed the officers. Tim and Pete would take the front while the officers would take the back with the alley. Their plan in place, the officers exchanged contact information with the agents and then all four men donned their vests. Tim and Pete added their NCIS jackets and drove toward their quarry's home. Both squad cars went ahead and one of the officers texted them that the Mercedes was parked in the back and they'd blocked it. Tim parked the agency sedan just a little beyond the building and they walked back, their NCIS caps in their pockets until they were in front of the man's door. When they knocked, they heard heavy footsteps and a tall heavyset man pulled the door open. They identified themselves and asked him to come with him for questioning. Tim saw a look in his eyes that told him this guy wasn't going down without a fight.

Shrewdly, the man lashed out at Pete but Tim had been watching his eyes and muscle movements and intercepted him, taking the man down with two swift moves. There was a bit of a tussle but Pete trained his gun on the man who saw these cops meant business. He held his hands up in surrender and Tim snapped the cuffs on him. One of the officers came around the side, his eyes widening when he saw the size of the suspect and then grinned when he spotted the cuffs. Hoping the cops were distracted, the suspect tried to kick Tim's legs out from under him but his move was blocked and he was done.

They got him into the sedan, Pete riding in the back with him and one of the squad cars followed them back to the office. They would interrogate him before taking him to the Piraeus lockup for the night or possibly the weekend. Once they had the man in interrogation, Matt stood watch in Observation. As the man was still belligerent, they'd added ankle shackles, telling him if he calmed down they'd be taken off. They were told in very specific terms what they could do with that information. Tim tried not to grin; he was looking forward to this interrogation.

Bec was downstairs and asked to observe. Pete had already presented her with her badge, id and weapon and agreed to her request. Tim pulled the file again and got his notes together, letting the guy stew for over an hour. He thought about waiting until after their lunch to interrogate him, but he wanted him locked up by then so they could enjoy their treats at the table and not have to split up for guard duty. He went into Interrogation with Pete, ready for a battle. Pete sat off in the corner while Tim questioned the man and gradually pulled the truth out of him.

The basis of the case was a Marine found stabbed to death behind a retail building one sunny Monday morning five years ago. Gunnery Sergeant Towers had been on leave from one of the Mideast conflicts and according to his buddies had been planning to shop at the famous flea market for gifts for his wife and child. Tim felt a chill when he originally read the file, thinking about his own brother and of course Gibbs. Now the dirtbag in front of him scathingly detailed how the stupid idiot, Tim stopped him there and told him he would refer to the dead man as the Marine or the American or he would be left in shackles and quite possibly a gag for the entire weekend. The other man's eyes widened, this agent was certainly tougher then he looked. He nodded and from then on stuck with the term Marine.

The Marine had attacked him for no reason and he had fought back in self defense, the whole thing was self defense, he was not at fault. Tim channeled his anger as he calmly tore the man's story apart and made sure he understood what a scumbag he was. The Marine had had defensive wounds on him, he'd fought his attacker; the autopsy had found material under his fingernails that Tim was certain would prove to contain this man's DNA. It took him less than an hour to break him and within another thirty minutes he was signing his statement and whisked off to jail. Pete had already contacted JAG; they would start the legal process this afternoon, in the meantime he would be held in the Piraeus lockup.

Tim took a break out in the garden while the others prepared the various lunch items. Pete told them to leave him alone; he figured he was thinking of Gibbs, a former gunnery sergeant or of his own brother Geordie. Tim thought of sending Gibbs a text just to say he was thinking of him and loved him, but he knew the man would know something was off; he knew if he himself got a message like that, out of the blue with no context, from Gibbs it would worry him. He decided to send him an e-mail after lunch instead. Gaining some perspective and able to find some grim satisfaction knowing that the Gunny's family would finally have some justice, Tim returned to the group gathered at the table. They were explaining the various dishes to Bec; she was determined to try everything. By the time Tim had finished his favorite pita he was smiling and laughing with the rest of them.

The afternoon passed swiftly with more reports generated for the current case as well as the very last ones (they hoped) for the Sawyer case and Tim's shoot out the previous week. Tim sent a brief e-mail to Gibbs and felt better. Lina called in the afternoon and asked Tim if he'd mind her joining the 'Welcome tour' that evening. He checked with Kim and Matt who were happy to spend time with Lina, getting to know her a little better before the Russells' party the next day. Bec disappeared after lunch for another nap and at 1700 Kim went upstairs to wake the young woman. Following Kim's advice, Bec grabbed a jacket, locked her bedroom door, left the hall light on and joined her new teammates. Kim smiled at Tim as Lina drove into the parking lot, understanding the way his eyes lit up, she felt the same way about Evander. Once Lina had been introduced, they outlined their plans for the evening. They'd take two cars and leave them parked close to the Flying Pig, their last stop. As Kim had with Tim and Matt before him, they first showed Bec the neighborhood around the office, waving to Archimedes as they passed and then climbed in their cars and drove down to the city center, parking and walking around the city and harbor. This time the tour was a little shorter in recognition of Bec's jet lag. Once again, they had dinner at Vosporos and walked again afterward, ending up at the Flying Pig. As they walked over there Lina told them with a shamefaced look that she'd learned things about Piraeus this evening that she hadn't known after living here for a few years; that got a laugh out of everyone. After their drinks arrived at the Flying Pig, the others started pelting Bec with questions about home. Tim just started laughing, telling Bec she'd get used to that. They ended fairly early as Bec was fading again; he and Lina guided her to his car while bidding the others goodnight. Tim drove Lina and Bec back to the office where Lina got into her car and drove off after a quick kiss. Bec managed to stay awake until she got into the office, Tim coming in with her.

While they were walking through the office, Bec stopped and turned to Tim, "You've been here 6 weeks, right?"

Tim nodded.

"Did you know Lina before?"

"No, I met her at a school play two weeks ago."

"So you'd been here a month then, huh." She grinned, "Sounds good to me although I thought that was something we weren't supposed to do, come here to meet potential mates."

Tim nodded; he supposed that was a valid statement. "And I didn't. I came here to move ahead in my career, meeting Lina -or anyone -wasn't something I set out to do. I mean yeah hopefully at some point but I'd just moved that day and, well let's just say it was a chaotic weekend, happily chaotic. Pete's two oldest kids were in a high school play and we all went, wasn't just me! Lina was working on the sets with Trina, Pete's wife; when the play started Lina sat next to me. It wasn't my intention but we clicked right away."

"So it was fate, really."

Tim laughed, "That's a romantic way of looking at it, but yes, I suppose it was."

She nodded. "What about Kim and her fiancé? Did she meet him here?"

"Evander, yes, huh, you know I'm not sure how or when they met. Let's ask her tomorrow."

"Will he be there?"

"He's a real estate agent, so giving up a Saturday really hurts. I believe he said he'd try to make it for dessert."

"Oh, real estate, so did he find your place for you?"

"Yes, he did. And Matt's place and Carla and Norm's house. You'll meet them tomorrow; she's the former SFA here who just had the preemie triplets."

"Oh right, that still boggles my mind, triplets! And having a real estate agent in the group sounds like it's come in very handy!"

"He's a really nice guy, as are Eva's husband Caleb and Tea's boyfriend Adan. By the way, I don't know if Pete said anything to you, but we're on call tomorrow. "

"Oh, I want to be included in that!"

"Your report date isn't until Monday."

"If we get a call out I can't just stay at the party."

Tim smiled, "You're going to be pretty heavily jet lagged for the next few days. Why don't we talk about this again tomorrow? With any luck, Europe will treat our Navy and Marine friends well this weekend and we'll be off the hook."

"Europe? We're on call for the whole continent?"

Tim laughed, "And more! Welcome to NCIS: Europe!"

"Wow, that's pretty cool. Have you been on a case, oh of course you were all in on that cartel takedown."

"Yes, Pete and Matt went to Romania, I went to Italy with one of our local CIA agents."

"What was it like?"

"I'll tell you Monday, how's that? Can't really talk about it with all the 'civilians' at the party tomorrow."

"Ok, because I'm going to have lots of questions!"

"We'll have a whole orientation for you on Monday that will answer a lot of them."

"All right!" She yawned and Tim chuckled, "Better drag yourself upstairs before you fall asleep on your feet."

He made sure she understood that he was just up the hill and could be here in three minutes if she needed help with anything. She had his cell number on her new cell, she had her weapon with her and Tim made sure the door to the garden was firmly locked before he left, using his own key to lock the front door. He checked his e-mail when he got home and found a reply from Gibbs. That and a goodnight chat with Lina made him quite happy. He was in bed asleep with a smile on his face before midnight.

Saturday morning was cloudy and a little chilly which Tim felt was appropriate for a Thanksgiving celebration. He showered and then prepared the mashed potatoes, cooking and mashing them. Once he mixed the milk and butter in and whipped them up, he put the whole thing in a large casserole dish he'd washed for the occasion. He covered it tightly and slipped the whole dish into a warm oven. Lina was bringing moussaka so he put two large towels in the backseat of his car. He dressed casually and then looking at the time, sat down at his laptop for a chat with his siblings. He hadn't yet told them about Ducky joining them for Christmas, he'd spoken to Rob and Sarah separately during the week but this was the first time the three of them were on at the same time. They were excited about Ducky's visit and told Tim that they'd changed their flight; Rob had gotten an extra day off of work so they were coming on Saturday instead of Sunday. He liked that as it meant more time together and he hoped Lina would be around in the earlier part of the week so they could get to know her a bit before she left for her parents' home in Thessaloniki. Then he realized he was making all kinds of assumptions; he hadn't yet asked Lina what her plans were. While he was still on Skype with his siblings, he confirmed that Matt had accepted their invitation and would they mind if he extended the Christmas Eve invitation to include Bec? He added the caveat that she was staying at the office so she might just join them for breakfast Christmas morning. They were fine either way and Tim got a kick out of Rob's none too subtle curiosity about her. When his phone alarm chimed, they disconnected, having scheduled another call in a few days. Tim took his mashed potatoes out of the oven, slid the whole dish into a large hot pocket similar to those used for pizza deliveries and put it in the foot well of the backseat of his car, tucking one of the towels around it.

He was down the hill and at the office right on schedule to pick up Bec. She was ready and had remembered to bring a sweater as well as a jar of artichoke hearts; she also had a go bag with her and Tim just shook his head at her as they put it in the trunk. "I need to have it in case we get a call out and you say yes."

He nodded, "You're right, that was good thinking."

Tim chuckled at the jar of artichoke hearts and told her about the conversation he'd had with Eva about the different dishes for Thanksgiving. She wrinkled her nose when he mentioned the celery and cheese and asked who had included that. He finally remembered Jackson talking about it.

They drove over to Lina's and she too was ready. Bec got in the backseat much to Lina's embarrassment. "Bec, I can surely sit in the back, you didn't need to do that."

"I don't mind, Lina, honest."

Lina had her moussaka dish wrapped up pretty well, but Tim handed her the towel anyway. She smiled at him and said, "I'm glad you don't have the top down today, it's chilly!"

Tim nodded, "Feels right for Thanksgiving! I know this time of year is warm in many parts of the world, but to me November means that winter is right around the corner."

"And do you prefer winter?"

Tim laughed, "On the contrary, I don't like it at all!"

"Oh good, I don't either."

Bec leaned forward, "How is winter here, generally speaking?"

"It doesn't get too cold, but we do have rain and sometimes snow in the mountains."

"Snow? I thought I'd have to go to Italy or Switzerland for that!"

Lina laughed, "Well they certainly have a great deal of it but no, we do have some here occasionally and our mountains have snow every winter. There was snow in Athens in 2002 and again in 2008 and 2011. The cold air comes out of Russia and the Ukraine. If you want to ski, there are ski resorts on Mt. Parnassós, Mt. Helmós and other places."

Bec grinned, "I've never skied before; it would be fun to tell people I learned how to ski in Greece!"

Lina laughed, "You know Jerusalem is further south than we are here and they have ski resorts there."

Bec shook her head, "The world is even stranger than I thought." She tapped Tim's shoulder, "Do we ever get cases in Israel?"

"If something happens, yeah, we could, that's our jurisdiction." Bec just nodded, realizing that Tim might not be comfortable talking about work with her in front of his girlfriend, especially a new one.

They pulled into the driveway of the Russells' home and Bec's eyes widened at the view. "Wow! This is beautiful!"

Lina laughed, "Wait until you see the entryway and the inside. Trina is an artist."

"You are too, right?"

"Yes, although we work in different mediums."

Tim chuckled, "Lina is wearing her artwork, Bec."

Lina blushed, "Do make sure you see the kitchen and I'm sure Trina will take you upstairs."

"Great, I love seeing the way people decorate their homes."

Lina nodded, "Then you will certainly love this one!"

As they were walking down the driveway Norm pulled up and dropped Carla at the door. He waved at them as he drove past them to park. Carla was bundled up and waited on the walkway. Tim grinned at her, "Hi Mama!"

"Oh no, Timothy McGee, it's Ms. Mama to you! Come here and hug me and then introduce me to your lovely lady friends."

Tim did as he was told and Carla hugged each woman. "I'm so glad to meet the two of you! Lina, I've seen your work and it's wonderful. Did you design your outfit?"

Lina nodded and Tim pointed out her earrings as well. "Wonderful! And Bec, I'm so happy you're finally here! You won't know this but you've been the one we've needed for months now, since last summer. It took Tim to come along and get things organized and bring you over!"

Norm caught up to them and he and Tim escorted the women inside. Bec's eyes had carefully examined the mosaic walkway as they approached the front door. As the five of them walked further into the foyer, Pete and Trina greeted them, Trina giving Bec a little welcome kiss on the cheek. "Welcome to our home, Bec, and welcome to Greece!"

"Thank you Mrs. Russell. You've all made me feel very welcome!"

"It's Trina, please! Now come on in, please…what have you got there? You're as bad as Timothy, bringing food to a party thrown in your honor!"

Trina was smiling as she said this and Bec felt perfectly comfortable. When the older woman held out her hand, Bec put the jar of artichoke hearts in it. "Oh, we had these at my family gatherings growing up, I love them! Thank you, we'll put them out." She paused and said with a twinkle in her eye, "You do want to share them, yes?" Bec laughed, "Of course!"

While they were talking, Matt and Kim walked in, Eva and Caleb following closely behind. "Come in, come in!" They moved into the living room and Bec and Lina were introduced to those they hadn't met yet. They all shook hands and asked Bec about her home in the States and other questions. Tim noticed all four of the kids gravitated to Bec and Matt and he smiled, of course they were the two youngest adults there. He, Lina and Caleb took their dishes into the kitchen and had just put them on the island when Tim was 'attacked' from behind. All four of the Russell kids hugged him and he hugged back. Lina's eyes sparkled and Caleb chuckled to himself, he recognized a partnership in the making when he saw one. He had been quite happy when Eva told him that Tim was dating the dark haired woman from the play and that she worked at the Benaki. He loved the place and had questions to ask when the time was right. Now he speculated that Lina wanted children and was happy to see that Tim was good with them. Then he mentally shrugged, they were still very new to each other, it would take time to build a strong relationship like his and Eva's.

The feast was a resounding success. Tim had to admit he much preferred the barbecued turkey to the ones he and the kids roasted. The side dishes were also delicious and he had a little bit of everything. When he saw what Kim brought, his eyes widened and he looked at Eva who could hardly contain her laughter. He opened his mouth and Kim and Eva both burst into laughter.

Kim gasped, "Eva told me and I couldn't resist! I can't tell you how many places I had to check before I could find spreadable cheese in a jar!" Bec spotted the celery and cheese and started laughing with him.

Eventually they stopped long enough to explain to the others. Kim made everyone take at least a bite and Tim admitted it was actually pretty good. Norm and Carla told baby stories and showed photos of the triplets who were scheduled to come home a few days before Christmas. After they'd eaten dinner, the youngest Russells stood up and made their announcement. "Everyone but Bec knows the drill. Bec, around here, when we've eaten as we have today, we have a game or get some exercise before any of us…_any_ of us," All four of them turned to look at Norm who winked, "can have any dessert. We have sweaters, jackets, socks and sneakers for anyone who didn't bring any. Meet on the volleyball court in ten minutes."

Tim had warned Bec and Lina knew already, so they'd come prepared. He'd grabbed an extra sports bag and put their shoes, socks and sweatshirts in and brought it in with him, so they were all set. When they were ready, they walked around outside to warm their muscles up a bit before they started jumping around with the volleyball. As in his previous visit, the game was hilarious and once again, Carla kept score and Caleb refereed. The game wasn't a long one, it was really pretty chilly out and they made sure they did plenty of dancing and clowning around so that Stephan, a future sports doctor, would allow them to go back inside to the warm house and eat some more. Carla declared the game a tie and was teasingly booed by both sides. As they walked back into the house, Pete's cell phone rang and the rest of the team froze while he answered it. He walked into the back hallway, motioning to Tim to follow him.

Tim joined him just as he heard, "All right, let us know, we're up to full strength now, we can be there in a few hours, tomorrow morning at the latest."


	56. Chapter 56

**WARNING:**** THIS STORY IS RATED 'M'. NO UNDERAGE READERS, PLEASE! THIS CHAPTER HAS A NON-EXPLICIT HETEROSEXUAL LOVE SCENE BETWEEN TWO CONSENTING ADULTS. IF YOU DON'T CARE TO READ LOVE SCENES, PM ME AND I'LL HAPPILY SEND YOU THE VERSION OF THE CHAPTER WITHOUT ANY OF THE DETAILS. **

* * *

><p>Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Six<p>

Disconnecting, he turned to Tim. "That was dispatch; they have reports of a multiple homicide in Berlin with possible Marine connections. They're verifying and will let me know." Tim nodded and pulled out his phone. "I'll start checking flights. Bec wants in if we do go, she brought her 'go' bag." Pete looked puzzled until Tim explained that they'd talked about it briefly last night and he'd deferred the conversation until today when they'd be with Pete.

"What do you think?"

"She can sleep on the plane. Yeah, she'll fade in and out, but if this is ours and it is multiples, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Ok. If we go, she goes too."

"It's a 3 hour flight, looks like there's multiple flights this afternoon. Availability…ah, there's two flights with at least four seats available. "

"We're going to have to wait to find out; it could take a few hours before they figure it out." Tim nodded, "And if it's multiples, we could be there a while."

"Yes, I'd figure a week, depending on the case." Pete shook his head, "All right, let's go alert the troops and get some dessert before it's all gone!"

They walked out of the hallway and joined the others at the dining table. Pete nodded, "We're on alert, there's a case in Berlin that might have our name on it; dispatch is verifying that it was U.S. Marines that were involved." Bec looked at Tim and Pete. "Yes Bec. Our Senior Field Agent has asked that you come along. IF we go, you can sleep on the plane and take cat naps."

Carla grimaced. "Hope you don't have to go."

Tim chuckled, "Still miss the job?"

"Oh believe me I won't even remember it once our babies come home!"

The two men helped themselves to the desserts. Tea had made baklava and Lina had grabbed the last two pieces for Pete and Tim. There was also apple pie, berry pie and a pumpkin pie, with ice cream or whipped cream toppings. Tim caught Eva's eyes and held up three fingers and they laughed. He had bites from each pie and the baklava.

They were still relaxing at the table two hours later when Evander came in. He was grinning; he'd sold a house that morning. He was introduced to Bec and gave her his card while his plate of food was warmed in the microwave. He was still eating when Pete's phone rang again. The tension ratcheted up a notch as he answered it. "Agent Russell. What's the word?" He listened for a minute and then smiled. Trina and Lina visibly relaxed. When he disconnected, he put the phone back in his pocket. "We haven't lost any of our own. Unfortunately, the United Kingdom has, five Royal Marines."

Tim closed his eyes, feeling the tension drain; every time a Marine was killed in a far off place, he was afraid it would be Geordie. He thought of the families who would be notified, he hoped UK law enforcement would bring the killer or killers to justice. He felt Lina squeeze his hand and he squeezed back.

The table was silent for a few minutes before Phoebe spoke. "This is Thanksgiving and we're here to give thanks for our lives, to celebrate them. It's sure true right now."

Trina nodded, "We forgot, didn't we?" Her children nodded at her. "It's been a tradition that every Thanksgiving each of us shares one thing they're grateful for that year. We forgot before we ate, but I'd like to do it now."

They went around the table, each of them contributing something. They stayed for another round of hot beverages, watching Evander eat dessert and then began to disperse. Norm and Carla went to the hospital for the babies' next feeding. Tea and Adan had a birthday party to attend. Bec was swallowing yawn after yawn. Lina yearned to be in Tim's arms and help him forget about dead Marines. Eva and Caleb arranged to drop by the office and take Bec into Athens for a guided sightseeing tour on Sunday and Tim was relieved that the young woman would get out and see some of her new home before she started work. Tim reminded her they were on call through Sunday; she assured him she'd have her cell phone on and her go bag handy.

When Lina and Bec got out of his car at the office, Tim got out with them. Bec went on inside, locking the door behind her and he turned to Lina, intending to kiss her goodbye. She was already in her car, "I'm coming home with you, Timothy." She gave him a look that Tim already knew meant she'd made up her mind so he leaned down and gently kissed her. "Pull into the garage beside me, there's room for both cars." Then he hopped in his car and quickly drove up the hill, mentally thanking Evander for finding him a house so close to the office. She pulled in beside him in the garage and as soon as both engines were off, he pressed the remote to close the garage door. She took something out of the trunk of her car and Tim smiled at her 'go' bag. Arms wrapped around each other, they walked quickly into the house and up the stairs.

When they got to his room, they sat on his bed kissing and touching. He pulled back a little, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but are you sure, sweetie?"

"Yes, love, absolutely."He smiled as she got up on her knees and started stripping his clothes off him. Shirt and undershirt went flying and then she stopped to admire him, kissing him slowly. She moved her mouth, finding his hot spots, sucking an ear lobe, licking under his ears and sucking at the juncture of his neck and shoulders. Running her hands and nails lightly over his chest, lower across his abdomen, stopping at the fabric she encountered. Making a growly noise, he captured her hands and held them while they kissed deeply. When they stopped to breathe, she gave that light laugh that had always aroused him and reached for his belt, but he stopped her.

"You're still dressed, have to fix that."

He pulled her onto his lap and she wiggled her butt on his erection as he raised her arms and skimmed her top off over her head. Holding her hands above her head, he licked the length of first one arm and then the other, stopping to nuzzle her neck on each side. She was trembling by now and he pulled her arms down gently and kissed her again and then used his tongue to pay homage to her lips, eyelids, the tips of her ears. Her bra wore latched in the front and he used both hands to unfasten it, cupping her breasts as they fell free. He groaned and used his tongue to learn every inch, every curve. He rubbed his thumbs lightly over her nipples and she cried out her pleasure. He moved his head so his mouth was again over her chest and flicked his tongue out to first one nipple and then the other. When that brought more pleasured moans from her, he lowered his head to circle his tongue around each nipple and then opening his mouth, concentrated on one nipple at a time, gently sucking. When Lina made pleasured noises, Tim removed his lips from that nipple and moved to her other one and repeated the gentle sucking. His hands were busy while his mouth pleasured her, running along her abdomen, down to her belly button, around to her back, sweeping upwards and again to her breasts. He sucked a nipple a little harder and she cried out, arching her back. When he moved his mouth to her other breast, she wrapped her arms around him and he could feel her trembling. While one hand helped him lave each breast and suck each nipple, the other one resumed the journey south. He'd pulled her pants down past her hips, helping her raise her hips as he slipped them off her. Now he explored every inch of her with his mouth, tongue, lips, hands and fingers.

He reached her panties and cupped her while he played with her breasts and when she writhed in pleasure, he ran one long finger along the crotch of her panties, reveling in the wetness. Bringing his head back up, he kissed her lips, thrusting his tongue into her welcoming mouth. He moved back to her breasts and nipples and loved on them more before his hand wandered south again. He used his fingers to pleasure her through her panties and then finally used his tongue over the wet fabric. While she moaned in pleasure, he increased the pressure of his tongue and used his fingers to play with her.

Finally neither could stand the wait and he peeled her panties off her and then pulled back, gazing at the woman he loved. She lay naked, thoroughly aroused and glistening on his bed, waiting for him. Realizing he was still wearing his pants, she reached up and unfastened his belt and carefully slid the zipper down, pulling his trousers off and then carefully sliding his boxers over his erection, letting them slide to the floor. While she was doing this, he had his hands caressing her thighs and moving up to her crotch, rubbing his long fingers over her. He stopped to reach into the drawer of his nightstand for the condoms he'd put in there weeks ago.

She hissed with pleasure as his fingers caressed her, then she took a moment to admire him again, while he stood in all his glory, already dripping pre-cum. She leaned over to lick his head and he groaned, "Lina!" Reaching, she played with him and then moved to take him into her mouth. Tim moaned as she sucked and licked his shaft and balls.

Wanting her to climax first, he moved so that he popped out from her mouth. Pushing her gently so she lay back on the bed, he listened to her increasing moans and continued to use his fingers and tongue to bring her off. When she cried "Timothy!" through her orgasm, he continued stroking and then slipped into her. He brought her off once again before he allowed himself to thrust deeper into her, his own climax hard enough to leave him seeing stars.

Sunday morning dawned with clear skies and by 10:00 the temperature was as warm as it had been mid-afternoon the day before. Tim and Lina skipped their run that morning opting instead for more personal exercise. Secretly each wished they hadn't scheduled the brunch so they could spend the day pursuing their new physical relationship. But they had so eventually they forced themselves from their love nest. They showered, dressed and tidied up the house a bit. Brunch would be simple; they had decided to combine Greek and American recipes. They blended a traditional Greek omelette including zucchini and herbs with Tim's egg casserole recipe, so that it could be baked in the oven rather than cooked on the stovetop. A crusty loaf of bread and a simple tomato and feta cheese salad would accompany the egg dish.

When Tim came downstairs after his shower, he saw that Lina had removed the extra leaves from the table, making the setting more intimate for the four of them and placed the silverware, plates, juice glasses and mugs on the table, putting a bouquet of flowers fresh from the garden in the middle. He loved that she already felt comfortable enough in his home to do that.

At 11:05, Matt arrived. He'd brought flowers for Lina and she quickly added them to the bouquet on the table. At 11:10, Damian arrived and handed a box of pastries to his sister as he kissed her cheek. He smiled as he shook Tim's hand. "I'm happy to meet you; my sister has told me much about you."

"And I'm happy to meet you, glad you could join us today! Come on in, please. Damian, I'd like you to meet my friend and colleague, Matt Watson. Matt, Damian Kalivas." The two men smiled at each other as they shook hands. Before conversations were started, the kitchen timer rang and Tim went to pull the egg dish out of the oven, calling over his shoulder, "Damian, Matt, what would you like to drink? Lina and I thought we'd have mimosas, are you interested? We also have coffee, tea, juice, milk."

Damian and Matt answered in unison, "Mimosas!"

"Four mimosas coming right up! Everything's on the table; go ahead and get comfortable."

Lina brought the casserole dish in while Tim followed with a small tray holding four champagne flutes filled with mimosas. Lina had arranged the table settings so that two people were sitting on each side of the table; the spots at the end were empty. Tim liked that, it was easier to talk that way and he could reach Lina's feet under the table.

As they sat Damian asked, "Are we your first guests here? I understand you haven't lived here long."

"I moved in a couple of weeks ago yes, and no- Matt was my first guest. I'd signed the papers for the place but was still staying in temporary rooms. He and I were driving back to the office to get his car after our martial arts class the next night when he suggested we come up here and take photos, so we brought our dinner up and I ended up moving in that night."

"Oh, so you helped him, Matt?"

"Yes, but not that night. He just brought his 'go' bag and coffee. The next night some of us from the office helped him move the rest of his clothes."

"And the furniture?"

Tim grinned, "It came with the house. The only things of mine downstairs are the TV, the plant, the wood carving and some of the kitchen stuff."

Damian nodded and then turned to Matt, "How long have you been in Greece, Matt? And where are you from in the States?" Matt told him and then asked him some questions about his work and his latest project. Things seemed to be going well so Tim and Lina relaxed and enjoyed their brunch.

After the mimosas, everyone wanted coffee. The two guests took theirs out to the garden while Tim and Lina, having refused their help, cleaned up the kitchen, enjoying working side by side. Eventually they joined the two men outside. Damian looked at him, "You haven't met the rest of our family, Tim?"

"No, I haven't, not yet."

"Lina, let me know when you plan the trip north, I will go also. It will help, Tim, if you have someone besides Lina on your side."

He started to speak in Greek with Lina but stopped when the other two just grinned at him.

"You both speak Greek?"

They nodded, "Have to for our jobs."

"That makes sense. I was just telling my sister of an idea to bring you into the family with as little of my father's …temper as possible."

Lina interjected, "We can discuss that later, Damian, please."

Damian's eyes twinkled, "Very well."

The two men stayed for another hour in the warm sun, finally departing. Shortly after they left, Tim got a text from Matt saying that Damian had asked him out on a date and a few minutes later, Lina received a similar text from her brother. They grinned at each other, their plan had worked; the rest was up to the two guys.

The lovers took the rest of the day getting to know each other on new levels. When Tim's stomach growled as the sky was darkening, they both laughed. Tim grabbed Lina's hand as she climbed out of bed, "Come on, I know where there's food." She giggled as she grabbed a light robe from her bag and looked at him. "Naked, you're going into the kitchen naked?"

He thought about it, "Maybe a robe." He rummaged through his closet until he found the robe his siblings had given him his first year at NCIS. Shrugging it on, he grinned at her, "Ok, no cooties in the kitchen."

"Cooties?"

He explained it to her. "It's a childhood word used to tease - means a person has germs. It's most often used with the opposite sex. When children are young, say between 6 and 9, girls might say boys have cooties or vice versa. It's used a lot before girls and boys get interested in each other."

"Oooh, so I wouldn't want your boy cooties on me?"

He grinned as he gently pulled her in for a deep and intimate kiss. "Think it's way too late for that!"

They eventually made their way downstairs to the kitchen where they pulled the brunch leftovers from the refrigerator. Lina heated them in the microwave while Tim made fresh coffee. They ate at the counter and after putting their dishes in the sink, decided to put the countertop to other uses.

Lina left for home around 2200 and Tim was just opening his laptop to check his e-mail after cleaning the kitchen, picking up clothes and changing the bed, when he heard a ping. He was amazed to see his sister, brother and uncles on the same screen and was glad he'd stopped to get dressed. "Hey everyone, good to see you! Where the heck are you?"

Uncle Jim answered, "London, Tim. We were so close in Antwerp, we couldn't stand it. We caught a flight last night and spent the day with Sarah and Rob."

Tim grinned seeing that his siblings and his uncles were beaming. "I'm jealous; I want to be there too!"

Sarah shook her head, "You had them for a whole week, Tim!"

He snorted, "Yeah I guess it is only fair. That's very cool of you, Uncle Dave, Uncle Jim!" The five of them talked for nearly 30 minutes before they heard a chime. It was Jim's phone, "We have to leave pretty soon, catch our flight back."

Tim was overjoyed that his uncles had taken the opportunity to meet his siblings. "Headed home then, right?"

The Admiral nodded, "Oh yeah, there isn't a sailor on board who isn't counting the hours. But Jim and I are lucky; we've had family along the way." He reached up and ruffled Rob's hair and Tim's shy child beamed. After a little more banter, they rang off and Tim sat back, reflecting on their new family. He'd been worried that Sarah and Rob wouldn't get to meet anyone in person for months. Any of the 'new' family that is, they'd all see Ducky in a few weeks. Tim puttered around the house a little more and then heard another ping. He raced back upstairs and saw Gibbs smiling at him from the screen. "Boss! Great to see you, how are you?"

"I'm good, Tim, how about you? You busy, Lina there?"

"No, she left a couple of hours ago. She uh…well we both have to work tomorrow."

That told Gibbs what he'd suspected – although the woman's shoe in Tim's hand was also a clue. They talked for close to an hour, Tim catching him up with Bec's arrival, their near call-out, Thanksgiving dinner at the Russells and their quiet little brunch this morning. Gibbs looked at him, "Trying to hook someone up?"

"Yep."

"Did it work?"

"Hope so, I want everyone to be as happy as I am – and I hope Lina is."

Gibbs may not have known his boy all that well until recently but he knew the signs of a man in love. He decided to wait until they'd been together a little longer before he said anything about it. Gibbs was suddenly very glad Ducky would be visiting him, would meet Lina and form an opinion. Gibbs' one big fear was that Tim would rush things as he himself had done in each of his failed marriages. He had to remember Tim was his own man and that Lina sounded well balanced and a good match for his kid. He just hoped like hell that his heart wouldn't get broken…not by anyone else, bad enough he'd done it. When they disconnected, Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was fine with Tim; that was good. He would call Tony later; it was much too early now.

XXX

When his alarm rang the next morning, Tim stretched and hopped out of bed, smiling and thinking of his night and day with Lina. Then he wondered how on earth he'd manage to disguise his happiness, his very well satisfied male happiness. By the time he'd had his run, showered and eaten, he'd decided to think of unpleasant things to bring his mood under control. He might have succeeded if Lina hadn't texted a reply to his text to her. His intentions forgotten, he sauntered into the office, a little relieved that Matt was the only one there. The young man looked at him and chuckled. "Don't even try, Tim."

"All right, I can do that."

He looked at his friend. "So when's your date?"

"Uh…we sort of moved it up."

"Oh, you already…?"

"Dinner last night. At a restaurant that caters to," Matt looked toward the kitchen and stairs, "same sex couples."

"Have a good time?"

"Yes and the food was delicious. Works both ways you know!"

Laughing, Tim resisted the urge to ruffle his hair and went into the kitchen as Bec came downstairs.

"Good morning, Special Agent Childers! Welcome to your first official day at NCIS: Athens!"

"Why thank you, Special Agent McGee, I'm so glad to be here!"

"How was your sightseeing yesterday?"

"It was great, Caleb knows so much history!"

Tim nodded, "I thought I'd done my homework pretty well before I got here, but first Matt took me out and about and then Caleb and Eva and I found out how very much I didn't know."

"That makes me feel better!"

Matt laughed, "Most of the things I know came from Caleb, they took me out too when I first got here. It's a tradition, just like the welcome lunch and the Russells' dinners."

Bec grinned, "Not that I don't love them all, but you all are way more fun than my old team."

Tim snorted and Bec looked at him, he just shook his head and Matt chuckled, "He'll tell you in his own time, his own way."

Tim huffed, "Not your first day! Ok, have you had breakfast, coffee, you ready to report for duty, Special Agent?"

"Yes Sir!"

Tim grinned, "All right then let's get started." As they were already in the kitchen, Tim showed her the wall with their closures and told her a little about the daily operations here, how they normally worked until 1700 if there wasn't an active case. He filled her in on her schedule for the day. Pete would be taking her to the embassy at some point during the day to present her credentials, he told her a little about that; he mentioned the weekly conference call with the Director, the bimonthly call with the other European offices and the monthly call with Mossad which he admitted had been rescheduled twice since he'd been there and had yet to happen.

He'd sent her a file of information for review – their territory, how the four offices worked together, the information about the Piraeus lockup, additional information on the Athens and Piraeus police departments, the on-call calendar, the holiday calendar, etc. Then he watched her face as he told her about their backups, Ted and Jack the CIA agents. He was rewarded with eyebrows disappearing behind her hair and a shocked expression. He chuckled as he told her how helpful they'd been. Once he had everything covered, they went to her desk and he gave her several case files to review. He'd included cases that occurred while Carla was SFA as well as the cases they'd handled since he'd arrived. He encouraged her to read the personal notes as well as the actual case file, knowing that would give her more of a flavor of how each agent thought and acted.

Tea, Pete, Kim and Eva arrived while he was giving Bec her orientation, each greeting her warmly and getting right to work. Once Tim had Bec settled at her desk with the files, Pete motioned him into his office. "Got a call from the embassy, they'd like you to come along when I take Bec over."

"Me? Is there a problem?"

"I asked and they said no, but something has come up that someone over there feels you can shed some light on."

Tim frowned, "That's weird."

"Yep, but you know you had your finger in many pies during your tenure on Gibbs' team, my friend."

"Uh, yeah, but…what time's the appointment?"

"1400. If you're thinking about contacting Vance, I was headed that way too. Why don't you come with us and see what they want. If it's something innocuous, great, if it's something you want to clear through HQ, then we'll tell them that." Pete snorted, "It's the Diplomatic Corps; it could be a question about your Mossad friend who was here or just about anything. They have their own set of rules Tim; they don't operate like we do. For all we know, they want to know how to download Skype!"

Shaking his head, Tim returned to his desk and went back to work on more reports, cold cases and answering Bec's questions. Matt had the lunch run, he took Bec with him so she'd get some fresh air and see the neighborhood again. Lunch eaten, 1330 came along and Pete came out of his office for the trip to the embassy. Tim let Matt and Kim know he'd be going along although he had no idea why he was being summoned. As Pete walked out of his office, he looked at Tim and frowned. Tim smiled, "If we get a call out, we respond from there and Matt can bring the van, meet us."

"All right, that works."

The three of them climbed in one of the agency sedans and took off, Bec in the front seat, face glued to the window. Like Tim, she'd never been to an embassy before. When they pulled up at the security gate, the Marine on guard was another one who'd been with them during the Arktos case. He greeted them, "Agent Russell, Agent McGee, good to see you again. And you are…?" Pete handed him Bec's badge and id. "Ah, Agent Childers, welcome to Athens!" He did his customary search of the car and Bec watched carefully. After they were allowed access, they parked and walked in. Going to the same conference room, Pete and Bec turned to the Ambassador's assistant while Tim broke into a smile as he greeted Ted and Jack. "You guys know why I'm here."

"Yes, but we're not allowed to say." They grinned at him and then turned to meet Bec after she'd finished with the 'd told Tim this morning that she'd never met a CIA agent before and was excited. Tim wondered if she'd be disappointed to see that neither was James Bond, just regular looking guys. As the assistant started to leave the room with Bec's credentials, she crooked her finger at Tim. He went with her, very curious now to see what was going on. They passed Colonel Martin in the hall and the man stopped, frowning. "Excuse me young man."

"Yes Colonel?"

"This is my lucky day. Special Agent Timothy McGee right here, you saved me a trip."

"Sir?"

"I have something for you. I was going to drop it by your office."

The assistant spoke up, "Colonel, he's needed for a consult with one of our attachés."

"This will only take a minute, young lady." The woman sighed and nodded and Tim went off with the Colonel. When they reached his office, the Colonel went to his desk and reached in a drawer. "I was on a swing around… places recently and when one of the officers heard I was posted in Athens, he told me about you and gave me this."

"Geordie, Sir, was it Lt. Geordie Perry?"

"Yes, Agent McGee, your brother." The Colonel took a thick manila envelope and handed it to Tim. "I believe it's filled with letters. I brought back a briefcase full to be mailed, but he told me you were with NCIS in Piraeus."

"He's all right, Sir? I'm sorry…I…we haven't seen him in over two years."

"So I understand. He's doing a fine job and we'll see about getting him some leave in the next few months."

Tim's grin threatened to split his face in half. "Thank you Colonel!"

There was a knock on the office door and the assistant poked her head in. "Sir, our attaché is waiting."

"Very well." The Colonel shook Tim's hand as the agent followed the assistant. Tim was scarcely aware of where they were going, he was thinking about Geordie's letters, his future leave and hearing that Col. Martin had seen him. Finally, they turned into another office and Tim was introduced to a man named Fred Christopher who said he had some questions for him.


	57. Chapter 57

Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Seven

_Previously on Finding Home: Finally, they turned into another office and Tim was introduced to a man named Fred Christopher who said he had some questions for him_.

The assistant disappeared and Tim sat, wondering how he'd find his way back to Pete and Bec. Mr. Christopher droned on for a few minutes before he seemed to be reaching a point; Tim turned his full attention to him. "The woman in question is a naturalized American citizen. I didn't understand why she would be working with the Israeli Diplomatic Corps and someone in Washington suggested I speak with you."

"What is the woman's name?"

"Ziva David." Tim stood up, feeling like leaving the office. No way did he want to get caught up in whatever she was up to these days. Mr. Christopher frowned, "That's not a happy look, Agent McGee."

Tim sat down again. "What do you want to know?"

"Why is an American citizen involved with the Israeli Diplomatic Corps?"

"I have no idea."

"Do you know her?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Tim decided not to volunteer any information; he would answer the questions factually and try to leave out all the emotion of Ziva's life and work with NCIS over the years.

"I worked with her at NCIS Headquarters."

"In what capacity?"

"At first she was liaison between Mossad and NCIS."

"Why would that be necessary?"

"I don't know, wasn't my decision, we were never told."

"Whose decision was it?"

"As far as I know, the former Director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard and I guess the Director of Mossad at the time."

"Do you know where I can contact her - Ms. Shepard?"

"She's dead."

The man sighed, "This gets more perplexing by the moment. What about the Mossad Director?"

"Also dead." At the look on the diplomat's face, Tim huffed and gave up his "facts only" stance.

"What?"

"I don't know what she's involved in now, but from what I know, Ziva's life has always been tangled, perplexing."

"You know her on a first name basis."

"Used to."

"Were you friends?"

"Co-workers."

"You said at first. Did her position change?"

"Yes, eventually she became an NCIS agent."

"She had to be a U.S. citizen for that, yes?"

Tim nodded.

"So someone pulled some strings to get that accomplished."

Tim shrugged. He had no real knowledge about that. Ideas yes, but no facts.

"What persuaded her to leave Mossad, give up her Israeli citizenship and pull all kinds of strings to become an American citizen?"

Tim pursed his lips, asked him his security clearance and thus reassured, told him about Somalia.

"Oh my heavens! You were on that operation?" Tim nodded. "And I'm sure you have the scars to prove it, Agent McGee. After all that, her rescue, she left NCIS and went back to Israel and somehow has managed to become a member in training of their Diplomatic Corps."

"How is that even possible, she's not an Israeli citizen, she could never be…you know all that."

"Yes. We just found out about her and are trying to determine who she is and what she is up to – or what they're up to. We have the ability to put a stop to whatever it is she's doing."

Tim nodded.

"Have you an opinion about that?"

"I do."

"Care to share?"

"No sir."

"Off the record?"

Tim shook his head. "No sir, not unless you deem this a security issue, that she's a security threat to our country."

"I don't know, is she?"

"She was an NCIS agent, a member of the top team in the agency. We did take part in some classified operations."

"You were also part of that team?"

Tim nodded, "Yes."

"And she's no longer subject to her oath to the agency." Christopher sighed. "All right, she's a possible security risk. Or would you say probable?" Tim shook his head. "What can you tell me about her background, her family?"

"I can tell you what I've been told by her; I've never been told the information is classified. She's a former Mossad operative. Her father was director of Mossad, murdered in Virginia almost a year ago. Her half brother was a double agent with Hamas - he murdered one of my teammates and was subsequently killed. As far as I know, her only living family is an aunt."

"A terrible family to be born into."

Tim nodded.

"Is there anyone at NCIS headquarters I can speak with? What about whoever led your team?"

"Special Agent Jethro Gibbs."

"He still there?"

Tim smiled, "Yes."

"Good, that's a help, anyone else?"

"Director Leon Vance."

"Good, all right Agent McGee. I appreciate that I'm putting you in a tight spot here, loyalty to your former team mate and all."

Tim looked him straight in the eye. "That's not it, Mr. Christopher. I don't want to get involved in whatever she's up to. I want my name kept out of this."

"It will be. We can list facts without naming names. I'm assuming all I would have to do to find out any of this is contact NCIS HQ, request her records."

Tim chuckled, "Don't know about the legalities of that."

"Oh we have jurisdiction…an American citizen…what on earth she thinks she's doing."

Tim had a theory and decided to share that much. "She would have to know she'll never be accepted to any position because of her citizenship, she'd know the US would block anything official. She's probably planning on working behind the scenes. There must be some position she can take without having to be an Israeli citizen, or they'll waive it for her."

"And then she'll work behind the scenes. I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Not sure I do either."

Christopher stood up. "Thank you for taking the time out of your day, Agent McGee. Would you like to be kept in the loop?"

"No Mr. Christopher, I don't think I would. Unless she's here in Athens, then I would like to be advised."

"If she does end up with the Israeli Diplomatic mission, we can do that. And again, we will keep your name out of it."

"Appreciate that." He paused, "Could you give me directions to get back to my team? They're in a conference room on a different floor, presenting a teammate's credentials."

"Ah, that would likely be conference room C, come along, I'll take you back." As they walked, Tim asked Mr. Christopher about his life in the Diplomatic Corps and could tell from his responses that this man had led an interesting life. Tim's phone chirped, Pete calling and Tim told him he was on his way back to the conference room.

"No need, we're at the door where we came in. Bec's all squared away. Your mystery solved?"

"Yes, I'll tell you in a bit." He turned to his escort, "Mr. Christopher, I need to go to the parking entrance instead of the conference room. "

"Oh, well that's much easier, Agent McGee." He stopped at a door that said 'Stairwell'. "Just take these stairs down to the Lower Level, take a left coming out the door and you'll find the entrance…or exit in your case." They shook hands and Tim walked down the stairs to the exit where Pete and Bec were waiting.

On the way back to the office, Tim told them about Mr. Christopher and his enquiries into his former co-worker's past. Pete suggested he mention it to the Director during their call this evening. By the time they got back to the office it was nearly 1600. Tim had spoken with Bec about their martial arts class and she'd asked to come along to observe. They would have a late dinner together after; Tim wasn't sure if Lina would be joining them or not.

Their call with the Director was brief. They updated him on the cold case they'd solved on Friday and their trip to the Embassy today. Tim relayed the inquiries from Fred Christopher about Ziva and Vance said he would let Gibbs know he might be contacted as well. Vance told them he'd had a call from the Mossad Director and that they could expect the conference call scheduled for this week to actually take place. Tim made a note on his phone.

After the call there was still time before they needed to leave for class, so Tim went back to his desk and pulled the manila envelope out. He found several letters, addressed to each of them and numbered, just as they numbered their letters to Geordie. Tim found the latest one addressed to him and opened it. Geordie had been tired and homesick when he wrote it, he'd had some of their letters and he was unhappy that he was missing all the big changes in their lives. He told Tim he had requested a transfer out of Special Forces but didn't know where he'd end up. He'd never had a letter from Geordie that was so dispirited and Tim was a little worried, hoping that leave would happen very soon or maybe the transfer would come first. Usually Geordie didn't comment on his life at all, just commented on whatever he'd heard from his siblings. Tim took the other letters and put them in his desk, he'd mail them to Sarah and Rob tomorrow. Lina called and said she'd be joining them for dinner and that Damian had talked with Matt about coming along too.

Tim looked over at Matt and saw the younger man was fidgeting with something on his desk. Tim got up and walked over to him. "You ready?"

"Yeah, I mean, what's the big deal, right?"

"They'll be fine, Matt, all of them, all of us. I'll be there with you, kiddo."

"Thanks Tim. This is even harder than coming out to my family."

"Wow, really?"

"Well they've known me all my life, right? I mean, we didn't talk about it all my life or anything, but they weren't surprised."

"You know Lina could just say she'd brought her brother along."

"I know, but I don't want to do that. I don't want to hide, I just want to say it and be done."

"Ok man, just making sure."

"Thanks Tim." This time Tim did reach out and ruffle his hair. "Hey!"

"Sorry…does that bother you?"

"No, I like it; reminds me of my older brother."

"Good."

Bec came downstairs in her workout clothes, "Hey guys, is this ok for afterward too?"

Matt nodded, "Sure Bec. We don't usually change."

Tim smirked, "I did the first time I met Lina for dinner at the Flying Pig after class. George let me use the shower there and I changed into regular clothes."

"You doing that tonight?"

"I am bringing jeans and a shirt, yeah, but I get disgustingly sweaty, Bec. You're observing and you'll be fine."

Matt quipped, "Lina's joining us tonight so Tim wants to look his best."

Tim couldn't stop his smile and Bec laughed, "Man you got it bad!"

He nodded, "Oh yeah I do, I freely admit it." Kim emerged from the ladies room where she'd been changing and the four of them left a light on downstairs, made sure everything was locked and headed for class. George welcomed the new girl, hoping she would join the class. He put his three students through their moves and was happy to see that they had practiced and made progress. Each was able to defend using the moves he'd taught them last week as well as the earlier ones. He taught them another move and they practiced that for awhile, Bec watching them intensely. When they were done, Tim told their instructor about taking down a suspect with the moves he'd learned from him. George snickered and told Tim that he had a growing number of fans in the Athens Police Department; apparently his shooting skills plus his martial arts moves had impressed everyone who'd witnessed them. Tim laughed at that and reminded George that's why he'd asked him to teach him in the first place, to defend his team and bring down the dirtbags.

On the drive over to the Flying Pig, Matt took a deep breath and said very quickly, "I'm gay, I'm dating Lina's brother Damian and he's coming with her tonight."

Tim was driving with Kim in the front seat, Bec and Matt in the back. Kim turned around and pulled Matt's head forward, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you. I hope you and Damian do well together." Bec patted him on the shoulder, "Thanks for telling us, Matt. I feel privileged to know. "

"You don't mind, either of you?"

Kim shook her head, "First, it's none of my business who you love. Secondly, you're a good friend and I love you and just want you to be happy."

Bec smiled, "I'm honored that you'd share with me and like Kim, I don't feel it's any of my business, or anyone's business, who or how you love. Love is love!"

Kim suddenly realized he hadn't included Tim, "What do you mean, either of you? Tim, you knew?"

Tim suspected Kim had already known but neither wanted to downplay Matt's decision to tell them.

Now he just winked. "I am an investigator after all." Kim laughed at him, "Matt told you."

"Yeah he did."

Matt was going down his mental checklist. "Ok, so now I just have to tell Pete, Tea and Eva. And Carla."

Tim shook his head, "But you don't have to do that tonight. Right now we're all going to relax and have a nice dinner. Later is for telling."

"Ok, so I should just be here now and worry later."

Bec laughed, "Or don't worry at all. I bet everyone is going to be fine with you, Matt. It's you, you are our friend. They know you, they like you."

Matt shook his head, "Sometimes that changes really fast when people get told someone's gay."

Tim quietly countered, "We're not those people, Matt." Matt nodded in agreement and his hope that Tim was right as they pulled into a parking space.

Kim laughed, "You definitely have the parking gene, Tim."

"Huh? The what?"

"Do you ever have trouble finding a parking space?"

"Mmm, don't know, never thought about it!"

The others howled with laughter and he looked at them. "Is that unusual, should I be worrying?"

"You've never had problems finding a place to park?"

"Don't think so…so that's having 'the parking gene'?"

"Yes, and you're always driving from now on." Tim shrugged, laughing at his crazy friends. He spotted Lina in Damian's car as he searched for a parking place. "Ok, maybe I get it. Matt, looks like Damian doesn't have the parking gene."

"I guess not. Well, everyone has their flaws, right?" They all snickered at that and went into the pub to grab a big table.

Tuesday flew by and Wednesday. With no call outs, the team worked on cold cases. Wednesday afternoon, Tim's laptop pinged with a Skype session and he was surprised to see his uncle. "Hey Tim, sorry to bother you at work, but this is a work thing, sort of."

"Ok, shouldn't you be talking with Pete then?"

"Kind of embarrassing."

"What is?"

"Remember that café where we stopped for coffee on our way to the Metro?"

"Er…"

"Lina called while we were there and told you she was sick."

"Ok, now I remember."

"I didn't realize it until this past weekend, but I apparently left my wallet there. I don't use it aboard ship, so it wasn't until Saturday when I went to pay for my plane ticket to London that I realized I didn't have the last time I remember seeing it was there. Dave paid for our coffees and he still had the receipt so we googled the place and found the phone number.I called there and they have it, they'd been talking about calling the American Embassy to see what to do."

"Wow! I can go pick it up for you."

"Would you, please? And then I guess just mail it home."

"I can do better than that, Uncle Jim. Ducky's coming over for Christmas, he'll be here on the 13th. If you don't mind waiting until close to New Year's, he could bring it home for you. Save you worrying about it getting lost or stolen in the mail."

"Ducky's coming over, really?"

"Yeah, isn't that cool?He called the other day, said he had to take some of his leave days so he's coming here."

Aboard ship in the Atlantic, Jim didn't quite know what to say. He'd heard all about his mother's meeting with Donald Mallard and how it had gone. While he privately didn't blame the man for being angry, this was his mother and he was supportive of her. Now it dawned on him that this could impact his own relationship with his nephew. He swallowed, "That's good, Tim, that's great, he'll be there for Christmas with Sarah and Rob."

"Yeah!"

"Ok, yeah, so if he brings it home then I'll get to meet him, that'd be great son, thanks."

They chatted a little longer and then disconnected. Tim looked at the time, it was 16:30. He poked his head into Pete's office and told him about the missing wallet. Pete waved him off and Tim left, taking Bec with him. He knew Matt had a date with Damian right after work, but Lina was working late and he figured Bec could see more of Athens. He thought of driving but remembering Lina's words of caution, they decided to take the Metro. The café was indeed very close to the Metro station, Tim remembered being sad that his day and week with his uncles was coming to an end. He showed his badge and ID and also showed the manager a photo of him with his uncle. The manager told him his uncle had just called again and told them Tim would be picking up the wallet that afternoon. Tim bought drinks while they retrieved the wallet. Grinning, Tim put it in the inside pocket of his jacket and zipped the pocket shut. He left a hefty tip in the jar, wanting to reward their honesty. Jim had told him how much cash and what cards were in the wallet and everything was there.

The flea market was still open so the two agents took their beverages and strolled through. Bec was nearly drooling. She turned to Tim, "Maybe I don't want to stay upstairs forever after all!"

Tim laughed,"I'm just starting to think about decorating my place. Which reminds me! You are invited for Christmas with my family. My sister and brother, who are around your age, will be here from London; Matt will be there and hopefully Lina and Damian. I'd love you to join us."

"Oh that's really sweet of you.I was a little worried about the holidays, I thought maybe I'd go learn how to ski, but I'd much rather be with you all."

"Great!We'll have a nice dinner on Christmas Eve and a big family breakfast Christmas morning and more food for Christmas dinner. Sometime between now and then I'll tell you a little bit about our background so you'll understand some of our weirdness." He continued, "If you'd like you can spend the night Christmas Eve."

"There'd be room?"

"Yep, got it all figured out."

"That would be fun to have Christmas breakfast in my jammies."

Tim laughed, "You don't have to decide now."

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"You can ask."

"It's not that bad.I don't think. I kind of overheard you saying a duck was coming for Christmas."

Tim started laughing and laughed so hard he nearly dropped his coffee. He finally wound down. "Oooh," He huffed one more laugh. "Sorry, I've just never had to explain about Ducky."

"Like a rubber Ducky?"

"No, he's a person, here I'll show you."Tim pulled up a photo of Ducky on his phone."This is Dr. Donald Mallard, the Medical Examiner at NCIS Headquarters and my dear friend."

"Hmm Mallard; so he's called Ducky because of that?"

"That would make sense, yes, however he claims he picked up the nickname while he was a child during WWII in London, he was good at ducking bombs and incendiary devices dropped by the Germans."

"Wow, that's a story I'd love to hear!"

"That's good because Ducky loves telling stories and he's really good at it."

"You're very fond of him."

"I am. He's been wonderful to me; I love him – we're really close."

"Like a father?"

"More like a grandfather, I think. I don't remember either of my grandfathers so I'm kind of guessing about that."

"Accepts everything you do, is never mad at you, tells wonderful stories, calls you by your whole name and spoils you whenever possible?"

"Yes, that describes our relationship very well, except he has been mad at me."

"But he forgives you right away?" Tim nodded and Bec smiled, "Yep, that's me and my gramps."

Tim nodded, "That's good to know, maybe I did have that with my biological grandfathers and something in me remembers."

"Something in you?Were you really young when they died, is that why you don't remember them?"

"Uh…" Tim sighed, might as well get this over with."I was in a car wreck when I was 9 and suffered head trauma as well as other injuries; I still have no memories of anyone beside my dad, stepmother, sister and brother."

"Wow, that's awful. But they must have been gone already since you don't remember them after."

Tim huffed, "You're good; you should be an investigator!"

She just grinned at him.

"My father and brother were killed in the wreck. I was released from the hospital, my sister and I were abandoned by our stepmother. Because I didn't remember anyone and we had no money, I had no way of contacting anyone. Had no idea who to contact."

Bec's mouth had dropped open."Abandoned? Oh my gravy, that's horrible."

"Oh my gravy?"

"It's a family expression, better get used to it. But Tim, what did you do?"They had walked a few blocks away from the café and Metro station, now they were working their way back.

Tim took a deep breath and told his new colleague of his life on the streets and recent re-acquisition of family. Bec listened quietly and on the train back to Piraeus continued her silence. When they got in the car at the station, she had a few questions. They reached the office and saw that Tim's car was the only one left in the parking lot. Bec went on in and Tim headed home. He sent Uncle Jim an e-mail that he had his wallet. He had a light dinner and made an early night of it.

Thursday flew by with no new cases and Pete took his agents to the firing range for practice. He'd already seen Tim's skills and Matt was taught by Pete, Carla and Tim, now he wanted to see Bec shoot and he wanted them to work together as a team to improve their fire power. Class Thursday night went well and Bec officially joined the group, much to the delight of everyone else, especially George.


	58. Chapter 58

A/N: Thanks to Saissa, Alix33 and Cleavage Queen for letting me know about content missing in Ch. 57. Something hinky must have happened with the site late Sunday night as the doc for #57 is correct in my MSWord. Who knows! Anyway, I've fixed the chapter in my doc manager and re-posted it, feel free to go back and read the last part – when Tim and Bec go into Athens to get Uncle Jim's wallet.

* * *

><p><em>Now for the new chapter, hope all the words are in this one! And speaking of words, there's some bad ones in here. So… W<em>_**arning: there's profanity in this chapter**__. _

Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Eight

Friday morning the scheduled and re-scheduled conference call with Mossad finally took place. Tim was introduced to Director Orli Elbaz who looked at him closely, "Timothy McGee. Yes I remember you; you were on Gibbs' team with Ziva David." Tim just nodded. "Well, I'm glad to see a familiar face with Agent Russell." Pete and Tim had decided not to tell Director Elbaz just yet that the calls would be handled by Tim in the future. They were thanked again for their work on the Arktos case. Other than that, Mossad had nothing urgent that might cross into NCIS jurisdiction in Europe so the call was brief.

It was nearly lunchtime when Tea buzzed Pete and told him that Kim's counterpart from the Marseille office was on the line for him. Frowning, he motioned Tim into his office while he took the call. It was a call for help. Marseille was on call this weekend but the woman said that they were all home sick with a flu bug; she had come into the office just to make the call. Pete told her to forward the calls to Athens and he'd take care of the change with Headquarters. He looked at Tim who shrugged, "We're not sick and we didn't have any callouts last weekend. Best of all, we're fully staffed."

"All right, we'll take it and Roger can take our next spot on the 21st."

A change in the on-call office required contact with DC but it was still too early to reach anyone there. Pete sent e-mails to Stan in Rota and Joel in London to let them know that Marseille was down with the flu; their calls would be forwarded to Athens and his team would take the weekend. If things got too crazy, they'd need the other offices to pitch in. Within a few minutes, he had confirming e-mails back from both SAICs, along with pledges of help if needed. Tim had plans with Lina this weekend and hoped that everything would be quiet.

Later he decided it was just the universe's backwards way of nudging him forward, making things right while also seriously annoying him.

XXX

The dapper man arrived at his destination a day later than planned but he didn't think it would cause any change to his operation. He gave his most charming smile to the beautiful and seemingly well heeled woman in front of him. He'd been watching her for hours now, wandering through the Casino de Nice - Ruhl on the Promenade. He hadn't been here before but circumstances had forced him to abandon his preferred haunts up the road. He'd first seen her as she entered the casino from the promenade. Of course she was beautiful, why else would he have noticed her, and well dressed. While not as elaborately dressed as many women would be in upscale Monaco, her clothes were perfectly tailored and they looked to be quality. Intrigued, he wandered after her. After buying chips to play the tables and placing them in her subtly branded handbag, she walked to a poker table and waited until a spot was available. He watched as she won several hands, lost one, he'd swear it was deliberate and won two more after that. She walked away with a few hundred extra Euros. She watched the roulette wheel for a while before continuing on to the baccarat table. She won there but again didn't play long, this time working her way toward the blackjack tables. She settled at one but when she saw the dealer change at a nearby table, she moved to that table. She lost a couple of hands but recouped and ended up walking away with several thousand additional Euros. After cashing in her chips, she went to the bar. At last he saw an opening and sidled up to sit a couple of spots – empty spots – down from her. He made some casual comments about the place, how well the tables seemed to be doing and she responded. They made small talk for a little while and then he asked if he could buy her a drink. She smiled at him and he ordered champagne.

By the end of the evening, the dapper man felt he had made a good start in the new relationship. He had a little bit of time, enough to woo her a bit before he put his plan into action.

Three days later he wondered what had gone wrong as she flipped him to the floor and slapped handcuffs on him. Bewildered he asked what he'd done wrong and the woman gave a very unladylike snort. Two men in obviously off the rack suits, he could tell from the hems of their slacks which was all he could see from his position on the floor, joined her and started talking about his rights or his not having any rights. He was scared but realizing these were Americans he tried to remain calm as he told them about his connections. He was told that would get him nowhere and he gave them names. Names of people to call, who would explain he wasn't a dirtbag and get him out of whatever he'd fallen into.

One of the men disappeared from the room and the dapper man sighed, hoping he was making a call to someone who could help.

The man in the suit had decided to make a call and see what he could find out. Even if this guy knew people that didn't mean he was innocent; his partner Gabriella certainly thought he was dirty. The man punched in the number and listened as it rang and then stopped. There was silence for a beat and then the ringing started again. The man thought his call had probably been forwarded somewhere which made sense as it was the weekend.

When the call was answered, he identified himself and explained the situation. When he gave the man's name, the man on the other end asked where they were and told him he would call him back.

At the other end of the phone, the man sighed as he made a call to his colleague. That man, when told of the problem said, "Shit! What the hell mess has he got himself into now?" When the first man explained, he groaned. "Oh he's many things, but he's not a traitor. Of course we'll have to go prove it; it's what always happens with him." The first man booked a flight and texted the information to the other one. By the time they landed, the trek had taken them nearly 4 hours.

When they walked through baggage claim toward the terminal exit, they were greeted by a familiar face. "Sorry to drag you guys out here."

The two men smiled, "Payback's a bitch, huh?"

The other man laughed, "Nah, but I am glad your office was on call. Saved us from having to figure out what's going on."

The youngest of them gave a cynical laugh, "Oh, you'll still have to figure that out! Just because I know him doesn't mean he's not guilty of something."

"You know him personally or just about him?"

"Tell you in the car."

And so it was that Tim McGee and Pete Russell got pulled into the latest escapade of one Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. The man had once again walked into the middle of something, this time a CIA undercover operation. Gabriella DiPietro had been looking for an older, well dressed and said to be charming American man who was helping fund a known terrorist group. He'd matched the physical description well enough and all of his slick talk had led her to believe she'd found pay dirt. In the meantime the real culprit and his terrorist contact were still at large.

Luckily the three CIA agents had kept the situation quiet. The bust had happened in a private room and there'd been no outcry, no reason for anyone to comment. When Pete and Tim walked in, the man had smiled widely, "McGee, I'm so glad to see you! How did you get here so fast? Is Gibbs with you?"

Tim shook his head, "I don't work for Gibbs, Mr. DiNozzo. This is Agent Russell, my Team Lead." He deliberately did not answer the other question. Tim and Pete got to work tracking Senior's footsteps so he could be officially cleared and they kept watch on the older man while the other three reset their operation and started over. Tim had just located information that proved Senior was not the dirtbag they were looking for when Pete's phone buzzed with a text. Their friends were in need of an additional body in the casino. Pete sent Tim, he could tell by the set of his shoulders he'd already spent enough time with the senior DiNozzo and besides, Pete was curious about him. Grabbing an earwig and visibly double checking his weapons – Sig, backup in his ankle holster, belt and calf knives – Tim left the room, leaving a wide- eyed Senior behind him.

His instructions were given to him while he rode the elevator down to the main floor of the casino. He was nearly to his assigned position when he was shocked to recognize a face passing by. The last time he'd seen that face was in a cell in the desert in Somalia. He sent a text with the description and name; it was engraved in his brain still and pursued the man. Ted texted him back with one word: Go. Tim kept a few paces behind the guy, on the lookout for additional company. As he walked he texted Ted again, asking if he could take the guy down when he had the opportunity or wait to catch both the American and the terrorist. The answer was to take him down and that they wanted answers so preferably alive.

The man was either stupid or supremely arrogant and remembering what he'd rather not, Tim knew it was the latter. The terrorist walked freely, never checking his surroundings. When he stopped at a keno station, Tim stepped up behind him, grabbed his arms and had the cuffs on him before the man realized anyone was even there. The man started yelling, turned around, looked at Tim, paled and snapped his mouth shut. Tim identified himself to the wide-eyed casino employee and asked him to call security. The employee just gave a half smile and pointed off to the side. Tim looked and saw two burly guards waiting there. Tim pulled his badge while he held onto his prisoner and they nodded. He asked them to witness while he stated that with the terrorism charges, the prisoner had no rights and the guards' eyes widened when he included the charge of torturing agents of the US Government.

Ted caught up to him about then and told him the three of them had caught the American as well and added that the man had soiled himself when he was arrested as a terrorist. Tim managed a small quirk of one lip and Ted frowned. When the prisoner was turned around he had a mouthful of spit ready but one of the guards jumped in and whacked the man's head so that the spittle did not touch Tim; the guard was solemnly thanked by the agent.

Security called for backup and the two federal agents and four security guards escorted the prisoner to the back of the building where he was placed in a black van driven by Gabriella. As the prisoner joined the American traitor, Tim leaned in and whispered. The man's face grew even angrier as Tim slammed the door in his face. Ted had already called Pete and told him to get his ass downstairs, that something was up with Tim. They waited with the van until Pete and Senior arrived and then Ted climbed in and the van took off.

Pete looked at his SFA and didn't like what he saw. Anger, pain, grief and he thought a glimmer of satisfaction.

"Tim, what is it?"

"Nothing I can talk about here, Pete."

Senior cleared his throat, "I can be discreet McGee you don't need to worry about me."

Tim turned angry eyes at him. "Do you ever speak with your son? Do you even know what he does every damn day? You were shocked when you saw my weapons, who the hell do you think taught me to carry those? Who do you think helped teach me how to use them?"

"Now McGee…"

"It's Special Agent McGee, Mr. DiNozzo and you'd better not forget that, it's the same proud title Pete here uses and your son uses and we've earned it, all of us, in more ways, with more pain and anguish than you'll ever know."

Pete pulled the older man aside, "Mr. DiNozzo, you're free to go. I'm sure the CIA would want me to thank you for your cooperation and also warn you to watch who you deal with; watch your back over here. The world is a dangerous place. That man, the one Tim just put in the van, he's a terrorist; he'd rather kill you than breathe air."

"Him? He was a terrorist?"

Tim interjected. "Yes he is…" He seemed about to say more but snapped his mouth shut, then opened it again. "Do you have Tony's new cell number?" Senior opened his mouth to say something clever about him being 'Tony' but for once shut it and handed Tim his phone. Tim scrolled through until he found Tony's number. He sent the number to his own phone and then nodding to Pete, stepped away.

Nearly 7000 miles away and 9 hours earlier in the day, Tony's phone rang. He'd just finished his breakfast and was enjoying coffee on the deck of his new apartment. His eyes widened when he saw the caller id. "Mc…Tim? Are you all right, what…?"

"I'm ok; I needed to hear your voice, Tony. It's kind of a long story so I'll just tell you the start and the end. Your dad got caught up in an undercover op with the CIA but he's fine, he asked for NCIS and gave your name, we were contacted and we've cleared him. Then I went downstairs in the building we're in and spotted…" Tim had to take a breath before he could say the name and when he said it he heard DiNozzo inhale sharply. "SHIT!"

"Yeah. I busted him, he was so fucking arrogant he had no idea I was tailing him, Tony. So finally we have justice, you, me and Ziva."

"Is he alive?"

"Only because the CIA agent, who's a friend, asked me to leave him that way, apparently they have questions for him."

"Maybe they could use the same techniques he used to question us."

"That's a good idea man; I'll call and suggest that. Anyway, I just needed to hear your voice and to tell you he's down, he's done, he'll be in Gitmo soon or better yet he'll try something and he'll be frying in hell."

"Yeah, have to say I wouldn't mind that. You sure you're ok?"

"Feel better now that I've talked with you; figure the two of us, well three with Ziva, would be the only ones who'd really understand this."

"Yeah man. Tim…"

"Kind of puts things in perspective, Tony." Tim felt the tears well up and squeezed his eyes shut.

Pete had shooed everyone else off and had been standing next to him, listening to him in horrified silence. Now he put his arm around his friend's shoulders. In his apartment across the world Tony nodded, tears streaming down his face, "Yeah, Tim, it does."

"Listen, I'm totally changing the subject, well maybe not so much, but it seems important to tell you, I'm in counseling now too."

"You are?"

"Yeah, I'm not blameless Tony; I'm no more perfect than anyone else. There were things I could have, should have done."

"Oh God Tim, I'm so…sorry doesn't even begin to cover it."

"I know; I trust that, Tony, I trust that you're working on things and I'm working on things and Boss is working on things." He took a noisy breath, "It's so good to hear your voice, DiNozzo but I have to tell you I never again want to spend this much time – or any time - with your father!"

"Bet you thought you'd left him behind too, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Is he really all right?"

"As Senior-ish as ever. I kind of yelled at him before Pete, that's my boss, moved him away from me."

"Any special reason?"

"Because he has no clue what you do, who you are, how you put your life on the line every damn day. He doesn't get it."

"I know that Tim, but I really think he just doesn't want to get it, I think it scares him too much."

"Wow, that's very…enlightened of you."

"Hey been in therapy for months now man, some words of wisdom were bound to sink in."

"Tony… do you want to talk on Skype sometime?" Tim nearly bit his tongue off before he realized how right it felt, his offer, no, his question to Tony.

"Yeah, that'd be good, Tim."

"Ok, I'll send you my e-mail address and we can figure out when…and I'm sorry about that, it wasn't all to do with you, Vance worried about distractions in my new job and that Abby would hack into your account and find it."

"That's good to know, Tim, thanks. Guess he was pretty close to right with Abby, huh?"

"Yeah, geez, can you believe that? Look, I gotta go, Pete's dancing around like a crazy man."

"No bathrooms there?"

"I'm hoping it's a flight home and not a potty break."

"Where are you?"

"France…Nice."

"Geez, too bad you can't stay over!"

"Rather not this time, nothing against Pete, but I'd rather be here with my girlfriend and I'm sure he'd rather bring his wife! Ok, I really have to go now. I love you, Tony, I know that hasn't been real evident lately, but I do."

"I love you too, Tim and I'm sure you've never known that, but I do – and I miss you like crazy. Have a good flight home and send me an e-mail, please?"

They ended the call and Tim let out a deep sigh, releasing a lot of tension.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah Pete, I do, thanks. I…I'll tell…"

"If and when you're ready, Tim, I think I got the gist of it from your side of the conversation."

Tim nodded. "We going home or staying over?"

"I got us on a flight in a couple of hours, had to book us into first class though."

"That's really a shame."

"It's going on your expense account, Bud, so don't get too cocky!"

"Mine? Oh, so you can approve it."

"Yep." Pete was happy to see a small smile appear on Tim's face. It was a start, anyway. They turned and headed for home.

* * *

><p>Note: I wrote the part with Senior, the terrorist and Tim's call to Tony several months ago. Fast forward to last month - I was super excited to see the Marseille office in "The Admiral's Daughter" episode. And then…well I sure wasn't thrilled with the rest of what happened with those poor agents. I'm glad that in my story they just have the flu.<p> 


	59. Chapter 59

Finding Home, Chapter Fifty Nine

Lina had been with Tim when he'd gotten the call out from Pete. He'd urged her to stay at the house if she wanted; they had been measuring for a wall hanging she planned to make. He'd told her someone he knew needed to be extricated from a mess but that he wouldn't be involved in any operation. Relieved of any reason to worry Lina spent the day at Tim's, happily sketching her idea for the wall hanging. She nibbled on what she'd found in the refrigerator and felt perfectly at home. She jumped when her phone chimed with a call; she had been concentrating on her plan and hadn't noticed the time slipping away; it was now close to 8 PM. Tim was calling to let her know that they were just boarding a flight to Athens, they'd be landing around 11 PM, and he'd be home before midnight. She frowned as they talked, he sounded tired which was to be expected, but there was something else in his voice. She told him she would stay over and she heard his relief that she'd be there.

Tim slept until noon on Sunday. Lina went for a run, came back, showered, had breakfast and still he slept. She had her tablet with her and was searching online for the materials she wanted for the wall hanging when he finally stumbled downstairs. Tim said he couldn't talk about some of what had happened just yet, only that there had been no shots fired, no blood spilled, no one had been injured and he had successfully removed his acquaintance from harm. She knew who Tony DiNozzo was and her eyes got very big when he told her it was Tony's father who had been in trouble.

"Did he innocently walk into something?"

"He's…I don't know how to explain him but the word innocent wouldn't be a word I'd ever use in describing him. He calls himself an entrepreneur but I've always thought of him as more of a con man. He convinces people with money to invest in his developments, which I guess is perfectly legitimate. From what Tony's said, he's married for money at least once. This time he tried to hook up with a woman at a casino after he watched her win several thousand Euros playing the tables. Turns out she was an undercover agent and he matched the description of the guy she was looking for - enough for her to arrest him. That's when he started hollering about NCIS. We were on call, so they called us and you know the rest."

"Oh, that's an amazing story. You're not fond of him?"

"No, he…no, I'm not. Every time he showed up in DC he got into trouble and his son or our team always had to dig him out."

"And now he's over here."

"This isn't his first time over here, but now the agency that was running the operation knows who he is. They'll check him out thoroughly before they bust him next time and I very much doubt I'll ever again get called to clear him."

"How embarrassing for him!"

Tim shook his head, "He'll turn it into some sort of story that doesn't make him look too bad, probably end up being the hero of his own story."

"And the rest?"

"All I can say is that after Pete and I cleared Tony's dad, I went into the casino and spotted a wanted person."

"And you arrested him or her?"

Tim nodded.

"And something about that person has worn you out."

Tim nodded again. "There are things that happened on Gibbs' team that I'm not yet at liberty to discuss, they're classified." He huffed, "Since I joined NCIS, Sarah says I should use that word as my middle name. Anyway, the case that the person I arrested today was involved in is classified now, but I can tell you about it in two years when the classification will be changed."

"So the person you arrested today has been wanted by the police for several years?"

"Yes." He nuzzled her, "Thank you so much for staying with me last night."

"It was not a tough duty, my love, believe me."

Changing the subject, Lina showed Tim her sketch for the wall hanging and he loved it. She wanted to get started on it and he wanted more time with her; he desperately wanted some normalcy to replace the dark memories that had bubbled up. It was still early in the afternoon so they decided to drive into Athens. She knew what vendors she wanted to visit and Tim went willingly, admiring the fabrics she purchased.

When she had everything she needed Lina remembered that the annual Christmas tree was lit the day before in Syntagma Square. Traditionally it was the largest Christmas tree in all of Europe and she hoped it would distract Tim from whatever painful memory yesterday had brought him. In Greece Christmas celebrations start on the feast of St. Nicolas, December 6th and go on until the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th.

Tim always felt ambiguous about Christmas; when they'd lived on the streets he'd been more than grateful for the Marines' Toys for Tots gift distribution every year, but with his memory loss, he'd never felt the pull of tradition. For many years, the Toys for Tots gifts were the only presents the McGee children got. Even after they'd moved to Cambridge and Mrs. Ferguson's, Christmas hadn't been that big a deal. Now when they reached Syntagma Square, Tim stood in awe as he took in everything. To his amazement, much of the square was given over to a Christmas village, something he'd never seen before. There were booths full of Christmas treats, handmade ornaments for the tree, toys and other gifts. He looked them over but didn't buy anything, thinking he would come back when Lina was not with him; he hoped to find something or things especially for her. He was happy to see braziers lit and noticed the signs advertising roasted chestnuts. There were elves, or rather people dressed as elves selling candy and children playing games and practicing their Christmas carols. Lina told him that carols were an integral part of the Grecian celebration of Christmas; there were even three days officially set aside for Christmas caroling. The tree was huge and beautiful and they ooh'd and aah'd as the sun disappeared and the lights shone on the tree and around the square. After warming their hands over the braziers, they found a small café nearby and while they ate Tim's inevitable souvlaki and Lina's burger they decided to wait for Ducky's arrival to find a Christmas tree and decorate it. That decision made, they headed home.

It was nearly 8:00 by the time they reached the house and Tim helped Lina pack her purchases into her car. With a busy week ahead for both of them, they spent just a couple more hours together before Lina departed for her own home. Tim smiled happily when he noticed she left behind a few things that had been in her 'go' bag.

The following week started out slowly. Vance was on the road so there was no conference call on Monday. Class went well that night but stretched longer than ever with Bec still "trying out" the class. With it taking longer, they passed on dinner afterward.

Tuesday afternoon, Tim had his second appointment with Dr. Agnos and was finally able to fully express his emotions about arresting the man who had tortured him and Tony. He was absolutely drained when he finally emerged from the doctor's office and they'd made another appointment for early Thursday evening between work and class. When he got home that night Tim wanted to do something positive and fun so he spent some time looking through what he thought were just a few boxes for his Christmas decorations. Belatedly he remembered he'd given away all but the ones the kids made in school. Those he found in a box of books.

Work was relatively quiet Wednesday. There were calls about Stavros and his father-in-law and a print reporter asking to interview an agent about the Arktos case; she was referred to the media contact at NCIS headquarters. By now, the paper work from the shooting at the Stavros' home had attracted some attention in DC. Tim and Pete received some phone calls about it but there were no problems, every report had been done and filed, Ted had filed his report and IA was satisfied. Cold cases kept the four agents busy. Matt re-visited the one that he and Tim had linked to another cold case and asked Bec to take a look at it, hoping she'd see something the rest of them had missed. Pete remarked to Tim that they were overdue for a big case. Tim snorted and asked him to postpone that thought until after Christmas. He'd prefer peace and quiet while Ducky and his siblings were here.

Wednesday afternoon Pete was out at an appointment when a call came in for him and Tea sent it to Tim. It was the Director.

"Special Agent McGee, I just read an e-mail from the Deputy Director of the CIA, thanking NCIS for our excellent work on their case in France last weekend. And while I was wondering what that was and who had been involved, the names DiNozzo and McGee jumped out at me from the e-mail. Imagine my surprise!" He paused for a heartbeat. "It took me a minute to see the "Sr." after DiNozzo's name."

"Yes sir, he got himself into another mess."

"And you not only straightened it out, proved without a doubt he wasn't the scumbag they were looking for, you then proceeded to step into the casino and bust a terrorist we've been chasing for almost five years!"

"I'll never forget that face, Director."

"But you didn't kill him."

"I was asked not to. CIA said they had questions for him."

"How you doing with that?"

"I started counseling last week, had a session last night and I'll go again tomorrow. I'm…I guess I'm dealing with it.I talked to Tony - our Tony - after I busted the guy and that helped a lot."

"DiNozzo?You spoke with _our_ DiNozzo?"

"Yes Sir. You know what happened in Somalia, it was both of us – and we figure Ziva too although she never talked about it. I needed to hear Tony's voice and I needed to tell him I'd busted the guy who's been starring in our nightmares for years now. It was for both of us, the three of us." By now Tim had moved the phone so he could turn away from the others, afraid his emotions would get the better of him. He wasn't yet ready to share with anyone who didn't know the truth about Somalia.

"The CIA is ready to present you with every award they have. They said there was no bloodshed, no drama."

"I guess it looked painless on the outside, Director."

"That damn mission…damn Eli David."

"Think that's probably a done deal, Sir. But even he didn't start the fight."

"No, he just tried to ignore it once he threw his own daughter into the middle of it."

"Yeah."

Vance sighed. "I miss you around the place, McGee. Gibbs is doing ok with his new team but it's still strange without you three."

"You'll get used to them, Sir. Before Kate someone named Viv sat in her chair. And we never thought we'd get used to Ziva sitting at Kate's desk, but we did."

"You're right and I should just get over it."

"You don't need to go that far, Director Vance! Don't forget about us!"

"Not likely to,Tim."

"Pete's just walking in; hang on and I'll transfer you to his line."

"All right, Special Agent McGee, congratulations and thank you." Tim made a confirming noise, not sure what to say in reply to a congratulations for arresting the man who had tortured him and his teammates. That he wished he'd killed him on the spot?That he wished he'd at least broken his nose or kicked him in the nuts, inflicted the most pain he could possibly give without killing him? All were true. Pete talked with Vance for a few minutes, when he hung up, Tim walked into his office. "I can tell you now."

"It was classified?"

"No…well yes it is, but your security clearance is higher than mine. I meant I think I'm able to talk about it a little bit now."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but Dr. Agnos says it's part of healing, that I need to let my family know what happened. I can't tell Lina or Sarah or Rob, but you're family and I'm allowed to tell you, if you still want to know."

Pete nodded, "I do, Tim.I think it's important to talk about it. Wounds need air to heal."

Tim closed the door and told him the story of Somalia, the parts that only Gibbs, Ducky, Vance and of course Tony knew. Pete fought to keep from closing his eyes in horror but instead maintained direct eye contact with his friend. When he finished Pete looked at him, "I am so proud of you. Not only for what you did in Somalia, but what you did last weekend. And for calling DiNozzo, I thought you were out of your mind, but now I see it was probably what's kept you grounded in this."

Tim nodded, "I sent him an e-mail and we're going to talk for a little bit tonight." Pete looked at his watch, "If you go call him now, you'll probably catch him before he goes to work."

Tim smiled, "Thanks."

"Least I can do, Timothy." Tim walked out of the office and looked at Bec and Matt who were trying not to look curious. "I'm going to take off a little early. If you need anything, I'll be at home." He included Eva and Kim in that and they nodded. "Ok, see you tomorrow."

He had his hand on the door knob when the phone rang and Tea answered it. He waited for a moment and then turned back into the office when he heard her telling Director Vance she would have their "MTAC" screen up in a few minutes.


	60. Chapter 60

Finding Home, Chapter Sixty

On the Baton Rouge in the mid-Atlantic and NCIS headquarters, DC:

When Agent Gordon-Parks failed to report for her daily status meeting with the XO and didn't answer her comm., he sent Ensign Parker to check on her. After knocking on the door to her quarters, Parker tried the handle and discovered the door was unlocked. He entered carefully and stood just inside, his jaw dropping just looking at the mess. Every drawer was open, files were on the floor, clothing scattered. He spotted their Agent Afloat lying prone near her bunk, her head covered in blood. He checked her pulse and was relieved to find one although it was pretty weak. He called the Medical Bay and the XO. The doctor, his assistant and the XO came at a run, two members of the ship's security force on their heels. From what the doctor said at his first look at the Agent's head wound, she'd been attacked. After the injured woman was taken by stretcher to the Medical Bay, the XO ordered security to secure the scene and to stand guard over her quarters. The doctor soon confirmed that the Agent Afloat was hit with a blunt instrument -hard enough to cause a fracture to her skull. He had stabilized her condition, now it was just a matter of healing.

When Admiral Crane and Captain Hubbard received the doctor's confirmation that the Agent had been attacked, the Captain put a call through to NCIS HQ via MTAC to request help. When Vance heard who was asking for him, he contacted Gibbs.

As Gibbs joined Vance in MTAC, the Captain came on screen. Vance wasn't the least bit surprised when the Captain knew his lead agent. "Director Vance. Agent Gibbs, glad for your help once again."

"Captain Hubbard."

The Captain explained the situation, they were more than halfway home and were worried the attacker would injure someone else or slip through their hands if they waited to investigate until they docked in Norfolk. He was also wondering, since they had had no other problems or reports of problems, if this could possibly be related to the murder of P.O. Sawyer and the resulting suicide by cop of Vasa Arktos. Vance gave the nod to Gibbs who then told the Captain they would be there as soon as possible. Gibbs left MTAC to tell his team, his gut telling him this might indeed be related to the Sawyer case. While Ms. Cooke made arrangements for their transport, Gibbs told his team to grab their gear and their go bags, they'd be flown out to the Baton Rouge to investigate the attack on the Agent Afloat.

Gibbs looked at his watch and pulled out his cell to call Tim for more information about the Sawyer case. He stopped when Vance appeared on the catwalk. "Gibbs, Barnes, get up here, I've got Athens coming on line." Gibbs signaled to Ned and Dwayne Wilson, who had recently completed the team, to join them; he wanted all of them there. Ned had a habit of asking questions no one else had yet thought of, in that respect he reminded his Team Leader of his former junior agent. The four of them gathered in MTAC and watched as the screen displayed the Athens team. Gibbs worked on not smiling, to focus on the case as he viewed the other team. First was a man close to his own age, then a young man who looked 15 but who he knew was 25, a young woman slightly older than the probationary agent and his own Tim.

In Athens, Tim was only slightly amused when all three of his teammates looked at Gibbs and then at Tim. Pete was the first to recover and after giving his SFA an apologetic look, he cleared his throat. "Special Agents Russell, McGee, Childers and Watson here."

Gibbs nodded, "Russell, good to meet you again; put a face to a name. I'm Gibbs; these are Special Agents Barnes, Dorneget and Wilson." Ned knew he shouldn't wave or anything to McGee, but he sure wanted to. Dwayne Wilson looked at the agent he vaguely remembered as younger and heavier. Maggie Barnes just listened as she looked at Gibbs' former agent and the rest of his team.

Gibbs cleared his throat, "A few minutes ago we had a call from the Baton Rouge. "

Russell, McGee and Watson frowned while Childers merely looked interested. "Agent Gordon-Parks was attacked in her quarters. She has a skull fracture and is still unconscious, their doctor says he doesn't expect her to regain consciousness for another 12 hours, possibly longer. Her office was tossed, somebody was looking for something – or they wanted us to think that. Captain Hubbard called here for help and asked a valid question, could this be connected to the case you worked with Gordon-Parks?"

Tim looked at Matt who disappeared from sight while Pete answered Gibbs. "I suppose it could be. We had no reason to believe anyone aboard was part of the case, Agent Gibbs – aside from Arktos. We looked at the crew who were on and off board during the time Petty Officer Sawyer was attacked but we saw nothing that was unusual with them. Nor did we have any reason to believe there were other fugitives hiding aboard the ship. But with the attack on the Agent Afloat, it certainly is a possibility."

Tim spoke up, "Their last port of call was Antwerp. Did they have liberty there and did they have any visitors?" He corrected himself, "Actually I know the Captain and Admiral Crane had liberty, they were on a 36 to London." Gibbs almost grinned, remembering Tim's surprise, joy and relief that his siblings had met their new uncles. "I think we can assume everyone had some liberty, they were in port for 11 days."

Maggie had a question, "What was their mission there?"

Tim answered, "They were representing the U.S. for the NATO anniversary "Fleet Week" with ships of member nations."

"So they would have had visitors aboard."

Tim nodded. "And I hope security was tighter at the Antwerp harbor than it was in Athens. Because I was in and out of the facility a few times, the guards were just waving me through."

Maggie nodded, "Thanks, we'll check that out."

Pete added, "If you need on site investigation at Antwerp harbor, the London office could handle it." He continued, "We'd be happy to do it, but they're a lot closer." Gibbs nodded in understanding.

Matt had returned with a file and passed it to Pete.

"Gibbs, are you flying out?"

"Yeah, we're leaving in 45, wanted to check in with you first."

Tim cleared his throat, "Gordon-Parks had the full cooperation of the crew while we were investigating Sawyer's murder and Arktos' actions. From what she said, she hadn't had any problems - or no serious problems -with the crew in general."

He paused and then turned to Pete. "The grandson." Pete nodded and Tim left the screen while Pete explained. "Gibbs, you know the circumstances of the crime, I won't take time rehashing that. Vasa Arktos first came aboard with his grandson and the grandson's in-laws. The in-laws were cleared of any complicity but the grandson was at large and we didn't have a chance to interview him until after the Baton Rouge sailed. He claimed he had no idea what his grandfather was up to, although we doubted that. However, we had no evidence to hold him nor did the local LEOs. We sent our findings to JAG and haven't heard anything."

Behind him, Tim frowned and called out, "Gibbs, when was the attack?"

"They found her this morning; they believe the attack was overnight."

"Bec, Matt, get to work on finding Peter Arktos, if he doesn't answer his cell or landline, call the Patras Pd and get them out to the house. If his wife is around - you know I don't think she was ever interviewed - if she's around, ask her where her husband is. If they don't find him, put out a continent wide BOLO through Interpol. He's had weeks to get from here to Antwerp. Bec, you search flights between Athens and Antwerp." He frowned and turned to Pete, one eyebrow raised. Pete nodded, "It's a small airport, Tim. He could have flown to Brindisi though."

Tim made a face, "Bec, add Patras flights to your searches. Matt has the profile on Peter Arktos."

Tim looked at Pete, "Could be the son, we never found much on him."

Pete nodded, "Go for it, I'll call the usual suspects."

Gibbs' team was surprised to see the small smile on his face; he was thinking that probably meant their friends in the CIA. Tim had Matt and Bec add Alexander Arktos to their searches. Pete looked up, "Want to stay or we call you?"

"We'll stay."

"Pete, I'm going to call the in-laws, what the heck is their…oh got it, thanks Matt."

Matt had anticipated someone checking the in-laws and IM'd their name and number to Tim. The DC group watched and listened as their counterparts scrambled to find the whereabouts of the rest of the Arktos family. Tim reached the grandfather-in-law who said he had not seen his granddaughter's husband since the reception and he hoped never to see him again. When asked, Tim was told that the granddaughter had returned to her parents' home and was given the number there. While Matt and Bec continued their searches and Pete spoke with Ted and Jack for any intel Tim followed up with the granddaughter and held up one finger for quiet while he hit the speaker button on his phone. The young woman was telling him her husband had left the country with his father the weekend after the 'evil old man' had died, refusing to tell her where he was going or when he would be back. Tim asked for photos and she said she would fax them to him. Tim gave her their fax number. He finally hung up just as Pete was ending his call. Tim realized his conversation had been in Greek, so he translated for the DC group. Gibbs nodded, "Got it, Tim, thanks."

"I'll re-fax the photos to the Blush with a note to hold for you, Gibbs."

Pete gave them the information he'd gotten from Jack. It might not be much but Jack searched his agency's records and found a report of a disturbance at the Antwerp harbor near where the Baton Rouge was berthed, two days before the ship sailed for home. It had been tagged in the CIA system due to the number of ships from NATO member nations berthed nearby. There had been concern that there would be more unrest but nothing more had happened.

Matt reported in, "Patras PD found no one at the Peter Arktos home, looks like no one's been there in several days, mail wasn't collected and Alexander and his wife aren't answering their home or cell phones. They checked their home, no one there either."

Bec jumped in, "I've got Peter and Alexander Arktos on a flight from Patras to Brindisi with connecting flights to Venice and then Antwerp."

Matt was back on his computer, "Searching for rental cars in their names. Huh, Tim, didn't your friend say the original German name meant bear, same as Arktos?"

"Yeah, something like that. Malachi said it was Behr, spelled B-e-h-r, Matt. What you got?"

"Car rental in the name of Alexander Behr."

Pete nodded, "There you have it Gibbs. Don't know what their motive would be – maybe they decided to avenge the grandfather although how they thought they'd get off the ship, I have no idea."

Gibbs nodded, "Agreed."

Tim jumped back in. "Gibbs, the gun that Vasa Arktos had in his possession belonged to the grandson, Peter Arktos. Although it wasn't returned to him, I'm sure he and his father are armed and experienced with firearms. Sawyer was killed with a knife but it was a sloppy job, Arktos clearly did not know what he was doing."

Gibbs nodded again, "Ok, good to know on both counts." He looked at his team who were visibly impressed with their counterparts. He smiled, "That's what we look like when we're on a case, a well trained, well organized, thorough, speedy and knowledgeable team. Impressive, isn't it?"

Pete smiled, "Of course, we're all NCIS agents; we are the best."

Everyone on both sides of the Atlantic got a chuckle out of that, including their director who had just re-entered MTAC and was standing in the shadows at the top of the ramp. Now he came forward. "Good job everyone, now Gibbs and team - go get 'em!"

They left MTAC and nearly flew down the stairs to their desks, grabbed their gear and go bags and headed out the door, taking an agency sedan for the drive to Bolling airfield. They were flown to Norfolk where they boarded their transport to the Baton Rouge.

Hours later, they finally stepped on the deck of the ship, to be greeted by Admiral Crane, Captain Hubbard and the XO. "Thank you for your speed in getting here, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded, "Any change in our agent's condition?"

The XO shook his head, "No Sir, but the doc says that's to be expected and that she's stable now."

"Ok."

"If you'll all follow us, we'll take you to your quarters." Gibbs was relieved to find they'd been assigned a room large enough for the four of them to have some space. Four bunks, a head and a table that he suspected had been moved in gave them room for their laptops and equipment. Gibbs gave Ned and Wilson orders to set up the laptop and look for any updates from Athens.

While they did that, he and his SFA followed their escort, Ensign Parker to the bridge. Captain Hubbard smiled warmly at Gibbs who looked at the man and saw that the resemblance to Tim was even stronger in person. Agent Barnes was really beginning to feel like she was missing pieces from a puzzle and that only got worse when an Admiral suddenly showed up and also greeted Gibbs pretty warmly for two people who'd never met before. Or so Gibbs had told Wilson, no, he'd said never met in person.

Hubbard caught the puzzled look and smiled at her. "Agent Barnes, I'm afraid we're being rude. Admiral Crane, Agent Gibbs and I have someone in common, Agent McGee. He's my nephew, the Admiral's godson and as I'm sure you know, Agent Gibbs' former junior agent."

She nodded, "Thank you, I was beginning to think I was missing something." Gibbs looked at her, "There's more to the story; I'll tell all of you when we've got the case solved."

She smiled at her boss. "I look forward to that."

Hubbard handed a manila envelope to Gibbs and he pulled out a print of the photos of Alexander and Peter Arktos. The Admiral didn't stay long; although he was concerned with the attack on their Agent Afloat he had demands on his time by his superiors at the Pentagon and had faith that Jim would update him as needed. After he left, the XO came in and Gibbs and Maggie gave them the intel they'd gotten from the Athens team. Hubbard and the XO looked at each other. "So it is connected to the Arktos guy…but why?"

"The only motive we've thought of is vengeance, but it could be Arktos hid something in the cargo hold and they want it."

"But why stow away for a transatlantic sail? Why not just take whatever it is and leave the ship in Belgium?"

"Don't know that yet."

Hubbard nodded, "I'm grateful our agent wasn't hurt any worse than she was." He sighed, "Looks like you have your work cut out for you and you don't have Tim's 'friends' or a squadron of Marines from the embassy out here."

Gibbs smiled, "If we need Marines, we'll find a way to get them here – and we may need them same as the other team did. Tim's 'friends' have already been consulted and gave us some of the intel." He paused, "Has that hold been searched?"

The XO spoke, "With our suspicions, we decided to have Security do a cursory check but when we found out how quickly you'd be here we didn't do anything else. It is under armed guard and we've got a camera aimed at the sea hatch."

"Gordon-Parks' office is also under guard."

Gibbs nodded his appreciation and looked at his SFA. "We'll look at the office first. Even with the intel we still have a lot of gaps." Maggie agreed and the two returned to quarters. They gathered Ned, Wilson and the crime scene equipment and headed to the Agent Afloat's office. They lifted a few fingerprints, including from the Arktos paper file which was open on the desk, the pages torn and stained. Wilson spotted a muddy shoe print. Maggie had him take scrapings of the mud as well as the casting of the shoe print. Ned sat at Gordon-Parks' computer and took a look at what she'd had open last. He took screen prints of everything but nothing looked suspicious to him. He looked back at her recent searches and found that she'd still been looking into the Arktos family. Then he sighed, the dates on the searches coincided with their murder case in Piraeus, nothing since they'd reached Antwerp. Wilson was going through the trash and lifted a torn wrapper with a label printed in language unknown to any of them. Between them they were able to discern that the wording was not in Dutch, French or German, the three official languages of Belgium. Gibbs suspected that the language was Greek but that still didn't mean anything unless they lifted prints or DNA. They also found a strand of hair near the spot where their agent was found and took that. After a thorough search, they took all the evidence they'd bagged and tagged back to their quarters. Next was the cargo hold but before they put their plan together to search that, Gibbs got called to the communications office. Maggie went with him.

Pete and Tim were online for them. "We spoke with Peter Arktos' wife again, about the Arktos family. She told us that the old man was always bragging about the prize he had in his possession. She thought he was senile but says her husband and father-in-law were very angry after Vasa was killed, said that the U.S. Navy had stolen the family inheritance. She waited until her husband was drunk one night and asked him about it, he said his grandfather had a valuable piece of jewelry that was given to him during the war. He said there had been other pieces that were sold over the years and this was the last one and the most valuable. He told the wife that it was to be their inheritance and that the old man had it on him in a hollowed out heel of his shoe when they went aboard the Baton Rouge."

"That's why they're here then, to retrieve that."

"Makes more sense than vengeance – they'd have more time to search for this item while the ship crossed the Atlantic."

"Guessing they think they can slip away when the ship docks in Norfolk."

Gibbs nodded. "All right, thanks to your team, Pete, great job. We'll figure out what to do next; hopefully we can come up with a solution besides transporting a couple squadrons of Marines out here to search the hold."

They signed off. Gibbs went to the bridge to update the Captain while Maggie went back to their quarters to tell the rest of the team the new information.

XXX

After they'd talked with Gibbs aboard the Baton Rouge, Pete told his agents to go home and had Tea forward the office phone to his cell just in case. Tim drove home and pinged Tony to see if he was even around as they were 10 hours apart. He was happy to see his former teammate's face appear on the screen.

"Good morning Tim. You through work already?"

"Yeah, sorry it's so early Tony. I couldn't figure out when to call so that neither of us was at work."

"It's ok, I'm glad you called. You doing all right after…you know?"

"Yeah, I am, told my shrink and I have an extra session tomorrow. How about you?"

Tony huffed, "Me too, both counts. It's weird, I thought I'd feel relieved but it's like I can't quite get there."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"I know why you didn't kill him and that's fine, but I bet we'd both feel better if we knew he was dead."

Tim nodded, "I know he's on his way to Gitmo now, I had word of that, one of the things I wanted to tell you, but I don't think anything will really help until I know he's dead."

Tony snorted, "Maybe his head on a pike?"

Tim laughed, "Yeah that would do it!"

"Medieval times were barbaric but sometimes I think they had the right idea."

"Problem was those types of punishments weren't just applied to those that deserved them."

"Yeah, ok, so not a good idea."

"Felt good to say it though."

"Didn't I say it?"

Tim laughed, "Guess you did all right! Ok, feels good to hear it then."

He asked Tony about his new team and his apartment and what Bremerton was like and Tony asked him the same sort of questions about his team, house and Athens, adding questions about Lina too. They talked for several minutes about their new lives and Tim thought it was going well. Then they seemed to have the same idea at the same time.

Tony's eyes sparkled, "You know what we should do?"

Tim looked at his watch. "He's not there; they're flying out on a case."

"We could leave him a joint message."

"Yeah!"

First agreeing on what to say when the call was answered or if they had to leave a message, they called Gibbs' cell. It went straight to voice mail so they got ready. After the greeting played, they waited for the tone and then said in unison, "Hi Boss. It's us, just wanted to say hello from (Tony's voice only) Bremerton and (Tim's voice only) Piraeus. We love you, bye!" Tony disconnected and they laughed.

Tim snorted, "That was fun!"

"Did you tell him about the weekend yet?"

Tim shook his head, "Haven't had a chance and they're on a case that's kind of an extension of one we worked on a couple of weeks ago."

"That's kind of strange, Tim."

Tim told him about the Arktos case, the current situation and the MTAC call.

"It's weird, huh, thinking of him with a different team. And now you've seen him with them. Of course, he's seen your team too. I'm glad he didn't retire but it's really strange to think of him with a whole new team."

"At least we know Dorneget and Wilson."

"Mmm, yeah, that helps."

They talked for a few more minutes and then Tony had to end their chat as his work day was just beginning. Tim sat back on his sofa feeling much better. Not only was he feeling less emotional about the bust, he was feeling better about considering the prospect of some sort of friendship with Tony. Calling Gibbs had been a good way to point up the relationship they both had with the man, that they were in fact a family. Tim reflected that could not have happened before – Tony had had a relationship with Gibbs but Tim hadn't or not a positive one, not with either man. Dr. Agnos had asked him to write his feelings and thoughts down and he wrote several pages that evening.

The call with Tony was followed by a call from Lina. She was through work early and wondered if Tim was interested in getting a bite to eat. He was and met her at The Flying Pig for dinner. Afterward she followed him to the house for a sleepover that was guaranteed to make Tim feel even more euphoric.

Thursday morning Tim found an e-mail from his former boss, addressed to both DiNozzo and him.

"Don't know what brought you two together, a little afraid to ask, but your message made my day, maybe my year! I love both of you very much, thanks for making this old guy happy. If I could touch you, I'd be hugging both of you, yeah I know sappy. Mind if I share with Ducky and Jimmy when we get back? And my dad?"

Tony had already replied to both of them and said he was fine with it if Tim was and now Tim replied with a yes.

Lina came out of the shower to find her lover whistling. Last night he had told her of the call with Tony and the message they'd left for Gibbs, now he showed her Gibbs' e-mail. She smiled and drew Tim in for a loving kiss.

Eventually Tim made it to work. They spent the day reviewing cold case files. Although each agent left messages for various leads, no one had anything new by the end of the day. Tim headed off for his session with Dr. Agnos, telling the others he would meet them at class. His session was harder than he thought it would be; he'd felt so good about talking with Tony and was unpleasantly surprised when he found himself fending off negative emotions once again. The doctor assured him this was normal in therapy, actually it meant he was making progress. He was acknowledging the new connection with his former co-worker and realizing that the bad stuff was still out there; the two of them would still need to work on things just as he and Gibbs had been doing. He wondered aloud if they – meaning the three of them – would ever be done, if they'd ever feel things were where they wanted to be and they could let the past go. The doctor chuckled and said that was a human condition but that he believed with the work he and Gibbs had done, they would get there. The current situation with DiNozzo was too new to say either way, but Agnos' job was to help Tim get to wherever he wanted to be.

Feeling a little mixed up but resolute, Tim joined the others in class and defended with Kim to the point that George pulled Kim out and stepped in himself as Tim was too aggressive. George let him take it out with him and Tim put him through his paces. At some point he realized he was seeing his opponent as the terrorist and he pulled back and then had to block when George came at him. When it was over, they bowed as usual and George called Tim aside. "You are all right now?"

"Yes."

His instructor clapped him on the back, "I pity the idiot who breaks the law and has to answer to you."

Tim grinned and turned to find the others waiting for him. "You guys have time for a bite tonight? "

"You gonna talk?"

"Can't tell you the whole story, but yeah, I can talk some now."

He had Bec ride with him to the pub so he could tell her the basic story of Somalia that the others already knew and also a little bit about his former team and their problems. He had only heard murmurs before but now Bec told him how Gibbs and his team – his former team – were legends in the field offices.

Tim shook his head, "I don't know what to say to that. We're human and we worked our tails off to do what we did and somehow our humanity got compromised. Not with the victims but with each other. We're working on that now. We're no longer a team, probably never work together again but we're a weird sort of family and we're working on that."

"So you don't hate each other?"

"No, never been outright hate. Disappointment, anger, hurt and yeah, maybe at times extreme dislike but never hatred." He paused, "It was bad, don't get me wrong, I'm coming off 10 years of really not having any personal life and being an outsider and target of derision for my teammates, but we brought a lot of dirtbags to justice, helped a lot of families and I'm proud of that."

She'd also heard bits of rumor about the Somalia operation which really amazed Tim as it had been almost five years since they'd brought Ziva back alive.

They arrived at the pub to find that Kim and Matt had taken a quiet table in a dark corner. They ordered their food and while they were waiting, Tim told them about DiNozzo Senior's mess and proving he wasn't the scumbag their friends were looking for. After their food arrived, they ate and as they were finishing, he reminded them of the Somalian mission Pete had talked about on Tim's first day. Kim and Matt nodded, they remembered. He continued the story, spoke of spotting the known terrorist whom he'd seen in person in Somalia, following him through the casino and arresting him without incident. After that, he stopped. Bec and Matt had questions but Tim shook his head, not here and he was pretty much done anyway. Kim looked at him, "That's ok, now we know what happened last weekend. Is that why the Director called you yesterday?"

Tim tilted his head, "He called Pete when he was out so I got the call, but yeah. We didn't have a call with him this week so the first he'd heard of it was a thank you note from our friends and he was calling to get the whole story."

Later in the car on the way back to the office Bec said, "I heard all the bad guys on that mission were killed."

Tim shook his head, "They were, the ones who were at the place when we got out. But we were there for several hours, people were in and out and gone by the time the shooting started."

"Oh. That's the problem with legends, huh? The stories aren't told right."

Tim huffed, "Oh yeah." When he got home he put fresh bedding on the bed Ducky would be using and emptied drawers in the bureau for his use. He made a shopping list for tomorrow after work; he'd asked Bec if she wanted to go with him, remembering having to rely on Matt and the others before he'd bought Norm and Carla's car. Bec was having hers shipped over so she'd be without wheels for a while yet.

Tim originally planned to have a party to introduce Ducky on Sunday but decided to put it off for a week so he could introduce his siblings and Ducky at the same time. Lina was making invitations and he'd deliver them on Monday, although everyone had it on their calendars already. Norm and Carla wouldn't be able to make it as the babies were coming home that day, but she'd asked him to bring his family over to the house so they could meet. He added a few food ideas to his list and then headed up to bed, exhausted.

He slept well and was in the office early on Friday. While he hoped with all his might that they wouldn't catch a case today, he made backup plans with Kim to pick Ducky up from the airport tomorrow morning. Each had a picture on her or his phone of the other and knew full names, cell numbers and anything else Tim could think of that might help identify each to the other. Evander was taking Bec out for her first apartment hunt on Saturday, but Kim had her own car so there was no worry there. Friday dragged its feet even more than Monday had. When Tim knew it should be lunchtime and wondered why no one had said anything, he found it was only 10:00. He tensed every time the phone rang, knowing this would be the day their good luck fairy would leave and the universe would have free reign to mess with them. By the time lunchtime really did roll around the others were laughing at him. Pete tried to send him to the shooting range but it was threatening to rain and they'd just been there anyway. He huffed to himself that yesterday would have been a great day to send him to the shooting range. Might have saved George some bruises. He got sent out for lunch and Matt went with him. His friend told him a little more about his new relationship, still very much in the early stages, with Lina's brother.

Tim grinned, "You realize if this works and you two marry, we'll be brothers-in-law."

Matt snorted, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"You and Lina would have to be married too."

Tim just gave a thoughtful nod.

"She move in with you yet?"

Tim laughed, "No, it's only been 3 weeks Matt, geesh!"

"Hey, just asking!"

Tim nodded, "Yeah I know. I'm enjoying how things are evolving, it's nice."

"Nice?"

"Ok, it's wonderful, the best relationship I've ever had but I don't want to jinx it and I don't want to push either one of us."

"Makes sense. So…you ok after last weekend?"

"I will be." He paused, thinking of how much he'd previously shared with Matt. "I called DiNozzo after I got his father out of trouble."

"Wow! That was a big move."

"Yeah it was and we talked again this week." He told him about the joint message they'd left on Gibbs' cell and they both laughed.

"That's good to hear, I felt bad when you told me about your old team, glad you're working it out…as long as you don't go back!"

"You're kidding right? Look at my life here Matt; you think I'd willingly leave?"

"No, guess not."

"I can't wait for you to meet Ducky! I can't believe he's going to be here in less than 24 hours."

"You sure he won't mind about me? I mean me and Damian, you know at Christmas?"

"I'm positive and are you ever going to talk with Pete? Not that it's any of my business."

"I did already."

"Yeah! Proud of you!"

"He was fine with it, said pretty much the same thing you and Kim did."

"Did you tell him you're dating Damian?"

"I told him I'd met someone and then I went ahead and told him it was Lina's brother. He laughed and asked if you and Lina had introduced us."

"Busted!"

"Yep, afraid so. Doesn't matter though."

They'd reached the deli and were waiting to pay for their lunch order. On the way back they talked about the cold case that was still bugging Matt. Bec hadn't found anything new. Tim advised him to move on to another case, to put it away for now.

Somehow Tim survived the rest of the day and to his relief no cases popped up. If Gibbs was available the two of them would have a quick chat, followed by dinner with Lina and grocery shopping.


	61. Chapter 61

NCIS HQ, Washington DC:

Gibbs and his team had returned from the Baton Rouge a few hours ago, bringing Alexander and Peter Arktos with them and delivering them to the NCIS lockup. Agent Gordon-Parks regained consciousness on Thursday and told them that Peter Arktos was the one who attacked her. Father and son had been interrogated aboard ship, however once the lab processed the evidence they would be questioned again. Part of the evidence was the diamonds the sweep team found in the cargo hold, luckily before the two suspects found them. Gibbs wondered what would happen to the gems and thought the Israeli and German governments would be notified; from Tim's notes, it would be a good bet that the stones had been stolen from holocaust victims during Behr's days at the camp. Gibbs was proud of the work his team had done and told them so. He'd dismissed them for the rest of the day, the suspects could wait until Saturday for questioning and reports could wait until Monday. He'd told Ned and Wilson it was their choice to be present for the questioning on Saturday, but that they should feel free to come in for that and leave when it was done. He and Maggie would do the interrogation and then they'd take off too.

Something was bothering him about that and he finally realized what it was. Wilson was not a new junior agent and Gibbs needed to acknowledge that and foster further growth; he mentally gave himself a headslap, he could not afford to slide back into old habits. He sent Maggie an IM and she quickly replied. Gibbs turned to the newest member of his team, "Wilson, you and Maggie are on the interrogation tomorrow. Ned and I will observe. Ned, you're on the next one." Wilson nodded and gave him a quiet smile, Ned was more obviously happy but that was the difference in their personalities, Wilson was usually quiet and while Ned was in no way noisy, he was the more outgoing of the two.

Knowing he had to set the example, Gibbs led his team out of the office. When he got home he prowled the house, intensely curious about the message he'd received from his boys. When his team had heard him laughing in the middle of the case, eyes popped wide. He'd said in an offhanded tone to Ned, "Tim and Tony left me a message." Ned smiled and then realized what he'd said, "Together?" Gibbs nodded proudly and Ned's mouth formed a surprised "O". Gibbs still didn't know what had brought the two together on a phone call, something that was convivial enough to want to include him, no, to let him know they were in touch with each other and that they both loved him. He could extend that to them admitting affection for each other. Now that was progress! He knew better than to think things were now 'all better'…he'd been down that path once and wouldn't be tempted again. But still, they were speaking to each other and admitting it to him; that was good, very good. It was so good he decided to let Dr. Cranston know so now while he waited for Tim to get home from work he typed an e-mail to send her. Before he sent it, he frowned, thinking something big must have happened for one of them to reach out to the other. Tony didn't have Tim's new cell number or e-mail address so that meant Tim had done the reaching out. Although with Tony's new cell…he shook his head, he'd find out in a few minutes. And he'd send the Doc the e-mail then if it was still appropriate.

Finally his laptop pinged; Tim was home from work and on Skype ready to talk. He smiled at his youngest. They exchanged greetings and Tim asked about the Baton Rouge. Gibbs realized they hadn't had a chance to update Athens yet but just shook his head, "Nah ah Senior Field Agent McGee! No deflecting before we even get started! That message was the best surprise I've had in many years…what's the story behind it?"

Tim huffed, "Yeah ok. Hoped you might have gotten part of it from Tony."

Gibbs just shook his head. Tim told him about the Marseille agents being down with the flu and Senior's newest escapade in France and getting pulled in to verify he was not the scumbag they were looking for. He paused after that and Gibbs' gut tightened. Tim took a deep breath and told him about the terrorist he'd spotted, the one who had tortured Tony and him in Somalia, the one who'd been on their personal "Most Wanted" list for nearly five years. He quickly detailed the tail and the takedown and his call to Tony, his almost frantic need to connect with his former teammate, the need to hear his voice and to tell him the news.

Gibbs swallowed past the golf ball sized lump in his throat and still couldn't get any words out. He put his fingers on the screen and the image of Tim's fingers covered them. When Gibbs could finally speak he said, "I'm giving you the biggest hug right now. And I'm bringing you home, both of you, going to tuck you away so nobody can ever hurt you again." Then he gave a rusty chuckle, "But you're grown men, that wouldn't work. "

Tim shook his head, "Don't want to leave where I am now, Boss, but thanks for the thought, that makes me feel loved and safe no matter how impossible it would be."

"I'm so proud of you – for doing your job the way you did, for not killing the bastard, for protecting Senior even though it probably made you want to tear your eyeballs out or grind your teeth and for reaching out to Tony. I know all of it was difficult, hell just seeing the bastard must have been a huge shock, but you did what you needed to do. You're a hell of an agent Tim and a hell of a man too."

Tim smiled, a big smile, while the tips of his ears burned a bright cherry red. "Thanks Boss. I would have contacted Tony after clearing his dad anyway, but then after…I had to talk to him, I really needed to hear his voice. He said that me busting the guy was a true win for us. And that felt good too."

"But that was over the weekend."

"Yeah, we decided to Skype the other night and that went pretty well and then we got kind of silly and sentimental, wanted you to know we were at least talking."

"That's great Tim, I'm proud of you, proud of both of you. How about when you got back home from France, did you sleep ok?"

"Lina was there so I slept. Slept until noon on Sunday, haven't done that since…I guess since after you took care of Dearing."

"And now?"

"I talked to Dr. Agnos on Tuesday and again last night, I talked to Pete on the scene but I couldn't tell him until the Director called. He hadn't heard from us, he had a thank you e-mail from the CIA and wanted to know just exactly what happened." Tim laughed, "He said he opened the e-mail and scanned it, saw the names DiNozzo and McGee together, said it took him a minute or two to notice the "Sr." for Senior after DiNozzo."

Gibbs laughed, "Wish I could have seen his face!" They talked for a few more minutes, Tim hearing the update on the attack on Gordon-Parks and the extension of the Arktos case. He was expressing how he felt about all that when his phone chimed with a reminder he was due to pick up Lina in 30 minutes.

XXX

After disconnecting from Gibbs, Tim ran upstairs for a quick shower and change of clothes. Taking the time to dry his hair, he arrived at Lina's right on time. She came outside as soon as she saw his car, as Tim walked around the car to open her door he heard some odd sounds coming from the house.

"That's Ross. He's joined the school band and is learning to play the oboe."

Tim nodded, "Going to be a little painful for a while?"

She smiled, "Yes, I think so, until he learns the basics. But it's good for him. Did you ever play an instrument?"

Tim shook his head, "No, we would have had to provide our own or rent them from the school, didn't have the money for that. " He chuckled, "I don't think I have any musical abilities anyway, I've been told I'm tone deaf."

"We'll find out soon with the Christmas carols!"

Tim looked horrified. "We're expected to sing along?"

She laughed, "Don't worry. There's no law that says you have to sing!"

"How about you, did you sing or play an instrument in school?"

"I sang in the girls' chorus and I took piano lessons but I haven't played in years now."

"So you will be singing the Christmas carols!"

She smiled and shrugged, "I love them, I know the tunes and the words so yes, I will sing along."

They didn't have far to drive tonight; they were trying a restaurant in Piraeus called 'Pos to Trivoun to Piperi' which had good reviews. They'd been told it had a good variety of food and drinks, that the food was great and the service friendly. It was promoted as a steakhouse but one of its specialties was listed as swordfish souvlaki and they were both curious to see what other surprises were in store. If they liked it, they thought they'd add it to their list of places they could bring Ducky and the siblings. Lina tried the swordfish souvlaki and loved it, while Tim stuck with his favorite minced meat souvlaki. He did try a bite of the swordfish although he was not a big fan of fish in general. It was all right, which for him was high praise for a fish dish.

After dinner, Tim took Lina to her place and then swung by the office to pick up Bec for grocery shopping. Between the two of them they had fairly long lists, but they powered through them. Back at the office, Tim helped his new teammate carry in her bags and heard of her plans with Matt and Tea for sightseeing over the weekend. He was relieved as he'd been feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to give her the same sort of attention he'd had when he arrived. Trying to think of ways to make her feel at home, he told her about the tree in Syntagma Square and asked her if she had any Christmas decorations that she'd like to hang on the tree at his house for Christmas morning. Her face lit up as she'd brought her favorite ones with her. When she showed Tim how many she had, he thought for a minute and then suggested that while she was perfectly welcome to hang her ornaments on the tree at his house, she might want to consider getting her own small tree. She liked that even more and gave him a hug as he left.

As Tim turned into his driveway, his eyes widened in happy surprise to see Lina's car in the driveway. He'd given her a key to the house before he left for France the previous weekend, now he thought he'd dig up the second garage door remote for her.

Tim woke Lina with lazy kisses the next morning. After spending time making each other happy, they each had a banana and then went for a run. On their return, Lina had a shower and dressed while Tim put together a more substantial breakfast for them. She cleaned up the kitchen afterward while Tim showered and dressed. When he checked Ducky's room one last time before leaving for the airport, he saw that she had cut flowers from the garden and arranged them in one of the vases from the hall closet. He smiled; that was Lina, making the world more welcoming and beautiful. They left the house at the same time, Lina to run errands, Tim for the airport. She would join them tonight for dinner and they'd made a few different plans for Sunday, depending on how much Ducky wanted to do.

Tim was still early when he left so he ran his own errands and arrived at the customs area several minutes after Ducky's flight landed. As he was walking in, he received a text from his friend that he was next in line for the entry interview with Customs. Tim walked in and around the room, finally spotting Ducky going through his entry form with a uniformed officer. He was glad of his height; he had easily spotted Ducky and could just as easily be picked out of a crowd by his friend. He didn't have long to wait, the older man went through the entry process and quickly spotted Tim. With matching grins, they hugged tightly and only broke apart when the speaker they were standing next to squawked quite loudly with an indecipherable announcement. Tim insisted on taking his suitcase and carefully strapped Ducky's carry-on bag to the top of it. They chatted about the flight until they got to the car and then as they drove Ducky asked questions about the areas they were passing through. Tim thought he seemed a little nervous but decided it was probably the long hours spent in transit. Flying more than 5000 miles is never easy on anyone. He slowed as he went past the office so Ducky could take a quick look at the building and his friend chuckled, "It's exactly as you've described it, Timothy."

"You'll have the grand tour some other day, just want to get you home and settled in today. I thought you'd probably feel like taking a shower, having something to eat and then we can go do something for awhile before you crash, or you can have a nap first – whatever feels best to you."

"I appreciate that, lad. A shower sounds heavenly right now… oh my, we're here, that is quite close!"

Tim pulled into the driveway as Ducky exclaimed about the landscaping in the front. He smiled when he spotted the shelving units in the garage. "I see they've been put to good use."

"Yes, there's really no place for them in the house – and I don't need them in there anyway."

Ducky nodded as they walked into the hallway, "Oh, this is quite spacious, more than I thought from our Skype tour."

"It's a good size, comfortable. Here's your room." Tim opened the door and wheeled the case in. "The closet is there, I emptied some drawers for you in the bureau and the door to the bathroom is there."

"Quite grand my boy, really a small suite isn't it? Lovely flowers - are they from your garden?"

"Yes, Lina cut them and arranged them for you this morning."

"I see, lovely and when do I get to meet her?"

"She'll join us for dinner this evening."

"Wonderful! Timothy, I am so looking forward to that! Now, I promised Gibbs I would contact him when we reached the house."

"Sure, let's see if he's online, we can send him an e-mail or Skype, whichever you prefer."

"A quick e-mail will be fine. If we get on Skype we'll start talking and I can talk with him anytime."

Tim chuckled, "Ok, laptop's in the kitchen, this way." They sent a quick e-mail to Gibbs, attaching a photo of Ducky with the flowers from Lina, and then Tim showed his friend the rest of the house. He was suitably impressed. "I have to say I was a little worried when you said you'd rented a house but this is a perfect size for you. With this many bedrooms, there's plenty of room for the children and any other guests."

"And you'll see just how we'll do that on Christmas Eve. Rob and Sarah are arriving next Saturday and then on Christmas Eve, Matt will stay over with us and possibly Bec as well. She's not sure since she's just down the hill at the office but I hope she'll stay."

"And James?"

"James arrives on the 27th.. I'm glad you changed your flight home so that you're not leaving until the 28th; that gives you a chance to meet him in person."

Ducky nodded and Tim looked at him with a critical eye. "Ducky, is everything all right?"

"There is something I need to tell you, but it's not my health, dear boy. I think I will shower first. Perhaps over that bite to eat you mentioned?"

"Coming right up! I'm making you your first gyro pita."

"That sounds delicious! All right, I shall go have my shower."

Tim wondered what was up, thinking maybe the good doctor would announce his retirement. That gave him a pang; even though he wasn't there, he didn't like to think of NCIS headquarters without Ducky's smile, endless fount of knowledge, wisdom and stories. He worked in the kitchen getting the pitas together and was just pulling Ducky's out of the microwave when the older man re-entered the kitchen, dressed in comfortable sweats.

Tim smiled, "Feel good?"

"Yes, I should say so, I feel invigorated!"

Tim laughed, "Well, if you're anything like me, that will last about an hour before you need to lie down."

"Well, as I am very much like you, that's what I'll plan then."

Tim carried their plates to the table. "Did you want tea, Ducky? Or are you 'tea-d' out after the flights?"

"Indeed I am, Timothy. Juice would be good if you have any."

"I have juice – orange or apple – or lemonade."

"Apple juice I think, my stomach tends to roil for a while after a long flight."

"Mine too, that's why I have the apple juice. Last weekend Pete and I got called in to help with a CIA operation in France. It's not a long flight but the operation was tricky – I'll tell you more about it later – and I bought the apple juice on the way home from the airport."

"That's a switch, you being pulled into a CIA operation!"

Tim just nodded. Ducky wisely put the topic aside for now and picking up his pita, started eating. "This is wonderful; you made it?"

"Yes, I love them so much I had to learn how to make them!"

"Delicious, dear boy!"

Tim picked at his; he wasn't all that hungry yet.

"You're not eating?"

"I'm just not that hungry yet, it hasn't been that long since breakfast. I'll save it and eat the rest while you're napping, don't worry, I'd never let it go to waste!"

They both chuckled at that. When they finished, Ducky took Tim and led him to the sofa. "I do have something to tell you, a rather big something; no lad, don't even try guessing!"

They sat next to each other and Ducky took Tim's hand as he told him about Maisie's phone call and his subsequent discovery that Lily was his daughter. Tim looked at him, mouth open in astonishment.

"You didn't know, she never told you? Ducky, that's awfu …wait, Lily's father…that means… Ducky, _you're my grandfather?" _

Tim was clutching Ducky's arm now. "Yes my boy, my own boy, I am your grandfather." Tim was smiling and near tears at the same time as Ducky took him in his arms. "Oh my Timothy, this is why I had to come, I had to tell you in person, I couldn't bear to tell you over Skype or a phone call."

"Ducky…you're my…I'm your grandson, I'm a Mallard."

"Part Mallard, yes."

"And Sarah and Rob and Geordie!"

"Yes my boy."

"But she never told you, Ducky; you never had a chance to meet Lily?"

"No, I didn't." They were both crying now.

"That's so unfair, your own daughter."

"And you, lad, and Patrick and wee Sarah and your dear father."

"You would have questioned Natalie, wouldn't you? You would never have taken her word that we were dead."

"I hope not but we'll never know."

"My mother never had a chance to get to know you; did she even know about you?"

"Yes, she was told, from what I understand it would have been shortly before she moved to San Diego where she met your father."

"I wonder if she was angry or upset."

"Timothy…"

"I know, I shouldn't dwell on it, Ducky, but I'm angry at Maisie – for all of us. You, my mother, us, mostly you. Even if she'd just written you and told you. It wouldn't have meant she had to give her up."

"Oh dear boy."

Tim finally pulled himself together. "We were going to be told via Skype?"

"That was a very brief original plan, yes."

"You were all alone in a restaurant with her when she told you. How…"

"I called Jethro and he came for me. Tobias was with him at the house so he came along and drove the Morgan back to my place. They stayed with me until Jethro was sure I'd be all right and it was during that time that I realized I had to tell you in person." Ducky paused, "I hope you'll forgive me for telling Jethro and Tobias, I was very upset after I heard the news and Jethro was worried, I felt he needed to know."

Tim nodded, "I'm so glad they were there for you and please don't worry about telling them. I know you needed support and who knows what and when is not important!"

Ducky sighed, "Also, I'd like to tell the children when they arrive. Maisie will arrange a Skype call for the following day, but I want to be the one to tell all of you first."

"She won't know we know?"

"I suppose, I hadn't really thought that through."

"I…it could be a family call, Ducky, with Uncle Jim, Aunt Claire, the kids and my godparents if they're available, but I don't want to have a call with just Maisie."

"Lad, she is your grandmother."

"Yes, you're right, I should be showing respect and I'll work on that. But she's made two decisions that have seriously affected us; I'm not ready to speak with her yet."

Ducky nodded, "I understand and I won't push you, Timothy, but we will need to work this out - as a family."

"Ok, just not today."

Ducky chuckled and Tim looked at him, "You're relieved."

"I am. It's been all I've been able to think about since I found out. As I said, Jethro and Tobias know, but I haven't told Jimmy and Breena, I didn't think that would be fair to you and the children."

"How about you plan a Skype call with them around Christmas and tell them then?"

"Excellent idea!"

"What are we going to call you?"

"I haven't picked a grandfatherly name yet for the Palmer child, not knowing how old he or she will be, so I suppose whatever you and the siblings decide will do for all of my grandchildren."

Tim's smile lit up his entire face. "Is there a traditional Scots' term?"

"In my family, we used Grandfa' and Papa."

"I like Grandfa'."

"As do I, although Ducky will still be fine."

"Can we tell Lina tonight? I've had to keep so much from her with our work."

"I suppose that depends. Do you honestly think you can keep this a secret from her for a week?"

"No."

"Well then… maybe we should let the children know now, Timothy and then there would be no more worries. Do you think they'll mind horribly hearing it via Skype?"

Tim thought about it for a couple of minutes. "They're going to see you next week – and they already know you. That's different from getting the news via Skype and not knowing when they'd see you or being told about a total stranger suddenly popping into their lives. Yeah, I think it would be ok for now and then we will all know and no more secrets. Well, no more family secrets." He paused and looked at his watch. "They're an hour earlier than we are, they might be home. Let's give them a call now."

Ducky smiled at his grandson…Tim, his grandson! "Very well!" They moved to the kitchen and sat at the island with the laptop in front of them. Tim pinged Sarah a few times and finally his sleepy and very cranky baby sister appeared on the screen. "_What?_"

"Good morning Sarah."

"Oh, Ducky I'm sorry! Yay, you're there with Timmy!"

"Yes I am and I'm hoping to speak with you and Rob for a few minutes."

"I hear someone in the kitchen, must be Rob as James is at work today. Hang on, I'll go get him." Tim called after her, "And get yourself some coffee!" She waved her hand over her head to show she heard him. She was back with a mug of coffee and their brother a couple of minutes later. He had evidently just come in from work as he was still wearing scrubs and looked worn out. "Hey Bro…hi Ducky, welcome back to Europe!"

"Thank you Robbie! Now my dears, I have some news for the three of you – and Geordie of course. I wanted to wait to tell you in person next week, but I weakened and told Tim a few minutes ago and we decided you wouldn't mind hearing on Skype since I'll see you so soon." They nodded, mystified but not worried as Tim had a big smile on his face.

Ducky again told the story of Maisie's call and his discovery that he had been a father. Sarah and Rob had never met Lily Hubbard McGee. Sarah was the product of a frozen egg originally harvested from Lily and sperm from Dan McGee; Natalie had been her gestational host. Rob had been raised and eventually adopted by Tim after both Dan and Lily McGee died; his own mother had neglected and then ultimately abandoned him. Being told they were the grandchildren of someone they already loved was thrilling. As Rob pointed out, they'd never had a grandpa before, only a Timpa. They talked for over an hour about the new relationship, both the younger siblings approving of the title 'Grandfa'. They only disconnected when Rob could no longer swallow his yawns. Chuckling, he was ordered to bed by his grandfather, "Dr. McGee, you need to get your rest while you can, you have many busy days ahead of you!" Rob's eyes, tired as they were, shone back at him. "Yes, Dr. Mallard. Hmm, we need to talk about names."

Tim nodded, "Yes, but not right now, Robbie. Go get some sleep!"

"Ok Timpa."

They signed off and Ducky looked at Tim, "Names?"

"Don't know what he has in mind, but we could hyphenate our names, Duc…Grandfa."

"Hyphenate? Timothy, you want to change your last name?"

"It's a thought, maybe to Mallard-McGee or McGee-Mallard." His grandfather sat looking at him in sheer astonishment and then to his consternation started crying again. Timothy patted him on the arm. "You're all right, just a lot all at once. As it happens, I'm very familiar with that. How about you have some warm milk and get some sleep?"

Ducky nodded, he was very tired. Relieved and happy, but tired. Tim fixed him the milk. Ducky thought of the delicious irony of that as he'd given the recipe to Tim and it was originally Victoria's; he made a mental note to tell his grandson later. He took it to his room to drink; however he'd had only had a few sips when he succumbed to the urge to lie down. Tim peeked in on him a few minutes later, gently removing his glasses and shoes and then pulling a comforter up over him.

Tim went to the backyard and did his martial arts practice for the day, making sure to spend extra time on the new moves they'd learned. Once he was satisfied, he took his laptop upstairs and wrote for a while. He checked on his grandfather; that would take some getting used to, and found him sleeping peacefully. Tim wondered how he'd been handling things at home, dealing with the news he'd been given. He tried to imagine finding out he'd had a child who was now dead, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it. As final as the loss of his daughter had been, at least Gibbs had known her, had memories of her as a baby, loved her and been loved by her, watched her grow from infant to young girlhood before her young life was cut short.

Tim thought about his grandmother and reached deep inside, trying to find understanding and forgiveness. He thought about Drew Hubbard reaching out and taking care of her when she found she was pregnant and thought that must have been very comforting and a huge relief. He took a mental step back, put his writer's hat on and looked at the big picture. A young Donald Mallard wanted to go save the world one patient at a time and was torn between that and staying with his love. His love, the young Maisie Stirling, her heart likely breaking, realized there was no right answer for her. If he stayed, he might be miserable and eventually resent her. If he left, she'd lose her love. Because she loved him so much, she sent him on his way, probably hoping he would come back on his own. After he left, she realized she was pregnant. She must have been devastated and worried sick. She might not have felt that she could return to her family in Scotland. And in the 1950's – even into the 60's, women frequently lost their jobs once it was known they were pregnant. A single woman would have been horribly at risk. Tim was sure there were institutions that would have taken Maisie in and perhaps he was being too harsh in his supposition about her family; regardless she would have had a very difficult time. He didn't know if abortion had been legal in the UK back then; if Maisie had considered that path then she would have had to deal with a 'backroom' situation which was very dangerous. Tim was again very grateful that Drew Hubbard had stepped up, had been there for his grandmother when she had probably been in nearly desperate need; from the sounds of it had been a wonderful husband and father. He wished he could have known him, he would ask Duc…Grandfa about him - and his Gram. He idly wondered if he'd been a lot like Uncle Jim.

Tim let his grandfather sleep for four hours and then woke him, wanting the older man to be able to sleep that night. He had a cup of tea, changed his clothes and said he was ready to see something. Tim decided to take him around Piraeus and show him the sights. They drove down to the Flying Pig where Tim asked one of the sidewalk servers he recognized to take a photo of him with his grandfather underneath the sign. From there they took a walk down to the harbor and turned onto the harbor walk. Ducky loved the sea air and told Tim it always reminded him of his own grandparents who'd lived on the Isle of Skye when he was a boy. For some years now, Tim had been quietly writing down Ducky's stories as he told them and now he knew what he wanted for the topic of his next book. It would not be crimes or mysteries; instead he'd tell the tales Ducky had told him over the years. He also envisioned writing about his Mallard ancestors, from the first one to step foot in Scotland, perhaps going farther back to the Mallard family in France, to the beloved man in front of him. He blinked, realizing he'd just found out more about his ancestry, adding French and Scots to the Irish he'd always known about. He was writing the introduction in his head when he realized his new grandfather and old friend was standing in front of him, looking at him patiently.

"Sorry, I was writing."

"Yes, I recognized the look. I may be new at being your grandfather, but I am familiar with you, my boy."

Tim grinned and gently hugged his grandfather. "New project, I'll tell you about it later."

"Will I like it?"

"I believe you will, yes."

"Good!"

Tim felt the chill in the air, "How about we head back into town where there's a little more shelter from the wind?"

"Excellent idea, I was wondering if we could stop and have a beverage at that pub of yours."

"As you wish!" Ducky was thrilled when they entered and several people nodded to Tim. They might not know him by name yet, but they recognized him. They took seats at a small table. Tim grabbed the drinks menu and handed it to his grandfather, explaining his habit of trying something new every time he came in. Ducky nodded, that sounded like an excellent idea. He ordered a local brew and Tim picked another one from the menu. When the server started to take the order, the young man frowned. "You know you've had that one already."

"I have?"

"Yes, I remember because you were here with a Greek fellow, you had just found a house and left a large tip."

"Ah, Evander. All right, glad you remembered that, thanks!" Tim found another brew and the server nodded and left. Ducky just looked at his grandson, puzzled as the conversation had been conducted in Greek.

"He said I'd had that one already, the day I was in here with Evander, we were celebrating finding my house."

"My, that's quite a memory!" Tim smiled, "I think he really remembered it because of the huge tip I left him."

"Hmm, well money does tend to help people remember things." They enjoyed their beverages and sat relaxing for a bit until the place started getting crowded and the volume of the music was amped up. Tim grinned at his grandfather, "Time to go – it's Saturday, this place will be hopping for the rest of the evening."

"Ah yes, Saturday night, date night!" Tim nodded and they left. The wind had picked up and Tim was glad he'd parked close by.


	62. Chapter 62

Turning the heater on in the car, it only took them a few minutes to get home where Tim confessed, "I'd thought of going into Athens today but it's a bit too chilly. How about we go tomorrow after you've had a good night's sleep and we can be better prepared for the weather?"

"That sounds wonderful!"

After they'd shed their jackets, Ducky patted the dining room table. "I brought some photos Timothy; I thought you might be interested in knowing more about your Mallard roots."

"Excellent Grandfa, I was just going to ask you about that."

"How's that?"

Tim explained, "If it's not done already, I'd love to construct our family tree."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, my boy. I thought of doing it years ago but with no one to leave it to, I never followed through."

"Ducky – and I mean Ducky – any of us would have been thrilled to have had that from you. I told you before; you've been grandfather to us all – Tony, Ziva, Kate, Abby and Sarah, Rob and me – for many years."

"Not Jimmy?"

"Nope, you're Jimmy's dad."

"Oh my dear boy." Tim held him tightly while the older man worked to control his emotions.

"It's all right Grandfa, we're here; I guess I'm representing all of your grandchildren right now, and we love you. Even the ones who don't know you yet."

His grandfather nodded, "You are my treasure, dear one."

"Why don't you bring out the pictures and I'll get the laptop, we can start building our family tree."

Tim's laptop was nearby on the kitchen counter; he moved it over to the table and then stood in thought. When his grandfather came back with a large bundle of photos, Tim nodded. "You know what? Let's start by scanning those into the computer, unless you've already done that?"

Ducky shook his head.

"Ok, we'll do that, won't take us long and then we won't have to worry about these getting lost. We can label them, write stories for them, make different albums online and make copies for each of us."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Tim disappeared into Ducky's room and came back with the scanner. He set it up and the two of them spent nearly an hour scanning the photos. Once they were downloaded onto Tim's favorite photo site, he created the first album and put everything in there. He would move things around as he and Grandfa went through the photos. He soon found that as convenient as the online photos were his grandfather preferred handling the physical photos, explaining that he'd pulled them from numerous albums his mother assembled over the years.

He paused, "Did you ever meet Mother?"

Tim nodded, "Once, I think it was her last time in the office. She tried to get into MTAC."

His grandfather huffed, "She had quite a time that day. Loved her "Matthew" – that's what she called Jethro."

"I remember that, always wondered who Matthew really was."

"A cousin, I have a photo of him here."

The older man stopped and thought. "Let's get started on the tree, shall we? Then the photos will make more sense to you."

Tim pulled up a site where they could create their family tree. "The nice thing about this site is that it lets you do it backwards, from the present into the past."

"Ah, yes I should say that will be easier." On the bottom of the tree, they entered Tim, Patrick, Sarah, Rob and Geordie. There were indicators they could choose to show that Rob and Geordie were adopted and to include their birth parents and names. Tim filled those out and then went back to his own record and filled in his, Sarah's and Patrick's as well as the date of Patrick's death. The next branch up, they input Lily's name and the dates of her birth and death and then added Dan McGee and his vital statistics. Off to the side of the same tier they added James and Claire Hubbard with Callum and Ainsley dropping down so that they were parallel with their cousins. They left their vital statistics off for now. Moving up to the next branch, they added Maisie and then Ducky with a dotted line to her and then added Drew Hubbard with a solid line. Donald Mallard was listed as Lily's father while Andrew Hubbard was listed as the father of James. They added Ducky's parents, Victoria and Donald Sr. and Tim's eyes grew wide. "I didn't realize you were a Jr."

"Yes, well as is the custom I dropped the 'junior' when my father died."

Tim nodded, "So the next Donald should be Donald III."

"Oh please no, Timothy!"

Tim laughed, "Might be kind of fun, we could call him Trey."

"Promise me you will do no such thing!"

"I can promise for my future children, but you have other grandchildren you know."

Ducky ruffled Tim's hair. "I will worry about that when the time comes."

They turned their eyes back to the tree. "Do you know Gram's parents' names?"

"I believe her mother's name was Iona and father's was Ceardach. I have no idea of their dates of birth or death."

"That's ok; we'll fill those in later. I forgot to ask you if you had any siblings."

"Yes, a much older brother, Angus, birth year 1915, year he died 1955."

Tim added him to the tree. "Did he have a wife, children?"

"Wife's name was Moira, deceased the same year and he had one son, Kendrick, birth year was…1947, I believe."

Ducky looked pensive and Tim touched his arm. "What happened to him?"

"Sadly, Kendrick was one of the 255 Brits killed in the Falkland conflict in 1982."

"I'm so sorry."

"Thank you Timothy. I'm sorry to say I never knew him well. My brother was 18 when I was born and he went off to live his own life, dying in an auto accident with his wife when their son was quite young. His maternal grandparents raised Kendrick and for some inexplicable reason, my parents were shut out. Kendrick and I never really connected which is a shame as we were closer in age than I was to his father. I only met him on a handful of occasions."

"And he never married, had children?"

"Not to my knowledge, no, but then I haven't looked since the advent of the internet."

"We can search. There would be birth records somewhere." Tim input 1982 as the year of death. They moved up to Ducky's grandparents and input both sets along with their siblings. Now Tim had something to go on and he stopped, saving their work. "How about we look at the photos now? This is probably enough people for me to have an idea of how everyone is connected."

His grandfather smiled as he brought out the first photo. While Tim had been inputting the information into their family tree, he had sorted the photos starting with the oldest. As Ducky told the stories for each photo, Tim brought the corresponding photo up online and input the names and the story. When Ducky caught on to what he was doing, he slowed down a bit so that the information was fully captured.

Tim stopped to edit something he'd written and his grandfather laughed. "Now you know where you get your love of words, Timothy."

Tim looked at him and grinned, "And my love of science too; I hoped I'd find a kindred spirit somewhere in the family!"

They'd been at it for nearly two hours when they heard the garage door opening. Ducky looked wide-eyed at his grandson who was grinning at him. "Lina has her own remote?"

"Yes and her own key. But no, Grandfa, she doesn't spend every night here, she hasn't moved in. We're still attempting to take things slowly."

Ducky chuckled. "It seems "attempting" is the right word." Tim blushed and then grinned again when he heard the creak of the door into the house. He excused himself and went to greet his girlfriend.

After a welcoming kiss, the two headed back into the dining room, hand in hand. Lina was a little apprehensive about meeting the man Tim regarded as a grandfather. This man had history with Tim and for some reason that made her more nervous than she had been meeting the Admiral and Captain. She supposed that was because they were just as new to Tim as she was. She smiled a little shyly at the older man when introduced and he shook his head with a big smile, "Nonsense my dear, we are family already, please don't be shy with me." He greeted her with the traditional European kiss on each cheek and then beamed at her.

Tim took her hand, "Lina, he's given me the most extraordinary news!" She looked at her boyfriend, his eyes were sparkling and he was smiling, very happy. "Tell me Tim, please!" So they sat down and told her the story of Maisie, Donald and Lily. Tim loved watching the expressions on her face as he and his grandfather told Lina their story. The soft look at him when Ducky was describing his original relationship with Maisie, the sadness when he told of his leaving, the astonishment when she was told of Maisie's daughter Lily and the wonder when Tim gently told her that Lily was his mother, that this wonderful friend of his, the one who had held him together through so much, was his newly discovered grandfather. She sat there looking back and forth at the two men. When they smiled at her she could see it, the way their eyes crinkled, it was the same. She was delighted for Tim and thought how wonderful it was that he had gained so many people who loved him in the short weeks since they'd known each other.

They showed her some of the photos and the family tree they had started. Lina decided not to mention how far back her own family tree went. They could trace their ancestors back more than five hundred years and if they worked at it, probably another few centuries. Having traveled in the United States and heard people's tales of their ancestors' arrival and just now re-discovering their roots, she had a basic understanding of how easy it would be to lose track of where one came from. Still, she thought it would be fascinating to have multiple nationalities in one's background. She realized Ducky was talking of the original Mallard in Scotland moving there from France to marry his true love and she smiled at that.

When Tim's stomach growled, they laughed and he got up to work on their dinner. He'd been cooking a chicken dish (Kota pilafi or baked chicken pilaf) in the slow cooker for hours and between the gently seasoned rice, the chicken and the garlic, the house smelled heavenly. Now he turned the slow cooker off and let the chicken sit. In the meantime, he brought out the bottle of wine he'd selected and the Mezethes (hors d'oeurves) he had purchased. He'd decided to serve Tiropetes or τυρóπιτα, Cheese Triangle Puffs and Dolmathes, or rice-stuffed grape leaves. The Tiropetes were made with feta cheese and phyllo, they'd been served at the Embassy party and he'd loved them. Luckily for him, he'd found a place that made and sold them prepared but not yet baked. The other Meze was rice-stuffed grape leaves and these he'd purchased ready to eat; they'd just needed to be chilled. He put the Mezethes on separate plates and brought them to the living room with small plates and plenty of napkins. Lina helped him with the wine glasses and they toasted Ducky's arrival and the wonderful news. Tim wished he had a bottle of champagne but decided they could have that when Sarah and Rob were here with them. They relaxed, nibbling on their Mezethes and sipping their wine, and then while Tim finished preparing their dinner, Lina set the table, complete with flowers she found Tim had cut earlier. Accompanying the chicken pilaf was a very simple salad, called Fasolakia Salate or Greek Green Bean salad, made with fresh green beans, olive oil, chopped onions, parsley and lemon juice. It was a salad Tim knew he and Lina liked and he was sure his grandfather would enjoy and approve of. It was simple, tasty and nutritious. After putting a serving bowl of the salad on the table, Tim dished a generous serving of the chicken onto each plate and carried them in. A basket of freshly baked braided dinner rolls or Tsourekakia, butter and another bottle of wine completed the servings and they sat down to enjoy their feast.

They ate until they thought they must resemble the stuffed grape leaves. The chicken had turned out perfectly much to Tim's relief. Ducky loved it, along with the salad and the braided rolls, which he'd never seen before. They managed to drink one bottle of wine and strongly considered opening the second but resisted. When Tim offered dessert, he heard groans and he laughed. He'd purchased bakery cookies and more frozen yogurt, nothing that wouldn't keep, he popped the cookies into a plastic bag and placed it in the freezer. In place of dessert, he offered coffee or tea. He'd found a teapot among the kitchen items and quickly had the tea steeping as Ducky had taught him while the coffeemaker brewed fresh coffee for him and Lina. Tim didn't say anything but he'd found a decaffeinated version of one of his grandfather's favorite teas and that's what he was serving him this evening. He could have caffeine in the morning, tonight he needed to sleep! He should have known better than to try to pull the proverbial wool over his grandfather and old friend's eyes! As Grandfa took his first few sips, his eyes twinkled. "Thank you Timothy, this is quite thoughtful of you. I frequently drink decaffeinated tea in the evenings."

Busted, Tim just laughed. "Your sleep patterns are going to be crazy enough for a few days; I didn't think you needed to confuse them even more."

"Quite right, lad." He drank his tea and then found that while he was enjoying being with Tim and Lina, he couldn't stop yawning.

His grandson chuckled, "Grandfa, we've all been through it. Why don't you go to bed and get some sleep?"

"You're right, lad, I think I will do just that." He rose and giving Tim and Lina goodnight kisses, he went off to bed.

The older man was still asleep when Tim and Lina went for their run the next morning so they left him a note and when they returned found he was just getting up. Lina had a quick shower and dressed while Tim started their 'after run' breakfast. When Lina was through, she took over from Tim while he cleaned up. Ducky joined them in the kitchen with a bright smile. "I woke up wondering if I was really here and then I smelled the eggs and knew I wasn't dreaming."

They sat down to eat after Tim took the teapot, this time filled with plenty of caffeinated tea to the table. Lina had brought pastries with her and now she heated and served them with their eggs. The older man had one and enjoyed every bite. He eyed a second one but resisted, declaring he would have another one later in the day.

Ducky was feeling very energetic so they gathered jackets, sweaters and packs and drove into Athens. They visited the Benaki Museum first and spent just enough time there to whet their appetites for more at a future date and then moved on to the ancient agora and museum. As Caleb had done with him, Tim ushered Ducky and Lina into the museum first and out to the agora afterward. By that time Ducky needed a break so they found a café that wasn't overly crowded, with a table tucked into a quiet corner. After a bracing tea, coffee and pastry break, Ducky insisted he had at least another hour in him.

They went to Syntagma Square or Constitution Square where Ducky wanted to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Built in 1932, it's bracketed by bronze shields listing every military engagement in which Greece has been involved since its independence in 1821. Standing guard at the monument were two Evzones or presidential guards. These are the guards seen on many photos or postcards of Greece, with their white kilts, red hats and shoes. The Evzones do not move once in place although they change position every 15 minutes and regular soldiers are also on site. Tim was disappointed that they'd missed the changing of the guard, but they could come back the following weekend with Sarah and Rob to view it.

Tim kept a close eye on his grandfather and when he noticed his steps flagging, he steered the three of them back to the car. Ducky was asleep by the time Tim pulled the car out onto the main streets and slept all the way home, only waking when the car stopped in the garage. There Lina kissed them goodbye as she'd promised to help Ross with a school art project. She had the following day off work so she would come by in the morning to pick up Ducky. They would stop in the office for an introduction and 'grand tour' before the two of them took off for more sightseeing.

Pete and Trina had asked Tim and Ducky for dinner Sunday evening and after talking with Ducky about it yesterday, Tim accepted. He'd planned their day so that his grandfather could have a good rest before they were due at the Russells'. Tim tidied up the kitchen, caught up on his e-mail and did some laundry while Ducky slept. He was awake again by 1800 and they spruced up for the visit with Tim's boss and his family.

Ducky smiled as they drove up the driveway, "Tim, I've just remembered their home is a larger version of yours."

"Yes, larger and more personalized. You'll see a lot of Trina's art work."

"Oh, that will be a treat. And I am supposing I will also see Lina's at some point?"

Tim smiled at him, "You see it every time you see Lina, Grandfa; her clothes and jewelry are part of her work."

"I did wonder where she'd found such amazing colors, style and fabric." Tim nodded and smiled. They parked and walked toward the front door. Tim had hinted that Ducky should look for Trina's artwork around the entrance and so he spotted the mosaic work, "Oh, that's lovely! How creative, and do they have four children?"

"Yes, two girls and two boys."

"Grand! Yes, I see what you mean by personalized."

Tim was not surprised to find Trina and Pete waiting for them in the foyer. Eyebrows climbed high when he introduced Ducky as "Dr. Donald Mallard, my grandfather." Pete stood in shock while Trina look surprised and then turned to her husband, certain that he'd left out that piece of information. She recovered first and greeted the older man with a kiss. "Welcome to our home, Dr. Mallard and please call me Trina. And it seems congratulations are in order for your grandson – grandchildren, I guess I should say."

"Please call me Ducky, my dear. And yes, it is a recent discovery; I've known for a couple of weeks and only told Timothy, Sarah and Rob yesterday."

Pete had finally absorbed the news and shook Ducky's hand. "Welcome to Greece, it is wonderful to meet you – I hoped I'd meet you someday but I never thought it would be so soon! And I'll add my congratulations as well. You have a wonderful grandson here and as I know he raised the other two I'm sure they're wonderful too. "

He looked at Tim, "Congratulations to you, Tim, you're really building quite a family!"

Tim laughed, "Not just anyone can lay claim to gaining a girlfriend, grandparents, godparents, cousins, an uncle and aunt all in just a few weeks!" Pete looked at him closely and nodded, Tim seemed to be taking this newest revelation in stride. He knew this would go on the list to discuss with Dr. Agnos and was again grateful that Tim had decided to seek counseling. How he kept up with all this Pete had no idea!

He chuckled and the others looked at him. "I was just thinking that a few short weeks ago Ducky, you called to ask me to take particular care of your young friend. He came to us an orphan with three siblings as family and now he has a wealth of family."

Ducky nodded, "Well said, Pete. And if anyone ever deserved a loving family, it is our Timothy!" Tim blushed and once again turned to Trina for assistance. She smiled and patted his arm. "Come along, Tim, let's get drinks and I'll show your grandfather the house."

As she led them through to the living room, she called over her shoulder, "I hear Lina is helping Ross with his school project tonight."

"Yes, she came with us into Athens for sightseeing today and then went home to get started on it."

"She's a good friend to Dani and Ross." Ducky looked a question at Tim and he smiled, "Dani is Danielle, Lina's housemate and Ross's mother. Ross is in Stephan's class and his best friend."

Tim decided on his favorite lemonade and Ducky made the same choice. Once they had their drinks, Trina took the older man and disappeared upstairs with him. Pete clapped Tim on the shoulder, "You doing all right?"

Tim huffed and then grinned at Pete, "I am, Pete, thanks. It's amazing, isn't it? The good thing is that I already thought of him as a grandfather and we've known each other for years. And he knows Sarah and Rob pretty well."

"They know too?"

"Yes, once he told me, we decided to call the sibs. They're pretty excited."

"And Lina of course."

Tim smiled, "Oh yeah and we'll write Geordie a letter next week when everyone's together."

"Great, Tim, that's great." Tim looked at the staircase, "It's hard on him, he found out he had a daughter he'd never met – my mother and of course she's been dead most of my life."

"He'll need to sort that out."

"Yeah, he will." The tour came back downstairs and traveled into the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom. Pete and Tim met up with them in the living room bringing a platter of Mezethes, plates and napkins with them. Lukas and Phoebe joined them and more introductions were made. Ducky smiled widely when the two young people hugged Tim in greeting. Trina explained that Stephan was at a friend's home working on their project and Kyra was studying for an exam but would join them for dinner.

They chatted while they enjoyed their delicious treats – Spanokopete or Spinach Cheese Puffs and Anginares Polita or Artichoke Hearts Polita. Asked about the last time he was in Greece, Ducky told of a leave he'd taken during his volunteer service in Bosnia and Tim tried not to cringe, remembering the inhumane horrors his grandfather had seen and sought to remedy there. His grandfather spoke of sightseeing and touring several islands and told an amusing story that took them to the dinner table.

Trina smiled at the older man, "That was a wonderful story, thank you Ducky! I see where your grandson gets his gift of words."

Ducky and Tim grinned at each other. Lukas and Phoebe served dinner and Tim smiled at them, remembering his first stay here. He wondered if they'd made the dinner tonight and waited until they sat before asking. "Who are our chefs tonight?"

The siblings grinned, "We did some of it and Mom did some."

Ducky was impressed, "Oh, you children cook? Splendid!"

Kyra joined them and she explained their weekend routine. In this case, their mother had made the entrée, roast lamb while her brother and sister made the Mezethes, the garlic cheese bread and the vegetable dish, which was called Lahana Marinata. Lukas grinned, "Mom poured the wine for that."

The dinner was a feast and both visitors enjoyed every bite of the meal and saved a little room for dessert. Kyra told them that due to the lateness of the hour, they would not be subject to the usual mandatory exercise before dessert and Tim reminded his grandfather of the volleyball photos from his welcome party. Slices of warm apple pie made by Kyra were served with an optional topping of frozen yogurt, along with coffee and tea. By the time he'd finished, Tim wished they had stopped for an exercise break. Ducky and Tim insisted on helping to clean up and while they loaded plates and cutlery into the dishwasher, Trina busied herself putting the leftovers away. When the men finished, they turned to find roast lamb sandwiches, including one for Lina, all wrapped up and ready to take with them. Somehow three slices of apple pie magically appeared wrapped for them as well. Tim opened his mouth to protest but changed his mind and grinned at Trina. "Thanks Trina, you're the best!"

She patted his cheek. "Are you meeting Lina at Flying Pig after class tomorrow night?"

"Yes, we moved our class time up 30 minutes so we can eat out after. With four of us in class now, it takes longer!"

"Ah, Bec has joined you then, that's excellent! Our team is going to be the best defensive team in NCIS!"

Pete snorted, "We already are!"

Tim grinned at him, "Now if we'd just get a case or two!"

Pete pointed his finger at him, "You're the one who hoped we'd have peace and quiet through the holidays!"

Trina shrugged, "Well if you do get a case or cases, I hope they're closer to home than the one last week."

Ducky chimed in, "Yes but at least that got them off the "on call" list until after the holidays."

Trina nodded, "You are so right and this year we have them home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!"

Pete laughed, "Don't forget New Year's Eve!"

"Not sure I should count that since you're on call the next day."

Ducky chuckled, a twinkle in his eye. "Believe me, for Timothy, it will be a treat to have so many holidays off! I think this is probably the first Christmas Eve in years we haven't had to work."

Tim nodded, "That's true; we always did seem to pull a case on Christmas Eve." He shuddered, "That was the worst Christmas in my life, the year I got tasered."

"On Christmas Eve?"

"No, Christmas Day, we'd solved the case and were in the process of arresting the murderer – a security guard with a taser gun. The idiot was facing 4 armed federal agents and a homicide detective and he shoots me with the taser."

Ducky put his arm around him, "We were lucky Jethro took you straight to the hospital."

Tim nodded, "I preferred the Christmas Admiral Whitebeard arranged for that little boy to see his mother."

"Admiral Whitebeard?"

Tim grinned, "Yep, Admiral Nicholas Whitebeard."

Ducky shook his head, "I don't remember that case."

"That wasn't part of the case; it was Abby's friend Carol's nephew. His mother was deployed and couldn't get home for Christmas."

"Oh yes."

Pete looked at Tim, "And who was Admiral Whitebeard?"

Ducky grinned and pointed to his grandson. "Timothy. He – or Adm. Whitebeard – arranged for the child to visit with his mother via MTAC."

"MTAC for a child?"

Tim nodded, "Abby could be very…persuasive. Luckily Mrs. Vance heard about it and loved the idea so much she started a group that made sure children with deployed parents had some sort of contact with them at the holidays." Tim frowned sadly, "I don't know who's running that now that she's gone."

"I believe I heard that Pamela is handling it this year."

"Pamela?"

Tim clarified, "Also known as Ms. Cooke."

Trina had turned to Pete at the mention of Jackie Vance and Tim realized with a pang that she had been their friend as well. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring up sad memories."

Trina shook her head, "She was a wonderful person, I'm so glad we knew her, kept in touch with her. She was a dear friend and none of us should ever be hesitant about speaking her name."

Ducky nodded, "You're quite right, Trina."

They talked for a few more minutes before Kyra approached Tim. "Could I borrow you for a few minutes?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I have a math exam tomorrow and I just want to make sure I have things right in my head." Tim looked at Trina and Pete who were looking at their youngest with loving smiles. He nodded and followed her upstairs. He took her notes and ran through them with her, gave her some problems to handle and found she had a solid understanding. He looked at her, "Kyra, how did you know to ask me about this."

She giggled, "I talk a lot with Kayla Vance, she's older than me, she's really closer to Phoebe and Stephan's age, but she talks to all of us. Anyway she told me you helped her and Jared with math and science."

Tim smiled, nodding his head, "Yes, I've helped them out and that's pretty amazing that you guys talk. Tell her hello for me, would you?"

"Sure!"

He frowned, "This is their first Christmas without their mother, I wish there was something I could do."

"Their dad is taking them away for Christmas. Kayla doesn't know where, says it's a surprise."

"I hope it's someplace fun."

"Me too."

Tim looked at his watch, "I have to get my grandfather home; he just flew in yesterday so he's still dealing with jet lag."

Kyra nodded, "I hate that when we travel." She paused, "Your grandfather Ducky is really nice, interesting. You two look alike when you smile – around your eyes."

"Thanks Kyra, I like hearing that – Lina thought so too. All right, I have to go, good luck on your exam. You're going to be fine!"

Back downstairs, he told Kyra's parents she was going to do fine on the exam, kissed Trina good night, gathered up the goodies she insisted they take with them and took his jet-lagged and rapidly fading grandfather home.

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><p>A well deserved congratulations to everyone connected with NCIS as the show has just been named "the most watched drama in the world"! That's the planet, folks, all of us, whooohoooo! And congratulations to all of us fans who help our favorite show and characters be the most watched! Awesome, isn't it?!<p> 


	63. Chapter 63

Note to hostaqueen: Thank you so much, you turned what has been a gloomy week (lost a cat) into bright sunshine!

Thanks also to all my reviewers - registered members and guests - as well as my readers. Those of you who don't write might not know this (I didn't until I started writing) but your reviews...your words matter greatly. And here we are, six months into this story (started posting Jan. 12th) and I'm really thankful you're still reading and writing reviews! Sending virtual hugs to all!

Hugs and thanks to my beta and friend, HarmonFreak1.

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Sixty Three<p>

Monday morning Tim skipped his half smoothie before his run and had a banana instead, not wanting to run the noisy blender just yet. On his return, he ran it after his shower and when he heard signs of life from his grandfather's room; he also put the teakettle on to boil. He had his grandfather's tea steeped and ready for him by the time he entered the kitchen. Tim drank his smoothie and a cup of coffee; his grandfather just wanted toast and fruit, insisting that he get it himself. They ate together in a companionable silence. Before Tim left for the office the two men went over their plans for the day. Lina would be there around 10 and they'd come down to the office to meet everyone and have the 'grand tour' as Ducky called it. Afterward he and Lina would go into Athens for more sightseeing. She would bring him home in the afternoon so he could rest while Tim finished work and went to class. Lina would pick him up again and they'd meet everyone at the Flying Pig for dinner. Beginning tomorrow Ducky could have the car during the day. Tuesday Tim would need it back in the late afternoon for his appointment with Dr. Agnos, but other than that he didn't need his car during the day. He would arrange for one of his teammates to pick him up in the mornings or he could walk down the hill. Tim was nearly out the door when Ducky remembered his lamb sandwich and pie and reminded him. He laughed when his grandson unconsciously smacked his lips. He wondered if the sandwich would even make it to the office.

The day went quickly. While there was no new case waiting for them, there had been a flurry of activity throughout Europe over the weekend and it took Tim half the morning to read through the reports from the Rota team, who'd been on-call. He was nearly through when he heard Tea welcoming someone. Knowing it was Lina and Ducky, he stepped up to the front of the office and added his own greeting. Leading them into the main part of the office, he realized no one was on the phone so he introduced Ducky to everyone as his grandfather, which caused the expected surprise. Grandfa shook hands, happily meeting Tea, Kim, Matt, Bec and Eva. Pete had told Tim earlier that if it was quiet they could all take a break together and so they did. Tim invited everyone into the kitchen for a beverage and pastry and the group nearly fell over themselves getting to the table. Tim laughed at them, knowing they had questions, so they told the short version of their connection.

After asking a few questions and enjoying their pastries and beverages, the group, minus Tim, went back to work. He took Ducky and Lina outside to the garden and then showed them all the appliances and food in the kitchen. Ducky noticed the staircase and smiled, realizing Bec was now living in the room Tim had stayed in. He'd promised Jethro to look at Interrogation and Observation so Tim took them down the hall and showed them both rooms. When Ducky asked if they had a lockup, Tim explained their agreement with the Piraeus police department.

As they were moving between Interrogation and Observation, he heard Tea on the phone and stopped, listening. It sounded like a case and sure enough as they walked back into the main room, Pete emerged from his office, "Body in Athens, LEOs think it's one of ours. Matt, you're driving the van, I'm with you; Bec, you're with Tim in the sedan. Kim, call the coroner, ask him to remain on scene with the body."

Ducky gently pulled Lina to the side as Tim moved swiftly to grab his pack and grabbed keys for one of the sedans. Giving a quick wave to the two of them, the four agents flew out the door. Ducky had to remind himself he was on vacation and was not needed at the crime scene.

Kim noticed his hesitation and smiled, "Used to joining the cavalry, are you?"

"Yes, it is rather disconcerting to watch them rush off without me! I take it the city coroner will do the examination?"

Kim nodded, "Yes, Dr. Costas is probably the one that told the PD to call us."

Ducky shook his head and then put his hand on Lina's arm. "Well my dear, shall we go?"

Lina smiled, "Yes of course." She waited until they were outside and then said, "That is the second time I have seen Tim called to a case. While we were having dinner with his godfather and uncle, Pete had to call him in, that was the night he had to shoot someone."

Ducky nodded, "I remember that, yes."

"The second time we were at Pete and Trina's for the Thanksgiving celebration and Pete got a call, they reacted, all of them. But Pete had the dispatcher verify that it was U.S. Marines that had been killed and they were not, they were from the United Kingdom."

"I'm sorry to hear any Marines were killed. To be killed in combat is one thing, they know that is a possibility going in and yes, it is awful, but to be killed for any reason other than in service to their country is heinous."

"Yes, I agree." They were in her car now, headed into Athens. "Ducky, do you mind if I ask you some questions? I should tell you I asked Tim if he minded and he said no, that he thought it was a good idea."

Ducky chuckled, "He told me the same thing, that he wanted both of us to feel free to ask any questions."

"Tim has told me of his life on the streets and his years at MIT and I know you didn't know him then. But aside from telling me a little about the problems he had with his old team, he doesn't talk much about it. My only experience with NCIS is with this office and they're a wonderful group of people, quite fond of each other, so I am curious to know more about Gibbs and his team."

Ducky nodded, he'd been anticipating something like this. He told her what he could of Jethro and his ways, of Tony and his jealousy and insecurities, of Caitlin and her assassination, of Ziva and a little about her departure, Jimmy and Abby, Jenny and Vance.

He found that Lina was quite adept at figuring out what he wasn't saying. "Ziva is the one who asked him to put his job – and his freedom – on the line to help her find the man who murdered her father and the Director's wife?" Ducky nodded. "And then she left the agency and the country – after people pulled in favors to get her what she wanted – without a word to Timothy?"

"She left without a word of farewell to anyone. Anthony traveled to Israel to find her. She finally agreed to meet with him and at his urging, called Gibbs."

"But she did not contact Tim, nor did Tony think to include Tim."

"Or any of the rest of us, correct."

"Forgive me, but I do not think much of her."

"No need to ask forgiveness my dear, I'm still upset with her."

"As for Gibbs himself, I thought I understood as I have a father who's quite difficult. However, I was shocked when Timothy told me the reason why he'd been mistreated, that he reminded Gibbs of his dead child."

"Yes, that was a shock to me as well."

"Tim is still determined to have a relationship with the man. I will support him of course but I have to say I'm no longer so certain I understand."

Ducky huffed. "While I am grateful for Timothy's big heart and his willingness to forgive and re-build trust, I'm not sure I entirely understand either. Except to say that the pain of his own father's death and the void he was left in during his childhood and life on the streets must have been somehow mitigated when he met Gibbs. He was quite young, you know, just 22."

"Still at an age to be looking for a father, to fill that void?"

"Yes, so I would think."

"And Gibbs stepped into those shoes, whether he knew it or not."

"Yes, however I'm certain he did not know. He never read Timothy's personal file other than the page with his education. In the decade they worked together, Jethro never knew of Commander McGee's death – or of Lily's for that matter. Never knew any of Tim's background. I believe that for Timothy, while it was a very one-sided relationship, it was still more than he had ever had. For whatever he felt and however he acted toward our young man, Gibbs was still there and available, nearly every day. Timothy's own dear father had been absent for most of his childhood and there was and still is an anger toward him for foisting an uncaring and abusive stepmother on them, choosing her over his children and resulting in his and Patrick's hospitalization, the scars of which Timothy still bears. He was also angry with his father for apparently not providing for his children in the event of his death."

Lina nodded, "There is another issue with his father - Tim feels that he chose to subject his children to a stranger, Natalie so he that could have one more child of his dead wife. Tim feels his father chose having another child over the welfare of his sons."

Ducky nodded. "Unfortunately, Commander McGee paid the ultimate price for his decisions and we shall never know his reasons."

"I am glad Ducky, that he has had you all this time. I believe that was a big reason why he stayed on Gibbs' team and with the agency; he could not bear to leave you."

"And I'm grateful that I've had him in my life for these years. He's always held a special place in my heart and now I know why, he truly is my own."

They had arrived at the Benaki and Lina parked the car and turned to Ducky. "The weather is good today, warm for the season and clear with no wind. My plan is for us to visit the Acropolis and the Parthenon. What we'll do is take a taxi up to the green gate and that will save a lot of uphill walking on uneven cobblestones. There is a walk from there that but the pavement is better. After that, we'll have a late lunch and see what else you'd like to do. Tim is hoping to have an afternoon or perhaps two off this week so the two of you can do some sightseeing together as well."

"That sounds lovely my dear."

Their plans set they walked to the street and found a taxi to take them up partway up. Once at the gate, they exited and began the walk. Ducky noticed a wheelchair stair climber lift and commented on it.

"Yes," replied Lina, "it leads to an elevator for the wheelchair bound that takes them to the top of the Acropolis. But only those in wheelchairs are allowed on it, they are quite strict and there is only one wheelchair to be loaned out. Tim says you're in better shape than most people he knows and wouldn't need it."

Ducky chuckled, "No, I don't need it and I can only hope my pride would allow me to use it if I did, although that's a moot point today. But it is good to know that even ancient Greece is accessible to those unable to walk."

They walked up the remainder of the hill. As a native of a part of Europe with plenty of antiquities of its own, Ducky was not quite as enthralled by stepping on ancient stones as Tim and other folks from the "New World" might be, nevertheless he thoroughly enjoyed seeing the building, the stately columns, and the view and did revel in the knowledge of being in the country where it is said Western civilization began. He chuckled at the very modern scaffolding, being very familiar with it from his trips to the UK. It was a necessary part of maintaining antiquities, shoring them up, making repairs here and there. Ducky didn't often feel his years but he had to admit that standing on the top of this ancient hill made his age seem insignificant.

After they'd both had their fill of the breathtaking views from the Acropolis, they walked back down to the green gate and found another taxi. This one took them to a café on Apostolou Pavlou Street. The area was known as Theseo and encompassed the general area around the ancient Agora going up to the Areopagus (Hill of Ares) and Acropolis. Lina showed Ducky a photo of the steps going up Areopagus and he agreed that perhaps another day might be better. It was an interesting place though, full of ancient mythology and the origin of some of Greek's finest literature. In the meantime, the two of them found a table next to the window in the café. There were views of the Agora, the Parthenon and Acropolis and on the other side, Pnyxx Hill where the ancients had met to discuss and vote on the running of ancient Athens. With very few cars on the street, there was little to stop Ducky's imagination from taking him to ancient Athens. He wondered if his grandson had been to Theseo yet and asked Lina. She shook her head, as far as she knew he had not. After their lunch, they strolled down the street enjoying the ambiance.

Walking back to the Benaki and Lina's car, Ducky thought how wonderful it was to be here. He'd been so focused on his mission to break the news of their connection to Timothy that he had given very little thought to anything beyond that. He was thankful to be here on this lovely day. He'd thoroughly enjoyed his time with Lina, getting to know her better and answering her thoughtful questions about Tim and the others. It was obvious to him that his grandson and this bright young woman were serious about their relationship and although he knew it was early days, he did hope that in time Timothy and Lina would marry. He wouldn't mind great-grandchildren to spoil. Of course, Jimmy and Breena's child could very well be a baby. No matter, however old that child would turn out to be, Ducky planned on some serious spoiling. He turned to Lina, "Is the flea market open every day, my dear?"

"Not every day, but most of the week."

"And what stop would I get off the Metro?"

She told him and followed with, "Are you thinking of going by yourself?"

"I was, yes. I'd like to do some additional Christmas shopping and thought that would be fun."

"Would you prefer being by yourself or had you just thought of going while everyone is at work?"

"Rather the latter, I am lucky you had the day off today and graciously escorted me. I've had a wonderful time and I feel comfortable here."

She nodded. "That's good, I'm glad you're comfortable and have had a good time. I do have another idea if you'd like?"

He smiled, always willing to listen and she told him of two people she knew who loved the flea market and would likely have free time during the week. They decided they would check with Tim this evening if they weren't still working on a case, to see what afternoon he thought he would be free and then plan accordingly.

XXX

When the NCIS team arrived at the crime scene, they found Dr. Costas, the city coroner, and his assistant guarding the body - from the Athens police! An officer from the Athens Police Dept. was haranguing the two coroners, yelling at them to move the body, that it was their case, not for some foreign government. Dr. Costas had already called his liaison in the Police Dept. and was impatiently waiting for him to contact the offending officer or better yet, arrive at the scene. Tim told Bec and Matt to start processing the scene; he had the camera so he started snapping photos, initially staying fairly close to his two less experienced teammates until he saw they were ignoring the upset officer and doing their jobs. Pete was speaking with the coroner while the officer turned his rants toward him. Tim didn't get too far away, he'd never seen this particular officer before and didn't want to leave his partner without backup.

They continued doing their jobs, processing the scene, getting Dr. Costa's ideas on the TOD and possible cause of death. The deceased was in U.S. Marine fatigues and the doctor verified his dog tags looked authentic but asked them to look to confirm. Tim bent over the body, knowing Pete had his six and lifted the dog tags. He studied them carefully. At first glance they looked authentic but then he noticed a small error, a very small error and he looked at Pete. They traded places and Pete took a close look and silently agreed with Tim. While Pete spoke with the doctor and the irate officer, Tim called Matt and Bec over. He had them each examine the dog tags. Matt knew the drill by now, look at every single item on the tags, placement of letters, everything. Bec looked three times before she saw the error; it took Matt four times but each saw it before they went back to Tim and reported. Tim had them report in Greek so that the irate officer, who was now silently watching them, would understand. They reported on their findings and Tim nodded.

Pete had already taken the good doctor aside and told him and now he apologized to them and to the officer who was suddenly their best friend. To confirm this was not one of theirs, Pete diplomatically asked permission of the officer to run the deceased's fingerprints through their system. The man agreed and Bec did the honors with the fingerprint scanner. There was no match; the deceased was not a member of the USMC or any of the US Armed Services. Pete had Bec and Matt turn over all the physical evidence they'd gathered and Tim asked for an e-mail address where he could send the photos.

The liaison finally arrived and Pete was amused to see it was the same officer who'd helped them at the Stavros home the night of the shooting. They greeted each other like old friends and the matter was soon settled. One of the things the NCIS Team Lead asked of the Athenians was that if they found where the fake dog tags had been purchased, to please share the information with them. They agreed and the NCIS team gathered their equipment, called to let Kim know they were available but stopping for lunch on the way back to the office. Before they climbed in their vehicles, Pete suggested they stop at the Flying Pig for lunch and laughed at their faces, yes he had been teasing his team.

As Matt's stomach was already growling, they went to a café near the crime scene. After they'd ordered, Tim sat back in his chair and looked at his team. Despite the case not being theirs, he was well pleased with the work Bec and Matt had accomplished and gave Pete a side glance. As usual, the SAIC seemed to know what he was thinking and gave him a subtle nod. Tim cleared his throat and the others looked at him. "Pete and I want to let you know you two did a great job out there, canvassing for evidence, processing the scene, catching the error on the tags and ignoring the noise the LEO was making. We're proud of both of you."

Pete nodded, "And there will be real cases, honest!" All four of them laughed at that and conversation flowed. Tim was satisfied, he knew there would be times when things would go wrong but he also knew how draining it was to never be told you were doing a good job, feeling that nothing you did made a difference.

They were back in the office by 1400 and settled in to write the reports on their call out. Mercifully, this report required only one form from each of them and they were done in minutes. When Tim had approved Bec and Matt's reports, he sent all three to Pete who motioned him into the office.

"Tim if the week remains this quiet, why don't you plan on taking Thursday and Friday off?"

"The entire day…two entire days?"

Pete nodded, "Yep and I promise you can work a weekend later to ease your guilt or if you feel like you're slacking off."

Tim chuckled at Pete's affectionate tease. "We are fully staffed now."

"Yeah and I know the concept of time off is still a little foreign to you so think of it as a gift from the agency to your grandfather."

Tim laughed outright. "That's good, Pete, I'll be sure to tell him you said that."

"Giving credit where credit is due, I knew there was something I liked about you, Special Agent McGee!"

Tim chuckled again and going back to his desk, tackled a stack of cold cases. "Come on guys; let's see if we can break another of these this week! Matt, where's that one that's been bugging you?"

Matt took it out of his drawer and brought it over to Tim. "Thought you said to let it sit for awhile."

"Yep, said that to you, I've already let it sit, my turn to drive myself crazy with it."

Bec spoke up, "That's the one that you two connected but couldn't get any further?" They nodded. "What if we go back to the other file? Maybe there's something in there that will give us a clue."

Liking that approach, they dug the old files out of the archive cabinet and took all three files to the big table. Line by line they compared all three files even though the third and newest one was a compilation of the other two. After nearly an hour they were frustrated and decided to skip ahead to the personal notes.

Tim looked at the notes and smiled. The notes on both files had been written by an agent he'd worked with during his Probie year, in Jacksonville FL as he remembered, a case with a creepy chaplain who'd kidnapped and dressed his victims as old fashioned brides. She'd been a case agent then, but five years ago that agent had been a junior here in Athens. He'd seen her name on the promotion list; she was now a SFA in Seattle if he remembered correctly. He wondered if Tony had run into her.

Shaking his head, he realized Bec was talking. "She said she suspected Petty Officer Black but never found enough evidence to charge him. There's a word here…" She showed it to Tim and he squinted and shook his head, he wasn't sure what it was either.

Matt took a look and had the same reaction. "Why don't we copy it and increase the font? Maybe that would help."

Bec nodded, "We can at least compare the shape of the letters to the rest of her writing."

Matt took the page and returned shortly with the word enlarged. They spent several minutes trying to compare the shape of the letters to others, but the word was too badly scrawled to match to anything. Tim let the others work on it. He was thinking it might be easier to contact the agent and ask her. Every agent Tim knew had copies of all their personal file notes, especially the handwritten ones – and NCIS had not yet mandated putting agent's personal notes online. Scanned in to be included with the electronic files, yes, but not typed online versus handwritten. He let Bec and Matt work at it for a few more minutes.

Finally he said, "Guys, this isn't working. How about we just call this agent?"

Bec and Matt looked at him, "Oh. Yeah, we could do that."

Matt frowned, "Feels like cheating, but I know this is an unsolved murder, not a game."

Bec looked at Tim, "Do you know where she is or can we just call DC and ask them?"

Tim smiled, "I worked with this agent during my Probie year…"

He explained the connection and his colleagues looked at him. Matt had a look of understanding while Bec looked puzzled. "She was a case agent when you were a probie and she's a SFA now…but you just made…"

She snapped her mouth shut, realizing what an inappropriate remark she'd been about to make.

Tim nodded, "And if I'd stayed on Gibbs' team, I'd still be a junior agent. No movement there."

"Oh. Of course that was the top team in the agency."

Matt gave her a gentle nudge under the table and she realized she needed to stop talking. Maybe Tim would talk to her about this someday but she guessed now was not the right time.

Tim shook his head, "It's ok Bec; I realize my leaving that 'top team' is still a mystery to you. Right now, let's just leave it that it was time for me to move forward and I finally got that it wasn't going to happen on Gibbs' team, not anytime soon." That led to more questions for Bec but she kept them to herself for now.

Tim sent an e-mail to Agent Melankovic first to see if she was in the office and had time to talk about the two cases. He briefly explained what they were doing and how they hoped she could help. That would save them some time, especially if she had easy access to her notes and could check them before they spoke. He also added that they had Skype available if she was comfortable with that. He took the files back to his desk while they waited to hear.

Tim told the others it could be several hours or even days if she was on a case or didn't have her copies of her notes with her. Resigned to waiting, his junior and probie agents chose other cold cases to work on and got busy. Tim took the time to review several reports that were due to Pete and was just finishing when he noticed he had a reply from Melankovic. He read it and grinned; she was available now, had her notes with her and asked to use Skype, saying she preferred face to face when possible. She also noted that his name seemed familiar. The three of them reconvened at the conference table and accessed Skype, pinging the Seattle office's Skype account. Melankovic answered and Tim nodded, although her hair was shorter she looked much the same as she had all those years ago.

She looked at him and grinned back, "I do know you! Wait! Don't tell me…oh, my gosh, I do know that guy in Bremerton, you two used to work together with that woman who used to be Secret Service. Geez, I'll have to apologize to him. Mmm, Jacksonville? I was still a case agent."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, the case with the chaplain who was kidnapping women to make them his captive brides."

"Oh yeah, wow you grew up, you were so young, more like a teenager than a federal agent!"

Tim laughed, "Hey, I was a legal adult! But yeah I know I look a bit different."

"And you're in where now?"

"I'm in your old office – in Athens."

"Wow! And you're the SFA? That's great! Uh, how come…"

"Long story. Jane, I'd like you to meet our junior agent Bec Childers and our probationary agent Matt Watson." The three exchanged greetings and Jane leaned into the screen. "Tim, I have so many questions but I guess we can stick to the cold case, huh? "

"Probably a good idea."

"Ok, I've been over my notes and I'm trying to remember that case." She went on to tell them what the mystery word was and Matt and Bec went back to work while Agent Melankovic and their SFA continued to discuss the old case.

"Ok, so I know what happened to the ladies' man, he's in Bremerton, I really am going to have to apologize to him as he kept saying he knew me and I thought he was coming on to me. I'd completely forgotten about him – didn't he eat something from my desk?"

"I don't remember but he's been known to do that, yes."

"Oh yeah and he was trying to hit on me and then made fun of you when you and I were talking about women's issues." Tim nodded, that also sounded like Tony. "What happened to your other agent, the one from Secret Service?"

"She was assassinated by a Hamas double agent a few months later."

"Oh my God, that's awful. Was she on a case in the Middle East?"

"No, in Norfolk VA." He looked over and saw both his colleagues looking at him with wide eyes. He tilted his head and they got back to work only to lift their heads a couple of minutes later.

"Tim, we have a possible lead!"

The Seattle agent listened in while Bec and Matt showed Tim what they'd found after putting the puzzle pieces together. After they finished, she questioned, "You have two cold cases you're working on? I don't understand."

"Matt and I found a common link between these cases a few weeks ago but none of us could get any further than that. We went back to them today and came up with the mystery word. We did our best to decipher it but needed your input. Now we have a chance of closing two cold cases!"

"There was a link and I missed it?"

Bec shook her head, "You weren't on the second case; it happened in Portugal several months later and was handled by Rota."

Tim interjected, "Don't know if this was common practice when you were here, but the four European offices share cold cases."

"Oh, now that makes sense."

Anxious to work their lead, they thanked Agent Melankovic and disconnected. Bec told Tim what she thought she and Matt should be doing and he gave her the go-ahead. He started on another cold case while the two of them started looking into their lead and the current whereabouts of Petty Officer osiah Black. Matt found a phone number and ran a reverse check to find an address. While he was doing that, Bec was looking for Petty Officer Black and requesting his records for the time period around the murders.

When she couldn't find the Petty Officer, Tim advised her to wait for his records. When they finally arrived, Bec found that the sailor had been dishonorably discharged from the Navy a few years ago and his whereabouts were unknown. Matt was equally frustrated to find that their lead had died of causes not related to either case. They alerted NCIS HQ and Interpol that Black was the probable murderer of two Europeans, one Greek, and one Portuguese. They updated the file and waited to hear anything. Several weeks later they were told that Black was himself a victim of violent crime, murdered in an unsolved case two years prior. Unable to definitively prove anything, they updated the file and left it open.

* * *

><p>More Notes!<p>

1) I based Ducky's feelings about Ziva on David McCallum's interview wherein he stated he was angry with Cote for leaving the show. This is not _my_ opinion. While I wish she hadn't left (although we got to see a lot more of Tim this season because there was no tiva [YAY for more Tim and no tiva!}), the actress's life and career are her own; we have no claim to either.

2) To see a live shot of the Parthenon and the Acropolis, go look at this live webcam in Athens: w w w DOT grandebretagneview DOT com FWD / SLASH

I've now seen the Parthenon & Acropolis lit up at 2:00 AM and also during the day. It's awesome and it's 2500 years old!


	64. Chapter 64

Finding Home, Chapter Sixty Four

The rest of the afternoon sped by. Tim, Kim, Matt and Bec spent close to an hour stretching and warming up for their class that evening. The weekly call with the Director was brief, he inquired about Dr. Mallard and Tim realized he didn't know if the Director knew of his newly discovered relationship with Ducky. He'd talk with Duc…his grandfather about it this evening. Class went well with the four of them defending against each other and George. They were taught a new move; Tim was busy working it out and didn't notice anything unusual until he saw Matt grinning. When he turned to the front of the studio, he saw his grandfather, Lina and Damian watching them. Class was over anyway; they bowed to George and each other and hurriedly changed into their street clothes, they were starving! By now the group had grown so large that Damian called the Flying Pig and made a reservation, which was unheard of until he explained the number of people in the group.

When they got home, Ducky told Tim that he would not need the car on Tuesday after all, he would go into the office with Tim and Caleb would meet him there for a day of sightseeing and the flea market. Tim laughed, loving the idea that Eva and Caleb's tradition of introducing new NCIS transfers to Athens was now being shared with his grandfather. When he asked how that had transpired, Ducky shook his head."I believe Lina called Trina, but she is not available tomorrow and suggested Caleb. Lina then called your co-worker, is that Eva?" Tim nodded. "Good. Eva checked with Caleb and he called Lina back to set things up with her. I must say Timothy, these people are quite wonderful! I thought so before I got here and now, well, I'm very impressed. It's not just your co-workers; it's their spouses, families, boyfriends. Even Lina's brother has offered to show me some sites while I'm here."

Tim grinned, "I know, they're pretty cool, aren't they?"

"I should say so. Now, I don't mean to be an old stick in the mud, but if I'm to go into the office with you, I need to get to sleep as do you, my boy!" As they had done on previous nights, they kissed each other goodnight, both thinking how great it was to be related to the other.

The rest of the week went far too quickly for the men, both wanting to savor every moment of their time together. The sightseeing with Caleb on Tuesday went well. Over dinner that night in the hospital cafeteria with Norm and Carla, Ducky raved about the museums. And then Ducky met the triplets and was enchanted by them. The three men held a triplet each for a few minutes while Carla snapped photos. The infants were thriving and were on target to go home in less than a week.

Wednesday Damian picked Ducky up and took him to Delphi. It was an unusual place, although perhaps not so much in Greece, as it was both an archeological site and a modern town. Ducky learned that one of the four precursors to both the Hellenic Olympics and the modern day Olympics took place in Delphi. There were at least two world-renowned "Oracles" of Delphi, the first as long ago as 1400 B.C. In ancient Greece, Delphi was thought to be the middle of the entire earth. Ducky was impressed with the way no "industrial artifacts" such as power poles could be seen from the archeological sites.

The current city of Delphi was built west of the historical sites and he enjoyed walking its narrow streets almost as much as he'd enjoyed exploring the ancient ones. He was tired after the long day although he napped in the car. After a delicious lunch in one of the many tavernas of modern Delphi, Damian delivered Ducky to Tim's home in the late afternoon. Ducky was happy he'd had the opportunity to spend more time with Lina's brother.

As there had been no new cases for the team, Tim was comfortable taking a couple of days off. The weather forecast was for an unseasonably warm day on Thursday so they decided to take a ferry ride to the island of Aegina. It was only an hour's ride although there was a hydrofoil that made the trip faster. Tim had already made reservations on the "Flying Dolphin", the hydrofoil, for the return trip. With class that evening, taking the faster boat home would give them a little extra time on the island. He tucked extra ginger root, bottles of water, a blanket, sunscreen, hats, a towel, a pair of shorts for each of them and 2 extra pairs of socks in his pack. Having heard the beaches were beautiful he thought they might want to stick their feet in and if they wanted to swim, they could always wear their shorts. While he'd never thought this would happen, he'd changed his mind about wearing shorts, especially on a day trip to an island where no one knew him. Ducky's pack was nearly empty and he insisted that he take part of what Tim had in his pack plus light jackets for the boat trips and of course a spare pack. He chuckled as Tim told him about Uncle Dave the Admiral in jeans and shopping in the flea market with another of Tim's extra packs.

Both men were excited about visiting one of the Saronic Islands and they looked online to see where they were. There were many islands that belonged to Greece and the Saronics were in the Saronic Gulf just 17 miles from Athens. Two thirds of the island was made up of an extinct volcano and Ducky and Tim teased each other about that being their newest claim to fame. As Lina had said, nearly every place in Greece was of historical importance and Aegina was no different. For today the two men had decided to play, to enjoy the beach and the town and limit themselves to one historical site or museum. Ducky wanted his grandson to relax and have fun and although they shared a fascination with all things ancient, 'interesting' was not necessarily fun. To be truthful, the older man was looking forward to a day of relaxation with his grandson and while he'd loved all the historical sightseeing, he too needed some downtime.

The boat trip went quickly and Ducky marveled at how easy it was for Timothy now that he had his ginger root and sea bands, remembering his past miseries on various ships. It was just past 10 when they arrived; they decided to walk a bit and then figure out what they wanted to do. Within a few minutes, they'd settled themselves at an outdoor café for coffee, tea and pastries. This was quite logically based, of course, on Tim's need to have a late lunch so he wouldn't die of starvation before his class that evening. After doing some people watching, the two resumed their walk and soon found themselves in the center of town. Within minutes Tim knew he'd be in trouble getting home if he allowed himself to buy everything he wanted. They re-strategized and decided to hit the beach first and get their fill of the ocean rather than shopping and dragging everything around with them. Tim joked about renting a wheelbarrow or a wagon for their planned purchases.

While the day was pleasant and still warming up, it wasn't warm enough to entice either man to swim out into the waves. However, they did take their shoes off, roll up the legs of their pants and wade in the wavelets along the shore, taking pictures of each other with their feet in the Mediterranean Sea. A young couple strolling along the beach hand in hand offered to take their photo together and Ducky offered his phone. After the couple took photos of them, Tim offered to do the same for them and Ducky just beamed. He laughed as Tim grinned at him and sent e-mails to Sarah, Rob and Gibbs with the photo of the two of them.

They continued their stroll along the beach, picking up the occasional shell. Rob loved shells, so Ducky tucked them in his pack to give his youngest grandson. The two men talked about Geordie and his recent letter which Tim had shared with Ducky; they came to the conclusion that the best thing for him would be a post to the US Embassy in Athens. Second best would be something at Quantico where he'd be close to Ducky. Their third choice was of course the embassy in London. By this time they wanted to sit in the sun for a while so they spread the blanket over the warm sand and sat. They could see several sailboats maneuvering in the deeper water and Tim grinned at his grandfather. "I could learn how to sail now, I never thought of that!"

"Why yes you could, Timothy. Although isn't there a lake or perhaps a big pool where you could learn and not this endless sea?" They laughed at the idea of learning to sail in a pool, although a lake was a possibility. Tim knew that both Lina and Damian sailed but didn't think Matt knew how. That would be a fun hobby to learn.

Ducky surprised his grandson by taking out a deck of cards; Tim surprised his grandfather by telling him that he and the kids had played cards when they lived in Baltimore. Someone had given him a deck and he'd found rules for various games at the library. When the older man learned that the three siblings had mastered a game called "Spite and Malice", now also called "Skipbo", and played with two decks of cards, his eyes lit up. That had been a favorite game of his, along with bridge, for years. Today they only had one deck with them and played several games of gin and gin rummy. After nearly two hours, Ducky thought they should leave the sun for a while, even though they were slathered with sunscreen. So they packed up the cards, shook out the blanket, tucked it away in the pack and walked back down the beach. By the time they arrived at the spot where they'd entered the beach, Ducky was laughing at Tim's growling stomach. They propped each other up while they dried their feet and put their shoes back on and then strolled back into town. Tim felt it was still too early to eat and Ducky didn't mind waiting, so they decided to visit one of the historical buildings which also had a small museum on site. They took photos of everything on the way to the building, of the building and walking back, thoroughly enjoying themselves. They found an outdoor café that Ducky consented to as long as they sat in the shade. While Ducky had had several Greek meals by now, he had not yet had the shredded meat souvlaki that was his grandson's favorite and so they tried them. Served with slices of delicately seasoned sweet potatoes and a small salad, they savored every bite. Ducky had a beer while Tim, not wanting to push the ginger root too far, stuck with lemonade.

After lunch they started their shopping and bought souvenirs for everyone they knew. Tim's team, Sarah, Rob and Geordie, Lina, Damian, James, the Hubbards and the Cranes, Trina and the kids, Carla, Norm and the babies, Caleb, Evander and Adan, Dani and Ross, Gibbs, Jimmy and Breena, Jackson, Vance, Kayla and Jared, the kids at the shelter and camp and finally Tim found something he knew Tony would love and turned to his grandfather. "I don't know if I'm ready to send him a gift yet, we've only just started talking. Would you take this and send it to him?" Ducky looked at his grandson. "I could do that, dear boy, or you could buy it and hold onto it until you are ready to send a gift."

Tim thought about it for a minute and nodded. "I'll do that, thanks Grandfa!"

The next items they bought were identical decks of cards, decorated with photos of the Aegina and the islets close by. None of the gifts were large or heavy and Ducky insisted on putting them in his pack. Tim was just as glad as they soon came upon a pottery shop and he spotted the perfect vase for Lina. She worked in glass but not pottery so he knew this was something she wouldn't make. It had an interesting shape, delicately etched designs and all the colors of the sea, making Tim think of the dress she'd worn on their first date. Ducky approved, he too thought it was beautiful and agreed that Lina would love it. While the owner – and artist – was packing the vase for travel, Tim wandered around the shop and picked up some plates. While the plates he used were fine, they weren't his and the ones he owned were utilitarian at best; he'd never thought to spend any kind of money on dishes. He hadn't spent a lot of time eating at home in DC. But these were again the colors of the sea and he started gathering a collection of them ranging from greens to blues to some varied with a little coral splashed in. The owner saw his interest and pointed out that these were handmade, could be put in the dishwasher, microwave or oven. They put together a whole set as Tim wanted enough to feed everyone in his life here. They were carefully wrapped and packed and the owner asked Tim when they were returning to the mainland. Tim told him they were taking the Flying Dolphin that afternoon and the man said he would deliver them to the hydrofoil where they would be safely placed in a cargo hold and could be claimed when they reached port in Piraeus. Tim wasn't sure which excited him more, finding the vase for Lina or the dishes. They continued shopping their way through town, Ducky finding sandals he especially liked and Tim found a shirt that Ducky said really set off his eyes. He also found a simple seed pearl necklace with an interesting design for Lina. He wasn't sure if that was too much and asked his grandfather. Ducky smiled, "Do you want to buy it for her, see her wear it?"

"Yes, the design reminds me so much of her."

"Then do it, Timothy, follow your heart on this." He had a sudden thought and put his hand on his grandson's arm. "You're not…are you thinking of proposing soon, Timothy?"

"Thinking of it, yes, since the night I met her. Planning? No, not yet. We're really still just getting to know each other and we're both such romantics there is a real danger of us rushing ahead too quickly. So we've agreed, no moving in together until after we've met our families. Of course, she's met you, about to meet Sarah and Rob, hopefully Geordie will show up someday and she's also met my uncles. So she's pretty much fulfilled the McGee side of the agreement."

"And you've met Damian."

"Yes I have, however I still haven't met Papa Kalivas and I'm not looking forward to that."

"You'll be fine, son. You survived a decade on Gibbs' team, after all."

Tim laughed, "That's what Lina says! I told her it took me 11 years to break through to Gibbs and she told me I'd had practice; that was good."

"Oh my. Would it help if I were with you?"

"Sure, yes, please!"

Ducky laughed. "My grandson, an armed federal agent, wants his old grandfa to protect him!"

"Yeah, so…what's your point? He's not a criminal, I'm not allowed to go in and point my Sig at him! Am i? Maybe I could clean it in front of him or something macho like that."

"Macho, oh my dear boy, you're not worried about that garbage again?"

"Nah, not really, only in respect to Lina's father."

"His real concern should be how you treat his daughter; if you make her happy, that should be enough."

Tim grinned, "Sounds good to me. Would you say that to the man Sarah brings home to marry?"

"Uh…"

"Yep, my thoughts exactly. And I'm pretty sure you're about to meet him, or at least her current boyfriend."

"I am? Who? James?"

"Yep."

"Oh dear Timothy, you have quite a fierce look on your face."

"Not sure who I'm more worried about, James or Sarah."

"I don't follow."

"Sarah can be a real handful, sarcastic, cranky, and stubborn."

"In other words, human."

Tim continued, "James is a really nice guy, gentle, fun… I just don't know."

"She's attracted to a man who's like the man who raised her."

"Huh, you mean me and that's…well I guess that's ok for her; it's James I'm worried about."

"And he will have to make his own decision. You cannot be 'big brother' to the entire world, lad."

"Just Sarah and Rob. Well, and James and Matt." Tim laughed, "And Bec."

"And the shelter and camp children, the Vance children and likely the Russell children as well."

Tim laughed, "Yeah, guilty! Can't help it, it's who I am. After all, I've been a big brother since I was a baby." They continued their walk through town, now headed in the direction of the harbor. All three packs were nearly full but Tim insisted on stopping in the store he'd seen when they'd first entered town this morning. By the time they boarded the Flying Dolphin, the packs were full to the brim and Tim was happy. He was really enjoying this souvenir shopping thing. He told Ducky about the various toys and gifts he and James had brought back for the project team in London and he was doing the same thing today, finding toys and items that he thought his co-workers would enjoy. He'd also found a couple more items for Sarah, Rob and a little something for James.

He'd checked with a deckhand when they boarded and sure enough his packages were aboard. He wondered briefly if they had rental carts at the Piraeus harbor and then decided not to worry about it. Neither Tim nor Ducky had been on a hydrofoil before and enjoyed the speedy ride across the waves, although Tim was very glad he'd brought extra ginger root. As they docked, the deckhand who had spoken to him earlier tapped him on the shoulder and told him to bring his car and he would load his boxes onto a small lift and bring them to him. Tim grinned at the man and leaving Ducky with their packs, quickly brought the car as close to the dock as he could. Ducky put the packs in the front seat for now and they watched as Tim's purchases were trundled over to the car. Tim had taken his go bag out of the trunk and that left enough room for all the boxes. When he tried to tip the deckhand, he was waved off with a grin. They put the go bag and the other packs into the back seat and they were ready for home. Tim was impressed with his grandfather's stamina; he'd rested during the day but hadn't slept. They were quickly home and offloaded the boxes into the garage. Tim would bring them into the house later, they were safe enough here. Except for the smaller box with Lina's vase, that he brought in and hid in Ducky's room. He had a couple of hours before class so he decided to take a nap and then he'd warm up. Grandfa had already disappeared into his room and Tim could hear a soft snore. He went upstairs and lay down, remembering to set his phone alarm.

Knowing that there would be a lot of activity and excitement over the next week, Tim and Ducky stayed close to home the next day. Pete told Tim the name of the plant nursery where they bought their Christmas tree every year, so Friday he and Ducky set out to find that perfect tree. They looked at several before deciding on one. They'd brought an old tarp and twine Tim found in the garage to wrap it in and then stood it up in the foot well of the backseat and drove home. Tim also purchased a tree stand with the tree and the nurseryman had removed the wooden stand and cut the bottom of the tree so it was even and would be level in the stand. Once home, they set the stand up first and then brought the tree in and eventually had it standing straight. That was when Tim realized he had no lights to put on the tree. He was startled when his grandfather disappeared into his room but the mystery was solved when Ducky returned with several small boxes in his hands. "I thought of bringing lights from home but the outlets are different. When Lina and I were out on Monday she helped me buy lights for our tree."

Tim hugged his grandfather, "Thank you so much!"

"I did bring some ornaments with me, some that have been in the family for years. And a nativity scene that was a particular favorite of your great grandmother's." Tim went with him to his room and they brought out the box that had been tucked into Ducky's suitcase. There was a small bookcase near the tree and they put the nativity scene on the top shelf.

Tim smiled, "I suppose we had one of those when the Commander was alive, but I don't remember it – or much else about Christmas."

They put the lights on the tree and tested them and then Ducky announced he was taking his grandson out to lunch. Out they went and this time tried a café they'd spotted near the harbor. As it was a chilly day, there wasn't much foot traffic and the owner was very happy to see them. They had a good lunch and were just finishing when Tim's phone buzzed. He was a little surprised when he saw the caller id.

"Hey Pete."

"Hey Tim, I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, we're just down at the harbor, finishing lunch. What's up?"

"I just told everyone else and realized I wouldn't see you until Monday so thought I'd call. Trina and I decided to have everyone for dinner on Christmas Eve and hope your clan can come and yes, I'm including Lina. Matt's already spoken for Damian."

"Pete, that's a lot of people! What can I bring? Food, chairs…?"

"If you have any folding chairs, that'd be great and yes if you'd like to bring a dish of something or other that would be great too."

"Ok, got the menu sorted yet?"

"Not quite yet but it'll be a mix of Greek and American so if your grandfather wants to add Scots to the mix, that would be wonderful."

"All right then, I'll have him make his best haggis." Tim winked at his grandfather who was laughing at his suggestion. They ended the call and took out the grocery list. Ducky had already planned to make one of his favorite puddings so now he increased the amount of ingredients. Laughing, Tim wrote celery and cheese and then sent Kim a text to ask her where she'd found the cheese. She answered saying he'd made them all laugh and gave him the information. Tim had already ordered a roast at the butcher's that he – or someone – would pick up next week, so that got moved to Christmas dinner. They sat in the warm café drinking another cup of tea each while they kicked around ideas of what else to bring for the Russells' feast. Finally they forced themselves out and ran their errands. They went to a liquor store Evander had pointed out to Tim and first bought what they needed there, including the bottle of champagne Tim wanted for their weekend family celebration. They found the store where Kim found the cheese in a jar and Tim bought three different flavors to try. After that they did their grocery shopping and loaded up the trunk with enough food for the following week, including their party on Sunday. Once home, Tim asked to see the "waltzing" movie he was sure his grandfather had brought with him and spent a few minutes in near hysterical laughter watching his much younger grandfather "waltz" with his fellow doctors. He tried to persuade him to put it on YouTube but was not successful. Grandfa said the family and Tim's friends made more than enough viewers.

Ducky had a few other holiday decorations he'd brought with him or purchased here, including a wreath, and they hung that on the front door. The other items were scattered around the house except for one last bag. When Ducky opened it, Tim was touched to find red and white Christmas stockings with each of the grandchildren's names. He'd included a few extra for Lina, Matt and Bec.

Tim was very happy that Lina would be in town for Christmas. When he'd finally asked her, she'd explained that once her sister and brother had married and she and Damian were away so often in their work, her parents had decided to move their Christmas celebration to January 6th, the last official day of the Christmas season in Greece. That way, sister Chloe and brother Nicolas could spend Christmas day with their respective in-laws and the Kalivas' would have everyone to themselves on the 6th. So Lina and Damian would be in town and joining them for Christmas Eve at the Russells and Christmas festivities, including dinner, at Tim's.

Once all their purchases were put away, Ducky decided to nap for a bit and Tim went upstairs to change the bedding, clean the hall bathroom and make sure everything was ready for his sister and brother. Once again he was grateful he'd rented this place with the belongings intact as he pulled out a vacuum cleaner. He left it out as a reminder to use it later when Ducky was awake. Once he was satisfied that upstairs was clean, he went back down to the kitchen. He took the dishes out of the cupboard and put them aside, then brought his new dishes in, washed and dried them and put them away. When he was done, his landlord's dishes were carefully packed in the boxes and put on the shelves in the garage. It was close to 1600 by that time, so Tim checked the chicken he'd had in the slow cooker most of the day, adding more wine and vegetables.

After he did that, he went upstairs for something and spotted his laptop and realized that's what he wanted to do, talk with Gibbs. He just needed to hear his voice. He figured that wasn't so weird after working with the man for so many years. It was 0700 in VA, not too early to ping his laptop, see if he was around and could spare a few minutes. If they had a hot case, he wouldn't be home. Tim smiled when his ping was answered and grinned when Gibbs' face appeared on screen. "Hey Tim good to see you, son. Are you having fun with Ducky?"

"Yes and I know you know. He told me when he got here."

Gibbs chuckled, "Yeah, I didn't think he'd be able to stand waiting, I know I wouldn't. Congratulations on your new grandfather."

"Thank you, it's amazing! And who better?"

"Yup. So what have you two been up to this week?"

Tim told him of Ducky's escorts during the early part of the week and of their island adventure yesterday.

Gibbs swallowed a sigh as he smiled, "That sounds like fun, kiddo."

As quick as it had been, Tim had worked very hard to improve his observational skills and had noticed the sigh. He didn't even have to think about it, he knew he was ready. "Boss, the island will still be here when you come for a visit."

Gibbs beamed at him and Tim was glad that he'd put it out there, that the man knew he wanted to see him in person, spend time with him. They talked for a few more minutes and then Gibbs had to get to work so they signed off. Tim sat quietly, thinking about how they'd gotten here – from his angry announcement to Gibbs in his basement all those weeks ago, through his continuing anger, being able to gain some perspective while in the UK, recognizing his need for Gibbs in his life and the weeks of emotional turmoil while they started to work it out. They weren't anywhere near 100% yet, but Tim believed the affection and support he was now being given was real and for him, not some warped version of a child long lost. He figured that by the time they started to make real plans for a Gibbs' visit, their relationship would be even stronger. He looked up with a smile when he heard his grandfather in the kitchen and went downstairs to join him.

* * *

><p>-The information about Delphi came from Wikipedia;<p>

-The idea of going to Aegina came from Starsinherhair – thank you my friend! Additional information about the island and its surrounding islands came from – guess where? You got it… Wikipedia!


	65. Chapter 65

Finding Home, Chapter Sixty Five

Lina arrived straight from work and entertained the two men with stories of museum visitors who didn't exactly follow the rules. In return, Tim and Ducky entertained her with stories from the old team, Ducky telling them about some escapades with a junior agent named Gibbs. They drank most of a bottle of wine while they ate dinner. The slow cooker chicken dish had turned out well enough although Tim thought he'd increase the spices and herbs the next time he made the recipe. He had played with the little garlicky potato recipe he loved so much and he was pleased with that. Dessert was fresh fruit with yogurt, along with tea and coffee. Lina loved the new dishes and opened the cabinet to see them all, ooh'ing and ahh'ing. Tim had a sudden horrible thought and asked, "Lina, you've never mentioned pottery, so I didn't think that was one of the mediums you work in."

She smiled and cupped her hand on his cheek. "You're right, Tim, I don't. I thought I would learn that after I apprenticed as a glass blower but I've never gotten to it. Although I have to say these beautiful dishes may inspire me to take up the ancient art." She paused, "But it would mean more equipment, a wheel and a kiln."

Ducky chuckled, "Do you have a studio?"

"Not really. There is a fourth bedroom in the house I share and I use that as a studio. I design, paint, sew and work on jewelry but I really can't do much sculpting or any glass blowing. I borrow space when I want to sculpt or I work in the backyard when it's warm and I have a friend who lets me use her equipment for glass blowing."

Tim thought of the studio Pete built for Trina in their backyard and pulled his mind back to the present. He didn't own this house; there was no way they could build a studio here. The three of them quickly cleared the dishes and the kitchen, starting the dishwasher.

They reconvened in the living room where they discussed plans for Saturday. Tim and Ducky would meet Rob and Sarah at the airport and bring them home to get settled in. As the flight from London was only four hours, they made plans to do some sightseeing in Athens in the afternoon. Lina would join them for dinner and they'd decorate the Christmas tree and do some cooking and baking for the party on Sunday.

Tim had invited everyone he knew for a combined holiday/meet my family gathering, handing and mailing out more than 30 invitations, including their martial arts instructor George, everyone's favorite tailor Archimedes and the neighbors on either side of him whom Tim had finally met. Carla's sister Olivia was arriving from New Mexico tomorrow to help with the triplets, whose homecoming was now scheduled for Monday, and so she was also invited along with her sister and brother-in-law.

They'd talked about an Open House but in the end decided on an afternoon affair with lots of Mezethes, cookies and other holiday treats, drinks and holiday music. When Tim and his grandfather had shopped yesterday, they'd purchased as many pre-made Mezethes as they could find, visiting the bakery and the delis. Tonight they'd bake cookies, cakes and breads using recipes from around the world. Lina had candy recipes from her mother and grandmother that she, Dani and Ross would work on tomorrow.

After they'd talked about weekend plans, Ducky looked at Lina, "Well my dear, shall we?"

"Yes, Ducky, this is perfect timing!" Smiling, the two rose and went to Ducky's room while Tim wondered what on earth they were up to. When they returned they had boxes in their hands and placed them on the dining room table. Lina looked at Ducky and he winked at her as he said, "Timothy, we couldn't help but notice that you have very few Christmas decorations. I believe we've now remedied that."

As he spoke, he passed his hand over the boxes laid out on the table. Tim opened the first one and found a set of 6 large glass stars, in red, green, gold and midnight blue, each just a little different from the other.

He looked at Lina who smiled happily at him, "Merry Christmas."

"You made these."

"Yes, I did, before I even knew you needed them I made them for you."

Tim grinned as he pulled her in for a kiss, only parting when Grandfa cleared his throat rather noisily. Still blushing, Tim opened another box to find another set of beautifully decorated round ornaments, one with each of their names, including Lina's. Those were from Ducky – he'd found them at the flea market and had the names etched on. Grinning, Tim gave him a quick kiss. He found ornaments he'd seen in the Benaki gift shop and more beautifully glass blown spheres that Lina had made. There were toys, stars, ships, animals, miniature musical instruments, ornaments of all sizes and odd shapes. They were made of glass, felt and painted wood. Tim laughed at the tiny wooden model of the Parthenon, complete with columns, with the ornament hanger on top. There was a bright red felt, ribbon and glitter Big Ben, and a white and gold felt US Domed Capitol building. There were ornaments that held photos and Tim was touched to find one with a cropped photo of the five siblings, one with Tim and Ducky, one with Tim and Lina, another with Tim and the uncles. There were two more, empty of photos and Ducky explained he would take more photos tomorrow and they could add those to the tree.

Ducky handed him the last box and Tim opened it to find a beautiful piece of wood that had been painstakingly shaped into the figure of a man sitting in a chair at a desk, with a tiny typewriter on top. Tim smiled; he knew Gibbs had made it for him. "Look at the bottom, Timothy." Tim turned the figure over and saw the words, "Made with love for TM by LJG, 2013." When he turned it over again he looked closer at the desk and saw a small back panel behind it with a tiny Venetian Snares banner, NCIS in the middle and other items that looked like those he'd had on his back wall at NCIS HQ. There was even a stack of "pages" on the desk and a waste basket full of "paper" to the side of the chair. Setting it down, he took several photos of it from all angles, sending them off to Gibbs with a bouncing smiley face.

When he went back to the table, Lina was closely inspecting the figurine. "Tim, do you know who did this, was it Gibbs? This is a beautiful piece of art!"

Tim and Ducky grinned at her, "Yes, it was Gibbs. He's a woodworker in his spare time. He used to build boats in his basement, now he makes toys and specialty items."

"Does he sell them?"

"No, he makes the toys for hospitalized kids for Christmas, donates them. The boats, well I only know about the one Franks shot up…Ducky?"

Ducky chuckled, "He named at least one of the sailboats after an ex-wife and burned it when he was done. I don't know about the others."

"Boats, how …"

Both men laughed, "If you're going to ask how he gets them out of his basement, we don't know."

Tim nodded, "It's one of the mysteries of our time."

"He seems a very complicated man."

Again she found both men agreed and then Ducky paused, "Yes he is, with one exception. When it comes to those he loves, he'll go to great lengths to protect them – that's a simple and basic instinct."

"That's good to know, I understand that."

Tim realized he hadn't yet told Lina anything about Gibbs' history and resolved to do that at some point, certainly before she met the man. Ducky steered the conversation back to the Christmas ornaments and decorating the tree. When he and Lina had purchased the lights the other day, he'd also bought a box of ornament hangers. Tim was checking Lina's ornaments to make sure she'd signed them. She rolled her eyes, "I didn't think it was necessary, but Ducky is very persuasive."

Tim wasn't sure who yawned first, his grandfather or his girlfriend but eventually the three of them realized they needed sleep. After their goodnight kisses, Ducky went to his room while Tim and Lina walked upstairs, arms around each other.

Sarah and Rob's flight wasn't due to land until 1300, so Ducky and Tim had a leisurely morning. Lina left for home after their run and breakfast, promising to be back for dinner that night. Tim cleaned out the car belatedly realizing their Christmas tree had dropped a few needles on its way home from the nursery. There was a lot more traffic on the road today; however Lina had warned them so they were prepared. Parking, they walked into the Baggage Claim/Customs area and were startled to find a group of children singing, directed by an adult. They knew the tune but Ducky didn't understand the words as of course they were singing in Greek. Tim chuckled as he mentally translated, "I think that's "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

"Yes, you're right." They stood enjoying the music and remembering the tradition, left some coins for the group. Tim got a text from Sarah that they were on the escalator down and she could hear singing. He spotted them and waved as they stepped into the room. They waved back, got their luggage and were first in line for the Customs officer. He processed them together and they were through and into Ducky and Tim's arms in less than 7 minutes. After long hugs and kisses, they switched between Grandfa and Timpa and did it all again. Knowing they could be here all day greeting each other after the unprecedented separation not to mention their new grandfather, Tim nudged Sarah and they grabbed the cases and turned to go. Rob grinned at his grandfather. "Come on, Grandfa, that's Timpa's signal that it's time to get moving." His grandfather wanted to ruffle his hair but he wasn't sure he could reach. "You've grown some more, Robbie boy."

His youngest grinned, "I haven't, Grandfa, you just haven't seen me in too long."

"Now that's certainly very true. Well come along then, mustn't keep your Timpa waiting!"

Tim wedged the suitcases into the trunk, once again moving his go bag to the front seat. He laughed, "When I was thinking about buying a car, I never considered trunk space."

Sarah quipped, "That's because you didn't have any In the Porsche."

"True." Tim pondered, "So did you two bring everything you own?"

His siblings groaned at the very old inside joke – for them it was a former truth – and Rob spoke for the two of them. "We brought Christmas presents, you know. And James brought a package home from the office for you."

"Ooh, who from?"

"He said her name was Lydia."

"Huh." Tim rolled his eyes and when Ducky asked told them the story of Lydia. "It might be an additional peace offering."

Rob and Sarah started laughing. "What?"

"It's really from Joel. You told us about snotty Lydia, we thought it would be funny to tell you she sent you a present."

"Ah I've missed my children. When did you say you're graduating from junior high?" They all laughed at each other and Ducky smiled, quickly re-acquainting himself with their sibling banter.

"So you guys up for some sightseeing today or you want to sleep?"

Rob snorted, "I always want to sleep but I'd rather sightsee please."

Sarah laughed, "We both slept on the plane, the guy across the aisle woke Rob up when we landed."

Ducky turned to look at his granddaughter. "Are you teasing again Sarah? You both slept through the landing of an aircraft?"

She nodded. "Tim can't always but Rob and I can sleep anywhere. In fact I sleep better with noise than I do when it's quiet."

Ducky looked at Rob who just nodded, "Me too."

"It's a habit ingrained from our years on the street, Ducky. It was always loud around us. The kids were so young they just adapted to sleeping wherever and whenever they could."

"And you?"

"The first night I slept more than an hour or two at a time was at the end of our first week in Cambridge, when I started at MIT. I remember that I slept six hours straight and I thought I must be sick." Tim paused. "At the camp, in our tent I'd wake up and check the kids, make sure nothing was stolen, check our perimeter for danger, listen for the mean drunks or tweakers. They usually left the area where most of us kids were alone, but there were times they didn't. I mostly managed 7 hours but it was spread out over about 11 or 12 hours and then only if I went to bed when these two did." Ducky shook his head, not knowing what to say.

Rob and Sarah were busy looking out the window as they drove toward Piraeus. Rob spoke up, "It's so different from England. I mean, I know Greece is in the Mediterranean," he pointed to the horizon, "the water is right there! But it's so different, I hadn't thought about it. England's all green with rolling hills. Here it's tan and pink and a different green…lots of different colors."

Sarah threw in, "There are tall buildings but it's not like London."

Rob pointed out, "England, Scotland and Wales are on an island so of course everything is kind of crammed together, at least in London. Here it's spread out more."

Ducky added, "Not only because there's more room though Rob; it's the way of life. It's busy and modern, but it isn't as frantic as London or home."

They nodded and continued their observations through the window.

Sarah remarked, "This place is going to be so much fun in the summer! I'll drop you off at work, Bro and then head for the beach."

"On the days you're not working, Sis."

She huffed, "Allow me my fantasy, please?"

Tim looked at her in the rear view mirror, "Are you really thinking about spending the summer over here?"

"I don't know, it would be fun, but there are things to consider. Maybe just a vacation."

Tim nodded, knowing they'd talk about this later, including what 'things' needed to be considered. He thought one of them might be called James, but he knew his sister and shouldn't presume or assume anything! He drove through Piraeus, pointing out various places – the Flying Pig pub, his favorite deli, the restaurants he'd tried, the martial arts studio, Archimedes' tailoring shop and finally the office.

They looked at it. "It's cute, looks like a house."

"It was a house, still has bedrooms upstairs and a kitchen downstairs."

"Oh yeah, that's where you stayed! I kind of pictured it like an office building with an apartment upstairs."

"Nope, this is it."

"Can we see the inside while we're here?"

"Sure, you guys can come in when everyone's there. Not on the weekend or after office hours though, Bec is living there now."

The kids were surprised when they pulled into his driveway and garage a mere two minutes later and Ducky chuckled as Rob exclaimed, "Wow, you could roll downhill to work!"

Tim laughed, "Yeah, Matt and I talked about me riding a bike to work or a skateboard."

Rob shook his head as they climbed out of the car, "Going to would be fun, back home would be a pain."

"Two miles, be a good walk."

"Now Timothy, how often are you through work at a decent hour?"

Tim laughed again as they walked into the house. "As strange as this sounds it's been almost every day since I've been here. Pete says I brought a "good luck fairy" with me. We've had cases but most of them we've closed in a day or two." He stopped in the back hallway. "Ok guys, listen up, this is the house! From this hallway, you turn left to go into the dining room and right to go to the kitchen and when you go right, you walk past Ducky's room."

They turned right. Walking into the kitchen, the newcomers looked around, smiles on their faces. "Wow, this is a regular house, Timmy. You live in a regular house - like normal people!"

"Yeah, Sari, we're finally normal people."

Rob spotted the prize, "Whoohoo a dishwasher!"

"Yeah and look, I bought dishes the other day – just because I like them." Ducky listened, interested in what this revealed about his family, especially the comment about finally being 'normal' people. He knew that until the children were through school Tim had continued to worry about money and he supposed that would always be a concern for him, no matter how much he accrued. He was thankful his grandson was well balanced and recognized the need for fun and beauty in his life as well as having enough money to live. He looked on as the two younger ones ogled the dishes that Tim was proudly displaying. "Tim, what if we break one? Do you still have your old dishes?"

"If we break one, the world will not end, there are other dishes." He snagged them and pulled the two of them into his arms and Ducky stood quietly watching. "God I've missed you two. Thought today would never get here!"

They were quiet for a little while, wrapped in safe arms and then Tim started talking again, "We're ok guys, better than ok, we're good! All of our plans and hard work are paying off. I'm so proud of you two! I know we'll probably always be careful with money, but we have plenty in the savings account now, enough to take care of the three of us – shelter, food, clothing and transportation for a year. Geordie has the Corps to help him out if something happens. And even more important, we have people now, family."

Ducky took that as his cue and he encircled as much of the three of them as he could. "You've had me for quite a while now, children but now we have more than friendship. And you have your uncles, grandmothers, aunts and cousins." He noticed that Sarah and Rob were watching Tim and that they smiled when they saw his face.

"Timmy got us here, Grandfa."

"Yes he did, my loves and I could not be prouder of him or of you two for following his lead." They huddled until Rob sniffled and Sarah gently teased. "Our Robbie has the softest heart."

"That's something to celebrate Sarah." She nodded as she smiled at her grandfather and patted her little brother who towered over her.

Tim finally pulled back, "Much as I could just hold you guys forever, these darn cases aren't going to walk themselves upstairs."

They moaned and groaned and then laughed at themselves as they lugged the baggage upstairs. Ducky followed them, anxious to hear their comments as they saw their rooms. "Wow, Timpa, this is great, this is all for me?"

"Might have to share with me on Christmas Eve if Matt stays over, Rob. That ok?"

"Sure!" Across the hall, Sarah was looking in the closet, "This is huge! And the bathroom is right there."

She looked at the beds, "Why are there two beds, Tim?"

"My new colleague, Bec, might stay the night with us Christmas Eve and that bed was in my room, got moved when my stuff arrived. "

"Oh, so she might share with me? That's fine." She grinned, "Company!"

She reached out and poked Rob, "A new girl!"

"Hey!"

Tim shook his head, "Ok, how about you two unpack and we meet downstairs in 20 minutes?"

They agreed and Ducky and Tim went downstairs to the kitchen where Ducky started laughing. "Oh Timothy, they are precious, I had forgotten. Truly, they must have been a handful growing up."

"Not 'they', I'm still waiting for Rob's rebellious stage."

"But they're lovely people, both of them; you've done a magnificent job."

Tim laughed as he hugged his grandfather. "Thank you, I am absurdly proud of them."

Ducky frowned when he noticed Tim pulling out ingredients for gyros. "We're eating before we go?"

"Yeah, it's been too long. Rob needs to eat."

Ducky sighed, "As you know, that's from the malnourishment he suffered as a baby. He must have a very strong metabolism; most people with his background would have a tendency toward obesity."

Tim nodded in agreement as he pulled the pitas out from the cupboard and got plates and cutlery out for them all. He'd just put glasses on the tables with the cutlery when Rob came downstairs. "Hey Tim, I need to eat someth…Oh!"

"It's almost ready, Robbie. I made you my favorite pita, a "gyro"."

"Mmm, that looks good." Ducky poured him a glass of milk. "Oh thanks Ducky, I mean Grandfa."

"Either is fine dear boy."

Sarah came downstairs and Ducky was pleased to note that she didn't comment, just slid into a chair and thanked Tim for making lunch. Rob ate two pitas and Sarah had one and a half, along with chips and apple slices provided by Grandfa. In 30 minutes they were ready to go again and gathering jackets and empty packs, they climbed back into the car and took off. Ducky noticed Tim surreptitiously checking his pack before they left and quirked an eyebrow at his grandson. Tim showed him a handful of protein bars, an apple and a box of raisins and he nodded, understanding. The deprivations of Rob's early life had left his body in nearly constant need of nutrition; he was almost always hungry. He'd learned the warning signs, knew when he absolutely had to eat but tried to fend off the lightheadedness and mood swings by eating something every couple of hours. At work and school, he kept a supply of fruit and protein bars with him at all times. While Ducky had been the one to originally explain his condition to him several years ago, he had more or less forgotten the restrictions on his youngest grandson's life until he and Tim had been grocery shopping yesterday. It seemed half of Tim's list had consisted of fresh fruit and snack food. Then he'd remembered.

As they drove they chatted about the scenery, their lives and their friends. During a lull, Sarah asked, "Hey, how are Kayla and Jared?"

"They're doing ok. Sarah, you've seen them since I have!"

"Yeah, Jared told me Kayla was having a hard time and talked with you."

"I sent her to her father; he needed to know what was going on with her."

Ducky nodded, "I saw them over the Thanksgiving holiday and they seemed to be handling things all right. I'm sure the holidays will be painful."

Tim smiled, "I hope they're all right. Kyra Russell, my boss's youngest, told me that she talks with them all the time on Facebook and Skype. Said the Director was taking the kids someplace special for Christmas, keeping it a surprise."

"Oooh, that sounds like fun," Sarah snorted, "maybe he'll take them to Disneyworld."

Tim rolled his eyes and sighed, "Oh God am I never going to hear the end of that?" He winced at the chorus of "No!" from the backseat.

Ducky chuckled. "That's a story I'd like to hear again!"

Tim looked at him, "Et tu Brutus?" His grandfather's hearty laugh was infectious and had all of them laughing along with him.

They parked at the Metro station, gathered their jackets and packs and headed into the station. Tim showed his siblings how the ticket machine worked and they were soon on a train to Athens. Neither of the kids felt like walking up to the Parthenon so they decided to visit the Ancient Agora. They went through the museum and Ducky was amused to note that the fascination with all things ancient was shared by Rob but not Sarah. However, his granddaughter was very interested in the cultural exhibits, the typical dress of each period and the stories posted. He smiled, yes she was definitely a writer; he could see that she was looking at things with a keen eye, perhaps thinking to find a story in some small detail. He'd seen Tim do it dozens of times and loved to see Sarah doing the same thing. He was very happy when Rob discovered the medical exhibit of the ancients and the two of them discussed it at length.

By the time they were done, Rob was excited about their trip to the Benaki with Lina on Monday or Tuesday. Ducky loved seeing everything through the younger eyes and perspectives of his grandchildren. Once they'd all had their fill of the museum, they exited to the agora itself and Sarah nodded, "You're right, Tim, it makes much more sense going through the museum first!" She was standing on a small hill and happened to look down. "Ooh, a market, is that the flea market you've been telling us about?"

Tim nodded and off they went to the market. When they wanted a break, they stopped and had ice cream. By the time they wandered home that afternoon, the packs were once again full and Tim thought he'd probably picked the wrong time to tell them not to worry about their finances. Still he loved being able to spoil them and it wouldn't hurt. Ducky had snuck off a few times and Tim thought he'd probably been Christmas shopping for them. He had seen the yarn vendor and she'd recognized him, smiled and waved. He'd told the kids about the sweaters he'd had made for their grandmother and aunt, shipped home before Ducky's arrival. He'd tracked the progress of the shipment and was relieved to see the delivery notice this morning. What Tim hadn't mentioned is that he'd also ordered pullovers to be made for Sarah, Rob and James, knowing they would come in handy in the UK and very happy that the vendor was a member of a knitting group that had worked on the sweaters. They were all wrapped and hidden in his closet along with a cardigan for Ducky. He remembered the rather woebegone sweater Ducky frequently wore at the office and wanted to replace it and give his grandfather something to remember his trip as well.


	66. Chapter 66

Finding Home, Chapter Sixty Six

They had a few hours before Lina would arrive, so after a rest, Ducky and Tim pulled out the photos and the family tree they'd been working on and showed it to Sarah and Rob. Rob smiled when he saw Ellen's name and his original surname, Brill. "I really should look into that, I could be a prince for all I know!" He looked at Tim, "I don't care much about the rest of it, but I'd like to know where I come from."

Ducky patted his shoulder, "You should know, lad. As a doctor you know how important it is to know about your roots."

Tim spoke slowly, thinking as he talked, "One of the things I've enjoyed the most about all the family discoveries, Rob, is finding people who look like me. That really means a lot. Sarah knows she looks like Dad and Patrick and maybe when we meet Penny we'll see a resemblance there – I do think you're like her in a lot of ways from what I've heard, Sarah. But like you Rob, I didn't look like anyone. Now I know that I look like my Uncle Jim – and that must come from Maisie, so I look like the Stirlings. I'm told my height comes from the McGees, good to know, and a couple of people have said they can see a resemblance between Grandfa and me – around our eyes. So as much as I know that's been important to me, it must be even more so to you to find where you came from, who you look like."

Rob swallowed hard and nodded.

"Ok, so let's work on it. We can use the same site here that we're using for the tree and we can also order a DNA run on you."

Rob looked up, "That's really expensive."

"Yeah, it costs money Robbie. But we have that money; we've earned it the three of us. Isn't it worth it to find your roots? I think it is."

Sarah nodded, "I agree lil' bro."

Ducky smiled, "Why don't we look and see exactly how much it is?"

Rob looked at them. "I need to think about this. Not sure I want to know."

Tim thought about Ellen Brill and nodded in understanding. "There's no rush. Just consider it, ok Rob?"

They went back to the family tree, Ducky telling them the stories that went with the photos. When Tim noticed Rob's eyelids were drooping, he wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Robbie, you need more sleep. This is the time to catch up on it. I promise nothing exciting will happen without you."

Rob laughed at the phrase Tim had used with him and Sarah since they were toddlers to persuade them to get to sleep. "Ok Timpa, if you promise."

"Why don't you have a quick snack before you go up and then I'll wake you when dinner's ready?"

Rob nodded and let his big brother steer him into the kitchen where he had a bowl of one of his favorite snacks, shelled edamame beans. Once he'd had his fill, he climbed the stairs to his bed.

In the dining room, Tim looked at Sarah. "Sarah…"

"He's ok, Timpa. He works too much - maybe you could talk to him about that. It's not just what his studies demand, it's his job. He takes on extra hours." Tim nodded, "Ok, Sweet Pea, I'll talk to him about that and I'm sure Grandfa will too."

"He is at a grueling stage of his medical education, Timothy - he needs to focus on that and if possible not have to worry about money issues."

"He shouldn't be, Grandfa, we had this worked out." Tim sighed, "It's ingrained in all of us, isn't it Sari? Worrying about money?"

She nodded. "Yes; he checks the balance on our joint account every week. I have no idea how often he checks his own account."

"All right, we'll work on that while you guys are here." He looked at his sister and knew there was more. "What else?"

"He's having a really hard time being away from you, Tim. James said he talked him into staying at the flat because he was worried he'd fall apart if he moved. He says he's much better since I've gotten there, but he's…I don't know how to describe it. Driven with school and work and on the edge about being so far away from you."

Tim blinked back moisture, pulled his sister in for a hug and then ran upstairs to his little brother. He opened the door and found Rob curled up, sound asleep. Tim pulled up a chair and sat next to him, gently kissing his forehead and putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. He whispered the little saying he'd said to Rob every day when he was growing up, that he was loved and cherished, that he would always be loved and cherished. Rob smiled in his sleep and snuggled into his brother's warm hand.

Downstairs, Ducky asked Sarah to search online for the award Rob had won, hoping to find the list of medical schools on the award listing. They chuckled when they saw Tim had the award site bookmarked and pulled up the list. As Ducky thought he'd remembered, there was a medical school in Athens on the list. He patted Sarah on the arm. "I'm just thinking of possible alternatives, darling girl. Don't want to leave you alone in London."

Sarah gave him a little smile. "I think I like London and the UK a lot more than Robbie does, Grandfa. I don't know that I'd feel alone or want to leave if he does."

Her grandfather gave her a kiss. "If you have more about that, Sarah, let's save if for your brother, shall we?"

She smiled, "Yes sir." She looked around, "Is there something we can do to help with dinner? Something smells delicious."

"Yes, there's a chicken that's been cooking very slowly all day. Timothy told me there's nothing more to do until…I believe he said 6 PM when he'll add to the feast in the slow cooker."

"Well then I can clean off the table and set it."

"Very well, I'll put the photos away for now and then I'm going to peek at your brothers."

She grinned, "Guaranteed Timmy will be asleep too. Take a photo, will you?"

Her grandfather laughed at her and patted her cheek as he gathered the photos. After putting them away he walked upstairs and quietly opening the door to Rob's room, saw his grandsons sound asleep. Rob was curled up, part of him curling into Tim's arm which was now around his shoulders. Tim was leaning against the arm of the chair, one long leg sprawled out and the other propped up on the bed, one shoe lying on the floor. Ducky took the requested photo, pulled a blanket over Rob, also covering Tim's leg and closed the door behind him.

A voice muttered, "Did he really just take a picture of us?"

"Uh huh."

"Gonna get Sarah for that."

"Uh huh."

Silence again as the McGee brothers lapsed back into sleep.

Tim's phone alarm eventually woke them. Tim put his shoe on, told Rob to go back to sleep and headed to the kitchen. He found the veggies he planned to add sitting in bowls on the counter - cleaned, sliced or diced. After adding them, he poured more wine on the chicken, checked the meat thermometer and replaced the lid; two more hours should do it.

He found his grandfather snoozing in the recliner. He looked around for Sarah and finally spotted her outside, walking through the garden. He grabbed his jacket and joined her. "Hey Sis."

"Hey Tim. I was just looking at this garden; you need a big fountain or something."

"Ah great minds think alike, Lina said the same thing."

"You're really serious about her, aren't you?"

"Mmm, yes, but we're just getting started, still getting to know each other."

"Is she as into you as you are into her?"

"Yeah, Sari, for the first time ever, my girlfriend feels the same way about me as I do about her."

"That's great, I'm glad we finally get to meet her in person tonight. Um Tim, there's something I need to talk about with you, need to tell you."

"All right."

"It's James, he and I, well, we're seeing each other. Dating, although it's weird because we live in the same flat, but yeah, we're dating."

Tim nodded, "Ok. And you're telling me because he's my friend?"

"Yes. And because I kind of like you knowing what's going on in my life."

Tim snorted, "Since when?"

"Since we moved away from each other."

He pulled her in for a hug. "It was bound to happen sometime, Sweet Pea. It's going to continue, you know. One of us will marry, then another or maybe not, jobs might take us to places even farther apart. But we'll always be family; you and Rob will always be my kids, even when you're old and gray. Even if we all have our own kids, you two will still be my kids. Nobody, nothing can take that away from us." He paused, "I have it on the best authority that this is all a normal part of growing up. We've just been a little closer for a little longer than most people."

"Who told you?"

"My shrink, Dr. Agnos - and Jimmy, he's the only one I know who's lived a semi-normal life."

She nodded as she snuggled into his arms and he held her tight, his baby sister who had been in his care more or less since she was four months old. After a while he said, "Tell me more about you and James."

"He's so sweet and funny and he's really good to me, Tim, and I like being good to him. And he's not like the guys I've dated before. It's like he gets me. He makes me laugh, we like a lot of the same things. And um, well, he's hot, a really good kisser."

"Ok, you were doing fine; can you back it up and delete that?"

Sarah pulled back, "Tim, I'm not a virgin, I know you know that."

"Knowing it doesn't mean I want to think or talk about it, ever."

She huffed. "Is Lina staying over tonight?"

"Yes."

"What if I don't want to think or talk about that?"

"But I'm…ok, double standard, I get it, sorry Sis, I'll work on that."

"Good." She took a breath and continued. "We're not sleeping together yet. I wanted to tell you about us dating first."

"Not sure how to respond to that."

"He says he needs to ask your blessing before we can go any further."

"He _what_?"

"Oops, that didn't come out right. He really wants to talk with you about us dating."

"That's better and yeah, I respect that Sarah, James is a good person and a good friend. And I do respect, or I try, that you are a grown woman who can do what she wants. But I am always going to be your big brother & the guy who raised you."

"My Timpa."

"Yep."

"That's ok, I like that."

"Just…be careful, ok?"

"Same goes."

"I'll do my best. It's tough not rushing into things, huh?"

"Yeah it is. But the way I feel about James, just in a few short weeks, is so different from ever before. It's so right!"

"Just don't elope, please? At least give me 12 hours notice to get to wherever you are!"

She laughed and nudged him, he nudged back and suddenly they were through the awkwardness. She turned to him, "You and Ducky, I mean Grandfa, really do look alike when you smile…around your eyes."

"And the three of us share a love of words. He expresses them verbally, you and I write."

"And you're a scientist like him…and so is Robbie."

"Yeah, it's all good. Tell me about the day the uncles came to visit."

"Oh that was so cool!" She told Tim of the surprise e-mail the day before, how she'd called Rob at work and he'd arranged to get the next day off. How they'd traveled to the airport – "by ourselves, without getting lost" – to meet their new uncles and traveled back to the City, had dinner with them Saturday night. "They'd booked rooms at a hotel down the street from the pub, so after dinner we hopped on the train and went home…we sort of dropped them off at the hotel on the way. That was fun, Timmy; Rob and I felt like we were real Londoners."

"Sounds like it. And did James like them?"

"Yes, very much, he even said Uncle Jim reminded him of you."

That got a big grin from Tim, "Yeah?"

"Yeah and Uncle Dave told Rob he was glad that you and he are tall, said he was tired of being the only tall person in the family."

Tim looked puzzled, "His son is tall, I saw pictures, but maybe he just meant on our side."

"They said our Dad was 6' and that Lily was about my height."

"Did you see the photo of me with them?"

"When you were a baby? Yeah, that was sweet and you totally have her coloring."

"Grandfa's too, except for the color of our eyes."

"His hair, kind of. You have a bit more wave to yours than he does though."

"I noticed in Grandfa's pictures that there aren't any bald guys."

"Do you still worry about that?"

"Not as much, my hair's still on my head, it's just thinner than I'd like."

"Thin is not bald!" Sarah shivered, "Geez, you'd think with winter in London I'd be used to cold."

"You probably don't stand around outside talking in London though, huh?" Laughing, the two of them went back inside and woke their grandfather up to give him hugs. "Not that I'm complaining but what brought that on?"

"Family talk." They didn't hear Rob until he snuggled into the hug. "Me too."

"Ooh, you're nice and warm Robbie!"

"You guys are cold, you been ice skating or something?"

"Come here Rob, warm up your old grandfather; these two are ice cubes, both of them."

"Hey! Well yeah we are." They laughed as they heard the heater click on and Ducky pulled them with him as they shuffled over to the nearest floor register.

The hug broke and Ducky pulled Rob's face into his hands. "Let me look at you, dear boy. Ah, that's better; you don't look quite as exhausted as you did."

"I didn't know if I'd make it to today, Grandfa, I've been so tired, all the way to my bones. But being here, I feel better."

"Then while you are here, lad, we shall cosset you."

"Um, I'm a doctor, not a linguist. What's that mean?"

Sarah giggled, "Cosset means to give someone a lot of care and attention, Rob."

"Oh, that's good then, I like that idea. But really guys, I'm just tired, I'll be all right."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, you will be because you're going to catch up on your sleep!"

Rob was saved by the sound of the garage door opening and Tim announcing, "Lina's here!"

He disappeared into the hallway. Lina was just coming in the door from the garage and smiled when she saw him, "Hi Tim! Did Sarah and Rob get here all right, have you had a good day with them? "

He nodded as he pulled her in for a kiss, eventually saying, "Yes and yes, we went to the Agora and the market."

She laughed as she patted his cheek. "Good…dinner smells wonderful!" He took her by the hand and brought her into the living room where she was happy to meet Tim's siblings in person. "I am so glad you're here and so glad to meet you in person!" She was greeted with hugs from both siblings and a kiss from Sarah.

When they sat down to dinner, they noticed champagne flutes had appeared and Tim brought in a bottle. He popped the cork and poured the bubbles into each glass and then announced a toast. "Welcome Grandfa to the McGee clan, Lina to my heart and welcome home to Sarah and Rob!" They tapped their glasses and sipped their champagne. Their grandfather rose to make his own toast. "To the best grandchildren – and that includes you Lina - anyone could ask for, for the strength and love that you give to each other, to me and those you love and for the warmth of your hearts, I salute you all!"

After that, dinner was a riotous affair with Sarah and Rob telling outrageous stories about Tim which he claimed were either untrue or highly exaggerated. Ducky and Lina knew they'd eaten, they even remembered the chicken was delicious but what really stuck in their minds about dinner that night was the laughter. Lina remembered laughing like this with her siblings – when her father was in a rare good mood or wasn't around – and enjoyed every second.

They all pitched in to clean up and then started moving the ornament boxes onto the table in preparation for decorating the tree. Before they hung the first ornament, Ducky disappeared into his room, coming back with an oddly shaped box that he handed to Tim. "My mother told me her grandfather gave her this when she and my father were married. I had it re-wired a few years ago and now as your grandfather I pass it along to you. How you want to share it I'll leave up to you four." Tim opened the box and found a beautiful glass angel for the top of the tree. After ooh'ing and aah'ing, Rob took it and placed it on the top of the tree, making sure it was secure. Tim and Rob found an extension cord and wound it through the back of the tree to reach the power strip Tim had plugged the tree lights into. Hitting the switch, they turned the lights on and stood back to view the angel and the other lights on the tree. They darkened the rest of the room and then they could really appreciate the lighting. Ducky chuckled as photos were taken. "We haven't decorated it yet!" "That's all right, Grandfa, we want photos of the tree in progress." They turned the room lights back on and Tim showed them all the ornaments that Lina had made and Ducky had purchased. They'd already spotted the stockings with their names on them and Ducky thought they were like small children, as excited as they were. He was pleased that they were so happy about such simple things and then realized that's what their childhood had taught them, to appreciate everything, every gift no matter how simple.

When they were told Lina had made the ornaments, they were amazed and stopped to look at each one. Having their names on the stars went over very well and Lina got more hugs and thanks for her thoughtfulness. Finally they started decorating the tree. While Rob handled the highest branches, Tim took the next level. In the meantime, Ducky and Sarah started making the cookie dough for their baking and Lina went back and forth, helping the kitchen crew find things and directing placement of the ornaments. When Rob was done with the top of the tree, he switched with Ducky, then Lina swapped with Sarah and Tim swapped with Rob. In this way they managed to decorate the tree and get the dough made for the cookies. By the time the tree was done and many more photos had been taken, the second batch of cookies was in the oven. The candy Lina, Dani and Ross made was in her car, so Tim and Rob brought that in, carefully wrapped against prying fingers. It took a few hours to get all the different cookies and baked items made and decorated, but they took turns so no one was too tired. Everyone was allowed one cookie of each type and of course any imperfect cookies were free game. Once everything was done, the kitchen cleaned and the dishwasher running, the cookies were carefully wrapped in the ornament boxes and stored in the hall closet. Tim brought a piece of 'crime scene' tape home and once all the baked goodies and candy were in the closet, he put the tape up across the door.

"No snitching! We'll have plenty to eat tomorrow…or we can make more!" By this time both Rob and Ducky were yawning so the group decided to call it a night. Sarah and Rob went upstairs and Ducky to his room while Tim and Lina sat on the sofa and enjoyed the tree lights and each other. Eventually they too made their way upstairs.

The party on Sunday was a resounding success. Everyone who was invited showed up and Tim happily introduced his family to his new friends and neighbors. He was astounded when people brought gifts -food, things for the house, for the yard, bottles of wine, Christmas decorations - he really hadn't anticipated that. Trina laughed at him and he smiled at her, "Ok, now I understand the 'do not bring anything' rule!"

She patted him, "That's ok, I'm sure between your family and the team, nothing will go to waste!"

Bec was very happy to meet his siblings and Sarah took her upstairs to show her the room they'd share on Christmas Eve. Partway through the afternoon, Tim noticed that Rob and Bec were spending a lot of time together and he smiled to himself, glad to see Rob rested and enjoying himself. People started to arrive around 1 and by 5 only the team and the family were there. By 6, it was down to the family, including Lina of course. They cleaned up the house and then fell onto the sofa and chairs, relaxing.

Tim looked at them all. "We did good! We had our first party!"

Rob frowned, "We've had parties – we had birthday parties in Cambridge, in Norfolk and Silver Spring."

"Yeah but that was just us and a friend or two. This was a bigger scale."

Sarah nodded, "And people brought stuff. Did you say that on the invitations?"

Lina shook her head, "No, the invitations said that it was a Christmas/Meet the family party. Nothing about gifts."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, I told Trina now I understand why she doesn't want people to bring things!"

"So we're not bringing anything to their house Christmas Eve?"

Tim grinned, "Oh I think we'll find something!"

They talked about their plans for the next day. Lina was going in early to work in the morning so that she would be free in the afternoon. Matt would pick up Tim for work in the morning so the others could have his car. They'd drive it to the Metro station and take the train into Athens. They'd see the Benaki and then Lina would show them around town. If Tim could break free, he'd join them at some point in the afternoon. With no class this week, they'd have dinner out and Bec, Matt, Damian, Kim and possibly some of the others would join them. When Tim had called the Flying Pig to see what they could do to accommodate a large party, he found they had a separate room that they would open up for them. Ducky wanted to take the family out after Christmas when James was there and they'd go to Vosporos for that.

Lina went home for the night. Rob wanted to know how Christmas Eve was going to work and Tim told him that Lina would be at home; she'd spend Christmas morning with Dani and Ross and then join the McGee-Mallard clan in the early afternoon. Sarah asked about church and Tim bit back a smile, giving her the schedule he'd found for the church she'd want to attend here in Piraeus. She preferred attending a midnight service on Christmas Eve but Tim hadn't been able to find one and Lina told him that wasn't done here, the services were all on Christmas day. Sarah scrunched her face at the news and Tim left it at that.

After the others had gone up to their rooms, Ducky and Tim sat in the living room. Tim had something on his mind. "Grandfa, I need to speak with Gram. I was so harsh in my comments last week and so grateful I didn't say anything to her. But you've been here a week and she hasn't heard from either of us. I got curious about what conditions would have been like for her in London all those years ago and did a little bit of research. Now I wish I could meet Drew Hubbard – meet him again I guess because I apparently knew him as a child – and thank him for taking care of Maisie, for coming to her rescue, for providing for her."

Ducky nodded, "Yes, lad, I've had the same thoughts. I didn't have to do the research; I knew what it would have been like for her if Drew hadn't stepped in."

"I want to talk her by myself, but I didn't want to blindside you with that."

"No that's fine, Tim, she is your grandmother. I appreciate your telling me but I am not worried about our relationship."

"Thanks, Grandfa…you're the best! Grandfather and friend, what more could a guy ask for?"

Rising Tim gave Ducky a hug and kiss goodnight and then went to his room to call Maisie. He thought about waiting for the kids but he also thought as head of the McGee family he had a responsibility toward his grandmother. Sarah and Rob had reacted on behalf of Ducky but hadn't been as upset as Tim had.

He pinged his uncle's Skype info and Jim appeared within a few seconds. "Tim! This is a surprise!"

"So are you, glad to see you're home, when did you get in?"

"Last night. Feels so good to be home."

"I'll bet…look Uncle Jim, I need to talk with Gram, I'm afraid I let time get away from me and I don't know how she'd dealing with all this."

"She's dealing, well it depends what you're going to say to her, I guess, Tim. I've told her what a good man you are; how you've been working things out with Gibbs and that's given her hope."

"Hope? She thought I would choose Ducky and turn my back on her and all of you…that's horrible, my poor Grammy. Is she there, can I speak with her?"

"Yes son."

"Uncle Jim, I love you – I love all of you, including Gram."

"And I love you Tim, we all do. She's just been worrying herself and Claire's been feeling she wasn't helping her."

"Let's decide never to do that in our family, Uncle. It's so debilitating."

His uncle nodded and smiled at him. "I'll get Mum. Hang tight."

Tim smiled back. When his grandmother appeared, Tim was upset at the change in her. She looked exhausted, almost ill. She looked at Tim. "I am…"

"Gram, please don't apologize to me. First of all, I need to apologize for not contacting you last week. I did need a little bit of time to digest the news, get used to it, but I should have contacted you several days ago. I…I have no excuse except that time just vanished. As for your actions, you did what you had to do, please don't second guess your life. It's not my place to judge anyone else's life or decisions. You told Lily, if she had wanted to contact my grandfather she could have. You did what you thought was right for your child, your family. I've raised two kids, I understand that. And nobody Grammie, _nobody_ could ever know how it was for you. I'm so grateful for Grandpa Drew; I wish I could meet him again or at least remember him."

"Oh my Timothy, I've been so worried and Jim said you have such a big heart."

"I think I've inherited that from my grandparents. I love you Gram, nothing is going to change that, ever. I promise."

"And Donald?" She sighed in relief at the grin on her grandson's face.

"He's fine. Don't be too surprised if he calls you in a little bit. Sarah and Rob are here but they're already asleep… " he paused as he heard a knock on his door. "Or they're not, hold on Grammie."

He called out to come in and his siblings came in, looking a little sheepish. "We didn't mean to eavesdrop but your door wasn't closed all the way."

Tim snorted, "Yeah, that's what happens when you turn the handle. That's fine, come on in."

The two of them bounced onto Tim's bed, reminding him of their much younger selves. The three of them spoke with their grandmother for several minutes before they started yawning again. "Go on, children. You need your sleep, especially you Robbie. And besides, your brother tells me your grandfather will call me. I need to freshen up!" They chuckled with her, said goodnight and Tim signed off, after blowing a kiss to his aunt and uncle who were standing in the background. He went back downstairs and found his grandfather in his room with his laptop open. He looked up when Tim knocked on the open door.

"Come in son. Did you settle things with your grandmother?"

"Yep. And I told her you might be calling."

"Good lad, all right, I will do just that." Tim gave him a hug and kiss then went to bed.


	67. Chapter 67

Finding Home, Chapter Sixty Seven

His grandfather was the only one up when he came back from his run the next morning and the two enjoyed their breakfast and morning beverages in a companionable silence. Matt arrived and kissing his grandfather goodbye, Tim headed into work.

They were surprised when they walked into the office as someone playing Christmas Elf had visited over the weekend. Bec was in the kitchen having breakfast and they joined her for coffee.

"Bec, did you do all this?"

"Some of it. I asked Pete if I could put a tree out here in the kitchen and he sort of twinkled and said I could have a tree in my room - the agency would pay for one down here. Yesterday before the party, he and his sons came in with this tree and then Kim, Tea and Eva showed up and we decorated the tree and the office."

"Wow, it looks great!"

"Did you have a tree in DC?"

"At the office?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, but not until Vance became Director, then he insisted. There was a ratty old artificial one in storage and that got tossed, then he bought a huge new one, new ornaments and then drafted decorating teams. That was his first Christmas and Gibbs' team was just back together after he'd split us up for several months – long story – we still didn't trust the man and here he turns into Santa Claus. Anyway, Christmas has been celebrated at HQ every year since then. Although this year without his wife, I don't know what's happened."

"That's so sad."

Tim nodded, "Did you know that the Vances are good friends of the Russells?" Neither was aware so Tim quickly told them the story of Pete as Leon's SFA 16 years ago. And then they got to work. Tim had monthly and yearend reports he needed to get started and the other two pulled cold cases to work on. Before he started working, Tim pulled out the hats he'd bought for everyone and handed them out to Bec and Matt, put the others on Tea, Kim, Eva and Pete's desks and then put his own on and got to work. Eva and Kim came in together and laughed as soon as they saw the hats. Pete had followed them in and started to ask why they were laughing when he saw the office and his agents wearing Santa hats. Grinning in approval, he flapped his Santa tie at them as he headed to his office to don his new hat. When Tea arrived she found she was the only one not wearing a Santa hat and once she figured out how to wear it and her headset, she was happy.

After a very quiet morning, Tim texted Lina that he'd meet them in Athens at 1:00 if she'd let him know where. She texted him back with their planned location and Matt drove to the deli instead of walking, detouring to drop Tim at the Metro Station. He joined them at the café Ducky had been to with Lina in Theseo the previous week and they had lunch. Afterward they did a walking tour with Lina guiding them. Although it was really mostly shopping with a little bit of tour as they stopped frequently to shop or just poke around. Tim recognized some places, he pointed out the stores where he'd bought clothes and his boots…laughing he told the story of Carla and the team in the desert with only the one pair of boots and how he and Matt now had boots they'd probably never need. They visited Syntagma Square and Lina and Ducky chuckled at the fascination of the three siblings. The three of them were entranced with the Christmas Village and everything else that was there. Lina shook her head, "I thought it was just Tim, but look at them!" Ducky smiled, "Yes, for them it's new, even as adults."

They puttered around the booths and Ducky treated everyone to hot cider and roasted chestnuts. After that it was time to get back to Piraeus to meet their friends for dinner. Tim laughed, looking at his watch. "1800 on a Monday, normally I'd be in Pete's office talking with the Director. Pete and Vance are ok, but this is a lot more fun than budgets!"

Lina had driven in so they rode back with her and she dropped the three siblings at Tim's car and then went on to the Flying Pig with Ducky. When Tim and the kids drove up to the pub, Lina was still looking for a parking spot. Tim flashed his headlights at her when he found one, he waited there until she could turn around and then he found another one. When they were both parked and just about to enter the restaurant, Tim said to Lina, "I guess I do have that 'parking gene'."

"You do, Tim and I most decidedly do not!"

"Awww." Tim pulled her close for a discreet kiss.

Ducky looked up, "Parking gene?" They explained and he paused, looking thoughtful. "I rarely have problems finding a parking space, I never thought of that."

Tim nodded, "There you go, must be in the genes, right?"

Shaking their heads at their nonsense, they entered the pub and found the private room that had been reserved for them. Everyone but Evander, Pete and Trina were there already; Kim reported that Evander was showing a house and would join them later and that Pete and Trina were on their way. By the time their drinks and Mezethes were served, all three had arrived. Pete laughed softly as he looked around the table, "I was feeling badly about basically having Tim host our Christmas party this year but here we are again - all of us!" Toasts were given in Greek, English and Gaelic. Along with the Christmas celebration, the triplets and the out of town guests were toasted as well as Evander's success at selling a condominium over the weekend and the health and well being of them all.

Tea and Eva had ordered the Mezethes, saying they'd wanted to make sure the visitors tasted as many different Greek treats as possible. Going with the theme, Caleb, Adan and Evander put their heads together to recommend entrees for Ducky, Bec, Sarah and Rob. It was a convivial group and Tim was thankful he was here with them, with his siblings and grandfather. He looked at Trina, "Have even more to be thankful for since our Thanksgiving feast." She smiled at him, "Yes you do, my friend."

They ate and drank, but drank lightly as nearly all of them had work the next day. Over dinner, Caleb offered to take Ducky, Sarah and Rob sightseeing the next day and they agreed. Matt would pick Tim up for work again and the others would drive Tim's car to the Metro station where they'd meet Caleb. He told them to wear comfortable walking shoes and to bring warm jackets, hats, scarves and gloves as the forecast was for uncertain weather.

Tuesday dawned bright and very chilly. Tim's run was more of a sprint and the shower after was hotter than usual, as he tried to warm up. The house was warm, Tim was happy to note the furnace worked well. He didn't want anything cold this morning so when Ducky made hot oatmeal, Tim skipped his smoothie and had oatmeal with fruit and coffee instead. Finally he was warm again. He found a pullover that he hadn't donated and slipped that on over his shirt and then added one of his warm jackets. Pausing, he switched to another jacket and took the warmer one downstairs.

"Grandfa, you have a warm jacket, right?"

"Yes, I'll be fine, Tim."

"I don't know what Rob brought with him but I'll leave this here in case it's warmer than Rob's jacket. And if it is, could you look for one for him today, please? I'll pay you back."

"Don't worry about reimbursing me, son and yes we'll get him ready for winter. It's cold enough here and London's cold has a much stronger bite."

"If Sarah needs one…"

"Yes, I'll see to both of them, Timothy."

"Thanks Grandfa." Tim kissed him goodbye as he heard Matt's car pull into the driveway.

He'd grabbed his running cap as well and left feeling like he was back in DC as far as the cold. Matt was in a jacket Tim hadn't seen before but he figured this was the coldest day they'd had so maybe he just hadn't worn it. Then his friend nudged him as he parked his car. "Like the jacket?"

"Yeah, looks nice and warm. Haven't seen it before, right?"

"Right, Damian gave it to me last night. It's my Christmas present but after Caleb was talking about the weather forecast for today, he decided to give it to me early."

"Nice!" Tim looked at it and Matt laughed, "Forget it, it's mine. And you look warm enough."

They were in the kitchen by now, getting mugs for coffee, joining Bec at the table. Tim looked at her, "You have warm clothes with you Bec?"

She smiled, "Luckily I stuck a warm sweater and jacket in at the last minute – remember I thought I might go to Switzerland and learn how to ski at Christmas?"

Tim smiled, "I thought you were kidding about that!"

"Nope! Well it was my backup plan if nothing was happening here."

Tim shook his head, "There's no way you'd be alone at Christmas with this bunch around, Agent Childers."

"Thanks Agent McGee!" They took their coffee mugs to their desks and settled in to work on cold cases.

Caleb called Ducky at 9:00 and suggested they leave a little later, hoping the temperature would rise a few degrees. They agreed to meet at noon rather than 10:00 and Caleb said he'd check with Ducky around 11:00. There was only a slight change in the weather by 11, but when Ducky explained that he wanted to look for warmer clothes for Rob and Sarah anyway, Caleb said he'd show them the places to shop. They did spend some time at the Benaki, everyone quietly greeting Lina, but for the most part the afternoon was spent shopping for the two youngest McGees. By the time they got back to the car, they had significantly contributed to Greece's retail economy. They dropped Caleb off at the office and picked up Tim. Dinner was simple, knowing they'd be indulging over the next few days and they played cards for a few hours afterward. Rob headed to bed first, still catching up on his sleep and Ducky and Tim weren't far behind him. Sarah had some Christmas things to do so she was just as glad to have the house to herself.

Christmas Eve at the office was quiet as far as the phones and any case work went. Eva was off, she and Caleb were driving up north to her family. The others made some pretense at work. Kim always had work and Tea was helping her, but the four agents were restless and there was far more chatter than usual. Ducky, Sarah and Rob came in around 10 with hot beverages and pastries fresh from the bakery. They left after everyone enjoyed their treats, Rob sitting next to Bec at the table and having another little flirt with her. He'd already asked Tim if he could borrow the car on New Year's Eve day, he'd found a theater that was showing a movie in English and wanted to ask Bec to go with him. Tim knew Lina was planning on spending that day with them so her car would be available if anything came up.

Tea rolled the phones over to the on-call office a little before noon and Pete led them out the door, Bec bringing her things and joining Tim as Matt gave them a ride up the hill. Tim told her they didn't really have anything planned until dinner at the Russells but she wanted to be with them, as she said, "sitting around is fine but if I'm alone, I'll freak out and get homesick." She had a Skype call planned with her parents later in the evening after they came home from the Russells and was looking forward to that.

When they got home, they found the others looking at photos again. Sarah wanted to see if there was anyone on their mother's side she looked like and was hunting through photos old and new until she finally gave up. "I'll just accept that I look like the McGees."

"Sweet Pea, you haven't seen any family photos of Penny's yet. I have a sneaking suspicion you'll find more people who look like you in those."

She smiled, "Ok, I'll just wait then."

Rob had a funny look on his face and when his brother and grandfather glanced over at him, he nodded. "Ok."

"Yeah? That's great, Rob!"

Tim and Ducky had already figured out how much a DNA search would cost and Ducky insisted on paying. So while Bec was there, Rob filled out the pages of information and put in Ducky's credit card information and sent off the request. The packet would be sent to Rob in London and he would mail his cheek swab and wait. Bec was fascinated; similar to Lina's family her family knew their history back to their arrival in the U.S. in the early 1800s.

After Rob was done, they pulled out the decks of cards and taught Bec how to play Spite and Malice. When they tired of that, Tim brought out an old Tripoly game the kids had given him one Christmas. Sarah found the poker chips and they played Tripoly for a few more hours. Although it was chilly and overcast, the sun broke through a few times and after sitting and playing most of the afternoon, Ducky declared that they all needed fresh air and some exercise. They grabbed their jackets and scarves and went for a walk up the hill. A few people waved to them from their windows and they did pass a runner but they were the only people out walking around.

Tim liked the neighborhood; while it was quiet he liked the neighbors he'd met, the ones who had come to the party. They walked nearly a mile up the hill, admiring the houses and front gardens and then turned back. It was harder walking downhill, as Sarah said it required walking 'with your brakes on'. They felt better for the air and the exercise though and when they got back dispersed to get ready for the Russells. When they'd all disappeared upstairs, Ducky put their presents from him under the tree, including gifts for Bec, Matt, Lina and Damian.

Tim was ready before the others, so he came downstairs with an armload of gifts and chuckled when he saw his grandfather beat him to it. He distributed his gifts and only jumped a bit when a disembodied voice ordered, "No peeking, Timothy!" Tim rustled around in the hall closet and found his tripod, he wanted to take a photo of the group before they left for the party and would use it tomorrow as well.

Tim chuckled to himself as he parked his car in the Russells' driveway and heard Rob and Sarah's comments. Bec told them to make sure to look at the entrance. Lina pulled up behind them with Dani and Ross. They gathered everything – gifts, hot dishes, bottles of wine, jackets – and walked toward the front door. Rob was the first to spot the mosaic and pointed it out to Sarah and both were suitably impressed. Following their tradition, Pete and Trina were in the foyer to greet them. After introductions were made, Tim led his group to the kitchen to put the food and wine down.

When everything was on the island, he turned to go to the living room and his mouth fell open as he saw two young friends standing behind him, giggling. Opening his arms, he gathered Kayla and Jared Vance into his arms, giving them affectionate hugs. "Wow, what a great surprise! How long have you been here? Did you bring your dad along?"

They laughed at that and Jared told him they'd gotten in last night. Tim looked over his shoulder at Pete, "No wonder you were so quiet all morning!"

"No that was because I kept him up all night talking." Tim beamed again as he let go of the kids and held his hand out to their father for a shake. He was pulled in for a hug and gave as good as he got.

"So good to see you, Sir, can't believe you're here."

"Ever since you had dinner with us before you left Kayla's been asking questions about our lives in Greece, so I thought we'd come visit and they could see for themselves."

Tim smiled, "Let me introduce everyone."

He introduced the others to the Vance family. Kayla looked confused and said to Lina, "Kalivas, that's the same last name as Matt's friend."

"Yes, he's my brother."

Vance smiled and patted Tim's shoulder. "Matchmaking?"

Tim and Lina looked at each other, eyes sparkling, "We just introduced them."

Vance shook his head with a smile and addressed Bec, "I've already told Matt, Kim and the others, this is a personal vacation so no titles."

She nodded, "Yes sir." Vance sighed and looked at Tim who just grinned at him as they moved into the living room.

Tim suddenly swung around to his grandfather. "You're not surprised, you knew!"

Ducky chuckled, "Yes I did dear boy. Leon was enthused when he found out I would be here for Christmas. He's had their trip planned since shortly after you left. We decided to surprise you and that was such fun!"

Tim shook his head. "Devious, the three of you!" Ducky, Pete and Vance looked at each other and then smiled at Tim, "Yep!"

As always with any meal at the Russells, they feasted. There were Grecian, Scots, English and American dishes to be shared and savored by all. Tim brought small gifts for everyone he'd known would be there and had left them beside each name card on the table. He was amused to see that Ducky had filled in the gaps with gifts for the Vance family. He looked around, missing Norm, Carla, Eva and Caleb, Tea and Adan, who'd had plans with their families and Gibbs. His grandfather was sitting on one side of him and reached out to him, taking his hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze, seeming to know just what he was thinking - about Gibbs at least.

Tim nodded that he was ok and his grandfather said in a soft voice, "We'll call Stillwater when we get home, shall we?"

Tim smiled, "Great idea! And Tony. From what you've told me, the Allies and the Germans had truces at Christmas, at least during WWI, so I can certainly do that."

The exercise between dinner and dessert this time was music and a conga line that everyone joined as it wound around the house. Tim passed Vance at one point and the older man called out, "I'd forgotten about the mandatory exercise!"

Tim called back, "At least we're not outside playing volleyball!"

Evander who was a few people behind him started laughing and that nearly brought the line crashing down. The kids were having a great time and Kayla was clearly enjoying herself demonstrating her kicks and moves to Ross. Bec was watching her so avidly that Matt shouted, "Don't use any of our moves, Bec, these are our friends, not suspects."

That brought more laughter from the NCIS folks. Eventually Stephan, who was at the head of the line loudly declared they were done and the group conga'd back to the dining room for dessert.

After the obligatory group photo was taken the crowd began to disperse. Matt had his car so Bec and Rob would ride with him back to Tim's. Damian was staying over with Lina, Dani and Ross – he said he would be sleeping on a rollaway in Lina's studio. The Vances were staying with the Russells – Kayla and Jared bunking in with the kids and Leon had the downstairs bedroom or as Pete said, "Leon's staying in Tim's old room."

Tim just rolled his eyes at him which made Leon laugh again. Ducky smiled, he was glad to see their friend and boss relaxed and enjoying himself. They were staying until after New Year's and Tim had already invited them over for dinner the day after Christmas…unless of course there was a case.

Once everyone was back at Tim's, they discovered nobody was sleepy. They were too wound up so they discussed their plans for the following day. With eyes on Sarah, Rob and Tim declared that breakfast would be served at 8:30. A perennial late sleeper, she just made a face and asked Bec to wake her at 8. Tim wanted breakfast out of the way before they started opening presents, knowing with his siblings and the others, that could take hours and he wanted to start dinner preparations before the afternoon. Matt asked if anyone was going to church and Sarah told him about the lack of midnight services. Ducky mentioned there was a sunrise service that started at 6:00 AM that they could go to and there was dead silence in the room before Sarah looked at her grandfather's face and saw the twinkle in his eyes.

While Rob and Sarah went off to do more gift wrapping, Matt and Bec approached Tim and Ducky. "We know you can't do this when the others are around, but we'd love to hear any stories you can tell us."

Tim shook his head, "Nothing classified."

"That's all right, we know that."

Ducky chuckled, "This should be interesting!"

Tim looked at him, "Oh no, you're in this with me." So Tim and Ducky spent some time telling Bec and Matt about a few of their cases. The younger agents specifically asked about the chaplain who murdered his "brides" and the one where they thought their teammate was dead. When Matt mentioned that one, Ducky frowned, "Which time?"

Tim interjected, "Which teammate?" Turned out they meant Tony so they told them the stories of Le Grenouille. Tim also included the time Ducky had gone undercover to meet the arms dealer and that really piqued their interest.

When they asked for shipboard cases, Ducky pursed his lips and looked at Tim. Tim was thinking of the case that brought Tony back to DC from his Agent Afloat duties, Ducky was thinking of the Chimera. After a quick consult, the Chimera case won. Although the existence of the nuclear warhead had been admitted in the UN years ago, the case itself and the Navy's destruction of its own ship had only been declassified the year before. Tim laughed at the wide eyes of his friends. "You…you took that warhead with you?"

"Yep, couldn't just leave it there."

"And the pirates?"

"Weren't really pirates, they were Russian sailors."

"You stole their boat."

"Commandeered it, yes."

"And how did you get home…if the Navy thought you were still on Chimera when they fired on it…"

Ducky fielded that one. "That my dears, is still classified and will remain so."

He looked at Tim and the two laughed, thinking of their adventurewith the so called pirates and traitor.

Bec sat in thought, "There was one other story; something that you said was a "long story". Oh, I know, the Christmas tree in DC, you said Director Vance split up Gibbs' team for several months – and that was years ago."

Tim sat quietly for a few seconds and then with a look at his grandfather, began, "It started after Director Shepard died – she was Vance's predecessor."

Matt interrupted, "How did she die, on a case?"

Ducky stepped in, "I believe that's posted on the Agency website, Matt, under "The Fallen"."

Matt got the message they didn't want to talk about it so nodded and Tim continued, telling them about coming back from the memorial service to be told their team was being split up. He glossed over the reasons why and told them it was classified but that at Gibbs' insistence they'd been brought back together several months later. Bec screwed up her face, "So Gibbs' team was broken up before."

Tim chuckled softly. "Including that instance, the team was split three times."

"And this time you're not going back."

"No Matt, this time I've moved on."

Ducky cleared his throat, "Jethro – that is Gibbs – has a new team now."

Bec nodded, finally starting to understand, "But you're still family."

Grandfather and grandson nodded, "We are still family and working things out." Tim smiled at Bec and Matt, "As all families have to do from time to time."

Looking at his watch, he asked his friends to excuse him and his grandfather, they wanted to call Gibbs and Tony if he was online. Bec and Matt went on upstairs while Tim accessed Skype and pinged Jackson's account. Jack answered the ping with a wide grin, "Hello you two, Merry Christmas! Are you having fun in Greece?"

"Yes, we are, Jackson, we've had a feast with Tim's team and he has a houseful of guests tonight."

Tim waved to Jack. "Merry Christmas, Jack! How are you doing…it's what, about 4:30 there?"

"Yes, right on the dot, Tim! We're doing great, I closed the store at noon and we've been eating cookies and drinking eggnog. Well, Leroy is drinking the bourbon without the eggnog part."

Jethro's head appeared on screen, "Hey, Tim, Duck, Merry Christmas!"

Tim opened his mouth to reply and then did his fish impression when a third familiar head appeared.

Ducky grinned, "Anthony! I'm so glad to see you!"

Tim nodded, "Me too, we were going to call you, didn't know you'd be in Stillwater!"

Tony grinned, "Merry Christmas Ducky, Tim! Yeah, I was homesick and decided to come see the Gibbses. Cazal won the coin toss so Bremerton gets Christmas off while Seattle works, then we'll be working New Year's Eve and New Year's Day."

"That's good man, that's kind of what we're doing over here."

"Oh yeah, you're working New Year's?"

"New Year's Day, yeah. We split the holidays between the four European offices, rotates around."

"Oh, nice."

The five of them talked for several minutes before a kitchen timer was heard and Jack disappeared. The Gibbs' Christmas Eve dinner was ready so Ducky and Tim said goodbye and signed off.

Tim smiled, "I'm glad Tony is in Stillwater with them, he's had too many Christmases alone."

The two men talked about their three friends and Ziva for a little longer and then Ducky turned in. Tim still had a few presents to bring down and he knew Sarah and Rob wanted to bring theirs down without him seeing them, so he wandered back upstairs. And then he realized he'd forgotten to ask Gibbs if he'd gotten the package from Wales. He'd remembered the small building kit of one of the ancient Welsh buildings he and James had seen at the National History Museum in Cardiff and had ordered it online, having it shipped directly to Stillwater. He found the tracking number and checked it; glad to see it had been delivered to Jack's store on the 22nd.

He heard laughter and talking and realized it was Bec online with her family and he smiled, thankful to whoever had given the world Skype. It sure helped this time of year. They had a Skype call planned with the Hubbards and Cranes tomorrow evening and he was looking forward to that. He knew his grandfather and grandmother had spoken a couple of times and Tim was glad Ducky and Maisie were working things out between them. He looked at the time and realized that Matt was likely waiting another hour as his family was in a different time zone than Gibbs and the Childers family.

Rob came in to the bedroom eventually, grinning at his brother. "That tree is loaded, man! It's going to be so much fun tomorrow, watching everyone open presents." Tim grinned at him, "That's my favorite part…well that and finding something special for someone."

They chatted for a few minutes but the brothers were tired and Rob dropped off mid-word with Tim only minutes behind him.


	68. Chapter 68

Finding Home, Chapter Sixty Eight

Christmas Day the sun rose in clear skies with temperatures several degrees warmer than it had been all week. Everyone but Sarah went for a run or a walk and came back invigorated and ready to start breakfast. They took turns showering and preparing their breakfast feast. Along with scrambled eggs and bacon, there were several kinds of pastry, fresh fruit, juices, milk, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. While Ducky cooked the eggs, Bec ran upstairs to make sure Sarah was up and met her in the hallway on her way downstairs. Everything went on the table, the eggs in a covered dish Rob had found in one of the cabinets. Tim had his camera on the tripod and set the timer for random times so he'd get some candid shots. They were relaxed and enjoying their meal when Lina called Tim to see if they'd finished opening presents yet. "We haven't even started, sweetie, we're just eating breakfast." She laughed, "Ross woke us up at 6:30 and insisted we get started." Tim snorted, "We were up at 7 but we went for a run." They talked for a couple of minutes longer and then disconnected. The Kalivas siblings would be over in the early afternoon while Dani and Ross would spend the day with the Russells.

Once the table and kitchen were clear and the dishwasher running, they reconvened in the living room and Tim turned the tripod and camera around. "Oh look, Santa's been here!" He had asked Ducky to play Santa but in the end they all took a turn, passing the Santa hat to the next gift distributor.

By the time they'd finished opening their gifts, the living room and parts of the dining room looked like a Hallmark store had exploded in the house. They'd made a valiant effort to collect the paper in trash bags as they went, but with the number of people and the number of presents, bits and pieces of paper fluttered here and there. When talking about it later, Tim and Matt agreed that each person was thrilled with his or her gifts and that the most fun was watching someone opening the gift found for them. If Tim had worried about Matt and Bec not having enough gifts to open, he was proved wrong. Each of them opened gifts of varying sizes and use from the Mallard-McGee family, from Pete and Trina and from their own families.

Lina and Damian arrived in the early afternoon and more presents were opened. After a light snack they all went for a walk together, singing Christmas carols as they went. Matt, Ducky, Bec and Sarah sang in English while Lina and Damian sang the same carols in Greek. Rob and Tim smiled and enjoyed the music. During the second carol, Tim noticed they had attracted an audience and waved to his neighbors. Some people joined in their walk and sang with them. Tim had been making a video recording on his phone of their caroling stroll and now he added the neighbors as they walked together. They turned up a different street and more people came outside to sing, although they didn't all join in the walk. The group stopped before one house where a few people were standing singing with them and completed two carols. Eventually they made their way back to Tim's house, with the additional singers dropping off at their own homes.

When they got back inside, they watched Tim's video and decided to upload it to YouTube. They sent e-mails to everyone they knew with links to their video. A few minutes later, Tim's phone buzzed. He laughed as he answered, "Merry Christmas, Pete! Did you see our video?"

"Oh yeah, loved it, we're still laughing. Got someone here who wants to talk with you."

The next voice Tim heard was that of Pete's boss. "Great video, Tim, looks like it was a lot of fun and I'm a little jealous. However, I noticed two people – the two tallest people as a matter of fact – who were decidedly not singing. Any comments on that?"

Tim chuckled. "Believe me, Sir, if either Rob or I had been attempting to sing, people would have been hiding in their homes with the doors locked, dogs howling and the curtains drawn. We might even have been driven out of town."

"That bad?"

"Oh yeah, please just trust me on this."

"That's a shame because singing is fun."

"Might be to you Sir, but for Rob and me, it's torture. We've heard ourselves and we know what our 'singing' voices do to other people. It's painful and it does make the dogs howl."

Vance was laughing heartily now and Tim pressed the speaker button so the others could hear. Ducky was grinning; this is just what the man needed, laughter, time away with his children and time with dear friends. Matt and Bec were listening with wide eyes and starting to smile. The other four were watching them, understanding that hearing this man laugh was a very good thing. Eventually he wound down and after chatting with the other agents and Ducky, went back to the Russells' festivities. Throughout the afternoon, Tim got e-mails and texts from Kim, Tea and Eva with comments about the video. Eva said her family wanted Tim and his "group" to spend next Christmas with them. Kim told him that her future in-laws were very impressed with her American co-worker who was practicing Greek traditions; she thanked him for the points his "group" had made for her. Tea's comment was that she'd noticed he and Rob weren't singing and wondered why.

The dining table sat everyone comfortably, especially after they installed a folding table nearby to hold the platters and bowls of food. More toasts were made, more stories were told and a lot of delicious food was eaten. They'd been at the table for nearly an hour when Tim looked at Bec. She was eating quietly, a little too quietly. She was two people down from him; he caught her eye and gestured to lean back. She looked at him and he smiled, "Why don't you go call your folks, it's morning at home now. You can watch them opening their gifts. And Bec, we'd love to have you stay over again tonight if you'd like."

"You wouldn't mind, I mean, another person…"

"No, you're more than welcome. Now go on, your parents are probably wondering what you're doing right now." She smiled and headed upstairs to her laptop. He looked at Matt. "You too if you'd like, Matt."

"Central time, remember? Another hour, I'll call."

"Great!"

Ducky looked at him, "And are we calling Stillwater?" Tim grinned, "I bet they'll call here when they see the video, Tony won't be able to resist." He paused, "And the Hubbards and Cranes will be online too, Grandfa."

"Yes, what time is our call with them?"

Tim looked at his watch, "Not for another hour or so." He looked at Sarah, who blushed. "And James?"

"After everyone else. He's only an hour's difference and he didn't want to interrupt his time with his family."

Tim nodded, "That's good." He looked at Lina and Damian who just laughed, "We've already spoken with our parents Tim, thank you!"

He chuckled. "I am selfishly enjoying this, having all of you here with me."

As predicted, Tony and the Gibbs men called with plenty of comments about the video. Ducky reflected that it was an extra special gift to watch the three younger men interact with each other after months – and in Tim's case years – of discord. He hadn't dared to even think that things could be this positive. He knew things could still be rocky, would still be rocky but he had faith and hope. He'd talked with Tim about Ziva during their chats, knowing they were both moving past their initial anger over her abrupt departure. He was still upset that they'd been cast aside and he knew his grandson also felt that along with anger for her disrespectful treatment of him over the years. However, having seen how hard Tim worked to mend fences with Gibbs and now Tony, Ducky had posed the question to Tim. Would he also be willing to work at fixing things with Ziva? Tim had thought about it for a few days and then he'd told his grandfather that he thought yes, he could do that, if and when she surfaced. What he said was that he needed to let go of his anger for his own emotional health and well being and the only way to really do that was to work things out with Gibbs, Tony and Ziva. He said he felt stronger for the work he'd done with Gibbs and believed their relationship was finally approaching an even keel and would with continued work become stronger. He hoped for the same success with Tony and felt good that they had started the process.

After Tony & Gibbs' call, Ducky pinged Jimmy and spent a happy half hour speaking with him and Breena. He'd spoken with them briefly a few days ago, finally telling them about his newly discovered relationship with the McGees. The Palmers were joyful for him as Tim had been sure they would be and Ducky had hoped they would be. Eventually it was time to call the Hubbard household and the three McGees, Ducky and Lina gathered to spend time with the Hubbards, Penny and the Cranes, who were calling in from their son's home. Matt, Bec and Damian also dropped into the group for a few minutes to say hello.

After everyone's families and friends had Skyped, the group relaxed in the living room over coffee, tea and hot chocolate. As the day drew to a close, Matt and Damian packed their gifts into their cars and left. Not an hour later, Ducky took himself off to bed and Rob, Sarah and Bec went upstairs. Tim and Lina were alone for the first time in what seemed like days. Lina was off work until Tuesday, but Tim was not, so they spent just a few minutes reconnecting before wandering upstairs together.

The next day was predictably quiet at NCIS as the agents worked more cold cases. Pete shooed them out the door at 1600, rolling the main phone line over to his cell. Tim thought he was the most relaxed he'd ever been at work and was glad Ducky, Lina and Rob were handling dinner tonight. He was looking forward to spending more time with the Vances; he'd asked Bec if she'd like to join them but she had something planned with Tea and Kim and declined.

The dinner went well; Kayla and Jared were full of new stories about their parents' lives in Greece and had a couple of tales Tim hadn't heard before. All three Vances thought it was funny that Tim's house was so much like the Russells, although as Leon put it, Tim had put his own stamp on it. The wall hanging Lina made was now hanging in the living room as well as a different light fixture. Lina had taken one she'd found in a local shop and touched it up so that it better fit the design of the house and Tim's personal style. Vance spent some time examining the wall hanging and the 'Family' wood carving from Uncle Jim. Tim had the name of the artist and when he saw how closely Leon was examining it, gave him the information.

James arrived early Saturday morning and Tim insisted on picking him up at the airport by himself. He made a sign similar to the one his friend had held up at Heathrow for him so many weeks ago and stood in the Customs Entry room waiting for him. James came down the escalator; his eyes got a little big when he saw Tim by himself, then he saw the sign and laughed, relaxing. They did have a brief conversation about Sarah and then spent the rest of the ride home catching up, just two friends. Ducky and James took to each other immediately and the day was spent pleasantly. Saturday night was tough with Ducky packing for his flight back to DC the following day. Sunday was even harder and James was glad he was there to help his friends as they sadly said goodbye to their grandfather. They'd arranged to do some sightseeing with James, Lina, Bec, Damian and Matt after Ducky's flight left and the others were very kind and patient with the McGees. In truth, all of them would miss Ducky.

Tim was still quieter than usual on Monday and dove into work with a vengeance. He was relieved when he received the text that Ducky had arrived home safely to find Gibbs waiting for him. He'd even had a few minutes with Tony as the younger man's flight wasn't due to leave for Seattle for a couple of hours after Ducky's arrival. They had breakfast at the airport before Tony had to go. For the first time Tim was seriously homesick although his siblings were still with him. Then Dani and Ross left for a few days to visit friends in Italy and Lina invited Tim to stay Tuesday night. Lina's tender loving care cheered Tim tremendously and by New Year's Day he was feeling more himself. The three Londoners left on January 2nd and although it was hard to say goodbye to them, now that they understood how close they were it wasn't quite as difficult. Before they left, Rob told Tim he was going to investigate transferring to the Athens medical facility.


	69. Chapter 69

FINDING HOME, CHAPTER SIXTY NINE

Tim was beginning to hope they would get a call out, although he certainly didn't want his countrymen to be hurt or commit any wrongdoings. However by the 6th of January it was evident the 'good luck fairy' had departed with the holidays. Lina and Damian were in Thessaloniki making their Christmas visit to their parents when the team got called out on a triple homicide on the island of Cyprus. Two US Marines and a Greek citizen had been murdered. With the current political climate, they needed diplomatic help but soon enough were on the island working their case with the cooperation of the local authorities. The investigation kept them there for nearly two weeks before they broke the case and wearily flew home. They reached home on a Thursday night and were told to rest on Friday. Tim spent the day sleeping, Lina alternating curling up with him and working on her latest "worry" painting. By Saturday he was caught up on his sleep but still exhausted so they spent the weekend quietly.

On Monday he headed into work early to get started on the reports needed for the case. The four of them were still heads down working on the various forms on Tuesday when Tim heard someone come into the office. He didn't pay any attention, at least not until Tea called him up front. The woman waiting there had an envelope in her hands and Tim sighed. She handed him the envelope, and said he had been served, he' been given a subpoena, and left the building. Hoping against hope that this was something to do with Kirk, Stavros or even the Sawyer case, Tim opened the envelope. His hopes were dashed, what he'd dreaded had come to fruition. The subpoena was from Defense Counsel for the trial of Abigail Sciuto, scheduled to begin February 10th in Federal Court, New Orleans, LA.

"Shit!"

Tea looked up from her work in surprise, Tim rarely swore.

He gave her a small smile, "Sorry Tea."

"That's all right Tim. Bad news?"

"Might be; maybe I can still work this out, we'll see." He took the envelope and stalked into Pete's office. His boss looked up, "What's up?"

Tim made a face, "I've been subpoenaed for Abby's trial."

"Uh oh, that's not good."

"It starts February 10th, this says I have to be there on Tuesday, the 11th."

"Must be the defense, huh? I remember your FBI friend saying the prosecution and the FBI were doing their best to keep your name out of it."

"And they did. Of course it helped that she didn't use my full name or her real name and that her posts and tweets were pulled down almost immediately. And apparently she sounded crazy enough that people pretty much ignored her, at least that's what Buzz – that's the FBI Cybercrimes guy who's been watching out for me - and James and Matt have told me – they've been checking the social media sites too. But what really helped was that huge storm that caused such havoc in the Midwest and on the Eastern Seaboard. That swept Abby's story right off the news sites." He paused, "Now I feel guilty for saying that. Let's rephrase, the storm wasn't good, having something that newsworthy bump Abby off trending – anywhere – was a lucky break for me."

Pete shook his head, "Ok, let's talk about this. I'm all for making a contingency plan in case you can't sweet talk the defense into allowing a video deposition."

"Even if I have to go to JAG in Naples to do it!"

"Why JAG?"

Tim shrugged, "Lots of lawyers."

"Yeah, I see your point. It'd be two days instead of ten."

"Ten? I was thinking 5. Fly over Sunday, sleep on Monday, report in Tuesday and fly back Friday or over the weekend." Tim sat in thought "And if I didn't have to go in every day, I could go work in the NCIS office there."

Pete shook his head. "You know, I really can't retire until I break you of this habit of seeking out more work." They looked at each other and laughed.

Tim finally said, "I'm in no hurry for you to retire, Pete. You can stay forever, fine by me!"

"Oh no I can't – and don't ever say that in front of Trina, she's liable to commit violence on your person. Let's be realistic. Someone else is paying for your ticket to the US, so you need to take advantage of it. You fly over the week before, Thursday evening or Friday, spend the weekend in Virginia with your family, pop in to see the Director on Monday if you must, I'll even allow you to check in with us on MTAC or be part of the weekly conference call with Leon. Fly down to New Orleans Monday night on the last possible flight. Friday night or Thursday if you're lucky, fly back to Virginia, spend another day or two with your family and fly home Sunday, arrive Monday. You're out 7 work days which we will charge off to the trial, no personal days – this is as much as result of your employment with NCIS as anything else. And you get to see everyone."

He looked at the astonished face in front of him and seeing that Tim was considering the plan, Pete continued, "Of course that means you'd be away from Lina for 10 days."

That got Tim's attention and he frowned. "Don't like that…but seeing everyone…wow, tough choice." He sighed, "Better to go with the deposition, far less complicated."

Pete snorted, "Like you'll have a say in _that_ decision!"

Tim contacted Tobias Fornell to let him know that he'd been subpoenaed and that he was going to ask to be deposed instead. Fornell promised to speak to the prosecution team and see if they could offer any help. He couldn't commit to anything but he thought the US Attorney's office might be able to bring about a deposition, which Fornell suggested take place at the U.S. Embassy rather than JAG in Naples. He thought the civilian defense attorney might be more comfortable with that. He also thought they might be able to keep Tim's anonymity intact by having it at "a U.S. Embassy" without specifying which one. Tim personally didn't think that would fly as the attorney must already know he was in Greece, how else would she have gotten the subpoena to him? He did like the idea however. He pointed up the cost of bringing him in, round trip flights, hotels, meals, rental car, compensating NCIS for his lost work days. Fornell thought those were great ideas for Tim to voice to Defense Counsel.

His next call was to Attorney Bailey and he was shocked when the person answering the phone indicated he was calling the Public Defender's office in New Orleans. Then he smirked, how could they afford his expenses if Abby couldn't afford a defense attorney? He left a message stating who he was and why he was calling and left his office phone number rather than his cell. She could call the landline, no way was this eating up minutes on his agency cell! She returned his call late in the afternoon and seemed surprised to find that he was out of the country. She explained they had a clerk who had handled getting the subpoena to him. He asked why he'd been subpoenaed in the first place as he was the intended victim and she deflected his question no matter how many ways he asked the question. She denied the deposition saying she needed him there in the courtroom. Tim didn't bother telling her he would fight it any way he could.

Several days later he was contacted by the U.S. Attorney's office letting him know the subpoena would stand and that the Defense Counsel would be in touch with him about his travel and expenses which they would pay upfront. Tim grabbed his jacket and went out into the garden, pacing and doing his martial arts moves just to burn off his anger, the whole time he was cursing a blue streak. He was still outside fuming when Pete popped his head out the door. "Come on in, have a cup of coffee and let's talk about it."

Tim nodded and slunk in, ashamed of his outburst. Pete shook his head, "Knock it off, whatever it was, you didn't disrupt the office and probably had every right to be pissed. I just didn't want you to freeze or injure yourself with those ninja moves."

"Subpoena stands, no deposition. US Attorney's office called."

"Well crap, ok now I see why you're upset." Pete sat back, thinking. "No way around it then, go for Plan A, the ten day trip."

"I'm supposed to get a call with the travel info."

"Ok and then start working your changes in and let them bill you for the difference. Hell, with airfares as screwy as they are, you could be saving them money."

That night when he had dinner with Lina, Tim told her the news and she sat in thought. "New Orleans. I haven't been there but there is a gallery that has expressed interest a few times in displaying my work. I put it off thinking I would tie it in next time I was over there on a commission." She smiled at Tim. "What if I could make it work with the gallery, would you mind if I went with you?"

Tim's mouth opened and his lips curved into a face splitting smile. "Mind? I'd love it! And would you mind if we stopped in Virginia first and saw my family?"

"Ducky? Gibbs? Your uncles? "

"Yes and my godmother, grandmother, aunt and cousins."

"I think that would be fun! I'd love to see Ducky and the uncles again and I've wanted to meet everyone in person. And Gibbs! Oh, will we see Director Vance and will we have time to sightsee in DC and visit Baltimore and the camp and shelter?"

Tim gulped, "We'll do our best to work everything in, sweetie!"

"All right, now what dates will we be in New Orleans so I can tell the gallery my schedule?" Tim told her and she entered the dates on her phone. Except for the trial itself, he was now looking forward to the trip with Lina.

Attorney Bailey's office contacted him later in the week and he gave them the date he wanted to leave Athens. When he was told he would be reimbursed for his expenses rather than the way he'd been told, he cited the US Attorney's office, including the name of the person who had called. The clerk, who sounded very young, audibly gulped and said she'd have to get back to him.

By that time he'd figured out what flights they would need for the trip. He'd looked at every hotel in New Orleans with at least two stars and made a list of the ones in which he would not stay. He wouldn't demand the high end hotels but he did want safety and cleanliness. He laughed, these people would be better off just sending him the money up front and then he could squeeze it to get what he wanted and add on what he couldn't. He finally heard back and was told they would indeed be paying for his trip up front.

He already knew his flight from Athens to DC and then on to New Orleans would cost less than a flight from Athens to New Orleans. The woman with whom he was working on travel arrangements was amenable to the changes, especially when he didn't need room and board for the extra days. The two of them went down the list of hotels in New Orleans until Tim finally told her where he would not stay. There was silence and the woman finally told him how much they'd budgeted for his five day stay. He asked if they would give him a cashier's check for that now and he would make his own arrangements. He was happily surprised when that was acceptable.

In the meantime Lina had been in touch with the gallery and they were thrilled that she would be in town and set up a meeting with her. They offered to reimburse her for airfare and pay for the hotel she mentioned planning to stay in, saying they had a corporate account there. Lina accepted the offer for airfare and after she explained the situation with the hotel, the gallery offered to pay the difference between what Tim would receive and the room cost. As that meant they'd be able to stay in one of the nicer hotels in town, she agreed. Their flights and hotel booked, Tim next sent e-mails to his family, letting them know of their hope to see everyone during that one weekend. His grandfather already knew and had told Gibbs. Tim was worried when he didn't hear back from anyone until Ducky told him that they were working together to get organized. He finally received a plan that was so organized it could have been presented with bullet points in a slideshow.

Gibbs and Ducky would pick them up at the airport on Friday and there was a note that both men were taking the day off to avoid being called out.

They would stay at Ducky's for the weekend.

Dinner Friday night would be with Gibbs, Ducky and possibly Jackson.

The Hubbards, who had the biggest house, were hosting a party for them on Saturday.

Sunday would be breakfast with Jimmy and Breena as they were unable to attend the party; there was also a note that said it was scheduled early so they'd have time to sightsee if they wanted.

The Hubbard family had them for dinner Sunday night.

Monday had been left open for them.

The Cranes would drive them to the airport Monday evening.

Tim exclaimed as he read the plans aloud to Lina. "Hey, Gibbs is loaning us his car for the weekend."

"Won't that inconvenience him?"

"He also has a pickup truck."

"Good!"

Tim laughed, "Wait until you see his car! It's bright yellow with a black stripe on it."

She looked at him, thinking and then grinned, "Is it what they call a muscle car?"

"You know about those?"

"Yes, from my work in California."

"Ok good because yes, it is a muscle car."

As their departure day drew near, Tim got more excited, only facing reality when any unfortunate soul asked him about the trial itself. Attorney Bailey scheduled a meeting with him the morning he was due in court.

The day of their departure, Tim drove his car into work with their luggage. Lina drove home where Tim and Matt would pick her up on the way to the airport. Tim did some work during the morning but had a hard time focusing. He finally gave up and went out to the kitchen so he wouldn't distract anyone else. He was touched and amused as each of his co-workers came in briefly to say goodbye to him, he reminded each one he'd be back in less than two weeks. Tea and Eva each kissed him on the cheek. Finally it was lunchtime and Pete came in to give him a hug, told him to be safe and not to worry about anything.

Tim looked at him, "I know you're going to get the biggest case of the century the minute the plane's in the air. You promise to keep yourselves safe as well!"

Pete laughed, "Hopefully not the biggest case of the century and we'll be fine. You concentrate on Lina, your family and friends and don't think about the trial. Who knows, you may not even have to testify!"

Tim brightened, "That would be fine and with the money they've already spent on my expenses, Abby's now paid me back for both of the jackets she destroyed."

Pete looked at him and Tim rolled his eyes, "Tell you sometime."

When Matt poked his head into the kitchen, Tim joined him after grabbing his belongings. Bec and Kim both gave him hugs and Tim appreciated that they were light and affectionate, not bone crushing and endless without thought to anyone's need to breathe. Lina was ready when they arrived at her house; in fact she told them she had been pacing for several minutes. They'd planned for traffic and weren't disappointed; however they made it to the airport in plenty of time. Matt pulled up to the Departures area and popped the trunk open. Their bags out of the car, Lina gave Matt a kiss on the cheek and Tim hugged him before they rolled their luggage into the terminal. After checking their suitcases, where Lina was surprised and very happy to find Tim had upgraded them to first class, they had lunch and eventually went through security. They stayed on their feet until just before boarding, knowing they would be sitting for much of the next 11 plus hours. Talking about walking across the Atlantic made Tim think of the Russells' games before dessert and he and Lina chuckled over the idea of playing nerf ball on the plane. As they boarded, Tim sent a text to Rob who in turn would e-mail their grandfather. While Ducky professed not to be as much of a worrywart as Timothy, they knew he would still worry until he knew details and could track the progress of Tim and Lina's flight. As they were finding out, the acorn had not fallen all that far from the tree when it came to traits shared between Grandfa and Timpa.

The flight went smoothly despite being endless. After spending eternity eating, napping, walking, drinking water, talking, cuddling, playing cards, standing, reading, writing, walking, drinking water, talking, cuddling, sleeping, watching TV shows, drinking water, cuddling, talking, more cards, walking, eating, cuddling, drinking water, waiting in line for the restroom, reading, standing, talking, cuddling, walking, reading, watching movies, cuddling, drinking water, snacking, waiting in line again, more cuddling and walking some more, they had finally crossed the Atlantic and started the descent into Dulles. Once they landed, they quickly deplaned and split up to use the restrooms without having to wait in line. From there they headed to Baggage Claim/Customs and spotted Grandfa Ducky and Gibbs waiting for them.

Once they'd cleared Customs, they rolled their suitcases straight over to the two older men. Pulled into his grandfather's arms, Tim relished the love and affection. Then he whispered in his grandfather's ear and leaving Lina in his arms, moved toward Gibbs.

The older man's face was wet as he held his arms open for his surrogate son, his youngest, the one he'd been so afraid he'd never see again, and held onto him. The two of them held tightly to each other and Tim found that he too was crying as he burrowed his head into Gibbs' shoulder. It was several minutes before they pulled apart and Gibbs reached out and cupped his cheek. "Welcome home, Tim!" Tim just grinned at him and they hugged again.

Eventually looking around, they found that Ducky and Lina were patiently chatting while others were smiling at the two men, perhaps moved by their emotional greeting. When finally introduced to Gibbs, Lina gave him a kiss on the cheek and he gave her a gentle hug. She asked him what she should call him and he grinned, saying, "My full name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs…take your pick."

She grinned back at him, "Gibbs then."

Grabbing the suitcases, they rolled out to the sidewalk where Tim was not in the least bit surprised to see an agency sedan parked at the curb with a placard reading "NCIS Official Business" in the window. He shook his head and Ducky laughed, "It was the Director's idea!"

Gibbs grinned, "He came down the stairs last night and threw keys at me, said that he couldn't stand the thought of your long legs stuffed into the backseat of the Challenger."

Tim laughed as he climbed into the backseat after Lina, "We'll have to remember to thank him." He shivered and pulled his jacket closer, wishing he'd changed into something warmer as Lina had before landing. She looked at him smugly and he smiled, "I know, I should have listened to you!" From the driver's seat Gibbs exclaimed "Incoming!" and tossing a hoodie over the seatback to Tim. Shedding his jacket, he pulled the hoodie over his head and put his jacket back on over it. That was much better. "I did remember there was real winter weather here, but I packed all my warm stuff."

They chatted about the endless flight while they pulled onto the freeway. Tim was thankful it was Friday which meant a somewhat lighter commute and they were past the peak of morning commute hours. His stomach growled and Lina looked at him, her eyes wide. "You're hungry?"

"Well, it's dinner time at home. We should be cooking or headed out to the FP."

She nodded, "It will take us a few days to adjust."

Ducky interjected, "Yes, your grandmother wanted you to know they'll have nap areas prepared for you tomorrow."

They laughed at that, knowing they would need naps during the day, after all jet lag existed on both sides of the ocean. Tim grinned as Gibbs took an exit off the freeway, this was not the way to his grandfather's but he did have an idea where they were headed. As they pulled into the parking area, Gibbs said, "Thought since you were hungry, we'd introduce Lina to diner food. Or have you experienced that before, Lina?"

"Not an authentic one, no I haven't Gibbs."

"Great! Now Timothy, there are no souvlaki or gyro pitas here, are you going to be ok?"

Tim chuckled, "You know me, Grandfa, always up for a new adventure." They entered and sat in Gibbs' favorite booth. His favorite server and friend Elaine appeared and was happily introduced to Tim and Lina. She gave them three menus and when Lina looked puzzled she explained, "Gibbs doesn't need a menu. Ducky probably doesn't need one either but he likes to have one."

Gibbs was a little embarrassed and Tim grinned at him. "So this is the famous diner...it's nice, comfortable."

"And the food is quite good, Timothy."

"Even if there isn't any souvlaki."

Tim laughed at his former boss, "You wait until you've tasted minced meat souvlaki, you'll be begging them to add it onto the menu here." His grandfather tapped his hand, "Or one of Timothy's gyro pitas, they're quite good as well."

Tim sat back, "Is Jackson down here this weekend? On the plan he's having dinner with us tonight."

"Yep, he's here. He had some shopping to do though, wouldn't tell me what. You'll see him at dinner, he's excited to see you and of course to meet Lina." Tim nodded and Gibbs continued, making sure there was nobody around them first, "Tim, do you know why Abby's attorney wants you to testify? I've never heard of the intended victim being called to testify for defense, that's just weird."

"I talked with some legal people – and Fornell & Morrow – about it and the only thing they can come up with is to force me to admit no harm was done to me."

"Through no fault of hers; her intent was clearly to harm you!"

"Yep. Strange isn't it?"

"Well yeah and they're paying for your expenses."

"They sure are, paid up front…had to after higher powers told me they would do that."

"Nice, no hassles for you."

"None! I had them mail Grandfa a cashier's check in my name and he deposited it for me, so here we are!"

Elaine brought their food then and Tim tried not to inhale the cheeseburger deluxe he'd ordered. He'd had burgers since he'd left the U.S. and they were tasty enough, but they had not been burgers from home.

Once they reached Grandfa's house, he and Lina unpacked, took showers and wandered around the house for a bit. Ducky had the photo albums Abby left behind and Lina spent some time looking through them, asking Tim questions every so often. Tim had a quick Skype call with Pete to let them know they had arrived safely. He was told no new cases had come in and everyone wished they were with Tim and Lina. He'd already let his siblings know they were here, so those duties were done for the day. As he signed off his laptop he started yawning and noticed that Lina hadn't commented on the photos in several minutes. He found her asleep in Ducky's study. Gently waking her, they went up to their room for a nap.

* * *

><p>YAY! 69 chapters it's taken me to reunite Tim and Gibbs! Hmm, plus The Thought and The Project, so really nearly 80 chapters. Well, they've had a lot to work out. Thanks for coming with me on the journey, having faith that I'd reunite them. We're not done yet by any means but I've been waiting for months to post this!<p> 


	70. Chapter 70

FINDING HOME, CHAPTER SEVENTY

Dinner that night was wonderful. At least the company was and Tim was pretty sure the food had been equally wonderful. They drove to Gibbs' house in Arlington and were graced with more hugs from Jackson and Jethro. Lina amused everyone by asking for a tour of the infamous basement and Tim went with them. She charmed Gibbs as she had from the start, by asking about his various projects and almost shyly he showed her some of the toys he was making. When she asked if it wasn't early to start on Christmas toys, Gibbs hemmed and hawed a bit until Tim figured it out.

"These aren't for Christmas, are they Boss?'

Gibbs shook his head, "No Tim, these will be ready in another month or so."

Tim looked at him, biting his lip to keep his emotions at bay as he thought about the answer to the question he was about to ask. "Boss, who are these for?"

"For your kids, Tim. The shelter and camp kids."

"For any special occasion?"

"Kids should have toys and love throughout the year, not just on Christmas." He whispered the last part as he had pulled his youngest toward him and had his arms full of Tim. "I'm doing this for you – or the kid you were."

Tim nodded; Gibbs could feel the movement on his shoulder and neck. "I…I've done so much harm to you, I just want to make it up. I know I can't change what happened but I can be a better person, Tim."

"You already are Boss; I think you must be closer to the guy who was married to Shannon and Daddy to Kelly than you've been in years. And we're ok now, I trust your affection is for me now and you know I love you."

"Me too, son, you know that. Tim, if I'd known you were there – in Baltimore – if I had known about it, I would have found you and brought you all home with me, raised you myself."

"I know Poppy; you and Grandfa and Gram and Penny and the uncles and aunts. I know you would have and that knowledge makes me feel incredibly loved."

"Poppy? Is that my new name?"

"Can't call you Boss forever, hoping you'll be grandfather to some little McGees someday. Poppy seems like a good name if that's ok with you."

"Oh yeah, it's great…I never thou…never thought I'd have this chance - chances, Timothy, another chance with you and a chance to be Poppy to anyone. Thank you." He pulled back from Tim, "Are you trying to tell me something?"

Tim laughed, "Only that I love you. We're not having babies anytime soon, right honey?"

He looked around the basement and made a face at Gibbs. "I didn't hear her go upstairs."

Gibbs shook his head, "Me either. Guess she knew we needed some time together."

Tim huffed, "Been trying to figure out where that would fit in the schedule."

"Sunday."

"Huh?"

"Claire is taking Lina sightseeing or shopping or something for a couple of hours on Sunday so you and I can have some time together."

Tim's face split into a grin, "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I made that request when the plan was put together, that I have some alone time with you. You two are having dinner Sunday with Maisie, Ducky and the Hubbards, but you and I have the two hours before that together."

"Lina wants to sightsee which we'll do Monday and she wants to go to Baltimore."

"Hmm, ya think you could do Baltimore on the following weekend, when you're back from New Orleans?"

"Yeah, good idea. We could even fly straight in there, rent a car, go visit and then drive here." Tim shrugged, "If I'm lucky, I'll be able to leave Thursday. Lina is having her meetings Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday just in case. She should be the one to choose whether we stay and sightsee there or come back here."

Gibbs nodded. "Good idea."

They raised their heads as they heard a shout from Jackson.

"Is he ok?"

"Think he said dinner is ready. Overall…something's off but he won't say. He does have a doctor's appointment next week; I told him if he didn't promise a full report, I'd drive up and go with him."

Tim grinned, "That scare him into it?"

"I don't know about scaring him, but he did agree. And I'm hoping he'll confide in Ducky while he's down here."

The two men climbed the stairs to the main level of the house and then went to wash up. Lina was looking at the framed photos scattered across the mantel and bookshelves; Jackson and Ducky had been explaining who everyone was.

Jethro gave Lina another almost shy smile and quietly thanked her. She smiled, "I know you two need time together."

Tim looked up, "What time does the party start tomorrow?"

"1300…that's 1:00 PM."

Lina laughed, "That's all right, Tim slips every now and then, I finally figured out how to translate military time."

"Hmm, hey Hon, I'm sure we'll be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow, why don't we get in a couple of hours of sightseeing?"

"Oh that would be wonderful, Tim!"

"The museums won't be open till later but if we're out early, we can see the Lincoln Memorial, the Wall and the National Mall."

"The Wall is the Vietnam memorial?"

"Yes."

"I've wanted to see that for so long, yes."

"The Washington Monument will be open at 0900, Timothy."

"Ok, thanks Grandfa. So sweetie we can see quite a bit, we'll just have to wear all our winter clothes!"

She laughed, "That's all right, I know we'll keep each other warm."

Grandfa cleared his throat, "The Smithsonian and the National Gallery don't open until 10:00. And the Gallery is not open on Sundays."

"Oh, perhaps we can do that on Monday, Tim…the Gallery?" Tim nodded, loving her enthusiasm and flexibility. "Why don't you pick which Smithsonian – or what exhibits you'd like to see – and we can maybe get one or two of those in tomorrow or Sunday."

"Is there a list I can look at?"

Ducky laughed, "I just happen to have…" He pulled out a brochure with a list of all the current exhibits. "I'm a lifetime member, my dear, so you two may use my family card. That way you can go in and out without having to pay each time."

By this time they were sitting at the table and Gibbs was serving their dinner while Jackson explained what they were having. "I asked Ducky and he told me you don't get a lot of beef over there in Greece, so that's where I started."

They had a delicious beef roast with baked potatoes, rolls and green beans with slivers of almonds in them. When Gibbs noticed Tim eating his vegetables, he had to make a comment. "Never seen you willingly eat vegetables before."

"Two doctors in the family, no choice now. Besides," he stopped to wipe his mouth with his napkin, "I've discovered that vegetables sautéed in olive oil with onions and garlic are delicious no matter what they are."

Jackson slapped his forehead, "Olive oil, onion and garlic! If we'd only known, Tim! Leroy's mother and I would have been thrilled to see him eat green beans the way you do!"

They all laughed and Tim continued, "The real truth of the matter is that I was 'indulging' myself by not eating them, Boss. Growing up, we ate whatever food we could find, green beans, squash, whatever we could get. We couldn't afford to be picky and I was the only one who remembered hating vegetables, so I kept my opinions to myself and ate. Food was food!"

His grandfather reached across the table, "Thank heavens there were fruits and vegetables available, my boy."

They didn't stay late as jet lag paid another visit; Ducky took them home before they fell asleep on Gibbs' couch. They knew they'd see them at the party, again on Sunday and probably on Monday as well.

They woke up early Saturday morning and waited until the sky started to lighten before they got up. Not wanting to wake Ducky, they thought they'd eat out, but found a slow cooker full of hot oatmeal, the coffeemaker brewing and fresh fruit on the counter with a note from Grandfa to take it with them and to please be home by noon. His Smithsonian card was clipped to the note and Tim put it in his wallet. After a hearty breakfast, they grabbed their coats, scarves, gloves, hats and packs and took off for Lina's first sightseeing adventure in the capital. At the Lincoln Memorial, Lina was enthralled with the building and the memorial itself. "Your President Lincoln has always been a hero of mine. And when I was little, I saw the pictures of Martin Luther King, another hero, speaking here. I've always wanted to stand on these steps."

Tim took photos for her and asked a jogger who'd stopped to stretch to take a photo of them together. The man smiled and replied, "Sure Tim, glad to see you! Tobias told me you'd be in town." Tim looked and when the man took off his cap, he saw it was none other than Ron Sacks!

"Hey man, what a surprise, glad to see you too! Lina, this is a friend from the FBI, Ron Sacks. Ron, this is Lina Kalivas, my girlfriend." They exchanged greetings and Ron and Tim caught up while Lina explored the memorial. When she came back down the steps, Ron took off to finish his run. He told Tim he might be in New Orleans for the trial; Emily had something going on and Tobias wasn't sure he could make it. Lina smiled at that, "We will know someone in New Orleans, that's great!" "Yeah it is hon, although I will be discouraged from speaking to them. Could cause a mistrial… or maybe that's what the Defense wants...huh! You know, maybe Bailey thinks with a mistrial, the government won't go for the expense of a second trial." He pulled out his phone and called Gibbs to explain his new theory. Gibbs hmphed and said he'd call Tobias and let him and the prosecution figure it out.

In the meantime, Lina and Tim paid a visit to the Wall and the surrounding memorials. Lina had a name to find. Her friend the U. S. Ambassador to Greece had lost her older brother in Vietnam so they looked for him on the directory and then found him on the Wall. Tim was tall enough to see it but Lina couldn't, so Tim lifted her up, much to her embarrassment, onto his shoulders so she could see the name. She'd already taken a photo of the Wall, as it gently seemed to curve and move down the slight slope, now she pressed a fresh bloom into his tile and took a photo of it. It was close to 9:00 AM now, so they walked around the reflecting pool to the Washington Monument. They were first in line when it opened and Tim admitted to Lina that he'd never been here before. They both enjoyed the Monument and the views, Tim doing his best to look out and not down. Lina spotted their next goal, the Smithsonian. Ducky's note had said if they were ready to visit before 10, they could try the back entrance where the employees and volunteers entered. He advised Tim to have his badge and id ready as well as Ducky's card. When he showed the card to the door keeper, she smiled, "OH, your grandfather called and said you might need to come in before hours. Please, come on in. He's done so much for us here – and he also reminded me that you were part of the team that took down that crazy woman a few years ago."

Tim nodded, "The one with the cell phone in the Civil War coffin? Yes, I was part of that team."

"You should have been given lifetime passes then, keeping the Smithsonian's name out of the mud!"

Tim laughed, "Thank you but we're federal agents and not allowed to accept gifts, no matter how wonderful that would be."

They had entered the museum by now and Lina pulled out her list of exhibits. Their new friend had duties to attend to, but took them to the first exhibit on Lina's list and told them where the next one was. Then she took the list and numbered the items in order of appearance throughout the museum. After she hurried off, Lina remarked, "Really Tim, you keep saying the Greeks are so friendly, but everyone here has been wonderful too!"

He snorted, "Lina, everyone we've seen this morning either knew me or Grandfa. Although I will give you the coffee barista, she was sweet."

Lina huffed, "I didn't like her at all! She was flirting with you!"

"Oh." He leaned over and kissed her, "Wasted effort on her part, I'm taken."

She smiled, "Nicely done, love, and the best thing is I know you mean it." They managed to see about half of the exhibits Lina had targeted before Tim's growling stomach chased them to the cafeteria. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I don't know why I'm so hungry!"

"It is dinner time at home and you haven't had your pastry today, after all."

They laughed at that as they had a second breakfast.

They were at Ducky's before noon; by the time they cleaned up and changed it was time to go. Ducky 'let' Tim drive, opting to navigate. Knowing his grandfather's proclivity for getting lost, Tim had googled the directions earlier. They arrived at the house and Tim parked, smiling as he looked at the large sprawling home. It was on a quiet cul-de-sac and it looked very American. It was two stories with a wide porch the length of the entire front of the house. Taking Lina's hand, the two walked with Ducky to the front door which was opened by Uncle Jim as Tim raised his hand to knock. "Oh boy, I am so glad to see you!" Tim and Lina were engulfed in the Captain's arms as he greeted them.

When he was able to speak, Tim grinned, "Didn't even have to wait for summer!"

"Hurray for that although not the reason. Now come on in while I greet my stepfather."

Tim's eyes widened and Ducky blushed, "Now James."

"For all intents and purposes, Donald." Tim and Lina grinned at each other, glad to know their happy suspicions were correct: Ducky and Maisie were seeing each other and it sounded like they had rekindled their romance. Maisie was right behind her son and she cried as she held her grandson and the woman she hoped would someday be her granddaughter. Tim murmured to her and she nodded, so thankful to see him in person. She touched his face, traced his cheeks and eyes and touched the oldest scar on his face and the newest. "What happened there, dear one?"

"Bomb blast a few years ago Grammie; the guy who did it is dead, won't hurt anyone ever again."

She nodded and then wrapped him in her arms again. Not accustomed to maternal affection, Tim returned it the best he could, kissing her on the top of her head. Eventually she let go of him and he met Aunt Claire and his cousins Callum and Ainsley who were wide eyed at the cousin who had come back from the dead. Callum told him shyly that his middle name was Timothy and Tim grinned, hugging him a little closer. After talking with them for a little bit, Tim looked up to see his godfather and godmother standing there, waiting. He smiled and kissed his Aunt Liz – he was getting the hang of this now – hugged her and then relaxed into Uncle Dave's arms. Beside him, Lina was talking with Claire and the kids and getting a drink from Jim.

The next to arrive were the Gibbs' and Tim was relieved that everyone greeted his former boss with affection. He hadn't worried about Jackson, but he had…a little…with Jethro. There was champagne and sparkling cider; toasts were made for the re-united families, Tim's return to the U.S. and to welcome Lina to the family and the U.S. She felt comfortable with these people; except for the cultural differences they were much like her own family – warm and loving; perfectly willing to reach out and draw a relative stranger into the fold.

Uncle Jim and Gibbs (Jethro) were just putting chicken, burgers and hot dogs on the grill an hour later when the doorbell rang and Claire answered it. To Tim's surprise and delight, the Vance family walked in. They greeted both Tim and Lina with hugs and were warmly greeted by the rest of the group. Lina was especially happy to see more people she already knew. They were just getting settled when the bell rang again and Tim being the closest, opened the door to find Tobias and Emily Fornell. More hugs, no kisses this time and an introduction to Lina. Tobias said he needed to talk with Jethro and they excused themselves. Tim tensed; figuring the answer to his question this morning was being given. Uncle Dave saw his godson's shoulders tense and slid behind him, giving him a shoulder rub. "Whatever it is, it'll be fine."

"Thanks Uncle. Oh yeah, that feels good."

Jethro came back out with a funny look on his face. "Everyone, may I have your attention? Jim…need you in here please!" He explained the problem with the defense council's probable ploy and the group groaned. Tim stood just looking at him. "Now, what we're going to do is be very careful. First, after this, nobody mentions the reason why Tim and Lina are in the U.S., everyone got that? Actually we can talk about Lina's reason – her work being shown at the art gallery – that's wonderful! Second, Tobias was told he could stay but he may not be alone with Tim. They can talk to each other but only with witnesses. Leon, I think you, me and Ducky can deal with that – and Lina, you too. None of us wants to get too far from him anyway, right?" That met with laughter. "Ok, that's all, not too bad, oh I forgot, does anyone have a video camera here? No Tim, can't use your phone, sorry, needs to be a "civilian".

Jim raised his hand, "I think my phone does video recording, I've never used it for that though."

Tim looked around the room as he didn't think using Lina's phone would be a good idea either. He caught Kayla's eye and she nodded, "I can show you, Captain Hubbard."

"Thanks Kayla, I appreciate that."

Tim looked at her again and she frowned, "Oh, you want me to handle it…uh Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked startled and then looked at Tim who was giving him a "YES" look.

"Yeah, Kayla, that would be great! How about you kids being in charge of the video…remember keep Tim in it all the time as proof there's no collusion here."

Callum frowned and disappeared and Ainsley grinned, "He's going to look up the word collusion."

The young man returned and announced to the room, "It means to act together secretly to achieve a fraudulent, illegal or deceitful purpose. Like a conspiracy only it always means something bad."

"Good job, son and thank you!"

Callum smiled at the praise from his father and turning, hugged his cousin, "I know you wouldn't do anything like that Tim, you're a federal agent, a good guy!"

Tim huffed and hugged his cousin. "Thanks Callum. You wouldn't believe what some people try."

Gibbs gave him a look and he laughed, "Boss, wish we had time to go fishing! I was telling Grandfa at Christmas I can go sailing now – I haven't been on a sailboat voluntarily since …well I don't actually know when."

Uncle Dave cleared his throat, "Uh that would be when you were 4, Tim. Your dad and I thought we'd take you out on a lake in Puerto Rico. Our thinking was that maybe with calmer waters, you wouldn't get seasick. Poor little guy, you lasted about five minutes before you lost your breakfast."

Gibbs nodded, "Yeah, that's about right, Admiral. He'd take the Dramamine® or wear a patch and drink water and it never mattered, poor kid would be sick in a matter of minutes."

Tim shook his head, "So back to sailing…" He turned to Lina, "I've been meaning to ask you to teach me."

"Oh, I'd love to Tim. And maybe Damian would come along too."

"Great! I don't think Matt knows how to sail either and that's another skill we can tuck away for the team."

Uncle Dave patted him on the back, "Wherever your dad is, you've just made him very happy!"

"Did my mother get seasick?"

"No, son, sorry, it was just you."

Ducky spoke up, "Timothy, I've always thought that might be another side effect of your premature birth, unless you had several or severe ear infections as an infant."

They turned and looked at Maisie. "Well, he had some, most children do, but I don't remember anyone being worried that he'd had too many or that they were too severe. Lily always got him to the doctor right away." Tim smiled, he loved hearing about his mother like this.

The party continued throughout the afternoon. There was plenty of good food and good company with many stories told. Tim got a kick out of his Uncle Jim and his former boss out-doing each other with their fishing stories. Much to his surprise as he'd always thought of him as a city dweller, Vance had fish stories too and the three men's stories got wilder and wilder as the laughter grew. Tobias finally stopped them by telling the wildest tall tale he'd ever heard, one that he attributed to Jackson who had been sitting in a chair laughing at all of them. Jack nodded, "Yep, told you that one the first fishing trip we went on together, Tobias. Let's see, that was on the Chillecothe."

Tim frowned, "In Ohio?"

He turned to Gibbs who looked at him with innocent eyes. "So you have taken vacations, gotten away."

The older man shrugged. "Oh yeah sure, every now and then."

Tobias snorted, "More like every weekend you had off, Tim."

Tim's eyes sparkled and Gibbs groaned, "You're going to tell DiNozzo, aren't you?"

Tim nodded, "Oh yeah. Going to call him from New Orleans – it's an hour closer to his time zone -and you are so busted, Boss! For that, I might even track down Ziva and tell her." Vance was thoroughly enjoying this and now he let loose with a belly laugh.

Fish stories aside, however most of the stories told that day involved Tim's family; his parents, Patrick, things that had happened when Lily was alive, Lily as a child. He drank it all in and Kayla, still handing the filming knew how he felt. She and Jared had memorized everything they'd heard about their parents in Greece when they'd been there over Christmas.

Tim stopped for a nap twice, Lina only once. She had been smart and chose sparkling cider instead of the champagne for the toasts and had lemonade instead of beer. She had a wonderful time getting to know Tim's family and re-connecting with the uncles and the Vances. The party lasted into the evening and only broke up when Tim and Lina fell asleep on the couch, curled up together. Ducky woke them to say goodbye to everyone, much to their embarrassment although the others understood.

They slept soundly and had already had their run, showered and dressed by the time Jimmy and Breena arrived the next morning. They enjoyed breakfast with them and Tim was touched that Breena had found a bakery that sold Greek pastries.

Lina laughed, "We've been away for three days and he misses his pastries, Breena, thank you!"

Jimmy laughed, "When he worked here he would have a doughnut most days…" Jimmy continued the story telling Lina about Tim picking the sprinkles off.

She looked at her boyfriend, puzzled. "Tim, I've seen you eat doughnuts with sprinkles, you don't pick them off."

He laughed, "Nah I just did that because I knew it drove DiNozzo crazy. A tiny bit of payback."

"Will you tell him now?"

"Mmm, if the subject comes up, sure." Lina smiled at him and as always, Tim's heart pounded.

The Palmers had news on their plans for family. The young girl they'd met back in November had decided to keep her baby, had never gotten far into the adoption process; however the Palmers had decided to be foster parents, reasoning that whether or not they ever had babies, they could at least love the children who most needed help. They had taken the classes and were certified as foster parents so they wouldn't miss any opportunities to help a child.

When they told Tim they'd visited 'his' shelter and the camp, Tim asked them about specific children and to his relief, the answers were positive. Breena looked at Jimmy and together they looked at Tim. "We've decided to take in siblings, two maybe three children. If we can adopt them, great, but now that we're certified we can at least do that. Siblings that can have a place to live together." Tim swallowed, this was an idea dear to his heart and he gave each of the Palmers a warm hug. Lina listened, taking it all in and remembering Tim telling her about the system here that separated families.

She hoped they would be able to visit Baltimore tomorrow rather than waiting until they returned from New Orleans. Visiting the places where the McGees grew up seemed infinitely more important to her. As for New Orleans, she thought she would do some sightseeing by herself there and then with Tim in the evenings but once he was done with the trial, she wanted to return here. Meeting his family and seeing where he'd grown up, where he'd raised Sarah and Rob were more important to her than monuments and interesting buildings. She could see those some other time.

After the Palmers left, Tim and Lina talked about Baltimore. He was thrilled she wanted to see it the next day and they made plans to drive there. First they'd stop in at the Navy Yard so Lina could see the 'bullpen' and Tim's old desk. She was also curious to see the Director's office. No one had said anything but with the high regard Vance and Pete had for Tim and his work, she wondered if he was being subtly groomed to eventually take Vance's place. The two of them had talked about his career; he knew if he wanted to continue moving up in the agency he couldn't stay in Greece forever. Her career went with her and she wouldn't mind living in the United States as long as she could get home a couple of times a year. They hadn't talked in specifics as their relationship was still evolving but Lina knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Tim and she was sure he felt the same way.

They planned to travel to Thessaloniki in April where Tim would meet her parents and the rest of her family over the Easter holiday. She knew he was dreading meeting her father but now that she knew more about his relationship with Gibbs and how he had battled to salvage and improve it, she had no worries that he would have any problems with her father. It was one weekend and then they would return to Piraeus and their lives.

* * *

><p>HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY TO MY FELLOW AMERICANS! I'm taking some time off to celebrate the 238th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence; my beta and I might have one more chapter for you before I leave but if not, the next chapter up will be Monday, July 7th. Then we'll be returning to twice a week updates, probably Monday and Thursday again. So I'll see you next week, have fun celebrating and be safe!<p> 


	71. Chapter 71

Finding Home, Chapter Seventy One

Ducky went to church with Maisie while the Palmers were visiting. When he came home, he found Lina napping. Tim sat him down in his study and started to quiz him about his relationship with his grandmother. His grandfather laughed, "Maisie asked me to have a talk with you about us, you know. I probably should have done it yesterday morning but I didn't have the heart to keep you from your sightseeing."

Tim looked at him, "Ducky."

"All right, Timothy. Yes, Maisie and I have worked things out between us and rekindled our relationship. We are talking about her moving in here with me."

"And you will marry her."

"Well, yes dear boy, we'll get to that."

"That wasn't a question."

"I see, yes Timothy, I will marry your grandmother and take proper care of her."

"Good!" Tim shook his grandfather's hand. "Congratulations! When's the wedding?"

"I don't know that yet, lad."

"And will you continue working?"

"Yes, until my newest grandchild arrives and gets settled in. Jimmy will need support at work as well as my grandfatherly duties with the child."

"All right. I hope we'll be able to attend your wedding."

"As do I! It will be a small one lad, just family."

"Including Gibbs?"

"Of course, he and Jack are family as are the Palmers, the Vances and Anthony."

Tim grinned, "That's great. I don't suppose you can make it for next weekend?"

"Oh, well…I'll see what we can do but I suppose if we can find a minister and get the license we could do that."

"I'm just kidding! It would be great but please don't rush on our account."

Ducky laughed, "How many years have we waited, lad? I think "don't rush" is several decades past!"

Tim nodded and Ducky looked at him. "What is it?"

"Lina and I are going to her parents' for Easter in April. I'm going to ask for his approval and propose to Lina while we're there, if I can find a time that's appropriate."

"That's wonderful Timothy! I'm so happy for you!"

"I don't know what to do about a ring, Grandfa. The woman designs jewelry, how can I possibly find one that would be even remotely equal to what she makes?"

"Hmm, that is a problem; however I have a solution!"

"What's that?"

"While I suppose I should give it to Maisie, I would rather see it passed to you and we will find our own rings. It's my mother's engagement ring, made in Scotland. It's good quality, probably nothing as good as Lina would make but it is a Mallard family heirloom and I'd like you two to have it – and their wedding bands as well."

"Grandfa!"

"Come, I'll get them from the safe."

"You have them _here_?"

"Yes I got them from the safety deposit box last week. I wanted to give them to you so you could take them home with you. Now if they don't suit, there's no problem, perhaps you could use the stones and reset them to suit Lina's style. In any event, I want you to have them."

Tim shook his head, "No, I mean yes, but may I leave them here until we get back from New Orleans?"

"Of course lad! But don't you want to see them?"

Tim nodded and Ducky took him to the small safe built into the floor of a closet. The ring was beautiful and was in pristine shape. He thought Lina might want to re-use the stones in a setting of her own choice; that would be her decision. He liked the wedding bands; they were simple with clean lines. He picked up the ring and turned it in his fingers, admiring the way the stones looked in the light. Ducky tapped him on the arm, "Hurry lad, I think Lina's awake!" He put the ring back in the box, in the safe and Ducky closed and locked it. They slid into the kitchen with just enough time for Ducky to pick up the tea kettle and Tim to grab a couple of mugs, looking like they were just going to have a cup of tea.

Lina wandered in, her hand over her mouth as she yawned. "Oh my, it feels good to relax!" She hugged Tim from behind, "What have you been up to, my Tim?"

His smile lit up the room and his grandfather chuckled to himself. "Just puttering, sweetie. It does feel good to relax. Does that mean you don't want to do any sightseeing today?"

"Would you mind horribly if we did not?"

Tim shook his head, "Of course not!"

"Well then, what I would most like to do is to stay here with you and Ducky until it's time for Claire to pick me up and for you to do whatever you're planning with Gibbs."

Ducky smiled happily, "Then that's what we'll do! It's quite chilly out again today, so perhaps we'll have a fire in the fireplace, hmm?" They agreed and Ducky went to do that while Tim filled the kettle and turned the flame on under it. They had a companionable few hours, talking about this and that, Ducky telling more stories about his family and his life between leaving London and joining NCIS. Tim recorded with his phone and listened with pleasure, knowing he'd be able to write these stories and keep them, hopefully for his own grandchildren, Ducky's great-great grandchildren.

While they spoke, the rain that had been threatening all day spilled forth and Lina shivered, glad she was indoors. A loud boom announced an electrical storm and Tim went to the kitchen for flashlights just in case. The fire and the company made them feel cozy while they listened to Ducky's stories and all too soon, Tim's phone buzzed with a 20 minute warning for their afternoon plans. Lina ran upstairs to change while Tim found his jacket and other outdoor gear. When Gibbs had asked him what he wanted to do this afternoon, Tim told him he'd like to help with the toys, so he took a clean shirt with him to change into for dinner with the Hubbards. He waited until Claire arrived to pick up Lina, happy to see that the thunder and lightning had moved on and the rain had stopped. Once the women drove off, Tim slipped into the Challenger and waving goodbye to his grandfather, headed to Gibbs' home.

He was amused to find that Gibbs' front door was locked. He raised his hand to knock just as his former boss opened it, putting a finger to his lips. As they walked through to the basement door, Tim saw why: Jackson was asleep in a recliner Tim hadn't noticed the other night. He waited until they were down the stairs into the basement before he asked about the recliner and Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, I got it for him for Christmas. Well, I got two, one for him at home and one for him here."

"And you never sit in it, right?"

Gibbs chuckled, "I swore I wouldn't but you know it's pretty comfortable and perfect for watching TV."

Tim nodded, "Gets your knee elevated too, good for it."

Gibbs nodded, "Never knew a chair could make ya feel so much better. When I kick back and put my leg up…feels good doin' that."

"You ever think about having surgery, getting it taken care of?"

"Yeah, been thinking about it. Didn't want to do it before, now I'm thinking I'd better do it before I have to do it or be forced to retire because of it."

"Do you know how long you'd have to be off work?"

"Off entirely- 3 weeks until I can do desk duty. Out of the field, could be months."

Tim nodded. "I imagine no stairs for the first couple of weeks. You could stay at Ducky's."

"We've talked about it. Dad says I could recuperate in Stillwater, but that's either a long drive or a flight and a drive and then I'd be on his couch for a week. Not sure either of us could handle it."

"Sounds like Grandfa's place is the best idea. You'd have a bed there and Jack could come visit. Or," Tim threw this out as a wild idea, "you could have the surgery in Greece and recuperate at my house. I have that downstairs bedroom and the office is two minutes away. Even if we got called away, Lina would be there and plenty of others to help if you needed anything."

His former boss just stared at him until Tim fidgeted and then Gibbs snapped out of it. Putting his hand on Tim's shoulder he pulled him in for a hug. "You are the most generous soul, Tim. You're not kidding are you?"

"No, I know it's a wild idea, you'd have to get your insurance company to agree on it and probably pay for your flight out of your own pocket, but I've got the room and lots of people to help."

"And you wouldn't mind?"

Tim grinned, "Wouldn't have mentioned it if I did."

Gibbs ruffled his hair. "I'll talk with Ducky and the insurance company about it. Would you care when?"

"We'll be away in April for Easter, going to meet Lina's parents, but that's just for a weekend."

"That's only two months from now, don't know whether insurance companies move that fast."

"The doctor that treated me when I was injured has her own practice now and she's my physician. I could see if I can get some referrals from her for orthopedic surgeons. If this takes long enough, Rob might even be there working in the hospital, he's thinking about transferring from London."

"He doesn't like London?"

"He's having a hard time being away from me. You know, he was emotionally abused and neglected from the time he was born until he met us and this sounds sort of like he's feeling abandoned even though he hasn't been. It adds up to him having a really hard time adjusting. I feel awful that I hadn't realized but you know we didn't live together here, not once he started college. I suppose we were close enough that it didn't bother him. The idea with London was that he'd stay with James for a couple of weeks and find his own place closer to school and work. But he stayed with James and now I know it's because it felt safe. James is my friend and I'd stayed there, plus he works at NCIS. So Rob is still there, even though it's a long commute at ungodly hours. James is fine with it, but I don't want Rob…" Tim sighed, "he's not a baby anymore, he's a grown man, but I want to help him with this. I don't know whether a transfer to Athens is the answer. Part of me is really happy about it, the other part is afraid it will just compound the problem. He's going to have to live without me being nearby at some point. Anyway, James says he got better when Sarah arrived, but now he's working too hard. Ducky and I spoke with him at Christmas, separately and together. I worry about him – I worried before but I thought it was just taking him longer to settle in. Now that I know how miserable he's been, I want to help him find a solution."

"He won that same prize that Ducky did, right?"

"Yeah and he can transfer to Athens, they're part of the group. His "prize year" will be up in November. I don't know yet what he plans to do after that, I think he'll need to start applying for his internship and then his residency."

"If he moves back here, he'll have all of us."

"Yeah and that's a huge relief. He can live with Gram and Grandfa or the Hubbards or Cranes."

"Or here with me."

Tim smiled, "Thanks, that's good to know and I'll let him know that." He gestured, "Really at some point he's going to have to live on his own, but at least to have all of you nearby, that should help. In the meantime, I guess I should talk with Dr. Agnos about this – and Rob should get some counseling too."

"That's a good idea, Tim. You're a good dad, good brother."

Tim shook his head, "So back to you and Greece."

"It's a lot to ask of anyone, Tim, are you sure you want me to pursue this – I'd probably be there for at least a month."

Tim smiled, "It does sound impulsive, doesn't it? You know I don't have a basement."

Gibbs snorted, "Wouldn't be able to get down into it anyway."

Tim nodded. "Why don't we do this… let me talk with Lina over the next week and make sure she's comfortable with the idea too. She hasn't exactly moved in yet, but I'm thinking after we make the trip at Easter, she might be ready. Then if she's fine with it, so am I and if you can get your approvals and everything you need, great. If it doesn't, then you still have surgery but stay with Ducky."

Gibbs smiled, "All right, that's a good plan. So…after the trip north, huh?"

Tim smiled, "Yep, planning on asking her parents' approval and then proposing."

"Wow, that's great!"

Tim looked at him with a funny look.

"You nervous?"

Tim nodded, "It isn't that she's not the right one or that I'm not right for her; I'm sure that we're right for each other. I am a little afraid it's too soon, but we can have a long engagement."

"Or a long marriage spent getting to know each other."

Tim grinned, "Always wondered if you were a romantic, Boss."

Gibbs huffed as he gave the back of Tim's neck an affectionate squeeze, "Four marriages, oh yeah."

"Ever think you'll marry again?"

Gibbs sighed, "After Stephanie and I split, I swore that was it and I've kind of figured out what I was doing wrong. Now…I'm enough of an idiot that if the right one came along, maybe. But I'd sure take my time!"

"Maybe after you retire; no cases to rush off to or to be preoccupied with."

"Yeah, how is Lina handling that?"

Tim told him about her paintings. "Huh that's a different approach. It's good that she has her own career and can focus on that."

Gibbs had the toys spread out into different groups, those that needed physical work – wheels attached, etc., those that needed sanding, those that needed painting and finally those that were done and painted and just needed a clear coat of varnish to protect the paint. Tim decided he probably didn't have the time today to learn how to craft or build, so he opted to start with sanding while Gibbs attached wings, wheels, arms and legs; Tim was amused to see that he'd made some small wooden dolls and animals. While they were working, Gibbs asked if they were going to the shelter and camp the next day and Tim nodded. "Lina says it's more important for her to see them than the historical sites."

Gibbs patted him on the shoulder, "That's good son; she's really a great person, huh?"

"Oh yeah, she's the best! Meeting Lina has made me forget my track record with the crazies."

Gibbs snorted and they both laughed. Tim had had a sneaking suspicion about something since Friday and decided to investigate further, knowing he'd only get an answer if Gibbs was ready to give it.

"I'll be interested to see whether there are any changes at the shelter or the camp."

"Mmm."

"You know, like maybe somebody has finally fixed the cabinet doors in the kitchen or the hole in the wall in the great room that old Nate punched in when I was 11, things like that."

"Yeah?"

"Poppy."

Gibbs hung his head with a laugh. "Busted, how can I resist when you call me that! When did you suspect?"

"Friday when you were shy about telling us you were making things for the shelter kids. I wondered what else you'd done down there that you didn't want to talk about."

Gibbs sighed. "I didn't want you to think I'd done it to…get back into your good graces."

"You did that with your hard work with Dr. Cranston and me, you don't need to stress about that anymore. From now on if we have problems with each other, we let each other know, right?"

Gibbs nodded. "And we'll work it out." Tim reached over and gave his future kids' grandfather an arm squeeze. "Thank you for wanting to work it out with me. I know all of this has been hard on you. Thinking you'd lost me, Tony sent away; guess it started with Ziva leaving, then Abby…"

Gibbs nodded, "We've worked it out – you and me, Tony is doing ok, think it was time for him to leave the nest too and the girls…" he sighed. "They're grown women, just like you two are grown men, but you four will always be my 'boys' and 'girls'. I hope Ziva will remember who we were to her, who we are – family and as for Abby, I don't know Tim, there's got to be something wrong with her." He turned to look directly at Tim. "I know now about all the crap she pulled on you and that everyone hid it from me – at least I hope I know about it all. But even so, Tim, hiring an ex-con to kill you, I…that's just crazy even with everything else she's done."

Tim sat carefully on one of the sawhorses and bit his lip. "She…I still can't believe she did that. All I ever tried to do was be a friend to her and then I ended up practically her servant and still, she blames me for all of it. Vance sort of told me…hinted… that her actions toward me were only a small part of the reason she was terminated. And yet I end up her victim. I don't know how to deal with that. There was so much damage she could have done if they hadn't been watching her. And why were they watching her so soon…even before she did anything?"

Gibbs sighed, "She was vocal about blaming you for everything before she was fired. Vance got worried and talked to Tobias who talked to his boss and that started it."

"Vance told you that?"

Gibbs gave a huff, "No, I don't think he trusted me not to go running after her. He told Ducky who told me."

"Vance would have known Ducky would tell you."

"Yeah, you're right. And I was in no shape or mood to take on Abby's…cause."

Tim shook his head and moved closer to Gibbs. "God, it's been a total fubar mess hasn't it?"

Gibbs pulled him in for another hug, "It could have been worse, son, she could have succeeded in hurting you far worse than she has."

With these particular strong arms around him, Tim felt as safe as he ever remembered feeling. He snuggled into Gibbs' shoulder and felt the older man rubbing his back. He relaxed into Gibbs' affection, soaking it up. He hadn't fully realized it until they'd started fixing things between them, but this is what he'd wanted for so long. Even at his age, he still wanted this comfort, feeling of safety, belonging and support from a dad. And now he had it.

Gibbs was talking again. "So proud of you, kiddo. For having the courage to leave, for letting me fix this with you, giving me another chance – for setting out the terms for me getting help, reaching out to Tony, the wonderful job you're doing in Europe, all of it." He pulled back, and put his hands on either side of Tim's head. "I couldn't be prouder of you if we shared DNA and I'd changed your diapers."

Tim smiled at that and had his hair ruffled for it. Eventually they went back to the toys and Gibbs asked if Tim wanted to take the completed ones with him tomorrow.

He shook his head, "No, you made them, you get to have that joy – watching their faces light up, examining each piece, playing with them. I have some clothes and things I brought with me to give them and I'm sure Lina is acquiring more stuff for them even as we speak."

"Is that a problem for the kids, having new clothes? Is there a danger of them being ripped off?"

Tim shrugged, "Yeah, and I told Lina that. They're better off getting good sturdy clothes from the thrift stores or bargain places than anything too good. Shoes are the biggest problem."

"Getting stolen?"

"No, no, keeping growing feet in them. When Rob finally started growing – he was about 9 – he went through a size every three or four months. That was tough! Things were a little better, I had a pretty good little tutoring business going but that just kept us fed and in basic clothes. Luckily the thrift store people had big hearts and they started saving the next size shoe for him and let me pay when I could. When I got my scholarship money for Johns Hopkins, one of the first things I did was go in and pay my bill with them – we still owed them for 3 pairs of shoes! "

"Place still there?"

"Yeah and now those of us who made it out help support it."

"What's the name?" Tim told him and looked at him. "What are you up to?"

"A couple of ideas. We could have sort of a customer make up the difference program. Say you wanted to buy Rob a pair of shoes that cost $5.00 but you only had $2.00. Rather than layaway, the store could apply the rest of the cost from cash donations. The other things is…we have the Toys for Tots at Christmas, don't know why we can't have a kids clothing drive, even a couple of times during the year. What would they need the most?"

Tim didn't even have to think about that. "It's easy to wear nearly nothing in the summer with no school. Staying warm the rest of the year, that's the toughest part. Warm jackets or coats, hats, gloves, scarves, galoshes – don't forget the kids walk to school – waterproof covers for their cases – sweaters, long johns or thermal underwear for everyone. Socks, winter weight jeans, blankets." He paused, "Packets of hot chocolate. That was always a huge treat for us and if I needed to I could always sell or barter them for something we needed more."

"Wow."

Tim just nodded and sat quietly. Gibbs sat next to him and eventually said, "You can't save every kid, Tim. You made it out and you're being the same sort of angel to the kids there now that the thrift store people and the school secretary were to you, Sarah and Rob."

Tim shrugged, "It's something we all struggle with, those of us who come from there. That sense of obligation and the need, so strong it burns sometimes, to bring each little one home to safety, warmth and a real home."

"Maybe there's something you can do about that. The Palmers are adopting; maybe you and Lina should talk about it too, when the time's right."

"We could be foster parents here, but they don't exist in Greece. Kids go to other family members, although I've read that with the horrible economic problems they've had, kids are sometimes abandoned. There's a hospital in northern Greece that has more than 15 kids living there but they're not sick, they have no place else to go."

"A working hospital?" Tim nodded. "And you want to bring them all home, don't you?"

Tim nodded again, a smile growing on his face. Gibbs looked at him, "Tell me."

"We used to talk about it all the time, me, Sarah, Rob and Geordie - how we'd do it. We'd have a big old house, maybe three stories with lots of bedrooms for kids to share and rooms to play in, even study rooms for reading and doing homework. There'd be a big kitchen and dining room for everyone to eat together. There was a lot of land – we just called it a yard though – with stuff to play on. Sarah always wanted a barn with horses. Rob wanted doctors to be there to take care of the kids, when he got older he decided he would be the doctor there. I wanted a school on site. We'd have lots of kids, we'd first take in the kids who were alone and then we'd take in siblings without parents. We'd have parent-type people at the house and grandparents too. Everyone would have either a mom or dad." He laughed. "We never quite settled on what our roles would be, other than Rob as the school doctor. Sarah and I would have regular jobs and come home to the big house with all the kids every night. Geordie was always going to be a Marine but somehow there."

"And this property - was it in the country?"

"The kids didn't know what 'in the country' meant, so we called it a park. They knew what that was." Tim shook his head, "I haven't thought about that place in years."

"Does it have a name?" Tim noticed Gibbs' use of the present tense but didn't say anything about it.

"Sometimes it was the Tim, Sarah, Geordie and Rob Home. Later when we were older we called it The McGee Home." He laughed, "Sarah wanted a McDonald's and a toy shop next door to us."

He grew thoughtful, "If we all live here again, we could do it."

"If?"

"Sarah and James are nearly as serious as Lina and me."

"Oh. You ok with that?"

Tim huffed, "She's a grown woman."

Gibbs just looked at him and Tim shook his head. "Yeah, ok, most of the time I'm ok with it, if I just think in general terms. But she is my baby sister, always will be." Gibbs nodded. "I talked with James when he visited at Christmas. He knows our background, knows that I would essentially be his father-in-law _and_ brother-in-law. With Rob, Geordie, you, Grandfa, Jack and the uncles standing with me. But I don't worry about him hurting her."

"The other way around?"

"Sarah's impulsive, stubborn and can be difficult."

"As opposed to everyone else in the human race?"

Tim chuckled, "That's pretty much what Grandfa said too."

"Your grandfather is a wise man!"

Tim smiled, "Both of them are." Gibbs grinned at him and they continued their work. By the time Tim's phone alarm buzzed with his 15 minute warning, they'd completed several toys and talked more about any and every thing. He was relaxed and happy, this is just what he'd needed with his surrogate dad and he was pretty sure Gibbs had needed it too.

"You coming by the office tomorrow?"

"Yeah, before we head out to Baltimore and then we'll drop your car off here when we get back."

"Don't need to do that, leave it at Duck's, I'll get it at some point. What time's your flight tomorrow?"

Tim told him and Gibbs nodded. "We'll be back next weekend Poppy. Maybe even Thursday if I'm done."

Gibbs' lips thinned out and Tim grabbed him. "I'll see you next weekend, hell I'll see you at the office tomorrow."

He felt the older man nod into his shoulder. "This has been really good, huh? Our time on Friday and today."

Another nod.

"We'll have more."

Gibbs turned his head, "I'll keep an eye out for a huge three story house in a park, with a barn for horses and a toy shop next door."

Tim laughed, "Wouldn't that be fun, if all of us could live there and raise kids?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. I could live on site and be the carpenter."

"And the grandpa, we'd build you a workshop; well maybe _you'd_ build you a workshop."

They chuckled at that. "Be great. You bring a clean shirt?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot, thanks, I'd better go do that." They peeled away from each other and laughed to see that once again their faces were wet. Tim changed his shirt and reluctantly dragged himself to the car.

* * *

><p>-Unfortunately, the information about the children living in a hospital in Greece seems to be true – or was in February when I wrote this chapter. There were supposed to be hostels set up for their care as well. I only mentioned it because Tim is living there; taking care of children without parents – or parents not able to care for them - is a global problem. If anyone wants the links to the articles, please let me know. Or you can find them in my author's note on NFA and A03 (I'm sure fan fic has deleted them)<p>

**_ blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/02/14/greece_**_._

**_greece_**_.**greek** /2014/02/15/...of-**abandoned**-**children**-in-**greece**_

- There are two famous (or infamous) acronyms that I believe come from the Navy but haven't confirmed that. The first acronym is "snafu" which stands for "situation normal all fouled up".

The second one is fubar, which Tim says to Gibbs, and it means: "fouled up beyond all recognition" (or the R can be for repair, I've heard it both ways). In both cases, I'm being polite with the word fouled, it's usually the more colorful "F" word J!


	72. Chapter 72

Finding Home, Chapter Seventy Two

He had his emotions under control by the time he reached his aunt and uncle's house. There he was greeted again with hugs and kisses and this time he was better prepared to return them, it was one of the things he'd asked Gibbs, how to handle maternal love from his grandmother, godmother and aunt. Lina was waiting for him and for a few minutes they forgot anyone else was there until Grandfa cleared his throat. "Timothy!"

He blinked, "Yeah Ducky? I mean Grandfa?"

There was general laughter and Tim huffed, "You should have yelled 'gear up,' that always gets my attention."

Lina laughed, "What did Gibbs say on the way in from the airport? Oh, yes, 'incoming' as he threw a sweater to Tim."

Tim agreed, "Yep! I bet that word said in just that way gets an immediate response from every law enforcement or military person on the planet."

Callum and Ainsley had things they wanted to show their cousin, so he went with them to their rooms. Callum had his full name done in calligraphy and he wanted Tim to see the 'Timothy'. Ainsley had printed out their family tree and filled in a little more and wanted to show him that. He took the print and sat in her desk chair. "You've done a lot more with it, thanks Ains!"

"Cal and I worked on it and we asked Gram a bunch of questions." She was nervous about something and Tim waited until she finally blurted out, "Is it weird that we have the same grandmother but different grandfathers?"

Tim shook his head, "No, I don't think so. It just happened and you loved your grandfather, didn't you?"

She nodded.

"And I love mine and we both love Gram, so I wouldn't worry about it."

"Ok, I just…we're cousins so I figured you'd understand."

"I do, kind of, but you're the lucky one because you remember your grandfather and now you know mine, but I don't remember Grandpa Hubbard. Sure wish I did."

"He was really sweet, he played with us when we were little, he'd read to us and he taught us how to climb trees!"

"That's very cool! You know maybe he taught me and Patrick that too and I just don't remember."

She showed him her full name written in calligraphy and he got tears in his eyes when he realized her middle name was Patricia. He told her a little about his little brother, her other cousin and she smiled, she was so glad her new cousin had found them and she could find out more about Patrick. Back in the living room, Lina was sitting with Gram and the others, listening to stories about Dan and Tim and Patrick's early childhood in Puerto Rico. When Tim and his cousins returned they sat quietly and listened. Tim wished he could remember those years as well as the times he must have spent with Grandpa Drew and he supposed Grandpa Nelson too.

Much to Uncle Jim's disappointment, his grilling skills were not called upon for this evening's dinner. The meal was delicious with a casserole new to Tim, a recipe he was assured had been in the Hubbard family for years. That served with a salad and homemade crusty bread completed the meal. Tim eyed the bread and opened his mouth to ask Aunt Claire. She jumped in first, "Lina said you'd be interested, Tim. I have a bread machine and I just pop the ingredients in and out comes a loaf of bread a few hours later."

Tim looked thoughtful and Lina leaned over to him, "It doesn't make pastries, love, I already looked at the recipe book."

He nodded sadly and then grinned when his family laughed. "It's a good thing or I'd have to run 20 miles a day to burn off all the calories!"

"Tim, have you gained weight since you moved to Greece?"

"Not yet, Aunty Liz, but I'm working on it!" He continued, "The week the Baton Rouge was in port I thought I was going to have to have the seams on my new suits let out before I'd even worn them!"

The Admiral nodded, "That reminds me, we'll be back in August. Would you please make sure Archimedes will be around?"

They laughed, "Sure and what sort of fabric did you have in mind? He might as well be prepared!"

Claire answered for her husband, "Jim needs a dark suit, Navy Blue, medium weight fabric."

Liz looked at Tim, "Your godfather wants a summer weight one, the same color as your second suit – that's what he told me."

Tim pulled his phone out and showed his aunts a photo of him in his dark blue suit and one in his light colored one. The women nodded. "He really finishes them in 3 days?"

"No. That was because he'd already made me a tux and had all my measurements, done the fittings, etc."

Ainsley wanted to see him in his tuxedo and he started scrolling through his photos when his grandfather beat him to it. "Here Ainsley, I have one of your cousin in his new tuxedo." She looked at the photo on Ducky's phone and grinned, "Very elegant. How come Lina isn't in the picture?"

Lina groaned, "Because I came down with a flu bug that day and Tim, the Admiral and your father had to rescue me from work and take me home."

There were sympathetic sounds all around the table and Tim remembered he still wanted to take Lina somewhere where they could dress up.

The children had school the next day and Ducky had work, so the party broke up fairly early. Lina and Tim confirmed their pickup time Monday evening with Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz and then after more hugs and promises to see them when they returned from Louisiana, they left. They'd had no naps during the afternoon and crashed almost as soon as they got home, pausing just long enough to kiss Grandfa goodnight.

Waking just before dawn they decided to check the weather to see if a run would be feasible. While it wasn't exactly balmy outside, it wasn't snowing, raining, windy or icy, so they put their running clothes on and warmed up, Tim with his martial arts moves and then took off. By the time they returned, Ducky was up, had the tea kettle whistling, the coffeemaker gurgling and hot oatmeal again waiting for them in the slow cooker. Tim and Lina took their time over breakfast as their first stop was the Navy Yard and they didn't want to be too early.

When later describing their arrival at NCIS the following morning, Lina referred to it as 'the triumphant return of the conquering hero' which Tim found both hilarious and embarrassing. It was true, the minute they walked in the building people were all over him. Henry the security guard beamed at him and smiled like a proud papa when he was introduced to Lina. Jimmy jumped out of an elevator as they approached it and said he was their official escort. Tim started to give him the fish eye when he realized his friend was teasing. Rick Carter and Jim O'Brien appeared out of nowhere and gave Tim hugs that approached Abby strength. Between the Security check-in and reaching Tim's old floor, they were greeted by Field agents, Nicki Jardine and other Intel Analysts, Fred from Accounting and Dr. Janice. Some crowded around when the pair stepped out of the elevator and Tim greeted everyone by name before making a general introduction of Lina. Grabbing her hand he pulled her toward the bullpen where Gibbs was waiting, his usual cup of coffee on his desk. Lina gave him a kiss and the two men hugged, much to the astonishment of the crowd and the delight of their Director who was of course watching from the catwalk. Ned Dorneget came out from behind Tim's old desk for a one armed hug. They were introduced to Maggie Barnes who of course had met Tim on Skype and then Lina was shown Tim's former workstation. As they turned to go downstairs to visit Ducky, Dwayne Wilson arrived. After greeting him, they followed Jimmy down to Autopsy. Tim was a little worried about Lina and autopsy. Although it was always thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, to him it still smelled like dead people. She did fine with it, happy to see Ducky and Jimmy in their 'lair' and grateful there were currently no 'guests'. From there they went upstairs to say hello to Vance who was just leaving MTAC and greeted Tim with a pat to his shoulder and Lina with a kiss to her cheek.

As they approached the Director's suite, Tim heard a voice he was used to obeying call out "Gear up, got a dead Marine" and he reacted instinctively, turning toward the stairs before he caught himself. He stopped and watched as Gibbs' team gathered their gear and hurried to the elevator. Gibbs looked up and seeing Tim watching with a funny look on his face, signed to him that he loved him and that they would be safe. Tim nodded and signed his affection and then followed Lina into the Director's office. Tim had forgotten Pete said he could be included in the weekly conference call but remembered when Vance pulled his laptop over to the conference table and pinged the Athens' office Skype account. The Director turned to Lina, "We don't have anything classified going on today, so I don't have to make you wear noise cancelling headphones! Thought it would be interesting for you to hear just how boring these meetings can be!"

Tim chuckled and then straightened up as Pete's face appeared. "'Morning Leon! How was the party on Saturday – oh look they're there!" Pete waved to Tim and Lina and they waved back. The meeting was very brief, Leon verified their ideas for staffing and funding were holding firm but not to make any announcements yet. Pete reported no new cases, much to Tim's relief and that was about it.

After the visit with Vance, Tim took Lina down to the "Hall of Fame" corridor that had letters of thanks and commendations from those the agency had helped. She found their Palm Tree commendation from the crew of the Baton Rouge in the middle of the wall, in the 'Current Notes' spot. She looked along the length of the wall and saw other Palm Tree notices up. She spotted something else on the next wall down and headed for it. Tim squared his shoulders; maybe it would be good for her to see that there weren't hundreds of pictures lining that wall, the wall of "the Fallen", agents and NCIS employees who'd died in the line of duty. Tim pointed out Chris Pacci, Kate, his friend Jim Nelson and his teammates Rick Hall and Paula Cassidy; Jenny Shepard and those who had died in or as a result of the bomb let loose on them by Harper Dearing. She touched the photos of Kate and Jim and when she reached those who'd died in the bombing, she pulled Tim to her and gently touched the side with the scar from the shard of glass.

They left soon after and drove to Baltimore. By the time they reached the city limits they were hungry. Laughing, Tim admitted he had no idea where to eat although he added he could tell Lina which places had had the best leftovers twenty some years ago. Lina had heard about Chesapeake Bay and its famous seafood, so Tim dove into his smartphone and found a top rated seafood restaurant that served lunch. He had crab cakes and coleslaw, a favorite combination of his while Lina had a crab salad. She was curious about something she'd seen on the menu called 'beaten' biscuits, so they tried those too.

Lina wanted to see the school and the thrift store where the McGees had found friends during their years on the streets here, so Tim drove first to the elementary school. He knew his friend the school secretary, Mrs. Hoover, was working part-time now but didn't know her schedule. However, when they walked into the office, Lina saw his smile and knew the woman sitting at the desk was the one the McGees called their "angel". When the older woman looked up, her face lit up. "Timothy McGee!" She hugged him – and Lina when she was introduced. They spent a few minutes with her before someone needed her and then went on to the thrift store. As it was mostly staffed with volunteers, Tim didn't expect to see anyone he recognized and he was right. He mentioned to the cashier that he'd been a camp kid for most of his childhood and the man's eyes nearly fell out of his face. "Coming back?"

"My girlfriend wanted to see the place that helped my family so much."

"Glad to hear it – we still do our best to help the kids."

Tim spotted the donation jar the store had always kept on the counter. He remembered that on two rather desperate occasions, he had been given money from there to feed his kids. Now he slipped money in, wishing he had thought to bring more cash. Lina saw what he was doing and added what she had with her. The cashier's eyes got very big and Tim said quietly, "Twice gifts from this jar kept my siblings and me from going completely without food. This is the very least we can do."

"Shelter or camp?"

"Both. Shelter until I aged out and then the camp until I was 18."

"How old were you when you landed there?"

"Nine at the shelter and I was 12 when we moved to the camp."

The man whistled. "Wow that's a long time. You ok now?"

"Yes, thanks. Got a good education and have a great life now, but I'll never forget, nor will my sister and brothers."

The man smiled, "It's good to know and I can tell the young ones who come in here that I know someone who made it out to a successful life. Mind sharing your name?"

"Not at all, it's Tim McGee and my siblings are Sarah and Rob McGee and Geordie Perry."

"McGee and Perry, thanks, I'll remember that. It's good to have something to inspire the kids."

Making a decision, Tim took out a business card, "If you ever see any kids who need help, desperate, will you please contact this man? He's my dad – sorta – and wants to help in any way he can." He wrote Gibbs' e-mail address and phone number on the card, scratching off his own contact numbers as it was his overseas information.

The man, whose name was Herb looked at the card, "Hey the stuff you scratched off is in a different language."

"Yes, I work in Greece."

"Wow, not only made it out but working internationally, that's really something! Congratulations, I can only imagine the amount of work that took."

Tim smiled and shook the man's hand. "It's all worth it!"

Seeing that the store now took credit cards, they asked about items that were on layaway and paid the balance on the ones Herb knew were for camp or shelter people. They also bought more warm clothes in varying sizes and took them with them.

They stopped first at the camp with the supplies of food, clothing, blankets and wood to burn in the oil drums for warmth. Juanita wasn't around but Tim found old Nate who greeted him with a bear hug. "Thought you was gone, Timmo!"

"Just back for today, Nate." He introduced Lina who shook Nate's hand. The man winked at her,

"You're beautiful, Miss. I hope you and Tim do well together, he's a good man."

Both of them blushed and he chuckled but didn't say anything more. He took the supplies they'd brought and started calling out names; Tim had figured old Nate would know exactly who needed what and he was right. He spotted a runny- nosed toddler with a kid who was about 9 or 10 and looked at Nate who nodded tiredly.

Tim caught the eye of the older kid. "My name's Tim and I grew up here."

The kid looked at him, then at Nate who nodded - this guy was ok to talk to.

"Here in the camp?"

"Yep, stayed at the shelter for a couple of years and then moved here with my little sister and brother."

The kid shifted his eyes to Lina. "What about you?"

She shook her head, "No, this is my first time here. I'm Tim's girlfriend and he's told me a lot about living here."

"Sucks."

Tim bit back a grin, "Yeah it does. You go to school?" He held up his hands, "I'm just asking, I'm not a truant officer."

"You're a cop."

"Sort of, I'm a federal agent."

"Like the FBI?"

"Yeah, only better."

"And you lived _here_?"

"Yep, for 6 years."

"Wow!" The kid thought about it for a moment. "I'm Ethan and this is my little brother Stevie. I go to school mostly but I didn't have anyone to take care of Stevie today. He has a runny nose, daycare said he couldn't stay."

"Do you have your school books with you?"

The kid gestured with his head. "In your tent?" A nod.

"So you can do your homework tonight and go back to school tomorrow?"

"I can do the homework but if Stevie's not better I can't go back to school."

"Do you know Mrs. Hoover in the office at school?"

Ethan scrunched his face up, "There's an old lady who works there sometimes."

"That's her, Mrs. Hoover. If Stevie is still sick tomorrow, why don't you take him into the office there and see if she can help you with him."

"She's ok?"

"Yep. And if you're not ok with her knowing you're on your own with Stevie, you can just say your dad or mom's gone looking for work."

Ethan looked at him, "A lie?"

"I know how you have to live Ethan; sometimes you have to lie to take care of yourself."

"It's not bad?"

Lina spoke up, "It's not bad to God's ears, he knows the truth and why you're having to say it. If you don't have to lie it's best not to, but sometimes – here – it is necessary."

He looked at her and nodded. "To protect my brother and me."

Tim nodded, "Yes." They watched Stevie for a few minutes while Ethan sorted through the clothes and took them back to his tent, which was within sight, and then came back for food. He made another trip and then returned for Stevie.

Tim had one more question, "Any one bother you here? Any of the older kids?"

"Um, well they would but I got a friend, Bobby, he helps."

"Is Bobby in school?"

"Yeah, he says that's how he's getting out."

"Good, stick with him, Ethan, that's what we did. We studied hard and now we have good jobs and live like normal people."

Ethan's eyes slid to Lina and back to Tim, "Better than normal people."

Tim laughed, "Yep!" Thinking again, he took another of his cards, wrote Gibbs' information on it and gave it to Ethan. "You ever need help, ask someone with a cell phone or one of the storekeepers to call this guy for you. The people over at the thrift store will call him if you ask. He's a federal agent too and he's like a dad to me. He wants to help."

"Is this just for me?"

"Any kids who need help, he'll do his best."

"Funny, cops helping."

Tim smiled, "I know two cops on the Baltimore PD who lived in this camp when they were kids - when we did."

Ethan's eyes got really big, "Really? Do they come down here to bust people?"

"For breaking the law, yeah – drugs, alcohol, stealing, you know. But not for living here."

While he was talking with Ethan, Nate had been rounding up the others and handing out supplies, stacking the wood next to his tent. Finally Tim and Lina left, driving the few blocks to the shelter. Lina just shook her head when Tim looked at her, she was overwhelmed with the desperation of the people she'd seen, especially the children and like Tim, needed to digest it before she could talk about it.

The shelter wasn't open for 'guests' yet, so they went to the backdoor and Tim gave the special knock his friend Lu had taught him many years ago. Someone looked through the peep hole and Tim heard an exclamation. The door flew open and he had his arms full of Lu. "Timmy, I can't believe this! I thought I'd never see you again. Those men were here – your uncles and the guy who was your boss, but I didn't think you…!"

Tim hugged her fiercely, kissing the top of her head. "Just here today, Lu. There's someone I want you to meet." The woman lifted her head and smiled at Lina. "Lu, this is Lina Kalivas, my girlfriend. Lina, this is Lu who helped us when we stayed here and after we left for the camp too."

They shook hands and Lu invited them in. "Come on in, it's cold out here. I'll give Lina a quick tour, have a cup of coffee."

Lina stopped when they reached the kitchen as she saw the original photo of Tim and the siblings on their first day at the shelter, hanging on the wall. She touched it and had to fight tears, thinking of these poor desperate children. Tim looked overwhelmed and scared, Sarah looked tired and tiny little Robbie looked terrified, hanging on to Tim for dear life. She saw another boy with them; one she knew from other photos was Geordie. He was just behind Tim and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Then she noticed the framed photo below of the four of them, all grown up. Shaking herself mentally, she touched that frame. She knew they'd survived and thrived. Lu took her from the kitchen into the multi-purpose room with its lines of tables, chairs and benches. From there they ducked into the women's section and Lu showed her the curtained off area that gave families the barest illusion of privacy. From what Lina knew, as bare bones as this place was, it had been a warm and relatively safe place to sleep and eat for the McGee family for a few years.

By the time they left to drive back to Georgetown, she was ready to talk. "Those children need homes."

"Yes they do and they need to be together."

"It is unconscionable that there's even a possibility of them not being together."

"I agree, it's wrong and unfair, however it is the system that's in place."

"It should be changed. Ethan should be able to live with Stevie and have someone care for both of them."

"Yes."

Lina was speaking in Greek now. "In Greece we do not even have that system. There is nothing."

"Yes."

"We must do something! What can we do?"

"Tell Jimmy and Breena about Ethan and Stevie. They've visited here, maybe they met them; they could be interested in adopting or at least fostering them."

"Yes, that's good. We should do that and more people should know about this. "

Tim agreed, "Yes, more people should and that's a conversation we should probably have again when we get home."

"All the way home?"

"Yes."

"All right, Timothy, I know neither of us will forget."

He looked sideways at her while he drove. "I haven't told you enough how much I love you, Melina, what a wonderful person you are and how lucky I am to have you in my life."

She smiled as she shook her head, "No, it is I who am the lucky one, my sweet man."

It took all of Tim's strength not to propose to her right then and there but he wanted to follow tradition, he knew it was important to her, important to her family and especially important to her father. He knew even if he could persuade her to be secretly engaged – a ridiculous thought at their ages – that she wouldn't feel right about it. He thought about calling her parents via Skype, assuming they even had access to a computer, and speaking to her father now. He gave himself a mental headslap for that idea, why not just skip the whole traditional thing altogether? He suddenly realized he'd forgotten to mention the whole Gibbs' surgery scenario, another wild idea of his. Really, isn't this why he wrote, so his more impulsive ideas could be written out and edited rather than acted out?

Lina looked at him and he chuckled, "Sorry, sweetie, my head just exploded with all kinds of ideas, all of them useless and then I remembered I hadn't talked to you about an idea I had that might not be so useless."

She smiled as she shook her head, "I think you will just have to tell me, I'm not sure I followed that."

Tim nodded, "Ok, this is just a possibility but what would you think …" and he told her about his idea for Gibbs to have knee surgery in Greece and recuperate at the house. She was quiet when he finished and he was relieved that she was thinking about it before saying anything. "When would this happen?"

"I don't know, certainly not before we get back from your parents. Possibly not until June or later."

"And he'd be there for a month, do you think?"

"Yes, a month, possibly a little longer, five or six weeks."

"He would stay in Ducky's room?"

"Yes."

"You want to do this?"

"It was my idea; however it's not his only option. He can have the surgery here and stay at Ducky's or at Jack's."

"I do not think Jack is in the best of health."

"No, I agree and Gibbs knows that too. Jack has a doctor's appointment this week and he promised to share the results with Gibbs."

"Good, that's a relief! So he would be more likely to stay with your grandfather, who is his best friend."

"Yes."

"And in that case, would Maisie be comfortable moving in still?"

"I don't know."

"I don't think she would be."

"Ok. Then…would you be?"

"Would I be…comfortable moving in with you, even though the man who is like your father is downstairs?"

"Yes."

"I would move in before he arrived, then we would be accustomed to it, settled in."

Tim grinned at her. "You're saying you'll move in with me?"

She grinned back at him, "After you meet my parents, yes. Isn't that what we're waiting for?"

"Well yes, that and just getting to know each other better, not rushing into things."

"Are we?"

"I don't feel like it, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"So we're moving in together after Easter."

"Yes!"

"I love you!"

"I love you too!" She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, all she dared on the freeway.

Several minutes later she giggled.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"We have forgotten Gibbs!"

"Oh!"


	73. Chapter 73

Note: When writing this chapter I made the events fit the storyline as I needed without regard to what the legal system would do or react in the real world. Thought you should know in case it isn't blatantly obvious!

* * *

><p>Finding Home, Chapter Seventy Three<p>

Previously on Finding Home: _Several minutes later she giggled. "What is it, sweetie?" "We have forgotten Gibbs!" "Oh!" _

By the time they reached Ducky's, they'd decided Gibbs having knee surgery in Greece and staying with them was a great idea as long as 1) Gibbs was comfortable with the idea and 2) it was approved. Once in the house, they packed their stuff and took the suitcases and carry-on bags downstairs. They still had time to eat before the Cranes arrived and decided to make dinner and leave enough for Ducky who wasn't yet home from work. They were just sitting down to eat their meal when they heard the garage door opening.

They were waiting for him when he came in and gave them each a kiss. "Oh children, I'm glad to see you, I was hoping you'd still be here! Sorry I'm late, we had two guests today."

"Gibbs' case?"

"Yes, Jethro's team had one and Balboa's team had the other." He sat down and sighed happily as Lina poured a cup of hot tea. "Thank you my dear, I am in much need of this tonight! Now, tell me about your day."

Lina did the telling as everything had been fresh and new to her. When she got to the part with Ethan and Stevie, she stopped and took a deep breath; Ducky laid his hand on hers. "You saw Tim and Sarah and Robbie, didn't you my dear?"

She nodded, "Yes and I could not shake that image until we went on to the shelter and I saw the present day photo of the four of them on the wall."

Tim wrapped her in his arms. "You forgot your own words, about us thriving."

"I did, love."

Ducky smiled at them and then remembered he had something to discuss. "I spoke with Jethro this afternoon and he mentioned your idea about his surgery, Timothy."

Tim nodded and Lina spoke, "We talked about it and if it is possible and he's comfortable with staying with us, we would love to have him."

Tim looked at his grandfather, "We know he's welcome here but we were a little afraid Gram would be uncomfortable."

"You mean living here with me while Jethro is here?"

They nodded and he smiled, "He's always welcome here of course and if the insurance company turns him down then he'll be here. I do think this is a wonderful idea, Timothy, it will certainly further strengthen your relationship and as odd as it sounds, he will have more people to help him there than he would here. Even if you agents got called away, Lina, Damian and your friends from the office would be there along with their significant others. Besides Maisie, Jimmy and Breena, we would have Claire and Liz and the children as the Baton Rouge is likely to be at sea again by the time Jethro gets this set up."

"And the Vances."

"Yes of course he'd offer but I can only imagine how well Jethro would take to having Leon help him with his physical needs."

That thought caused some wide eyes. "And I don't think Jethro and Jack would do well together more than a few days, even if the journey to Stillwater were at all possible right after surgery. My thought, if this happens here, is to have Jack stay here for a visit and they can see each other or not. They seem to do better in small doses."

Lina nodded, "My brothers are like that with my father."

"Now that is interesting. My father died when I was a young adult so I have no experience with this and of course Timothy doesn't either. Perhaps Jackson and Jethro's relationship is not all that unusual then. Tell me Lina, how is your relationship with your mother?"

"Wonderful as long as she doesn't poke…no that's not the word…pry too much. We had problems for awhile but then she came to stay with me for a few weeks, met my friends and began to understand my life, to see what I do and that has helped. Now I talk with her several times a week; I only see her three or four times a year but I would say we are close."

They'd finished dinner and had the dishwasher running when they heard a car drive up. Ducky pulled his grandson and future granddaughter into his arms. "Time to go pay your dues for this wonderful time we've had together, my loves. Be good, stay safe, please send me a text when you arrive at your hotel and perhaps call me when you can?"

"Wednesday night so you won't be at bridge or Pilates."

Ducky chuckled, "Yes that's fine. I love you both very much and I'd much rather you just stay here with me."

They stayed wrapped in his arms until the doorbell rang. Uncle Dave was at the door and asked Ducky if he'd like to ride with them. He thanked the Admiral as he declined; he preferred privacy for his goodbyes.

Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz did their best to be positive for Tim, but they knew their godson was dreading this trial. Dave told Liz he hoped the Defense really had been scheming for a mistrial and that they wouldn't have any reason to put Tim on the stand. For his part, Tim was concentrating on the opportunity Lina had, having her work displayed in New Orleans before and during Mardis Gras, not to mention the rest of the tourist season. Lina hoped and prayed that her lover would not have to take the stand to be ridiculed or worse, be forced into saying something that would let the lunatic go free.

Liz wished they were going with them to provide moral support if nothing else. She would love to spend more time with her godson and his girlfriend. When Tim was a baby, during the last weeks before Patrick was born and after Lily's cancer diagnosis, Liz had taken over much of the care of her godson. She'd loved having a baby, almost a toddler, and she and Timmy became quite close. After Patrick was born and Lily's treatment was finally started, she helped Maisie, Penny and the women they had helping them in Puerto Rico take care of both boys. Often Lily wanted Maisie with her, especially once she knew treatment had failed and Liz gradually took over more of the care for the young Tim and the infant Patrick. Of course they spent as much time with Lily as possible but as her illness progressed she slept more and the babies were restless as they grew, needing to explore their world. After Lily died and the family moved to Okinawa, Liz had been ready to drop everything to take care of the boys. But Dan had asked them all to stay away – to give the boys and Natalie a chance to get to know each other. Now Liz understood that Natalie had manipulated Dan so that the family was kept from the children as much as possible. She'd never spent much time with Sarah; she'd seen her at her baptism and her first birthday and a Christmas somewhere along the line. When they were told that all three children had been killed in the car with Dan, Liz had nearly had a breakdown and it was only Maisie and Penny's great need for her that forced her through her grief.

When they pulled up to the Departures area, Dave felt the lump in his throat growing. When he'd advised Tim not to come see the ship off back in Piraeus all those weeks ago, he had been quite serious. He didn't think either he or Jim could handle it, not to mention the strain on Tim. He wished he could just freeze time and keep these two with them; a few dinners and the few hours in Greece just hadn't been enough. He knew from Liz's silence that she was having the same problem. All four of them got out of the car and Dave helped Tim with the luggage. Liz was hugging Lina and Dave grabbed both suitcases so she could include Tim. Then it was his turn and he freely admitted to being the mushiest Admiral in the Fleet. Of course Tim had planned for this and in a couple of minutes his phone alarm buzzed. Laughing, the four of them broke apart and Tim and Lina went on inside the terminal. They weren't even inside the doors when Liz broached her idea of joining them in the Crescent City. Dave looked at her in astonishment.

"You think they'd mind?"

"I…I don't know. I suppose they would. Would we have minded when we were dating, if we'd had a week in a romantic place like that?"

"Hell yes, we would have minded but circumstances are different with them."

Liz sighed unhappily. "Not really, not between them. Yes, Tim's just discovered all of us but things between Lina and Tim are the same as they were between you and me, Jim and Claire and Dan and Lily. And New Orleans is supposed to be a very romantic city."

"You want to go to support Tim."

"Yes."

The Admiral sighed. "Honey… Jim's going."

"What?"

"He made arrangements as soon as Tim was told he had to be there. Do you remember his friend Sam?"

"Sam. Is he the one who went into the Air Force?"

"Yeah, that one. He's retired and lives in New Orleans or very close to it. Jim's going to stay with him, he's already been cleared by the court to be allowed in the gallery to sit with Tim. He's flying down tomorrow morning; Sam's picking him up and will drop him at the courthouse in time for the afternoon session."

"And why is this a secret?"

"He didn't want Tim to spend their one weekend with us talking or arguing about it, he was afraid our young man would feel obligated to stand alone."

"And the others know?"

"Um…Claire, Maisie, Ducky and the kids were told last night."

"Gibbs?"

"He told Gibbs last week. It was killing him that NCIS was told to stay away." Dave chuckled, "He said Jethro actually hugged him he was so relieved that Tim wouldn't be alone in court."

"Lina isn't going."

"Tim doesn't want her to, wants her to conduct her business, said he wants something positive to come of this mess."

Liz laughed, "Those two. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for the wedding."

"They haven't been together that long."

"David, how long did we date?"

"That was different; I was being posted out of the country."

"Right."

He smiled as he kissed her, "It's worked out fine, hasn't it?"

XXX

Tim and Lina sat, waiting for the boarding call. This flight would be first class as well. Tim was trying not to get too tense and Lina was trying to help him. Finally she made him laugh and he leaned over for a kiss, "I'm sorry Lina, I've got myself tied up in knots over this."

"I know that, Tim, but there's nothing you can do. Perhaps it won't be as bad as you are imagining."

He nodded with a chuckle, "I'm sure it won't be! I just wish…well you know."

Eventually they boarded and had a smooth flight. When they deplaned, they sent a text to Ducky and then walked to Baggage Claim. There they were surprised and amused to see a stranger with a sign for Lina. He said he'd been hired by the art gallery to take them to their hotel. Lina called her contact from the gallery who confirmed it, telling her the man's name. In the meantime Tim checked the man's id and business license before he would allow the two of them to get in the car. He also took a photo of the license plate, the business license and the man himself and sent them to Gibbs, just in case. He counted down and grinned at Lina when his phone rang. Gibbs wanted to make sure he remembered their 'under duress' and their 'not under duress' code words and that they were to call him the minute they got to the hotel.

Tim's cheeky response was "Yes Dad, we'll do that. Thanks, we love you." He smiled at Lina and they climbed in the town car. Tim had downloaded the directions to their hotel to his phone so he knew the driver was taking them in the right direction but he was still relieved when they pulled up in front of the Hilton. They stepped out, gathered their luggage, tipped the driver and called Gibbs to report on their safe arrival. They'd decided not to stay in the French Quarters; Tim because he wanted quiet and relatively easy access to the courthouse and this hotel would provide help and had experience if the media got involved; Lina because the Gallery recommended this hotel, saying it was geared for business travelers, they had a corporate account with them and that Tim and Lina could tour the French Quarters without staying in it.

They checked in, went to their room and settled in. They had a nice view of the Crescent City from the room and again Tim found he was all right with it as long as he looked straight out and not down. It certainly helped that Lina was right next to him. The long and emotional day had left them both tired, and they turned out the lights within an hour of their arrival.

Still dealing with their lingering transatlantic jet lag, they were awake before dawn but managed to amuse themselves until they noticed it was light out. They'd placed their order for room service breakfast last night and enjoyed the local pastries, called beignets and coffee along with their eggs. Lina's art gallery contact would pick her up at 10:00; Tim was expecting Atty. Bailey, or a minion, to collect him at 8:30. They had more than an hour still so they decided to go for a quick swim. They'd inquire later as to running routes but for today the swim would do. Tim had been faithfully practicing his martial arts moves and stuck to it this morning before their swim. The two of them did several laps apiece; climbed out and dried off a bit before putting on their hotel-provided robes and returning to their room.

They showered together and took so long Tim's phone buzzed with a 15 minute warning. After climbing out, they dried off and got dressed. While Tim brought a suit with him from Greece, he wasn't wearing it to court; he saw no reason to look good for the Defense. By the time he'd dried his hair and put his shoes on, it was 8:30. He waited in the room, telling Lina they could call him from downstairs when his ride arrived. He was pacing by 8:40 and rolled his eyes at her when the phone rang at 8:45. Kissing her goodbye, he sauntered out the door.

As he'd suspected, Attorney Bailey was his ride and she started firing questions at him as soon as she introduced herself. He looked around the lobby at the other guests and raised an eyebrow at her. Abashed, she led him to her car and they drove to the Public Defender's office. And there Tim found, to his delight, that it seemed he'd been right about her scheme to cause a mistrial. She questioned him in minute detail about who he'd seen and talked to since he'd landed in the U.S. last week and noticed she was not pleased when he told her he had a visual record for her. He texted his Uncle, asking him to send the recording they'd made to the public defender and to also send a copy to the prosecution. He showed the woman the text before he sent it and tried not to grin at her deep frown.

He was not surprised when the lawyer's phone buzzed and he hypothesized it was a text from the prosecuting attorney Anton Baudoin, advising her they'd received a copy of the recording. She watched the video, taking notes. By the end he noted that she was upset and he suddenly hoped that she had a backup plan. As much as he hated what Abby had done and planned to do to him, she should have adequate representation and briefly wondered if that was another plan, to cause a mistrial by doing a lousy job of representing her client. However he doubted that the attorney would risk disbarment by deliberately doing a shoddy job. Beyond what he was asked, he said nothing and worked to make his body language relaxed and neutral.

He rode with Bailey to the courthouse and loving the architecture, stopped to take photos. Noticing the muscles in the woman's face tighten, he took a few more. When they walked into the corridor to go into the courtroom, he was astounded to see his uncle. He exclaimed and hugged the Captain, reluctantly introducing him to Attorney Bailey. From her demeanor, she seemed to be thoroughly pissed by this time and Tim thought back to that first conversation they'd had when she'd refused a deposition and he'd determined to fight any way he could. Although it was not required, she demanded or tried to demand that he sit on the 'defense' side of the court room. He knew it wasn't required, had been involved in enough court cases and so he said nothing, waited until she was in place and then sat on the opposite side with his uncle. He would be a hostile witness to the extent he was legally allowed. When Fornell came in, he saw Tim with his uncle and deliberately sat a few rows apart.

Once court convened, it dragged on with jury selection. Tim only had a glimpse of Abby. She looked tired and her hair was cut short, she had on what Tim could only describe as a pantsuit – matching slacks and a jacket with long sleeves. A scarf was around her neck; Tim wondered if that was to disguise some of her tattoos. She didn't look around, just stared straight ahead. He spotted Kyle and figured the couple he was with must be Luka and his wife.

They adjourned for the day at 1600 and Tim insisted Uncle Jim join them for sightseeing and dinner. Lina had finished her business for the day and they met at Lafayette Square. They spent some time in the Quarter, doing the only thing Tim was really interested in, a visit to Preservation Hall. As a jazz lover, this was a must for him. They took in an early show and then met Jim's friend Sam at one of his favorite restaurants. Lina and Tim were excited as it was an eatery favored by locals but not well known to tourists. They enjoyed their meal and the company. Afterward, Sam dropped them off at their hotel, Jim promising to come by and have breakfast with them in the morning.

As they got into their room, Tim's phone rang. It was Gibbs and he was laughing as Tim answered. Somehow the prosecuting attorney had heard about what Tim had said and done, complete with the raised eyebrow at the Attorney's questions in the hotel lobby that morning. He'd told Fornell who'd passed it along to Ducky. Ducky of course told Vance and Gibbs.

Gibbs remarked, "You're a guerilla, Tim! Glad you figured out what she was up to – Fornell says Baudoin reported that Bailey was fuming when she got to court and that he spotted you sitting on the prosecution's side of the room."

Tim shrugged, "There's nothing in the rule book that says I can't do that…and did you know Uncle Jim is here?"

"Yep. We aren't allowed, but he's not NCIS or a federal agent, just an uncle looking out for his nephew."

"Brilliant, that was brilliant and that's one of the reasons Bailey was so pissed."

"Aw, that's too bad. You have to go in tomorrow?"

"Can't talk about it."

"Right. So how did Lina's meeting go?"

Tim had the phone on speaker so Lina responded to that. "It went very well, thank you Gibbs. We've selected the items they want to show and now we're hammering out the dates."

"Will it happen anytime soon?"

"No, they plan their schedule several months in advance, so it could be as late as the end of the year."

"And will you be back over here for it?"

"That's very likely, yes. They'll want me on site."

"Great! And have you had a chance to do any sightseeing?" Tim told him about their trip to Preservation Hall and dinner with Uncle Jim's friend.

"That's good then, you're having some fun."

Lina again, "Yes, we're either going to take a boat tour of a bayou tomorrow afternoon or a guided tour of the French Quarter. Although now that I say that out loud the guided tour doesn't sound like much fun. I think we will just wander."

"It's only two weeks until Mardis Gras, you two be careful!"

Tim snorted, "I'm carrying Boss, Rule 9 and my backups and we're not staying in the Quarter, no worries!"

"They let you carry…uh, never mind." They spoke for a few minutes and hung up when Lina's phone lit up with a call from Ducky. They spoke with him for a few minutes and then disconnected. They were both still wide awake so made a trip to the hotel bar for a drink or two before they came back upstairs.

The next morning as Uncle Jim and Sam joined them for breakfast in the hotel restaurant, Tim realized he'd forgotten to let Bailey know he had a ride to the courthouse. When he called her she was just pulling up to the hotel and he invited her in for coffee. Sounding suspicious and annoyed, she declined as he'd hoped she would. After Lina's ride whisked her away to the gallery, Sam, Jim and Tim drove to the federal courthouse for Day Two. Sam dropped them off and said he'd be running errands around town, to give him a call when they were done for the day. Tim, Jim and others waited outside the door of the courtroom for nearly two hours before the bailiff opened the door and called names for entrance. Tim was called in while Jim waited outside. Everyone who'd been called in was told to be seated and the judge appeared with the two attorneys. They were told the plaintiff had accepted a plea bargain and all of them were dismissed. The two attorneys thanked everyone and they were told to leave. Fornell suddenly appeared next to Tim and gave him a minute shake of his head, he needed to stay.

Once the courtroom was cleared, Tim was brought to the judge's chambers with Baudoin and Fornell. There he was told that Abby had pled guilty and accepted a deal of 3 years in Federal prison with 3 additional years of probation and several additional conditions. One was of course the loss of any possible future position in Federal or state government; another condition was mandatory psychiatric monitoring and counseling for an indefinite period of time. A third condition was financial reimbursement for the personal property that the former lab tech had destroyed over the years, including Tim's two jackets. The court clerk handed Tim a cashier's check and he looked at it, dumbfounded. Fornell smirked, "Prosecution called your grandfather, he knew exactly how much those jackets cost." Tim nodded and numbly thanked the judge and prosecutor and then followed Fornell back to the corridor where he found his uncle waiting for him.

He'd been told the sentence would be made public; there was no gag on any of it except of course his identity. Tim was still feeling numb when he told Uncle Jim the news. Jim took one look at him, sat him down on a nearby bench and asked Fornell to get him a cup of hot tea, extra sweet. They sat there for several minutes as Tim drank the tea and shook off the mood. He figured it hadn't seemed real to him until they'd told him that Abby was guilty, that Abby – **_Abby_** – was going to prison for 3 years. Abby, who he'd once hoped would be 'the one', who had once told him her love should be enough, another time that she loved him like puppies. Who had alternated treating him like dirt and then like her best friend, sometimes in the span of just a few minutes.

Now that she'd accepted the deal and been sentenced, Fornell could finally tell Tim about the doctors' diagnosis and he listened, his jaw dropping as Fornell told him of the multiple disorders. The FBI agent reached into this pocket and pulled out a sheaf of papers. "This is what the doctor gave us to explain her. Do you want a copy?"

Tim shook his head, "No, but Ducky probably will."

"I've already asked, he said he wasn't ready, to ask him again in a year or two."

Tim looked at Fornell, "Does Gibbs know yet?"

Tobias shook his head, "Not from me."

"Would you tell him, please? I don't think I should be the one."

The two older men frowned and Tobias put his hand on Tim's shoulder. "Hey, his concern has been all for you, kiddo. You don't need to worry about that."

Jim nodded, "He and I have had a couple of conversations about that, Tim. Forgive me for being protective but after the problems I knew you had with him, I wanted to make sure things had really changed."

Tim nodded and then relaxed as his uncle pulled him into a hug. "It's ok, it's over, Tim. Now you can get back to your real life and keep moving forward."

Tim finally smiled. "You're right, Uncle. Thanks –and thanks Tobias, I appreciate everything you've done for me."

Fornell just smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Now, is anyone else hungry? I hear there's a great restaurant just a few doors down…"

Tim called Lina from the restaurant and found she was just finishing her meeting and lunch with the head of the art gallery and they agreed to again meet at Lafayette Square. Uncle Jim called Sam and he joined them for lunch. Jim was looking for flights home when Fornell got a text and cleared his throat. "Uh, Jim, I'm flying home on the FBI jet, I've just been informed there is a seat available if you'd like to join me. My car is at Quantico, I can drop you home. "

"Thanks Tobias, that'd be a real help." The flight would leave in 3 hours so Sam and Jim said their goodbyes and scrambled out the door, heading back to Sam's so Jim could pack and be back in time for the flight. Tobias had a rental car; he dropped Tim at Lafayette Square, waving to Lina as he left.


	74. Chapter 74

Finding Home, Chapter Seventy Four

Tim and Lina wandered around the French Quarter the rest of the afternoon and into early evening. They'd decided to stay the night so they could finally relax before heading back to Virginia. The next day was Valentine's Day; Tim made reservations for lunch at one of the top ten restaurants, Clancy's. They would have to have lunch instead of dinner as they would be flying to Virginia in the afternoon. Tim was glad he'd left the return date open ended and that the Defense Counsel had paid in advance. He'd already found a couple of flights with seats available; when they got back to the hotel they'd pick one and book it. In the meantime, they found a horse and carriage ride around the Quarter and took that, enjoying the romance, the scenery and the spiel of the driver. They had drinks and dinner at a famous café on Pirate Alley and then took a cab back to their hotel. Tim was in the middle of booking their flight for the next day when Lina distracted him and both of them forgot all about it.

When his phone rang early Thursday morning, Tim had to hunt for it. Finally he had it in his hands and answered. It was his grandfather. "Timothy, I'm sorry to wake you, but I have some sad news. I'm afraid our Jackson passed away during the night."

Tim stared at the phone. "We just saw him, Grandfa. Four days ago."

Beside him, Lina was awake and listening to his side of the conversation. Tim pressed the speaker button. "Yes my boy, I know and I'm grateful we had that time. The doctor believes he had a heart attack and went very quickly, probably in his sleep. There was nothing anyone could do."

"Gibbs…how is he, Ducky?" Tim felt like his heart was breaking with grief for Jack and for Boss, they'd just seen Jack, he couldn't be gone. And Gibbs hadn't had him, hadn't been reconciled with him for very long. A few years, it wasn't enough, it wasn't right.

"Holding it together for now. He's driving up there this morning and asked me to go with him." Ducky hesitated and then continued, "Apparently Jackson has – had – everything arranged. The funeral will be held Saturday and it's all set."

"We'll be there, Grandfa. We can fly from here to Harrisburg and drive to Stillwater. Are you staying at the house?"

"Yes, but I don't know where the closest motel or hotel would be."

"We'll figure it out, don't worry. Are you calling Tony?"

"Yes, I'll wait another hour; it won't be quite as brutally early."

"Would you please tell him that when we find a motel or a place to stay, we'll reserve a room for him too and I'll text the information to him?"

"Yes, son, that's good of you."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"I can't think of anything."

"Please give Gibbs my love – and Lina's too. Tell him we'll be there as soon as we can and please, Grandfa, tell him; remind him that he's not alone."

"Yes dear boy, I will. I love you both. "

"We love you too, please be careful on the road."

"We will, luckily the weather has been good the last few days." When they disconnected the call, Tim lay there holding the phone until Lina took it from him.

"What do we need to do first?"

"Change our flight, Lina…I'm sorry – I'm making all these decisions without even asking."

"Tim, please. I didn't know him well but he was Gibbs' father, your 'other' grandfather. Of course we'll go."

He nodded, "Thank you sweetie." Sitting up, he pulled her in for a kiss and a cuddle. Eventually she went for a shower and he brought up their flight only to find he'd never completed it. Discarding it, he found a flight to Harrisburg, PA, with one stop in Atlanta. Every other flight he found from New Orleans to Harrisburg had two stops, some through Dallas and Chicago. The one with the stop in Atlanta would take a bit longer but he picked it as it was the only one-stop and gave them enough time to get to the airport. Then he started the search for a hotel or motel to stay in or around Stillwater. When his initial search returned no results, he widened the type of lodging parameter to include Bed and Breakfasts. That brought him one result, a B&B in Bloomberg, which was about a 20 minute drive from Stillwater. He went back to the search and added Bloomberg and came up with more entries.

He sat, thinking. A B&B would be quiet and far more personal than a hotel or motel. Considering they would be there as family and to say goodbye to Jack, he thought it might have a better atmosphere than a hotel or motel. Lina was out of the shower so he asked her and after thinking about it, she agreed. Tim decided he'd better call the B&B as he wanted to reserve at least two rooms.

The call was answered almost immediately by a friendly woman named Iris Klein. Tim told her they would be attending a funeral in Stillwater over the weekend and would need a room for at least three nights and that he also wanted to reserve a room for another family member who probably wouldn't arrive until Friday night. He explained the situation and the woman paused. "This is a slow time of year for us, Mr. McGee. All 10 of our rooms are available for the next several days and we're happy to reserve them all for you if you think your family will need them." Tim did a quick head count of those he was fairly certain would come: Tony, the Palmers, Tobias, Vance, Maisie and the Hubbards, the Cranes – that was 8 rooms and if his cousins, Emily Fornell or the Vance kids also came, they might need all 10 rooms. They spent a few minutes working out the details; breakfast would be served and she was also willing to provide dinner as long as she had some notice. Tim promised to do his best to get the information together and gave her the last names of those who might be calling. He hung up and then wondered if someone should contact Joann Fielding, Gibbs' former mother-in-law. He sent Ducky a text and eventually got a reply that said Jethro didn't care one way or the other. Tim thought back to the case she'd been involved in and decided he wouldn't be the one contacting her. Maybe Vance or Fornell would step up and do that.

Lina was packing when he finally went in to shower. After, he dressed, packed and then the two of them went downstairs for breakfast. Even though they'd been awake for over an hour by this time it was still just 0630 and there weren't many people in the restaurant. Their food was freshly cooked and hot but neither of them took much notice, thinking of Jack. They went back upstairs to complete their morning routines, gathered their luggage and then climbed into the hotel shuttle for the ride to the airport. Once there, they checked their bags through to Harrisburg and Lina went off to a gift shop for postcards and last minute gifts. Tim went back online to reserve a rental car and then started making calls. Vance already knew about Jack, so he got the first call. He confirmed that he would be flying in Friday but that the children would stay with friends for the weekend. He was pleased that Tim had gone to the trouble of finding a place for them all to stay and took the name and number promising he'd call as soon as possible. Tim's next call was to Tobias who had also heard the news from Ducky and like Vance, said he would be arriving on Friday and no, Emily would not be with him. He would call and confirm his reservation with Iris. Looking at his watch, Tim realized he'd forgotten he was an hour closer to Tony's time zone and decided to call him now.

When Tony picked up, he sounded tired. "Hey Tim. You still in New Orleans?"

"Yeah, just waiting for our flight out. You ok?"

"No, you?"

"No."

"I know he was old; 85 is old but I never thought…"

"Yeah, me neither."

"Ducky said you guys saw him last weekend."

"Yeah and we thought he didn't look very well; Boss and I talked about it on Sunday, but he was in a good mood and his memory was sharp."

"Man."

"Are you gonna be able to come?"

"Yeah, I already booked my flight. Ducky said you'd look for rooms for us."

"Yeah, I did that and guess what – there are no motels in Stillwater. I found hotels, motels and a Bed and Breakfast in Bloomberg, about 20 minutes drive from Stillwater. I started thinking about a B&B, warm and friendly and we'd have a place to hang out together, as opposed to a hotel. I called the B&B and they have enough rooms for all of us, so if you'd like to stay there, I'll give you the number and you can call, they're holding a room for you. Or I have numbers of some of the hotels in town if you'd rather stay there."

"I want to stay wherever you are, Tim. This is gonna be family time."

"That's a relief Tony, I was hoping you'd say that but I didn't want to push."

"Know who else is coming?"

"So far, you, me & Lina, Tobias and Vance. I never thought of any of Boss's Marine buddies. I'm not sure I know any of their last names."

"Yeah, that one guy from ATF, Roger….Cooke I think, he's a Marine buddy but the only one I know. Fornell probably knows more. What about the mother-in-law?"

"I asked Ducky who asked Boss and he said he didn't care, either way."

"Wow."

"Yeah. I'm not calling her and I didn't think you'd want to."

"You're right, I'd rather not ever think of that case. Ever."

"Yeah."

"Maybe you could ask Vance and see what he says."

"Hopefully that she's secretly been in prison for the last few years."

Tony snorted. "Good one."

"Tony, I thought…well, see what you think. What about sending a text to Ziva, letting her know about Jack? I thought she was fond of him."

Tony huffed. "I thought she was fond of several people, Tim. I'll send her a text, but let's not mention it to Boss, don't want him waiting for a message that won't ever arrive."

Tim nodded. "Ok, thanks."

"Jimmy and Breena?"

"Oh yeah, duh, I forgot I need to call them, thanks man!"

"They don't know?"

"I'm sure they do; I imagine either Ducky or Vance told them, but I meant about the B&B."

"It'll be good to see everyone, even if…"

"Yeah. Um, Tony…I have a really weird question to ask you. I've been to funerals, you know that, but I've never been to one for a family member."

"I have unfortunately." Tony paused, "Jack was old so there won't be a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth sort of thing. There'll be stories told and some funny stuff I'm sure – hope his buddy LJ will be there. Anyway, the mood at funerals depends on the age and the person who died, if they've been sick, etc. With Jack there'll be sadness but as I said, no real shock, should be a lot of memories. It's ok to act normally, well semi-normally, but don't think you have to walk around looking solemn or anything."

That was a relief to know. "Thanks I know that was an awkward question and that really helps. What time's your flight coming in?"

Tony told him and Tim offered to pick him up at the airport. "Thanks Tim, but I figured we'd need at least two cars, I've already reserved one."

"Where you flying through?"

Tony snorted,"DC, can you believe that?"

"Huh. You could keep an eye out for Vance or Fornell, its possible they'd be on the same flight to Harrisburg, maybe you three could ride to Stillwater together."

There was silence until Tim realized Tony probably wasn't looking forward to seeing Vance at all and Fornell wasn't exactly his favorite person either. "Oh geez, hoof in mouth, I'm chewing on my foot, Tony, I'm sorry."

Tony snorted and then laughed, "That's ok you're forgiven. It was worth it for the 'chewing on my foot' comment."

They talked for a few more minutes and then Tony had to go. Lina came back to drop off packages and then went to visit another shop. Tim stowed the bags with his laptop and then thought about who to call next. He sent a quick text to Vance about Mrs. Fielding and then got on the phone to his godparents. He told them the news about Jackson and was not surprised to find they already knew and were insistent on attending the funeral. When he ended that call, he found a text from Vance saying that "Pam will make that call, hope she's a no- show and if she does go, doesn't stay with us."

Tim shook his head and called Jimmy. He was at work and was relieved that Tim had found a place for them to stay. He took the name and number and said he would also let Gibbs' team know but he couldn't stay on the phone; Tim thought he heard Jim O'Brien's voice in the background. His last call was to his uncle and aunt. They would have heard the news this morning when Ducky told Gram, he just wanted to let them know about the B&B. He spoke with his uncle and then his grandmother. Reassured that he and Lina were all right and on their way to Pennsylvania, Maisie asked Tim to let them know when they'd reached the B&B. His calls complete, Tim leaned back in his chair, already tired. When Lina came back with two cups of coffee, he greeted her with a smile, "Thanks sweetie, just what I need – you and some caffeine!" She smiled and looked around for her packages and then back at Tim. Grinning, he just pointed to his laptop bag.

"Have you made your calls, Tim?"

"Yep, all done. Everyone else is flying in tomorrow night and staying at the B&B with us."

"I'm glad I had a chance to meet Jackson in person."

"I'm glad you did too and I'm thankful that our last memories of him will be from Friday night and the party Saturday. Although for me, it was seeing him relaxed and asleep in the recliner at Gibbs' house on Sunday." Tim started to tear up and Lina took his hand.

"Did he have a good life, Tim?"

"Parts of it, yeah, I think so. He was a bomber pilot in World War II, did you know that? Right before I left the team, he dragged Gibbs to see some old friend of his who was dying. Turned out the guy had been a German pilot in the war and he saved Jack's life, flew up next to him and let him know he was flying in the wrong direction, escorted him out of enemy territory. That's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Tim paused and then continued, "I think he and Gibbs' mom started out with a good marriage. I don't know if it stayed that way though and then Gibbs and Jack didn't speak for more than 15 years after Shannon and Kelly died. We didn't even know Boss had a father or any family until we caught a case that took us to Stillwater."

"Fifteen years, that's so long!"

"Yeah, they started mending fences after that and Jack started coming down to visit at Christmas. One time he…well uh, he was in danger and stayed with Gibbs for four months. He was in the office a lot then."

"He was in danger for four months?"

"Yeah, it was a really nasty case."

"And Gibbs' father was in danger?" Tim just nodded.

"Does that happen often?"

"No, I haven't seen or heard of it before or after."

She shook her head and Tim took her other hand. "When we get home, Lina, it would be a good idea for you to you sit down with Trina and talk about being so closely connected to an armed federal agent. An international one at that."

She nodded. "I've known I should do that but I've been putting it off."

"Carla might be able to help too."

"Because she's had your job. Yes, I think that's what I'll do, my Tim." They cuddled together quietly until their flight was called. The flight to Atlanta was short and they had just enough of a layover to get to their next gate. The flight from Atlanta to Harrisburg took longer than the first leg and was a bit bumpy; they were happy to walk out into the terminal. They got their luggage and Lina waited with it just inside the terminal while Tim went for the rental car. By the time he got back to her, the car was nice and warm. Leaving the airport, they got on the road and Tim's stomach started rumbling. Lina laughed, "I'm getting hungry too."

"All right, let's see if there's something around here, maybe a chain, don't know what this area might be known for as far as cuisine."

They found a national chain and were soon seated with menus. Lina looked through it, "There are so many choices! Do you have any favorites?" Tim had to think about that, it had been quite awhile since he'd eaten at this particular chain. "They make a good chicken sandwich with a special sauce; they also make a salad with the same name and ingredients."

He showed her on his menu. "I think I will have that salad then."

Tim nodded, "Me too. We didn't have a swim or a run this morning." They enjoyed their lunches and relaxed, knowing they only had a little bit longer to go before they reached Stillwater. They would stop in Bloomberg first and check in, unpack and get settled in and from there call Ducky and see if it was ok if they went to visit.

They found the B&B with no problem and were warmly greeted by Iris and her husband Ezra. They were shown to their room and unpacked. Tim had asked about having his suit pressed as it had gone from suitcase to closet and back again a few times now. Ezra gave him the name and address of a dry cleaners with 24 hour service and offered to drop it off for him. Tim was more than happy to take advantage of the innkeeper's generosity and Lina included an outfit she'd brought with her that she thought would do for the funeral. They called Maisie to let her know they'd arrived safely and then collapsed onto their bed for a nap. When Tim woke, he called Ducky and found that the two men were at an attorney's office in Bloomberg. They made plans to meet for dinner in a little over an hour. Letting Iris know they were going out, they were given a front door key and told that a storm was on its way in, not to be out too late. They bundled up and drove to the restaurant; one that Ducky said had been a favorite of Jack's. The two older men had just arrived and were still waiting to be taken to a table when Lina and Tim walked in. Tim knew Gibbs wouldn't want a scene so he restricted himself to a brief hug for each man while Lina kissed them both. Dinner was subdued and Tim was thankful that his uncle's friend Sam had told them a few stories of his Air Force days that he could pass along. Gibbs listened and picked at his food, eating a bite here and there. Lina noticed, quietly took his hand and in Greek told him he was loved and cherished and needed to take care of himself for his children.

Although he didn't understand a word, the sentiment was evident and he made more of an effort to eat while Tim reflected how much warmer life was with Lina around. He relayed his conversation with Tony this morning and Gibbs perked up when he heard that they'd be staying in the same place. "They have enough rooms?"

"Yep, 10 rooms and we're taking 8 of them."

"Eight? Who else is coming?" Tim told him and Gibbs sat quietly absorbing the news. They were just finishing when Tim's phone buzzed with a call from Ezra.

"Tim, sorry to bother you but just wanted to check. A Ned Dorneget called for 2 rooms, one for him and one for a Maggie Barnes, are they with your party?"

"Yes, Ezra thanks."

"That's all right, the young man said he was coming for a funeral so we thought they might be but Iris didn't want to ask. Everyone on your list has called now, if anyone else calls, we'll refer them to one of the hotels that send people to us. Also, your clothes will be ready tomorrow, I'll pick them up."

"That's great, thanks!" The others looked at him when he ended the call and not thinking it was necessary to involve Gibbs in any more "who's coming" conversation, he shrugged, "The innkeeper took some of our clothes to the dry cleaner for us. He was just updating me."

Tim relayed the news of the incoming storm so they decided to forego dessert and Gibbs said he'd make coffee at the house. He asked Tim and Lina to come to Stillwater the next day, saying he thought they could start packing up the house and that he might need some help with the store.

On the way back to the B&B, Tim told Lina about the two additions. "We have the whole place then?"

"Yeah, we do. I didn't mention them to Gibbs because I think he might be feeling a bit too vulnerable right now to want them there, but we'll handle it Saturday."

"In Greece, there is a service the night before."

"Yes, sometimes there is here too. In the Catholic church I know there is a rosary said."

She nodded."Yes it's the same."

"Jack wasn't Catholic, so I don't know if there will be a visitation or something else. Let's call Ducky in the morning before we leave to see if there is something planned for tomorrow evening; we might need to bring a change of clothes with us."

They were just drifting off to sleep that night when the storm hit. They were curled up together and when the wind howled, Lina burrowed into Tim's arms.

When they woke the next morning, the storm was gone, the sun shining weakly. They enjoyed their breakfast in the dining room and were happy to go over a few details with Iris and Ezra. They took their coffee to a large study and called Ducky to ask about a visitation that evening. The answer was negative; Ducky said Jack's instructions specifically said there was to be only a funeral and a coffee after; he didn't want people "spending all weekend fussing about an old man".

Tim swallowed hard at that, "Ducky, he knew we loved him, he had to know!"

"Yes he did dear boy, he and I had a few conversations about you, Tony and the others. But the older one gets, Timothy, the more one sees the futility of wasting time on mourning the dead when life is so fleeting."

"…Ok."

"I'm worrying you, I'm sorry. I'm in much better health than Jack was, son, despite my scare last year, or maybe because of it. And I have everything to live for. In some ways, I feel my life is just beginning."

Tim nodded and then realized his grandfather couldn't see him. "Good, I'm glad to know because I want you around as long as possible, forever would be good. All right, so we're helping in the store and starting to pack up the house?"

"The store has been taken care of and Jethro will tell you about that when you arrive. I do think packing was too optimistic a word, I believe sorting through things is a better description. Please don't wear any good clothes."

"Ok, jeans and tee shirts it is. We'll leave here in 20 minutes."

"Very well, be careful. I know the skies are clear but there may be debris on the road from the storm."

"We'll be eagle eyed and cautious, promise Grandfa."

Tim hung up and turned around to spot Lina changing into her jeans, sneakers and a long sleeved souvenir tee shirt she'd bought at the Smithsonian. He changed his clothes and they gathered their coats, hats and gloves, knowing it would probably be late when they returned tonight. Iris met them downstairs. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I don't think so, thanks Iris. We're going to help sort through things at the house today."

"Oh, would you like to take some boxes then? We have several we just haven't gotten around to recycling."

"Sure, that's a good idea, thanks." Ezra had joined them and now he gestured to Tim to join him as they went to the back of the house. There was a 3 season porch in the back and there was a stack of cardboard boxes in one corner. The two of them took them out to the rental car and put them in the trunk while Lina joined them carrying their jackets.

The drive to Stillwater was debris-free. As they drove through town to Jack's house, Lina noticed a line of people standing outside a storefront and pointed it out to Tim. He looked over and nodded. "That's Jack's store, hon. Somebody's opened it today and I'll bet people are paying their respects."

Lina nodded, "Jack's having a visitation whether he wanted one or not."

Tim chuckled, "Looks like it. There isn't a formal one so people are paying their respects at the store." When the line moved, Lina spotted a black wreath in the window.

They found the house without any problems, the yellow and black Challenger parked outside was a strong indication that Gibbs was nearby. Ducky opened the front door and Tim chuckled. His grandfather wore a formerly white butcher's apron and his hair looked like he'd been crawling through an attic. His grandfather smiled and started to pull him in for a hug when a sneeze from his grandson reminded him that was probably not a good idea. Fortunately, Jethro had a crime scene kit in his car that contained a few face masks and disposable gloves. Tim and Lina suited up, wondering where Gibbs was. As they walked through the house, they heard sounds from above and knew they'd found Gibbs – in the attic.

Ducky paused, "I think this will go faster if we each take a room. I believe our biggest challenges will be Jack's room, Jethro's old room, the guest room which seems to be mostly storage and the kitchen."

Tim eyes gleamed, "I want Boss's old room!"

Lina laughed, "Of course you do. Ducky, I'll take the kitchen."

"Then I shall take Jack's room, although I think I will ask Jethro first."

Tim nodded, "Good idea. We brought some boxes, Ducky, from the innkeepers at our B&B."

"That was thoughtful, Tim."

"Wish I could say it was my idea, but it was Iris, our hostess. I'll go bring them in."

"I'll go with you, lad, I could use some fresh air." Lina found the kitchen and opened the drawers, looking to see what was in each one. She wondered if Gibbs wanted to keep anything. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice spoke behind her. "I've already taken what I want. If you two see anything, help yourselves."

She was still trying to regain her breath so she just nodded and then turning to him, looked at him. He looked worse than he had last night. Of course he too was covered in dust.

He gave her a small smile and she pulled him into a hug as she said, "Daughters can comfort as well as fathers, you know." He nodded into her shoulder, afraid he was going to lose control of his emotions. She repeated what she'd said to him at the restaurant last evening, this time in English and heard him take a deep breath. "My children."

"Yes, your children, the ones chosen or did they choose you? Tim, Tony and Ziva, your sons and daughter and I include me as your daughter, I'm very certain that will happen in the not too distant future. Someday there will be grandchildren. Yes, I know of the discussion you had with Tim, we talked about it beforehand. You will be our children's Poppy, their grandfather. But they won't be with us anytime soon, so you have to keep yourself healthy while we wait."

She heard him chuckle and relaxed. "Now, what have you been working on?"

"The attic."

"Are you finished?"

"No, we've barely scratched the surface."

She told him Ducky's plan to divide and conquer and he nodded. "I'll do Jack's room. I'd like to get as much done today as we can and that attic is going to take a few days."

Ducky and Tim returned with the boxes and Jethro blinked. "Good idea, we can use those for stuff to donate."

He looked at Lina and Tim, "Anything you think can be used at the shelter or camp, please put in a box and I'll take it to Lu or that big guy at the camp."

"Nate."

"Yeah, Nate." He looked at Ducky and Tim, "Same goes with anything you find in my room or the other rooms. Anything useful should go straight there." They nodded, each grabbing a few boxes. Tim, Ducky and Gibbs disappeared upstairs while Lina tackled the kitchen.

As Tim went through Gibbs' old room, apparently left as it was when he joined the Marines more than 35 years ago, he felt like a voyeur peeking in the window of Leroy Jethro's young life. He saved just about everything but scrap paper, thinking Tony might want to take a look too. He thought about that and wondered if it was creepy that he wanted some of his dad's childhood treasures. It was a way to get to know him a little better and there were things he wanted to ask about. He decided he would ask Gibbs if it was ok if he and Tony kept a couple of things and then wondered if he could explain why. For him, it would be like having Gibbs a little closer to him and he thought that might be the same for Tony. A couple of hours later when Ducky called for a break, they convened in the kitchen for lunch. By that time, it seemed like half the town had knocked on the door with some sort of food offering.

Lunch was a casserole that Lina said smelled good. Gibbs had tried to be at the door to greet and thank everyone but he'd missed a few. He looked at the name label on this particular dish and nodded his head, "Yeah, she's a good cook, good choice Lina!"

When the others looked surprised, Gibbs shook his head, "We got food like this when my mom died. And afterward, a widower and his teen aged son, oh yeah, we got lots of casseroles over the years." He chuckled, "If Jack had based his qualifications for a new wife on being a good cook this lady would have been in the running."

"But he never remarried?"

"No, he never did. I guess we were alike in that, when we lost the women we loved we just couldn't let go."

Ducky broke the ensuing silence, "Jethro, why don't you tell Tim and Lina what you've done with the store?"

"Yeah sure. My dad had this young guy workin' for him, Cal Frazier and he was the one that found him in bed, did CPR but it was too late. Jack told me about him, said he was a good worker and he hoped he'd like storekeeping. Yesterday I was at the store lookin' around trying to figure out what to do when Cal walks in. We talk for awhile and I'm thinkin' this is the one who could run this place, who'd keep it going for this town - otherwise Winslow's gonna swallow it up. So I gave him the store."

Lina's eyes widened. "You gave it to him…a gift?"

"Yeah, I don't have time or the inclination to run it or sell it. My dad had big hopes for this kid and I think he'll do fine."

Tim nodded at Gibbs, "That's a pretty cool story, Boss."

Gibbs shrugged. "Think my dad woulda liked it."

They were quiet while they continued eating until Tim decided to ask his question. "Uh Boss, do you mind if I take stuff from your room back to the B&B, see if there's anything Tony would like?"

"Huh?"

Tim forced himself not to squirm, he was a federal agent not a 9 year old asking his dad for something normally forbidden. He corrected his thought: wrong, he was a son asking his dad for something kind of strange. "There are a few things I'd like to keep and I thought he might too."

"Tim…it's _my_ stuff?"

"Yeah, from when you were a kid."

"Ok, I'm not getting this."

Tim sighed, "Because we didn't know you until 10-12 years ago, we never had a chance to know the young Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And there are a couple of things in there that… well; they tell me more about you."

Gibbs looked at his kid who had a 'please don't make me say any more' look on his face. He reached over and ruffled his hair, making Tim smile and the anxious look go away. "That's fine, Tim."

When Tim was done sorting the room, he brought the boxes downstairs and started for the car with them. Gibbs caught up to him with more boxes. "I don't mind, Tim, I just don't understand."

"It's mushy."

"Yeah, kinda got that."

"You're our dad, always going to be our dad. But we didn't meet you until we were grown and we didn't get to meet Jack until a few years after that and we never had the opportunity to meet your mom. So we don't know that many stories about you growing up and that's important to us, what you were like as a kid, what you did, how you were. That's one of the reasons we were always so curious about you. Some of these things – the baseball bat, the arm cast, the autographed football, the 8 track tapes, the Grateful Dead tee shirt, they tell me a little bit about you. And…I live 5000 miles away from you. I know we can talk on Skype and I have the things you've made me but it'd be great to also have something of yours, something you had as a kid. Makes me feel closer to you."

Gibbs was nodding by the time he finished. "Kelly had one of my shirts that her favorite bear wore whenever I was deployed. She wouldn't let Shannon wash it until I got home. It was her 'daddy' shirt."

Tim nodded, "Don't have or want a stuffed bear but yeah it's the same thing." They put the boxes in the trunk of the rental and Gibbs gave Tim's neck an affectionate squeeze.

"Like I said the other day, never thought I'd have a chance like this again Tim, to be a dad or granddad."

"Hope you like it because you're stuck with us now." He was given a very light, affectionate tap to the back of his head and he grinned.

Gibbs stood there looking at him and finally said, "I have Kate's cap, the one with the bullet hole in it, the one we gave Ziva when she showed up. Ziva's book about the Constitution and that rainbow sweater. Your Venetian Snares banner, that striped coffee mug of yours and that little paper umbrella you had on your desk since Kate. Tony's letter opener and one of his paper airplanes. One of Abby's Caf!Pow cups."

Tim looked at him, his mouth dropping open and Gibbs reached over and gently shut it. "Works both ways, kiddo."

Tim smiled and muttered as he was enveloped in Gibbs' arms. "You're mushier than the rest of us combined."

"What'd say?"

"Nothin' Dad."

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><p>Notes!<p>

I realized as I was doing my final run- through of the chapter that Jack's house is not canon! The store and the town, yes, but not his house. For the creation of the house, I feel I owe credit to two of my favorite authors:

1) Tigyr for her Stillwater stories, starting with Locomotion and continuing with The Leprechaun's Surprise: Sequel to the Green Band

2) Emy-Lynn's Stillwater stories starting with I'll be Home for Christmas and continuing to her current WIP:RIP Jackson Gibbs.

There may be other writers who have included Jack's house in their stories but these are the two who have made the biggest impression on me. Thanks!

Many thanks to HarmonFreak1 for allowing me to 'borrow' Iris and Ezra Klein and their B&B for this story. The Kleins are wonderful original characters she developed for her WIP "Ages and Stages". HarmonFreak1 is not only my beta and co-author (when we can find time!) but also a good friend.

If anyone's read my little 2-shot Godspeed, you know it ends before the funeral. That's mostly because I realized after I posted those chapters that I was going to have to write Jack's death into Finding Home and I just didn't have it in me to write two funerals for the same character and a much loved actor. So Godspeed ends where it does and we'll have the full funeral with the family in Finding Home. For me it was much more satisfying to write it this way, surrounded by a larger story that Jack has been part of.


	75. Chapter 75

Thanks for all the reviews, faves, follows and reads!

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><p>Tony wasn't scheduled to reach Bloomberg until 7:00 so when Gibbs asked Tim and Lina to stay for an early dinner, they agreed. Gibbs went through the dishes in the refrigerator and the large ice chest they'd set up and picked another of his favorite dishes – or cooks, they weren't sure which. Ducky found a salad in another bowl and all three of them laughed at the face Gibbs made. Gibbs also found a package of his favorite crescent rolls in the refrigerator; Tim rolled those up and popped them in the oven. With the casserole heated, the rolls baked, butter on the table and dressing on the salad, coffee and tea brewed and steeped, dinner was served.<p>

While they ate, they talked about plans for the weekend. After the church and graveside services tomorrow there would be a reception at the church hall. Following that Gibbs wanted his family and extended family to come back to the house for dinner. He'd found several packages of steak in the freezer and would grill those and also heat some of the donated dishes. They talked about brunch on Sunday, not knowing who would be leaving at what time. By now reality had set in and Gibbs knew the house wouldn't be ready to put on the market by the end of the weekend. He decided he and Ducky should leave Sunday when the others did and he'd ask Tobias to come up with him the following weekend to help him. Tim was relieved they would leave on Sunday. He was afraid it would be too hard for Gibbs to stay after everyone else left and he knew Ducky wanted to get home. And selfishly he wanted to see both of them before he and Lina left for Greece on Monday. Ducky and Gibbs insisted on cleaning up after they finished eating and Tim and Lina left shortly after promising to come to the house with Tony in the morning before the service.

They had just walked into their room and changed from dirty to clean clothes, noticing Tim's suit and Lina's outfit hanging in the closet when Tim's phone buzzed. He looked at it, grinned and grabbing Lina by the hand, ran out the door. They flew down the stairs and stopped when they saw not only Tony, but Vance, the Palmers, Fornell, the Cranes, the three Hubbards, Ned Dorneget and Maggie Barnes. Everyone but Tony had been on the same flight from DC and Tony was in line at the rental car counter when Vance spotted him. They ended up with 4 rentals and Tony managed to grab the Palmers as his passengers from the airport to the B&B.

Tim gave the others a brief wave before he and Tony grabbed each other and held on in a bear hug. Tim vaguely heard Lina talking to the others and Iris's voice assigning rooms but Tony was talking to him and that was more important right now. Finally he looked up to see Vance standing there with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on the man's face, including the ones on Christmas Eve and at the office last Monday. Tim nodded his understanding and gave Tony an extra squeeze to his arms. "OW! Dang Tim you've gotten stronger."

"Yep I have. Told you about the mixed martial arts class, right?"

"Oh yeah. Huh, that's really made a difference."

"Taken down a couple of scumbags with the moves I've learned." They talked for a little bit longer, Tony wanted to know how Boss was doing and then Tim steered him over to the reception area where Iris was waiting. She told them Lina had gone with the senior Mrs. Hubbard to help her get settled in and that everyone planned to gather in the study in 30 minutes which Iris now revised to 15 minutes. Tony checked in, grabbed his key and his bag and giving Tim another hug, said he'd see him in 15 minutes.

While Tim waited for Lina, Iris told him that the new arrivals had asked for dinner and asked if he and Lina wanted to join them. Knowing she'd wanted some notice he opened his mouth but she reached over and patted him on the arm. "The Admiral called from the airport, Tim, no need to worry. Also, there are two people at the hotel who have been invited over for drinks and dinner." Tim had no idea who those two people might be although he really hoped one of them wasn't the mother-in-law. He asked Iris about adding those two and three additional guests for breakfast on Sunday, thinking of LJ Moore as well as Grandfa and Gibbs. She agreed and assured him this was not the first time their registered guests had had visitors for breakfast.

She was curious about her guests' connections to Jackson Gibbs including the young man in front of her and inadvertently found out by asking if he knew what their likes and dislikes were as far as beverages and breakfast food, if anyone had any allergies. She was surprised to hear that the two couples and the older woman were Tim's family and even more surprised to find that the young man's relatives had only met Jackson the previous week. She thought this was an exceptionally close family to travel so far to a funeral after only knowing the deceased man for such a short time.

Maisie and Lina were the first ones back in the lobby and after warmly greeting his grandmother and thanking her for coming all this way, Tim escorted them to the study where Ezra had a drinks bar set up along with coffee and hot water for tea or chocolate. His godparents, Aunt Claire and Uncle Jim walked in and hugged him and Lina. Ezra was manning the bar and was fascinated watching everyone and the group dynamics. He was just starting to figure them out when first Vance and Fornell and then Tony joined the crowd and that changed things. Tim was the only one who seemed to stand a little straighter when Vance walked in but when the other younger man came in there was a…hesitancy in the people he believed were Tim's relatives and then he noticed that the Admiral and Captain's shoulders were square, tense.

Tim felt the change when Tony walked in the room and he knew it was his own fault. If he hadn't confided in his uncles about his problems with his former teammate there would have been no hesitation. The Baton Rouge had long sailed from Greece the weekend Tim had fished Senior out of the CIA mess; they knew Tim had busted a terrorist but didn't know of his personal connection to Tim and Tony. They did know that Tim had spoken to DiNozzo and that the two men had greeted each other warmly, but uncle and godfather were still in protective mode. Lina knew more of course and smiled warmly at her boyfriend's former co-worker and Maisie and Claire followed her lead.

He was first introduced to Lina who reached up and kissed his cheek. "I'm so glad to finally meet you face to face!" Tony was nearly speechless but managed to say something reasonably intelligent. Then Tim took him by the arm, "You met everyone at the airport, right?"

Tony's eyes widened as he looked at the crowd of people, Tim's new relatives. "Uh, yeah, sure!"

Tim chuckled, "C'mon, Tony, I'll introduce you, they won't bite, promise."

"Besides, we won't let them, will we McGee?" That was Vance making a subtle display of support.

"No sir, family is family." Tony remembered all the Skype talks they'd had about their past problems and hoped he wouldn't say anything stupid. Tim gave his shoulder a little squeeze, "Just be yourself, all right?"

Tony smiled while he said quietly, "Ok, but can we just get this over with?"

The men chuckled and Tim took him to Maisie first. She greeted Tony with a warm handshake. "I'm so happy to meet you Anthony! Donald has told me wonderful things about you. I'm sorry for the circumstances but glad you and Tim could see each other, I know you've been working hard on things."

Tony gave her a genuine smile, relieved that Tim's grandmother was so sweet, and was startled when she reached up, pulled his head toward her and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. His shoulders relaxed and Tim gave him another shoulder squeeze.

Aunty Liz was next and she too greeted Tony with warmth and a little hug. Aunt Claire followed suit and Ezra was amused to notice that both women gave their husbands looks that clearly told them to 'stand down'.

By that time the Palmers, Maggie and Ned had joined them and were following Tim and Tony around the room. Jimmy and Breena knew Maisie fairly well and the Hubbards almost as well but they'd only met the Cranes a couple of times.

Tony approached the 'uncles' knowing his friends and the Director were with him. Tim had told him a lot about his godfather and uncle, much of it made DiNozzo scratch his head as he'd never run into an Admiral who displayed a sense of humor, let alone friendliness. He tried not to flinch as he approached them and felt his friend's hands rest on his shoulders. "Uncle Dave, Uncle Jim, this is Tony. Tony, this is my godfather Admiral Crane and my uncle Captain Hubbard."

Tony offered his hand, hoping he'd get it back and was surprised and relieved when the Admiral grabbed it and shook it warmly. "Tony, I'm glad to meet you. I know these are sad circumstances but from what little I knew of Jack, I'm sure he'd approve – especially you and Tim clearing things up between you."

Tony had to swallow past the lump of grief thinking about Jack but managed to shake the older man's hand. The Captain followed and Tony's smile wasn't as forced this time. After Jim greeted him, Tony blurted out, "Can't believe how much you and Tim look alike." Both uncle and nephew smiled happily at that and Tony got a slap on the back from the proud uncle.

After that they ordered drinks and Vance led them in a toast to Jackson. They were enjoying their beverages when Tim heard voices approaching the study. Curious he stepped toward the door and smiled when he saw Rick Carter and a man he didn't know entering the room. Tony joined him and Rick smiled, glad to see the two younger agents in the same room together after their problems. The other man started to introduce himself and Tony interrupted him, "Roger Cooke! I remember you from that undercover op we did with ATF."

"DiNozzo, right?"

"Yeah, Tony DiNozzo and this is Tim McGee, I think he worked with Kate that night, taking down the Corporal on base."

Tim looked blank until Tony nudged him and said, "The pawn shop woman who was a crooked ATF agent."

He huffed, "Ok, I kinda remember that. I wasn't even on the team yet; Gibbs TAD'd me up from Norfolk."

Roger nodded, "That explains why I don't remember you, sorry! So how long were you on Jethro's team?"

Tim told him and he nodded again. "Haven't seen him in a while, since just after I retired. You know we served together?"

That cleared up that little mystery and they introduced the two men to everyone. Afterward Rick looked at Tim in wonder. "All these people are your relatives, Tim?"

"Yep."

"How come they weren't around before?"

"Just met them – in Greece! Weird, huh?"

Rich nodded, "Oh yeah. How's Gibbs?"

"Trying to keep busy and not think too much. I'm glad Ducky's with him although I wish they were here tonight."

"And Ducky's your grandfather."

Tim laughed, "I know Rick – and we might never have known if I hadn't left the team and gone to Greece."

Rick shook his head, "Sure sounds like it was meant to happen." Tim left him chatting with his uncle while he caught up with Lina. It felt very odd for all of them to be here because of Jack without Jack's son being here with them. He was suddenly very tired and Lina leaned against him. "Tim…"

"Are you tired, sweetie? I am, been a long day – a long week."

"Yes, I am too. They're having dinner here; did you want to sit in with them?"

"Mmm, I don't know, what would you like to do?"

"Sit with them for a little while but I would like some time alone too, just the two of us."

"Yeah, I was thinking that too, Lina. This is nice but it's, well it's weird. It's a party but it's not a party and it's really strange that Gibbs and Ducky aren't here."

"Yes, that's what I've been feeling too. I know you want some time with Tony."

"I think tomorrow will be soon enough for that, Lina. This is draining. I've never been this involved in a funeral or someone's passing before. Yes, I've been to funerals, when Kate died, SecNav loaned us his jet so we could fly to Indiana for the funeral, but that was there and back, we were overnight but it was after the funeral, we went to the coffee afterward, then had dinner and fell into our beds at the motel. There wasn't all this."

"Do you think Gibbs would have been comfortable with everyone here tonight?"

"No, I don't and that's a good point. I think having Ducky with him and us there today is probably about all he'd be comfortable with. Sure if Tony was there, that would have been fine because we're family, but everyone here now, no. They're family but except for Fornell, Vance and the Palmers, they're mostly 'new' family – or friends like Rick and Roger. And he wouldn't be able to relax at all with Maggie and Ned here. I'm glad they came and I'm sure he'll be ok with them tomorrow when everyone will be together."

"So we'll join the others for dinner?"

"Are you hungry?"

"A little but I don't feel like eating a whole dinner."

"Me neither. What if we join them for dessert?"

"Another dessert? We need to run or swim!"

Tim chuckled, "Let's ask Ezra if they have a pool hidden somewhere or a running track!"

The innkeeper was still manning the bar and looked up as the young couple approached him. "Another drink?"

They shook their heads and Tim asked, "Is there a running path or an indoor pool anywhere that we can use? We're feeling like we need some exercise in the morning."

Ezra smiled, "One of the benefits of being in a small town, we work with our fellow hoteliers to keep our guests happy. Yes, the hotel where your two friends are staying has an indoor pool and a workout room. I'll call tonight and let them know some of our guests may show up there over the next couple of days. You just need to show them your room key; in fact, hang on I'll let everyone know that."

He waited for a lull in the general conversation, got everyone's attention and let them know that there was a workout room and indoor pool available to them at a local hotel.

After they'd enjoyed their second dessert of the day, Tim and Lina grabbed the Palmers and asked if they could talk with them. They told them about the children they'd seen at the camp in Baltimore on Monday, specifically Ethan and Stevie. When Lina said their names, Breena smiled and looked at Jimmy. "We didn't want to say anything until we worked things out, but we've met them too and heard their story. There's a new state program being piloted to place siblings together and we've applied to be their foster parents. Our ultimate plan is to adopt them but first we need to get them home with us and then we can start the process."

Lina was so relieved and excited she kissed them both and Tim followed with hugs for his friends. Jimmy said they'd know more in another week and promised to keep them updated. When Tim offered to write a recommendation letter Jimmy laughed at him, reminding him he'd written one before he left. The two couples talked for several minutes about the Palmers' plans and then called it a night.

Lina went upstairs to their room while Tim went to find Tony. He found him in the study with Uncle Dave, watching a movie. When Tim walked in the door and saw the two of them, he stopped and just watched them for a minute. He saw relaxed shoulders and Tony talking his godfather through the movie. Uncle Dave seemed amused much to Tim's relief. His godfather spotted Tim first and stopped the movie while Tim moved into the room. "What is it, son?"

"Actually I need to borrow Tony for a minute, Uncle."

"Don't need me?"

"Generally speaking, I always need you, specifically not right this minute." His godfather beamed at him and Tony struggled to keep from rolling his eyes at the unabashed sentiments of the two men. Tim sat next to him and they made plans to meet in the morning after breakfast to drive to Stillwater and spend some time with Gibbs. It meant a very early morning for DiNozzo but he told Tim he'd sleep in the car. Tim opened his mouth to tell him it was only a 20 minute drive and then shut it again. He'd know soon enough.


	76. Chapter 76

They were up at first light and leaving a note for Tony, drove to the hotel with the pool and had an invigorating swim. Tim felt much better afterward and said so to Lina. She smiled at him, "Our exercise last night wasn't enough Timothy?" Laughing he reeled her in for a kiss. They were back in their room in time for showers and dressing before breakfast. Tim was glad to see Tony, knowing he wasn't a morning person to begin with and throwing a 3 hour time change into the mix wouldn't help much. After they ate and Tony had several cups of coffee, the three excused themselves, telling the others that as planned, they'd see them in Stillwater in a few hours and to remember to bring casual clothes for dinner at the house that night.

The three gathered what they needed for the service and loading everything into the car, set off for Stillwater. Tony was just relaxing into sleep when the car slowed down. He opened his eyes and saw they were driving down Stillwater's one main street. He looked at the store; saw it was open and that there were flowers everywhere outside. The others had spotted them too and Lina said that after the service they might want to gather them up and take them to the gravesite. Tim noticed a sheriff's car approaching and he slowed down to a crawl. It was Sheriff Gantry, amazingly he remembered both agents. "You here for Jack's service today?"

"Yes, sheriff, we came in yesterday, staying up in Bloomberg."

"Any more coming in?"

"Yes, 4 or 5 cars from Bloomberg. We've warned them to obey the speed laws and watch for pedestrians. They're federal agents and employees and naval officers, not to mention the head of NCIS, they'll respect the rules."

"Good, glad to hear it, I guess I'm glad Leroy has friends today."

"Family."

"How's that?"

"We're his family, sheriff, have been for quite some time now."

"Heard there was trouble."

"What family doesn't have trouble now and then, an illicit romance, an unplanned pregnancy?"

Gantry's eyes widened and then his lips thinned even more than they were while Tim gave his best fake smile.

"'Spose so. Well, I'll see you at the service then."

Tim nodded and they drove on. Tony made a noise and Tim started laughing. "Small town, big ego."

Lina chuckled, "You don't like the sheriff?"

"Andy Griffith's he's not. Oh sorry, Andy Griffith was an actor who played…"

Lina interrupted him, "Andy Taylor, sheriff of Mayberry, single father of Opie, yes I've seen those shows, they're wonderful."

Tim and Tony looked at her with their mouths hanging open. She gave the light laugh that always sent a jolt through Tim and he came back to life. "Right. When we were here the first time, we drove into town; Boss pulled into a parking space and here comes the Sheriff, uses his siren on us. We get out of the car and Gantry spouts something at Boss who totally keeps his cool and asks how he's been. Ed replies that he knocked up some girl…"

At Lina's puzzled look, Tim explained, "Got her pregnant and got married, had grandchildren, blahblahblah. Total jerk."

"Ah, so that's why you threw in the illicit romance and an unplanned pregnancy?"

Tony snorted, "Yeah and he used what Boss calls $3.00 words, just to annoy him."

Tim picked the story up again, "From what Jack told us later, Gantry and Chuck Winslow, the owner of the mining company and the town – except for Jack's store – were in school with Gibbs and they made it their mission to make Gibbs' life miserable."

Tim told Lina the story of the final confrontation with the Winslow family during the case that brought Boss back to Stillwater. "Jack sat on the front stoop with his Winchester rifle and when Ed pulled up in uniform and said he'd heard there was a disturbance, Jack cocked the rifle and said they should 'sit this one out' and Ed meekly sat down without a word."

Tony loved that story, loved hearing it and loved telling it. He told them he wished he could tell it today during the service. Tim reminded him Gibbs would still need access to his father's house until he sold it and they decided to tell the story that evening or at the reception. They drove by the church and saw people hurrying in with armloads of flowers. A man was on a ladder washing the windows; another one was updating the sign board out front with the time for Jackson Gibbs' funeral service. They stopped and stared. Tony slid forward on the backseat as Tim reached his hand back to him and they sat there for a few minutes holding on; thinking of Jack and hurting for the man who was dad to both of them.

Lina was the first to speak. Clearing her throat she turned to the two men, "This will be a very difficult day for our Gibbs. He needs you two especially. He will need to be reminded more than once that he's not alone and that he is loved. I'm new to him, but I told him yesterday that I am standing in for his daughters who can't be here. But you are his sons and I know you must be proud of that. Touch him - just let him know you're there. You don't have to say anything, just be there with him. Ducky will do the same and I imagine Vance and Fornell. He needs to mourn but he also needs to be reminded that we are here and we love him no matter where we are in the world."

When Tim could get a word out, he croaked something and pulled Lina toward him. Tony leaned forward from the backseat and kissed the top of her head and then spoke, "We need to sit with him at the service."

Tim nodded, "Yes, how about one of us on either side of him? Lina and Ducky with us too."

Tony agreed. "That sounds right, Tim."

Lina nodded, "As I said, today I represent his daughters; I will be Ziva and Abby for him."

"That means you're my sister Lina."

She turned and smiled softly at the older man, "Yes, Tony, it does."

"Do you think he'll talk?" Tony and Tim looked at each other. Tony shrugged, "We should." Tim's eyebrows flew up and he looked at Tony. "You have a story ready?"

"Yeah, I do, from the time Paloma sh…the time he stayed with Gibbs all those weeks; that story with Franks and Jack."

"Oh man." Tim sat back in his seat.

"You think that's too much, reminding him of Mike too?"

"I don't know, Tony. I remember he got a big kick out of them meeting. And remember that night when Fornell was there too? Boss, Jack, Mike and Fornell all in the same place, I was afraid the house would burst."

"I was waiting for that when it was just Jack and Franks. The clash of the titans; Dad vs. the Cowboy."

Tim started laughing, "Oh God, you've got to say that. He'll love it. Rick, Jimmy, Vance, Ducky, Tobias, they'll love it."

"Ok, I'll go with that one. You got one?"

"The first time he brought in Christmas candy."

"Uh, you're not going to repeat what Boss said?"

"Huh? Oh, no way man. I know Vance is going to talk about him bringing chili in every year and having to dispense the heartburn medication afterward. Hmmm, what about this…I could do the story about that casserole he made…the one with the noodles?"

"Yeah, do that and the first time we tasted that!"

Tim made a face, "Ugh the only time! I can still taste that nasty stuff!"

Lina looked, "What on earth could be wrong with it? You've liked all the noodle dishes I've made you!"

"Yes I did, sweet stuff and I'll like it next time we have it too. This one…well you can wait until you hear the story."

She made a frustrated sound and swatted at him. "Grrr, I want to know now!"

Tony laughed, "Tim, can you still imitate Ziva?"

"Yep, thought I'd throw that in and maybe Ducky's reaction."

"Excellent. Ok, we're good then. Lina?"

"I don't have a story to tell! I suppose I could say I only met him twice and that he was a lovely man."

Tim nodded, "If you're comfortable with it, hon."

She made a face, "Maybe…if there's nobody else."

Feeling a little more prepared for the service, Tim started the car and they drove to the house. He pulled into the driveway and looked at his watch, right on time – meaning they were ten minutes early.

They were just getting out of the car when Tony squeaked and tried not to jump out of his skin as his former boss materialized behind him and pulled him in for a hug. After several long minutes, Gibbs reached out and grabbed Tim who had returned to the car to bring more of their stuff into the house.

"You're here, both of you, so grateful you're with me today." He felt nods from both of them and pulled them in closer as he murmured to them. Tony fought his tears until he heard someone sniff and that set him off. The three men stood in the weak sunshine pretending they weren't crying. Eventually Ducky appeared on the porch and loudly ordered them to get in out of the cold and when they walked in, grabbed Tony for a hug while he continued to scold them.

After Ducky had made each of them drink a mug of hot tea, they warmed up a bit. As Tim was still shivering, he was ordered to sit on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him and Lina cuddled up next to him. That helped a lot and Tim grinned at his grandfather. "Thanks for the tea and the blanket, Grandfa; I think cuddling with Lina is doing the trick."

Tony's face registered his surprise and Tim had to mentally review his words to think what surprised him. He certainly knew about Lina and he remembered telling Tony about Ducky being his grandfather.

He looked at his former teammate in confusion and Tony shook his head with a smile, "First time hearing you call him that, Tim, I'll get used to it. It's just…surreal."

Ducky smiled, "We understand, Anthony, believe me!" Gibbs disappeared into the kitchen and now came out with a tray with three mugs on it. Tony smiled; he could smell the hot chocolate; that made him feel at home and brought memories of Christmas with Jack and Boss.

Tim told Gibbs and Ducky his idea for breakfast the next day and they agreed that breakfast at the Bed and Breakfast was a good idea. Tim and Tony gently told Gibbs the names of everyone coming from Bloomberg and he got very quiet and then nodded. Lina and Ducky went to the kitchen to take stock of all the casseroles, figuring they'd need a lot more than they'd thought for the dinner this evening.

Gibbs watched the two walk into the kitchen and then turned to his boys. "Ziva called me last night. Thanks Tony for telling her about Jack. We had a good talk."

Whatever anger Tim still harbored toward his former co-worker vanished with those words; she'd cared enough to call Gibbs, she'd realized how much he'd need all of them, that was redemption. Tony looked relieved and Gibbs sat on the coffee table facing them. "It was good, guys. She couldn't tell me where she is but said she was too far away to get here in time for the funeral. Told me to tell you both hello."

Tim cleared his throat, "She doing ok?"

"Yeah, sounds like it, couldn't say much. Vance told me a while back that she's joined the Israeli Diplomatic Corps, working behind the scenes."

Tim nodded and told them a little about his conversation with Fred Christopher back in November. Tony just listened, relaxing when Gibbs and Tim put their hands on his shoulders. "I'm ok guys, thanks. I'm glad she's ok, really glad she called."

Gibbs hesitated and looked at Tim. He tilted his head, "What?"

"You talk to Tony about New Orleans?" The younger men shook their heads; they hadn't gotten that far yet. Gibbs dipped his head at Tim and he gathered his thoughts and then told them what he'd seen, what the plea deal had been.

Tony let out a long sigh. "When I heard she hired someone to hurt you, Tim, I told Vance something was wrong, Abby wouldn't do that. She was capable of harming you, yeah, but not hiring some ex-con."

Tim nodded, "I told Fornell that too."

Gibbs huffed, "Said the same thing to Vance."

Tim sat silently and Gibbs looking at him didn't like the look he saw on his face. Leaning forward he pulled him into his arms "Not your fault, Tim, you didn't do anything ever to deserve any of her anger or blame or anything she tried to do to you or intended to do to you."

Tony's eyes widened, he hadn't realized Tim was feeling that way. He joined in the embrace and the three men sat there holding onto each other until Tim took a deep breath. "Needed to hear you say that Boss, and you, Tony, that you don't blame me for Abby's troubles." He nodded, "Thanks guys."

Gibbs still with his arms around them took a deep breath. "Got more." They looked at him. "Yesterday after you and Lina left, I found a box in Jack's room with my name on it. Opened it up and found photo albums for each of you – you two, Ziva and Abby. An envelope for each too. I'll keep the ones for Ziva and Abby, but I'd like you two to have yours today."

They nodded and he left the room, returning with two albums, handing one to Tony and one to Tim. Tony opened his, tucking the envelope into his jacket pocket, and found photos of Boss as a kid, with Jack and Anne, with Shannon on their wedding day and a few of the two of them with Kelly. Then came photos of each of them on the team, individually and together, some of them snapped candidly at crime scenes, at the office, at Ducky's and Gibbs' for holidays. The last two photos in the album were of the team, including Ducky, Jimmy and Abby in a group photo and the very last one included Jack in the shot. They smiled at that and Tony reached out to touch Jack's face on the photo. "I'm glad he was part of us, Boss."

Gibbs nodded and Tim touched his shoulder. "Family; he knew we'd need these."

He nudged Tony, "Boss you know we're your family, have been for a while now. That means you are our family too. Tony's family, my family, Ziva's family, our family; want you to remember that."

Gibbs was silent and then managed to croak out, "How did I get so lucky?"

They had their hands on his shoulders and Tony spoke softly. "You didn't get lucky, you made this family, you forged a team and we grew into family. Not your ordinary everyday family but still family." Tim continued, "Yeah, we have problems but we're working on them, that's what families do. We don't see each other every day but we're still family. I've been adding on to my family and now they're part of our family too." Gibbs nodded, taking strength from their heartfelt words.

They talked quietly for some time before they realized Lina and Ducky were starting to move furniture. When they looked around Ducky said, "We thought we'd better get the house ready before the service. Need to move chairs around, move the coffee table to the side, 20 people will be quite a crowd in here, Jethro."

Gibbs nodded and they spent the next hour moving furniture, gathering chairs, benches and anything that could be used as a table. It took a trip to the garage and some cleaning – done by Ducky and Gibbs who didn't have their church clothes on yet – but they eventually had enough chairs and benches for 20 people to sit on while they ate. Tony and Tim removed their suit jackets, rolled up their sleeves and careful not to splash, washed glasses, plates, bowls and silverware. Lina and Ducky took the car and went into town to bring back some of the flowers and all of the cards from around the store. They also brought back more beverages, paper napkins and assorted other items they hadn't found in the house.

By 1:00, the house was ready and Gibbs and Ducky went upstairs to shower and change clothes. Downstairs, Lina, Tim and Tony sat and talked quietly. At 1:45, they left for the church. Gibbs had asked them to sit with him and they'd agreed, relieved they hadn't had to suggest it themselves.

They arrived at the church and found people gathered in the vestibule waiting for Gibbs to walk in. He greeted several of Jack's friends and hugged LJ when he saw him, invited him to sit in the front pew with them. The 6 of them walked up the aisle, Gibbs in the lead and stopping at the casket. He laid his hand on the flag for a moment, bowing his head and then continued on. As they settled themselves into the pew, Tim on one side of Gibbs and Tony on the other, the two younger men turned and watched Vance, Fornell, Rick Carter, the Palmers and the others enter and fill the pews behind them. Uncle Jim and Vance gave them what Tim recognized as a nod of approval. Other people came in and the church started filling up. An elderly man came in by himself and hesitated and Tim wondered if he was from out of town as most people seemed to be familiar with the church and each other. Gibbs turned to say something to Tobias and spotting the man gave him a nod and beckoned to him. The man came forward as far as the third row of pews and slid in.

The church looked very nice and Tim thought that Jack would have approved and then wondered if he'd been specific in his instructions about flowers. He could see that some of the flower arrangements had cards with them and made a mental note to gather the cards for Gibbs. When he and Tony did that later, they found flowers from Ziva, Boss' friend Elaine, Shannon's father Mac Fielding, Layla and Amira, Joann Fielding, Diane Gibbs Fornell Sterling, DiNozzo Senior, two of the agents who'd been on protection detail for Jackson during the Reynosa case and Stephanie Flynn. Their only question was who told Stephanie. Fornell answered that: he was sure that ex-wife#2 (Diane) had let ex-wife #3 (Stephanie) know that their mutual former father-in-law had passed away.

The service started with a psalm, one Tim remembered hearing before; he liked the poetic cadence of it and made a mental note to look at the words sometime, could work it into a story. That was followed by a hymn which was solemn and sad, followed by some prayers. The minister said some nice things, even a couple of funny things which Tim hadn't expected so soon and from a minister. After he finished, he invited the congregation to speak. Someone Tim recognized from the store yesterday got up and talked about Jack and the store, how he'd always be sure to have what his customers wanted. If they wanted new products, he'd get them. If something wasn't easy to get anymore, he'd search until it was found. People having a tough time didn't have to worry at Jack's store; they never had to worry about groceries. Some funny bits too. Winslow got up and said something not horribly hypocritical, Tim noticed Jethro stared straight ahead while he was talking, obviously mentally working on his boat or whatever he did to distract himself. Vance got up after him and Tim relaxed, glad to have someone from their family tell the others what Jack was to them. There was a murmur when the Director introduced himself and Tim angrily wondered why everyone had such low expectations of Gibbs that they'd be surprised that anyone would be here for him. The chili/heartburn story got a laugh and Fornell got up next with a few fishing stories, getting the biggest laugh when he said he couldn't tell the best one in a church. Ducky made the trip and Tim reached behind Gibbs and poked Tony, it was time to get the younger set up there. Almost time as the next one to stand was LJ. He talked for awhile and brought laughs and tears. A townie spoke next, and then after him the young guy Cal to whom Jethro had given the store. Tony finally stood and made his way to the front and told the story, nicely embellished, of the meeting of two very important people in Gibbs' life - "the clash of the titans" – first giving a little history of Mike Franks and who he was to Jethro (Tony deliberately referred to him alternately as Special Agent Gibbs and Boss…about time these people got a clue!) and then moved on to the story. Tim was happy to see a genuine smile on Gibbs' face – knowing he liked the story and appreciated Tony remembering Mike. Another townie followed Tony; this one with a funny story about a stray chicken and Jack chasing her through town.

After that, Lina thought she'd go but was relieved when Uncle Dave stood and with his obvious military bearing walked to the podium. Tim smiled, the man was in full dress uniform as was Uncle Jim and he knew they'd done it for Gibbs. The Admiral introduced himself as a member of the Gibbs clan and made a sweeping gesture to the first three pews of the church. That got a lot of looks over at them. Tim had had his hand loosely on top of Gibbs' hand and now felt the man twist so that he was holding Tim's hand. He couldn't see, didn't want to obviously look, but he was sure Gibbs had Tony's hand too. Uncle Dave talked a little bit about the role the Gibbs' men played in his life, more importantly in the life of his godson and about a conversation he'd had with Jack last week about their mutual pride in the work done by Jack's son and the godson. He mentioned some specifics that Jack had talked about and the grip on Tim's hand got tighter; Jack's son was having a tough time holding on to his emotions. Lina reached across Tim on one side and Ducky from the other and helped him hold on.

After Dave there was silence for a couple of beats and then Lina rose. Tim was so proud he could have burst. When she reached the podium she introduced herself and said that today she was representing Gibbs' daughters who couldn't be here, as well as the other females in his life, his goddaughter Amira home with the chicken pox (that got a murmur of sympathy), Amira's mother Layla and his niece Emily. She spoke about her meeting with Jack last weekend and how much she'd enjoyed his stories and how grateful she was to have had the time with him. Tim was gathering himself to stand when Ned Dorneget beat him to it. After introducing himself he just said he'd always looked forward to Jack's visits to NCIS as he always brought wonderful candy and great stories. Another townsperson got up, one of the women and admitted being the one who made the candy and how much Jack loved ordering it for Leroy and his family in DC. Tim stood up as she left the podium and made his way forward. He introduced himself and then he told them the stroganoff story and watched Lina's surprise and Gibbs smiling, a full smile. He told them about Jack and their family, how they'd evolved and how much the man who'd given them their boss, adding that for them that meant Jack as their grandfather and Leroy as dad, how much he'd meant to them. He spoke with pride and affection as he honored both Gibbs men and made it as plain as he could to these people that Jack and Jack's son were more than worthy of their respect. Halfway through, he realized two things: 1) as far as he knew Winslow and Gantry were the only ones who really disrespected Boss, the rest was probably just ignorance of the outside world; Gantry had seemed almost fond of Jack and 2) it didn't matter, as long as Gibbs knew and their family knew; they were never coming back to this place once the house was sold. Sure, Gibbs might come to lay flowers on his parents' graves, but he'd never stay here. So his fierce (to anyone who knew him) speech returned to more about their family and he ended it by telling them about the photo albums and letters Jack had prepared for each of Jethro's kids.

He let himself get teary as he walked by the casket and put his own hand on it, feeling that he was also saying goodbye to the father he'd lost decades ago. As he walked to his seat, Boss got up and looked at the two younger men, nodding to them. He walked, Marine Gunnery Sergeant's posture, he might not be in uniform anymore but there could be no doubt that he's a Marine. Exhaustion in his face and eyes, for once he didn't hide his emotions. Looking out at the crowd he saw the church was full and he was proud to be the son of the man who brought them here and said so. Then he went on to tell a couple more Jack fishing stories, explaining that when he was a teenager, after his mom died and before he was old enough for the Marines, fishing was about the only thing he and Jack could do together without fighting and that when they re-connected a few years back, they found they still did best together over fishing poles and tackle boxes. He talked about the fun of introducing his friends and his team to his dad and how proud he was of his family, how much they meant to him. He wound it up by talking a little about his parents and how thankful he was for both of them and how glad he was they were now reunited. Then with an almost shy nod, he stood down. As he walked toward the pew Tim and Tony stood in wait for him and then sat when he did. It was just one more show of love and respect.

The minister returned and there was another hymn, this one familiar, "Amazing Grace". Tim didn't want to spoil the lovely sounds so he didn't sing, but he read the words in the hymnal he and Lina were holding together. He could hear Tony and Boss' voices, nicely in tune, Ducky's lilting tenor and a beautiful harmony raised close by. Startled he realized it was Grammie, Uncle Jim and Jimmy. He relaxed, listening to them. The service finished, the pallbearers – Jimmy, Tony, Tim, Cal and two townsmen took the casket out of the church to the hearse.

The trip to the cemetery was brief and the pallbearers conveyed the casket over the marked path to the gravesite. The minister conducted a prayer, taps was played, the flag folded and given to Gibbs. Tim felt his heart breaking again when he saw how he was holding it close to his heart. Then it was over. Gibbs spoke briefly with LJ, invited him to the house for their dinner after the reception and spent a little time with the two World War II veterans who paid their respects to the former pilot. The others waited for him by the car and they continued on to the reception.

* * *

><p>In case anyone has forgotten, it is canon that Jimmy sang in a barbershop quartet in college. I forget the episode but I remember the conversation and we've heard him sing a little bit with Ducky during that same scene. Ducky also sang with their intern during an episode. Just mentioning it because someone (looks in beta's direction) forgot and thought it was 'cute' that Jimmy was singing in harmony. Cute, but true...well canon.<p> 


	77. Chapter 77

Note:Warning, you may need tissues for this chapter too.

* * *

><p>The church hall was packed and Tim could see Gibbs' shoulders tense. "You ok Boss?"<p>

"All these people."

Lina looked puzzled. "They were all at the church."

"Yeah but they didn't expect me to talk with them."

"Oh, I see."

The two younger men looked at each other, what were they going to do? Tim looked around and spotted a large coffee urn. "How about we get you some coffee, Boss? We can all walk over together. Anyone stops you just thank them for coming and let them know you need coffee."

"I can do that and I do need coffee."

They started through the crowd, Lina and Tim on one side of Gibbs, Tony on the other. People touched him, expressed their condolences and he nodded at them in thanks. They were happy to see the rest of the 'Gibbs' clan' gathered around the food and beverage tables. Uncle Dave was in deep conversation with Cal and Maisie looked like she was talking food with one of the church women. Vance and some of the other NCIS folks were talking with Uncle Jim and one of the townies who had spoken at the service – turned out he was retired Navy. Aunt Claire and Breena were having what looked like a lively conversation and Roger Cooke was chatting with Ed Gantry. Tim's eyebrows climbed at that but Tony just looked, smirked and quietly told him that he was sure Gantry was getting an earful of Gunny Gibbs' stories.

Gibbs managed to get through the reception without having to say much more than 'thanks for coming' to most people; he seemed fine as long as he had coffee and one of his family members not too far away. He sought out the elderly man he'd seemed to know at church and spoke with him for several minutes, inviting him back to the house for dinner. The man declined as his grandson had driven him here and needed to be home at a certain time. Winslow was there for a few minutes, just long enough to make his presence known and express his admiration for Jack. Knowing his dad would like it, Gibbs played nice, although he had a mischievous look in his eyes as he introduced his 'daughter-in-law' Lina. She went along with it while Tony stared at Tim who was manfully suppressing a grin.

Tony snatched him by the sleeve and hauled him a few feet away. "He's just playing, right? You'd have told me if you two got married."

"Trust me, you'll know it, it won't be a secret when it happens, Tony! Hope you can come to the wedding."

"In Greece, wow, hmm, that could be fun, wait a minute, you said when, not if."

"Yep, I did. Going to meet the parents in a couple of months, then we'll see."

"Wow, the first of us to tie the knot."

"Jimmy and Breena."

"Yeah, but he's still Ducky's." Tony laughed, "Ha, you are too now, but you know I meant the old team."

"I know."

"So what's it like working in a foreign country?" Tim told him some of the highlights of his life in Greece, besides meeting Lina, and some of the downsides, which mostly had to do with homesickness, and lack of NCIS personnel in Europe.

"Yeah, I guess so if the 'those guys' are your backups!"

"They were our backups, we're fully staffed now, but even so, another op as widespread as the cartel, we'd still need them."

A voice spoke behind them, "Won't happen; I won't risk everyone like that again." Both men jumped as they turned to their Director. He continued, "We got damn lucky, only one injury and we got even luckier that you weren't hurt worse than you were."

Tim swallowed, "Had to let an agent go."

"Yes, one who should have been let go during her probationary year. From now on, I want honest evaluations and somehow we're going to make sure 'common sense' gets on the checklist." He looked at both agents. Tim and Tony looked at each other and as one answered, "Yes Sir!"

He chuckled, "It's good to see you two like this; glad you're working things out." They looked at each other again, Tony fought the urge to say something flippant while Tim came to his rescue, just saying, "Family."

"Good. Now what are the rules here, do we have to mingle or can we hang out with the folks we know?"

Tim looked to Tony who looked around, "I'd say we're good with the folks we know."

Moving towards the Gibbs' group (Hubbard-Crane-NCIS/federal agents), the three men first filled a couple of plates of assorted treats to share. Keeping an eye on Gibbs, within an hour Ducky quietly announced that their friend had had enough and he was taking him back to the house. Maisie, LJ and Tony went with them while Tim and the others hung back for a few minutes. Tim was not too surprised when the older man who'd spoken with Gibbs earlier now approached him. He'd seen the man looking at him several times. He introduced himself as Richard Baxter, said he was Anne Baxter Gibbs' nephew, even though he was born before she was, and Jethro's first cousin. He was the son of Anne's eldest brother, Robert. He told Tim that when he first saw him in church, he was amazed because he looked so much like Richard's own father, who had been dead for decades. Uncle Jim was walking back from the restroom and happened to hear Mr. Baxter say that and stopped to join the conversation. When introduced to him, Baxter looked between the two younger men. "You look so much alike! Leroy is lucky to have such a wonderful family." Thinking Baxter had misunderstood and thought Tim was Gibbs' biological son, Jim opened his mouth to explain and stopped when he saw Tim's quick head shake. Later Tim told him he figured the man was just confused about their identities; he didn't figure there was any reason to carry the conversation any farther. He did tell his uncle that he was glad to know Gibbs had at least some blood relatives, even if they didn't know each other well. It was an odd conversation but neither Tim nor his uncle thought too much of it.

Eventually they thanked the 'food ladies' and the minister and piled in their various rental cars to return to Jack's house, letting Tim lead the way. Back at the house, dinner preparations had started. The oven was heating up to bake the biscuits Maisie was making and the various casserole dishes were taken out of the refrigerator, tightly covered, to await their turn in the oven. Gibbs had Jack's barbecue fired up and was just waiting for the rest of the group to arrive to start grilling the steaks. He had a lot of steak but not enough to feed the whole crowd so once it was cooked, he'd slice it up and serve it, along with all the other food, buffet style. Once the crowd was in the house, beverages were served and Ducky called for everyone's attention, raising a toast to Jackson and Anne Gibbs and their son. Jethro didn't even try to smile; he just nodded and thanked them for being his family and being there with him today. Tim and Tony were where they'd been all day, by his side and they each had a hand on his shoulders. Rick Carter stood next to his boss and the two men glanced at each other smiling, it was heartening to see the three men pull together like this.

Dinner was a hodgepodge of hot dishes, grilled steak, homemade biscuits and even some vegetables along with three pies, two cakes and several plates of cookies for dessert. There was conversation and laughter while they ate, just what Gibbs wanted – and he knew that Jack would have loved it. LJ had a great time telling Cal and the others about the early days of the store, how Winslow, Chuck's father, had done everything in his considerable power to shut them down but they'd toughed it out. When the mine employees were 'leaned on' to shop in the company store, LJ and Jack enlisted the help of friends and fellow war veterans in Bloomberg and neighboring towns and those families started doing their weekly grocery shopping in Stillwater. When asked about the chicken Jack had been chasing, LJ laughed and said he could still see that chicken escaping and leading Jack on a merry chase through town. He explained that in the early days of their business, they'd had a chicken coop out back, they'd sell the eggs and every so often they'd kill a few of the chickens to sell. One of the chickens due for the chopping block was the one who got away and Jack chased her through town. LJ winked and said they were so impressed with her determination and perseverance that they let her live; for the rest of her life, she'd been their champion egg layer.

LJ was staying with a cousin for the weekend and when asked to join them for breakfast the next day, he declined with a smile but promised to let Jethro know when he was back in the DC area. When his cousin arrived to pick him up, he joined them for dessert and told a few LJ and Jack stories. Cal left shortly after the Moores, also declining an invitation to breakfast; he laughingly said he needed to spend the day in the store, getting used to being the storekeeper and not the heavy lifting guy. With a laugh, Jethro told him he'd still be the heavy lifting guy, but that he also had the fun stuff now. After he left, the others finished cleaning up the dishes and packing up the food. Tobias and Roger Cooke had agreed to help Gibbs with the house; the two men would drive up the following weekend to join him. Gibbs' plan was to drive home tomorrow and then return to Stillwater on Tuesday or Wednesday with his tools and supplies to fix a few things and also to meet with a realtor.

The group left in bunches with Tim, Tony, Lina, Maisie and the Palmers the last to leave. The eight of them relaxed over their beverages of choice. When Breena swallowed her third yawn, Jimmy tapped her on the leg and stood up, "Time for us to go. We'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, although I think I'll still be full." They chuckled over that and decided they'd all better go. Maisie rode with Tim and Lina while Tony moved to the Palmers' car.

Tim and Lina were just walking up the stairs to their room the next morning after a visit to the hotel gym, when Gibbs and Ducky walked into the lobby. Lina waved and continued to their room to get ready for breakfast while Tim ran back down to greet Gibbs and his grandfather. Ezra heard their voices and welcomed them to the B&B. The beverage bar was already set up in the dining room, so he led them there while Tim went on upstairs. Showered, dressed and packed, Lina and Tim returned downstairs to find his godparents, Aunt Claire and Maisie seated at the dining table, chatting with Gibbs and Ducky. Maggie was next in, then Vance, the Palmers, Ned and Uncle Jim. Fornell, Rick and Roger joined them and Gibbs looked around with a frown, then took out his phone and looked at Tim, grinning. "Shall I?"

"Aw, Boss, he's jet-lagged, three hours behind his normal time zone. Have mercy."

"Have mercy on whom Tim?" Tony smirked at his former boss and gave his former co-worker a pat on the shoulder as he passed by them on the way to the coffee.

While dinner last night had been conversational, breakfast this morning was quiet. Most of them were tired and thinking of their flights or drive home. Lina and Tim were flying home to Greece on Monday and no one was very happy about that, although Tim was eager to get back to work and Lina was a bit homesick. Tony didn't want to leave his family again but he acknowledged to himself that at least this time he was not feeling like he'd been kicked out. He was sad about Jack but happy he'd spent time with Gibbs and Tim and the others, met Lina and Tim's new relatives. He'd also noticed Vance's attitude toward him had changed for the better and he was grateful for whatever had caused that, only later realizing it had been his own hard work.

By 10:00, the B&B was empty of guests. Gibbs and Ducky left first, telling the others they'd probably be home before the air passengers would be. Tony and Tim walked them to the car and nobody said a word when both younger men returned with wet faces. As it turned out, Tony, the Palmers, Tim and Lina were on the same flight to DC, so they left at the same time, thanking Iris and Ezra for their warm hospitality, and saying their farewells to the others.

The flight wasn't full and they managed to grab 5 seats close to each other and talked all the way to D.C. Tony changed planes there, so they walked him to his next gate and said their painful goodbyes to him. Tim grabbed Tony in a hug and quietly told him how glad he was they'd had time together; Tony just nodded into his shoulder, fighting his emotions. When Tony's flight started boarding the two men broke apart, patting each other's shoulders before Tony picked up his bag, said "Gotta go, love you all, don't watch" and walked onto the jetway.

Jimmy offered to drop Tim and Lina at Ducky's house and they gratefully accepted. However, when the four of them walked out of Baggage Claim, a certain yellow and black car pulled up to the curb. Laughing, they hugged the Palmers goodbye and somehow managing to squeeze their suitcases into the trunk they climbed in the car and sped off to Ducky's. When they got to the house, Gibbs helped them with the luggage, hugged each of them and then headed home, saying he had to get to work on another headboard. He'd made one but with the Palmers fostering two kids, he needed to make a second one. Ducky was exhausted, so he went to take a nap while Tim and Lina sorted out their belongings and repacked. They checked onto their flight online and made sure nothing had changed for the journey home. The forecast was for clear skies out of DC although who knew what would happen over the Atlantic. Leaving Ducky a note, they grabbed their jackets and went for a brisk walk, enjoying the fresh air and talking about the past 10 days. They figured the only thing on their list they hadn't done was to drive by Penny's house to see what it looked like.

Tim laughed, "We can look on Google Earth to see it."

"Yes, I know, but it's not the same as seeing it in person."

"We could still go, it's not that far."

She smiled, "Let's see what your grandfather wants to do." Tim agreed, knowing Grandfa was exhausted and probably wanted nothing more than to doze in his favorite chair for most of the day. .

They had a nice lunch with Ducky and then he handed them the keys to the Morgan. "Take it, you'll be sitting on the plane all day tomorrow, get some air, go have some fun for a few hours."

After making sure they had the correct address, they put it in Ducky's GPS and then headed off to find Penny's home in Virginia. They found it easily enough; Tim estimated it was at most a 15 minute drive from Gibbs' home.

Set on a wooded 5 acre property, the house was two stories with a wide front porch, reached by a long driveway lined on both sides by trees native to the area. They drove up, feeling a little like visiting royalty walking a red carpet. Deciding to wander the property a little, they got out of the car and came face to face with a denim clad man who looked curious. "Afternoon, help you with something?"

They introduced themselves and the man relaxed. "Ms. Langston told me you might stop by but I thought you'd already come and gone."

"No, our plans changed; today's our last day, we thought we'd come over and peek through the windows."

"Oh no, my boss told me to give you the grand tour!" Laughing, they followed him inside and he showed them around the first floor. When they walked into the living room the first thing Tim saw was a large fireplace. Above the mantel was a painting that nearly took his breath away. It was a family portrait of his grandparents and their two sons, Tim's father Dan and his uncle Mark. The boys looked to be about 10 and 12. Tim stood looking at it, aching for Penny's losses and so thankful the Baton Rouge had visited Greece and the Navy decided they should throw a party so that he could find his family. Lina gave him some privacy as she wandered into the dining room and kitchen. She already knew she loved this house. The kitchen was bright and sunny and she could imagine children running in and out, baking cookies, sitting down with the family at the dining room table. Tim finally pried himself away from the painting and they toured the rest of the main floor and then walked upstairs. There was an office that looked like it had an identity problem. Files, piles of paper and a computer on top of one desk, while another desk, looking like it had been removed from an old sailing ship, stood neat and tidy on the other side of the room. Photos of his grandfather, father and uncle in uniform dotted one set of bookshelves while another set was covered in photos of Tim, Patrick and Sarah and very new photos of Tim, Sarah, Rob, Geordie and Lina. He grinned when he spotted pictures of Callum and Ainsley throughout their young lives. The bedrooms were large, bright and airy. They spent nearly an hour inside and then left, thanking Penny's caretaker. They took a stroll around the property and found a long building outside the back of the house with an indoor pool and tennis court with a roof that could be rolled open. There was another smaller building used for storage.

When the wind kicked up, they hurried back to the car and returned to Ducky's. Lina and Tim cooked dinner for the three of them and had a quiet evening. As they drank their beverages in front of the fire, Ducky brought up the subject of visiting them again. This time Maisie would be with him and he thought they would stay a week or so in Piraeus and then travel to London to see the 'younger children'. Tim looked at him for a long moment. "Getting married in Greece or the UK?"

"Heavens, Timothy, how did you leap right to that?"

His grandson smiled and just raised that questioning eyebrow and Ducky chuckled. "Yes, you are correct; we are planning a wedding in the UK. We're not sure yet whether it will be church or civil. Suffice it to say if we have civil there, our second ceremony here will be church. We thought about marrying in Greece, but if we had married all those years ago, it would have been in the UK and that feels right to both of us." Ducky chuckled again, "As it turns out, it's about the same amount of paperwork in either country but as we have dual citizenship in the US and the UK, it will be slightly easier for us to marry in the UK…but only slightly!"

"So after your visit with us, we'll go to the UK with you."

"You may, but the wedding cannot happen for several days after we get there. We'll plan it for a weekend to make it easier for everyone. And we may end up in Edinburgh, we're not sure yet. Maisie is looking into the time constraints, the availability of churches and registry offices. All I can say at this point is that it will happen somewhere in the UK and yes, we want our McGee grandchildren to be there." He sighed, "Including our Geordie; we can only hope he will have surfaced by then and can join us."

Lina smiled, "Will you wear traditional Scots clothing?"

"Aye lass, I'll wear my Buchanan kilt and Maisie will wear something of the Stirling tartan."

Tim looked at Lina and they chuckled. Tim explained, "I'm not sure I'm brave enough to wear a kilt, Grandfa, but I'll work on it!"

Ducky smiled; while it would be fun if the boys wore kilts, he understood it was not something they'd grown up with as he had.

With a long day ahead of them, the three of them made an early night of it. All too soon, it was Monday morning and Tim's phone alarm woke the travelers. They went for a run, came home and had a banana, showered, dressed and were ready to go with their bags downstairs by the time Uncle Jim pulled up in the minivan. Ducky climbed in with them and they drove to the restaurant where they were meeting the rest of the family. They had a large table in the back of the restaurant and while Tim ate, he also made sure he spent some time with each of his family members. He didn't want to leave them but he also wanted to get home. Gibbs looked better this morning and told Tim it was a little easier to deal with his normal routine at home than being in Stillwater. He said he'd be fine until Tobias and Roger arrived, that he'd be so busy he wouldn't have time to think. The Kleins - Iris and Ezra - had given him the name of a friend who was a realtor; he'd call before he left for Stillwater and make an appointment with her. The uncles and aunts tried to keep the conversation going and Lina cooperated by telling them about Penny's house only to realize they'd all been to it many times. Callum and Ainsley were happy to see them again and were excited about possibly visiting them during the summer. Maisie was trying not to let her emotions overwhelm her, having to let her precious grandson and almost-granddaughter out of her sight again. Ducky was feeling the same way and quietly wished he'd stuck to his guns about private goodbyes.

Tim was thinking along the same lines; he understood now what the Admiral had been trying to tell him in November, not to go to see the ship sail. A smaller group departed for the airport, just Uncle Jim, Tim and Lina after emotional goodbyes to everyone else.

Once they said goodbye to Uncle Jim and got their luggage checked in, Tim and Lina sat for a few minutes in the terminal, trying to get their emotions under control. "Let's not do that again. Next time, we just say goodbye at the house and go to the airport."

"I agree Tim; that was very difficult."

Eventually they got up, went through security and found their gate. They had over an hour until boarding so laughing, Lina headed out to find last minute souvenirs. Finally they boarded and were once again very glad they'd splurged on upgrading to first class. Although they weren't as physically tired as they'd been the day before, they were emotionally drained and the comfort and relative quiet of the first class cabin did wonders for them. Tim was asleep before the plane had been in the air 5 minutes and Lina soon followed him, waking only when the attendants brought food and beverages. If the flight home seemed faster it was only because the two of them slept most of the way. After they woke to eat, they walked up and down the aisles and then went back to their seats to watch a movie, falling asleep again within minutes.

When their flight landed in Athens very early Tuesday morning, Lina called Damian to pick them up and by the time they got their bags and Tim got through Customs, he was there. Neither was surprised to see Matt with him and the four of them hugged each other. As they drove to Piraeus, Tim looked at Lina and smiled. He was home, he'd been home the whole time; he remembered something Vance said in his office the day he took this job. They were talking about being homesick and the Director said he'd been homesick and that he'd had his home – Jackie- with him. That's what Tim felt now too; home was wherever Lina was.


	78. Chapter 78

_Previously: …as long as Lina was with him, he was home. _

He intended to return to work that day, he really did. They stopped by the office to drop Matt off and Tim said he'd be back in a few hours. When he woke several hours later he saw a text from Pete welcoming him home and telling him not to show his face until Wednesday. He had no problem not going in; Lina was still here with him, they could take the day to relax and just enjoy doing nothing. They spent the day together, reveling in each other and being home. Lina hadn't said anything about going to her own place which was fine with Tim; after all they'd just spent 10 days together and hadn't had any problems. At some point during the day Lina realized the same thing and decided she'd go the next day. She spoke with Dani and Ross; they knew she was back safe and sound. In between naps they unpacked, puttered around the house, did laundry and sorted out the souvenirs they'd bought in DC and New Orleans.

The rest of the week sped by, both of them busy with work and settling back into their lives. Tim felt so rusty he was glad they didn't have any new cases. The team had worked a murder case with Marseille last week but the bad guy was in custody and all that remained were their share of the reports.

Valentine's Day in New Orleans had flown right out the window when Ducky called them that morning to tell them Jack had died. Now, rather than surprising Lina Tim asked her what she'd like to do and loved her idea. When the weather was warmer, perhaps in May or June and she was thinking May, they'd pick an island and spend a weekend there, just the two of them. That meant research to Tim, something he loved to do.

In the meantime, the team was on call over that first weekend home but the days passed with no problems. They worked cold cases every day as February slid into March. Halfway through the third week of March a desiccated body dressed in the uniform of a US Marine uniform was found in a shipping container on a cargo ship newly arrived from Spain.

The ship was docked in Patras; the team grabbed their gear and go bags, splitting into pairs, Tim and Bec in the NCIS Van, Pete and Matt in one of their sedans. Tim drove so that Bec could start gathering any available information and run any searches they needed. She reported from the initial police call out that the body had been found in an airtight container within the large shipping container and was more or less mummified. They discussed what problems that would present in identifying the deceased and Tim remembered Ducky had done something with a similar body years ago to temporarily rehydrate a finger so they could lift a print. Bec sent a text to his grandfather and Jimmy asking them about the technique. By the time they reached Patras and the ship, they had an answer and after cleverly ascertaining that the coroner didn't know any way to take fingerprints from a mummy, they translated the information they'd been sent into Greek and showed the man. He was excited about learning something new and successfully rehydrated the right index finger. The body was indeed that of a U.S. Marine: Lance Corporal William Dunne, reported UA months ago by his CO at Camp Panzer Kaserne near Böblingen, Germany.

The CO reported that Dunne had checked in after a 48 hour leave, worked a shift and then disappeared. Considering the condition of the body, until he did the autopsy the coroner wouldn't be able to determine whether the body had been moved after death or if the Lance Corporal had died inside the container. Until they knew, the team treated the container as a crime scene. They were not pleased to find out that the autopsy would have to wait for morning; cash flow and funding was tight in Patras as it was everywhere in Greece, and the part-time coroner was not allowed to work overtime, even if the U.S. reimbursed the city for his services. What little evidence they'd found in the shipping container was sent by courier to the lab in Athens and then the team settled in to wait. While Pete and Tim were 95% convinced the shipping container would prove to be a dumping site rather than the actual crime scene, they decided to stay the night in Patras rather than risk spending time driving back and forth again.

The coroner recommended a couple of restaurants and they picked one for dinner. Asking at the front desk of the hotel, they were told where the best running routes were for the morning. With Tim's prompting they'd put together a number of searches and inquiries they could start and after dinner, they got back to work. They did a deep background on the Lance Corporal, on his squad and his work in Germany and prior postings. By 2200 they'd done everything they could do without the results of the autopsy and their inquiries and called it a night.

The next morning the three younger agents warmed up doing their martial arts moves and then went for their run while Pete swam laps in the hotel pool. While they were cleaning up and getting ready for breakfast, they found replies to some of their inquiries. The autopsy was scheduled to start at 0800; the team finished their meal, went back to their rooms to complete their morning routines and knocked on Pete's door hoping for results by 0805. Shaking his head, he opened the door. "Right, the fastest autopsy in the history of autopsies – we should be so lucky."

By noon, they had the answer about the shipping container; the Lance Corporal had been killed elsewhere. Cause of death was a bullet which, according to the coroner hit just about everything vital, he said their Marine died within just a few minutes of the shot. He handed over photos and evidence jars with bullet fragments, scrapings from under the victim's fingernails and some shreds of something that had been on the uniform.

They'd started tracing the path of the shipping container the night before and one of the replies they'd received had been its journey over the last few months. Using the date of the Marine's disappearance, they found it in the German sea port of Hamburg. From there the container had been shipped to a seaport in Belgium, then to Spain and then Greece. The mostly likely spot for the Lance Corporal's body to have been loaded into the container was of course Hamburg but they'd have to prove that before they could dismiss the other ports from their investigation. And Germany, Belgium and Spain were not their jurisdiction.

They headed back to the office, they'd done everything here they could, including a second and third canvass of the container. The van detoured to Athens to deliver the rest of the evidence to the lab and then returned to the office. Sitting at the conference table, they discussed their next steps. Tim was sure that the lab would turn up something to give them a lead and point them in a direction. Pete was hopeful for that as well but wasn't sure which team would be pointed in what direction. Germany and the seaport in Belgium meant travel for any team, although both were in Marseille's jurisdiction. The Spanish port was close to Rota. He looked at Tim and shook his head; wherever the evidence led them someone would still have to go to Böblingen to interview Dunne's squad and trace his steps, even though any physical evidence would undoubtedly be long gone. They'd only been back in the office three hours when the lab called and faxed the results. The corporal had been killed on or near the base in Germany and from what the lab had determined, his body had been transported by car to the shipping container. The scrapings from his fingernails contained a combination of substances that included engine oil, really old engine oil, the type the German army used in their tanks during WWII. Camp Panzer, where Dunne was stationed, had been a German tank base during the war. One of the other substances gave them DNA and it wasn't Dunne's. They were still running it through all known DNA databases but nothing had shown up yet. The "something" from the uniform was minute fibers from the trunk of the car. Unfortunately it was a very popular vehicle so other than the make of the vehicle there was no breakdown for the year or model. They'd also found two partial prints on the shreds of uniform but hadn't found who they belonged to yet. Like the DNA and the trunk fibers, the prints would be helpful in the long run.

Knowing the trip to Germany was inevitable, Pete contacted Roger in Marseille. He found that team mired in a double homicide that involved both the Navy and the Marine Corps and Roger was more than happy to cede jurisdiction to Athens. Kim had already pulled up her favorite travel site and found flights. First she checked the availability of any Marine flights; however there were none that fit their needs. She also found lodging for them close to the base, now she was just waiting to get the word before booking them. After Tim estimated they'd be gone for at least a week she'd found a flight that left later in the day to give them an hour or so to get home and pack additional – and warmer – clothing. While March in Piraeus was full on spring, Germany's weather would be quite different.

Before they left to pack, Pete and Tim looked at what they needed to do: interview Dunne's squad – and since it was a joint base, any Army personnel who might have had contact with him and his duty post and billet. The port and the path of the container within that port would also have to be investigated. They'd need more than three agents and a not-quite-junior probationary agent. Pete called London and left a message for Joel asking for help, then followed it up with an e-mail about the case. Joel called back several minutes later to say that his SFA Lydia and Junior agent Julian had volunteered. Tim nodded, that would work and he was glad to have a chance to work with them.

They'd split up into three teams once they were all in the same place and decided to mix up the agents to give everyone experience working with different teams. DC was advised and the Athens team went their separate ways, to meet back at the office in an hour. With a 2 minute drive, Tim was packed and ready to go in 7 minutes. Then Lina pulled into the driveway and well, Tim made it back to the office with one minute to spare. Matt laughed as Tim walked in and texted that on his way home, he'd passed Lina's car going in the opposite direction, Tim's house maybe? Tim just rolled his eyes at him and tried to keep the happy look off his face.

By the time their flight left, they'd touched base with Lydia and Julian who would meet them at their hotel in Böblingen, just outside of Stuttgart.

Once the entire team was gathered at the hotel, Tim briefed them, giving Lydia and Julian the facts they had so far and Pete assigned teams. He'd work with Bec and they would investigate the port/container once they had something to go on; Tim was team lead for the case investigation on the base and Julian would work with him; Lydia and Matt would assist Tim's team on base. By this time it was late and they would have to meet with base command in the morning before they got started on anything.

Nearly two weeks later Tim and his team stumbled off the plane in Athens, having successfully arrested the men involved in the murder. Dunne's bunkmate believed he'd overheard him on the phone with his drug dealer of choice. Desperate as the Corps was his last chance to stay out of prison, he told his dealer who dealt with the problem and then with the help of the bunkmate transported the body to the docks where his cousin worked.

During those thirteen days, they'd looked at every security camera on base, interviewed hundreds of military personnel and finally found one who remembered Dunne had gone out for some air the night he disappeared. That contradicted what the bunkmate said and led them to look again at a couple of people, namely those providing ol' bunky with his alibi. The two Army privates retracted that alibi and crumbled when re-interviewed about the night in question, the 'card game' suddenly happened some other night. The team was finally given access to the bunkmate's formerly sealed juvenile records and the warrant for his phone records appeared after several delays. The juvenile records showed he'd been busted several times in his teen years, both for buying and selling drugs. The phone records had them looking for his favorite dealer. Once they found the dealer, they found the cousin and when they looked for reports of additional bodies in shipping containers, found cold cases with three more bodies in containers that had stopped in Hamburg and 4 others in various countries. That information was given to the German equivalent of the FBI and Interpol. In the meantime, the takedown, split between the three teams, was relatively peaceful. No shots were fired however each suspect either lashed out or tried to get away. All three were taken down by some fine moves that later made George the martial arts instructor very proud.

Pete stopped at the office to check in with Kim, Tea and Eva but ordered everyone else, pointedly looking at Tim, to go home and stay home until Monday. It was Friday and Rota was on call this weekend. The Marseille case was still active and with two separate cases taking resources from two and a half offices, Vance had staffed the London and Athens offices with volunteer agents while the teams were away. Tim and the team had been so busy they didn't even know who'd been sent to cover their office; he got in his car and texted Pete, several feet away in the office, to find out whom their TADs were and if they were still there. Pete's response: "I'm rescinding my no-office order for you only. Come on in."

Trying not to grumble, Tim dragged himself from the car into the office and was tackled by…someone. He knew it was a friendly someone because Tea was laughing. He finally untangled himself and then grinned and grabbed the guy back into his arms. "I should have known!" They pulled back and did some arm punches and other manly, definitely not mushy, movements. The two grinned at each other and Tim reached up to pat Tony's shoulder.

"Who else is here?"

"Vance wouldn't let Gibbs come so Boss sent Maggie."

"And?"

"A junior from one of the southeast offices. Said he interviewed for junior here."

"Big words with a hidden attitude or funny?"

Tony looked at him and Tim shook his head, "I said big words, not techno babble and I never had an attitude."

"MIT."

"I guess, but really that's all I had to defend myself with."

"Mmm, ok. No, the kid's funny. He flew out this afternoon, said to tell you he was your 'early bird' interview."

"That's what I thought, really liked him."

"Yeah, he was good to work with, I'll remember his name." They advanced through the office and Tim got hugs from Kim and Eva. "Missed you, all three of you! I had to keep Pete in line all by myself." They laughed and patted him, happy he was safely home.

Maggie was on the phone at his desk and smiled up at him.

"He's here right now, yes, they just came in, I don't think they've been home yet." Smiling she mouthed, "Gibbs." and Tim grinned, "Tell him hello."

She rolled her eyes at him and handed him the phone. "Hey Boss."

"Hey kiddo, Leon tells me you got your guys – and may have solved a few other murders."

"Maybe, gave the info to the Germans and Interpol."

"Good to hear your voice, son, I won't keep you, know you're tired…oh, want to say hi to your granddad?"

"Yeah I do, I'll give you a call maybe Sunday, how's that?"

"Ok, works for me." Tim heard the sound of the phone being passed and then his grandfather's voice. "You're at the office, Timothy?"

"Yeah, Grandfa, back from Germany."

"You sound exhausted."

"In a good way, we got the murderers."

"When you've had some rest, will you tell me about it?"

"Of course."

"Have you spoken with Lina yet?"

"No, just texts so far. She's at work today, but she'll be over later. She said she's been in touch with you and the sibs, thanks Grandfa, she says that really helps."

"It's a pleasure son. Now I'm sure you want to talk with Anthony and then get some rest, so I'll let you go. Oh, one more thing. When do you go to Thessaloniki?"

"Next week."

"I'll talk with you before then. All right, my best to everyone, love you."

"Love you too, Grandfa – same to Gibbs." He disconnected and handed the phone back to Maggie,

"Oops, sorry, hope you were done with Gibbs."

"That's fine; I was just telling him I'm headed home."

"Where have you been staying?"

"I've been staying with the Russells in what they call "Tim's room."

Tim laughed and looked at Pete who was standing in the doorway of his office, shaking his head. Tony grinned, "We rock, paper, scissors'd for the room upstairs and I won."

"Hmm, I know Maggie got better food!"

"Oh, it was wonderful; I hate to go home to my sad little kitchen."

"When are you leaving?"

"Sunday, I want to do a little sightseeing tomorrow."

Tim turned to Tony, "And you?"

"Also Sunday, we're on the same flight to DC and then I'll go on to Seattle."

"Sunday for both of you." He looked at Pete, his eyebrows raised. Pete laughed, "Yeah, that's a great idea. I'll ask Trina first though."

Tim smirked, "She's probably figuring out recipes now."

"Hang on." Pete went back into his office and got on the phone. In two minutes he was back, "We're on. I'll call Bec, you call Matt."

"Done!"

Pete poked his head into the lobby, "Tea, you and Adan available tomorrow night?"

"As far as I know, Pete, I'll check with him." Pete looked at the other two who just nodded with big smiles. The Team Leader turned to Tony and Maggie who were looking puzzled. "I'd like to extend an invitation to a Team dinner tomorrow night at my place. We do it for all new team members and you two are now officially members of NCIS: Athens."

Maggie smiled, "I know that's going to be a feast!"

Tony grinned, "Me too, I've heard about your dinners from Tim and Ducky!"

Tim chuckled, "Bring your sneakers, sweats and a tee shirt or sweatshirt. There's mandatory exercise between dinner and dessert; it's usually outside although at Christmas it was a conga line indoors."

Pete nodded, "Might be warm enough to swim. We'll have the net up at least."

"Net?"

"Volleyball."

"Great! Will Carla be there? She's been a really big help."

"We'll ask them, she'll always be a part of the team here and I'm glad she was able to help."

Deciding he'd better call Matt before his friend fell asleep, Tim walked into the kitchen. A sleepy voice answered, "Oh please God don't tell me we've got a call out!"

"Nope, but we are having a team dinner tomorrow night at Pete and Trina's. To welcome our TAD team members before they leave on Sunday."

"Ok, that'll be fun, have to see if Damian can make it. So who are our new and temporary team members? "

"You'll see; nobody you've met."

"Not Gibbs or Ducky is it?"

"Not Gibbs and Ducky's not a field agent."

"Ok, yeah I knew that."

"Go back to sleep!"

"Ok, bye."

Tim laughed and called out to Pete, "You call Bec yet? Matt was already asleep, think I'm going to have to call him tomorrow to remind him."

"Oh, good idea, I'd better call." The adrenalin rush from seeing Tony and Maggie was starting to wear off and he yawned. "I'd better get going. Tony, you want to ride with me and Lina tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure."

"Walk me out." He waved goodbye to the others and the two men walked out to Tim's car. "I know this is really selfish of me, but I haven't seen Lina in 13 days."

Tony laughed, "I didn't think I'd get a chance to see you at all! Don't worry about it!"

"Got plans for the day tomorrow?"

"Um, yeah, I'm going with Maggie."

"Sightseeing?"

"Whatever she wants to do."

"Oh. OH! Yeah?"

Tony nodded with a grin.

"That's great man. And you have the flight on Sunday too."

"Yep and if 11 hours enforced companionship doesn't make her want to kill me, I might have a real chance."

"That's just …wow…that's great!"

"Don't get too excited, we're just sort of taking baby steps."

"Happy for you, DiNozzo – and proud of you!"

"Why proud?"

"Because that had to be a big thing for you, to take the first step."

"It was, you're right, you should be proud of me!" They exchanged more arm slaps and then Tim gave him a one-armed hug. "See you tomorrow; I'll let you know what time. Have fun, be safe!"

"Ok, you have fun too."

Tim grinned. "Oh I plan to."

When Tim walked in the house, he smelled fresh flowers and he smiled, that was Lina. There were dishes in the dishwasher and one of her slippers was next to the recliner in the living room. Laughing he picked it up and took his bags and the slipper upstairs, half expecting to find her there waiting for him. However, while she had been staying at the house she really was still at work and Tim slept for several hours before she woke him with a kiss. They spent some time getting reacquainted and when Tim's tummy grumbled, forced themselves downstairs to the kitchen. Dinner was quick and simple – scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. At some point Tim remembered to ask her if she had plans Saturday night. She frowned a bit and then asked him if he'd stopped in the office on the way home. He replied telling her he'd seen Maggie and Tony. Now she smiled, relieved, and told him she'd eaten a few dinners at the Russells with the temporary team and had anticipated a Russell feast Saturday night.

"And if they didn't have one, I thought we'd have them here."

"I remember you texting and asking if I minded you hosting the temporary team here, but I was so preoccupied I didn't even ask who they were!"

"It was good of you to say yes."

"Lina, honey, I know you're not officially living here yet, but as far as I'm concerned, my home is your home."

"The only reason I haven't moved yet is so we won't have to lie to my father."

"Which I appreciate, believe me!"

That settled, they went back to getting reacquainted and eventually fell asleep. Saturday morning Tim woke up later than he usually did, blaming it on the hour's time difference between Greece and Germany. Wonderful smells were coming from the kitchen so he grabbed the new lightweight robe Lina made him and joined her in the kitchen. After they ate, he opened the patio door and immediately smelled roses in bloom. Walking out into the garden, he found spring had entrenched herself during his absence. All sorts of things were blooming: trees, flowers, shrubs. He lifted a corner of the pool cover and dipped his hand in the water, yep, still too cold. Lina stood in the doorway, "Is there a heater for it?"

"Yes, there is; I'll look at the notes I took when Christoph the pool guy was here the first time to see how to turn it on. Maybe if we get it going today, it'll be warm enough to swim tomorrow!"

He found the notes and following the directions he'd written down, got the pool heater running. He knew Christoph had been here recently so figured the water would be fine.

The two of them puttered around the house, taking a 'nap' break. Tim sent a text to Tony letting him know what time they'd pick him up and got a confirming answer. They did laundry and Tim laughed. "Sweetie, who would ever think doing laundry together could be romantic?"

Lina grinned at him, "Anything we do together is romantic!"

"And hot, you are the hottest laundress in the history of clothes." He scooped her up and carried her to their bed only emerging when the dryer's incessant buzzing got on their nerves. By mid-afternoon they needed sleep and Tim set his phone alarm. Once awake again it was time to get ready for the Russells' party. Tim grabbed a liter of his favorite lemonade and a bottle of wine to contribute and Lina smirked at him. "You know Trina will scold you."

"I do – I'm looking forward to it!" Lina packed their outdoor clothes in one of Tim's packs and swung it over her shoulder while Tim packed the bottles into another bag and picked it up. Everything went in the trunk and they headed down the hill to pick up Tony. He was ready with his gym bag and off they went to the Russells.

When they pulled up, Norm and Carla were just offloading the triplets and Tim and Tony stopped to help them with the three seat stroller, folding play pen and two large diaper bags. Lina took their bags and continued into the house, telling Trina to make sure she scolded Tim rather than her for bringing something. The babies made their entrance and were immediately taken over by the Russell children. Then Carla stood looking at Tim, hands on her hips. He grinned and gave her a big hug and kiss, "Sorry didn't want to delay getting the babies inside." Coming up behind him, Norm grabbed him in a hug and Tony smiled, happy to see his friend so affectionately greeted and so comfortable with these people.

Dinner was the usual friendly conversation and banter between them all. As he'd been a guest a few times during their TAD, Tony was relaxed with the Russells, Carla and of course Lina and Maggie. It took Matt a while to warm up to him but the others covered for him and Tony never noticed. When they'd cleared the dinner plates, Stephan called for a game of volleyball and Evander gave Tim a wolfish grin. "I'm wise to you now, Timotheos!"

"You don't scare me, _ο φίλος μου (_my friend)!"

As always their game was fun. The addition of Damian, Maggie and Tony made it even more challenging. The game went so long, each side battling back from a near loss that Caleb, with Stephan's blessing, finally blew the whistle, ending it. Wisely, Carla called it a tie. Pete had played for a little while and then assumed the role of game photographer. After the game and before dessert, he took photos of the sweaty, grinning players. While the treats were served, a variety of brownies, lemon bars, ice cream and fruit, he transferred the photos to his laptop and showed them around the table. He might also have accidentally slipped in a photo or three of Leon grinning, clowning around and laughing at Evander and Tim in the conga line at Christmas. When Maggie and Tony saw them, they laughed themselves silly and Pete, tongue in cheek, begged them not to tell. He'd made sure to get plenty of photos of their TADs to put on the office wall and to send to the Director. Kim had taken some pictures in the office so their third, already departed TAD, Rusty the 'early bird', would not go unrecognized.

When they got back to the office and Tony got out of the car, Tim got out with him and the two men exchanged hugs. Tim told him about the difficult parting back in February and DiNozzo said he understood. They stood looking at each other and then Tim laughed. "I've seen you twice in two months. I'm not going to worry about never seeing you again. We work for a small agency and we share a dad." Tony nodded, patted his friend on the shoulder, turned and walked into the building. Tim took a deep breath, got back in the car, kissed Lina and drove home.


	79. Chapter 79

Finding Home, Chapter Seventy Nine

Over the following week, Tim tried to ignore his growing nervousness as Easter and the weekend with the Kalivas family approached. He didn't think he'd been this nervous since his first day at FLETC. He considered which of his guy friends might have a father in-law in his life. With Pete out of the running, he thought about Caleb and Norm.

Knowing Caleb had his head buried in his dissertation, he decided not to bother him, which was a shame as Tim would love to get his perspective. When Lina had to work late on Wednesday, Tim called Norm. "Hey Tim!"

"Hi Norm, how's it going? How are Carla and the babies?

"The babies are doing great, growing and starting to really show their personalities! And Carla is, of course, wonderful. Other than that," Norm sighed, "I'm worried about funding for the University but there's nothing I personally can do about that. What's new with you?"

"Biggest thing is Lina and I are going to her parents for Easter which means I'm meeting her father for the first time. And I'm a little nervous."

"Oh? General nerves or have you heard things?"

"Heard things. Both Lina and Damian have talked about him like he's tougher than steel and just as inflexible."

"Huh, ok I see your point. So…?"

Tim huffed, "I asked Pete, but Trina's father was out of the picture by the time they met so he's never had a father-in-law. Didn't know about you, thought you might have some words of wisdom."

"I'm flattered, Tim. Not sure my experience is going to help though. Carla's father was my professor in college. It was a small school and Professor Santos was really good with students, he'd spend time with us, help us out. He introduced me to Carla one afternoon while I was in his office with a problem and she popped in to say hello. He never gave me the 'hurt my daughter, you die' speech or anything. "

Tim snorted, "Sounds great!"

"Yeah, he was a good man, wish he'd lived long enough to meet his grandchildren."

"Aw, Norm, sorry to hear he's passed."

"About 5 years ago, he just dropped one day."

"Like Jack."

"That the friend who died while you were in the States?"

"Yes, Gibbs' dad. He died in his sleep the day he was supposed to see a cardiologist."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah."

"Tim, you're a good man, a good soul, from what my wife says an excellent agent and I've seen you and Lina together. I know you're in love with her and will take care of her and that she's in love with you and will take care of you; I can already see you two make a great team! Don't let this guy scare you. Just be you, you've accomplished great things in your life and you should be walking tall! Tell you what, where are they, up north somewhere right?"

"Yeah, Thessaloniki."

"Ok, if you run into trouble, send me a text, hey, we could even use a code word! If he's being a jerk, just text the word steel and I'll give you a call. You can pretend it's about work and step away."

Tim chuckled, "That'd help, knowing I have backup!"

"Ooh backup, I'm part of an op, cool beans!"

Tim laughed outright, "Thanks for doing this Norm!"

"You're welcome, it'll give me practice scaring the boys away from Cammy until she's old enough – you know, 30 or so."

Tim snorted, "If Lina's dad had that same idea then my timing is perfect."

"She have any sisters and are they married?"

"Yes one, Chloe, and she is married; married young too."

"Hmm, see if you can find out if Lina's dad likes that son-in-law. If you're lucky, he's got some major flaw and Papa hates him. Which could make you the golden boy."

"Ouch!"

"Ok yeah, that did sound nasty. Look at it this way at least it gets you through the weekend."

"That works."

When he hung up, Tim didn't know if that had given him any concrete ideas on how to deal with Lina's father but he felt better. Then he remembered Breena Palmer's father, Ed Slater, and how awful he'd been to Jimmy. He sent a text to his friend asking if they could talk "fathers-in-law" via Skype and Jimmy wrote back, setting a time for the next day.

In the meantime, Tim also texted Uncle Jim and they ended up having a Skype session that included Uncle Dave. Both uncles said the same thing as Norm, to be himself, show respect to Lina and the father and he'd be fine.

On Thursday he and Jimmy talked about Palmer's experience. From his friend's perspective, he'd gone to Ed already knowing the man didn't have much use for him, although he'd won a grudging respect of sorts over time. Jimmy said he didn't ask Ed for Breena's hand or for his blessing, he just told him he was going to propose. He said the meeting lasted about five minutes, that he and Ducky had pre-arranged a "work" call that tidily excused him from Ed's presence. Tim disconnected figuring if Jimmy could survive Ed Slater, who seemed to be a jerk at the best of times, then he could survive Davos Kalivas.

He also spoke with Gibbs who said the same thing as his uncles and Norm, respect and for him to just be himself. Tim didn't know if he felt any more prepared but he'd talked with everyone he needed to and didn't think there was any more he could do, so he did his best to stop worrying.

Lina's parents observed the solemnities of Good Friday; this meant their arrival had to be in the morning or late afternoon. Damian was going with them, sticking to his promise to help Tim with his father. After they kicked it around some, the three of them decided to fly to Thessaloniki in the early evening. That allowed them to work for most of the day on Friday; they'd fly home Sunday evening and Matt would pick them up.

Damian felt horrible about not being able to bring his boyfriend home with him and Tim wasn't crazy about it either. Tim's big brother persona kicked in and he and Matt talked about it. Matt pointed out that the trip was for Tim to meet the parents, it wasn't his turn yet. Tim promised to be there for him when it was and Matt grinned, happy to have his support. Of course the Russells were hosting Easter dinner and Matt and Bec were invited.

Tim tried hard not to think about the fun they'd have but kept his mouth shut, although he nearly said something when Damian grumbled that he was sure Matt and the others would have a far more enjoyable time than they would. Lina's eyes widened, she frowned and then she nodded. "You're probably right. They'll be drinking and eating, playing and we'll be sitting at the table listening to Papa rant about something pointless."

She turned to Tim, "How many Skype calls do you have scheduled?"

"Three: Gibbs; Grandfa, Sarah, Rob and James and a third one with the Hubbards & Cranes."

Damian started laughing. "That's wonderful, and I must be in on one of those because your grandfather will insist. Maybe even two of the calls?"

Lina huffed, "You don't even have to make the trip Damian! You wanted to come to support us!"

"Yes, I know and I'll stop being a bear about it my sister, I promise. So, Tim, are those calls on Sunday?"

"Gibbs and the Hubbards are on Sunday but that's got to be squeezed in before we leave for the airport. The call with Grandfa and the kids is on Saturday as they're traveling to James' hometown on Sunday. Sarah, Rob and James are, anyway. Grandfa and Gram will be at the Hubbards."

"Very nicely scheduled too." This was at Tim's place Thursday night after his calls with Jimmy and Gibbs. George was attending Holy Thursday services so there was no class that night. When Lina went upstairs to change her clothes, Tim asked about their brother-in-law. "So what's Chloe's husband like? How does he get along with your father?"

"Peter? We grew up together; he's known my father all his life. By the time he and Chloe were 16, my father was calling him 'his son-in-law'."

"Oh."

"You're worried."

"Mmm, more I just want to do my best for Lina. I want him to like me for Lina's sake. No, I don't even care if he likes me, although that would be nice, I just want him to accept me for Lina."

Damian sat and smiled at him, a smile that grew and grew. "Timotheos, he's going to love you. You say those exact words to him."

Tim relaxed a little. "Are there things he especially likes or dislikes?"

Lina re-entered the kitchen. "He loves TV and really loves police shows. He doesn't like to read but he does listen to audio books. And yes, I checked with Mama and he's listened to all of yours."

"Oh, geez, I hadn't even thought of that!"

Damian shook his finger at him playfully, "You must use every tool available!"

Tim grinned, "Yes, Obi-Wan!"

Lina shook her head. "He does not like science fiction, although he is a Star Trek fan."

When Tim looked puzzled, Damian and Lina laughed. "It does not make sense, but it's true."

"Ok, that's weird but good to know."

Lina put her arm around Tim's waist. "I've been telling Mama little things about Gibbs and his woodwork; Papa will be most interested in hearing more."

"So I might be acceptable because my adopted dad is a carpenter?"

"Yes."

"All right, hey if that works, great!"

With that Tim decided to do as everyone advised and just be himself. Friday sped by and after an early dinner near the airport they boarded the flight to Thessaloniki. When they landed Nicolas, the eldest of the Kalivas siblings, was there to pick them up. He greeted Lina and Damian with a kiss and a hug for each. He held out his hand to Tim for a shake and welcomed him to Thessaloniki, their home and family. Tim felt his shoulders release tension he wasn't entirely aware of holding. Tim thanked him for his welcome, saying he was happy to be here to meet Lina's family. Nicolas' eyes, the same color as Lina's, gave away his approval and Tim had the weird thought that if nothing else, the heir apparent and future elder of the Kalivas family accepted him.

They climbed into the car and drove about 20 minutes, Nicolas asking Tim questions while he drove. He didn't mind, he was closer to relaxed now and was enjoying what he could see of the area as they traveled. He'd questioned Lina and Damian about the city and done some research so he wouldn't be ignorant of the history. Now, when Nicolas paused Tim turned the tables and asked him a few questions about the family business, where he and his wife Margaret Mitropolous lived and a few other pre-planned questions. Tim knew that Nicolas unofficially ran the family business and that their father, Davos, refused to officially hand over the hammer, as it were. The questions he asked were respectful of both father and son. Who was he to step into the middle of something that wasn't any of his business?

Eventually they turned onto a side street and Tim saw that it was a cul-de-sac or more accurately the road dead-ended onto the Kalivas' property. He knew the family and the business had been around for hundreds of years, he knew the property had been passed down through the generations. He hadn't thought about the age of the house. Now he saw it was a large building and the lights shining from the windows welcomed them. In the growing dusk he could see outlines of buildings behind the main one and he looked at Lina, this house reminded him of Penny's home in Virginia. She smiled back at him, nodding at the question in his eyes. Yes, Penny's home had reminded Lina of her family home.

Nicolas parked and they climbed out, Tim carrying Lina's bag as well as his own. As they approached the front door, it swung open and an older couple stood there, the woman beaming, the man looking…stoic. Tim decided that was the closest he could come to the look on Mr. Kalivas' face. He wondered if Lina's father might be a little nervous about meeting him. He stepped aside and watched as Lina went into her mother's arms, kissing her and then pulling back, kissing her father. Her father smiled at her and Lina patted his face, huh, that was interesting. Damian greeted his parents and then Lina came back to him. "Mama, Papa, I'd like you to meet Timothy McGee."

Tim was surprised and pleased when Mrs. Kalivas pulled him toward her and kissed him on both cheeks in the European custom. Before he could say a word, she gently pushed him toward her husband who looked just as surprised as Tim felt. He managed to extend his hand for a shake. The older man shook his hand and welcomed him to Thessaloniki, looking him over as he did so. Tim was surprised and a little relieved to find the man was about the same size and shape as Gibbs and not some big goliath.

He said his first line, the one he'd worked out with Lina, and thought it sounded spontaneous. It was at least sincere; he was…well maybe not exactly happy to be here, but certainly relieved and happy that he'd survived the first two minutes. The man looked surprised when he spoke; Tim wondered if he hadn't known he spoke their language. He continued staring at him and Tim kept his spine straight in what Gibbs, Tony and Pete would have recognized as a modified parade rest stance. Finally Mr. Kalivas shook his head saying Tim reminded him of someone but he couldn't think who it was. That made Tim think of the first time he'd met Evander and he nodded, a little amused.

Before things got more awkward, Damian reappeared. "Tim, I put your bag upstairs, why don't you go on upstairs and change out of your work clothes?"

That brought a reaction from Mr. K. "Damian, he is staying in the guest room!"

Tim nodded not having expected otherwise. "Of course, sir."

That seemed to mollify the man who suddenly looked at Tim as if seeing him for the first time.

"You came straight from work?"

"Yes sir, we were busy today and I wanted to set a good example for my two younger agents by not leaving early."

"Your two agents, you are in charge?"

"I'm second in command Mr. Kalivas; my boss has put me in charge of the rest of the team."

"Ah, that's good to know, he trusts you then."

Tim smiled, "In our jobs sir, we have to trust each other."

"That's right; I've been told you're something like a police officer."

"I'm a Federal Agent, Mr. Kalivas, for the United States. The agency I work for is called Naval Criminal Investigative Services; we protect, defend Navy and US Marine Corps. personnel and their families and investigate crimes against or by them."

"Is it like your FBI?"

"In some ways, yes. We work with the FBI and other federal agencies and of course we all have the same goals – to stop the bad guys or to bring them to justice and to protect everyone from them."

"Oh, so you work with the FBI!"

"Not here in Greece, sir, unless there's a connection in the States. I worked with them when I was in Washington D.C."

"Of course, they are not here."

"No sir, here we work with the local police departments. I've worked in Larissa with their police force and in Patras, Athens and Piraeus and we just got back from Germany where we worked with the German equivalent of the FBI and Interpol."

Mr. Kalivas put an arm around his shoulder, "So tell me about those cases!"

Tim thought about what he could legally talk about; he could talk about the Kirk case and the Vasa Arktos case, but not the Peter & Alexander parts of that case. The Stavros case was probably ok but he didn't feel like talking about it after the subsequent shooting. Just as he started to speak, he was interrupted by Lina's mother.

"Davos, leave the poor man alone, he's just arrived, let him see his room and get comfortable."

Tim smiled at her, "I'm fine, Mrs. Kalivas, honestly. Your husband is understandably curious about my work."

"Well then, come have coffee and a treat and you two can talk there." The two men followed her to the dining room where they found Lina putting out a tray of pastries. She laughed at Tim when she saw his face light up. "I promised you some of my mother's baking, Tim."

"I know the pastries will be wonderful, however I was admiring the beautiful woman putting them on the table."

"Oh!" Lina blushed happily. Tim laughed as he forgot everyone but Lina and pulled her into his arms, remembering at the last second to keep his hands to himself. Damian tapped him on the shoulder, rolling his eyes at them. "If you two can stop yourselves for a few minutes and sit, we can have our coffee, you can tell Papa some stories and we can eat these pastries!"

Tim and Lina chuckled. "Sorry!"

"Where you gonna sit?" Tim whispered to Lina and she pointed to a chair. He followed her to it and then pulled it out for her. Lina's father sat down and then pointed to the chair next to Lina, "Sit, Timothy so we can continue our talk!"

Timothy obediently sat with an internal sigh of relief and then had to fight from reacting when Lina's foot rubbed against him. The coffee was perfect, the pastries even more so and Tim allowed himself two, not wanting to be rude, although really he could have eaten the whole platter. Mr. Kalivas laughed at the look on his face, "It takes discipline, doesn't it, not to devour them all?" Tim nodded; his mouth full of delicious. After he swallowed he replied, "Yes sir, but I have to stay in good shape for my job."

"Yes of course, you have to be able to run after the bad guys."

"And catch them! "

Lina joined the conversation. "Tim and his team are taking a mixed martial arts class, Papa and Tim has brought down several bad guys using what he's learned."

"Is that so? Don't you carry a gun?"

"Yes sir, but I'd rather not use it. If I can detain someone without using bullets, that's better for everyone."

"Have you ever shot anyone?"

"Yes sir but I can't discuss those cases."

"Ah, rules?"

"Yes sir." Although that wasn't strictly true. If a case had already been through court, was closed and not classified he was allowed to talk, but he had a personal rule not to talk about the times he'd had to pull the trigger. Not to civilians anyway.

Damian winked at him, "He also carries a knife."

Papa Kalivas was shocked at that. "A knife?"

"Yes sir, it was a rule on my old team and I still carry one, now my team here does too."

"Why?"

"Because knives don't run out of ammunition."

"Ah, that's very wise."

Tim chuckled, "Wish I could say I thought of it, but my former boss was a Marine and he learned it in the Corps. We had a teammate who taught us how to use them to our advantage."

"Oh, he was an expert?"

"She is, yes sir. She was a member of Mossad at the time."

"Mos...Mossad, Israeli?"

"Yes sir."

"She was your teammate?"

"Yes, she was on our team as liaison between our two agencies for a few years and then she quit Mossad and became an NCIS agent."

"You had so many dealings with common enemies you needed a liaison?"

"We needed some help with that after 9/11, yes sir."

"Ah, yes that does make sense."

By now getting a little desperate to change the direction of the conversation, Tim turned toward Mrs. Kalivas, "Ma'am, I'm not familiar with the names of these pastries. I'll need to know them so I can brag to my friends."

She laughed and told him and he repeated the names back to her. Conversation after that drifted to plans for the weekend. With the three of them leaving Sunday evening, Easter dinner would be early, really an Easter lunch after church. Mr. Kalivas looked at Lina, Tim and Damian. "You will join us at church."

They nodded, they'd come prepared and Tim had even looked up the service so he'd be familiar with it.

"Will the whole family attend together?"

"Yes, Nicolas and Chloe will bring their families."

"My family does that when we can." Mr. K wanted to know about his family; he told them about Sarah, Rob, Geordie and their grandparents, his godparents, uncle, aunt and cousins.

"Grandparents, godparents, uncles, aunts but no parents?"

"I consider my former boss, the one who was a Marine, to be my adopted dad. My own parents died when I was a child."

Once that was out there, most of the rest of the story emerged and both parents' eyes widened as they heard about Tim's childhood. He found it didn't hurt anymore, not since he'd come to Greece and met Lina, found his godfather and uncle and everything that had followed.

"You've had an amazing life, Timotheos."

Tim grinned, "It sounds horrible, that part, but the rest of my life has been good and life here in Greece is the best yet." He bumped shoulders with Lina who blushed again. The next questions had to do with the trip to the U.S. in February. Lina explained that Tim had been ordered to testify in a trial, cleverly not saying anything more about the circumstances and that she'd gone to arrange for a showing of her work in a world renowned gallery in the same town as the trial. Tim noticed Mr. K's shoulders tensed at the mention of the two of them traveling together so he talked about their stay at his grandfather's and the shoulders relaxed, perhaps thinking his grandfather would not allow them to share a room or maybe just glad they'd stayed with family. Lina picked up the story with the unexpected death of Jack and their trip to Pennsylvania for the funeral. That brought them around to questions about Jack and his son, Tim's surrogate dad. Lina and Tim talked about him with fondness and Lina told her father about Gibbs' woodworking, showing him the photo of the 'Tim at his typewriter' tableau he'd made Tim for Christmas. That really piqued his interest and later that night Damian told Tim that at the time his thought was that he was no longer needed as a buffer, he could hop a flight home to Matt.

Tim waited for the obvious questions after Mr. Kalivas saw the photo of Gibbs' creation, that is why did Tim have an ancient typewriter, what did he use it for? However, it seemed the man had temporarily lost interest in Tim's life, wanting to know more about Gibbs and his woodworking. He was not the least bit put off to discover he never sold any of his work, to him that was merely a challenge.

Eventually Lina yawned and her mother made a noise with her tongue. "Davos, they have worked all day, they're tired and should rest!" He reluctantly agreed and the three visitors said goodnight, Tim surprised once again by a kiss from Lina's mother. He liked that, made him feel like part of this family. He hadn't really thought that way, to him he'd been coming to meet Lina's father and the others, yes, but he hadn't yet considered that in the future he would also be a part of this family. He had to think about that. For most of his life, his siblings were his family. In DC, he'd never felt part of Gibbs' 'team-as-family' until after he left. In Greece, he found another family with Pete and the others. When he met his uncle and godfather, in his mind he'd added them to his own small family. Once he and Lina were married, he'd be part of this family. He smiled at that thought as he drifted off to sleep.


	80. Chapter 80

A/N: Long chapter today but I didn't want to split it up. Enjoy!

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Eighty<p>

Saturday morning found Damian, Lina and Tim on a brisk run before breakfast. When they came back to the house, Tim paused outside and took a good look at it. Lina started up across the porch with Damian and stopped when she noticed Tim wasn't with them. She turned around and looked at him and he smiled, "Just wanted to get a good look in the daylight. It's beautiful! How old is it?"

"It's been rebuilt several times over the centuries. The original farmhouse was built in 1427 and part of it remains in this structure, which was built in 1857. It's been remodeled several times since then, adding wiring for electricity, phone service, indoor plumbing, heating, etc. My grandparents did an extensive update and remodeling and my parents have also done some. It is an ever changing house!"

"Can I see the original part?"

She laughed, "You saw it last night; Papa's study was originally the main room of the house."

"Wow, that's incredible."

"I will show you some of the fun things we've found. Some of our ancestors wrote their initials on walls they added and there have been various treasure troves discovered through the centuries. Nothing in our lifetimes though, I think my grandfather found the last item when he was a boy."

"Will Nicolas and his family eventually move in?"

"Yes, there is a 'grandparents' unit in the back of the house, if and when my father ever retires, my parents will move into that and Nicolas and Margaret will move their children in."

She paused and then said quietly, "Nicolas is the first eldest son in a century that has not brought his wife home to this house, the first one whose children were not born within these walls."

"That's kind of sad but I guess traditions change."

She bit back a smile, "His wife and Mama don't get along at all. They manage to be civil to each other at holidays but that is that. Nicolas' children spend a great deal of time here though, so they have not been deprived." Tim nodded, "Families huh?" They went on into the house.

Tim showered, dressed and was back downstairs in time to offer to help Mrs. Kalivas with breakfast. She looked at him in astonishment, "You cook?"

"I'm not the best cook in the world, Lina's much better, but I can do basic stuff. And I can certainly set a table, make coffee, pour juice, whatever you need."

"I shouldn't let you, you're our guest, but I would like to spend some time with you."

He nodded, "Me too."

"All right, you can make the coffee and pour the juice, but first there is a whole onion I put in the refrigerator a few minutes ago, you can get that for me."

"Sure. You put it in there for a few minutes so it doesn't cause your eyes to water?"

"Yes, oh you are a smart one!" Together they put breakfast together while she explained that one of her sisters was coming for breakfast this morning, it was the only time she had to meet him and see Lina and Damian. When she said the aunt's name, Tim grinned knowing she was Lina's favorite. He'd heard several stories about Gaia and couldn't wait to meet her. While they were working around the kitchen, they chatted about this and that. Then Mrs. K asked him what he knew of Matt Watson. "Sorry?"

"Damian has mentioned him several times, really many times. I wondered if you knew him."

"Yes, I do, he's a good friend."

"That's good to hear." She tapped him on the arm, "He's a good man?"

"One of the best."

"All right, that's good. I want my son to be happy." Tim just smiled; very happy to stand up for his friend, both his friends.

Damian was the next one to enter the kitchen and he jumped right into the breakfast preparations. Lina came in next, gave Tim another good morning kiss much to her mother's delight, grabbed plates and cutlery to set the table. Tim was done with the coffee, juice and other tasks Mrs. K had given him so he followed Lina and together they set the table. He had to admit it felt really good to spend a few minutes alone with his girlfriend.

Nicolas and his two children, Zander and Dimitri, joined them for breakfast. The two boys, 6 and 4, reminded Tim of his much younger self and his brother Patrick. They were overjoyed to see their aunt and uncle and a little shy with him. They warmed up to him quickly though and by the time they'd finished breakfast they'd accepted him. Mr. K watched the process thoughtfully and gave his wife a smile that made her very happy.

Tim hoped to ask for Lina's father's blessing today and he figured he should do it as soon as possible because then he would need time to ask Lina. After breakfast, he quietly asked Mr. K if he could have a private word with him. Solemnly but with a twinkle in his eyes, the man agreed and led him to his study, quietly closing the door behind them.

Tim cleared his throat. "Sir, I won't beat around the bush. Your daughter is the most important person in my life, I love her, I intend to care for her, support her and any children we may be lucky to have for the rest of our lives. I'm hoping you'll give me – us – your blessing."

"You've come to me to ask?" The man seemed surprised.

"Yes sir."

He huffed. "We knew who Chloe would marry by the time she was 12. Lina is so independent I never considered that her suitor would follow tradition."

"I want to honor your customs. We live in a modern world but that doesn't mean we can't still follow tradition."

"Young man, it's plain that you and my daughter love each other. And even better, respect and trust each other; that means as much if not more. I know you will support her, I figured out last night why you look so familiar to me."

"With all due respect, Mr. Kalivas, I don't use the profits from my books to live on."

"What do you do with them?"

"So far, I've helped my sister and brother get through college and some charitable funding, among other things."

"But if you were unable to do your federal agent job, you could write full time – and make your fans very happy?"

"Yes, I could do that and I'm also very good with electronics and computers."

"Ah, a man of many talents!"

"As your daughter is a woman of many talents."

"Timotheos, I give you my blessing and I welcome you to our family. I'll be proud to call you my son!"

"Thank you sir, I'll be proud to be part of your family and to be your son-in-law." Davos engulfed him in a hearty hug.

"When do you plan to ask Melina?"

"I'll ask her today if we can have some time together."

"Her favorite beach is nearby, it won't be crowded today. The coastline here is beautiful and you can see across the Aegean."

"That's a great idea, sir, thank you! Would you like to see the ring?"

His future father-in-law laughed, "I thought she would probably design it!"

Tim smiled, "She may want to do that, but at least I can provide parts of it!" He took his great grandmother's ring from his pocket. "My grandfather gave me this in February when we were there. It was his mother's engagement ring and I have their wedding bands too."

"Your grandmother doesn't wear it?" Tim just shook his head. Mr. Kalivas picked it up and looked at it, "This is beautiful. Lina will love it. Did you know your great grandmother?"

Tim shook his head, "I only met her once."

"A pity, I still remember mine; she was born in 1874. Can you imagine the differences between 1874 and 1950 when I was born? Fascinating! Ah, I digress…back to you and Lina. You two haven't known each other long, only a few months."

"Yes sir, five months. The best five months of my life. I talked with Gibbs – my dad – about our not having known each other very long and he said something that I really liked, that we could wait or we could marry when we felt ready and spend the rest of our lives getting to know each other."

Mr. Kalivas smiled, "I like his thinking. Yes, you will do that anyway, but I will tell you, it is best to keep a little bit of mystery between you. Keeps the spark alive."

Tim didn't know what to say to that, well he did, but this was Lina's father. He just nodded and smiled.

Kalivas slapped him on the back and pulled him in for a hug, "Welcome Timotheos, you're one of us now, wherever you are."

Tim was happy, excited and relieved, all at once. He left Lina's father and went to find Lina. She was on the front porch with her mother, talking. He poked his head out the front door, "Mind if I join you?" "No, Tim, come out into the spring air, it's a lovely day."

"Yes, I was just thinking that and wondering what the plans are for today?"

"Nothing beyond breakfast was planned; you two have the day to yourselves."

Lina smiled, "Where's Damian?"

Her mother answered, "He's gone with Nicolas to look at some plans."

Tim tapped Lina on the shoulder, "It is a beautiful day love, would you like to go for a picnic?"

Lina's eyes lit up, "That's a wonderful suggestion, Tim, one of my favorite beaches is nearby. Would you like that?"

"Yes!"

Mrs. Kalivas got up, "You two go and get ready, Lina you know where the towels are, take a blanket to sit on and an umbrella, we can't have Timotheos getting sunburned! I'll make your lunch, is there anything you don't like, Tim?"

"He's allergic to kiwi fruit."

"Oh my, that's good to know. I'll tell Chloe, she's bringing the fruit tomorrow."

Tim smiled, "Anything other than kiwi is great!"

"Good, I'll go put something together then. Now go, both of you!"

Holding hands, they ran up the stairs to their rooms, eager to get started on their private time. Tim had sunscreen and a hat with him; he'd decided it would just be easier to always have both with him while he lived in Greece. He emptied out his pack and put the hat, the sunscreen and the flip flops into it and then changed into shorts and a tee shirt. He transferred the ring to a zippered pouch he used for valuables and carefully placed it in his pack.

When he was ready he knocked on Lina's door and she opened it. "I'm almost ready, come on in." He entered and feeling like a teenager, left the door ajar. Lina looked at him, "You have your phone, right?"

"Yes."

"And your e-reader or a book?"

"Yes and a deck of cards."

"All right, then we'll get the towels and the blanket from the closet and lunch from Mother."

"That's sweet of her to put our picnic together for us."

She smiled at him and he leaned over for a little kiss. "Come, we will have privacy at the beach!"

Gathering the towels and blanket, they headed to the kitchen and found a cooler sitting waiting for them with a note that dinner was at 9:00 and to please call if they were going to be later than that. Tim was starting to wonder just how private this beach was!

They took one of the family vehicles and Lina drove, Tim relaxed and enjoyed the scenery both inside and outside the car. After driving for about 20 minutes, Lina told him they were almost there and Tim suddenly realized he was about to propose to Lina, about to make a commitment for the rest of his life. Then he relaxed again, this is what he'd always wanted, hoped for and nearly despaired of ever finding, a woman as wonderful as Lina. He wanted her for his partner, to share their lives. He made a surprised noise when they crested a hill and he saw the sparkling Aegean Sea spread out before them. They turned left and followed a winding road down to the beach. They parked close to the rocks and sand and while Lina opened the trunk to get the blanket and beach chairs, Tim reached into his pack, unzipped the bag and put the ring in his pocket. He carried the cooler and the beach chairs onto to the beach while Lina grabbed the blanket and their packs.

She gestured to the south, "There's a nice little area down that way a bit."

He smiled, "Sounds good to me!" He followed her as they walked across the warm sand; she stopped in an area shielded from the rest of the beach by several large rocks.

"How does this look for our own private beach?"

"It's perfect sweetie, just as long as we don't get swept away in the tide."

She laughed, "The tide only reaches these rocks in a storm; we'll be safe today."

"In that case…"

They took the blanket out and laid it on the sand. Tim wondered if she could hear his heart pounding and when she sat down on the blanket, he knelt on one knee in front of her. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a surprised smile.

"Lina…I had this all planned out, written out and now all I can think of is that we love each other, we've known from the start that we're right together, we fit together. Honey, will you marry me, share your life with me, build a life together? "

She laughed – that light laugh that always made him weak in the knees, sent an electrical charge through him – as she took his face in her hands. "My love, yes, I will marry you!"

They kissed and when they finally came up for air, Tim said rather breathlessly, "I almost forgot!" He took the ring box out of his pocket and watched her face light up even more as she opened it. She looked up at him, "Timothy, it's beautiful, wherever did you find this?"

"It was my great-grandmother Victoria's engagement ring. Grandfa wants us to have it."

She smiled. "It's perfect."

"It's all right if you want to design something else; I thought you could use the stones…"

"No, no, I love it! And I love it even more because it was Victoria's." He gently took it from her and slid it on to her ring finger. "It fits perfectly too."

They kissed again and when they came up for air she said, "Take some pictures please, so we can send them to your family."

"Now?"

"Yes, before we look like we've done what we're about to do."

He laughed, nodding, "Practical, beautiful and talented, that's my love!" They managed to get a decent 'selfie' with Lina's hand – the one with the ring – patting Tim's cheek. Tim took a few close-ups of the ring and of Lina's hand.

He was just about to send off the photos when she stopped him. "Tim, shouldn't this have gone to Sarah?"

"Grandfa said he, Gram and Penny discussed it. Gram has our mother's engagement ring and they decided Victoria's would come to us and Lily's would go to Sarah. She has heritage rings all figured out for Ainsley and Callum too. Penny has two engagement rings, I don't know why, so those are for Rob and Geordie if and when the time is right. "

"And Sarah and Rob know?"

"Yes, Gram had a talk with the sibs before I showed them your ring."

"That's good then."

"I have the wedding bands too."

"How…did Ducky mail them to you?"

"No, he gave them to me when we were there in February."

"February? Timothy McGee, you've had this since then and never let it slip!" She laughed, "Sarah's right, 'classified' should be your middle name!"

He'd sent the photos while they were talking and now he swooped in to kiss the love of his life. They spent the afternoon making love on the beach, stopping to nibble on the lunch her mother packed for them. Tim shook his head as he drank his lemonade, "I guess I was a lot more nervous than I thought I was. I forgot to tell you I spoke with your father this morning; he's given us his blessing."

"You spoke with him?"

"Yeah, I figured he'd appreciate tradition being followed, I mean he barely knows me, although I would have done it even if he'd known me since birth, like your brother-in-law."

"That was a brilliant idea!"

He laughed, "I talked with Jimmy, Gibbs, the uncles and Norm and they all said the same thing. I started out asking Norm about what he'd said to his future father-in-law but he was the one who introduced him and Carla, so not much help. The uncles said the same thing. I hadn't wanted to ask Gibbs, figured it would stir up too many painful memories, but I did and he laughed and told me about his little session with Shannon's father, Mac. He encouraged me to talk with your dad, said it would show my respect for you and for him as your father and the head of the family. Then I asked Gram if my father had talked with Grandpa Drew and she laughed and said she'd tell me after I'd proposed."

"I wonder why?"

"The only thing I can think of is that they'd only known each other a few weeks; I suppose it's possible Grandpa Drew read him the riot act. We'll ask when we call them!"

They went back to celebrating and then had a nap with Lina curled up into Tim's side. When his phone alarm chimed, it woke them and they decided they'd take a very quick dip in the ocean to rinse off. Lina went first, exclaiming at the not-quite warm enough water. She dipped a few times and then ran out into Tim's arms as he wrapped her in the beach towel and carried her to the blanket. Once she was dry and warm, he went into the water and was quite a bit louder in his comments about the water temperature. The sun was still warm however, and they'd each brought a few extra things so by the time they packed up they were warm again and looked and felt clean.

When they walked into the house, Lina's parents were waiting by the front door. They hadn't sent photos to any of her family or their friends at home. Her mother kissed Lina, admired the ring and pulled Tim in for a kiss too, "Welcome to the family, son!" Mr. Kalivas grabbed Lina's hand and looked at the ring, kissed his daughter and pounded Tim on the back. "Congratulations!" Damian had been napping and now he joined in the celebration.

They were having drinks before dinner when Tim's phone chirped with a text. It was from Gibbs and it just said, "I'm at Duck's." Tim laughed as he showed Lina and told her parents. "It's Gibbs- and all he says is that he's at my grandfather's house." They laughed at that and Davos waved them off, "Go, call them, we have all night to eat and drink." Smiling, they went to Tim's room, powered up the laptop and brought Skype up. They pinged Ducky's account and there was an immediate response. "Timothy, Melina, congratulations! Now if you'll just hold on a moment, I'd like to bring the children in." They saw Grandfa sort of hesitating and then Callum slid into the chair, waving to Tim and Lina. "Hi, I'm just going to get Sarah and Rob on too." They nodded and a second window popped open with Sarah, Rob and James. Everyone wanted to see the ring and Lina obligingly held her hand up to the camera and then giggled over the oohs and ahhs. They had a chance to chat with Gram, Grandfa, Liz, Claire and the children and then Sarah, Rob and James and finally Gibbs. He looked at them, "I'm so happy for you both and so proud of you! Lina, I wanted to say this in February but I was afraid it was too soon - welcome to our family, the McGee-Mallard-Hubbard-Crane-Gibbs clan!" While they were chatting, Damian had come upstairs with an idea – that their parents should meet Tim's family and he would handle the translations. So they brought the laptop downstairs and Tim's family met Lina's parents and brother over Skype. They talked for several minutes before disconnecting. Mr. Kalivas looked at Tim. "I know you told us all this but it is extraordinary to have found so many relatives! I remembered that I was told you were an orphan with a sister and two brothers."

He laughed, "I was! Two days after Lina and I met, I found my godfather and uncle and then a month after that my friend Dr. Mallard told me he's my grandfather – he'd just been told. And Gibbs and I worked out our problems, so now he's 'dad' instead of just my former boss. It's simple, really."

That got a laugh out of everyone and Lina followed up with, "There are more people, you know. You haven't met Uncle Dave, Uncle Jim, Penny or brother Geordie yet."

Her father huffed, "Uncles and brothers I understand - who or what is a Penny?"

Laughing again, they explained Penny. As they were talking, Tim's laptop pinged and Lina's mother insisted he answer it. It was, of course, the uncles who were afloat somewhere in the Indian Ocean. After congratulating the happy couple, they were introduced to Lina's family and welcomed them to their clan as they in turn were welcomed to the Kalivas family.

Tim knew Penny was en route to somewhere this weekend and he told the others he didn't expect to hear from her tonight. And Geordie, well he still had hope that the leave promised by Col. Martin would in fact happen, although as the months went by that hope dimmed. They'd had additional letters from him and he sounded more like himself than the letter the Colonel had given Tim, but it had been nearly three years now since they'd seen him. He took the laptop back upstairs and then joined Lina, Damian and their parents for dinner.

By the time bedtime rolled around, Lina had very quietly and very privately mentioned that her parents' room was downstairs and on the other side of the house, past her father's study. In a separate comment, Damian very quietly mentioned that the house had very thick walls to keep out the heat and that a side benefit was that noise didn't travel, especially to the other side of the house. He also mentioned he was going out to see a friend, they were going clubbing and he doubted he'd be home before 3:00 AM. Tim wondered about him going clubbing without Matt but Lina explained that his friend was a woman he'd known for years and that they liked to go dancing together.

So after Lina was sure her parents were tucked in for the night, she and Tim quietly and joyfully celebrated their commitment to each other. When Damian came in at 3, he gave a light rap on Lina's door and Tim put his pajamas back on and padded across the hall to his room.

Church was at 9 on Sunday and Tim had been forewarned that it would be a long service. Breakfast was at 7:30 and he made sure to drink enough coffee to keep him awake. While he and Lina cleaned up the dishes, Mr. Kalivas - Tim had been invited to call him either Papa or Davos – steered Damian into his study. Mrs. Kalivas – Mama or Hélène – retired to her room to get ready for church. Lina looked worried as they rinsed the dishes and stacked them in the dishwasher. "He doesn't normally get a private talking to."

"Maybe it's good though."

Lina smiled, "I like that, let's go with good."

As it turned out, they were right. The Kalivas' had recently taken a trip to visit Davos' youngest brother who lived in a country north of Greece known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (abbreviated to FYROM) or more simply Macedonia, not to be confused with the region of Greece they lived in which was also referred to as Macedonia. Ariston moved from Thessaloniki years ago and rarely came home to visit, nor had he ever before invited any of his siblings to visit. What Davos didn't know was that Damian and his uncle had been in contact for several years and over time Ariston decided it was time his family knew the truth. He had a good life, a strong loving relationship with his partner, a good business and many friends; at this point in his life he could risk losing his brother's goodwill by telling him the truth. He wrote Davos and Hélène, asking them to visit. When they arrived, he took them out for a meal and told them the truth: he was gay, was living openly as a gay man and he wasn't going to hide it from his family any longer.

Now when Ariston was a little guy, big brother Davos took him everywhere with him, the two adored each other. It wasn't until Ariston was in his teens that he began to pull away from his brother. By that time Davos was married to Hélène, they had Nicolas and although Davos regretted that he didn't see his little brother much anymore, he supposed it was a natural progression of growing up and establishing his own family. Ariston left home to go to college in Italy and never returned to live in Thessaloniki.

The day his little brother finally told them why he'd left home, Davos' heart broke. His baby brother had left rather than continue to live a secret life; knowing if he told the truth he would be disowned by their parents and disrespected and disdained by his siblings. He'd missed all these years of his brother's life because of fear; his own fear of anything 'different' and his brother's fear of losing the love and approval of his family. During their stay with Ariston he got to know his brother's partner – his brother-in-law, his friends and his life and his eyes were also opened to his brother's contact with Damian. There were photos of Damian that neither Hélène nor Davos had seen, with various friends, living his own life. Several of the newer looking photos featured a young American, Matt who Ariston said Damian considered his life partner. When pressed for more, Ariston would only say that he was an employee of the U.S. government living in Piraeus and the name of the agency he worked for.

Since that day Davos had done a lot of soul searching and he and Hélène had done a lot of talking. She wanted Damian to feel he could bring Matt home to meet them, that he would be just as welcome as Lina's young man. Davos came to agree; he certainly didn't want Damian to feel like Ariston had all these years, that he couldn't share his life with his family. There had been too much of that already.

That's what Davos was telling Damian this Easter morning. Easter is all about celebrating life and family and it seemed appropriate that he tell his son that he never wanted to lose him as he had his brother and that they would be very pleased if he were to bring Matt and his other friends home to meet them. Damian was so surprised and happy that he cried. His father cried along with him, for all the years he'd lost with Ariston, the years of Damian's life that his son had kept quiet to keep the peace in the family and the hope that they could change this.

Eventually father and son parted, with words more loving than had been spoken between them in many years. When Damian walked out of the study he sent a text to Matt to see where he was. The response was immediate and Damian pressed his contact info to talk with him.

When they arrived at the church, Nicolas, Margaret, Chloe, Peter and their children were waiting outside for them. Davos introduced Tim as his new son-in-law and held up Lina's be-jeweled hand. There were exclamations, handshakes and hugs and then Hélène shooed them all into church. Tim hadn't set foot in an Orthodox church since he was a child and that had been the Russian version, different from the Greek Orthodox. He was glad Lina warned him as the service went on for what seemed like twelve hours although in reality it was 90 minutes. He tried to pay attention; he made it through the first thirty minutes, maybe a little longer before his mind drifted off to his current writing project. Since he'd seen Ducky in February, he'd been working on organizing the man's stories to start writing them, put them in some sort of context and now his mind started working on them again. He and Lina were holding hands and she would squeeze it when he needed to kneel, sit or stand. He'd made eye contact with his father-in-law while he was still paying attention and he hoped that was enough. He supposed they'd have to do some tap dancing to be married in the church. He didn't really care and he thought Lina didn't care all that much, but her parents did. He thought about their future children and hoped they wouldn't have to promise to raise them in a church that still discriminated against women and gays and frowned on birth control. Of course that was the Roman Catholics he guessed he'd better do his homework on the Greek Orthodox Church before he assigned the same faults to them. He 'came to' when just about everyone around him went to communion. He, Lina and Damian stayed behind much to the consternation of Hélène and the wide eyes of some of the grandchildren. He figured he had a pass this time; he'd worry about next time later.

Finally the service was over, the after-church greetings were finished and the entire family returned to the house. The women passed the younger children to their husbands and headed for the kitchen. Lina murmured to him, pulled his face to her and kissed him, then followed them. He found Damian and tried his best not to visibly latch on to him, suddenly nervous with a houseful of Kalivas males. They stood and sat on the porch and he listened to the men talk about the business, Peter's work – he was a doctor – and from the surprised looks, so maybe it was for the first time, Damian's work. When they got around to him, he gave a general description of what he did and Davos snorted. "You want an idea of what he does read the "Deep Six" books; our Timothy is Gemcity."

When he found they'd all read the series and were fans, he huffed a little. "Davos, you met Tibbs last night."

"I did? OH, the woodworker – that's Tibbs? Hmm, Gibbs, yes I see."

"And my grandfather is Plucky Fowler."

"You put your family in?"

"No, well, yes but they were just my team when I started writing these, not family." He explained his former team and answered their questions, keeping a lid on the personal stuff. That wasn't anyone's business.

When they heard raised voices Nicolas sighed and excused himself and Tim tagged along with him, hoping to either do something to help with the dinner preparations or snag Lina from the kitchen. When they entered the house, they found Margaret, Nicolas' wife, and Hélène arguing while Chloe and Lina kept going with the tasks at hand, including involving the children in getting the table set.

Tim offered to work with the kids and Lina smiled gratefully but Nicolas gave him a horrified look that Tim took to mean _'men do not do kitchen chores'_. Tim shrugged, he hated that the women had to do all the preparations and would be expected to do the cleanup too. That's not the way it worked in his family, everyone pulled his or her own weight. Lina introduced him again to the eldest grandchild, Chloe's daughter, and the two of them got the other kids organized and the table set. Partway through, Damian slid into the room and started helping and Tim grinned at him, glad for his support.


	81. Chapter 81

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty One

Dinner, or lunch, was finally served; the two combatants at opposite ends of the table. Tim tried not to eat too much but everything was delicious and he ate at least a bite of each item served. After the meal, he, Damian and the older children started the cleanup and with a smile, Peter joined in. Nicolas huffed and started grabbing dirty dishes although once he got started he lost the attitude. Tim was pleased to find that his future brothers-in-law knew their way around a dishwasher and while he and Peter had to scrub a few things, they had the mess cleaned up fairly quickly. After that there was a walk around the property to show him the original woodshop and other points of interest. When his phone alarm chimed, they headed back to the house. All three of them were already packed so they had plenty of time to say goodbye to everyone. After dreading the weekend, Tim found he was sorry to leave. He had to bite back a smile as he engaged in very solemn and formal handshakes with Nicolas' sons, Zander and Dimitri and received hugs from Chloe's daughter Alexis and son Tad.

Nicolas drove them to the airport. Their flight home was uneventful although none of the three of them stopped smiling the entire way, Tim and Lina for obvious reasons and Damian because of his father's acceptance. When Matt pulled up to the curb at the Athens airport, he left the engine running as he hopped out of the car and kissed Damian, then he kissed Lina, hugged Tim and then went back to Damian.

Tim's car was at the office, so they were dropped there. Lina asked him to go with her to the house she shared with Dani and Ross. She wanted to tell them the news before everyone else. They'd already discussed her official move to Tim's house, or as he'd pointed out, "their" home; she wanted to give Dani two months notice although she'd move everything to Tim's in the next couple of weeks. When she worried about Dani finding one person suitable to rent two empty bedrooms or two new housemates Tim suggested she think about continuing to rent the 4th bedroom as her studio. The spare rooms at their place wouldn't work nearly as well as the room she was already using and it had the additional advantage of keeping her in close touch with Dani and Ross.

After the engagement news was shared and Lina's ring was admired, Tim and Ross disappeared for a while to give Dani and Lina time to figure out how to go about splitting up the household. Ross had questions for Tim and he did his best to answer them. Ross's father had been out of the picture since he was a baby. Dani's uncle who lived in Athens and Pete had done a good job of providing him with father figures but he had questions he felt more comfortable asking Tim. Months ago, Dani and Tim had had a conversation about Ross and now Tim was confident that Dani would be supportive of him answering these particular questions.

When they were leaving to go home, Dani hugged Tim. "You two are so good together, you're both good people, you're perfect for Lina, Lina's perfect for you. Don't let anything get in your way. Family - and now that means the two of you - comes first!"

As they walked into their home, Tim had to admit he was exhausted. Still exhilarated but very tired and tomorrow was a work day. They unpacked, easily done as nearly everything went into the dirty clothes bin and then fell into bed. The museum was closed on Easter Monday, so Tim left Lina sleeping peacefully when he left for work Monday morning.

Tim's original plan had been to slip into the office early but instead he chose to sleep a little later and it was nearly 8 AM by the time he walked in. Tea looked at him and grinned. He tried to look puzzled but a grin broke through as he walked or sort of floated to his desk. Matt kept his head down as he had been doing since he got in, not wanting to unwittingly give anything away. While Tim hadn't said he was going to propose this weekend, he had clearly been worried about meeting Lina's parents, in particular her father. His co-workers knew that meant at least the possibility of a proposal.

Pete came out of his office; the others looked at him as he looked directly at Tim. "Special Agent McGee, sitrep!"

Tim blinked, "I was successful with Mr. Kalivas, sir, been invited to call him by his first name or," he paused and let the grin out, "Papa."

"And that means…?"

"That I asked and she said yes!" He was given hugs, thumps on the back, handshakes and cheek kisses by his co-workers.

"When's the wedding?"

"Haven't gotten that far yet."

"Photos, do you have photos of the ring?"

"Yup, here." He brought them up on his phone and they gathered around to ooh and ahh over the ring.

Bec asked, "Where did you find that ring, it's so beautiful, really different!"

Tim beamed, "My grandfather gave it to me in February when we were there; it was his mother's, my great grandmother."

"Wow, a family heirloom!"

When he was gently teased for being so stealthy about the ring for the last two months, he nodded, "Federal Agent, middle name is 'classified'!"

Finally they settled down to work. Tim and the others were still plowing through the reports for the Dunne case; they'd been so tired last week after their return from Germany that Pete had told them to just do the urgent ones; this week they'd tackle the rest of them.

Now that Tim had time to breathe, he wondered how Tony's weekend had gone. He and Maggie Barnes were meeting in Chicago for the weekend. Tony had been nervous and excited and the two former co-workers had talked about their weekend plans several times. Monday morning, Tony would take advantage of the two hour time difference between Chicago and Seattle and fly home on the earliest flight, going straight into work. Maggie was also flying out but taking a half day. Finally when Tim felt he could take a break from the reports, he sent a quick e-mail asking how things had gone, hoping they'd had fun.

Pete insisted on going on the lunch run with Tim. As they walked, the older man cleared his throat. "Just wanted to make sure you're doing ok."

"I'm great, pretty much floating!"

"That's good, Tim, that's really good. Did you talk with your family?"

"Yeah, I'd planned Easter calls with them…well, Grandfa and Gibbs knew what I hoped for; I think pretty much everyone guessed. The only people we didn't speak with were the Palmers and Tony."

"So you still have some catching up to do."

"Yeah. Well, Jimmy and Breena just brought their foster kids home. Do you remember me telling you about the brothers Lina and I met at the camp in February? "

"Uh… someone named Stevie?"

"Yep, that's the younger one, he's a toddler. Ethan is the older brother, he's 9. Anyway, Jimmy and Breena are now their foster parents, took awhile to get it arranged but this was their first weekend with them, so I didn't want to disturb them."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yeah it is! Ethan is a good big brother and a good kid, but when we saw him he'd had to miss school because Stevie was sick and Day Care wouldn't let him stay."

Pete nodded. "Yeah, I remember those days."

Tim huffed, "Me too!" He smiled, "Now they have a Mom and Dad to take care of both of them."

"That's wonderful, Tim." They'd reached the deli and picked up their order, were on their way back.

"Do you and Lina see yourselves doing something like that one day?"

"Absolutely! We'll have to wait until we leave here though or figure out if we can foster American kids over here – although I wouldn't think so. And from what we've heard, in Greece not many children are put up for adoption. One year there were only 3!"

"So you can't foster American kids over here?"

"I doubt it as they need to do physical welfare checks on the kids, but we'll check it out."

They reached the office and delivered lunch, happy to find that Kim and Bec had pulled the chairs out from the storage shed and cleaned off the patio table so they could eat outside. As Tim was handing out the food he realized there was an extra order. "Who's this for?"

"That might be me!"

He turned to see Lina; grinning he pulled her in for a kiss. "Hi honey, this is a nice surprise!"

"Kim called this morning and asked me to come for lunch."

She held out her hand and the ladies ooh'd and ahh'd some more about the ring. She laughed. "We'll have to remember to tell Grandfa what a hit Victoria's ring is!"

"Tim says you haven't gotten around to setting the date yet."

"No, not yet, we'll figure it out soon, I'm sure. First I need to get packed and move."

They talked about that for awhile. They were not on call the following weekend but there was an Embassy party Saturday night and they didn't want to be too tired from the move to enjoy the dance.

"Do you have furniture?"

"Mm, some, but I'll probably put that in storage as I like the furniture in the house better."

"So boxes, clothes and your studio, right?"

"No, I'm going to continue renting the room for the studio, so it will be boxes and clothes and to be honest, most of my clothes are already at Tim's."

Tim snorted, "And all her shoes!" The women just blinked, of course, while Pete chuckled.

"So miscellaneous boxes and some clothes."

"Yes."

"If we do it early Saturday morning, we can rest and be ready to go again Saturday night. We're in good shape – and I've got four strong kids who can handle the boxes."

Lina and Tim grinned, "That's perfect, thank you! All right, we'll provide beverages, lunch and snacks."

Matt nodded, "Count your brother and me in too, Lina."

Tim snorted, "You two were first on the list!"

Bec cleared her throat. "Is Dani going to rent your room out again?"

"Yes, I'll continue to pay for the room I use as the studio, but she'd like another housemate."

Bec nodded and Eva put her hand on her arm. "This could be a good opportunity, Bec."

"Yeah, I was thinking that too, Eva."

Tim was confused, "I thought you liked your place – and your roommate?"

"Well I did, but she told me last night that her boyfriend is moving in and she wants the place for just them. She's being ok about it, gave me two months to find another place."

Lina nodded, "You know Dani and Ross, have you been to the house?"

"I think once to pick you up."

"You should call her and go see it, talk with her."

"I'll do that, thanks Lina, Eva!"

Pete nodded, "Good, hope that works out Bec and we will of course help you move! Now, anyone else have any housing challenges?"

Kim laughed, "It's not a housing challenge, but Evander and I have set the date for our wedding!"

There were exclamations all around. "Wonderful! When is it?"

"May 31st."

Tea gasped, "Kim, that's only 6 weeks away."

"Yes, it won't be a big wedding, just our families – including all of you of course."

Matt squinted in thought. "Aren't your parents coming over around then?"

Kim laughed again, "Yes, that's how we decided on the date! We've been planning my parents' visit in late May for several months now, so it just made sense. They'll be here for several days before the wedding and leave the Monday afterward; I'll take two weeks off, one before and one after the wedding."

Lina leaned in, "Anything you need, I'll be glad to help!"

"Won't you be busy planning your own wedding?"

"Yes, but ours will be in the early stages, I can do both!" The wedding talk was summarily halted when the phone rang, lunch was over. Before she left, Lina made plans to meet with Kim later in the week and gave Bec Dani's phone number.

By the end of the day, Tim had received a reply from Tony, with some photos. They'd had a wonderful time and already had another weekend planned. Tony asked when they could Skype, said he needed Tim's advice. He also congratulated Tim and Lina, loved the ring and the story behind it.

That evening, Vance had good news to share during their conference call. Their budget had been approved for four agents, so Bec and Matt could stay if they wanted. When they finished with business, Tim leaned forward. "Director, I have something personal to tell you!"

Vance grunted, "Don't tell me you've found more family!"

"In a manner of speaking, yes Sir. Lina and I got engaged over the weekend!"

Vance gave him a happy smile, "Tim, that's great, congratulations to the both of you! Set the date yet?"

"Not yet, might be November though."

"You meet her family?"

"Yes, her brother lives here, you met him at Christmas. The three of us spent this weekend with their family."

"Ah, so you've met the parents!" Tim nodded. "That's great Tim…did you have "the talk" (Vance used air quotes) with her father?"

"Yes I did and it went pretty well. I think mostly because he's a Gemcity fan and figured it out and because his family makes and sells furniture, has for centuries, and he saw photos of some of the things Gibbs has made, got all excited."

Vance laughed, "Don't sell yourself short, but that's a good one! You tell Gibbs?"

"Yeah, he got a kick out of it!" Vance was still chuckling as they disconnected. Tim looked at Pete and they grinned at each other. "We get to keep both of them!"

"If they want to stay."

"Matt's not leaving as long as Damian's here and I'm pretty sure Bec will want to stay too."

"Yeah, I agree. Want to tell them now or wait until morning?'

"If we wait, we'll get some big ugly case and won't have a chance."

"Right, I'll go get them." Pete disappeared and Tim moved the chairs around so that two of them were in front of Pete's desk. He'd stand as he'd been sitting too much the last couple of days. Bec and Matt entered the office, followed by Pete. He gestured to the chairs and they sat down, trying not to look worried. Tim just nodded at them and Pete chuckled to himself watching the two younger agents visibly relax.

"So, we just got some news from Director Vance and since you two are still here tonight, we thought we'd tell you now and not wait until morning." Matt and Bec looked at each other, both hoping.

Tim chuckled, "It's good news, guys, at least Pete and I think it is, hope you will too!"

Pete nodded, "Indeed it is! Thanks to our friends in Washington, our budget has been substantially increased and we have funding for a four agent team for the next three years."

Now the two younger ones looked at each other and back at the other two,

"I get to stay?"

"Yes Bec, if you want to stay we have the budget for two junior agents."

Bec jumped up from the chair. "Oh thank you, I've been dreading having to leave! Ooh, consider yourselves hugged! Yes, absolutely I want to stay!"

Kim had been in the restroom changing and now she joined them as they told her the good news. She was also happy, "Hoped you would find a way to keep her here!"

They spent a few minutes talking and then Pete said he still needed to finish some business with Tim, so the others headed to the garden to start stretching.

Tim looked at Pete. "We have unfinished business?"

"Wedding stuff…so, November?"

"Maybe…probably. The weather should still be warm enough for us to hold the reception outdoors. The Baton Rouge will be here, or close enough for the uncles to fly in. It's a good time for the Kalivas family to be away from the business for a few days – I guess furniture isn't a big gift item for Christmas shopping. The Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. makes it fewer vacation days for people to take off for the trip over and back - and the gallery in New Orleans wants Lina to be there for her opening the first week of December."

Pete nodded, "That all makes sense, very practical and thoughtful."

Tim grinned, "Neither of us wants a winter wedding and we really don't want to wait for next spring!"

Now Pete laughed, "Ah, the real reason for the burst of practicality!"

"Honestly, if we could get everyone here this weekend, we'd do it now! The party will be fun but Lina wants to go with a simple look - elegantly simple."

"Very nice! Well, you've already got your tux and I'm sure Lina will design and make her dress, right?"

"Yeah." Tim paused, "I'm a little afraid this will be too much for her, hoping there will be enough that I can do and that she'll ask for help when she needs it."

"I can think of some people who would be happy to help."

They smiled at each other and Pete slapped him on the back, "Not even six months here, Tim, you're doing an incredible job of refashioning your life. It's a pleasure watching you; just remember I'm here if you need anything."

"I know that Pete and you've proved that many times already." They were still chatting when Matt walked back into the bullpen, waved at them and pointed to the clock.

Tim laughed, "I think our probie is telling me it's time for class."

"Yikes, I'm late home then! Have fun tonight, see you in the morning!"

Thoughtfully, Matt had left enough time for Tim to do some stretches before they had to leave so he joined the others in the garden as they prepared for class. He'd had a very short run this morning and none yesterday morning although he'd had some alternate – and much more satisfying – exercise. Still, he could tell the difference as he concentrated on bending and stretching.

When they got to George's studio, their instructor took one look at Tim and shook his head, "You going to be able to concentrate? You look…unfocused." He looked around, "All of you look a bit unfocused. Is everything all right?"

Tim grinned at him, "Got engaged over the weekend."

Kim smiled, "My fiancé and I set our wedding date."

Bec laughed, "Matt and I found out we get to stay on the team; the budget's been increased."

"Ah, I see, a big day for each of you! Timothy, congratulations to you and Melina. Kim, congratulations to you and Evander as well. Bec and Matt, I look forward to many more classes with you two! Now, all of you focus or you'll be going home bruised and unhappy."

They nodded; Tim closed his eyes for a moment to find his center as George – and Ziva – had taught him. When his turn came to defend, he was 'in the zone' and did fine. Not the best any of them had ever done but enough so that George didn't have to say anything further and no one finished any more bruised than usual. Tim deliberately kept his eyes away from the mirror and the front of the studio to prevent certain distraction when Lina and Damian arrived. George taught them another move and they were just finishing their practice when he heard the door open. They bowed to the master and each other as they finished the class. While they changed, George greeted the visitors and congratulated Lina and Evander who Tim was happy to see join them.

Later as they ate dinner at the Flying Pig, Bec privately reflected that she was the only single one in the group. She didn't mind particularly, she'd dated a couple of guys she'd met here but they didn't really click. That had started with Rob McGee back during the Christmas holidays. While they'd had fun together she didn't feel any pull of attraction toward him. He was good looking, smart, funny and thoughtful, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him and everything right but in the end they admitted to each other they'd rather be friends and really, a cross-continental relationship was not what she was looking for. She shrugged; maybe she'd meet someone new at the Embassy party and if not, well she wouldn't worry about it. She was really excited and relieved that she would be staying with the team. She privately thought that although Greece was wonderful, she wouldn't mind where they were as long as she got to work with this team, these people. Right now her career was more important to her than her love life, or lack of it.

The rest of the week passed quickly. London had a case with a local connection so they worked together to resolve that and this time Bec had the honor of taking down the perpetrator with a 'George-taught' move. By the time Friday rolled around they were just finishing up their reports. When the mail was delivered, Ti m was surprised to receive a manila envelope from DC. Inside there was a letter sized envelope with a note attached from Pam Cooke. "This was addressed to you here and somehow I got it – it's been through security so it's safe… here you go!" He looked at the envelope; while he didn't recognize the return address he thought he recognized the handwriting. Shrugging, he put it in his laptop bag to read later.

During the week, Bec met with Dani and looked at the room which was spacious and airy and she really liked the furniture. The rent would be less than the apartment and she'd be in a house and with people she knew and liked. She told Dani she'd take the room and then called Lina to see what furniture she was planning on putting in storage. Bec had brought a bed, desk and a chair with her along with her TV and laptop; she'd sold or stored the rest of her furniture before she left the States, figuring she'd probably have a share rental in Greece. Lina was happy to leave the dresser, nightstand and the curtains she'd made for the room but sadly for Bec, not the comfy overstuffed chair. Lina offered to refurbish another one for her when she had time and they both laughed at the concept of her having spare time any time soon.

In the meantime, Tim and Lina had been moving and rearranging things in the house. By Friday night they were done and turned in early in anticipation of a very busy Saturday. Up early, Tim zipped down to the bakery and picked up fresh pastries; they already had everything they needed for lunch. They met the 'move' crew at Dani's, handed out the pastries and beverages and got to work. By noon, they were done. Everything slated to move had been moved and placed in its new position in their house. They spent an hour or so relaxing over lunch and then disbursed to rest up for the Embassy party that evening.


	82. Chapter 82

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty Two

Tim and Lina had been to a couple of Embassy parties together since Tim's first party back in November. The last one had been particularly exciting because Damian had received his own invitation, acknowledging his growing reputation as a young architect quickly establishing a name for himself. Matt had been thrilled with that and although they didn't feel comfortable dancing together in the ballroom, they found a small private area where they danced with each other all they wanted. Norm and Carla were already enjoying their night out. Norm's sister-in-law was currently staying with them, helping with the triplets and another friend of theirs also offered to help babysit tonight. Dani and Ross were at the Russells with the kids, they had a big movie night planned.

As always, Tim felt he was the luckiest guy in the universe when he walked into a room with Lina and that was especially true that night. Her dress was a beautiful mélange of traditional spring colors, pinks, blues, lavenders, white, yellow, in variations of those hues that worked with her skin tone, actually made her skin glow. The fabric was full of color but done so subtly that none of it was overwhelming. She'd designed the dress so that it gracefully followed her movements when she walked or danced. That had required some research; she'd drafted Matt to film her dancing with Tim and she based the design on that. Tim thought Trina had described it best once when she said that Lina wore a garment to complement her features, the garment never overshadowed her natural beauty.

The group took their 'usual' table and looked at each other, laughing a little about how well they'd cleaned up after being the move crew earlier. Pete looked over his group; tonight was a special night. It was the last Embassy soiree for Carla and Norm as her extended maternity leave from the agency would be up at the end of the month, she'd formally tender her resignation and her name would disappear from the list of NCIS employees. It was the last one as an engaged couple for Kim and Evander and the first one as an engaged couple for Tim and Lina. He smiled as he noticed that Matt sat by Bec and Damian by Tea; everyone would have fun tonight and they'd share plenty of dances. He leaned in to tease Kim and Evander about practicing their wedding dance.

The music started with the National Anthems of the US and Greece and then segued into a rousing rendition of a currently popular pop number. Matt grinned at Bec. "Want to dance?"

"Sure!" Damian and Tea, Eva and Caleb followed them out to the dance floor. Pete and Trina knew the song from their kids and eventually decided they could handle it. Lina didn't care for the song nor did Evander, so the two couples sat it out, chatting together. The next number was one they all loved and they managed to squeeze onto the dance floor.

The third number was a slow dance and everyone but Bec and Tea headed out to the ballroom. Matt and Damian took a detour to the private space and spent the time locked in each other's arms. Tim and Lina were also locked in each others' arms, just swaying to the music, not paying any attention to anyone else. Someone bumped into them and Tim looked up, ready to glare only to find Ted and his wife Doria laughing at them. He'd been temporarily put into an administrative position during the winter months after an injury had sidelined him for a few weeks and that's when he and Doria, his girlfriend of several years, surprised everyone who knew them by getting married. The NCIS agents hadn't seen much of their friends since Bec's arrival and they were quite sure the CIA was just as happy not to have to loan out their agents as frequently.

When they returned to their table, Trina smiled. "Let's continue our celebrations, shall we? Champagne…no Tim, you sit, Pete will get it."

Pete was already on his feet and grinned at his wife. "Anyone want sparkling cider instead?"

Carla and Matt raised their hands. "Ok, a bottle of each!" Norm went with him and carried the tray of champagne flutes to the table. Once everyone had a glass of something bubbly in their hands, Pete stood. "Multiple toasts tonight! One for our about to be wed bride and groom - Kim and Evander - wishing you long happy lives together!" The group raised their glasses and drank to the bride and groom. "And our second toast, to our newly engaged couple, Tim and Lina, may you two have long and happy lives together!" They drank again. Tim stood for the next one, "A toast to Carla and Norm for their last Embassy soiree! Hope you have lots of good memories, think of the stories you'll be telling the kids!" The couple was toasted with raised glasses as the group drank again.

Eva was prodding Caleb and finally he spoke, "I too have an announcement tonight. My dissertation has been accepted and I've been offered the job of my dreams with the premier museum of Greece – the Benaki!" More cheers and backslaps as the group drank to the success of their own. Sitting back in his chair, Tim looked around and caught Pete's eye. Smiling he raised his glass to him, to this family. They danced until the orchestra announced the last number and then made their way home.

It was Sunday afternoon before Tim took his laptop out of its bag and the letter he'd received from DC fell out. He picked it up and put it on the top of his dresser.

Lina looked at it, "Are you going to read it?"

"Maybe…sometime."

She smiled at him, "A mystery letter?!"

"I don't think so, I recognize the handwriting. It's from Ziva."

"Oh! Well…"

Tim chuckled, "I guess I should read it. Just…not in the mood to go back to where I was, do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I believe I do, you don't feel like re-visiting those negative feelings?" He nodded.

"Will you ever read it?"

He huffed, "I don't know."

"She might have apologized." He smiled at her.

Lina patted the bed, "Come, sit. We can do this together if you'd like."

He sat next to her and leaned in for a kiss, saying "I always like!"

She giggled, "Letter first?"

He huffed, "Ok."

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, my love. But I know you and if she's apologized in her letter, you'll feel better." She laughed, "And you feeling good always leads to wonderful things!"

He laughed at that, kissed her again and then jumped up and grabbed the letter.

The date on the envelope was smeared so they couldn't see when it had been mailed. But the letter inside was dated November 15th. That got a smile from Tim. "Her birthday is a few days before mine. Some years she would remember it, sometimes not." Lina frowned, how could someone work every day with someone, have a birthday close to their own and with that person right in front of them still forget the birthday?

"Did you remember hers?"

"Every year." Lina nodded sadly. It sounded like this woman was as careless with Tim as Gibbs and DiNozzo had been. She hadn't known him then, but she was proud of him for leaving that team – and of course thankful!

Tim read the letter aloud. Ziva wished him a happy birthday; he paused to remind Lina they'd met the night before and had their first real date that night after his two surprise parties. When he went back to reading the letter he was surprised to find Ziva saying that she missed him and she had many regrets about leaving the way she did. She wanted him to know how much his help meant to her and that she'd never forget it. He stopped reading and sat there.

"Feel better?"

"Yes, I do; I wonder why it took so long to get to me."

He suddenly laughed, shaking his head. "I was already here by the time she wrote it, already starting to heal, but if she'd written it earlier, I might not have left at all."

Lina shook her head, "I believe you would have, sweetheart. She might not have been the catalyst in that case, but something else would have been. It was time for you to leave so you could come here for your new life and of course to sweep me off my feet." She reached for him and that was the end of the letter and the discussion.

Sometime later when they were downstairs, Lina declared she needed to tend to the herbs she'd purchased during the week; when Tim looked he was surprised to see at least 10 plants in nursery pots. When he asked about them she smiled, "They are for our wedding crowns, we're going to use fresh marjoram; Trina is growing the same amount." He nodded and decided to ask about the crowns later. While his fiancée gardened and puttered around the house putting her things away, Tim started his reply to Ziva.

He started by thanking her for writing to him, letting her know he'd just received it. He continued, telling her that the manner of her departure had been the catalyst for his own decision to leave and explained that in doing so, he'd finally managed to get through to Gibbs and DiNozzo, he'd gotten their attention. He said he didn't know if she'd found what she was looking for, but that by leaving he'd found his home. He told her about his struggles with Gibbs and how they continued to work on their relationship and how and when he and Tony had started talking again, telling her of Senior's problem and his own capture of the terrorist who had hurt them in Somalia. He told her about his family's cold case that Vance made Gibbs and DiNozzo handle as a gesture of respect for him. He wrote about finding his godfather and uncle and the rest of the family and the resulting discovery that their very own Ducky was in fact his grandfather. He wrote about Jack dying days after they'd seen him, about their time in Stillwater with Gibbs and how much difference her call had made. He told her about the camp and the shelter and the fact that Jimmy and Breena were now foster parents to two brothers from the same camp. He told her about the mixed martial arts class and how much it had helped him and others on his team and how they were all carrying knives now. He told her about meeting Lina the night before she wrote the letter and having two surprise birthday parties the very day she'd written that letter. The months since he'd left, he wrote, had been the best months of his life.

He saved what he had and got up for a cup of coffee. When he sat down again, he re-read it and decided that was enough. He'd read it again later, edit it, maybe add to it, print and mail to the address she'd included in her letter.

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed this quiet, loving installment of our story because things are about to change. Stay tuned…see you on Monday!<p> 


	83. Chapter 83

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty Three

Invigorated after writing the letter to Ziva, Tim tracked Lina down and found her in their closet organizing her shoes. Reminding her of the fun waiting for them in the backyard, they spent the rest of the day in the pool swimming laps, playing with the pool toys they found and otherwise enjoying the water.

Monday came all too soon. While the day was quiet, Tim was given some news during the weekly conference call with Vance that left him a little disturbed but mostly gratified or satisfied. He wasn't sure which and decided not to dwell on it. His 'stepmother' Svetlana Stacevyko, aka Natalie, had been found dead in the exercise yard at Gitmo. Cause of death was a shiv found nearby, wiped clean. Tim asked if they had any suspects and Vance sighed, "I can't discuss that with you, Timothy, you're one of her victims."

"I understand, Director. It's about time she's taken her place in hell; hope she's enjoying the burn."

"And her last employer has vengeance for her confession. Oops, did I say that aloud? Ignore it please Special Agent McGee." Tim gave their boss a brief nod, silently thanking him for the information.

Tim told Lina that night and of course Pete knew, but he didn't make a special effort to update his siblings or the rest of the family with the news. He figured if the topic came up, he'd tell them.

The rest of the week went quickly. The Rota office had a person of interest who'd wandered over to Athens from Barcelona; they tracked him down and brought him in for questioning. After extensive briefing on the case from Stan and his SFA, Tim and Bec handled the interrogation and as Pete put it, "it was like they'd been doing this together for years!" They broke the case and held the suspect in the Piraeus lockup until JAG arrived Wednesday to pick him up. Then they settled in to write the reports.

Tim was excited about the weekend as Saturday was Lina's birthday. They'd had so little time alone together recently that instead of throwing a big party Tim planned a romantic weekend getaway. Upon the recommendations of his friends who were sworn to secrecy, he booked a room in Nafplion. Located in the Peloponnese, the town was a little over two hours drive and sounded ideal for two people who needed some time away. Nafplion is a neoclassical town, the first capital of modern Greece and Tim was told it had great restaurants and shops, not to mention being close to some great Mycenaean sites, as well as Epidaurus, one of the best surviving amphitheaters. He told Lina they were going away for the weekend but he kept the destination a surprise. The weekend couldn't come fast enough and Friday at quitting time, he put everything in order, shut down and wishing them all good weekends, sped through the office to his car. He picked Lina up at the Metro station and headed home where they had a little snack, packed last minute items and hit the road. Lina laughed at his eagerness.

"You are so excited, Timotheos! Where are we going?"

"You'll see, sweetie."

"How long is the ride?"

"You'll see when we get there." He smirked at her and she laughed again as she expressed her frustration.

"Does Damian know – I'll bet he does, let me just call him!"

"Go ahead, he won't tell you!" Tim smiled at her, "Or do you want me to tell you? Maybe you don't like surprises as much as I thought you did?"

She made a noise at him as he laughed. "Fine, don't tell me, I do like surprises."

They drove for nearly thirty minutes before she started guessing. "Olympia? Delphi?"

"You know I'm not going to tell you even if you guess."

"In that case…I have no idea." Three minutes later she crowed. "OH, it's Nafplioni! It's very romantic, oh Tim, I know that's it."

He didn't say a word in response and she changed the subject, talking about Kim and Evander's wedding instead. Kim's family: parents, grandparents, sister, brother and best friend; was flying in the weekend before and there would be a party before the wedding to introduce the Athens family to the U.S. family. Kim's theory was that if everyone had already met and partied together, they'd all have a better time at the wedding and reception. Her sister would be maid of honor and Evander's brother the best man. It would be a small wedding attended by both families, the NCIS extended group, Evander's co-workers, and their friends from church. Lina and Kim found a dress that was close to what she wanted but there were alterations that needed doing and Lina told Kim it would be easier to design and make the dress from scratch. The design was an improvement on Kim's original idea much to her delight, and by now it was nearly done. Lina worked on it every day and would only need a couple more fittings with Kim to have it finished. Evander had ordered a new tux from Archimedes and since it was not his first clothing made by their friendly tailor, it was already complete. The wedding would be held in the church they belonged to and the reception held at the church hall or Vosporos, their favorite restaurant, followed by a week's honeymoon on Santorini.

Tim asked Lina where she'd like to go on their honeymoon and she was so distracted that she paid little heed when he pulled into the parking area of their hotel. When he turned the engine off he turned to look at her. She looked around and then turned back to him with a big grin. "It is Nafplion! Oh, you are the best!" They kissed and then walked hand in hand to the front desk. When he'd made the reservation, Tim asked for the quietest room available and as luck would have it this wasn't a busy weekend for the hotel, so they had a deluxe room away from the elevator, ice machine, cleaning supply closet, stair wells and any other occupied rooms. They hung the clothes that needed to be hung and set their toiletries out but otherwise didn't unpack. Both of them were hungry so Tim called for reservations at a restaurant recommended by Tea. After they ate, they strolled around town looking in at the shops. There was an open air market and they browsed to their hearts' content. They made it an early night, tired from their work week and made good use of the secluded hotel room. Saturday morning they ate breakfast on their balcony, overlooking the bay, Tim keeping his eyes on Lina, the table or the horizon. While they ate they looked at the list of attractions and decided to visit Palamidi Castle, that would give them wonderful views and great exercise with 999 steps to the top, then Old Town, the Archeological Museum and Karathona Beach. They'd leave the museum for Sunday along with a possible side trip before they headed home early Sunday evening.

Determined to reach the top of Palamidi Castle where the views were said to be spectacular, they stopped to fill their water bottles and made sure the camera was in one of their packs. Once they started up the steps, they found themselves stopping frequently to take pictures as the views were revealed. They were certainly glad they'd done this in the morning as the steps were shaded. Finally they made it to the top, paid the fee and entered. They found it entrancing with lovely gardens and fountains within the walls. The guard towers provided the best views; they could see the rest of the fort/castle, the sea and the roofs of Nafplioni. They took their time going down, seeing things they'd missed on the way up. While they were up top, they talked with other visitors who'd just come from the museum and they highly recommended going, said it was well done and only took an hour or so to thoroughly see everything. After they descended, they headed for the museum and were not disappointed. From there they strolled through Old Town and found the main plaka and a café their hotelier had recommended, Kentriko. The food was good and they enjoyed talking with the locals. From there they strolled. They found the town very picturesque and took countless photos of the buildings complete with antique wooden balconies draped by hanging flowers, and ornate sculpted details. They stopped in shops that looked interesting and bought souvenirs and a few items crafted by local artisans. When they found a fabric shop, they went in and Lina made a bee line for a bolt of fabric she'd spotted as they entered. She made Tim leave the shop while she had the fabric measured and cut for her wedding dress. She found some other fabric that she hadn't seen elsewhere and bought that as well. She found Tim sitting outside relaxing in the sunshine on the "husband's bench".

"I have my wedding dress!" He looked at her, "You found the fabric you wanted?"

"Yes, it's perfect!"

"That's great hon!"

They ended the afternoon at a taverna on Karathona beach. They sat outside and watched the boats and Tim remembered his wish to learn to sail. He mentioned it to Lina and she grinned, "I'd forgotten that too! All right, the next weekend we have no plans, let's find a sailboat and Damian and I will teach you and Matt how to sail." She smiled as she continued, "Maybe that's what we should do for our honeymoon, sail between the islands!"

Tim's eyebrows climbed up his forehead. "Hmm not sure about that, sweetie. Let's see how I do sailing first."

"That's true and December is probably not the best time of year to sail around the islands."

They had picked November 29th, the Saturday after the US Thanksgiving as their wedding day. To make Lina's parents and Gram Maisie happy, they'd decided to have the wedding in a church, which meant they would have to first join the church as parishioners and undergo some pre-wedding counseling. Knowing that their families would need to arrange for time off, flight arrangements, etc., they'd told them the date. They hadn't yet had time to do much more than that. Tim thought the biggest problem would be housing everyone. Between the Russells, Damian, Dani and their house, they had a few rooms available for a possible group of nearly 30 from the US and the UK and a minimum of 12 of the Kalivas family coming in from Thessaloniki and Macedonia. They'd wondered if it would be easier to get married twice, once in Greece and once in the US, but Tim's family had presented a united front against that, they were counting on the trip to Greece!

Now they laughed at themselves for talking about their honeymoon when they hadn't yet planned the wedding. After they finished their drinks, they wandered down the beach just talking and enjoying time together. Earlier they'd made reservations for a late dinner at 3Seventy, a trendy restaurant in town. They walked in and found it so full of cigarette smoke that they had to leave. Their backup selection was a restaurant called Noufara and they were lucky to slip in without reservations. They sat outside and watched the children play in the nearby square. The food was great, the service friendly and efficient. They passed on dessert, having had ice cream earlier, and relaxed with coffees after their meal. Finally they returned to the car and drove back to the hotel.

When Sunday dawned bright and hot, they decided to head to the beach in the morning and take a side trip in the afternoon. After breakfast, eaten in a small café near their hotel, they dug their swim suits out of the suitcase, slathered on the sunscreen, took hats and everything else they might need and went back to Karathona beach for a swim. They spent a few hours playing in the water before Tim knew he'd had enough sun. Back to the hotel for showers and a change of clothes; they decided to have lunch before they checked out of the room. They were in a local taverna eating when Tim's cell chirped. Tim rolled his eyes at Lina, hoping it was a wrong number and not bad news. He sighed when he saw the caller id: Pete.

"Tim, sorry to disturb you. Got your go bag with you?"

"Yes, well everything that's usually in it, what's up?"

"There was an explosion at Bagram and that's classified; unknown number of casualties. One of Col. Martin's helos is leaving in 10 minutes to get you; they're clearing with local authorities to pick up you at the secondary school's football field. ETA is about 20 minutes; we'll meet you at the airfield here. Matt's gone to your place to get your boots and pack more clothes for you, I'm figuring at least a week, might be longer."

"I don't have either of my firearms, just my knives."

"Ok, does he know the combo to your safe?"

"No, Kim does though. Or Matt can call me."

"All right." He paused and Tim could hear another voice in the background. "Ok, Col. Martin just got clearance from Nafplion, they're lifting off now and they know you probably won't get there until after they land."

He sighed, "We'd better get on our way. I hate that you have to wait for me."

"Won't let us in yet anyway. Between the bomb squads and the fires, it'll be a few hours before we can get in and get to work. But it'll take us hours to get there. "

"Anyone else going with us?"

"Oh yeah, this is all hands on deck. Our usual friends plus one are joining us. We've got the lead for the agency and Rota's getting pulled in too, don't know who or how they'll cover locally but that's Leon's problem."

By this time, Lina had paid the bill and the two of them were hurrying out of the taverna. As they nearly sprinted back to the hotel, Tim disconnected the call. "Lina, there's been an explosion at one of our Marine bases. We're on point, they're sending a helo for me."

He looked at her. "You ok to drive home by yourself, sweetie? I'm so sorry this is interrupting our weekend."

She shook her head. "We'll have others and we've had a wonderful time. Yes, I'll be fine, stay safe, find the bad guys and come home to me."

He pulled Lina in for a long hot kiss. "We'll be gone at least a week, more like 10 days. Get in touch with Trina and Carla, go see them, take Damian with you too. Call Gibbs and Grandfa, Aunty Liz or Claire whenever you need to; don't be afraid to call them just to stay in touch."

He hastily packed his bag, she grabbed her handbag and they walked to the car. The front desk gave them specific directions to the school and the football field. It was about a 7 minute drive and the helo with the distinctive logo flew over them as they approached the field.

When it touched down, Tim was just pulling the car onto the tarmac. He was surprised and relieved when he saw Damian jump out and after he kissed Lina goodbye, he hugged Damian. Looking up, he saw the pilot was one of the Marines he knew from the embassy. He nodded to him as he grabbed his bag, kissed Lina again, got in the chopper and then noticed they'd attracted quite a crowd. Waving to Lina and Damian, he strapped himself in and put the headset on. As the helo lifted, Lina returned Tim's wave and blew a kiss. She and her brother stood and watched as the helo flew out of sight, then got in the car and drove back to the hotel. The bill was already settled so she packed and the two of them left for home, glad they had each other.

XXX  
>The ride in the helo was relatively short and soon Agent McGee was at the airfield joining his team plus Ted and Jack and another CIA agent named Phil. Matt handed him the bag with his extra stuff, including his combat gear and weapons, with extra ammunition for both guns. It was another hour and a half before they got clearance to leave; incoming flights would be able to land by the time they got to Bagram.<p>

While they waited, Tim and Matt took a walk and they talked about their loves. Tim gave him a hug, "We'll be brothers-in-law someday, just like I said and I know I said this before but I'll say it again: if you guys would like, when it's time for you to meet the parents Lina and I will go with you."

Matt grinned, "Can't hear that too many times, thanks!"

The flight to Afghanistan took a few hours. The Brass was going for a full media lid on the explosion; no pictures or details had been released to anyone lower in rank than the Secretary of the Navy and the troops had been told that anything released could and would be traced back to the individual device that sent it. Without any information to start their investigation, there was nothing to do on the flight but sleep. So after Tim and Pete prepped the younger two about what to expect on their arrival, they advised them to get some sleep while they could as it would be a precious commodity once they got there.

When they landed and walked down the ramp, they stopped to look at the wreckage. Tim remembered the basic layout of the base from his previous visits with Gibbs and was glad he did because most of the buildings he'd seen then were now either rubble or smoking ruins. Their escort took them to temporary command headquarters, a large tent. They were introduced to a Colonel Pierce who would be their liaison with General Maxwell. They'd been assigned a tent for use as both their quarters and office. Given protective gear, they were led to the tent with a screened off area for Bec and they donned the gear for a tour of the damaged areas.

Ground zero for the blast had been identified so they began their efforts there. One of the things they did was to focus on the crime scene just as they would with a regular case. By the time they lost the last shred of daylight they had photographed and sketched every last inch of the scene and scoured the surrounding area for physical evidence. They calculated how far shrapnel would have been carried and extended their search to the far perimeters. They were looking for anything that would tell them more about the explosive device or devices. By late afternoon they were joined by the entire Rota team and that helped immensely. The perimeter was already cordoned off and placed under heavy guard 24/7. After full dark, floodlights snapped on and they worked until midnight when Pete called a halt. "We're not going to solve this tonight, we need to eat and rest to maintain peak efficiency."

The evidence, camera and sketches were locked up in the command tent and they headed off to eat. When he sat down to eat, Tim was joined by Stan Burley. They had a good talk about Gibbs' teams, old, older and current, and how different life was in Europe. Burley hadn't heard that Tim was engaged so he caught up with that and smiled at Lina's photo on Tim's phone. The rest of Stan's team, Rose, Jazzy and Seth, relaxed with the Athens team. Ted, Jack and Phil had disappeared and Tim knew they were off doing their jobs.

On the third day, the communications blackout was lifted so the team was able to e-mail families and friends and let them know they were ok. That was really all they had time for, but they were grateful to do that.

By the sixth day, they had gathered all the evidence, sent it to the mobile lab that had been brought in and had a good idea of what explosives had been used. There was a huge amount of evidence and all of it had to be sifted through. Finding where those explosives had been obtained was the next order of business, along with the who, how and why. No person or group had yet claimed their work.

By the ninth day, they knew the how, the where and were closing in on the who. Rota had been released once they were done with the crime scene and evidence sifting. Ted made occasional appearances at the base but Jack and Phil were not seen, although all three checked in daily. Pete and Tim kept Col. Pierce updated with their findings as well as Director Vance who had been read in, and on the 9th day, they also updated Ted. He told them his team was close to identifying the individuals responsible.

In the meantime, the 37 wounded and the 11 troops killed had been shipped out to hospitals or home for burial. As devastating as the deaths and injuries were, it could have been far worse and that was a clue. The NCIS agents thought it had been done deliberately, perhaps as a way for a new terrorist group or cell to 'make their bones'. Ted agreed, telling them this was a new group, but that it was actually a merger of two formerly separate terrorist organizations.

XXX

The first two days after Tim disappeared in the helo, Lina kept busy. She wasn't terribly worried, Tim warned her there would be a communications blackout and she knew their first job would be to secure the scene, just as they did with any case. She knew how that worked, she'd been curious and Tim, glad to have some part of his work he could share with her, told her how they processed a crime scene. She also remembered that a bomb squad would scour the base making sure nothing else was lurking ready to explode before the NCIS team started their work. In the back of her head was the idea that once they figured out who had set the bombs, the team would go after them, but she determinedly kept those thoughts from taking over. She worked on Kim's dress, had the fittings with their friend and finished the gown, even giving it some extra embellishment, taking photos with Kim wearing it. Kim, Tea and Eva were holding up all right, they were accustomed to their agents being away and their calm acceptance helped Lina which in turn helped Damian as he also waited and worried. Sister and brother had dinner with Trina and the kids on Tuesday and Trina told them she expected the communications blackout to be lifted in the next couple of days. She explained that all next of kin would be notified by that time and whichever base it was would have been swept by the bomb squads and base security levels would be reinforced. That night Damian stayed over with Lina and whether it was having someone else in the house with her, Trina's calm demeanor or the conjecture about communications, Lina slept straight through the night for the first time since Tim left.

On Wednesday, Day Three, they had e-mails from them. Lina cried when she saw the one from Tim. It was brief, "I love you and I'm ok, we're ok. Can't say more except that in my mind I'm holding you in my arms. Don't have time for more, pls tell the others? Love to all. XXXXXXOOOOO, T." She made a copy, took out the personal parts and sent it out. She had messages every day after that, mostly saying he was fine, loved and missed her.

She talked with Trina, Damian and Carla every day and Kim, Eva and Tea every other day, not wanting to drive them crazy. One day she took lunch to them and they sat out in the garden. Lina watched the way Tea clutched the phone and thought perhaps they weren't quite as calm and accepting as she'd thought.

One night she stayed over with Norm and Carla as Damian had to be away overnight for business and it had been a bad day for her, one where she couldn't stop worrying. That was the day they released the number of casualties. She played with the babies, cuddling with them and that helped, along with Carla's absolute belief that their team was fine and would be home soon. Ducky called her every other night, Sarah or Rob the days in between, Gibbs spoke or e-mailed with her nearly every day and she kept in close contact with the rest of the family. Lina found herself at church one morning and found that following the rituals she'd grown up with was comforting. But really, she was ok, handling it all right. Yes, she had bad moments, bad days but she got through those. Her 'worry' paintings in progress grew substantially over the days but that was fine, it was a good outlet. Tim had even teased her about marketing them and now she thought when this was over that might not be a bad idea; there would be other spouses, loved ones out there who would appreciate them, maybe they could help someone through their own long wait.

That thought took her to the idea of painting some sort of tribute to the fallen and injured troops. She started sketching that out, using the colors of the American flag in the background with the sandy colors of the soldiers' camouflage, the symbols for life, death, hope and peace. Drawing on her experience with her niece, nephews, Ross and the triplets, she added families – spouses, parents and children.

XXX

On the tenth day, when all three of the CIA agents missed their check-in, NCIS went on the hunt. Ted had shared enough intel on the whereabouts of the terrorist group for NCIS to track them. Following standard operating procedure, they waited an additional twelve hours and when there was no word, took their gear, their Marine escort and headed out. This was a covert operation which meant a blackout of communications and the only one who knew where they were going was their Marine liaison, Col. Pierce.

* * *

><p>For those of you familiar with Greece, you'll likely know that Nafplion is much closer to Piraeus than in our story, but I needed to stretch the distance. Also, thanks to StarsInHerHair for suggesting Nafplion as a romantic getaway. Information about the town and surrounding areas (which I think I've cut!) came from online sources, mostly Wikipedia.<p>

Also, I've used a great deal of creative license in this chapter, everything about Bagram except the name and just about all of the USMC and crime scene info. It's fiction.


	84. Chapter 84

Ted had given them the coordinates for the two camps he believed the terrorists were using. He, Jack and Phil had been headed to Camp 1; Pete and Tim discussed their own destination for hours and ultimately decided to head for the second camp. As much as they wanted to search for their friends, the priority here was to stop the terrorists before they launched a second, deadlier attack. Both men admitted to gut feelings about Camp 2, their trained instincts telling them they'd find their targets there – and perhaps clues to the whereabouts of their friends.

The night of the tenth day the agents and their escort loaded up two humvees and left camp. The drive to Camp 2 was long and slow in the desert darkness and by the time they reached their target, they'd driven nearly 8 hours from Bagram Base and they had very little time before dawn broke and the element of surprise was lost. A small scouting party, Tim, Matt and 2 of their escorts, moved stealthily inside the camp avoiding the armed guards and watching carefully to see the guards' paths and what areas they avoided. Returning to the group, they verified their target. The guards were quickly and quietly taken out, gagged, bound and moved to the other side of the humvees. Leaving two of the Marines to guard them, the rest of the group moved in. Splitting into three groups of two, they approached the camp again only to face weapons fire. The fire fight raged on through the end of darkness into daylight. The agents had the advantage of being on the eastern side of the camp so that the terrorists were firing into the overwhelming glare of the morning sun. That had been Tim's idea and as Pete loaded a new clip he once again thanked the Almighty for sending him the best and the brightest.

In his peripheral vision, he spotted a dark clothed man edging up on Matt. Without even a glance in the terrorist's direction, Matt took the man down with a smooth kick and when the guy managed to raise a weapon the probie shot the man point blank. It took several hours and a fair amount of ammunition but in the end the terrorists were defeated. Knowing they were doomed to lives in prison on an island far from their homeland, they instead chose to commit suicide by NCIS or the USMC. The only terrorists left alive were the guards they'd subdued before the firefight.

After taking photos and documenting the scene, they confiscated everything they found that could be used against them or anyone else; disabled it and loaded it all in the humvees. They were resting in the shade, enjoying rations and water when Tim spotted an ominous cloud. He climbed on top of one of the humvees and verified his fear: it was a massive cloud – a dust storm – headed their way. They quickly loaded the prisoners and jumped in with them, taking off. Knowing the cloud would prevent the use of and seriously damage any electronics, they wrapped their phones and other devices as well as they could. The storm was coming at them; they had no choice but to head away from it. Their Marine drivers did the best they could but the storm caught up with them. They continued driving, although neither driver could see anything but the whirling clouds of dust and debris and the howling wind rocked the vehicles, as sturdy as they were.

XXX

Col. Pierce was tired, hot and sweaty after a long day in an even longer week and he wasn't done yet. He'd seen the NCIS agents and their Marines drive off in the Humvees; he had his daily sitrep with General Maxwell in an hour and would update him then with their departure and goal. In the meantime he desperately wanted a shower. At this hour the showers were usually empty and he hurried, wanting to leave time to eat before his meeting with the General. He turned the water on and grabbed the bar of soap but it slipped right out of his hand. Instinctively he tried to catch it but as exhausted as he was he overreached, lost his balance, stumbled along a couple of steps and then slipped, arms still flailing, on the wet floor. He stumbled a few steps more, still trying to regain his balance but in the end the wet slippery floor won and he went down. When he hit, he cracked the side of his head on the concrete, knocking himself out.

When he was a no-show for his meeting with the General, Maxwell sent an aide to find him. His quarters were empty; he wasn't in the mess hall or any of the other common areas on base. Eventually the showers were checked and the colonel was discovered unconscious. After a CT scan, the base medical staff said he had fractures of his vertebrae and skull. He remained unconscious and the departure and whereabouts of the NCIS agents and their Marine escort went unknown. When they didn't report in the following day, Maxwell went into overdrive and contacted NCIS Director Vance to tell him his agents were missing along with four of his Marines and two Humvees.

XXX

Tim lost all sense of time and distance; there was only the wind and the dust that managed to get into the Humvee. They'd wrapped their faces as well as they could. The driver left his eyes uncovered but it didn't matter, he couldn't see anything in the storm. He kept his foot on the accelerator and kept going. The driver of the second Humvee worked to keep a safe distance back but he could barely see the vehicle in front of him and was more worried about losing him than anything else. If they'd had a way to communicate, they would have stopped both vehicles and hunkered down, but that didn't happen. If the visibility had been more than zero, the lead driver or Matt in the shotgun position might have seen something to warn them, but it wasn't and the first Humvee tripped an IED as they nudged it on their way past. It blew, ripping into both vehicles.

XXX

When Vance left MTAC after hearing the news that his agents were missing, he had to work to keep himself in Director mode and out of the 'these are my friends, my family' headspace that was threatening to engulf him. He was momentarily glad that Gibbs and team were on a case out of town and wouldn't be back for another day, possibly two. Dr. Mallard however was not out of town nor were the families, loved ones and friends of his agents. He knew that, he'd talked with Trina yesterday. Leon headed for his office, telling Pam to hold all of his calls unless it was his boss. He needed a few minutes to absorb this and to decide his next steps.

He sat at his desk thinking of all the possibilities. Maxwell had mentioned the CIA agents were also unaccounted for and were nearly 48 hours late checking in. Now, Leon's teams were fairly independent especially his teams outside of the U.S. But independent or not, Leon knew his agents and knew McGee and Russell better than most. His primary thought was that they'd left the base to continue the search for the terrorists. He knew Ted Edwards' findings, Pete had briefed him on those, so he knew there were two camps, one merged group and Tim had sent in two sets of coordinates, asking for satellite recon, which hadn't happened yet. Leaving his sanctuary, he went back to MTAC and overrode everything else pending to bring up the satellite images of both sets of coordinates. The first image had too much swirling debris and wind to see anything and one of the techs reported that there had been a massive dust storm that had moved through several hours before. The second image was the storm itself which they could see covered a large part of the region. Following his own gut feeling, Leon deduced that his team had gone to the second location and was now stuck in the dust storm. He relaxed a bit; they were trained, all of them, and as long as they stayed in the Humvees they'd be all right. He'd have no way of knowing until the storm cleared whether they were at the terrorist camp. The techs told him the storm was expected to remain in the area, wreaking more havoc, for several hours. He thanked them and left orders to be contacted the instant they had satellite imagery.

XXX

In their temporary office, a small conference room at the sheriff's department, Gibbs did his best to ignore his gut which was telling him rather loudly that something was wrong. It was Tim and he hoped he was overreacting, knowing how overprotective he was. Tim was an excellent agent, he worked with excellent agents and frankly, there was nothing he could do but send a quick prayer which he did. He knew they were on the Bagram explosion and that Stan's team had been working with them but had been released. He didn't know what the trouble was but he figured they were out hunting the terrorists although he'd hoped their spook friends would take care of that. One thing he'd learned over the years was how to block things from his mind and now he attempted to do that: block his worry about Tim and his team from his mind so that he could concentrate on the case in front of him. It was rough when all he wanted to do was get on the first flight available to get to his son, ignoring the fact that he didn't know where Tim was…no one seemed to know.

XXX

Ted bit his lip to keep from moaning in pain. He moved his head a little and decided that was a very bad mistake. He tried to look to see where he was, but it was totally black out, he couldn't see shapes, stars or the moon. He touched his eyelids, yep, his eyes were open. Glad he could move his arms without too much pain he felt around him and touched something warm, something that was breathing. He sure hoped it was Jack or Phil! He patted the warm body again, this time taking the time to figure out what he was patting. He thought it was an arm. He heard a groan near where he was touching and decided to try talking. He made some sort of sound but it certainly wasn't an intelligible word. He cleared his throat; man he was thirsty and had he tried to eat the dirt or what?

He cleared his throat a few more times and finally managed to speak. "Jack, is that you or Phil? Jack? Phil?"

He heard another groan and then a very raspy voice – Jack's. "Ted? You ok?"

"Mostly, got a killer headache but it's hard to tell about anything else in the dark."

"'S not dark, man, broad daylight. Here, let me look."

Ted heard a groan and his hand, which had been on Jack's arm, moved as Jack turned. His partner whimpered in pain. "Jack? What is it?"

"My back, oh man, it's bad."

"Ok, stop moving then. Jack? Stop moving!"

"Can't, not yet, hang onto me for a moment, 'k? I just gotta…" Jack's voice died away as he struggled to complete whatever move he was trying to make. Ted was holding on for dear life and felt his friend stop moving followed by deep breathing. "Jack?"

"'M ok, just give me a minute." Ted counted four of the longest minutes of his life before he felt a hand on his arm.

"'S better now, Ted, doesn't hurt as much in this position. Here, can you tilt your head up? My hand is under your chin, I'm just going to…" Jack stopped when Ted screamed in pain. "Ok, won't do that again, sorry buddy."

When Ted could talk again, he asked, "Can you see Phil?" Jack nodded, belatedly realizing Ted couldn't see that.

"Yes, I can see him. He's dead."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Ted, he…he's got some long thing sticking out of his forehead and…there's part of him missing. Hope he didn't feel it."

"Yeah, me too." Silence for a few minutes.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"No, was hoping you did." Both men were quiet as they thought of Phil whom they'd both known and worked with for years, and tried to remember what had happened.

"Humvee?"

"Front end is smashed, what I can see you and I were thrown."

"Cells?"

"Hang on, I'll check for mine." But he couldn't reach, he was wearing cargo camos and his phone was in a pocket on his leg. He couldn't bend to get to it. He groaned, "Ted, can you check for yours? I can't get to mine."

Ted stopped the nod and reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out…something and showed it to Jack who sighed. "Never mind, looks like your phone is smashed up. Can you reach my leg and the pocket? I can guide your hand part of the way but I can't move or bend."

"Let's try." Jack took Ted's arm and gently pulled it to his leg. Ted found the pocket, extricated what he hoped was the phone and gently moving his arm back, waited until he felt Jack's hand to give him the object.

"Yeah, it's my phone; let's see how we do here." But he couldn't get service, the phone was functional, he could see the date and time but no service.

He told Ted. "Pete and Tim are only ones here who know where we are."

"And they'll go after the terrorist camp first."

"Yep, what we'd do."

"Yeah, I know."

"How much time has gone by?"

"Looks like three days."

"THREE days? We've been unconscious for three DAYS?"

"Yeah."

"We need water, food and shelter."

"Yeah."

As they spoke, Jack looked up and noticed what looked like a whirlwind moving toward them. "Ted, there's a dust storm headed towards us, we're going to have to take shelter in the vehicle."

"Ok, need to figure out how to get you there without hurting you worse."

"Blanket, should be a blanket, roll me onto it and drag me. "

"You still got your vest on?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, that might help. I'm going to put my vest on your hips, see if that'll help keep everything intact." He got his vest off and with Jack's guidance fastened it around his friend's lower abdomen. He gave him the sleeve of his jacket to bite on as he rolled him as gently as he could, wondering if he was damaging Jack further while he got the makeshift protection on him. Finally it was on and Jack admitted it felt a little better. He said he wasn't bleeding, neither of them was bleeding. Using the position of the hours on a clock, Jack told Ted where the Humvee was. He helped as much as he could to get the other man on his feet and managed to give him additional directions. Ted found the back of the Humvee and fished around until he found the blanket. Then he turned around again and Jack talked him back toward him. He stopped him at one point, "Looks like it's one of our weapons." Ted nudged it with his foot and managed to nudge it very carefully all the way to Jack. He had two bottles of water with him and they each drank one before they started working to get Jack on the blanket and then to the Humvee. It took them the better part of an hour but finally both men were inside the back of the vehicle which was intact. They'd be safe from the dust storm here. Ted felt around for the first aid kit although he wasn't sure what could be in it that would help either of them much. Instead of the kit, he found a pack, Phil's, full of protein bars and water bottles and that made him realize something.

"Jack, I know we can survive three or four days without water, but how is it no animals have eaten us?" Jack shuddered as he remembered Phil's body. It looked like something – some animal – had stopped to snack on him.

He took a deep breath. "Guess most animals like their meals to be dead first."

Ted thought for a minute…"Phil?"

"Yeah."

"Oh God."

"Yeah. You know, maybe my phone will work after the storm has passed."

"Good thought, hold onto it." They each had a protein bar and more water. They huddled together when the storm hit and howled around them, shaking the Humvee. Some of the dust seeped in and they took an extra shirt of Phil's, tore it into strips and covered their faces. The storm raged and eventually both men fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Have good weekends, see ya'll on Monday!<p> 


	85. Chapter 85

Posting this late on 08.24.14, want to send out my thoughts & prayers to my fellow Californians in the northern section of the San Francisco Bay Area. There was a 6.1 earthquake there at 3:20 AM this morning, strong enough to do some damage, not to mention some scary aftershocks which will continue for days. Somewhere between 120 and 172 people were injured, 3 critically including a young boy who was struck by a falling chimney. That area is my home stomping grounds, grew up there,still have family and friends there (all ok) and at least one of our fan fiction writers lives up there too – she PM'd me that she's ok, says watching Tim McGee on an NCIS marathon today helped her deal with everything. I think she should let the folks at NCIS and CBS know that watching Tim McGee, er NCIS, is good therapy! I currently don't live anywhere near that particular earthquake fault; we didn't feel it up here in the foothills.

* * *

><p>Moving on to our fictional crisis… remember we have two 'events' going on here: 1) the injuries of our two CIA friends, Ted and Jack along with the death of their co-worker Phil and 2) in a different location, the IED explosion set off by the Humvees carrying our NCIS friends, their Marine escort and prisoners.<p>

_And now…_

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty Five

When Jack woke, the storm was gone. He found the cell phone now had service and called Bagram. He gave them their position and they gave them an estimate of two hours for their rescue helo to reach them. He spoke with the general's aide and wondered what had happened to Col. Pierce and then was asked a question that alarmed Jack: did they know where the NCIS team was? When he probed, he was told they'd been missing for 36 hours. Before Jack could respond, the cell lost service again. He drank some water, fed some to Ted and they each had a protein bar.

XXX

Leon Vance cursed when the MTAC techs reported they were still unable to contact either Bagram or any of their people. He understood his people going dark for a few hours while they approached and took on their target, but now it had been too long. Gibbs and team had returned to the office earlier and Gibbs had that tight look around his eyes that Leon knew meant he was worried about something – or someone. Now as the Director stood in front of his assistant's desk, the grim look in his eyes told Pamela of his fear for their colleagues as he asked her to take care of a couple of things; then he headed out to meet with Ducky, Gibbs and Palmer. After making her calls, she closed her eyes in silent prayer.

XXX

Lina made a face as she almost savagely worked on her newest 'worry' painting. The last e-mail from Tim had arrived nearly 48 hours ago and had said nothing more than he loved her and his family. She knew Sarah, Rob, Ducky and Gibbs had received similar e-mails shortly before hers was sent. After that, there had been nothing, just an ominous silence that seemed to envelop her entire world - stretching from Afghanistan to Greece, to England and across the Atlantic to Virginia and DC and wherever the Baton Rouge was currently located.

Right now she was at Dani's, in her studio. She'd been spending time at the Russells and sleeping at home in their big empty bed with Damian in the room downstairs. He hadn't slept at home since Matt left, said he couldn't stand the emptiness. When her phone chirped, her heart pounded until she saw that it was Carla with an invitation for dinner for both Kalivas'. Lina accepted for herself, Damian had a meeting he couldn't postpone and would be away overnight. When Carla heard that, she told Lina to bring an overnight bag, she could stay over with them. Carla had been a rock through all of this and Lina was grateful to have the former NCIS agent to lean on. She had been positive from the start, outlining each step she was sure her team was taking. Even now, she was sure they were fine, just unable to communicate.

Lina was just cleaning up when her mother called. The senior Kalivas' had been as supportive as they could be without knowing more than Tim and Matt and their team were on a classified operation and unable to communicate. However by now they'd seen and heard the news of the bombing and it didn't take much to figure it out. Today Hélène and her daughter spoke just long enough to know there was nothing new. Lina had her own go bag in her car already, wanting to be ready to go whenever and wherever she was needed. She slipped behind the wheel and quickly drove to Carla and Norm's home.

XXX

Bec woke slowly, wondering why she was sleeping outside. She was thirsty and her mouth was full of dirt and sand. Oddly enough, she had a bottle of water in her hand. Her eyes felt scratchy; she figured she'd left her contacts in too long again and used the water to rinse her eyes. Blinking, she opened them fully to find she was sitting on the ground, leaning against a big rock in the middle of…she didn't know where but there were people – men – all around her. On the ground.

Then she remembered; they were in Afghanistan and they'd been in a fire fight and then in the Humvees trying to get away from a dust storm. And she didn't wear contacts anymore; she'd had surgery and no longer needed corrective lenses. She rinsed her eyes again and moved to stand up. She felt in her pocket for her cell phone but when she pulled it out, it didn't work. She needed to see if anyone else was awake or hurt and she'd look for other cell phones while she did that. She managed to stand on both legs but her right leg hurt…a lot. She looked down and saw a big gash with a lot of dried blood. Hobbling over to the remains of one of the Humvees, she found a first aid kit under a tire and opening the water bottle again, rinsed off the blood, applied topical antibiotic ointment and then wrapped the gash, knowing it would have to do for now. She wanted to tell her mom that her Girl Scout badge in First Aid had finally come in handy. What she'd done hadn't helped the pain but it was bearable for now. It would have to be. She emptied out a pack and repacked it with what she could find: water bottles, the first aid kit and two shirts that she thought she could tear up for bandages. Then she started out with the person nearest her. It was one of the prisoners they'd taken and he was dead. Figuring they were going to have to account for their prisoners, she limped back to the Humvee and dug around until she found their camera, luckily undamaged. She took photos of the crash scene and then of the dead man. Then she proceeded to the next person, also a prisoner and also dead. She took his photo.

The third person was one of the Marines, bleeding pretty badly. She took one of the shirts she'd brought with her and kept the pressure on it for several long minutes. When she let up, she saw the blood flow had slowed. She hoped it was the pressure and not that the Marine had already lost most of his blood as there was a large pool of blood surrounding him. She tore up the other shirt and packing the first shirt on the wound, tied strips of shirt around him for a makeshift bandage. That done, she went on to the next person. It was another Marine: unconscious but with no visible wounds. She ran her hands down his arms and calves, no broken bones.

She went on to the next person; it was Pete and she was horrified to find pieces of shrapnel peppering his shoulders and arms, above and around his vest. She covered him, gave him a kiss on the forehead and moved on. Matt was next and his left leg was at an impossible angle. She looked at it and from what she could see it was broken in more than one spot and remembering her first aid class ran her hand over his leg, grimacing as she felt the breaks and the twists. She covered him up as she had the others, knowing they might be in shock. She hadn't found an intact phone yet and really didn't want to disturb Matt, but as she was getting a bit desperate she looked in his found his phone and pulled it out. It wasn't broken, but there wasn't any signal. She kept it anyway, the air was still thick with dust, maybe when it cleared more she would get a signal. After kissing Matt's forehead, she turned to the others. The other prisoners were scattered nearby, all dead; she took more photos. The other two Marines were also unconscious so she repeated her ministrations with them.

Turning, she finally saw 'd been thrown the farthest and was lying prone and still on the ground. As she approached him, she could see a large piece of something sticking out of his right arm, at the shoulder joint. His left leg was twisted at the knee but she couldn't feel any broken heard a groan."Tim, it's Bec. Don't open your eyes yet, I need to rinse them first."

He mumbled something and she gently poured water into each eye. His eyelids fluttered open and he looked at her. "Bec, you ok? Need a sitrep."

She nodded and sat beside him as she told him what she knew. When she finished with the condition of their group, she continued, "I haven't looked at your phone yet, Matt's is in one piece but it doesn't work… I don't know whether it's broken or there's just no signal."

Tim nodded, careful not to jostle his arm which seemed to be on fire. "Can you reach, I don't want to move. It's in my pants pocket, right one."

Bec moved to that side of him and gently reached for the phone. When she had it she looked at Tim who had drifted off again. "Tim, Tim, WAKE UP! I can't remember the password and I don't want to blow my hand off."

He muttered to her, "Ok, I'm with you." He pried his eyes open again and she carefully poured a little water down his throat. He swallowed and said, "You too."

She nodded and took her own drink. He took the phone and with his left hand, put the password in and then disabled the explosive device. "There, it's safe for you now, even if you forget the password again." After telling her the password, he stopped to try to clear his foggy brain. "We disabled the GPS on everything, didn't we?"

She nodded, "Yes, before we left the base."

"Ok. I enabled mine again right before the dust storm hit. You can check again, but just in case, here's the last coordinates I remember."

He gave them to her and she memorized them. "Call the base first."

She nodded and managed to find the contact info Tim had stored for the base. When she called, the General's aide was excited to hear her voice. "Agent Childers, where are you?" She gave him the coordinates. "All right, that dust storm is moving in on us, it's going to take us several hours, might be as long as 7 hours until we can get in the air for a rescue."

She gulped, "We have wounded; Matt's leg is really bad, I'm afraid for his blood flow, the artery…our Marines are hurt, bleeding and unconscious…"

She continued telling the aide the condition of the Marines and the agents. "You just hold on, Agent Childers, we'll get there as soon as we can but you will have to hold on for a few hours."

When she disconnected, she nudged Tim who had drifted off again. "They said it's going to be 7 hours before they can come for us."

He made a face."That doesn't work, Matt can't wait that long and we don't know what kind of blast injuries anyone has." He stopped talking and she hoped he was thinking of alternatives. "On my contacts list, find 'MBG' and call him, tell him you're on my team and we're in desperate need."

"All right, but who is he?"

"Malachi Ben-Gidon. He's Mossad and they owe Gibbs' old team a favor, a debt of honor if you will."

Bec gulped, "Somalia?"

Tim gave her a pain-filled smile, "Very clever, I ever mention you should be an NCIS agent?" She chuckled as she scrolled through Tim's contacts and found MBG. When the phone was answered, a voice said, "Timothy, this is a surprise, where are you?"

"This isn't Tim; this is his teammate, Bec, Agent Childers. Tim is injured, we're all injured and we need your help, please. Here are our coordinates…" She recited the numbers and continued. "Our folks can't get to us for 7 hours because of a dust storm and Matt's leg is busted up bad, Tim has a piece of metal sticking out of him and Pete has shrapnel showing, one of the Marines is bleeding…."

Malachi cut in, "Is Tim conscious? I need to speak with him."

Bec nudged Tim and he woke, "What did Malachi say?"

"He wants to talk with you." Bec held the phone while Tim spoke with his friend, verifying their identities. Then he gave the phone back to Bec, who listened again.

"What are your coordinates again?"

By this time she'd looked up their current coordinates and gave him those. "We will be there as soon as we can. It will be at least an hour, might be two. And you need to disable your GPS."

"We can hold on for that long and yes I'll disable it."

"All right, we will bring a medic."

"We have dead bodies."

"There will not be room; you will have to leave those for your Marines to pick up. They can wait, yes?"

"Yes, thank you." She disconnected and went to check on everyone again, making sure they were covered up. When she came back to Tim, he woke and looked at her and the sky. "It's getting dark, Bec. How much longer?"

She told him that and added that she had everyone covered the best she could. He blinked, "Except for you, Agent Childers. You'd better huddle with one of us to keep warm."

She looked at him and he held out his left arm, "Come on. They'll be here soon." She curled up against him and fell asleep. Nearly an hour later she woke up realizing she needed to call the base and tell them about the impending Mossad rescue. She tried the call but got only static. She sighed and then remembered this was Tim's phone, he had people in DC on his contact list. Her eyes were gritty again and she couldn't see just who she called but she recognized the country and area code, it was DC.

A gravelly voice answered, "Gibbs," followed closely by, "Tim, son, thank God! Are you ok, your team? Where are you?"

"Agent Gibbs, this is Agent Childers on Tim's team. We're at…"she gave him the coordinates, "and we've had to call Tim's friend Malachi for help. I think Bagram is in the middle of a dust storm. They're planning on coming after us and I need to let them know we're with Mossad but we're leaving our dead behind, Malachi said there wouldn't be any room."

"Dead?"

"Yes, oh I'm sorry, Tim's hurt but he's alive, all of our team is alive but hurt and our Marines too. The dead guys are…were…our prisoners, the only terrorists who survived the fire fight, we had with them today…or maybe that was yesterday. "

At his home in Arlington, Gibbs swallowed hard. "Agent Childers, if you can hang on I can patch the Director in."

"Oh, that'd be good, thanks. " As Bec spoke, she heard the sound of a helo and called out to Gibbs, "Hang on please! I think the Israelis are here."

Gibbs acknowledged her as he continued his call to Leon, knowing the man needed to hear whatever was left of the conversation. When the huge helo landed, a man jumped out and ran to her, "Agent Childers?"

"Yes."

"I'm Malachi Ben-Gidon…oh and here is my friend."

Bec watched as two people with medical equipment jumped out of the helo. They came toward her and she showed them where everyone was, knowing they had to do their own triage. One by one they treated the wounded and prepared them for transport. Bec was surprised when they came back to her; it was just her leg, wasn't it? She still had Tim's phone open and Malachi had stayed with her, he'd even talked into Tim's phone which she thought was a little strange. Now he took it from her and spoke into it again.

"Director Vance, the medics are working on Agent Childers now, she has a leg wound and they're looking at her eyes, they believe she has a concussion and of course they'll all be watched for blast damage. The others are on board and we'll be leaving within 3 minutes, it's not safe to delay. You have the coordinates?"

"Yes, we do and we'll notify the base to pick up the dead prisoners."

Malachi cleared his throat, "I doubt there will be much left by the time they get here. Your agent took photos of everything as if it were a crime scene."

"Agent Childers did?"

"Yes Director, just as I have seen Gibbs' team do."

"Good for Ben-Gidon, will you be able to stay with them?"

"For a while, yes, but not for long, I must get back to my own work."

"Understood and thank you for helping today."

"It is a debt I owed Gibbs' team and that means Timothy."

"I believe you would have come anyway."

"Most likely Director, the world needs more Timothy McGees, not fewer."

Gibbs, still on the line, also thanked him and they disconnected the call. The last to board the helo, Malachi slipped Tim's phone into his friend's jacket pocket.


	86. Chapter 86

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty Six

The helo landed at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, the primary treatment center for victims of explosions and other terrorist activities. In minutes the eight wounded Americans were rushed in for further triage and treatment. Within an hour, the bleeding Marine, Matt, Pete and Tim were in surgery while the other four were being treated, scanned and carefully observed. As always, the greatest danger in blasts such as the Americans had been in was the unseen internal damage that explosions frequently cause.

When Bec woke, she found she was in a hospital room and her leg was no longer throbbing; however her head was making up for it. She pressed what she hoped was the call button and soon enough a woman appeared and in English introduced herself as Dr. Schaal and then told her she had a concussion, her leg was infected but responding well to treatment and that she was still under observation for 'blast damage'. Her companions were all alive and beginning the recovery process. Bec heaved a sigh of relief. She would be allowed up the next day and could visit with them. The young man with the broken leg was in ICU to make sure his leg was stabilized, that the repair to his femoral artery which had been twisted and nicked but not torn was holding, blood flow worked properly and to ensure no infection set in. The four Marines were in regular rooms and doing well, although also still under observation and the two men with the most shrapnel were in the room next to her, also doing well after their surgeries.

XXX

Tim woke to a throbbing pain. He found he couldn't move much as the upper right side of his body was immobilized. He located the source of the pain, his left knee. Gingerly moving, he found he could move his head as long as he kept his movements smooth, gentle and didn't pull on anything on that very tender right side. Having accomplished the head move, he was relieved to see Pete asleep in the room's other bed. He moved his eyes around the room and remembered talking with Ben-Gidon. They must be in Israel, obviously in a hospital. He frowned, wanting to know the status of his teammates and the four Marines. He needed to know about Matt…his leg; swallowing past the lump of worry in his throat, he pressed a button and in a couple of minutes a woman in scrubs appeared. She smiled at him, called him by name and told him she was Dr. Schaal, the physician in charge of his group. She told him she'd spoken with Bec earlier and knew he would want to know his team's condition. Tim just listened, mentally thanking Bec for warning this woman that he or Pete would need a sitrep. He was glad to hear the Marines were doing well, relieved that the doctors believed Matt's leg would heal fully with no loss of use; that Pete was resting after they'd removed more than 20 pieces of shrapnel from him. He frowned when the woman told him of Bec's injuries. Her leg had developed an infection which was responding to treatment; she had a mild concussion and she was still under strict observation for blast damage, the danger being stronger for her with the amount of movement she'd made after the explosion. They had arrived at the hospital 30 hours ago; this was their second full day here. Finally the woman gave him the details of his own injuries. The large piece of shrapnel had pierced his right arm and shoulder but missed the area that would have caused the most damage. He would need physical therapy but he would regain full use of his arm. Tim was thankful; he remembered thinking about Jimmy Palmer's predecessor, Gerald Jackson; shot by Ari Haswari, his recovery took more than a year. Tim was surprised to hear there had been a second piece of shrapnel removed from his arm; that one had hit him sideways and was long enough to have nicked his right lung. Luckily, the damage had not triggered the collapse of that lung and it also would heal completely. His knee was twisted, with a fracture of his left patella or knee cap. His injuries would require eventual physical therapy and the doctor said his recovery would be tricky as he would not be able to use crutches or a walker due to the shrapnel injuries. That meant his mobility would be via wheelchair until his right side was strong enough for crutches. Tim asked if anyone had been notified they were here and Dr. Schaal told him she had spoken with Director Vance after everyone was out of surgery/treatment. He caught himself before he nodded and just smiled instead. He asked about using their cell phones to contact their families and she said she'd look into it.

Tim felt weird. He was alive, they were alive, they'd be ok, but with the exception of the still unconscious Pete, he had no access to them. He needed to see Bec and Matt and their Marines, needed to talk with Vance and hear what would happen next. More than anything else, he wanted to see Lina, Sarah, Rob, his grandparents, Gibbs and everyone else and talk with them. He wished they were here, at least one of them, some of them. Dr. Schaal told him that the man who'd brought them in had left shortly after, saying he needed to return to his work. She raised the bed slowly so Tim could sit up and that felt good. After checking on Pete the doctor left and Tim sat thinking. He wondered if Malachi had interrupted or delayed a mission to see to their rescue. Whatever had happened, he was damn grateful.

He was just dozing off again; still sitting nearly upright when he heard a cart bumping along in the corridor and grinned, hospitals were the same everywhere. This must be mealtime. He was surprised when an aide walked in with a laptop and hooked it up for him, put it on the rolling table and pulled it over to him so that he could reach the screen and keyboard with his left hand. He looked at the keyboard and was elated to see it was in English. He hoped he could find the Skype accounts for everyone but the aide smiled and brought up Skype, which was already open. Tim smiled when he saw Vance waiting for him.

"Special Agent Timothy McGee, I can't even begin to tell you how good it is to see you!"

He suddenly found his voice was a little rough, "Thank you, Director, I'm awfully glad to see you too. Pete's in the other bed, he's still out, but maybe I can turn this so you can at least see him." Tim reached for the corner of the laptop to turn it but the aide stopped him and gesturing, let Tim know he would turn it for him. After a quick look, the screen was turned back to Tim and the aide patted him on his good shoulder and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. "I have a sitrep, Sir."

Vance nodded and Tim gave him the information he'd been given by the doctor. He paused, "I don't remember what you know about the mission."

"You were fading in and out at the crash site, Tim. Bec had your phone, she called Gibbs, he patched me in and we heard of your success and then the crash. Malachi also spoke to us. So we know the main information and I'll look forward to a full report when you're able."

"Thanks, Director. How is everyone?"

"Relieved that you're all alive and in good hands in friendly territory. Anxious to speak with you all. Pam is contacting Lina and your family right now; we'll patch them in here so you all can at least see each other."

"And Trina and the kids? They could at least see that Pete really is breathing."

"That's a good idea; let me tell Pam." Vance turned from the screen and a nearby voice rasped, "What's a guy gotta do to get some sleep around here?"

Tim grinned and slowly turned his head toward Pete. "Welcome back, Agent Russell! About time you woke up!"

"Yeah? Sitrep!"

"Team and our Marines are alive and in various stages of recovery. Prisoners died in the explosion and crash. I'll fill you in later, Vance is on Skype with us right now, he's bringing our families – yours and mine – in."

"Tim?"

"Yes Sir, Pete's awake, I was just telling him."

"Wonderful!" Tim had pressed the call button and the aide came back in and seeing Pete awake, first tended to him and then moved the heads of the two beds closer together so that both men would be on screen. He stayed on the other side of the room during the call, ready if either patient needed anything. The laptop turned toward him, Tim grinned when he saw Lina's face followed by popup windows with Sarah, Rob and James; Ducky and Gibbs with Vance in MTAC; Gram , Aunty Liz and the Hubbards at home and his godfather and uncle on the Baton Rouge. He had brief moments to tell them hello and that he loved them all before the windows started to waver and the screen went dark.

When the screen cleared again, the pop ups were gone and Vance was alone in his office. "Gibbs and Dr. Mallard got called out and I guess we had too many windows open. Sorry! The Russells are up next, we're just going to do one popup with Trina and the kids and then we'll bring your mother on separately, Pete. Tim, we'll see if we can get the others back and do them one at a time."

Pete grinned when he saw his family. The aide came forward again and turned the laptop. After they'd talked for several minutes, Pete exclaimed and crooked his finger for the aide. Tim was astounded when he saw a triumphant Lina sitting in the Russells' living room. "Hey sweetie, that was smart, driving over to the Russells! "

She grinned at him, "I'll tell you about it later, now I just want to look at you and hear your voice. Well, that's not all I really want but it will have to do for now."

A few minutes later, Vance popped back on, "I'm impressed! Ok, we're moving onto London now, then to Texas for Pete's mom and then the Childers family will be on with Bec."

They said their goodbyes and while Tim was waiting to see Sarah, Rob and James again, the two patients asked Vance what would happen next. "Dr. Schaal tells me you three will be well enough to move tomorrow but Matt won't be ready for at least one additional day. Knowing you, I figured you'd want to wait so that the four of you are transferred at the same time." They agreed. "Your Marines have to go to Germany and Col. Martin will handle that. But we're civilians, so Germany is not mandated. So where would you like to go? Home to Athens, to Germany or back here to the States?"

They looked at each other, shocked and Pete finally found his voice. "Leon, are you replacing us? I know Bec and I will be on desk duty for awhile before we can get out into the field and…oh, yeah, I see…we've been gone nearly two weeks, it'll be at least a week maybe more before any of us will be back In the office and Tim and Matt won't be back to field duty for who knows how long."

Vance shook his head, "Replace one of my best teams…I'm hurt that you'd think that, Agent Russell. I probably should have stated things differently. Bec might want to come home for a week or so for recovery. Matt needs to make as short a trip as possible so Athens for him. You two…"

Tim cleared his throat, risking a look at Pete. "Speaking for myself, Director, I want to go home and that's wherever Lina is. She's in Greece, so that's where I'm going."

Pete nodded, "Same here, I want to go home to my family."

Vance nodded, "That's fine, what I anticipated. Now, there's currently a volunteer team serving in Athens and that's what we'll go with until the four of you are back out in the field. What we've done is move people from London, Rota and Marseille to Athens since they at least are used to operating in Europe. Their offices have a volunteer in place to handle their work. Roger and Joel put the plan together while Athens and Rota were at Bagram. We'll do some version of that, probably rotating people, until you're back to full strength."

The techs interrupted to let him know London was on, so Vance stepped back while Tim visited with Sarah, Rob and James and then Pete with his mother in Texas. After that the aide took the laptop out of the room, presumably to Bec for her Skype call. Tim pouted when the laptop was taken from him – and then he looked at Pete. "Stupid dust storm."

"Yeah, we'd have been heroes for weeks if it hadn't been for that."

Tim started to shrug and then yelped in pain. "Ow, no shoulder movements! I'd rather not be a hero, I just want to get the bad guys and get home and that's what we're doing."

Pete snorted, "With a side trip to Israel and how the heck did that happen?"

It was only then that Tim realized Pete had been unconscious since the explosion. He filled him in on the circumstances and Pete grinned. "Lucky for us we have our very own James Bond with us; has contacts everywhere. And our junior saved the day, I'm proud of both of you! Does that make NCIS and Mossad even for Somalia?"

"Don't know…probably, although I wouldn't call it even so much as the debt is repaid." They talked for a few more minutes and then a different aide appeared. She rolled the beds back to their original positions and pulled their side tables to them, saying the word 'food'. They figured she didn't know much English and Pete nodded his thanks, Tim saying "Todah". She grinned at him for that. He tried to remember the Hebrew he'd learned but his brain was a bit fuzzy, he hoped that was just from the pain meds. In minutes they heard carts rolling and their food arrived. After they ate, the nurses arrived with fresh bags of pain medication and the two men slept.

By the next morning, they were all off the danger list for blast injuries. Yesterday they'd found a small bleed in one of the Marines but it had been repaired and no other damage was found or suspected. Bec visited everyone, starting with the Marines, thanking them for their help. Col. Martin was due to arrive by noon and escort them to the US hospital in Germany. He'd stay there overnight and then return to Jerusalem with the Medivac plane and when Matt was stable enough, escort the NCIS agents to the same medical facility in Piraeus that Tim had been in last year.

In the meantime, Tim and Pete appealed to Vance to find out what had happened to Ted, Jack and Phil. They blanched at the look on his face when he called back. "The agent Phil is dead. Ted and Jack were both badly injured but are expected to make full recoveries. Ted has a head wound that put pressure on his optic nerve, blinding him. Jack had a spinal cord injury that rendered him unable to walk. I'm told Ted's sight has improved to almost normal and that Jack is regaining strength and will be able to walk again. You might find them at the hospital in Athens although I have a sneaking suspicion they were flown to Germany."

"Do you know what happened to them?"

Vance made a noise. "No and unless they tell you, I doubt you'll ever know. It took Secretary Porter to get the medical information. I guess I see their point – I do usually contact that agency to complain about their agents-Kort or Cruz, for instance -rather than to make nice. She said the only way she got the info was by reminding the Director of the CIA that we're all federal agents working for Uncle Sam and that those two have been involved with your team; that we certainly weren't asking for any covert or political reason."

As he finished talking, Bec came into the room and after saying hello and congratulating her and goodbye to all of them, Vance signed off. Bec was on crutches so she maneuvered a chair between the two beds and caught up with the two men. She'd already been to see Matt who was being weaned off the meds that had kept him sedated. The nurses had told her he should be awake within the next 6 hours. Once she left Tim and Pete's room, she'd return to Matt's room to sit with him. She was still there when Colonel Martin walked in, followed by another Marine officer.

Tim took one look and gave a helpless grin while tears rolled down his cheeks. He held out his good arm and the man gently embraced him. When he could speak, Tim introduced his long absent older brother Geordie to Bec and Pete who grinned at him. "Glad to meet you, Lieutenant. I was starting to doubt Tim here, thought maybe you were really one of his fictional characters."

Geordie laughed at Pete and gently ruffled Tim's hair.

"Ugh, Geo it's filthy."

"I don't care Bro." Colonel Martin explained that Geordie's transfer had finally come through and he'd arrived at Bagram looking for transport as the Colonel was preparing to leave.

"Where's your new post?"

"The Embassy in Athens."

Tim grinned again, "Yay, just what I was hoping for."

He looked at Col. Martin, "Thank you Colonel."

"Don't thank me! He's more than earned it!" the Colonel paused, "As he speaks the language, he'll be staying on here as liaison while I take our patients to Germany." That was good news too and Tim's face threatened to split in two with his smile. The phone rang – Matt was waking up. Bec left for Matt's room and the Colonel walked out with her, telling the others he'd see them in two days as he went to begin the transfer of his wounded troops to the Medivac plane.

It was the following day before Tim and Pete were helped into wheelchairs and taken to see Matt. Pete objected as he could walk but the medical staff wouldn't budge so he rode side by side with Tim. Geordie was meeting with their doctors and would join them in a few minutes as he wanted to meet Matt. The two brothers had spent the time since his arrival catching up with everything. The last batch of letters hadn't yet reached the Lieutenant when he left his last post – whereabouts to remain classified – so Tim updated him with the family news. Of course the first thing was his engagement to Lina! While they caught up with each other, they also entertained Pete with some hair-raising stories from their childhood. Pete found himself laughing hysterically at some and that was something he never thought possible with the lives they'd led. As Geordie pointed out they never would have survived without some sense of humor and that 'gallows' humor had served them well.

Matt's face lit up when first one wheelchair and then a second with two of his favorite people arrived in his room. Bec was asleep by his side but woke when she heard the two men arriving. Matt couldn't move his leg but he could move his upper body if he was careful and hugs were exchanged and somehow the four of them managed a group hug. No one mentioned it after, but there were also more than a few tears shed during that hug.

Since his awakening, Matt had Skyped with his parents and Damian and was feeling at ease about that, now he told Pete he'd be staying in Athens for his convalescence. The four of them talked for 20 minutes and then Geordie popped his head in. He was introduced to Matt who was rapidly fading, and then the three agents and their Marine liaison quietly left Matt to fall into a healing sleep. Bec hadn't walked much today, having spent most of it with Matt, and she was slower on the crutches then the aides pushing Tim and Pete in the wheelchairs. Geordie noticed and dropped back to walk with her, appreciating the difficulty of using crutches. She gave him a tired smile, "Only one more day on these! Once we get back to Athens, they said I can use a cane."

He nodded, "That'll be much easier; you'll just have to remember to use it so your leg can heal."

She looked at him, "Speaking from experience?"

"Yes. About four years ago, got a nice big gash in my leg. They tried to get me on a walker but I would rather have crawled than used that, so at first crutches seemed like a good thing. For the first couple of hours and then I wanted to be done with those!"

"How long did you have to use them?"

He leaned in, "A whole week and I was a miserable bear the entire time!"

She laughed and reflected that it felt really good to laugh. "Were you in the hospital the whole time?"

"Nope, field medic patched me up but he gave the instructions for the crutches in front of my CO so I had no choice but to obey."

"Bummer!"

"Aw, I lived through it! More to the point, so did everyone else!" She laughed again.

They noticed the meal carts out and about and Geordie asked, "Are you required to eat in your room?"

"No, since I'm mobile, I'm allowed to eat in the cafeteria, just have to show them my patient ID."

"Want to join me there then? Or would you rather eat with Tim and Agent Russell?"

She huffed, "I'd think you'd rather eat with Tim! And you'd better not let Pete catch you calling him Agent Russell, you're family, it's Pete."

He smiled at that. "Ok, how about we eat with Tim and Pete and then have coffee or tea and dessert in the cafeteria?"

"That sounds good!"

They arrived in Tim's room in time to snag two trays off the cart, with the approval of the aide delivering them, and joined the two men for dinner. When they finished eating, the nurses again arrived with their meds and as both men were tired from their excursion there was no objection to Bec and Geordie slipping out of the room, although the lieutenant could have sworn he saw Pete giving him the fish eye as they walked out.

Within 24 hours they were back in Athens, much to everyone's relief. Their families and loved ones met them at Tzaneio General Hospital. It had been a tough transport for Matt and Tim, both were in pain and exhausted by the time they arrived at the hospital. As Pete was not expected to stay longer than one night, perhaps two, he had his own room while Tim and Matt were sharing a room. Bec's injuries were checked and she was cleared to leave. She would be staying with the Russells as her apartment was on the second floor with no elevator. While the medical staff got Tim and Matt situated, Lina and Damian waited impatiently. Lina was surprised when a Marine officer who looked awfully familiar walked in. She looked at him and he smiled, "I'm Geordie Perry, Tim's brother. And I hope you're Melina Kalivas?"

"Yes I am and I'm so glad to meet you, Lieutenant!"

"Geordie."

"Geordie then and I'm Lina; did you come from Jerusalem?"

He explained his reunion with Tim and she smiled happily, "It's wonderful to have you here! Do Sarah and Rob know?"

"Not yet, we thought we'd wait until we got here, they'll want to talk with Tim anyway."

Lina nodded and then started, "Oh! Geordie, this is my brother, Damian Kalivas, Matt's partner."

Geordie smiled and shook Damian's hand. "I've heard great things about you and Matt. It's good to finally meet you…" He turned to Lina, "Both of you! And congratulations, we're almost siblings!"

Lina had to fight tears, "Yes, for a few hours I was afraid our future was over before it started."

Geordie nodded and carefully put his hand on her arm. "Tim's tough, you know he's lived through a lot and he sure isn't going to give up easily when he has you to come home to – and this new family of his."

"Yours too."

He smiled again, "I know, I've read about everyone but it really won't sink in until I've met them all."

Damian laughed, "I met them on Skype over Christmas and again last month and even with our large family, there are a lot of them!"

Lina scoffed, "That's because you don't know them yet! It's easy, there is the NCIS group: Gibbs, Vance and his children, the Palmers and their children. Then there is the 'clan' – that is the McGee-Hubbard-Crane group consisting of you and your siblings, your grandparents, uncle, aunt, cousins and godparents. Bridging the two groups is Ducky, your 'new' grandfather."

Geordie laughed, "That's easy for you to say!" He paused in thought, "Palmers…is that Jimmy and…Brianda, that's not right."

"Jimmy and Breena, yes. They're fostering – and will adopt - two brothers from the camp in Baltimore."

Geordie's face lit up. "Really? That's awesome!"

They were chatting about Tim and Lina's visit to the camp in February when a nurse poked her head into the waiting room. "Families of Timothy McGee and Matthew Watson?" The three followed her to see their guys.


	87. Chapter 87

A/N: The gang has a lot going on while they heal; we're going to take a look and keep on moving.

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty Seven

Pete was released the day following their arrival in Athens and Tim the day after that. As Dr. Schaal had warned him, he was confined to a wheelchair. When he got to the house, he was amazed to find a ramp over the walkway and front stairs and was told that Damian had designed it and Norm, the Russell kids and Ross had built it. He was moved by their generosity and thoughtfulness and really happy to be home.

Lina had already moved their everyday things into the downstairs bedroom and once Tim was home, he went down for a nap, feeling like one of the triplets. While Lina and Damian had been at the hospital with Tim and Matt these last two days, Dani had tracked down shower chairs and other items the guys would need while they recovered. Geordie was really impressed with these people. Having heard about Gibbs' team for years and not being the least impressed with them he was happy and relieved to find his brother so well liked and cared for here.

When Tim woke, they contacted Sarah and Rob who cried with happiness and relief to see not only Tim but Geordie. After they'd talked for a while, they decided it was late enough and pinged Grandfa. When he answered, Maisie was with him and they both cried with relief and joy when they saw all of their adult grandchildren on screen. Contrary to his opinion of Gibbs, Geordie had good feelings toward Ducky who was now Grandfa, and he was happy to be his grandson. Their grandmother seemed very sweet and certainly happy to see Tim safely home and to finally meet Geordie. They didn't mention it, but they were still planning to travel to Europe in June and they were now thinking they might need to move their wedding to Greece if Tim wouldn't be mobile for awhile.

When questioned, Geordie said he'd be living on the Embassy grounds; there was a small barracks and officers' quarters there. In the months since Christmas, Rob had grown more comfortable in London and had decided to continue his medical training there rather than transfer to Athens or go back to the US. He'd even taken the additional step of finding a room closer to the hospital and that helped eliminate some of his exhaustion; that and the strict orders he had from his grandfather about the number of hours he worked. Sarah would also remain in the UK, she and James were now officially living together; Lina thought it was funny that her almost sister-in-law had made the announcement almost immediately after she'd heard that Lina had moved in with Tim. She strongly suspected Sarah and James had been 'living together' since Rob's move to his new place several weeks earlier.

After Tim had something to eat and another rest, they called the Hubbards. Claire was home but the children were at school. She pinged Aunty Liz and the two women happily fussed over Tim and welcomed Geordie to the extended family or the McGee-Hubbard clan as they called it. Following that call, they pinged the Baton Rouge and godfather and uncle were readily available to see their godson and nephew and to finally meet nephew Geordie.

Once that conversation was over, Tim turned to Geordie. "I need to talk with Gibbs but if you don't want to meet him, I'll understand. Just know he's changed a lot."

Geordie nodded, "How about if I just meet him and then drop out of the conversation?"

"Sure, that works." Geordie was on leave for several weeks and Lina had asked him to stay with them. He resisted at first but finally agreed to stay for a 'few days' to help out. He'd take Rob's bedroom upstairs and be as unobtrusive as possible.

When Tim pinged Gibbs who was at work, Geordie was blown away by the man's response. When he saw Tim he fought obvious tears and put his hand up on the screen. Tim covered the image with his left hand and the two just grinned at each other for a bit. Finally Tim introduced him and Geordie thought that Gibbs looked nervous when he greeted him. They talked for a little bit and then Geordie excused himself.

As Geordie walked out of the room, Gibbs looked intently at the screen; there was something Tim was holding back. "Tim…tell me son."

"Gonna be ok, it's not my injuries. I…its," Tim sighed, "Every time I close my eyes I see Matt bleeding out, I see Pete dead and Bec…it's bad. I know in my head that they're alive but something in me doesn't." He sighed again, "When I woke up in Israel I could see Pete was alive and I knew Bec was alive but I didn't know about Matt and I felt…really alone. It was only a minute or two but it was awful."

"That's not an unusual reaction son, your nightmares and your feelings. Tell your doctors though. Yes you were physically alone for a bit in Israel but you're not alone, Timothy you have so many people who love you." Tim nodded and bit his bottom lip, fighting his emotions. Gibbs reached out to the screen again and Tim matched the image of his fingers. He looked at the man he'd chosen to be his dad but Gibbs beat him to it, "Son, I can be there by tomorrow - I will be there by tomorrow."

Tim nodded, "Please? I...I know Lina's here and Geordie but I want my Poppy." He tried to laugh, "I sound like a 3 year old."

"No, you sound like someone who's just gone through a traumatic experience and there's no age limit to needing your dad."

Tim nodded in relief and lay back in his bed, exhausted. When Geordie came back in the room, he found his brother sound asleep.

XXX

When Gibbs disconnected from Skype, he ran upstairs to see Vance, knowing the Director had a meeting at the Pentagon at some point today. His boss was in and was not horribly surprised to hear that Gibbs was on his way to Greece however he could get there. As he planned to pay for the travel expenses of the other parents involved if they chose to fly to Greece, he had no problems authorizing Gibbs to fly out on the next flight to Athens or the closest airfield he could get to. Ducky was in his lair by that time so once the goodhearted Pam got to work finding Gibbs' transportation, he headed down to tell Tim's grandfather that he was going to tend to their wounded son. When Gibbs told him of his conversation with Tim, Ducky was very pleased that his old friend was responding appropriately (as far as he knew - he was still learning parenthood or grandparenthood himself) but managed to internalize his reaction.

XXX

It took awhile to get everyone home but in a few more days, Matt was released and went home with Damian to find yet another ramp, courtesy of the same work crew, and everything he would need courtesy of Dani. While he was still in the hospital, Matt's parents told him they were on their way over. Although Damian was nervous, the Watsons had already met him on Skype and knew Matt was living with him. Despite his nervousness, Damian insisted that Matt's parents stay with them during their visit.

Bec had not yet had a chance to move into Lina's old room at Dani's house so the move crew, plus Geordie and minus her fellow agents, packed up her belongings and moved her while she was still with the Russells. It would be another week before she graduated to a cane. Geordie managed to find excuses to drop by and visit and neither of them minded that everyone figured out what was going on. Pete and Tim talked about it, however Tim refused to have 'the chat' with his own brother and Trina warned Pete off. Pete groused to Tim that apparently he wasn't supposed to be taking any kind of 'patriarchal' responsibility with Bec. And then he laughed hysterically when Trina confessed she'd had a talk with Geordie.

Gibbs arrived the day after his Skype call with Tim; Geordie picked him up at the airfield as he'd flown Marine. Tim had spoken with him, hoping he would understand his need for Gibbs. Remembering some very bad times when he'd wished his own long dead father would magically appear, it didn't take much for Geordie to understand. Lina was relieved as she'd seen Tim's need and if Gibbs hadn't offered, if Tim hadn't asked, she'd planned to step in and tell her father-in-law to come.

Within a week of their return, all four agents were settled in and healing. Despite Bec's pleading with her parents to wait until later in the summer so they could do some sightseeing and really see Athens, they needed to see their daughter. When the Childers arrived Geordie volunteered to drive them around much to everyone's amusement. With Gibbs, the Watsons and the Childers in town, the Russells talked about having some sort of low-key party but Tim and Matt were still more or less house-bound and Pete was still healing so for the first time in all the years since they'd started throwing dinner parties, they passed.

Tim's physical therapy was scheduled to start on the following Monday and Geordie and Gibbs volunteered to alternate driving him so Lina could return to work fulltime. Poor George, their martial arts instructor, was bereft of his class. Kim had reduced her attendance to one night a week as that was all she could spare from wedding preparations, promising George to resume the full schedule when she and Evander were back from their honeymoon. His other students would be out for at least a couple of months.

With the wedding coming up very quickly, the injured agents were eager to make sure they could attend. The week before the wedding, Bec asked Geordie to be her date. Tim and Matt were resigned to going in their wheelchairs but at least they'd be there. Pete did his best to take it easy, hoping to be able to dance a little with his wife, Kim and the others. All the visiting parents were invited, however their concerns about their children and the support they were being given had been more than satisfied and Gibbs and the others would be leaving for home before the wedding.

With TADs manning the NCIS office, Tea, Eva and Kim were kept very busy and didn't have much of a chance to visit their injured friends. One day when Geordie was driving Tim back from a doctor's appointment, they stopped at the office. Bec and Pete would return to desk duty the Monday after the wedding and Tim was curious about the agents who had been running things in their absence. Gibbs had told him Maggie was there; he knew there were three others but not who they were.

When Bec and Pete were cleared for field work, two of the TADs would be released; when Tim was cleared for field duty, the other two would go as Matt would be on desk duty by that time and they could manage with three agents in the field. Tim's return to the field was estimated for mid to late July and Matt's sometime in August.

When they entered the office the day they stopped by, Tim was not surprised to find Maggie working as Team Lead or to hear that DiNozzo was in Rota working with Stan while Stan's junior was here. Tim was surprised to find Lydia Worden from London working as the TAD SFA. The fourth TAD was a junior from Marseille. Tim was greeted so enthusiastically that Geordie stepped in to prevent his injured right side or left leg being jostled. They had a few questions which he answered and then after he thanked the TADs and gently hugged his teammates, his brother wheeled him back out to the car and took him home for a rest. That was something Tim found aggravating, the constant need to rest. Logically he knew it was his body's way of healing but he hated having to stop whatever he was doing to take a nap.

Tim's London-based siblings, his grandparents, godmother, aunt and cousins spent many hours on Skype with him as he recovered. Each of them had wanted to rush to his side, but he managed to convince them that he was recuperating according to his doctors' schedule and of course it helped that Gibbs was there. It wasn't too difficult to dissuade his grandparents and siblings as they would see each other in a few weeks anyway,

Another frequent Skype caller was Tony, who with his TAD post in Spain was only an hour ahead of Athens. While Gibbs was around, the three men would chat together, often when Tony got off work and was waiting the hour until Maggie would be free to talk. On one call after Gibbs' departure Tim had delicately asked about Tony and Maggie and gotten a big grin in return. He didn't press after that, mindful of his own demands for privacy. He'd worried that this second TAD stint might cause harm to Tony's future and was very happy to be told that both Tony's Team Lead and SFA fully supported him. They had a junior from Seattle working his desk and Tony reported that everyone was happy with the arrangement. DiNozzo opened up a little more, "Cazal knows I don't want to be in Bremerton for the rest of my career; the first TAD in Athens was actually his idea. I didn't think Vance would approve it but Cazal must have put a word in for me. And when they were looking for TADs again, he suggested I ask for Rota, said it would give me a different experience. And of course get me closer to Maggie!"

Tim thought about that, "Vance likes Team Leads who have experience in multiple offices. This gives you four, that's pretty good!"

"Team Lead? Wow, that's…thanks Tim! Don't know; I'll wait to see what my annual says. What about you?"

Tim smiled at him. "I don't know either, Tony; I can't stay in Greece forever! Much as I love it here, Ducky and Maisie aren't getting any younger, nor is Gibbs and I'd like to be within a couple hours flying or driving distance rather than an 11 hour plane ride. At some point anyway." He chuckled, "I never imagined when the team did finally split that we'd be so far flung."

"Yeah, I know. But it's worked out okay, well for you and me anyway. Still wish Ziva would surface again."

When Tim had received the letter from Ziva and replied to her, he'd let the others know and since then both Ducky and Jimmy had also received a letter from their former colleague. Now he thought of something that hadn't previously occurred to him.

"You know she's probably never had former co-workers to keep in touch with. I mean, think about it. It never sounded like she kept in close touch with anyone in Mossad, not personally…no one really except her friend Monique who isn't Mossad."

Tony huffed. "Good point, so you think we should let her know we want to keep in touch?"

Tim sighed, "I already did; told her each of us would like to keep in touch."

"Huh, so guess she doesn't want to."

"Or isn't ready."

"Yeah." Tim's phone chirped with a text from his grandfather wanting to know if he was available. As he and Tony had already been on the call for an hour and that meant Maggie would be off work, they wrapped it up. Tim knew that on the weekends Athens and Rota were not on call Tony and Maggie were meeting in Italy.

XXX

Kim's family arrived the weekend before the wedding and as planned, the NCIS group, now also including the TAD agents, Geordie, Gibbs, the Childers and the Watsons before their respective departures gathered to meet them and Evander's family. Everyone had heard about the explosion and the takedown of a major terrorist group but they didn't know that "Kim's agents" were the ones who'd done the deed. When the group was a little cagey about their injuries, Kim's dad, a retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer, started putting two and two together. He remembered the days when Kim had been unusually on edge and couldn't talk about whatever was bothering her. He looked at the agents and saw the scars and bandages, the leg and arm injuries.

Pete and Tim caught him checking them out but decided not to say anything unless he brought it up. Gibbs also noticed but Pete told him he'd handle it if it became necessary. NCIS had kept the agency and the agents' names out of the media, not wanting to make any of them targets for reprisals or media attention. As far as they knew, Ted and Jack were still in the hospital in Germany. No mention of the CIA had been made although of course the rumors were that they had been the ones to take the terrorists out. For once Director Vance was content to let the other agency take the credit, even if it was all conjecture. Besides, the people who needed to know were very aware of who had done what.

It was lucky Kim had planned a sit down dinner for the 'getting acquainted' party as both Matt and Tim were exhausted after just an hour and they were already sitting. Of course as Gibbs pointed out, they'd been out of the hospital less than two weeks. The two of them, Lina, Damian, Gibbs and Matt's parents departed soon after dinner. That seemed to make Kim's father even more suspicious and Pete finally took him aside and told him to leave it, that what had happened with them was classified and he didn't want anyone to cause Kim any additional stress. Chagrined as he should have known better, her father took that to heart and no more was said.

Gibbs flew home the following day after making firm plans to return in late August for his birthday in September. All four of the agents hunkered down and made sure they followed their doctors' and physical therapists' orders to the letter that week so they'd be in the best shape possible for the wedding. Lina came up with the idea of painting tuxedo jackets on the backs of the wheelchairs and the guys loved the results. Trina swapped Bec's cane for an old one she had at the house and painted her good one the colors and pattern of her dress for the wedding. That was after Lina made some modifications to the garment so that the hem covered the still very raw scar on her leg. Pete's scars were too fresh to allow him to wear a collared shirt comfortably so the artists put their heads together and painted a long sleeved collarless shirt to look like a dress shirt, complete with painted on cuffs, collar, buttons and a bow tie. Realizing Tim was in the same situation, they did a second shirt for him. He didn't want a bow tie so his shirt had a tie with a Windsor knot and it matched the main color of Lina's dress; the immobilizer he was still wearing on his arm was also painted to match. Evander made sure that Tim and Matt could remain in their wheelchairs and still sit with the rest of the group during the ceremony. While Matt could maneuver around in the chair, Tim was still one handed and could not so the group made arrangements to ensure he had someone available at all times. They wanted Lina to enjoy herself and while Geordie would be there, they all wanted to help their friend. Adan, Caleb and Stephan, some of Tim's designated helpers, were happy to help and frankly just as happy to have something to do.

The day of the wedding dawned sunny but with a cool morning, much to everyone's relief as the previous days had been hot. The wedding was at 11:00 and the reception was scheduled to start after that, close to 1:00. Tim was surprised to see that there were no pews or benches in the first few rows; they'd been replaced with folding chairs. Damian removed some of the chairs to make room for the wheelchairs and the four of them sat together with the Russells on one side of them, Bec and Geordie on the other with Tea, Adan, Eva and Caleb in the row in front of them and the TAD agents in the row behind them. Tim paid attention to the service because he knew that he and Lina would have to do this too. The marriage ceremony was relatively short while the service was long. Not as long as the Easter service had been, but long; Tim supposed neither of them would even notice on their wedding day.

After it was over, he was wheeled over to the hall for the reception and he was immediately glad the party wasn't outside. While they'd been in church, the day had heated up and the hall was nicely air conditioned. He smiled as he watched Kim and Evander have their first dance as a married couple and with his good hand he squeezed Lina's hand. She squeezed back and they had a quick kiss. They hadn't been celibate but between Tim's knee and arm having to remain stationary Lina had been doing most of the work in their physical relationship. This past week as his body healed and he felt stronger, they had been getting more creative and were discovering all kinds of ways they could satisfy each other.

The wedding was fun; Kim's idea for the getting acquainted party had worked well. Pete managed a dance with Trina and one with Kim but that much exhausted him, to his disgust. The others made sure that Trina and Lina had plenty of dances while Pete sat with Tim and Matt. They were soon joined by Bec and Geordie as Bec's leg wasn't up to much dancing either. They were happy to visit with Norm and Carla who'd hired a babysitter, the first one from outside the extended family, for the occasion.

Knowing their friends wouldn't last more than a couple of hours the newlyweds didn't dance for too long. They did make sure everyone ate and drank and then they cut the cake and served it. Kim's plan was for everyone to eat and then the convalescents could leave and anyone who wanted to stay and party could do so. They weren't leaving on their honeymoon until Sunday so they could party as long as they wanted to today. She was glad she'd planned it that way as she hadn't made it through her own slice of cake before Lina came over to tell them she and Damian were taking their men home. The junior agent from Rota walked out with them and helped Damian get first Matt and then Tim into the van they'd rented for the occasion. They drove to Tim and Lina's first and Damian got him into the chair and up the ramp and then left for his own home with Matt. With Lina's urging Tim had a rest and slept for several hours.


	88. Chapter 88

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty Eight

The following week, Pete and Bec went back to work although Pete was part-timing it. Lina stayed home Monday and then returned to her work at the museum. She and Tim were starting to work on their own wedding plans, figuring that as Tim grew stronger he could start making some of the arrangements. The first order of business would be to lock down the date. While they'd originally thought of Thanksgiving weekend, they also talked about a date in August. However when they spent some time kicking it around, they decided August wouldn't work for several reasons, the primary one being that Tim felt he shouldn't take time off so soon after his return from medical leave, he would just be returning to Field Duty and as it was tourist season, flights and hotel rooms would be more expensive for their guests. So they stuck with the end of November which had the added bonus of another trip to the States for Lina's gallery opening in New Orleans.

In the meantime, while Lina had been moving their things downstairs, she found the photo album Tim had carried home from Stillwater and brought it down with her. Tim and Geordie decided they'd work on the Mallard-Hubbard-McGee family tree. The first draft of his last Tibbs book was due to his publisher at the end of August so Lina returned to work confident that Tim had plenty to do.

Four mornings a week Tim had physical therapy which was his first priority. On Tuesday, he was exhausted when they returned home so after lunch he rested (Tim-speak for napping) and then he and Geordie decided to take a look at the online family tree started during Ducky's visit last year. Tim pulled it up and while he was waiting, Geordie opened the large photo album on the table, thinking it was related. He found a letter inside addressed to Tim and turned to his brother. "Is this from Grandfa, Grammie or Penny?" Tim's eyes widened as he realized he'd forgotten about Jack's letter; he'd never opened it.

The note was two pages. Page one had been written after Tim's worried call to Ducky shortly after he'd arrived in Greece; when Gibbs was in Stillwater. Page two had been added just days before Jackson's death; after his return from seeing Tim and meeting Lina in February. Tim had to read it a few times before he got it all as his eyes kept blurring. Jackson wrote of his pride in Tim for his ability to reach out to his son after the years of mistreatment and his own feelings of guilt for having contributed to Jethro's pain and anger which he supposed had indirectly led to his behavior toward Tim. Mostly the letter was full of love and hope for Leroy's family. After Geordie read it, Tim carefully folded it and put it back in the envelope, putting a short note on the outside with Jackson's name, date of birth and death.

When Lina got home Wednesday evening, she found a movie playing and her fiancé and almost brother-in-law sound asleep. Smiling, she turned it off, gave Tim a gentle kiss and went to change her clothes. When she returned, she found Geordie pouring drinks for the three of them.

Geordie was re-learning how to cook or at least how to cook fresh food and not rations, so he and Lina put the meal together. The three of them sat at the table, talking about this and that. Tim thought he and Geordie could take on some of the wedding planning tasks and that night they made a list of everything that had to be done. The date for the wedding had now been set so that was checked off, but not where to have the ceremony, the reception, or who to invite, selecting and ordering invitations, flowers, cake, food, who would be in the wedding party, all the thousand things that engaged couples deal with. On top of all that was the question about becoming members of a church and whether Lina and Tim would have to participate in pre-wedding counseling. That was something they thought they'd better figure out quickly. Tim did some research and found, surprisingly, that the first thing they really needed was a _Koumbaro or Koumbara_. This person would be their sponsor and act as spiritual advisor for day-to-day counseling and he or she should be a member in good standing of the Greek Orthodox Church. Tim was confused as he also found references to the _Koumbaro _as the best man_. _Lina explained that the _Koumbaro _or_ Koumbara_ could be male (_Koumbaro_) or female (_Koumbara_) and is mainly an ecclesiastical witness, the person who, in many circumstances, but not always, is given the privilege of being godparent to your first child. He or she is also the person you turn to for advice and counsel in your lives when needed. Tim asked if they could have two of these people, thinking perhaps Lina's brother Nicolas and sister Chloe could serve as their Koumbaro and Koumbara. Not knowing the answer, they wrote it down to investigate.

The next day, Tim contacted Saint Nicholas' Church in Piraeus and was given an appointment the following evening with one of the priests. He then e-mailed his Gram, asking where he'd been baptized as he would have to contact that church. In order to be married in the Greek Orthodox Church, he'd need to submit proof that he'd been baptized in a religion that accepted the holy trinity. He'd need that pretty early as it would have to be translated into Greek. He'd also need a certified copy of his birth certificate but he had that with him so once it was translated he was good to go with that. His passport was properly stamped, so he checked that off the list of documents. Being Tim, he'd already made a spreadsheet with the list of tasks and their various components. Lina had also found a website where they could track their various wedding doings but she wanted to set that up. Geordie helped where he could and made a mental note that if he ever married it would just be easier to have a civil ceremony.

He said as much to Tim who nodded. "That would be fine with me, but not with Lina's family and I want to honor their traditions. It means a lot to her parents that we marry in a religious ceremony so that's what we'll do. Gram is pretty happy about that too." He paused, "Lina isn't much of a church- goer but she told me that while we were in Afghanistan she went a few times and it helped."

"What about your kids, will you have to raise them in the Greek Church?"

"I'm sure we'll find out, but I'm betting the answer is yes we'll have to promise that."

"Do you want to do that?"

Tim sighed, "I like the idea of providing structure to the lives of our kids and being part of a community always helps. You know when we were kids, Geo, if we hadn't been hiding from CPS, we might have gotten some real benefit from the churches. So from that standpoint, I don't have a problem. As far as my beliefs…I don't know. But what I do or don't believe isn't necessarily what our kids will believe."

"But kids are influenced by their parents."

"Yeah, I know…" Tim huffed. "You know, a year ago I was an agnostic on my good days and cynical enough the rest of the time to call myself an atheist. But this past year, I don't know, Bro, been a lot of things happening. And it's not just meeting Lina and all of the family and friends. It's getting some justice for some of the crap that was done to me over the years. It's the agency finally handling our cold case and busting Natalie. It's Gibbs and DiNozzo working to fix things with me – and with themselves. It's you surviving Special Forces and leaving it, it's all eight of us surviving an explosion that was meant to kill, should probably have killed some of us – not that I'm complaining...hell, I should have been killed with Dad and Patrick, bouncing on my head the way I did. It's…I'm realizing that maybe it's not all about "Adam and Eve" vs. the Big Bang theory or science. Maybe there is a universal power. Although I don't know how it would explain all the crap we've been through in our lives or all the pain and suffering people have gone through since the beginning of time."

Geordie chuckled, "So an agnostic."

"Yeah. And if rituals help people feel better, I'm all for it. They don't particularly help me feel good, but if Lina wants them, I'm a fan."

Geordie tilted his head. "I knew a guy who told me about being with his grandfather as he lay dying. Said they were both agnostics. But as he was taking his last breaths, his grandfather spoke to his parents who had been dead for half a century, and was with it enough to tell his grandson that they were there with him. Walt said his grandfather took one of his hands and put it on …something. He said there was definitely something there, he felt a presence and then his grandfather smiled and said, "Ok, Mama, I'm ready now" and passed. Makes you think."

Tim nodded, "I'm fairly certain Gibbs has been in touch with his mentor who died a few years ago and I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that he has also been in contact with his first wife and child. So yeah, there's some sort of energy."

They shrugged at each other, realizing these weren't issues that would be answered or solved at that moment. It was a warm afternoon so they decided to use the pool. Geordie took out one of the floating devices and helped Tim wrap his arm, side and leg so that he could enjoy the water without getting his healing injuries wet.

When Tim and Lina went to their appointment the next evening, they were happy that they'd done some research ahead of time. Lina was relieved to learn that they could have a religious ceremony because Tim had been baptized as a Roman Catholic. That of course, would have to be substantiated by his baptismal certificate. They were also amused to learn that their rings had to be gold; Tim had seen something like that online but hadn't believed it. And yes, at least four sessions of pre-marital counseling were mandatory. They gave the priest the date they'd decided on and he checked the Church calendar. The day was available so he marked it in as the couple grinned at each other. Papas (Father) Jakob proved to be very helpful and Tim found he liked him. He asked each of them several questions and was intently interested in Tim's life, from his childhood to his career. One of their first questions to him was about the Koumbaro/Koumbara and Papas Jakob smiled, saying he didn't believe anyone had ever asked if they could have two. They explained their reasoning and he nodded, agreeing. They could have two advisors.

They also learned that to obtain a marriage license in Greece, a copy of a newspaper notice of intent to marry was required. The notice must be posted in a paper published in the same town where the marriage ceremony would take place. That meant their local paper _Χρονογραφος_ which translated to Chronographos. The priest proudly told them it was one of the oldest newspapers in Greece and was published on a daily scheduled a number of appointments for the counseling, bearing in mind that Tim's job could keep him from one or more of them. The first one was the following week, on Wednesday evening.

The days Tim spent recovering seemed to pass in slow motion. He was glad he had physical therapy to distract him and help him along, even though it felt like flames burning his shoulder, arm and knee. Afterward, he and Geordie often went into Athens to have lunch with Matt and Damian at their place or have lunch out. Matt started PT a few weeks after Tim and he wasn't excited about it although as both Geordie and Damian pointed out, it was necessary for both of them in order to get back to work. Both agents would also attend mandatory psych counseling and they did get some sympathy for that. The four agents would go individually – Pete and Bec were already going – and then due to the circumstances of the mission and the accident, the four of them were required to have at least one session together. Tim supposed they should be thankful they didn't also have to have therapy with their four Marine friends who were already back on duty.

The rest of that week after Kim's wedding crawled by. Thursday night Trina called and invited them for dinner on Sunday afternoon. It would be a typical Russell party: welcoming Kim and Evander back from their honeymoon, a thank you to the TAD agents although they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, and a gathering of the team. She was, she said, curious to see how Tim and Matt were doing. Geordie wasn't sure what the big deal was but the invitation made his brother and sister-in-law happy and that was enough for him. He chuckled to himself as he realized this was the third party that he'd been to with these people in just a few weeks.

Lina was off again on Friday; Geordie made plans to have lunch with Bec and thought he'd stop by the Embassy and check in with his CO, although he still had several weeks leave coming to him. He had Tim's car, so he picked Bec up and they headed out to lunch. She was glad to get out of the office as it was a little cramped with the four TAD agents, Pete and her. The two of them were working cold cases at the conference table and when they needed privacy for phone calls, they used the Observation room. She had one more week of desk duty before the doctor's appointment that she hoped would put her back in the field. They had lunch at the Flying Pig; the proprietor came out from the back room when he saw her and asked what had happened to them all, they'd just disappeared! She told them they'd been in an accident, technically true, and that she was the only one well enough to be out and about. He expressed his sympathies and hoped the others would be well very soon.

Over lunch, Bec asked Geordie if he'd ever been to the flea market in Athens, and bemused, he shook his head. She was going tomorrow and asked if he'd like to go with her. Going anywhere with her sounded great to him so the two made plans. He'd pick her up, drive to the Metro station and leave the car there. Bec thought she'd better take her cane as she'd be doing more walking than she had since her injury, although if that was true, she wasn't sure she'd be cleared for the field in just another week. She shrugged; if she ran into trouble they could take a taxi back to the Metro or even back to the car. Geordie dropped her at work and then headed into Athens. Colonel Martin was surprised and Geordie thought he was also pleased to see him and inquired after his brother and the others. They spent some time talking about his new duties and then he showed him the officers' quarters. Having lived in tents, huts and barracks for many years, Geordie would have been happy with anything that had a roof, walls, indoor plumbing and a door. Compared to what he was used to, the quarters he'd be assigned looked like the Taj Mahal. Of course he was already getting a little spoiled staying with Tim and Lina.

He realized he needed some civilian clothing as what he had was old and fairly beat up. He'd been wearing fatigues since arriving and his dress blues for the party and wedding, now he asked about shopping and was told the best places for casual clothes. He found the street with no problem and bought jeans, lighter pants for hot weather, shorts and a few shirts and then realized he needed shoes too. The store clerk gave him the address of a men's shoe store and off he went to find that. He bought a pair of sneakers and a pair of boots and then saw flip flops in a bin so bought a pair of those. Even though he thought of them as 'shower shoes' he'd noticed that everyone here seemed to wear them like regular shoes or sandals. He hoped to take Bec out to some nice places but he needed to check with his brother about clothing for that.

All in all, he was pleased with his afternoon and eventually joined the commute traffic heading out of Athens. He stopped along the way, calling home to see what his family might want for dinner. They were both in the mood for Chinese and told him where their favorite restaurant was, so he stopped and bought dinner.

When he walked into the kitchen with dinner, he heard the laptop pinging and putting the bags down, joined the others. It was Maisie; she and Ducky wanted to go over their wedding plans with them and would bring Sarah and Rob into the call. They called Sarah and were prepared to patch Rob in but found him at the flat with his new girlfriend Amelia, also a medical student, having dinner with Sarah and James. Tim bit back a smile at Rob's wide eyes as he saw them all. Their grandparents told them the dates they'd be in Europe – first Greece and then the UK – and what the plan was for the actual wedding. They all had questions which were patiently answered by Grandfa and Gram. When the call was finally ended, Geordie reheated their dinner and they kicked around ideas of their own for their grandparents' nuptials.


	89. Chapter 89

**WARNING: NSFW! **

Finding Home, Chapter Eighty Nine

After his foray into the Athens shopping scene, Geordie asked Tim about clubbing clothes and having a decent suit. Tim just grinned at him as he fished out the cards of the places Matt had taken him to months ago and also passed along the names of the clubs he and Lina liked and then he gave him Archimedes' number. One of the things Col. Martin had mentioned was the Embassy parties but even if Geordie wasn't on duty, he'd wear his dress uniform for those. So he didn't need a tux but he would like a suit and it seemed this Archimedes person had made clothes for all the guys on Tim's team as well as Evander, Caleb and Norm.

Saturday morning, Geordie left to pick up Bec for their trip to the flea market. Lina looked at Tim and they grinned at each other. No brother, no visitors, no Skype calls, no plans outside the house, they had the day to themselves! Lina pushed Tim's chair into their room and helped him onto the bed. Knowing by now that it was far easier to get his clothes off him before anything started, Lina slowly unfastened Tim's shorts, carefully pulling the zipper down and easing them off his hips and down his legs. He was touching her everywhere he could reach while she did that. She scooted back up on the bed and they got his tee shirt off. He could move his right arm a little and now he put that slight movement to good use. Then it was Lina's turn and she knelt over him as he unbuttoned her blouse, unfastened her bra and caressed her breasts with both hands while he slid his tongue into her mouth for a deep kiss. He tugged her up further and went to work getting her pants off and once she'd kicked them off, his hands returned to caressing her. He gently encouraged her to come up over his face while he licked and kissed her breasts and then took a nipple in and played with it, letting her pleasured moans guide him. He let go of the first nipple, found the other one and gave it the same attention. While his mouth and tongue were busy, his hands reached down to her panties and his long fingers rubbed along her silky crotch. She writhed in pleasure and those fingers dipped below the waistband and slid along her skin, applying just the right amount of pressure. Tim let his fingers find her center and he circled around, touching her clit and then moving them again. When she protested, he slid his fingers back to her clit, recognizing the signs of her impending climax. She rode his fingers as she came and he held onto her as she trembled with the last of her orgasm. She kissed him then, starting with his lips and face and moving over his chest, tugging a bit at his nipples and enjoying the hiss of pleasure from him. After dipping her tongue in his belly button, she moved her mouth to his groin. She pleasured his balls and started to take his shaft into her mouth but he stopped her, "Sweetie, I want to come inside you, will you ride me?" He had a brace on his knee and they'd done this before with no ill effects to his healing body. He handed her lube and a condom and she prepared him and then mounted him, loving the feeling of taking him into her. At first they linked hands but then Tim found he could still reach her clit with his finger tips so he brought her off again while his own sweet tension built. Finally he gave into it and they came together, crying out their pleasure and passion.

They spent the day pleasuring each other. After Lina's ride, Tim pulled her up over him again, this time she knelt over his face and he brought her off with his mouth, tongue and fingers. Later she reciprocated by flipping around and giving him a blow job while he rubbed her crotch and the crack of her ass with his fingers. Tim's upper right side was still tender so they were careful but both were pleased with the range of motion he'd regained. When she rode him again, she wrapped his right leg around her and they found even more pleasure with that.

Eventually they slept, only waking when they got hungry. Not having heard the garage door open or Geordie come in, Lina still exercised caution, throwing on a robe as she made her way to the kitchen. She poked her head out the door to the garage and Tim's car was still gone. His laptop was on the kitchen island; out of habit she checked it and saw a message from Geordie saying he was having dinner with Bec.

After they ate, Lina gathered their dirty dishes and got them in the dishwasher. Tim sighed, "I wish I could help, sweetie, hate you having to do everything."

"I don't! Geordie's been doing a lot and it's not like you can help it, my love."

While still in the hospital, Tim had verbalized his worry about Lina dealing with his job to Trina and Carla. His friends advised him to speak with Lina but he hadn't yet had the opportunity. Now he thought this was a good time.

"No, it isn't like I could help it…Lina, are you …how do you feel about what happened?"

She pushed his chair into the living room, helped him onto the couch and then cuddled with him. "Honestly, I have mixed feelings, my Tim. I was ok the first few days while you were working at the base. I knew the bomb squad had cleared it so you would be safe – on base – from explosions and Carla said terrorists don't always return to the scene to do more damage. Certainly not with the heightened security focus. So I missed you, but had plenty to do and your e-mails really helped. Carla, Trina, Kim and the others were also quite helpful. Carla was calm and certain the whole time. I know you have a dangerous job and I don't think that's something I will ever know how I feel about until something is happening. What you do is important. I think seeing what you did with the Baton Rouge case has really helped. I remember those sailors thanking you and knowing you helped people I care about – your uncles – is also a big part of it. I saw that and as I told you the day of the memorial service, I won't forget it. It's the going off the grid and you being missing for two days that troubles me – and it will always trouble me. I'm thankful I've seen you at your class so I know how well you can use your body to defend yourself and your team. Carla and Kim have told me that you are an excellent shot with your weapons so that is good to know too. And I know you love me and are highly motivated to come home alive. It's the bad guys I worry about; they don't know how useless it is to go up against you and they will keep trying. But there are so many of them I can't let myself dwell on that or I'll go crazy. Those hours you were gone, my darling, those were horrible. After that first day when there was still no word, Pete's children were scared and Trina needed to be with them and rightfully so. Damian and I clung to each other and really Carla kept us all going. She was certain every minute, every second, that you were off grid because you had to 'go dark' as she said, to keep your movements secret and that meant you were closing in on the bad guys. She said you would have Marines with you and that helped a lot too, knowing you had additional firepower."

She paused and huffed, "I never thought to worry about dust storms and IEDs!" Then she shook her head, "But with all that, anything can happen. Look at Gibbs. He was off fighting a war and his wife and child were murdered at home." She nuzzled into Tim. "The only thing I can do to help take down the bad guys and make this world better is to stay out of your way and let you do your job, support you in whatever ways I can. However, I'm grateful I have my career and my 'worry' paintings to occupy me. I suppose I will work to adopt a philosophical attitude that when your time is up, your time is up. But I'm not sure how closely I'll be able to follow that and I hope our time together will not end for many many years."

They held each other closely, cuddling and eventually went back to their room, Tim wondering what he'd done to deserve this amazing woman.

The party at Pete and Trina's on Sunday was fun as always although Tim and Matt chafed at not being able to play volleyball. Knowing their dad wouldn't last long at volleyball and that they had more people than ever this time, Stephan and his siblings also set up a croquet game and Tim, Matt, Pete, Bec and some of the others played croquet, while most of the crowd slammed the volleyball over the net. The newbie agents were shown pictures from previous parties and as always, the resident agents thoroughly enjoyed seeing the others' surprise when they spotted the Christmas photos with Vance playing the clown in the conga line.

Over dessert, Lina leaned forward and cleared her throat. Those near her stopped and Tim grinned. Pete shook his head, "Please don't tell us it's more relatives. Or…no, wait, it is…you've found you're related to the Queen of England."

They laughed as Tim and Lina shook their heads. "No, we just wanted to let you know we've officially set the date for our wedding! Booked the church too!"

Their happy announcement caused a minor uproar; the kids disappeared into the kitchen to emerge with glasses of sparkling cider. They were toasted, congratulated and advised to elope by the married men among them.

The weeks following went swiftly. Tim continued to heal and was relieved and happy as he slowly regained his health and mobility. Geordie drove him to physical therapy nearly every session and the brothers enjoyed spending time together after so many years apart. Geordie was a little worried about what he'd do once Tim was released for desk duty; he'd even talked with Col. Martin about returning early but had been turned down flat. Lt. Perry had gone far too long without more than a 48 hour leave here and there and from what the Colonel could glean from the records, those brief leaves frequently ended up cancelled or shortened.

After that Geordie had to figure out a game plan; he couldn't just sit around for another two months. He had plenty of money in the bank, having had little need or place to spend it so he thought he'd do some serious sightseeing and travel to London to visit the sibs, get to know James. He even had a thought that he might go to the States for a couple of weeks to meet the family there but at this point he was more interested in staying in Europe with his immediate family – and Bec. He hadn't had a relationship or dated anyone more than twice since shortly after he became a member of Special Forces, so he was nervous and excited about seeing Bec, more nervous than anything. He was upfront with her, he really liked her and was very attracted to her but hoped they could just take it slow. He told her he didn't even know if he was good boyfriend material. Bec had grown up a Navy brat, she'd been around SEALs and knew a bit about the missions they carried out, everyone did to some extent after the Bin Laden mission, and the pressures they were under. That gave her a glimmer of understanding into what Geordie might have experienced during his twelve years in Special Forces. Taking it slow was fine with her; she wanted to enjoy her time in Greece, especially now that there was no fixed expiration date on her posting. So as he relaxed into his first real leave in many years, Geordie and Bec enjoyed their time together, taking things easy.


	90. Chapter 90

Finding Home, Chapter Ninety

Tim expected to be approved for driving once he was ready for work; once he had that clearance Geordie wouldn't worry about him needing a ride to physical therapy. However, before the eagerly awaited clearance for driving and desk duty was granted, their grandparents arrived for their pre-wedding vacation.

By that time Tim was out of the wheelchair, having skipped the walker and crutches and gone straight to the use of a cane. While he could manage the stairs once or twice a day, more than that caused problems so he and Lina remained in the downstairs bedroom while Ducky and Maisie stayed upstairs across the hall from Geordie.

Ducky had a wonderful time showing Maisie all of his favorite places, reveling in the warm weather. Maisie wanted to meet the woman who'd made the sweater Tim sent her for Christmas so they made sure to stop in at the flea market and meet her. Tim went with them and the vendor frowned when she saw Tim's cane but smiled when he told her that Maisie was his grandmother and that she wanted to thank her for her beautiful sweater. They made sure to take several photos and Maisie bought fabric and yarn. Caleb took them to the agora on his day off and Lina took them to the Acropolis and Parthenon on her day off; Geordie went with them both times. One day the mature couple took the ferry over to Aegina and had a wonderful day in town and on the beach. The Russells of course insisted they stick with tradition and Maisie and Ducky thoroughly enjoyed their dinner party at the Russells' home.

All too soon the two were on their way to Scotland. The following Friday, the adult grandchildren, Lina, Bec and James, Damian and Matt flew into the Edinburgh airport and met Ducky and Maisie at their hotel. After a late dinner together, they turned in knowing they had a busy and joyous day ahead of them. The sun shone Saturday morning and James remarked that it was a good omen, in a land of frequent clouds and rain to have the sun shining on one's wedding day. The ceremony was to be held at 2:00 in a small former chapel near the Royal Mile. Maisie had hired a florist to decorate it and their wedding reception would be at the hotel.

Maisie's dress was the same lovely blue she'd worn at their first meeting and that same blue was reflected in a sash of her Stirling tartan which she wore her around her waist. Sarah, Lina and Bec's dresses also reflected the Stirling tartan pattern: small blocks of blues, greens and blacks, intersected and crossed by single lines of light blue, yellow and red. Lina had designed all of their dresses; she'd made the patterns, mailing them to Sarah and Maisie and they'd ordered the fabric online. Maisie made her dress with Claire's help while Sarah's was done by a seamstress in London; Lina of course made her own and Bec's was sewn by none other than Archimedes. Lina had hoped to do at least hers and Bec's but with the emotional chaos surrounding the explosion and the NCIS mission, Tim's hospital stay and his temporary special needs followed by Kim's wedding, she just hadn't had time. Luckily she'd realized it well enough in advance to ask their favorite tailor for help. He'd made Bec's dress and ended up finishing Lina's for her.

As promised, Ducky wore his colorful Buchanan kilt, which featured a small green and black plaid overlaid by double lines of red and yellow running horizontally and vertically. Each double red had a white single line through it and each double yellow had a black single line through it. He was thrilled when not only his three grandsons but James, Damian and Matt also appeared in kilts, purchased online and altered as needed by the talented Archimedes, luckily before Lina had appealed for help with the dresses. Tim, Geordie and Rob wore the Buchanan pattern, while James wore the Stirling tartan pattern. Damian and Matt had chosen to wear Matt's family tartan, the Watson clan pattern: a 'watch plaid' of blues and greens with intersecting lines of yellow running horizontally and vertically with an additional single line of red also running horizontally and vertically.

When it was time to leave for the chapel, Tim delayed them saying he'd forgotten to take the one medication he was still on and for that he would need to eat something. His grandfather gave him a suspicious look but he ignored it and within a very few minutes he was ready. Finally they left for the chapel.

When they entered the small building, Tim and Lina were the only ones not surprised to see Uncle Jim and Uncle Dave waiting for them in their dress uniforms. After a 13 hour flight from South Africa, they'd taken a train in from the airport, gotten lost and texted Tim. His "medication" delay was to give him time to get directions from the hotel's front desk and text them to his uncle. When she saw her son and their dear friend, Maisie cried tears of joy. Ducky clapped them on the back and thanked them for the long journey. They'd left the Baton Rouge, knowing this was Jim's one chance to see his mother and Donald's wedding. After the date of the second wedding had been scheduled, the church and hall reserved, the Navy had announced maneuvers in which the Baton Rouge would be involved; it would be impossible for either the Captain or Admiral to leave. Geordie, Bec and Damian hadn't met the uncles in person so introductions were made. They were all still chatting when the officiant interrupted them and with apologies let them know he had another service that afternoon.

There were no pews or benches in the chapel, just chairs and those few had kindly been brought in by the florist. Neither Maisie nor Ducky wanted to choose among their family for a 'maid of honor' or 'best man' so instead Jim and the grandchildren stood with them while the others sat. The bride and groom stood in front of them, in the center where the officiant stood. As this was a civil ceremony, it was very short and after the two recited their vows, they were pronounced husband and wife and everyone cheered and threw rose petals, an extra from the florist who, not knowing the whole story, thought it was sweet that this couple had found love in their senior years.

Ducky had hired cars and drivers to get them all to and from the chapel and when the newlyweds emerged they were whisked back to the hotel. When they stepped into the reception, there was another surprise. While Lina had been in charge of the women's clothing, and Geordie the men's, Sarah and Rob had, unbeknownst to their grandparents, taken on the reception. They'd had some ideas and talked with Claire about them. She in turn found a roundabout way to mention it to Maisie without saying that it would happen at either wedding and found that her mother-in-law loved the idea.

The three conspirators met on Skype and Claire showed the others what she'd found. She sent it off to her niece and nephew in London and they'd brought everything with them and included other family members in their plans. With the cooperation of the hotel staff, they'd slipped into the room early this morning and set things up.

Now when Ducky and Maisie entered the room, it was to find images of them and their family all over. On one side was a nearly life-sized photo of the two of them in London during their early relationship. In fact, the photo had been taken at the Robbie Burns' Night celebration when they met and showed a smiling Maisie in much the same outfit she wore today and a beaming Donald in his Buchanan finery. Another photo showed Drew Hubbard from that same night, linked with the two of them. There were more photos of Maisie and her Donald scattered around and also of Drew and Donald as Ducky said, "gadding" around London. There were pictures of Lily and Jim as children and later with their spouses and children. Finally, there were photos of the McGee siblings and Ducky at Christmas, more including Lina and photos of Tim, Lina, Ducky and Maisie and Tim, Lina, Callum and Ainsley taken in February. A copy of that last photo, with the younger grandchildren, had also been photoshopped to include all of the grandchildren with Ducky and Maisie.

The pièce de résistance however, was a portrait of the newlyweds that Lina painted from photographs. In the forefront they appeared as they were today, standing a little apart and looking across at each other, each with an arm stretched across the short distance between them, their fingers entwined, shown in profile. Behind them was a looking glass with their mirror images but as they had been in the late 1950's when they first fell in love. It was beautifully done and both bride and groom were speechless with wonder when they saw it.

After the party, the couple slipped away and after changing to casual clothes, everyone else set out for a private tour of Edinburgh, complete with guide, arranged by Ducky. A small bus picked them up and took them to Edinburgh Castle with the Stone of Destiny and the Crown Jewels, down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Rosslyn Chapel which most of them remembered from Dan Brown's _The Da Vinci Code_ and by Lina's request, the Fruitmarket Gallery in the city center, a former fruit and vegetable market that now exhibited contemporary art. They stopped to see the monument to Sir Walter Scott and on Calton Hill, the monument to Scotland's favorite son, the poet Robert Burns (known universally in his homeland as Robbie or Rabbie) and the monument to the victory and death of Admiral Lord Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar. Although Matt had graduated to crutches, he'd decided to travel with his wheelchair which would be easier on his leg and his friends; he'd been surprised on arrival to find that Ducky had rented crutches for him for the weekend as well. The tour bus was configured with a chair lift and each site visited in their tour had been vetted for some degree of wheelchair access. They brought the crutches with them and both Matt and surprisingly Tim, used them a time or two.

The end of the tour brought them to a restaurant near the hotel and the tired group enjoyed their dinner together. Although it had been a horrendously long day for the Captain and the Admiral, they were grateful they'd been able to get here for the wedding and to spend more time with their family. The group would meet for brunch the next morning and then say their farewells. The uncles would leave for the airport around 1 PM and would reach the Baton Rouge somewhere around 0500 Monday morning. The Greek contingent would leave around 3 PM and the London trio around 6. Tim knew Lina, Sarah and Bec wanted to do some shopping before they left, they'd already planned what and where. That was fine as Ducky and Maisie were themselves leaving on a trip to the Highlands shortly after the uncles' departure. Neither Tim nor Matt was up for much walking today; while the wedding and reception had been fine, adding the tour into a busy day and getting on and off the bus had exhausted still healing bodies. They'd made arrangements for a late checkout, although Tim had spotted a small store near the hotel that he thought he could manage to get to; he was not willing to break his record for buying postcards and souvenirs everywhere he went! Geordie had opted out of the shopping stint with Bec and the others so after Tim decided he'd rested enough, he accompanied his brother to the store. And then he stood in amazement watching his formerly thrifty brother sweep through buying gifts for everyone. Suddenly Geordie understood the box of souvenirs Tim had given him when they'd returned from Israel and all the postcards sent from England, Wales and Greece. His brother had broken free of their old life and seemed to be embracing the world although Geordie wasn't quite sure what souvenirs had to do with that. Maybe it was just that he could now afford to spend a little money on travel and wanted to share his new adventures with his family and friends.

Saying goodbye to everyone after such a short visit was hard but then they knew they'd all be together in Piraeus in a few months. They were quiet on the flight home, everyone but Lina and Geordie slept the entire way. Lina worked on a sketch of a fountain she'd seen in Princess Street Garden and when asked she told Geordie it would be part of a landscape of the garden as seen from the heights of Edinburgh Castle. She showed him the photo and he nodded, that would make a beautiful painting.

They were home shortly before midnight and fell into bed. Tim had a doctor's appointment in the morning and hoped he'd be able to surprise Pete and the others by appearing at the office to work afterward. Although truth be told, he wouldn't mind one last day to rest from the weekend. By now he had regained 100% range of motion with his right arm and shoulder; it was his knee that might be the holdup. Even that was going according to the schedule the doctors and physical therapists had set up with him, including the wedding. The tour had been a surprise but Tim knew that his grandfather had taken every precaution for the three recovering agents.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

1) Here's the link to see the clan tartans (Stirling for Maisie's family, Buchanan for Ducky's, Watson for Matt. Matt's tartan was a bonus, I just checked for fun and lo and behold, the Watsons have their own tartan!

From NFA or A03:  scottish_clans/clan_ 

From fan fic go to: w w w DOT scotclans DOT com FWDSLASH scottish THIS IS A REAL SPACE_clans FWDSLASH clan THIS IS A REAL SPACE stirling FWDSLASH tartan DOT html

(Or go to NFA or Archive of our own [A03] to see the link )

The pattern that displays should be the Buchanan tartan but if not, go to the "Find a New Clan" option on the left side of the screen and type in Buchanan. To see the Stirling and Watson tartans, type in either Stirling or Watson in that same field.


	91. Chapter 91

Finding Home, Chapter Ninety One

Monday the doctor cleared Tim for desk duty, with the restriction that he wait until Tuesday to return to work. She wanted him to have the remainder of the day to rest from the weekend. Tim nodded, appreciating the restriction and that told him just how much ground he still needed to regain to be cleared and actually ready for field duty.

After the appointment, they stopped at the Flying Pig for lunch and Geordie remembered to tell his brother about the proprietor's inquiry when he was here with Bec. Tim chuckled, saying that when the Humvees hit the IED, it wasn't just the Marines and the NCIS agents who were impacted, it was also at least two local businesses – the Flying Pig and George Avramidis' mixed martial arts classes.

"Four of us, Bec, Matt, Kim and I, had classes two nights a week and dinner here afterward and usually Lina and Damian joined us. At Christmas we had such a big crowd they opened the back room for us. So yeah, I can see why he asked – and you met George at Kim's wedding. At least she's back at class, but the rest of us…I don't know."

"Wow, yeah, that's a lot of missing revenue. Too bad your martial arts guy can't help with your physical therapy. Bec could probably start back then."

"That's brilliant, Geo! I'll talk with my therapist tomorrow and then George. Otherwise it's probably going to be another couple of months before Matt and I can get back to it. Bec might be able to go sooner."

Geordie nodded, "She has a checkup this week and is planning on asking her doctor if she can resume classes."

Tim shook his head, "Man, we were all in such good shape! Now…you know, I should stop whining, we're all alive and healing; we could have ended up as dead as our prisoners."

Geordie just patted him on the shoulder and they went back to ordering their lunch. Tim was off all medications by now (the medication he'd 'forgotten' on Saturday had been Ibuprofen) and decided to have a beer. He'd lost track of which ones he'd tried and recognizing their server, mentioned he'd forgotten and thought he'd just start over. She laughed and pulled a list from her pocket. Apparently one of the servers had started keeping a list and when they saw him come in, the appropriate server would update it with his newest selection.

When they got home, Tim called Pete to let him know he'd be in after PT on Tuesday. He chuckled when his boss cheered, "Yay, another warrior back with us!" He was just heading into the bedroom to take a nap when Matt called. He answered and heard his friend's panicked voice, "They're coming here…tomorrow! You've gotta help me!"

"Who's coming here…there?"

"Your in-laws!"

Tim laughed, "Our in-laws, my friend and it's about time you met them! So tell me."

Matt said that Damian's parents had wanted to come to Athens as soon as they'd been brought home from Israel but when they heard Matt's parents were on their way they held off and Tim smiled, figuring that Mrs. K had wanted to help with Matt's care, that was sweet. When he said that, Matt paused, he hadn't thought of that at all.

"You think it's going to be ok, don't you?"

"Yep, just be yourself. Damian's told them how he feels about you and remember the 'Ariston' effect."

Matt made an agreeing noise; that was true - Uncle Ariston's confession to his brother had helped Damian's life as well as his own. "Just be myself. But I'm such a wimp, I still can't do much."

"That's ok, you were injured in the line of duty, don't ever be ashamed of that! Look, they'll be impressed you went to my grandfather's wedding, tell them about that. Talk a little about work, the man loves cops! Tell them what little we're allowed about the mission. And we'll have dinner together at least."

"Can't you come over, can't Geordie drive you over…oh, Geordie, that would be a big help!"

Tim laughed, "He's allowed to talk about his work even less than we are - how is that going to help? And you want to be the proud, competent federal agent you are!" He paused, "When I'm over, I'll tell them about bringing Bec in as a TAD so we could keep you."

"You think Pete and Trina would have a party for them?"

Tim snorted, "Trina's probably already placed her order at the butcher's ...ok, I'm kidding but yeah, I do!"

"So you never answered my question, why can't you come over after PT?"

"Because my friend, I am going back to work!"

"Wow, that's great, you're so lucky!"

"You're up next, won't be long."

"I can't wait, Damian and everyone has been great but I really want to go back to my normal life. The other day Damian had a meeting, you and Geordie were at your PT session, Lina was at work, Trina was somewhere with the kids, Evander had showings, Caleb and Adan were working, Norm was teaching and none of Carla's helpers were there, I even called my old roommate but he was in class…poor Dani ended up taking me to PT."

"I know, she told Lina, but she didn't mind, she was happy to help!"

"I know she said that but still…"

"Hey don't feel bad. Gibbs' knee surgery got moved up to this week because he got into a tussle with a suspect and that knee got slammed. With Ducky and Maisie still out of the country, he's been trying to figure out where he's going to go when he gets out of the hospital. He has stairs at his place, so that's out. He's only got a couple of other buddies that live in the area."

"Huh. So what's he going to do?"

"Had an e-mail from him last night. Looks like he's going to stay that first week at his buddy Fornell's place, Tobias will take some days off to be around. That should be fun, would love to be a fly on the wall that week!"

Matt huffed, "Fornell, is that the FBI guy?"

"Yeah."

"What about your aunt, too weird with your uncle away?"

"Huh…you know I'll bet he never thought to ask or maybe he did think it was weird. He's really not good at letting other people help him; I can't even imagine how he'd do with Aunt Claire. He'd love being around Ainsley and Callum though."

"So maybe he spends the second week there, or is he flying over here then? Weren't you guys talking about that?"

"Yeah we were but we dropped that idea when his insurance company turned him down for surgery here. He's coming over at the end of August so he'll be here for his birthday in early September."

"And then coming back for the wedding or is he staying on?"

"Ha funny guy! Nope, he's leaving; be back for the wedding."

Once Matt had some direction about what to do with Damian's parents, he felt better. Tim had an appointment with Dr. Agnos after work on Tuesday; he told Matt he'd have to check with Lina but that Wednesday looked better for the two of them to join Matt and Damian and the in-laws. They'd had their first pre-marital counseling session last week and would have the second one next week. Tim lay down and made a happy sound at how good it felt and then drifted into thoughts about Gibbs and that knee of his.

Maggie called him the previous Thursday to let him know Gibbs' bad knee had been hurt, he was in the hospital and the doctors were going to do a full knee replacement after the swelling subsided. Tim wondered if he should have him come over early, but knew the second week would be way too soon; there was no way his body could handle a long flight a week after surgery. He was really glad Gibbs was coming for his birthday; when he'd worried about the expense, Gibbs said, "You don't need to worry about that, Tim. You know I sold Jack's house and made a nice profit. And he had plenty of money, the old coot! He'd been investing and tucking things away for years, never said a word; he left me more than enough to keep me very comfortable even without my retirement from the agency and pension from the Corps." Chuckling, he continued, "Not as much as your grandfather, but more than enough! I can visit you kids – wherever you go – anytime without having to worry about it."

"So are you thinking of retiring then?"

"I'll have to in a year. Not crazy about it but at least I have places to go."

"Bremerton, Piraeus, London and Tel Aviv."

"Yeah well, something like that! And Tobias will probably retire and move somewhere when Emily goes off to college, so I can hang out with him too, two old farts."

Now as he lay trying to stop his mind from whirling, Tim thought of another project for Gibbs but that was pretty far out in the future and he had no idea if they could ever make it happen. Tim suddenly realized there was someone they hadn't considered as far as Gibbs' recovery. Maybe his buddy Roger Cooke, the former Marine/ATF agent he'd met at Jack's funeral would be willing to help. He grabbed his phone and sent off a quick text to Gibbs & Fornell. After sending the texts, Tim promptly fell asleep, waking a couple of hours later when Geordie knocked on his door. "Tim, get up! It's time to hit your swimming pool, Bro!"

The brothers were still in the pool when Lina got home from work that night, although she noticed one of them had been out at some point as there were chicken breasts all set to grill. Later that night after dinner, Tim found a reply from Fornell: "Great idea, thanks, we'll call him!"

Lina laughed when Tim told her about Matt's call as she'd had a similar panicked call from Damian. They decided Wednesday would be a good night to join them; it would give the two scaredy cats time with Davos and Hélène and see how silly they were being. Tim thought about that, remembering how nervous he'd been. He reminded his fiancée that her brother had gone with them to Thessaloniki to support them. She nodded, he was right. She patted his cheek and asked him how he'd feel about joining them Tuesday night instead, after his session with Dr. Agnos. Tim thought it would be all right and so Lina let Damian know. She laughed when she hung up, "They're both relieved we'll be there tomorrow instead of Wednesday."

She paused, "Tim, what would you think of asking my parents down when Gibbs is here? I feel badly they didn't have a chance to meet Grandfa and Grammie when they were here. Papa is still very interested in talking to Gibbs about his woodworking."

Tim nodded, "That's a great idea, sweetie! And Gibbs can tell him more Tibbs stories." They both laughed at that. When Tim expressed an interest in celebrating his return to work, Lina pulled a face, "And tire you out again, my love?"

He saw the twinkle in her eyes and pounced. She squealed and then grabbed him and the next thing he knew his phone alarm woke him for PT Tuesday morning. For the first time, he drove himself to his session and found it exhilarating to be behind the wheel again. He spoke with his therapist about his mixed martial arts class, wondering if there was some way to blend the PT and the class. His therapist really liked the idea and took George's number. Tim sent George a text explaining why his PT therapist would be contacting him and he got a big smiley face in return. Yep, George was missing them!

Walking into the office was another exhilarating experience. Tea jumped up to give him a hug and Kim and Eva copied her. Pete was on the phone, so Tim headed into the kitchen to find Bec and the others at the conference table working on cold cases. She grinned when he walked in. "Yay, you're really here! Pete said you'd be in, but I needed to see to believe." The TADs were also working cold cases and they greeted him happily. This was a different pair since the Russells' party; they'd arrived last week, allowing Lydia and the Marseille junior, Doug to return home after long weeks in Piraeus. Bec and the new TADs, Josh and Joely, said it was easier to work at the table. With Tim's return Joely, the least experienced one, would return to her own office as they could handle field work with 3 agents until Tim was cleared for the field. However, she'd been asked to stay the week and fly out Friday, given that Tim wouldn't be in until after PT every morning. Beginning next week, the PT sessions would move to late afternoon so he could work a full day.

When Pete got off the phone, Tim went in to say hello and they ended up talking for the better part of an hour, the SAIC catching his SFA up on what was happening with the office and the agency in the last few weeks. Tim couldn't believe how good it felt to be back, even for desk duty. He felt like himself again instead of a convalescent.


	92. Chapter 92

To Guest 'Reader': There will always be some sort of excitement going on, our favorite feds have to earn their keep after all, but another storm like Bagram? Mmm…well, you'll see! Thanks for all your reviews, I always look forward to them!

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><p>Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Two<p>

After his session with Dr. Agnos on Tuesday, Tim drove into Athens and picked Lina up at the museum, waving hello to Caleb who was just leaving the parking lot, and then drove to Damian and Matt's. When they knocked on the front door, Damian opened it and smiled in relief, "Lina and Tim, welcome!" He hissed at them, "Finally you're here." Tim whispered back, "Sorry man, had an appointment with my shrink, they won't let me work without seeing him." Damian shook his head in apology, "I know, I know."

Rolling her eyes at her brother, Lina pushed past him and headed toward Matt who was sitting on the couch. Tim frowned, he knew his friend couldn't get up from there without help, why wasn't he sitting in the recliner…oh, Mr. K was in it. He looked at Matt who gave him a pleading look. Tim greeted Lina's parents and whispered into Mrs. K's ear as he pulled her in for a hug, "Matt needs to sit in the recliner, he can't get off the couch by himself but please don't embarrass him." When he pulled back she gave him an imperceptible nod and said to her husband, "Davos, will you not stand to greet Timotheos? He and Matt are still recovering from their injuries, we have not thought of them. Tim has a bad knee on one side and a bad arm on the other and poor Matt has a leg broken in multiple places. Come son, I believe you'll be more comfortable in the recliner where your poor leg can have support. Please, let us help you move."

Damian and Davos helped Matt up and over to the recliner. He couldn't help sighing with relief as he sat. "Thank you, Mrs. Kalivas; my leg just isn't strong enough yet to pull me up off the sofa."

She nodded. "We are sorry, Matthaios for not thinking of you. And here we came to see if we could help during your recovery!"

Mr. Kalivas apologized as well and Matt was gracious, "Please don't worry. I should have said something."

Unexpectedly Mr. Kalivas smiled, "But you are like Tim, eh? You're too polite to tell your father-in-law he's being an idiot."

Matt and Damian were speechless at his words and Lina quickly stepped in. "Mama we brought mezes, will you help me for a moment?"

"Yes my Melina."

Damian turned to Tim, "I should know this by now, but what is best for you to sit on?"

Tim looked at him with his eyes twinkling and said, "Other than my backside? Something with a hard seat, please!"

They laughed as Tim made his way to a hardwood chair. Once he was seated, Matt eagerly asked about the office and Tim's first day back. That was guaranteed to capture Mr. K's attention and Tim talked about the day, bringing Matt in on it so that it was clear he was very much missed. He managed to bring up the cold case where Matt had found the link to the second cold case and other cases where Matt had excelled. By the time Lina and Mrs. K brought the mezes in with cool drinks, Mr. K was laughing at Matt's description of the 'Gibbs' glare' and he asked Tim to demonstrate it. Tim said he would but they'd have to watch for it, he needed to be in a certain frame of mind. He told them they should just wait until September to see the real thing. The family enjoyed their mezes and drinks, Damian getting up to put their meal together when a timer rang in the kitchen.

Dinner was perfect and after the faux pas with the recliner, the senior Kalivas' were attentive to Matt and Tim. Having previously discussed it with Pete, Tim asked Matt to bring their in-laws into the office for lunch on Friday. If there was no case, they'd all be there, if there was a case Pete and Bec would be out with Josh but Tim, Kim, Tea and Eva would be there and possibly Geordie would stop by. Matt said something about Geordie only coming in to see Bec and Tim turned 'the look' on him although he also winked at him to let him know he was really teasing, remembering Matt's reaction the first time he'd given him that look. Mr. K roared with laughter and Damian smiled at his friend, his brother, in gratitude. Then Tim smiled and told them all he'd promised Matt never to use that look on him. Mr. K said he understood why and he wished he'd seen it years ago. Damian and Lina's eyes grew big and their father laughed even harder.

They didn't stay late, Tim and Matt were obviously tired and as Lina told her parents, "Tim has physical therapy and work tomorrow; he needs to get to bed very soon." Then she twinkled at Tim and he had to bite the insides of his mouth to keep from laughing at his naughty sweetheart. After inviting them for dinner Thursday night, they departed.

XXX

Tobias called Wednesday from Gibbs' hospital room. He'd already let Tim know that Gibbs' knee replacement surgery had gone well with no complications, except for possible caffeine withdrawal. Now that the patient was fully awake, he wanted to talk with Tim and presumably Tony when it wasn't so early in the state of Washington.

Tobias hadn't thought to bring a laptop with him to the hospital so they spoke over the phone but Tim was just glad to hear the older man's voice. "Poppy, you sound good! How's the knee feel so far?"

"Numb, they're keeping it pretty numbed up for now. Going to have to walk on it before I can leave here."

"Yeah, Tobias told me that, you'll be using a walker."

"Hate that."

"Hey, I rode a wheelchair, you can use a walker!"

"You're right son, sorry for complaining!"

"Nah, you just had surgery, you're allowed. Just remember it's only temporary and once you heal up, you're going to feel better than you have in years!"

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. Hope by the time I come see you."

"Yeah, me too, but we have all kinds of equipment in the house now so no worries. Wheelchair, Matt will still have his walker, crutches and at least 3 canes."

"Three, all yours?"

"Nope, Bec has one, I'm still using mine and Matt will have one when he loses the crutches."

Gibbs huffed, "Damn terrorists; thank God you all made it out!"

"Damn the dust storm, Poppy! Turns out taking out the terrorists was the less dangerous part for us."

"That's right, strange, huh? Can't wait to see you Tim, and Lina and everyone else and see whatever I didn't see before."

"Can't wait for you to get here; we'll both be mobile this time! You're taking your laptop to Tobias' and Roger's, right?"

"Yeah, it's already at Fornell's place. Gotta see you guys."

"And we need to see you. So is Maggie running the team while you're off?"

"Yeah and she's ready for it."

"Yeah, Pete said everything went very smoothly when she was here."

"Bet you'll be glad when everyone's back."

"Yep. I'm back on desk duty, started yesterday, hoping for field duty in a few weeks if I behave myself. Matt's hoping to be cleared for desk duty in a few weeks, so in a couple more months we'll all be back in the field."

"Good man! Hey, did you have a good time in Scotland?"

"Oh yeah, it was great." Tim spent a few minutes telling Gibbs about the wedding, the uncles flying in from South Africa to surprise Maisie and Ducky, their reaction to the photos and Lina's painting and the surprise tour Ducky had arranged for them.

Gibbs chuckled, "I knew you'd like that, Ducky told me. He said he told the tour people to show you three of the most important sites and one of your choosing plus the Robert Burns thing."

"And that's what happened - and they threw in a couple other things. It was amazing what we saw and learned in just a few hours!"

"Bet you were tired on Monday."

"Oh yeah, but it was worth it." Tim had heard a change in Gibbs' voice and knew he needed sleep. "Poppy, I think it's time for both of us to get some sleep so I'm going to hang up. Just wanted to remind you that I love you and I'll talk with you soon."

"Love you too son. Love to Lina and Geordie." They disconnected and Tim nodded to himself, glad Gibbs was doing ok and that his knee was finally fixed after all these years!

He'd be in the hospital for a few days until he could safely walk with a walker. From there he'd go to Fornell's house for a week and then Roger would collect him. Tim had a Skype call planned with him for Friday with the proviso that if he was in the middle of being discharged from the hospital, they'd move the call to Saturday.

By the time Thursday evening arrived, both Lina and Tim had given up the idea of a home cooked meal for her parents and instead opted to treat them to a casual dinner at The Flying Pig with dessert and coffee at the house afterward. The museum staff was overwhelmed with visitors – tourists, both local and foreign. As for Tim, they'd gotten a piece of a case from London and they were busy with that.

Lina and Damian had discussed the two men joining them but Damian begged off, saying he and Matt needed some time together. The visit with his parents had been far less stressful than either of them had feared and they'd been helpful, driving Matt to physical therapy, helping around the house, but it was still more people in the house than the couple was used to. The senior Kalivas' had originally planned to fly home on Saturday but the Russells were quite naturally hosting a dinner party in their honor Saturday night, so they'd leave on Sunday instead.

Still reveling in having his independence back, not that he hadn't loved every second spent with Geordie, Tim drove to the Metro Station after work to meet Lina and her parents. From there they headed for the Flying Pig.

Lina remarked, "You should know that there won't be a problem with parking, even though the neighborhood is very busy. Timothy has the 'parking gene', just watch and see how quickly a spot will open up for him."

Hélène laughed while Davos looked skeptical. As he turned the car onto Filonos street, they could see there were no vacant parking places. Tim drove slowly down the street and just as he approached the pub, a car pulled out. Tim pulled in, making a neat job of parallel parking.

Lina looked smugly at her father and he chuckled, "Yes, now I see! It is a convenient thing to have, yes, Timotheos?"

Tim gave a one shoulder shrug, "I never realized it until I came here, one of my co-workers noticed. When my grandfather was here for Christmas, he admitted he's never had a problem finding a parking space either."

"And your siblings?"

"I don't know; we haven't talked about it!" Tim thought for a moment, "When my brother Geordie was driving me to PT, he never said he had a problem finding a parking spot, but then he would drop me at the door so…huh, we'll have to ask him."

They exited the car and walked into the pub where they were warmly greeted and asked if they wanted their usual table. As they walked, Davos asked Tim "Is your brother joining us tonight?"

"Not sure. He and Bec, the woman he's dating who is also my colleague, are having dinner but she was still working when I left the office."

"You have different working hours?"

They sat and were handed menus. Tim made a face and the hostess laughed, "Your server will have the updated list." Smiling in thanks, Tim answered Hélène's question.

"Right now, yes. We're working a case that belongs to our London office. They found a piece of something relevant that's here in Greece, so we're investigating that for them. As I'm still confined to the office, I'm doing the electronic work while Bec and Pete are doing the field work." He laughed, "All that is a long way of saying I don't know when Bec will have a break for dinner."

"But don't you have work to do also?"

"What I'm doing is using the computer to do various searches. I have programs that will take the search results, analyze them and fire off additional searches if the results indicate that. So once I set up the initial searches, the computer will keep on going as long as the results tell it to. I thought of going back in later to see what results I had but my boss ordered me not to."

Hélène was nodding, understanding what he meant while Davos eyed his son-in-law. "The computer does it all, how is that possible?"

Lina smiled, "Tim does many wonderful things with the computer, Papa, he wrote the program that he's talking about."

"So you know how to have it automatically look at results and go look for more?"

"Yes. It looks for key words, say for example the words, "deposit or overdraft or credit limit" and if the program recognizes those words it will go searching for those deposits or overdrafts…like that."

"Ah I see, that makes sense. I don't know how you do it, but I do understand the concept."

The two men smiled at each other, both secretly relieved. Tim was glad his father-in-law was not a technophobe as his former boss had been and Davos was relieved that he could understand some of the electronic work that Tim did.

Hélène changed the subject by asking about Scotland and England. She loved to travel and was always eager for details of places she hadn't yet been. Tim talked about the places he'd traveled to on the weekends during his month in London last year. Many of the pictures were still on his phone and he brought up the ones of the cathedral in Salisbury, talking about the building of it and then showed the various structures at the outdoor museum in Cardiff and the kit he'd sent to Gibbs for Christmas. He showed them the buildings in Bath with the Georgian architecture; by that time Hélène had figured out what he was doing. Davos was very interested, he'd thought traveling would be a bunch of boring galleries, museums and shops, but he loved different styles of architecture and seeing how a particular style evolved, it was something he and Damian had in common. And building a cathedral, that was an immense project; he looked at Tim's photos again.

Surprising his wife and daughter, he said to Tim, "Do you think my English – our English - is good enough to travel there?"

Tim nodded, "Of course, you and Hélène speak it very well. Their accents and some of their words are different from place to place, just like here. The Scots sound different from the English and the Welsh, but they're used to visitors from non-English speaking countries. I have an app on my phone that you could use; it translates one language to another very quickly and shows you how to pronounce words phonetically." Tim grinned, "Matt used it the first case we worked together. I needed him to go to the hospital with our victim and he used it to translate what the medical staff told him. He was just learning Greek so it really helped."

"It's easy to use, Timotheos?"

"Yes, it is and we'd be happy to show you if you'd like." Hélène tried not to look at Davos, afraid her longing to see other places would overwhelm him as it had in the past. However, their lives had been changing and Davos' attitude with them.

The first change happened during the trip to see his brother: Davos had enjoyed the traveling, meeting new people, trying new restaurants and cuisines, seeing the similarities and the differences between the cultures. The second change was the addition of Timotheos McGee to their lives. Davos understood that Tim worked for the U.S. government and would not always be posted in Greece or even Europe. He sensed from what Lina told them that the 'powers that be' at his agency might have big plans for him. That meant he and Hélène would have to travel to who knows where to visit their grandbabies. The same was true for Matthaios, he would not always be posted here and although there might not be children involved, Davos wanted to see his son and son-in-law. And lastly, really it was only fair to hand over the business to Nicolas who was doing so well in running it anyway. Maybe he, Davos, would be allowed to consult once in awhile or to build something himself, he had long missed the days when he built furniture. But most important of all, it would make his Hélène happy and she'd put up with him for all these years, it was time to give her what she'd wanted for so long.

As he was about to speak, the server arrived with their orders. He was puzzled when she stopped to write down the name of the beer Tim was drinking and then remembered a list of some sort she'd given him earlier and the remark by the hostess.

When the woman departed, Davos nodded, "Hélène, my darling, perhaps it is time for us to see the world. You pick where you would like to go first and we will go!"

Under the table, Lina was holding Tim's hand and squeezing and on the other side of her, Mama was squeezing Lina's other hand. "We have family in London now, Davos, it would be easier to start there, in England, don't you think? We can meet them and then we will be old friends at the wedding."

Lina spoke, "Tim says the flat where Sarah lives is pretty small."

"Oh heavens daughter, we won't stay with them! I thought we'd meet for dinner, perhaps they have a particular site they'd like to show us."

Tim cleared his throat. "If you're interested in seeing Stonehenge, my friend James went with me when I was there and I'm sure he'd love to go with you."

"Your friend James…I thought that was the name of your sister's boyfriend?"

Tim sighed, "They're one and the same."

Davos laughed, "You do not approve?"

"I do, I just…she's my baby sister." He shook his head, "She's an adult, in her 20's but I raised her and she'll always be my baby sister." He paused, "She's all grown up."

Davos patted him on the arm. "You'll get used to it to some degree; just don't think about it too much!" He continued, changing the subject, "What was that list the server gave you before and why did she write down the name of the beer she brought you?"

Lina started laughing and laughed so hard her mother looked at her with wide eyes. Tim laughed too but mostly he blushed as he explained his experiments with the different beers. "I never knew they were keeping track until Geordie and I came in for lunch the other day; hadn't been here in a few weeks. I'd forgotten what beers I'd tried and the server handed me a list."

Lina had calmed down enough now that she explained their twice weekly dinners here. Davos nodded, pleased to find that Tim was a regular here and that the staff knew him. He was living _in_ the culture not outside looking in as a tourist usually does.

Tim's phone chirped with a text from Geordie: Bec was still working so they were rescheduling dinner, he was going to pick up dinner at the deli for the three agents and him, drop theirs at the agency and meet Tim's group back at the house.

In the meantime, the foursome enjoyed their meal. Davos insisted on paying and with some foot tapping and glances, Tim decided Lina did not want him to protest, they could treat them some other time. They made the short drive to the house, pointing out the office on the way. When they pulled into the garage, Tim realized Lina's car was still at the Metro station. She patted his arm, "We'll get it when we drop Mama and Papa off or you can give me a ride in the morning."

They took the parents around to the front door and Davos noticed the ramp, now propped up against the side of the house.

He pointed to it, "Damian told me about the one that was built for Matt; this was made by the same people?"

"Yes, while we were in the hospital."

"You have good friends here and that's important!" Tim smiled his agreement.

Geordie was just finishing his gyro and had the coffee brewing. The Kalivas' were excited to meet him, appreciating that he also spoke their language and welcomed him to Greece. They loved the house and all the personal touches added by Lina and Tim. Tim made the trek upstairs with them and noticed Davos seemed a little nervous when they approached the master suite but as he and Lina hadn't yet moved back in there, there was no sign of her in the bedroom. That was also because she and Geordie had moved any visible items of hers the night before. There was a painting she'd done on the wall but that wasn't unusual, she was an artist and Tim's fiancée after all. Her parents seemed surprised when they looked into the second bedroom, the one Sarah used at Christmas and found nothing there of Lina's either. Geordie's door remained closed as he explained he hadn't yet put his laundry away. Hélène chuckled, "There's no need for us to look into the room of a grown man, Geordie!" He just nodded, wondering why he was nervous, they weren't his in-laws! Of course they weren't really Tim's yet either but it was easier to think of them that way.

Downstairs again, Davos asked where Tim did his writing and they were escorted to the study, aka Ducky's bedroom. It was neat and tidy and once again didn't show a sign that Lina was living there. Davos was curious about Tim's writing process and was shown the typewriter and the shredder. When he was surprised Tim laughed and told him he only did his final draft on the typewriter these days, everything before that was in a heavily secured file on his personal laptop. They exited to the kitchen and then sat at the dining table enjoying their frozen yogurt, fresh fruit and coffee.

By 9 PM Tim was biting back yawns and Davos and Hélène were ready to return to Damian's. Geordie took Tim aside and told him he would drive them into Athens and they'd pick up Lina's car on the way back or they could drop her in the morning on the way to PT. Tim was so tired he didn't argue much as he told their visitors goodnight. Davos pulled him aside, "I hope your friend James and your sister Sarah are as thoughtful to you as you and my daughter have been with us. I know she lives here, Timotheos, but thank you for respecting my father's sensibilities."

Tim just gave him a weak smile and Davos patted him gently on the back as they left.

After they drove off, Tim called Damian to let him know he wouldn't have to pick them up at the Metro; Geordie and Lina were bringing them home. Then he called Pete to see if they were still in the office. "Hey Tim! We're still here, but finishing for the night. How'd your dinner go?" They talked for a couple of minutes and then disconnected so Pete could chase the others out and get home himself.

Tim was sound asleep when Lina and Geordie got back; he never stirred when Lina joined him. Friday they were up and out in time to drop Tim off at the office so he could review the results and see what new information the others had and for Geordie to drop Lina at the Metro Station and then come back to get Tim and take him to PT. They had this worked out so that Geordie could have the car for the day.

Tim couldn't wait to work a full day, he was glad his PT sessions were moving to early evening. Today he'd also heard that George would join them for at least a few sessions, to see what Tim could start doing without straining his healing body parts. They hoped that once Tim had the new routine going, George could do the same for Matt and that way neither man would have to start from scratch with their fitness. Bec was cleared to resume her classes but with the case work last night had missed her first one.

Tim, Pete and Bec had their heads buried in the results of last night's searches when Damian, Matt and the Kalivas' arrived bringing lunch. Davos and Hélène were thrilled to meet everyone and a little embarrassed to see they'd interrupted work on the case. Pete put them at ease, "Please don't worry, we need to take breaks; otherwise we get too tired and tired means the possibility of missing things!"

They had the grand tour, minus the upstairs as Josh was in residence and then pulling additional chairs out of the shed, they ate outside. Matt had only had one prior visit so he was kept busy catching up with everyone. Kim shared more photos of her honeymoon and Davos took careful note, seeing the enthusiasm in his wife's eyes. He thought this would be a wonderful trip for her birthday next year. They didn't stay long after their meal, this was a working office and they had a crime to solve. Before they left, Tim showed Hélène the translation app and Pete pointed Davos toward the "Closed Cases" board in the kitchen; Davos swelled with pride when he saw the frequency of his son-in-law, really sons-in-law's names.

The rest of the afternoon went by too quickly. Tim had the monthly conference call with Director Elbaz of Mossad, the first one since their rescue, medical treatment and hospitalization in Israel. She asked after everyone and told Tim that her bosses – the Knesset – were pleased with the letter of thanks they'd received from the Secretaries of State and Navy. Other than that there was no new business so the call was brief.

The four agents felt they were very close to breaking the case and none of them were willing to leave it until tomorrow or worse, Monday. They stayed and indeed cracked it wide open around 2000. Pete, Bec and Josh went to bring in their suspect while Tim called London and then the Piraeus PD to notify them they'd have a prisoner for weekend lockup by 2300. When his teammates returned, Tim looked at Josh's bloody nose in concern. The young man gingerly shook his head, "It's not broken and I'm glad I've been going to class with Kim and Bec but I still didn't get it together in time. This guy clocked me and Bec just reached out with her leg and hand…" Josh demonstrated, "and took him down!" They stashed the prisoner in Interrogation while Tim put an ice pack together for Josh and told him about his encounter with the drug dealer in Italy with the resultant trip to the hospital. That made the younger man feel better about his aching nose. They let the suspect stew for nearly an hour and then Tim and Josh went in. Tim read the charges to the man, including assaulting a U.S. Federal Agent and then noticing the man's mouth working, he grabbed Josh's shoulder and the two of them leaned sideways as the prisoner spat at them. They ignored the spittle on the table and continued their interrogation without missing a beat. When he caved, they had him write his statement, sent an e-mail to London letting them know this part of their case was all tied up, took the man to the Piraeus PD for the weekend – JAG would fetch him on Monday – cleaned up the table and went home.


	93. Chapter 93

Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Three

With the work on the case keeping him late on Friday, Tim had re-scheduled his Skype session with Gibbs for Saturday and then belatedly realized he might have to do it from the Russells' house. He and Lina got a late start Saturday morning and puttered around the house and yard, spending a few hours in the pool before it was time for the party. They laughed at Geordie who asked if the parties were always this frequent. As far as they knew, no one was expecting any family members or friends to visit until Gibbs at the end of August. Although as Lina pointed out, her parents' visit hadn't been expected.

They packed up their sports clothes and headed off, dropping Geordie at Bec's place so they could arrive together. When Tim rolled his eyes at that, Lina gave him a poke, "You would have done the same thing before I moved in with you."

Tim nodded, "You're right. I'm just not used to the idea of Geordie dating anyone – heck, I'm still getting used to having him around at all!"

"It's good though, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah, it's great! I haven't been around him this much since we were kids in the camp. And you know we've never lived together."

"So even though you are brothers you're really just getting to know each other."

Tim nodded. "Yes, certainly as adults. It's strange but then what's not strange about the McGee family!"

"It will be even stranger when he moves to his quarters."

"Yes, which reminds me, had an idea about that."

She laughed, "I have had many ideas about that, but you go first!"

"What would you think if we were to take a long weekend sometime in August – before Gibbs gets here and before the wedding stuff gets too frantic..." seeing the look in Lina's eyes, he corrected himself, "gets any more frantic and get away somewhere? What's your favorite island?"

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Tim! Hmm, I have several favorite islands so I'll have to think about that." She hesitated, "What would you think of going outside of Greece? And maybe this time we'll have the entire weekend!"

He leaned over to the driver's seat and kissed her, "I'm intrigued and sure, we can go anywhere you want, as long as we can get there and back between Friday night and Monday morning. You know I meant to tell you about some information I found. Statistics show that a federal agent gets seriously hurt just once in his or her career and now that we've been through this, we should be fine."

She spared a glance from the road, "Did you make that up?"

"Nope, it's online at the US Dept. of Labor site."

They reached the Russells just as Damian was parking his car. They had a wonderful afternoon eating, drinking, playing volleyball and croquet and telling stories. Matt was using his crutches today and he had to skip the exercise as he was already tired. By the time they got through dessert he was visibly fading; he and Damian and the guests of honor departed soon after. Tim and Lina followed on their heels and were home in time for the Skype call with Gibbs.

Tim was glad to see that his former boss looked alert even though he was taking some pain medication. When Tim mentioned it, Gibbs smiled and said, "Coffee!"

"Of course! So you didn't have to go through caffeine withdrawal after all."

Gibbs shook his head. "Not sure I was supposed to drink my normal amount but Tobias showed Callum and Ainsley where the good stuff was and they brought me some when they visited with Claire."

Tim smiled inwardly at the thought of his young cousins helping Gibbs but outwardly he frowned, "Not sure that's such a good thing to corrupt those two."

Gibbs looked at him closely and then grinned, "I almost bought that one, Tim! And Claire knew. I gave them an IOU note to leave in the doctor's lounge."

They talked for a few more minutes, Tim bringing him up to date with everything, especially the surprise visit from his in-laws. Gibbs' eyes opened wide when he heard about that. "One day's warning?"

"Two actually; Damian had a meeting the day they were planning on arriving so he put them off for a day."

"Geez, you might want to ask them for more notice than that!"

"I don't think it will be a problem now that they've seen work and how we're hunkered down during a case. And Lina's already spoken to Hélène about it."

"Good!"

"You know they told me – and Matt now too – to call them either Mama and Papa or their given names."

"Yeah…?"

"I've been sort of alternating until I figured out what works but I think I'm going to do first names, feels better. I don't remember calling anyone Mama - and Papa is too…I don't know, he's a good man and I think we'll be close but he's not you or Ducky or the uncles. Just doesn't feel right."

Gibbs nodded, he hadn't thought about it. Well, not much. When Tim told him about their plans to travel, Gibbs chuckled, "Tell them they have a place to stay in the DC Metro area whenever they want. And I'm sure we can at least provide contacts for them just about everywhere."

"Contacts?"

"Maybe not to stay with but people to meet or at least have their contact information in case they need help."

Tim grinned, "That's a great idea!"

"Not like they can't call home, but it'd be nice to have someone local too."

"That's brilliant, Poppy and I'll bet that'll make both of them feel more comfortable about traveling. Although their English is pretty good they don't speak any other languages, just Greek and English."

Gibbs made a slight huff, "Used to be that French was the universal language."

"Huh, didn't know that!"

"Hey, you know who called me at the hospital?"

Tim shook his head.

"My cousin Richard, the one who was at Jack's service."

"Oh good…how'd he know you were in the hospital?"

"Called the office looking for me and Maggie remembered him; gave him the number."

"How about that!"

"Turns out I've got all kinds of cousins on that side of the family, who knew!"

"You could have a reunion."

"Have to hire a hall!"

"We could combine families and have one giant reunion."

"We'd need a stadium for that!"

The two men shook their heads, laughing.

At one point, Gibbs pointed to himself, "Only child!"

Tim sputtered back, "Orphan!" They continued laughing at the thought of each of them now having large families.

On the other end of the call, Tobias came wandering into his kitchen in his jammies to see what was so funny. He was relieved to see Tim on camera; he'd been a little afraid all the hilarity was caused by Jethro's pain meds. While Tobias was there, Tim insisted on seeing how well Gibbs was doing so they grabbed his walker and Jethro walked a few steps.

Tim spoke with Gibbs again on Tuesday night; Fornell had been called to the West Coast to testify in one of his RICO cases so Roger was picking Jethro up Wednesday morning for his first checkup and then the trip to the farm. They'd already arranged for his physical therapy to take place in a nearby town so everything was all set.

In the meantime, things were quiet at work. They spent several days doing reports for the London case and then went back to cold cases. Tim's PT was going really well, he'd re-qualified on the shooting range and now he was waiting for that all important appointment with his doctor for his field clearance.

Matt was also waiting for his work release. He was feeling good, he freely admitted he wasn't ready for field work but he was splitting his time using crutches and a cane and saw no reason he couldn't do that at the office where he'd be sitting at a desk most of the time. He knew the severity of his injury was what had kept him out for so long – he'd nearly lost his leg and the repairs had been far more than pinning together broken bones. Still, he was ready. His doctor's appointment was at 10 AM on a Monday and by 10:30 the entire staff was fidgeting, waiting to hear. Pete's cell finally chimed at 10:47 with the good news, Matt would be in on Tuesday for desk duty!

Their last TAD was still stuck with them until Tim's clearance, although Josh didn't seem to mind. He'd taken full advantage of a TAD in the Mediterranean and had the tan, the photos, contact info and the souvenirs to show for it. Pete was very happy with the young man's performance and had been sure to let his SAIC know. All the TADs who had helped, whether in Athens or one of the other offices, had received a letter of thanks, signed by each member of the Athens office – copies posted in the Hall of Fame in HQ and a glowing letter of recommendation signed by Maggie and Pete. Except for Maggie's own letter of course, that was signed by Vance and Pete.

It had been a long haul, from late April to this week, the first week in July. After the cheers at Matt's news had died down, Tim sat thinking and then walked into Pete's office.

"So what do we do here on the 4th of July? I mean, I know we're on call this weekend but we must do something at some point, right?"

"Yep. We celebrate the following weekend and get holiday pay for working on the Fourth. "

Tim started laughing, "Don't tell me, a party at your place?"

Pete chuckled, "Yes, usually. What we've been doing for the past few years is splitting the on call duties that weekend between two offices. That way we all get to celebrate our country's birthday. This year we're up and we're splitting it with Rota; we'll split two weekends. We'll have Saturday off and be on call Sunday, then London has next weekend, then we split with Rota again the following weekend and Marseille ends the month."

He continued, "As for how we celebrate, Trina and I have been talking about doing something different this year. Our favorite idea so far is for all of us to catch the ferry to Aegina for the day. That's the fastest and easiest island to get to."

"That sounds like fun!"

"We could bring our ice chests and chairs; we might even be able to handle a folding table."

"Eat on the beach?"

"Yep. It'll be cold food but I doubt anyone will mind, usually hotter than Hades anyway."

Tim thought for a moment, "It's a bit of a walk to the beach from where the ferry docks. Might see if they can accommodate a wheelchair."

"Matt won't like that or are you saying for you?"

Tim snorted, "Better not be me! No, I was thinking for the walk back." He paused, "I could check on it and then it'll be up to Matt."

Pete nodded. "If he brings it and doesn't use it, we can pile stuff in it."

"You know that's another idea, a cart of some kind."

"We have a wagon we used to haul the kids around in when they were little."

"That'd be perfect!"

"Ok, I'll send out an e-mail, be great if everyone goes, we'll see." He looked at Tim, "What?"

"Any chance we can get fireworks somewhere?"

Pete laughed, "Oh yeah, no worries about that!"

"If Josh is still here…."

"Yep, got that covered too."

With a twinkle in his eye, Tim reached over and patted Pete on the back, "Great job, Agent Russell!"

Pete made a rude noise, they both laughed and Tim went back to his desk. Pete wrote up the e-mail and sent it out; Tim was just forwarding it to Lina at work and Geordie on his phone when Bec cleared her throat rather loudly. He looked up and she smiled, "Ok if I let Geordie know?"

Tim smiled; geesh he needed to get used to them dating already! "Good idea Bec!"

By the time they left work that evening, Adan was the only unknown. A landscape designer, he was up north working on a project and Tea would talk with him that evening. Everyone else was in. Tim had checked the ferry and the hydrofoil and both were wheelchair accessible. He was hoping to think of a way to casually throw that out into a conversation with Matt or Damian.

Lina came home all excited about the day trip to the island and they planned what they'd bring, going through the pool shed and the garage looking for folding chairs and ice chests. They found four chairs and two ice chests. When Geordie mentioned that Bec was planning on buying a chair or two, Lina called her and told her if she wanted she could borrow their two extra.

The next day was Matt's first day back at work; when he came through the door he got a rousing cheer. Their team was finally whole again. Yes, two of them were still stuck in the office but they were there, **_in _**the office! They didn't get too much work done that morning and for once neither Tim nor Pete stopped the happy chatter. While Pete and Eva went to get lunch, the others got the big table cleared off as it was too warm to eat outside.

Josh was smiling to himself and when Tim asked, he said, "They're so happy you're all here – the women. I've never heard them talk as much as they did this morning!"

Tim smiled, "They're professionals and would have been on their best behavior anyway with all the temp people here. And I know they were worried about us."

"Oh yeah, it was awful, those two days you were missing. Even icy Lydia was upset…" He stopped talking when Tim put his hand on the young man's shoulder and spoke quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear him remonstrating with his younger colleague.

"Lydia is a good agent, Josh; not everyone is comfortable sharing feelings with co-workers, nor should it be necessary. And even if she wasn't a good agent, you shouldn't be talking about her or any colleague or express personal opinions like that in the office, in public. It's unprofessional and it'll end up reflecting badly on you. It's one of the worst things you can do to your career, not to mention the possibility of hurting whoever you were talking about. There's no place for gossip here. You're a good agent; don't shoot yourself in the foot!"

"Yeah, I know sorry; I need to watch my mouth."

Tim gave him a pat on the shoulder "I've found it helps to think twice before I say something personal." Josh nodded and the two resumed clearing the table.

* * *

><p>Note: I used creative license for the statistics about Federal Agents only getting seriously hurt once during their careers and originally gave it to the Dept. of Defense as a reasonably believable source. Then I decided to be a responsible writer and do the research (which I usually love doing but statistics of injuries and death, not so much. L) and found stats for the Department of the Navy but the numbers for the real world NCIS were not broken out and the numbers are combined for illness and injury. From what it looks like, though, the one serious injury per career may be an overstatement in the real world which is a good thing! And the correct source is the US Dept. of Labor.<p> 


	94. Chapter 94

Surprise! A two-fer day! Please note this chapter was not beta'd…so proceed at your own risk!

Note: Pop culture reference in this chapter…from the 1970s although there are a lot of fans around still, especially on fanfic net, there are some awesome stories, some of my favorites. Hint: it's not the characters names, but those who brought them to life. Oh and it's not Star Trek related (although one of the actors guest starred on ST VOY…never mind!). Correct answer wins cyber cookies!

* * *

><p>Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Four<p>

The trip to Aegina for the Fourth of July celebration was pronounced a success on the ferry, before they even got to the island. Pete made the declaration, saying just getting everyone aboard with all the gear was a miracle. Everyone ended up going, Norm and Carla with the triplets, Dani and Ross, the entire Athens office staff and their loved ones. The day was beautifully clear and warm but not as beastly hot as Pete had feared.

Once they hauled everything from the ferry, with Pete's cart and the empty wheelchair coming in handy, they found a place that rented sun shelters, a 3-sided tent-like structure and they took the biggest one they had. It was almost large enough for the whole group and kept the triplets, Tim and Norm from sunburns. By day's end, all of them spent some time in the shade. They played in the water; Tim and Matt brought boogie boards and they found the buoyancy of floating in the waves felt great on their legs. There were several splash battles and at some points they had to call a truce as the salt water was winning. They'd organized the food as to who brought what and that turned out well as there was plenty of everything but not a lot of repetition. The Russell kids baked a large sheet cake with red, white and blue frosting; Pete and Damian walked to the closest store and bought ice cream to go with it. Before that, they'd had cold sandwiches and every kind of salad Tim had ever seen or heard of. After they ate, he and Lina went for a walk but not too far as he didn't want to risk straining his knee so soon before his doctor's appointment.

He made a little humming noise as he put his arm around her and she smiled at him, "What are you thinking, my love?"

"The last time, well I guess it wasn't, I forgot about Napflion, anyway, I was thinking of the beach in Thessaloniki when we had the whole thing to ourselves!"

"We'll have to go back and see if we can experience that again!"

He certainly agreed with that! "Oh yeah…Melina Kalivas, I love you so much and I'm so glad that we both went to that high school play and found each other; now we get to spend the rest of our lives together!"

She murmured to him and they walked a little further to a rock they hoped would be large enough to shelter them. There would be no lovemaking today on this very open and public beach but at least they'd have some personal time.

When they finally walked back, they found Geordie and Bec had disappeared and Pete chuckled, "You two had that end of the beach locked up, don't know where they went."

Tim just grinned, having a pretty good idea where they'd gone. Geordie had asked him very specific questions about the island and Tim figured if he hadn't done a physical reconnaissance, he'd probably at least looked online. Kept from personal use of the electronic world for over a decade by his covert work in Special Forces, Geordie was making up for lost time!

They stayed after the sun set so they could set off their fireworks over the water. There was an additional hydrofoil scheduled this evening and they'd made reservations, figuring Matt and the triplets would be more than ready for a quicker trip home. After they ooh'd and ahh'd over the fireworks, they cleaned up their trash, packed up and headed to their ride home. Freely admitting his exhaustion, Matt rode in the wheelchair back to the dock. The triplets were asleep in their three-seat stroller and never stirred when they were gently lifted onto the vessel. Once the coolers, chairs and bags were safely stowed and all passengers secured, they took off. Geordie had gotten a kick out of watching his brother on the boat this morning and he watched him again now. He well remembered Tim's misery on the water; the two brothers spent an afternoon on a boat on the Chesapeake, a reward from their high school for their scholastic excellence and there had been that one trip to Disneyworld. Geordie was relieved that his brother had found an effective remedy. He reflected that Tim had really found his niche here with these people and Geordie was thankful he'd decided to join them, to finally leave his highly specialized and dangerous job. Like Tim, he'd made one decision and it had changed everything for him.

When Tim woke Sunday morning, he sincerely and devoutly hoped that there would be no calls, no crimes that even hinted of involvement with Navy or Marine personnel. He checked his work e-mail and saw a note from Stan that they'd had no calls and wished the same for them today. He didn't know what he was going to do today but he hoped it wouldn't be NCIS business! By noon he and Geordie were in the pool, floating on pool toys, slathered in sunscreen and sipping on their ice cold lemonades. Lina and Bec joined them and the four of them lazed the day away. Tim dozed off only waking when his phone chirped at him. Bec made a face but he shook his head, "Nope, that's the alarm; it's time for more sunscreen. Anyone want anything while I'm out?"

Geordie decided he was hungry and the women agreed so Tim made lunch for everyone and the others forced themselves out of the pool long enough to eat. After they ate, they played cards and relaxed some more. By the time the sun was setting, Geordie and Bec decided to go out for dinner and asked them along. Neither of them felt like cooking so they roused themselves enough to shower and dress and joined the other two at a restaurant they'd been meaning to try. They enjoyed the food and the company and their server was kind enough to take photos for them. When Tim saw the photos, he laughed, "No one's going to recognize me, this is the best tan I've had in my entire life!"

Geordie agreed, "Gotta say, Bro, that white pasty look is long gone, haven't seen it since I got here, not even when you were in the hospital."

Bec laughed, "That's probably because you don't sleep at your desk anymore!"

Tim agreed and said he was going to send the photos out right away, before the tan disappeared. He sent a group e-mail with the photos.

His Monday morning doctor's appointment went just as he hoped it would; he was cleared for the field! When he walked into the office carrying his usual pack, everyone was either on the phone or away from their desks; chuckling to himself he made a brief detour to the kitchen, giving Josh, working at the conference table, a thumbs up and a grin and then went back to his desk and got to work. Two minutes later he heard Pete's chair rolling as his boss called out, "Special Agent McGee, SITREP!"

He laughed as he stood and held up his gear bag. "Ready for the next crime scene, Special Agent Russell!" There were cheers as he called out, "I brought pastries to celebrate!"

Everyone headed into the kitchen to find Josh making his reservations for his flight home. He looked at Pete, "If I stay until Thursday, I'll save the agency a few hundred dollars." Pete nodded, "Then absolutely stay if you can stand three more nights upstairs! You're one of us now anyway."

The young man grinned and completed his reservation while the pastries were plated and coffee, tea and cold drinks were prepared.

The rest of the day sped by, working on their reports. Tim sat in on a conference call with Joel and Lydia who thanked them for solving the "Grecian connection" to their murder case. Then he worked on more reports until it was time for their conference call with Vance. Tim was feeling pretty good, excited and relieved to be cleared for field duty, his knee had benefited from the salt water and the lazy float in the pool yesterday. And he was going to class tonight!

While Kim and Bec were back on track, George had been working with Tim and Matt's physical therapists to gently get their mixed martial arts skills back into some sort of shape. Tim wasn't sure what George would have in mind for either of them but he was looking forward to the class.

When Vance called, he grinned at the two men. "I can't tell you how great it is to see the two of you healthy and whole. Everyone's back now, correct?"

Pete nodded and grinned at his boss. "Yes and Great Lakes will be happy, we're sending Josh home this week."

"Home…that means…Special Agent McGee, something you want to share?"

Grinning Tim held the doctor's signed release form up to the screen.

"Wonderful, that's wonderful! And Special Agent Watson, do we have an ETA for him?"

Pete shrugged, "He's doing well, progressing according to the schedule the doctors and therapists set up. Target date is mid-August."

"Excellent! I know it's been a long haul for the four of you but I'm proud of all of you. Kim, Tea and Eva have done a superb job keeping everything running smoothly and your families and friends have done a wonderful job supporting all of you."

Pete nodded, "Can't tell you how good it feels to have my team back." He went on to tell the Director about their Fourth of July celebration and Vance laughed, "Ah that sound wonderful. We went to a barbecue at Rick Carter's place. Cooke brought Gibbs up; it was good to see how he's progressing. Lot of folks missing though –Dr. and Mrs. Mallard aren't back from Scotland yet , the Admiral and Captain are on a float as you know and of course the McGees are all in Europe. I did have a chance to meet the new Palmer kids."

Tim nodded, "Ethan and Stevie, how are they settling in?"

"Seem fine to me, Ethan and Jared hit it off, even though Jared's a few years older."

They talked for a little while longer before signing off. Tim looked at Pete, "Ask you a question or two?"

"Of course."

"You have two brothers, right?"

"Yep, Kevin and Randy."

"When you and Trina were planning your wedding, did you pick one of them for your best man? And if so, how did you choose between them?"

"Ah…that was a tough one, my friend. I did consider them but I sure couldn't pick. So I didn't pick either one of them. I asked a good friend to be my best man and my brothers were my groomsmen. I told them what and why first though and they understood."

Tim nodded, "That was the only fair solution I could think of." He chuckled, "We hoped to have a small wedding but with the size of both of our families and friends, that's not going to happen. But we're still going to keep it to family and friends."

Pete snorted, "That's a big enough group as it is!"

"Yeah."

"Gotten anywhere with the housing challenge?"

Tim nodded, "While I was off I called around to several hotels to see if we could get a volume discount on rooms. I've gotten a couple of quotes and there are three others who are working with their corporate offices for a better discount. I'm also thinking of doing the unthinkable - to out myself as Thom E Gemcity and promise a mention in my next book for any help I can get on prices."

"Wow, that's a big deal!"

"Yeah, I'm not crazy about the idea but I also don't want to spend every last drachma on hotel rooms."

"You're paying?"

"Well yeah Pete, I can't ask people to pay nearly $1500 apiece in airfare and then more in hotel fees."

Pete sat in thought. "Maybe you need a different angle."

"Huh?"

"Airfare is the most expensive part of this, yes? Particularly for the ones with kids – your aunt for instance and your friends with the new kids and Leon. What if you chartered a plane and they paid for their own hotel rooms? I'll bet that would be less money, easier to arrange and you could probably still get the volume discount but not have to pimp out Gemcity."

Tim looked startled and then sat quietly thinking about it. "That sounds good; I can start looking online for charters and how to arrange them." He paused, "Wow, Pete that's two great ideas, thanks man!"

"Welcome my friend!"

Bec tapped on the glass window of Pete's office, a sign it was time for Tim to start his warm-ups. He wasn't quite sure what warm-ups he'd do but guessed he'd figure it out. He stood in the doorway to the garden and watched Kim, Bec and Josh doing their warm-ups. Josh had been attending class with them for a few weeks and he had been looking online for a mixed martial arts class near his office. Matt was sitting and doing some stretches, not doing anything more with his bad leg than he did in PT. Tim decided that was a good idea and followed suit, doing the exercises he'd been doing in PT.

George was over-the-top happy to have all his "warriors" as he called them, back and was sorry to hear Josh would be leaving. He had surprises for all of them – he'd had T-shirts printed up with the name of his studio on the back and on the front it said, "Proud Defender". He gave Tim and Matt specific exercises to do and then put the others through their paces. He gave them a new move and they practiced while he worked closely with Tim and Matt to start gaining back the ground they'd lost with their injuries. By the time class was over, Tim was tired; he could feel that he'd been working his muscles differently than in PT but his knee and arm didn't hurt and that felt like a win. He looked up at Matt's exclamation and smiled to see Lina, Geordie, Damian and Evander waiting for them. They had dinner at the Flying Pig and then headed home. Tim had a Skype call planned with Gibbs but he'd sent a text after class asking if they could re-schedule for Wednesday night, he was too wiped out to do anything but fall into bed. Gibbs said that was fine.

Tuesday passed quietly much to Tim's relief. While he still wasn't hurting, he was tired after spending two afternoons in the water and last night getting back to work on his exercises. He had his last mandatory session with Dr. Agnos Tuesday evening after his PT. The group session wouldn't happen until Matt was back on field duty and Dr. Agnos would be handling that.

Wednesday started quietly. They were still doing paperwork on the London case and Matt was reviewing a cold case when they heard Tea on the phone and then Pete's voice. Sure enough, Pete appeared in his doorway, bag on his shoulder. "Got a dead citizen in Athens and the LEOs believe they've found a link to one of our sailors. Matt, we'll call in with the sailor's id so you can get started with the electronic workup. Tim, Bec, Josh let's go. It's not our crime scene so we won't need the van. Kim, we'll be in touch."

The four agents piled out into one of the sedans, Pete handed the keys to Tim and off they went to Athens. The body had been found near the Acropolis where parking was impossible. When his SFA pulled into a spot vacated by a departing police car, Pete grinned and Bec laughed quietly while Josh seemed puzzled.

They ducked under the crime scene tape and then Bec stopped and held Josh back, while Pete and Tim continued on to the body. Dr. Costas was on the scene; he gave them a nod and then introduced them to Detective Anastos who nodded once and then started to show them why they had been called in but stopped and told Pete that it was fine to have the rest of his team join them. Pete nodded and motioned to Bec and Josh.

The detective pulled a pair of tweezers and lifted a small scrap of paper from the hands of the dead man. He handed the tweezers to Tim who held up the paper, carefully cupping it with his gloved hand to prevent the breeze from blowing it away. The detective returned with an evidence bag and once the paper was in, they looked at the writing. It said, "I know who you are and I swear on the grave of my grandfather that I will track you down. (Signed) Jerome X Saltier IV"

Tim blinked and the detective held up a smartphone with Google results for the name Jerome X Saltier IV. He was a member of the U.S. Navy. Tim looked at the other results; there were only a few other Jerome Saltiers and the detective showed him why he'd picked this one. One of the name results was a deceased Jerome X Saltier III. Tim nodded, that made sense, it was possible that Jerome X Saltier IV and Jerome X Saltier III were related – the Third could even be the deceased grandfather.

Dr. Costas gave them an approximate time of death, more than 30 hours ago; the body had been hidden in a dumpster and discovered by the trash removal company who emptied that dumpster every Wednesday. The lapse of time was either sheer luck on the murderer's part or he or she was familiar with the area. In the meantime, NCIS would get to work tracking down the whereabouts of Saltier the Fourth. With the permission of Det. Anastos they took photos of the body, the note and the crime scene and got back in the car, returning to the office. Matt had Saltier's profile up on the big screen when they walked in. He'd requested warrants to check into the Saltiers' (Third and Fourth) records. While they waited for those, Kim and Eva went on the lunch run. The agents ate at their desks, pulling what information they had on their sailor. Dr. Costas' assistant called to tell them they'd found fibers on the murder victim and sent them to the lab. Shortly after lunch the warrants came through and they started digging in to Saltier III. He'd died several years ago but what was interesting – and maddening – is that they couldn't find anything prior to the 1990s when he'd retired from what his obituary called "a long term job with the federal government". Tim looked at the words for a long time and then up at the others. "Spook."

"Why do you say that?"

"If you're going to mention his job, why not say what it was…'Chief numbers monkey'? Why put part of it out there?"

"Maybe his family didn't know what he did?" They looked at Josh and he shrugged, "Well, it was an idea."

Tim shook his head, "We weren't mocking you; we were impressed - that's a good assumption. They might know he had worked for the government for years and maybe little bits and pieces, but not what he did specifically."

Josh nodded, "Which could be a spook."

Bec laughed, "Or something so boring that they never listened to him talk about it."

Matt grinned, "Chief page turner."

"Yeah, but usually the bios of chief page turners aren't blocked from other federal agencies. Ok, so we can't see any bio…I wonder, Matt we get the warrant for Third's financials?"

"Yes."

"Ok, let's take a look at those. Maybe we can piece together what Third was up to."

"What about Fourth?"

"Josh, you and Bec dig into Fourth, see what you can find, Matt and I will do the shoveling on Third."

They nodded and got to work. Third's financials took a while to get to as they'd been archived but eventually they had access. As they scanned through the years, they found the same amount of money paid to an escrow company and backtracked that to find the address of the property. Just as they found that, Bec called out, "Found an address in Athens!"

"Good, is it…?" Matt read out the address they'd just uncovered.

"Yeah, you have it too?"

"Yes, Third bought it in 1967. An American buying a house in Athens in 1967, interesting."

Eva looked up and nodded. "The year of the coup."

"Isn't that when the monarchy was abolished?"

"No, that didn't happen until the referendum in 1974, although it was first declared in 1973 but 1967 was the beginning."

Matt looked at Tim, "Do you know what side we were on?"

Tim shrugged, "Democracy I hope. But if Third _was _CIA, it might not matter, he could have picked his own side or played both."

He stepped into the private office to talk with Pete. There were two CIA officers now at the embassy and they hadn't yet made themselves known to NCIS. Pete and Tim didn't know whether Ted and Jack were coming back, had been reassigned or if they'd ever be able to return to active duty after their injuries. So checking with the local CIA office about the Saltiers was questionable. Tim offered to contact Fornell and see if they could find out anything via the Department of Homeland Security. That confused Pete who associated Fornell with the FBI. Laughing Tim explained the man's liaison position with DHS. But first Tim suggested they take a look at the property in Athens, still owned by the Saltiers.

While they were talking, Saltier the Fourth's records arrived and Bec poked her head into the office, "Fourth is active duty Navy, a Chief Warrant Officer and he's been UA from Rota for 10 days."

Pete nodded at their junior, "Thanks Bec, gear up, the three of us are going to take a look at that property."

Leaving Josh to continue working the data with Matt, the three agents headed back into Athens. The property was in the northern outskirts of the city and with traffic it took them more than an hour to reach the address. On the way they'd alerted the Athens PD as to what they were doing so if local citizens called about foreigners brandishing weapons and trespassing on private property they'd know why. Their detective laughed and asked if he might join them. Appreciating that it was a genuine question and not a statement, they agreed. He waited while they approached the house and offered to provide additional backup for the rear of the house. Tim, remembering all the times he'd been sent to the back by himself and especially the time he'd been attacked by a large aggressive dog flying through an open doorway, agreed.

The four split up, Pete and Bec took the front, Tim and Det. Anastos had the back. There was no flying dog; no one trying to slip out the back or through a window, the house was empty of any living things.

What they did find, however, was another body and what was left of the face bore a striking resemblance to the photos they'd seen of Jerome X Saltier the Fourth. While Dr. Costas was called in, Tim called Josh, grateful he was still there and told him to bring the van. In the meantime they took photos and gathered physical evidence using the spare crime scene kit in the sedan. While Tim was extricating a piece of something he didn't want to think too much about from under a table, he heard his phone chirp. He ignored it as the case and evidence, no matter how nasty it smelled, came first. A few minutes later he was helping Bec with more evidence when it chirped again. Sighing he rolled his eyes as they finished bagging and tagging and removed one glove to take his phone out of his pocket. He frowned when he saw the number on the caller id as he didn't recognize it. When he answered, he was shocked. "Tim? Timothy, are you there? It's Penny!"

He frowned as he turned away from the others. "Hi Penny, this is a surprise…is this an emergency? I'm in the middle of a case, I can't talk right now."

"Not really an emergency. I'm at the airport and I need you, Tim!"

"What airport?"

"Athens!"

Tim didn't know what to think but said the first thing that popped into his head.

"I'm sorry, I really can't help you right now; you need to call Geordie, here's his number."

He gave her Geordie's cell number and then disconnected as quickly as possible and shaking himself got back to work. Then sighing, he stopped and sent a quick text to his brother letting him know she'd be calling him. Worried and feeling bad although he'd done what he had to and she'd said it wasn't an emergency, he got back to work.


	95. Chapter 95

Congratulations to bananagal1 for the correct answer to last chapter's 'find the actors' names' challenge. Yep, Kevin Tighe and Randolph (Randy) Mantooth are the actors represented by Kevin and Randy, brothers of Pete Russell. The two men appeared in the show "Emergency!" decades ago and from all reports they're still close friends. bananagal1's basket of cyber cookies has been sent to her inbox ;).

Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Five

Geordie was jumping waves when Tim's text arrived and he didn't hear his phone. He was at the beach with Ross and the Russell kids. They were on school holiday and had asked to go to the beach today, but Trina and Dani were busy. Bec had been there when Dani and Ross were talking about it and suggested they ask Geordie if he was interested. He was and now here he was, jumping waves with 5 kids. Inwardly he shrugged, the Colonel had ordered him to relax and have fun; that's what he was doing.

Kyra had gotten out of the water for a few minutes and heard a phone. She called out to Geordie that she thought it was his as the others ahad ringtones. Hoping it was Bec, he got out of the water and dried off before he looked at his phone and was dismayed to see he'd missed a text and two calls. When he read Tim's text, his jaw dropped and he checked his voice mail. There he found two messages, both saying basically the same thing. "Geordie, it's Penny your grandmother. I'm at the Athens airport and they won't let me through Customs, they're talking about sending me away, help me, please son!"

Geordie pressed her number, hoping she still had her phone and was relieved when the call was answered. "Geordie? Oh I'm so glad you called!"

"Sorry we've kept you waiting, Penny, Tim's involved in a double homicide and I'm at the beach, I was in the water when you called. Tell me what's happening?"

"Well a few years back I was here in Greece and mmm, sort of got involved in a friendly little protest. And well…I was 'advised' to leave. But they said 'advised', they didn't escort me to the plane or anything. Here, will you talk with the Customs gorilla?"

A frustrated sounding voice spoke next and Geordie spoke soothingly, needing to get all the intel before he made any decisions or judgments.

The man identified himself as a Customs official and Geordie nodded and continued to speak softly. He didn't think exerting authority would do any good right now. "Thank you for speaking with me. I'm Dr. Langston's grandson Geordie Perry and I live in Athens with my brother, Timothy McGee. Can you tell me what the situation is?"

"McGee…is he a police officer?"

"Yes, he works for the U.S. Government, for an agency called NCIS."

"Ah, I have heard of him, I have a cousin on the Athens police, he is known for his good shooting and good works in bad situations."

"Thank you, that's good to know. Unfortunately, he's working a case and can't help us right now."

"Ah, and what is your position?"

"I'm a Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps.; I've been assigned to work here in our Embassy."

He pulled the phone away from his ear as the Customs officer started laughing. "And your grandmother is persona non grata in Greece, that's…I don't know. Doesn't make sense. A grandmother with two such outstanding grandsons. "

"Persona non grata? What did she do?"

"According to the tag, she participated in an illegal protest…19 years ago." The man sighed, "I believe this should be reviewed, unfortunately that takes time and I don't have the authority."

"All right, let me call my commanding officer and see if he can help."

"Have him call me directly please. And Lieutenant, we will treat your grandmother with respect."

"Thank you Officer, I appreciate that."

Geordie disconnected and immediately called Col. Martin and explained the situation. "Ah yes, I was just hearing rumors of an American getting held up at Customs. Usually they call here but she hasn't yet." He paused, "When did the Customs guy say the ban happened? "

"1995."

"Hmm, 19 years. And what happened to cause it?" Geordie told him what Penny had said. "So she was involved, not an innocent bystander?"

"Correct."

"How long until you can get there?"

"I'm at the beach with the kids of a friend; I have to get them home and then drive to the airport; probably close to two hours."

"All right, I'll call over and talk with them."

"Thank you Sir."

"Don't worry, Lieutenant, we'll get it taken care of!"

Kyra overheard some of the conversation and told the others. When Geordie was finally off the phone, he turned and found all 5 of his charges drying off and packing up. "Sorry guys, my grandmother's here and is having some problems."

"Is she ok, Geordie?"

"She's safe and she's not hurt, Ross. She'll be fine, my new boss is helping."

"That's good."

"Yes it is; unfortunately it means I need to get you guys home so I can go get her."

"Where is she?"

"At the airport."

Lukas scrunched his face, "Where's Dr. Ducky?"

Geordie smiled, "It's my other grandmother, and I haven't actually met her yet. Her name is Penny."

"Oh, is she the one that travels all the time?"

"Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"Um, Kayla introduced me to your cousin Ainsley."

"Kayla…"

"Kayla Vance."

"Ok, Vance is the head of NCIS, right?" The kids giggled and he shrugged, "Hey, I have a lot of new names to remember! Vance is the Director and Kayla is his daughter. And you guys hang out together?"

"Yeah, Kayla's parents lived here when she was born, our parents are friends still. Her mom died and her dad brought her and her brother, that's Jared, over for Christmas last year."

"Oh yeah, now I remember Tim telling me how surprised he was to see them."

"Yeah, that was fun!"

By this time everyone was more or less dry so they packed up the car and drove home. Trina was home and thanked Geordie profusely for taking them. He smiled as he drove away, he liked those kids, he didn't mind being around them. Maybe…he stopped the thought. He was still nervous about his relationship with Bec. They were doing fine, she said they were, but he was worried about…everything. He was used to worrying about his men and the job at hand and long-distance worrying about his siblings but now there were all these people, most of whom he hadn't even met and Bec. Mostly he was worried he was going to screw up. He knew how to be a Marine officer and he knew he was a good one, but this civilian stuff and the relationship stuff – that was scarier than many of the missions he'd accomplished in Special Forces!

He got home, raced upstairs, took a quick shower and then looked in his closet. Deciding he needed to make a statement to the people that had Penny, he put his uniform on and laughed at how good it felt to be wearing it. Proud, normal, like suddenly he was in the right skin again. He was just driving down the hill when he had a call from Tim. "Sorry Bro, we're still on the scene. Is Penny all right?"

"She's fine, safe, I'm on my way to get her now."

"Geordie…"

"Tim, you're doing your job, she didn't tell us she was coming and she's my grandmother too!"

"Yeah, I know."

Geordie suddenly felt a little smug. "So for once I get to be the first one to meet a new relative!"

Tim chuckled, "Yeah man, about time! I gotta go, I'll be home at some point tonight, just don't know when."

"I imagine we'll still be there."

They disconnected and Geordie made good time to the airport. He found Customs and was politely greeted. The Ambassador herself, he was told, had called the appropriate government official and vouched for Dr. Penny Langston, grandmother to Lt. Geordie Perry and Special Agent Timothy McGee who was affianced to Melina Kalivas. Penny was now officially welcome in the Greek Republic and was currently having a beverage in one of the airport lounges. He was relieved when the woman he was speaking with offered to escort him so he didn't have to figure out which 5'8" dark haired woman in her 70s was his new grandmother. He'd seen pictures but hadn't been on any Skype calls with her, they had not yet met in any fashion. When his escort stopped, he squinted and she recognized him, or at least decided the man in the uniform of the USMC was very likely her grandson and she jumped up. "Geordie! Oh my dear, you look wonderful."

She hugged him tightly and he relaxed, hugging her back. They gathered her belongings, thanked everyone for helping and got out of there.

She shook her head, "My protesting days are over now that I have you two. I absolutely cannot cause my Marine or my Federal Agent grandsons any more problems."

"Penny, you didn't cause us any problems, you were the one who was held."

"I know and if you two weren't here I would have called the embassy. How is Tim, is he done with his crime scene?"

"I talked to him on the way over and they were still there."

"I didn't know he was allowed out of the office yet."

Geordie huffed, "Yesterday was his first day. The doctor signed his release on Monday. So…where have you come from and why didn't you let us know you were coming? One of us would have met you, made some plans."

"Oh, I got done with my work and decided to come here instead of going home."

"Ok. For future reference, a little head's up would be appreciated."

She shrugged, "I was online reserving my flight and decided to look at flights to Athens and here I am. No big deal!"

"But it is to us, we haven't had a chance to meet you yet! Well… Tim and Sarah…you know what I mean. We would have killed the fatted calf, you know, prepared a feast to welcome you."

She chuckled and patted him on the arm. "Oh you're good, my boy! So, tell me about you and Bec."

"Don't know what there is to tell. We're dating, taking it slow and easy."

"Oh good, no one has really said so I wasn't sure."

Geordie sighed and then smiled, "I'm not sure I know either. We're good, I know that but I've never had a serious relationship and really, I haven't even really dated in the last 12 years, more erm…"

"Hook ups."

"Um, yeah."

She patted his knee, "I'm sure you're fine, you probably just need to relax a little."

"That's what Bec says."

"Ah a wise woman. And tonight I get to meet Lina too."

"You sound nervous."

"I am. You're grown up grandchildren. I've never had grown up grands before; Callum and Ainsley are just coming into their teen years and the last time I saw Tim he was 8 and Sarah was a baby, just 2. "

Geordie pointed out the office as they drove by and he could see that the van and one of the sedans were missing. "They're not back yet, Gr…er Penny."

"Was that going to be Grandma or Gram?"

"Grammie, actually, we saw them a couple of weeks ago." He pulled into the garage next to Lina's car, "And you're about to meet your granddaughter-in-law."

She gave him a little smile and he rounded the car to open her door and gave her another hug. "I got to meet you first! I'm always going to be the one that met you first! Tim's met everyone else but I got you!"

"Oh…that's so sweet!" She held on for a moment and he stood still, letting her get her bearings, wondering if the snafu with Customs had upset her more than she let on. He got her suitcase out of the trunk and led her into the house. Lina heard them and met them in the hallway. "Penny, welcome!" She hugged the older woman and kissed her on both cheeks.

"Melina, it's wonderful to meet you in person."

"And you, at last! Come, we'll show you to your room. I hope you don't mind stairs? Tim and I moved downstairs when he was injured and we haven't gotten around to moving back up yet."

"No, no, stairs are fine dear, thank you." As they walked through the house, she looked around, "This is lovely and are those your paintings? Beautiful! I was hoping to get to New Orleans to see the showing there but seeing them here is so much better!"

Once they were upstairs and Geordie was putting her suitcase on a chair, Lina said, "Tim called just as you were pulling in. They're on their way back from Athens, they had to drop the evidence off at the lab but Matt and Josh have done a great deal of the work at the office so he's coming home as soon as they get in."

"Matt is the one whose leg was broken?"

"Yes, he went back to work last week and Josh is the last temporary agent; he's leaving for home tomorrow. Now, we're having a simple dinner that Geordie put in the slow cooker this morning before he left. Why don't you take a few minutes and get settled in and then come downstairs and have a glass of wine and some mezes – those are appetizers - and relax."

"That sounds heavenly."

"Let me know if there's anything you need, please!"

"I will dear, thank you. I won't be long - I'll be down in a few minutes."

Geordie went to his room and changed again, patting his uniform affectionately as he carefully hung it up again. It was too hot for jeans so he put on a pair of cargo shorts, a tee shirt and then remembered his shower sh…flip flops were by the garage door, he hadn't wanted to bring all that wet sand into the house. He combed his hair, noting that it needed cutting again and headed back downstairs, barefoot for the first time since…well, except for the beach, he thought probably college.

Pete gave Tim a ride home after they dropped off everything at the office. He hadn't heard about Penny's arrival until after they'd left the lab. Bec and Josh had driven the van back so Pete heard Tim's half of the conversation with Lina and got that something had happened. When he disconnected, Pete said, "What? Or knowing your family, who? Or is it someone new? If it's none of my business tell me, I'll shut up."

Tim shook his head wearily. "No, that's ok, it's my McGee grandmother Penny. She showed up in Athens today, no word to anyone. And she couldn't get through Customs at the airport; she did something here in the 90's that got her on a no-entry list. So she called me. We were at the second crime scene and she said it wasn't an emergency so I gave her Geordie's number. He was at the beach with your kids, but eventually he got it straightened out. She's at the house now." He shook his head, "Who does that…flies in from who knows where unannounced and then can't get into the country?"

"Who fixed it?"

"Don't know yet. Geordie…maybe Col. Martin helped."

"Might have had the Ambassador step in."

"Oh geez, the McGee brothers, watch out here they come!"

"You're tired so I won't yell at you for that. But you'd better not say anything like that to me again. Her actions are her actions. If she's in the country now it's because you and Geordie are known as good men, men of honor who serve our country well. Got it?"

"Actually Lina knows the Ambassador pretty well… but yeah, it's a good thing, I got it." Tim closed his eyes for a moment and Pete reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

"You're tired, Tim. Been a long three months."

Tim nodded. "You feel it too?"

"Yeah, the physical stuff is fine but I'm more tired every night now than I've been since we had four kids under the age of 7."

"Dr. A says it's natural, that our bodies heal faster than our minds or hearts."

Pete nodded, "I've never been hurt before. Take that back, sprained an ankle once, Leon was still here. After we got home from Israel and out of the hospital Trina was mad at me for awhile."

"Because you were hurt?"

"Because I have a year, maybe a little more left on the job and now I get hurt. Harder to bounce back. And us missing for that day or two scared the crap out of her."

Tim nodded. "I told Lina now I've had my one allowable serious injury, we don't have to worry anymore."

"Yeah? How'd that go over?"

Tim shrugged. "We had a good talk about it; she says she won't know how she feels until the next time."

"I was told there will be no next time."

Tim laughed, "There you go!" Then he stopped and looked at Pete, "You're not…?"

"Holding her off as long as I can, kiddo, but I think it's going to be a year tops before I turn in the badge and Sig."

Tim slumped back. "I don't want to think about it."

"It's yours Tim, you know that."

"Pete! I…we can't talk about this tonight, we're both too tired and I have to go meet my wandering grandmother."

"All right, you and me, we'll go have a talk one of these days, go shoot some targets or have a beer or something."

"Sure."

Pete pulled into the driveway and Tim grabbed his stuff and hauled himself up. "How's the knee?"

"It's good and I just realized I forgot to cancel my PT this evening."

"Kim or Matt probably called them or talked to them if they called."

Tim nodded, "Thanks …see you in the morning."

"Ok, but you do not come in early, got that?"

"Yes sir." Tim gave him a mock salute and they both smiled.

He was walking up the front steps when Lina opened the door. She took his bag and wrapped her arms around him and he felt better. Just the simple act of having someone to come home to made him feel better and to have it be this wonderful woman made him forget all about his exhaustion. Eventually they made it past the front door and found Penny waiting for him. He kissed her and held on, for the first time all day feeling very happy she'd shown up out of nowhere with no warning. Then Geordie was there and Lina and the four of them had a warm group hug and Tim wasn't sure why but it felt really good and then he realized his shirt was wet and that meant Penny was crying.

They held on, the four of them until the kitchen timer clanged its loud obnoxious tones. When they parted Tim showed Penny where the downstairs bathroom was, got her a clean face cloth and towel. He grabbed shorts and a shirt and went upstairs to the master bath, washed up and changed his clothes. Coming back down, he found the kitchen empty and Geordie getting the table ready. Tim reached into the cupboard for a wine glass as Geordie called out, "Already poured you a glass, it's in here." He spotted his wine on one of the side tables in the living room, with a covered plate. Smiling as he knew there were mezes waiting for him, Tim sat down, put his feet up and sighed happily as he grabbed his wine glass. He looked around and Geordie jerked his head toward the backyard. Then he looked at Tim,  
>"So how bad?"<p>

"Just you; not allowed to talk with civilians about these things til after the case is closed nice and tight."

"Sure."

"First body was a Greek citizen, older, probably in his late 70s or 80s. Found something that had them call us in. We went, we looked, we talked, took photos, sent info back to Matt – never realized how handy that is, probably because I was usually the one stuck behind a desk. Anyway, by the time we went back to the office, he had some good information and all the warrant requests filed. So we didn't have to wait too long. We divvied up the data diving and found an address in the north end of Athens; went back…and found a second body."

"Same deal?"

"Not sure yet but think it's actually our guy."

"Huh, so three-way situation of some sort."

"Thought the first one was revenge for something, still digging into that but we need Langley's cooperation and so far they're stone walling us. Had to bring DHS in – luckily Fornell is still doing liaison work with them. But unless the dead guys killed each other and one of them was able to move around for quite some time, there's obviously a 3rd person involved. We're digging through what we've got and now we're working with Athens PD and Interpol, hopefully we'll get the info we need from the spooks."

"Wow, challenging, eh?"

"We worked a case in Spain and Germany few months back; that was my first experience with Interpol. They're a much stronger agency than they're given credit for…" Tim huffed, "much like NCIS."

"And Langley?"

"Had only negative experiences with them until I got here and met the two resident officers. Worked with them several times and got to be friends. Jack's the one who was with me in Italy during the cartel takedown, got me to the hospital afterward. We all went to investigate the explosion together in April but they got hurt bad and there are two different guys here now. They haven't bothered to introduce themselves so we don't know if they're temporary or what. Only reason we know where Ted and Jack are…well, friends of friends."

"So you're not asking the local spooks for help."

"Nope, don't know what the current game is."

"And the first guy was elderly so whatever caused the need for revenge probably happened a while ago."

"We're thinking the late 60s, early 70s here."

"Oh, bad times then."

"Yep and it looks like at least one spook was supportive of the bad times."

"Ouch!"

"Yeah, getting the records is going to be a major challenge!" Through the closed patio door they'd been watching the two women; Lina had been cutting roses and talking and Penny had been turned partially toward her and partially toward the door, as if she couldn't stand to miss anything. Now they came back inside.

Both men stood and Penny's lips curled up in a soft smile. "Gentlemen, both of you, a little archaic but tonight it feels good! Now who taught you that?"

The brothers looked at each other and Geordie shrugged. "My dad taught me. He had problems but he was a good guy at heart."

Tim nodded, "My dad taught me too, Penny and I remembered that."

Geordie grinned, "And we both taught Rob."

Tim snorted, "We taught Rob but as we were always together, Sarah thought that included her too. And um…." He looked at Geordie and they both laughed. "We thought it was cute."

Penny looked at them, opened her mouth and shut it again. "All right, no lectures tonight."

Geordie moved toward the kitchen to serve dinner and Lina picked up her wine glass. "Sweetie, how'd the new exhibit go?"

"Wonderfully well, Timotheos, Caleb is over the moon happy about the reception he got from just one day."

They explained who Caleb was and how he recently started working at the Benaki and had been invited to prepare an exhibit based on his dissertation. Today had been the preview; Saturday and Sunday would be the 'grand opening' and when Lina asked Penny if she would like to go, she nodded enthusiastically.

After they ate, they Skyped with the Londoners who, having heard the news via Geordie had already made their flight arrangements. Rob, Sarah and James would fly in Friday afternoon and leave early Monday evening, although Sarah hinted around about staying through the week. Tim pulled Lina off camera and they had a quick conversation. When they returned they asked all three of them if they'd like to stay through the week. James and Rob declined, both had work and Rob was taking summer courses; he could miss one day but not more than that. Sarah accepted with a big grin. Penny privately thought she might stop in London for a few days after she left Greece but she didn't want to make any promises just yet. Knowing they'd all see each other on the weekend, they kept their Skyping short that evening.

Although Penny was exhausted, she was determined to tell her grandchildren what had kept her from them these past 8 months and if she waited until everyone was here she might lose her courage again. She caught Geordie's eye and he nodded, he understood it was time to find out whatever was bothering their grandmother. He sat next to her while Tim and Lina sat quietly across from them as Penny drew a deep breath. "Timothy, the day Maisie called me and told me that you and Sarah were alive was one of the happiest days of my life, right up there with my wedding day and the days each of my boys was born. Seeing the two of you on Skype, meeting Rob, hearing about you, Geordie and meeting Lina online, those were some of the best and most unexpected experiences of my life. I remember telling you I'd pop right over after I was done in Egypt, right?" Tim nodded. "And then I found that no matter how much evidence I was given to prove that it really was you, even after I saw you and Lina online that night on the Baton Rouge, I couldn't make the journey. I've been so afraid."

Her shoulders slumped and Tim moved to the other side of her; the brothers each put an arm around her. "I've been so afraid. So afraid I'd get here and it wouldn't be true. I've had nightmares where I've seen you meeting me at the airport but when I reached out to touch your precious face, it crumbled and there was nothing. Please forgive me, I…I guess I've been carrying my grief all these years and I couldn't just let it go when you turned up alive and well. My precious grandchildren…" She sobbed as the two men held her. Finally she was able to continue, "I've tried several times to get here but each time I couldn't. The others have tried to help me but it didn't matter. They've been my family, you know, since…well, since Dan and Patrick died. I wouldn't have made it without them but they insisted I stay and something made me listen to them. But not with this, isn't that ironic?" She shook her head and thanked Lina for the tissues handed to her. Wiping her eyes and blowing her nose, she continued, "I finally sought professional help and, to make a long story a little bit shorter, I had myself hypnotized so that I could get on the plane to get here. That's why I didn't tell you ahead of time, I couldn't trust that it would work and I've already been a flake promising to come and then never saying another word, not coming to see you after this miracle we've been given," she gave another little sob, "not even after you were hurt."

Tim remembered his own hypnosis years ago, "But the hypnosis worked Penny, you're here!"

Geordie cleared his throat, "Penny, are you still under hypnosis?"

"No, I called my therapist from my room earlier and she released me. She believes I'll be fine now that I'm here and I can see you in person, touch you."

Tim was processing this, "You lost your whole family, Penny. Uncle Jim told me about your younger son, my uncle Mark. I don't know how I would have dealt with that."

"You went through the same thing!"

"No, I had my baby sister to take care of. I had to keep her alive and to keep her alive I had to keep me alive; it was as simple and as basic as that. And to tell you the truth, those first few months in Baltimore, I was so busy trying to keep us alive I didn't have a whole lot of time to think about what had happened, what we'd lost. Sure, it was there with me, I mourned Pat and Dad but I had to keep going."

"Whereas I had plenty of time. That's when I started to travel, you know. I needed something to do and I really needed to get away from everything that reminded me of my family. Of course it didn't work, but it kept me busy and I was doing something useful."

Penny seemed to feel better now that she'd told them what had kept her from them. Tim admitted he had wondered but thought maybe she had a predetermined schedule that she had to keep to.

After their talk, it was even more obvious that Penny's long flight and Tim's intense day had worn them both out and Penny went off to bed while Tim insisted he clean up the kitchen. Lina and Geordie helped him as he was fading fast and had another full day ahead of him.


	96. Chapter 96

Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Six

The office was quiet the next morning and it was finally just the permanent team as Josh was on his way home. Tim was in Pete's office figuring out what else they could do to get those records from the CIA when Pete remembered Tim's grandmother had materialized yesterday.

"How'd things go with your grandmother?"

Tim nodded, "Ok; it's a long story why she didn't tell us she was coming."

"How long is she staying?"

Tim shrugged, "Don't know…a week, 2 maybe?"

"Bad timing on her part, Trina and I are going away this weekend, so we won't be around for a party."

Tim chuckled, "Not sure any of us could do another party so soon Pete, seems like we've been at your house every weekend recently."

"Yeah, it does."

"Glad you two are getting away; we're doing that next month. Especially after both Lina's parents and my grandmother just popped in out of nowhere! And don't worry about the party, maybe we'll see if everyone can come down to the FP tonight to meet her. Won't be volleyball but then that's not our fault, is it?"

Pete chuckled. "Too true my friend."

Shaking their heads and still thinking about the records they needed, they went out to the bullpen for a sitrep. As Pete opened his mouth to ask, Tim heard the front door opening and he put his hand up to stop him. The two of them walked into the foyer and saw two men with four large boxes. Tea looked curious, "Pete, these men are from the Embassy with information on our case."

Pete nodded, "Thank you Tea; why don't you take a break?" She opened her mouth to say she'd just had one but saw that something strange was going on so she took the phone and walked out to the kitchen, motioning to Kim to join her.

Pete looked at the two men, "You're our new CIA officers."

"We're TADs, Agent Russell. Edwards and Hughes will be back in a few weeks."

"You obviously know who I am; this is Agent McGee." The man nodded to Tim, "Agent Russell, Agent McGee, I'm Michaels, he's Tinker. We had orders from Langley to hand deliver these to you, although knowing Langley, the order probably really came from State."

Tim nodded to the two of them as he took two of the boxes; Pete took the other two. "Gentlemen, thank you for your assistance." They left and Tim and Pete hauled the boxes to the conference table. Tea looked up, "Pete?"

"It's ok Tea, nothing's wrong. This is the information we've been trying to get."

Kim looked at them. "That should be a good thing. So why do you two look so serious?"

Tim smiled, "It's just that we weren't expecting to get these so quickly. I asked a friend in the FBI who also works with the Dept. of Homeland Security to see if they could get the CIA to cooperate. The guys who left these seem to think the order came from the State Dept. No idea how all that transpired, but it seems this case has gotten someone's attention in Washington."

Tea looked at the boxes, "They're not from the Embassy; they're from the CIA?"

"Yep and we found out Ted and Jack are coming back, those guys are TADs."

They opened the boxes and Tim went out to the bullpen to let Bec and Matt know. They joined them at the table and spent the next few hours going through the information. One of the things they found interesting was the report from the CIA Bureau Chief shortly after the 1967 coup. Not the report itself but the notes stapled to it from the Director at the time lamenting his officer's involvement against an admittedly nebulous U.S. policy and the subsequent troubles for the ancient republic. The Bureau chief, however, was not either of their corpses.

Eventually they found relevant information regarding the Saltier family and the Greek citizen Theo Manis, the first murder victim. Still at the table, they read through it and talked about it. Tim thought it sounded like a spy novel, complete with betrayals, political intrigue and vengeance. Only it was real life; it had happened less than 50 years ago in the country they were living in and it had impacted everyone in the country, including the families of their teammates and friends.

There was a conference call at 1700 with the Athenian LEOs and Interpol. They had the reports for both autopsies from Dr. Costa and he confirmed what they'd known since they found the second body, there was a third person involved, the killer of Jerome Saltier IV and possibly also the murderer of Theo Manis. They had the autopsy reports on both bodies and the lab reports on the first body but were still waiting for the lab work on the second one.

After the call, Bec and Tim went through the airport security feed, looking around the time Saltier's passport was stamped. They took a good look at Saltier and then Bec noticed Tim hadn't moved on. She saw that he was carefully studying everyone in the frame. "You think the third person came in with him?"

"No reason not to. Saltier was here for vengeance, he might have had help."

"Ok."

Tim rolled the footage back a little and they looked at the passengers deplaning. "There!"

"Yeah I see him; he looks a bit like Saltier."

"He does!"

Matt heard them and went back to Saltier's records. "Saltier's an only child and so was his father. His mother…" he continued looking, "No siblings for Mom but ooh look! She was married once before, had a son."

"Name?"

"Hang on…it is…Rodney Petlemien." Matt spelled the last name.

Tim looked at the list of names processed through Customs the day Saltier arrived.

"Got him!" Pete joined them. "Pete, we think this guy might be our third person, the killer."

Tim explained who he was and Pete smiled. "Nice work everyone! Matt…"

"Get a BOLO out on Interpol…Petlemien and the rental car."

"Bec…"

"Look at the lab reports for any DNA that's close to Saltier's."

"Tim…"

"Call Athens and let them know."

"All right, get that done people and then, oh it's Thursday. Class tonight?" They nodded. "Ok, good, means we're getting closer to normal, doesn't it? Tim has invited the rest of us to join you all at the Flying Pig for dinner tonight to meet his grandmother Penny, we'll meet you there; they're opening the back room for us."

XXX

Penny had a pleasant morning with Geordie, still marveling that she was actually here in Greece with her very much alive grandchildren. She couldn't wait to see grown up Sarah and to meet Rob and of course James. She dressed for lunch at the Embassy and Geordie drove her in, dropping her at the entrance to the building as he was meeting Col. Martin for lunch.

One of the Marines escorted her to the Ambassador's dining room where she met several other invitees, some Americans, some Greek and one Canadian. The Ambassador entered shortly after Penny's arrival and shook everyone's hand. They had drinks and Mezes and then found their name cards on the table. Penny enjoyed meeting everyone and made sure to thank the Ambassador for her intervention the day before. The woman nodded, "Melina is a dear friend, family really. So when I was told it was her fiancée's grandmother who was in trouble, I did not hesitate to speak up. I trust there will be no problems?"

"No, ma'am. I've been trying to get here since last year to meet Tim and now with Geordie here that is an added bonus. I plan to sightsee but mostly I'm here to spend time with the kids. The younger ones are flying in from London tomorrow so I'll get to meet them too."

"You've never met them before?"

"Some of them, no." Penny gave a brief explanation and the Ambassador nodded. "I knew Timothy must be special for Lina to have picked him, but that is an extraordinary story."

She met Colonel Martin in the corridor on the way out after lunch and he chuckled, telling her of his chance meeting with Tim in the same spot last year. He walked her downstairs to the door where Geordie was waiting. He had a suggestion for her, that they spend the rest of the afternoon sightseeing. First they went to the Benaki where Lina gave them a tour, lingering over Caleb's exhibit and then they went to the agora and saw the museum and the site itself. From there, unknowingly echoing her granddaughter, she spotted the market and off they went.

They had stopped for beverages when Geordie told her about the party at the Flying Pig this evening.

She straightened with a smile. "So I haven't ruined things entirely!"

"What do you mean?"

"I blew it yesterday by calling him instead of the embassy – and not telling you I was coming. And now this."

"Penny, were you worried about Tim's…impression of you?"

She sighed again. "He's had months with the others while I've been hiding around the planet. I know he's very close with Maisie, Ducky, the Hubbards and the Cranes. I just…"

"Felt left out?"

"Yes except I was the one leaving myself out! I so wanted to be the cool grandmother and then I fall flat on my face."

Geordie laughed, "I wouldn't say that!"

"I'm not used to having my own family, it's been so long. Oh sure, I go home and the Hubbard kids call me their travelin' grandma; I'm part of the family, but it's not my own family. They're Hubbards and Cranes, not McGees or Langstons."

Geordie smiled, "I understand that to some degree. I've been family by mail for a dozen years although I always felt part of them when I'd see them on leave. But now you have yourself a mess of McGees, so you'd better get used to us! Just let us know when you want to visit so we can enjoy the anticipation." He looked at his phone, "Come on, we need to get back to Piraeus so you can see Tim in his mixed martial arts class, he's impressive!"

"Is that mandatory training?"

"No, his former co-worker taught him a little and once he got here he decided he needed more weapons in his arsenal. He's already an excellent shot and good with knife work." She cringed. "Sorry but it's a fact of life. He was hitting targets with his throwing knife by the time he was 10, it was one of the ways we stayed alive."

"And you, do you know martial arts too?"

He nodded. "Sure, the Corps teaches us how to fight and when defending our country as Tim and I do, we need every piece of leverage, every tool. And he's really impressive with this, even coming off the disabled list." He paused, "On the way, maybe you'd tell me what he was like when he was little? I met him when he was 9 but he was hurt and abandoned, I've always wished I'd known him when Patrick was alive and the Commander."

She smiled, "I'd love to tell you! Tim was my little sweetheart. The sweetest kid you ever met. Smart, funny, curious, thoughtful; sometimes a bit too serious except when he and Pat were up to something. Loved to cuddle, oh that child could just burrow into you and you'd feel like you were in heaven. And adventurous, at least until that bitch came along."

"Natalie?"

"Yes, she…I don't know how Tim has forgiven any of us."

"He's got some issues with the Commander but he feels everyone was as much a victim of her as his dad, Patrick, Sarah and him."

"Oh that sweet man. He hasn't changed then, Geordie; he was a sweet loving and forgiving child. Throw in big brother from the time he was 15 months old and that's my Timothy."

"You're still not sure it's him, are you?"

"My brain knows it, but accepting that he's alive after mourning him for so many years…you'd think it would be easy but it's hard."

"Hard giving up grief. Tell him that, I'm pretty sure he'll understand."

They crept along in the commute traffic and eventually hit the Piraeus city limits.

"Almost there, not too far from the studio now."

"So the ones in class with Tim are…?"

"Bec, Matt and Kim who's the office manager."

"And who all goes for dinner – you said it's every week?"

"Usually twice a week. It's Lina, Damian, me and Evander, that's Kim's husband. He's a real estate agent, so it depends on his schedule. This week everyone from the office and their families will be there to meet you. Normally there's a party at the Russells' house, but they've got plans this weekend, so your party is tonight instead." He smiled at his grandmother. "Cheer up, it'll be fun! They're a great group of people, I really like them all and they'll go out of their way to make you feel comfortable."

She nodded. "All right."

They pulled up in front of George's studio; Geordie noticed Damian and Lina pull in behind them. "Hey, good timing guys!" Damian was introduced to Penny and greeted her with the double cheek kiss. "It's always a pleasure to meet members of my new family!"

She smiled, feeling a little better and more comfortable. They entered the studio, with Geordie whispering to her that they needed to be absolutely quiet, class would still be in session and it was important not to disturb them. She was amazed at what she saw. Two young women were apparently battling the instructor while Tim and another young man, Matt she supposed, looked like they were doing strengthening exercises. She noticed that Tim's movements with his legs were more vigorous than Matt's and wondered if that was due to the differences in their injuries. She was surprised to see the instructor turn to Tim and battle with him, using the same level of movement as Tim had been doing. Then he did the same with Matt. A bell chimed and they all bowed to the instructor and then to each other. Then Tim and Matt grinned at each other and gave the instructor high fives. He smiled back and it sounded like he was giving them instructions as they kept nodding. Then he gestured to them, the audience and the group turned and smiled. Before they cleaned up, Tim introduced Penny to their instructor, George. He shook her hand and said in decent English, "It is a pleasure to meet another member of the family of Timotheos. Welcome to Greece!"

She also met Kim, Bec and Matt before they went to clean up for dinner. Lina touched her arm, "Before Bagram, they were doing so well. All of them, I mean the three agents have successfully used their movements in their work. Tim and Matt were worried about losing all their strength so George has been working with their physical therapists, coming up with movements they can use to strengthen their legs and in Tim's case his right side as well."

"That's wonderful that he would do that."

"He is quite proud of his students. His brother and nephew are on the Athens PD; George was the one to tell Tim about the reputation he was getting."

"Reputation?"

"For being such a good shot and for not letting bad situations get any worse, for finding non-violent solutions. Or at least solutions with no bullets flying."

"Ah, I see, that's wonderful!" She chuckled, "Of course Tim would never talk about that so this is the first I've heard of it!"

"The night we met on Skype, from the Baton Rouge, Tim got called out." Lina told Penny what had happened that night in Athens at the Stavros home.

They joined the rest of the group waiting for them at the pub and Penny was again amazed at the number of people. There were four - no five children and three babies and she had no idea how many adults. She used every memory trick she knew for their names and within a few minutes thought she had a handle on it. Except for the three young Greek men; the names were Caleb, Adan and Evander…of course she'd met Caleb at the museum today. And Geordie told her Kim and Evander had just gotten married so she looked for a shiny new wedding band. Yep, now she had them figured out, by default the other one was Adan.

She was surprised when a server came in and handed Tim a list, to the merriment of the entire group. Tim explained that to her and then pointed to Evander who also had a list, albeit a much shorter one. She loved the vibe she saw toward Tim, very affectionate and proud. She noticed some hesitancy toward her from his co-workers but figured that was her unorthodox arrival yesterday and just being new to the group.

One of the American men…Pete or Norm…no it was Norm, Pete was older and had more hair, was asking her a question about her travel and lectures and she told them a little about what she did. She left something out, forgetting it, and was encouraged when Tim proudly brought it up.

She leaned over afterward and thanked him. He held out his hand and they shook as they had when he'd been a very little boy learning his manners and then kissed her cheek. When she looked up she saw Pete and the woman sitting next to him smiling warmly at her and she nodded to them. Pete was Tim's boss and she figured the woman was his wife who was….sounded like Lina…Trina, that was it! They had the four kids, only there were five.

She turned to Tim, "There are five kids plus the babies. I know the babies are Carla and Norm's but do the rest of the kids belong to Pete and Trina?"

"Four of them do, the fifth one, Ross, with the curly hair, is the son of our friend Dani." He explained who Dani was and that she'd been stuck in a meeting this evening.

"Oh, so someone must take care of him."

"He's Stephan and Phoebe Russell's best friend so he's at their place a lot. Lina used to rent a room at Dani's; she helped take care of him then."

"Mmm, sounds complicated. I think I'm going to just relax and enjoy your company and everyone else's…and the meal."

He laughed and kissed her again, "Good idea!"

They were still eating when the door opened and an older man walked in. Pete was facing the door and Penny happened to catch the surprise and then smile on his face. She twisted and looked; the man looked somewhat like the martial arts instructor. Tim followed her gaze and also smiled. The gentleman approached Tim and shook his hand, patting him gently on the back, then shook hands with Matt, Bec and Pete. Pete introduced him; he was something in the Athens Police Department. Finally in accented English he said to the room at large, "I work with these people through the Athens police. I have been on vacation and came back to find they are working with us on a case. That's a very good thing and I am happy to see that they are well again from their bad experience and ready to take down more bad guys." With a twinkle in his eye, he pointed to Tim, "I am eminently grateful that your shooting arm was not injured!" Tim blushed and the man laughed, patting both Matt and Tim. "My brother tells me he's working with your medical people to help you heal, that's wonderful! He's very proud of all of you, very proud to be your instructor."

The door creaked open again and George came in, wide-eyed. "Ah, I am sorry, he had to see you. Dimitri, come along, they're having a private party, can't you see?" Tim stood and introduced Penny to their Athens police liaison and he shook her hand solemnly. "How can one so young have grown grandchildren?" She played along enjoying the flirting and eventually the brothers left the room.

Lina leaned over Tim, "Congratulations, Penny, you're making a conquest of the Greek men!" She laughed, feeling good all of a sudden. Time to start enjoying her time with Timmy and his family, all…she looked around the room, however many of them.


	97. Chapter 97

Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Seven

Sarah, Rob and James arrived on Friday. Geordie was on his own picking them up at the airport as Penny said she didn't think it was a good idea to show her face there so soon. Tim told them earlier that he hoped their case would break today, that they'd pieced the story together but he still couldn't tell them more than that.

The carload of McGees (and James) headed straight back to the house, eager to meet their reclaimed grandmother. Penny was waiting for them with open arms and a few minutes later they were surprised to see Tim enter the house and grab them all in a group hug. Then he kissed them (except James, he got more hugs) and stood back, "Ok, had to come see you all, but I have to get back, we're hot on the trail!" He waved and was gone, back to the office in the agency sedan he'd borrowed.

When he walked into the office, he was happy to see that the takedown of Rodney Petlemien hadn't yet happened. They had a video feed from a helmet cam worn by one of the Interpol officers and were watching as Interpol and the police department in Dubrovnik, Croatia worked in a cooperative operation to close in on their perpetrator.

When they'd gotten all the lab tests back, they'd seen that Petlemien's DNA, not Saltier's, was on Manis' body and now believed it had been Petlemien, not Saltier, who had killed Manis. They also believed Saltier had hired his half brother to do the deed. Records showed that Saltier had withdrawn a large sum of money that had been accruing in an account of his grandfather's for decades. The money was now missing and it was a sure bet that Petlemien had taken it after he'd killed his half brother. Although with the gun they found in Saltier's hand, they wouldn't be shocked to hear it had been self defense. Whatever had happened, Rodney had driven north, fleeing Greece and traveled through several countries in a rental car, finally stopping in Dubrovnik. Responses to the international BOLO had led them to map his drive north. The last and perhaps most important response had been from an off-duty policeman in Dubrovnik working part-time as a handyman at a hotel there. He spotted the rental, remembered the BOLO he'd seen on his last shift and notified his superior who sent the word up the line. That policeman was now in on the operation and would have bragging rights to playing a significant part in bringing down an international criminal.

As they watched, an officer knocked on the door of Petlemien's room, announcing they were the police and had a warrant. There was silence and then they heard a voice, sounding very nervous, saying he was coming out and please not to shoot. He was speaking English and someone on site was translating. He was told to open the door slowly and to lay his weapon on the floor and slide it out to them. He did so, looking terrified. Once he was cuffed and the weapons were out of his face, he gave a visible and audible sigh of relief. "He was going to kill me, my own brother. I did his dirty work for him and then he didn't want to give me any of the money. He pulled a gun on me! I had no choice…" the man was crying now, "I had no choice but to kill my brother. God forgive me!"

The NCIS agents watched until the man was put into a police car and whisked away. As Tim remarked, "Now the real fun starts, the battle over jurisdiction!"

Pete grinned, "And the really great thing is, that's not our job!"

They gave each other high fives for their part of the bust. Tim turned back to his desk and started his report but Pete stopped him. "Report writing can wait until Monday. Pack it in; we've all got other things to do and spent enough time crime busting this week! Tea, let's roll the phone to my cell, we can do a call out from…wherever…all you feds, no alcohol til official quittin' time!"

They each nodded and the seven of them were out the door in record time. Bec gave Tim a ride home and Matt went with them as Damian had been driving him to and from work and he could just as easily pick him up at Tim and Lina's. Bec decided to stop in and say hello and Tim thought the three of them should stay for dinner. The house was quiet when they walked in but then they heard noises from outside. The three of them walked out onto the patio and found a pool full of McGees (and James). Bec ran out to her car to get her go bag while Matt commandeered the downstairs bathroom to change into his swimsuit. After their stay in Patras during the Dunne case, each of them had added swim things to his or her go bag. Tim called Lina to see what time she'd be home and found the museum was in the middle of dealing with a large crowd there for the new exhibit; she'd be home late, she said not to expect her home until close to 2200 and laughed at him when he sputtered about her using military time. He changed into his swim stuff and headed back outside, bringing three lemonades with him. The three agents grinned at each other as they slid into the pool. It hadn't been the longest or worst case they'd had but it had been a puzzler and very political with the various US and European agencies involved; they were very glad they were done.

Matt had contacted Damian before he left home so when he arrived, he too joined them in the pool. There wasn't much room to swim but they had a good time playing. James, Sarah, Rob and his girlfriend had made a weekend trip to the beach earlier in the summer but although they'd enjoyed themselves, the weather here was much warmer than in the UK. Damian and Matt were the only ones who had previously experienced summer in the Mediterranean; Geordie may have too but he wasn't talking. As for their grandmother, Penny was laughing and enjoying their company and their exuberance. It took the three agents a few minutes to really relax but once they did, they joined right in with the others and Penny was relieved to see that.

They all groaned when Tim's phone chimed but he laughed, "It's just my alarm! Bec, Matt, we're officially off duty!" Bec cheered, "Yay, I'm going for a beer, anyone else want one?" Tim was hanging out next to Rob, just chatting. He was fine with his lemonade and Matt was still on some meds, so no alcohol for them but the travelers were interested. Geordie got out of the pool to help her carry it out from the kitchen.

With the exception of their grandmother, they'd all just seen each other in Scotland which made them all very comfortable with each other, no catching up or reconnecting was really needed and Penny was drinking up the wonderful vibes of her family, loving every second.

Geordie had once again made one of Tim's chicken dishes in the slow cooker and there was plenty for everyone. Damian laughingly revealed that he'd stopped at the deli for side dishes so when they eventually decided they were ready to eat, they feasted. It was strange to have the afternoon and evening without Lina and they all missed her. Tim was used to being away from Lina at work and when she was working but that was usually during the day, now he felt like he was missing part of himself and he didn't much like it. He reflected that if he added in a lot of worry, it might be close to what she felt when he was away on a case. He sat next to Penny at the table and she patted his hand, "You're missing Lina."

He nodded, "It's really weird without her; I don't like it. Penny, you were at home during a lot of Grandpa Nelson's years at sea. Do you think this is how it feels when we're away?"

Penny had been a Navy wife for 40 years and she just nodded. "It's good that she's got her own career and isn't just tied to you and yours. Don't laugh, Timothy, that's how it was for generations of service wives. Stuck at home with the kids, running households but expected to put all that aside and just be 'the little woman' when her man came home."

Tim shook his head; it was hard to imagine that way of life and yet he knew it still existed and that some people were perfectly happy with living that way. For all he knew his mother might have chosen that life if she'd had a chance. They were still lingering at the table when he heard the garage door opening and he leapt up, much to the amusement of the others, and headed to the door to greet his sweet Melina.

Matt was tired and they had plans for the weekend so Damian took him home shortly after his sister arrived. Bec stayed for a while after they left but finally gave in to her yawns, knowing she would have a busy weekend with the Russell kids. Geordie walked her out to her car and didn't come back for nearly 30 minutes. His siblings gave him a bad time when he returned but he just shrugged. He was happy and he didn't care who knew it! The conversation turned to plans for the weekend. Neither Tim nor Lina were the least bit surprised to find the London contingent hinting around about going to the beach. Penny was fine with beaching it. Laughing, Tim, Lina and Geordie proposed they head out for Aegina again. It really was the closest island, there was plenty to do and it was beautiful. Everyone approved and so after Lina ate they finally left the table, cleaned up the kitchen and dispersed to their rooms as they needed to be at the ferry early Saturday morning.

Like Geordie and the uncles before her, Penny was happy to see how well Tim did on the boat the next day. They had a wonderful outing, got plenty of sun and salt water, enjoyed lunch at one of the outdoor cafes and then went back to the water. Tim and Lina slipped away for a bit and Sarah and Penny found the shops as entrancing as Ducky and Tim had during their visit last year. Geordie enjoyed the time with his little brother and getting to know James better. In no hurry, they had a wonderfully relaxing and full day, each of them spending time with Penny, even James who later stated that he wasn't nervous as he'd already lived through talks with Timpa, Grandfa _and_ Lt. Geordie. They took the last ferry back to the mainland and collapsed into their beds when they reached home.

Sunday they went into Athens to see Caleb's exhibit, some other sightseeing, marketing and dinner at Damian and Matt's home. Pete and Trina were home by then which meant that Bec was able to meet the others at Damian and Matt's house for dinner. Geordie told her later that felt good to have her back with him, with them and she showed him just how much she appreciated hearing that.

The Londoners weren't leaving until Monday evening so the five of them, minus Tim and Lina who were working, spent Monday in the pool and lazing around. They got out the photo album and showed Penny Tim's photos from their trip to the States in February and their trip to Thessaloniki in April. That gave Penny an idea but she'd wait and ask Tim and Lina first. They also showed her the family tree that had been growing since Tim and Ducky started it last Christmas and Penny added more McGee and Langston information. She was impressed with the work that had been done, particularly with Maisie's side of the family. She loved that Callum and Ainsley had added pieces of the tree; she was very proud of her youngest grandchildren and was always thankful that the Hubbards had adopted her as they had. She thought that she could go home now; now that she had her family back she could stop 'hiding around the planet' as she'd told Geordie. Sure, she'd keep lecturing and traveling but she wouldn't have to be, wouldn't need to be moving around so much. And maybe home was here and London. She had enough money, she could rent a little place in Athens and one in London too, no need for the kids to have to put her up. She liked that idea, she could spend 3 months here, 3 months in London, 3 months in the States and 3 months traveling, yes, that could work. She thought again about the house in Virginia and her talk months ago with Tim and decided to chat further with her financial advisor and attorney about things.

She'd had a long talk with Sarah and another with James and was fairly certain there would be another wedding in the not too distant future. Those two would likely stay in the UK at least for the first years of their marriage. Now Rob…from their conversations she knew he would be going back to the U.S. to practice medicine. Whether he and Amelia would have a permanent relationship, she didn't know as Rob himself didn't know. He was happy with the way things were and they were both so busy it was ludicrous to even try to think of anything else at this point. Penny was impressed and touched by Rob's plan to work in the free clinic in Baltimore, the one where he and the others had received medical care growing up. Now Geordie, she smiled to herself and wondered if the two of them would have grown so close so fast if she hadn't needed help when she arrived. He was a dear man, like her just really getting to know the others as adults. He wanted to stay in the Corps for his 20 which meant he had a few more years. From what he'd told Penny and what she observed, he'd stay in Greece as long as Bec, Tim and Lina were there. She thought that one day there might be a marriage between Geordie and Bec, but not anytime soon. He was just finding his way after living covertly for so long and Bec was busy with her career.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by Sarah who wanted to know what she'd been thinking about. "I'm just dreaming about your futures, sweetheart. I used to wonder what you would have been like and now I know; it's just…still almost unbelievable."

"Will you come see us in London?"

"Yes, let's talk schedules; I'd like to go from here if that works. If not we'll arrange another time, perhaps after the wedding in November."

Sarah squealed and hugged her grandmother. "Yay, I can't wait! But come now, it'll be too cold in December!"

"Where will you spend Christmas?"

"Last year we were here, but I don't know when Tim and Lina will be home from New Orleans, they might stay for Christmas."

"Except that would be a whole month away from work, sweetheart and I don't think Tim will want to do that – especially after being off work for so long with his injuries."

Sarah nodded, "Good point. So maybe Christmas will be here then. I think they have to work Christmas Eve this year."

"That's a shame. Well, since you're staying for the week, we have some time to figure it out!"

Rob and James left Monday evening, each wishing he'd found a way to stay. For the rest of the week, Penny, Sarah and Geordie did more sightseeing, played in the pool and helped Lina and Tim with the wedding preparations.

Tim had all the necessary documents now and they were being translated into Greek for him. He'd thought he and Lina could do that themselves but Papas Jakob had strongly recommended having a government office do it. They were still working on the wedding party, although they had the guest list ready, minus whoever they finally settled on for attendants. There was no way Tim could choose between his brothers for his best man and he told Lina it would just be easier to have two of them. She realized she would then need two honor attendants but she had an answer for that: Chloe and Dani would be perfect. Tim spoke to his brothers over the weekend and they'd happily agreed as had the two women. That problem solved, they were still working on the charter jet for the U.S. folks.

One of the hotels Tim had been working with for a discount had come through with a decent price and he was just about ready to reserve the number of rooms they thought they'd need, plus a couple of extra. He'd also shopped around for rental transportation and was currently negotiating prices for the rental of a couple of small buses to transport their wedding guests from the hotel to the church, to the reception and back to the hotel.

Tim had noticed that Lina wasn't brimming with as much enthusiasm as she had been when they'd first started planning the wedding. He didn't think she was getting cold feet but he did know he'd better ask her and get whatever it was straightened out. He called her at work Tuesday. "Hi Sweetie! How's your day going?"

"Better now that you've called!"

"Lina, would you have dinner with me tonight?"

"Tim?"

"A date sweetie, just you and me, let's have dinner out, maybe go to a movie afterward."

"Timothy, you are the best, you know that? Yes, I will have dinner with you tonight."

"Anyplace special you'd like to go or shall I surprise you?"

"Ooh, surprises, I love that!"

"All right. How about I pick you up at work then? "

He made reservations at a restaurant in Athens that Pete recommended. After work, he dashed up the hill and took a quick shower, noticing that no one was home and Penny's rental car was gone. He left a note saying he and Lina were on a date and wouldn't be home for dinner. He cut a rose for her, stripped the thorns and managed to find one of the glass cylinders to pop it into. Finally ready, he hopped in his car and headed into Athens.

Over a delicious dinner he casually mentioned their wedding plans and she put her fork down. "I've been thinking about the church, Timotheos and having the wedding in Piraeus. It just…it just isn't exciting to me."

Tim smiled as he took her palm and kissed it. "It's our one and only wedding day, Melina, it needs to be what you want."

"And you!"

"I want you to be happy and if the church isn't doing it, then let's talk about alternatives."

"When we were in Aegina…"

"The seaside chapel?"

"Yes!"

Tim laughed softly. "There's a hotel nearby that has enough rooms for all of our guests, the price isn't bad and they have one suite which would be for us."

"You've already checked?"

"There was a look in your eyes when we were walking by that chapel and it is a beautiful place. I was thinking people could spend a few days before the wedding there and have some fun, hopefully we could too."

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Mind? No way! First, you're marrying me- anywhere you want is good with me! Second, it's one of the most romantic places I've ever been and we keep going back there so we must like it. Third…it's perfect!"

"Oh Tim, yes, let's do this!"

"I'm so happy sweetie; I've been a little concerned!"

"I'm sorry, it's just…"

"Any time alone has disappeared completely?"

"Well, between my parents and your grandmother…"

"And my brothers and sister, etc. How about this, starting tonight let's make sure we have at least one night, preferably more but at least one night every week that is just the two of us. Date night."

She smiled happily, "That's a lovely idea!"

"And how about we start planning our August weekend away?"

"Oh yes, that would be wonderful. I had been thinking of the island of Capri but it will take us several hours flight time to get there, maybe we can do that when we have more time."

"All right, so…Santorini then?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

Tim rolled his head and finally admitted he'd asked Dani and Damian. "They both said Santorini was your favorite Greek island. But I wasn't sure what else you might have in mind."

"Oh I'm so excited! Our wedding will be on Aegina and we'll have a weekend on Santorini to ourselves!" She paused, "Your book…"

"It's done; I worked on it while I was home. It's ready to mail but I wondered if you'd like to look at it first?"

"Oh, may I?"

"Of course! You just can't tell anyone about it."

"No, of course not. I'd better not tell anyone I've even seen it!"

"Good idea."

"So, now we have a new set of tasks to do!"

"Book the chapel, unbook the church, and talk with Jakob about the change. Hopefully everything we've done will be good for Aegina too, just have to post our wedding notice in their newspaper too."

Lina giggled, "I think it's the same paper but an island edition."

"Great!"

"And contact the hotel…what is it called?"

"It is Hotel Danae, 54 rooms, 1 suite, transportation to and from the ferry, a pool, close to the beach and shops. They also have a large terrace where we can have our reception, they'll set everything up, do the catering, everything."

"How close to the chapel is it?"

"Close enough to walk if we wanted."

"Oh Timothy, that's just what I've been dreaming about!"

They figured out more of the details on the walk they took after they finished dinner. Then they realized that the view they were staring at was the Acropolis and Parthenon lit up in the night sky and stopped talking. They decided to postpone the movie to the following week and spent the rest of the evening walking and talking about their plans.

The next day Lina was in her studio working on her wedding dress, determined that Tim not see it before their wedding day, when there was a knock on the door. Dani was at work and Ross at school, so Lina went to the door and found Sarah and Penny there, asking to see her dress. After swearing them to secrecy, she led them into her studio and showed them what she had so far. She was happy when both the older Penny and the younger Sarah raved about it.

That night, Penny broached her idea to Lina and Tim as the three of them enjoyed a cup of coffee on the patio. Sarah had gone out to a movie with Geordie and Bec. Penny smiled at her grandchildren. "I have an idea I wanted to run by you two."

They smiled and nodded at her, encouraging her to continue. "Sarah's leaving Friday morning and well, I thought what we might do is fly to Thessaloniki Friday night so I could meet Lina's parents. I know there wasn't time when Ducky and Maisie were here and I think it would be a good idea if they met one of Tim's grandparents before the wedding." She paused, "I did ask Bec if you are on call next weekend and she said no, but I didn't say why I asked."

Tim and Lina were grinning at her. "Great minds think alike, Penny, we were going to surprise you Friday night!"

"Oh! We're going then?" She was grinning back at them, excited and pleased.

"Yes, my parents and the rest of the family are very excited to meet you!" Lina paused, "I hope you don't mind, but Damian and Matt want to go too."

"Mind? Why would I mind?"

"Matt has only met my parents and we've promised to support them with the family as Damian supported us."

Penny frowned, "Do you think there will be a problem?"

Tim shook his head, "No but Matt is nervous."

"I see; well it'll be lovely to have them along too! Is there room for all of us, Lina? I don't mind staying in a hotel."

"There's plenty of room, Penny. You'll have the guest room downstairs in the wing with my parents' room and the rest of us will be upstairs." Tim and Lina had decided not to tell Penny about the house resembling hers in Virginia; they wanted to see her reaction to it.

All that week Tim kept his fingers crossed in hopes no new case would pop up and interrupt the weekend plans. He'd told Pete so the man would know half his team would be away and where. Thessaloniki had an international airport, so if anything came up Tim and Matt could join Pete and Bec wherever they were needed. To that end, both agents would have the contents of their go bags with them and if necessary, Pete and Bec would bring their gear bags with them. Rota was on call with Marseille on backup so the likelihood of getting called up was slim but then both Tim and Pete remembered thinking that in April right before Bagram blew up.

Happily, the week was quiet and Tim was able to take Thursday afternoon off to spend a little more time with his sister and grandmother. They'd already heard back from the clerics that handled the chapel on Aegina that it was now booked for them, so he called Papas Jakob and explained what they wanted to do; Jakob said he would contact the clerics on Aegina and see what they could work out. Tim also contacted the Hotel Danae and talked to the manager about having their wedding reception there as well as the bride's preparation room and reserving three quarters of their rooms plus their suite for several days at the end of November.

In the meantime, he still hadn't zeroed in on a charter flight. When he mentioned that to Ducky, now home from the UK, his grandfather proposed that he take over the task, that he and Jethro might have some contacts that could help. That was a relief to Tim and he agreed. The plan was for the charter to fly from DC to London where the London family would board and then continue to Athens and make the return flight the following week.

Friday morning Geordie drove Sarah to the airport and Lina to work in Lina's car. Geordie had been invited to go north with them but had declined, having already made plans with Bec. The day was again quiet and Tim and Matt waved goodbye to their team as they left for the weekend. They first went up the hill to collect Penny and then met Lina and Damian near the airport for a pre-flight dinner.


	98. Chapter 98

Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Eight

As before, Nicolas met them at the airport, warmly welcoming Penny and Matt. After the eldest Kalivas sibling greeted his sister and brother, he reached for Tim and then held back. "Is it safe? I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm fine, Nicolas, my arm is all healed now."

"Ah good! And I have much to thank you for!" Tim returned the hug and then they all piled into the van he'd borrowed from Chloe and Peter. Penny insisted that Matt sit in front to make maneuvering easier on his leg and Nicolas nodded. "That's a good idea Matthaios; we don't want to disturb your leg. We've heard how badly it was injured."

Matt was surprised and pleased with the familial concern and that Nicolas had used a Greek version of his name. Damian reached forward from the back seat and patted his shoulder. On the way to the house, Nicolas told them that their father was in the process of cutting back his hours and finally officially handing the business over to him. The three siblings were so excited that they were babbling in Greek and Tim had a hard time keeping up with them and translating for Penny. Matt started to help him and finally she at least got the gist of everything. After the tumult died down a little, Nicolas started laughing and reverted to English, "I was not supposed to tell you any of this, you must act surprised. Although Timotheos, you are the one who convinced him! I do not know what you said or did, but I love you to infinity!"

Lina and Tim looked at each other and started laughing. When he could talk again, Tim told him, "I showed him my photos from the month in London last year, all the architecture, the buildings, the Salisbury cathedral…I just talked about buildings and he got interested. I think he thought traveling was boring stuff."

Lina laughed, "Go ahead and say it love, he thought traveling would be all art galleries and boring museums. You showed him other possibilities."

Tim shrugged, "He had to have been ready anyway. I think the trip to your uncle's place in Macedonia really changed his mind."

Damian laughed, "About a lot of things! It seems Matt and I are not the only ones who owe Uncle Ariston a debt of thanks – and to you too, Timothy!"

Changing the subject Nicolas brought them up to date on his children's adventures. Both boys were excited to see their new uncle again and even more excited to hear another new uncle would be there as well as a new grandmother. Penny smiled; here she was gathering family again. And then she laughed out loud as she realized that's just what Timothy did as well. It must be in their genes!

The sun had just set when they pulled up to the Kalivas' property but it was light enough that Penny could see the house and its surroundings. As she climbed out of the van, she stopped in amazement and turned to Tim and Lina who were watching her. "Tim, Lina…it's so much like my place!"

"Yes, Penny."

"My old Virginia country house, who knew it was a replica of a Greek home?!"

Damian laughed and told her the history of his family's home and enjoyed watching Penny's eyes widen when she heard the year it was first built.

They went on in and were warmly greeted by Davos and Hélène. As they had during Tim's visit in April, they served coffee and freshly baked pastry as a welcome treat. While they sat at the table Davos chuckled, "It is good to meet you Penelope. Your name is Greek, did you know that? It means 'weaver'; Timothy is also Greek, it means 'God's honor' or 'to honor God'. It is quite satisfying to me to have two new family members – Americans with no Greek ancestry - with Greek names!"

After they ate, Davos asked Damian to step away with him for a moment. When they returned, Damian looked at Matt. "We are to have the downstairs guest room Matthew as Papa and Mama are worried about your leg on the stairs. Penny will stay upstairs in the guest room."

Tim almost opened his mouth to ask but caught himself just in time. Last time Davos had made a big deal of him staying in the guest room and now there was no mention. After talking for another hour, Hélène noticed Timotheos, Melina and Matthaios were swallowing yawns. She rose from her chair. "Come, it is time for our travelers to sleep! My daughter, will you please show Penny her room while I show Matthaios?"

"Yes certainly Mama." They said goodnight to Hélène and Davos, Matt and Damian and then the three of them climbed the stairs. After showing Penny her room and the bathroom, Lina took Tim by the hand, "Come along, Timotheos!"

He was quiet as they entered her room. "LinaMelina, did you know we were going to be allowed to stay together?"

"Yes, love, after you told me what Papa said when he visited us. And we are betrothed!"

"Oh…that's….wow!" He picked her up and twirled her around the room as she laughed.

"When I called to ask if this weekend would be good to visit, Mama asked if you were all right on the stairs and then asked about Penny staying up here."

Tim grinned as she pulled him close and that was the end of their spoken conversation for the night.

The next morning, Tim helped Hélène and Lina prepare breakfast; Nicolas, Zander and Dimitri arrived just as the coffee finished brewing. As she had before, Lina's favorite aunt, Hélène's younger sister Gaia joined them for breakfast. Penny asked to see the property after breakfast, explaining that what she'd seen on their arrival reminded her of her own home in the state of Virginia. Davos and Hélène were quite excited by that and Tim remembered to pass along Gibbs' invitation to stay with him if and when they visited Washington D.C. That nearly put Davos over the top and they talked about the best time of year to visit. The senior Kalivas' had already booked a three week trip to the UK in September. They'd stay in London for a few days and take city tours until they felt comfortable exploring on their own; they'd found a day tour that included a ride on the London Eye (formerly known as the Millennium Wheel) and were quite excited about that. They thought they might also take a brief tour that would take them to the south west part of England – Cornwall. Davos said he was intrigued by 'The Lizard' while Hélène hoped to visit Tintagel and Plymouth. Davos stopped to tell them that they would be visiting as much as 'Pretannike', the ancient Greek name for Britain, as possible. After London and their possible ramble south, they would join a 12 day bus tour that catered to Greek tourists so there would be no problem with the language. The tour would take them through the Cotswolds to Warwick Castle, on to Bath, into the mountains of Wales to experience the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, to York to see the walled city and the famous York Minster Abby, into Scotland to Edinburgh and Glasgow with an optional side trip to Inverness and Loch Ness for a possible sighting of "Nessie", an optional trip over the sea to the Isle of Skye, a look at the scant remains of Hadrian's Wall and then to Windsor Castle, eventually winding their way back to London. Gaia had taken the same tour and recommended it, especially for first-time visitors to the United Kingdom.

Later she assured Lina that before Davos and Hélène left, she would tell them what to expect on a bus tour; not everyone expected or understood the structured schedule that those tours had to maintain in order to get everywhere the travelers paid to see. Tim promised to contact their London family; he'd mentioned a probable visit to James, Sarah and Rob earlier, but now that they had the actual dates the travelers and the Londoners could figure out when and where they could meet. James had been quite excited about going to Stonehenge and Salisbury with them while Sarah had mentioned the possibility of a visit to Castleton, James' hometown, as it is a lovely English village and was also near Eyam, a designated "Plague Village" and as such quite interesting. Tim was amused at the idea of his future in-laws meeting Sarah's probable future in-laws. As Grandfa would say, the ripples from the rock thrown when he left DC and Gibbs' team were still spreading across the water.

After they finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes, Penny and Matt were taken on a tour of the estate; Penny in particular was pleased to see the entire property. She took several photos and seemed especially excited when she was shown the outbuilding that had been Lina's original studio, taking several pictures of that particular building and the interior. The others didn't seem to notice but Damian did and wondered why Tim's grandmother would be so excited about Lina's old studio. He thought about some possibilities and then put it at the back of his mind, deciding to wait and see what happened.

From there they went on a city tour with the three siblings showing them their favorite historical, architectural and just plain fun places. As Nicolas drove them to their first stop, Damian told them a little about the city's long history.

"Thessaloniki was the sister of Alexander the Great; her husband founded the city in 300 B.C. Over the centuries, it has aligned with Turkey and Greece and was an integral part of the Byzantium Empire..."

He continued, telling them more about the history and of course the architecture. After they spent some time at their first stop, a museum, they decided to tour the Turkish Quarter.

The Turkish sector of Thessaloniki is on a hill overlooking the rest of the town and has survived relatively intact since the 1800s. In addition to some colorful old neighborhoods, it contains the Kapani flea market, and of course the group managed to acquire a fair number of local handicrafts. They set a time limit for the flea market and continued on to Aristotelous Square. They had a late lunch there while they learned more about the city. They were also lucky enough to run into street musicians playing "rebetiko," Thessaloniki's original genre of music that combines voice, dancing and instrumental accompaniment. Tim really enjoyed it and Lina made a note to see if they could add rebetiko to their wedding reception.

One of the next to last stops was to the soaring Hagia Sophia church, now a museum that exemplified the artistic skill of the Byzantine Empire with its astonishingly detailed mosaics and intricate gild work.

Another important work of architecture dating from the Byzantine era and their last stop on the tour was the great White Tower. It was commissioned in the 1500s by Suleiman the Magnificent and it currently held a museum of Byzantine culture. The view from the top of the tower was said to be spectacular but as it was several flights of stairs, Matt and Tim both declined, neither wanting to run the risk of overtiring themselves and not being able to work when they got home. Tim thought he'd be fine but he didn't want Matt to feel left out or obligated. The two men contented themselves with the contents of the lower floors of the Tower. As always, Tim bought postcards and a few souvenirs during their afternoon although he knew they'd be back to the city many times.

On the way home, they detoured to a favorite ice cream parlor and enjoyed their treats, bringing some home for dessert. Chloe, Peter and their children and Nicolas' wife Margaret and their boys were joining them for dinner this evening. Tim remembered the argument on Easter between Hélène and Margaret and wondered if Davos' retirement had helped that situation at all. He waited until they were alone in their room to ask Lina. She paused, thinking. "It has helped somewhat, but Margaret's disagreement with Mama was not really over Nicolas taking over the business. She wants the house and Mama is afraid she'll tear it down and the family will lose all of the history."

"Tear it down…more than remodel?"

"Oh yes, Margaret has openly stated several times that this house has outlived its usefulness and that when it was hers she would demolish it."

Tim wasn't sure if this was any of his business but he expressed his feelings about it to Lina. She nodded, "Everyone is very aware of the dangers of Margaret taking residence here. Since our visit in April, my parents have changed things with Nicolas' consent and help, so that when they move to the grandparents' unit, the four of us will be given the house. Papa said it was time to modernize the way the family does things anyway."

"How will that work?"

"As the head of the business, Nicolas and his family will be the primary residents of the house but the rest of us have the right to stay here when we want and _any_ changes have to be pre-approved by the four siblings."

"Wow!"

"Yes and I don't know whether Margaret knows yet. I hope Nicolas has discussed it with her privately, if he has not…she'll be angry and upset. I would be, to be told something like that in front of the entire family. And really, as Nicolas' spouse, she should have been included in their discussions and plans. Tonight should be interesting." She paused, "One of the changes Papa and Nicolas have agreed upon is to build a guest house so that when you and I or Damian and Matt visit, we will have a place to stay. That was our idea; we want to be fair to Nicolas' family. This house is big but with future grandchildren visiting, we want to avoid the possibility of displacing Zander and Dimitri from their rooms." She smiled, "And there is also a new agreement that the business should go to whoever in the family is most suited, so if it is one of Chloe's children for example, that will be acceptable."

"Or one of ours."

She gave him a sultry smile as he pulled her into his arms. "Or one of ours."

When they heard Chloe and family downstairs they bestirred themselves, cleaning up and heading down to help with dinner preparations. Margaret and her boys had also arrived and Tim was greeted with cries of 'Uncle Tim' by the three younger children and a shy hug from Alexis, Chloe's daughter and the eldest Kalivas grandchild. Zander and Dimitri had been introduced to Matt the night before but were also still a bit shy greeting their newest uncle. Matt was introduced to Margaret, Chloe, Peter and the others and Tim was happy and relieved to see that his friend was as warmly welcomed as he had been back in April. Dinner was a noisy affair with the children competing for time with their new uncles and Papa Davos finally had to whistle them into silence. He looked at Tim and cocked an eyebrow which Tim thought might be asking if this was situation for "The Look" but he shook his head. The kids hadn't done anything wrong, they were just excited and happy about the new relatives and the little toys and trinkets Tim and Matt gave them.

When they'd finished dessert, Papa K stood, tapping on his wine glass with a spoon. The family quieted. Davos smiled at Tim, Matt and Penny, "First of all, we are pleased to welcome Matt and Penny to our family and of course to have them with us this weekend. Secondly, as I'm sure you all know, your mother and I are retiring. We are taking a trip to the United Kingdom in September and to the United States next year in the spring; Timothy's adoptive father has kindly offered us a place to stay so that we can see all the magnificent buildings," he paused and chuckled, "and so I can see Gibbs' woodworking firsthand!" Penny looked startled and then gave a little laugh. "Our new quarters will be readied for us while we are away in September and on our return, we will move from here to there so that Nicolas and Margaret can move in here." There was some chatter about that. "Now, I'm not sure if all of you know and Penny, I ask your indulgence while we speak of family matters, but Hélène and I thought it important that our two new sons-in-law hear of these changes and since we're all here…" He shrugged and then went on to tell the room at large of the agreed upon changes regarding the house and the business. Margaret's face turned red and Tim felt badly for her, evidently Lina's fears had been correct and this was the first Nicolas' wife had heard of the changes.

Hélène spoke after Davos. "Living in this house carries responsibility; it is a stewardship: it does not really belong to any one of us but to all of us and we live in it, raise our families and we maintain it not only for ourselves but for the family who comes after us. Remodeling is necessary to keep up with the times and to keep the building in good shape but if it must be demolished then it is up to the entire family to decide."

As Margaret rose from her chair, she did it with such force that the chair tilted sideways into Peter who was seated next to her. She stormed out of the room and giving everyone a sad nod Nicolas went after her while their sons watched wide eyed. Zander was sitting next to Lina and he crawled into her lap while Dimitri held his arms up to his grandmother to be held. They continued to sit at the table talking in low voices, hoping to keep the children calm. Damian said he would check to see where they were, thinking they could all go out for a walk and when he came back he shook his head. Chloe and Peter eventually left with Tad and Alexis while Lina and Hélène put Zander and Dimitri to bed in Damian's old room upstairs. They were used to sleeping up there and grandfather read them a story while grandmother rocked them to sleep. Nicolas called Lina a little while later saying that Margaret had gone to her parents' house and that he'd come get the kids. When he arrived and found them asleep in his brother's old bed, he looked at them sadly and crawled in with them. At that point, the five visitors did go out for a walk and Tim was grateful that his grandmother was with them. They didn't talk much but it felt good to breathe fresh air and walk. Eventually they returned to the house and went to their respective rooms.

When they entered their room, Lina sat down heavily on the bed. Tim sat next to her, putting his arm around her. "What are you thinking?"

"That we've been putting this off for years, letting her know we'd never allow her to tear down the house. She should have been told right away."

"I know she was upset tonight but do you think it's that serious, that she won't let go of it?"

"I do; I think we all kept our mouths shut for the sake of their marriage until we had no choice." She looked at Tim, "I'm not sure we've done them any good. It would have been better if she was told before they married."

Tim was shocked, "She said that before they were married? That she would tear the house down?"

"Yes…oh, not to our faces, but to her friends and word got around. Nic begged us not to say anything to her, he thought he could change her mind, he believed their marriage was important to both of them."

"Two kids, you think she'll walk away over this?"

Lina leaned into Tim. "I'm afraid she will. Oh she won't divorce him, it's legal enough here but she doesn't believe in it."

"But the boys…"

"Yes, I know. And yet you saw tonight, this isn't the first time they've seen her storm out of this house. I just hope they don't grow to hate it here if it does split them up."

Tim shook his head, feeling helpless. He huffed, "I've seen people murder for far less than this and yet I'm shocked that a marriage could end over an issue like this."

She smiled into his shoulder, "I like that, it means you haven't lost your humanity…" she lifted her face to be kissed, "not that I had any doubts about that." Their lovemaking was quiet that night, both of them looking for comfort and reassurance that their marriage, their union would be strong enough to withstand the battering that life sometimes rained down upon a couple, whether or not the issue was of any real consequence.

Sunday morning was quiet; Nicolas took his sons home after breakfast. The travelers were leaving on an early flight today and as they were rounding up their belongings and packing, Chloe called to say she or Peter would drive them to the airport. Matt, Lina, Tim and Damian went for a final walk down to the stream that ran at the edge of the property.

Damian shook his head, "I could build a separate house for her, a modern one. She hates country style, likes chrome and glass."

Lina nodded, "And then we would have how many dwellings on the property…two plus the one for us? And would that fix things, Damian? She went into their marriage wanting to change our family; you know it isn't just the house."

"Yeah, I know." Matt looked at Tim, neither of them could think of anything helpful to say that hadn't already been said. They were turning back when Davos and Hélène approached them. "We've already told Penny but we'll say it to you too, Timotheos, Matthaios, we apologize for the disruption of your visit, perhaps we should have waited."

Matt and Tim looked at each other again and each man shook his head. In Greek Tim told them, "You've made us part of your family, that means good times and bad."

Matt continued, "It's important to be family, especially in bad times. I'm sorry for the trouble, but as Tim said, we're part of your family and bad times come with the territory."

The older couple embraced their sons-in-law and their children.

Shortly after that Chloe arrived to drive them to the airport. As they'd had a late breakfast and the flight was under an hour, they'd have lunch at home. It was a much quieter group that boarded the plane than had deplaned two nights ago. When they landed in Athens, Penny was the first one off and as they gathered in the terminal she grabbed their hands. "Nicolas and Margaret will have to figure this out for themselves and it's not either of your relationships, got that?"

When they nodded, she continued, "Now, where can we go for lunch and have some fun?"

Damian laughed and gave her a hug. "I know just the place!"

Smiling, he led the group out of the airport.

* * *

><p>Just so you know, all the information about Thessaloniki (except the Kalivas property which is my creation) came from trip advisor dot com and Wikipedia. I left the part in about the White Tower and Sulieman the Magnificent because it reminds me of a favorite trilogy of mine, with a villain whose name is very close to Sulieman and is infamous for his White Tower.<p> 


	99. Chapter 99

CAUTION: In this chapter Penny states her opinions about organized religion and other institutions. They are _**not**_ necessarily _**my**_ opinions. This is **fiction** with a fictional character expressing her fictional opinions. As we've only met Penny once in canon (so far), I had to extrapolate what I thought her behavior and opinions would be toward the topics from her words and behavior on that one episode. As we saw in 'The Penelope Papers', she is definitely a strong character with strong opinions.

* * *

><p>Finding Home, Chapter Ninety Nine<p>

If Pete and the others noticed that Tim and Matt were quieter than usual on Monday, no one mentioned it. They were still working on reports from the Manis-Saltier case and Tim was truly appalled at the sheer number of reports necessary for a multi-national, multi-agency case. During that evening's conference call, Vance was very interested in hearing about their interactions with Interpol and the other agencies during the Manis case. When Pete asked if State had given the order for the CIA to share the files, their Director just gave them one of his enigmatic looks while he rubbed an eyebrow and changed the subject.

The new topic interested both Tim and Pete as Vance wanted to talk about the group of volunteer agents who had been TAD'd to Europe over the past few months. Pete gave Tim a nudge and when Vance noticed Tim told him about his original idea of having a volunteer group of juniors for a several month deployment, as Bec's assignment had been originally. Tim suggested that might serve as the basis for a new setup, with volunteer junior and senior agents for short or long term assignments that would not impinge on the Contingency Response volunteers - or perhaps fold the TAD group in with them for administrative purposes but as a separate set of volunteers. The SAIC for each volunteer would have to approve of course and there would be some details to work out. Vance liked the idea and said he would talk with the volunteers, their Team Leads and the CRT Leads to get their opinions and see what they could come up with. He'd liked Tim's idea for Bec's temporary posting and Joel and Roger's plan from the beginning and firming up a volunteer group with an administrative structure was a great idea and would give the volunteer agents a better look at NCIS throughout the world. When the call was over Pete wanted to know why Tim thought Vance's non-answer about the CIA and State was amusing and his SFA explained the eyebrow move to him. The answer to the question was yes, State had given the order. Pete mock pouted and Tim's theory that the 'rub the eyebrow' signal was something Gibbs and Vance had cooked up between them was given new credibility.

He was glad when it was time to start his warm ups. Class went well with George continuing to work separately with Tim and Matt. Tim hadn't especially wanted to join the others for dinner tonight but after additional thought realized it was probably just what they needed. He was glad he'd changed his mind as Penny relaxed over a few beers and told some outrageous stories about her travels. She had them laughing the whole time and that felt good. She was leaving Friday afternoon for several days in London, staying at the same hotel the uncles had stayed in during their surprise visit. It was convenient to the Tube and close to James and Sarah's flat. The family spent as much time as possible with Penny during her last few days in Greece.

On Tuesday, Lina, Penny and Geordie went back over to Aegina for the day to look at the hotel they wanted to book for the wedding reception and the rooms for the guests. The Hotel Danae was the only one with enough rooms for everyone they were inviting; luckily the inspection party liked it. It was clean, in good condition, had been remodeled in the last few years, had outdoor and indoor facilities for their reception, was in close proximity to Agioi Apostoloi, the chapel where Tim and Lina would be married, close to the beach and shops, and had free wifi and shuttles to the ferry and other places. They'd spoken with the manager who had heard from Tim and was excited about their plans and willing to negotiate a volume discount, much to Tim's relief. By his count, if the children shared with their parents and they could add a rollaway or two, they'd need at least 35 rooms. If everyone they invited showed up they'd need closer to 50.

Wednesday night was Tim and Lina's third pre-marital counseling session; by now they'd gotten used to Papas Jakob and could anticipate what he was going to ask of them. As they drove home, Tim wondered aloud whether Lina's parents or Penny and Grandpa Nelson had had to go through anything like this. He knew Gram and Grandpa Drew and his own parents had had civil ceremonies but he was curious enough to ask Penny when they got home.

He found Penny out on the patio, drying off after an evening swim. "Penny, may I talk with you about something?"

"Of course darling!"

"It's about the wedding, or the pre-wedding stuff. Did you and Grandpa have to go through all this?"

Penny rolled her eyes, "Some of it, yes. We had to go to two pre-marital counseling sessions but of course we didn't have to have all the documents and baptismal information you're dealing with. And they didn't care what kind of rings we had. I don't remember having to promise to bring our kids up Catholic although it's possible I've just blocked that out!"

"So if you did get that question…"

"I would have said whatever the priest needed to hear so Nelson & I could get married. I was just 18 and wanted my man, Timothy!"

"And did you raise Dad and Uncle Mark Catholic?"

"Mmm, mostly. Nelson wanted it and I figured it gave the boys an anchor, no pun intended, wherever we happened to be. But I also took them to other places of worship wherever we were stationed; I wanted to expose them to other beliefs and cultures and that seemed a decent way to do it." She paused and looked at her grandson, "I know you Timothy, you may be decades older than the last time we spent any time together, but you're still the same soul. You don't want to lie to the priest!"

Tim chuckled as he gave her a kiss on the cheek, "No, I don't. I don't know that we won't bring up our children in a church, but I also don't know that it'll be Orthodox."

"But you don't mind them being baptized in a Christian religion?'

Tim sighed, "I don't mind them being baptized. Geordie and I talked about this recently. In the past year I've gone from teetering on the edge of being an atheist to an agnostic to now teetering on the edge of believing in a higher power. So baptism is fine with me and Lina's very comfortable with that too. That leaves the bringing the kids up in church part. Being part of a church is being part of a community, as you just pointed out. And I'm all for that! We're not in the Navy, but we will move around some. Probably at least two, maybe three posts after we leave here and those will likely be in the States. So yeah, our kids would benefit by having that introduction into whatever community we land in." Tim paused, thinking, "As kids, we went to the churches in Baltimore, mostly for the free food afterward, but we had to rotate because we couldn't run the risk of anyone asking questions or worse calling Child Protective Services to 'help' us. If we didn't have that to worry about, we could have been part of that community and it would have been better for us, given us more structure."

"And you like that."

"I like structure, yes, I need it…some at least and having had to create my own for Sarah and Rob as kids I know how important it is. This is going to sound really strange and kind of awful but in a way our lives with Natalie helped me with that; somewhat prepared me for life on the streets. Pat and I took care of Sarah, we knew how to cook, how to scrounge for food, how to be invisible or to really hide, how to lie to protect ourselves. And that was a kind of structure so I was able to adapt."

He stopped and then grimaced as he pulled his grandmother into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry, I'm upsetting you!"

"We should have…"

"Don't, Penny, please. She was a very effective liar; spies have to be you know. You and the rest of the family were just as much victims of her as Dad and us."

"Jim said she's locked up, can't hurt anyone else."

"Actually she's dead; I was told several weeks ago. She was sent to Gitmo, did you know that?"

Penny shook her head.

"She had been a spy for the Soviet Union and then when that broke into pieces she lived on the money she got from Dad and Patrick's murder, Dad's life insurance I suppose or Navy death benefits, I haven't really checked it out. Anyway, when she ran out of that she apparently went independent with her spy skills and eventually was taken on by another hostile country. That's what got her the one way ticket to Gitmo. However, she must have ratted out her current employers and they figured it out and made sure she paid for it."

"She was murdered?"

"Yep."

Penny nodded and hugged Tim. It was several minutes before she spoke again, "So your sticking point is committing to any particular religion at this point?"

"Yes."

"Timothy, you know I'm not a big fan of institutions." He grinned at her. "Right, pretty obvious. It's not just governments and big corporations, sweetheart, it's also organized religion, as a group they are responsible for more hatred in this world…and I include almost all religions in that. If you look at what Christ taught, it wasn't to kill or hate or even disapprove of everyone who wasn't a Christian, Catholic or Muslim or to wipe out Judaism or atheists, pagans or what have you. What I'm getting at is that if you're a good person, if you lead a God-fearing life, do as little harm to your fellow human beings as possible, take good care of your soul, then whoever/whatever that higher power is knows what's in your heart. And if your mouth has to say the words to the toady of a priest to fit the rules of an artificial construct – an organized religion – then that's what you have to do."

"So while I say the words Papas Jakob wants to hear, in my heart I substitute God-fearing and taking care of their souls and God will understand and forgive the lie?"

"God…whatever your image of her is, knows the truth and that's all that matters."

Tim nodded, "Ok, thanks, I feel better about this then. It's been making me very uncomfortable with Jakob. "

"Do you have to be members of the church here?"

"Yes…as you know, when we set this up we were planning to have the wedding here in Piraeus and we met with Jakob and started the process. Then we decided to move everything to Aegina but couldn't make the trips over there for the rest of the counseling and really, we only have one mandatory session left, we didn't want to start all over again! So Jakob worked it out with the priest over there. Papas Theo will be our officiant for the wedding and we'll meet with him once before the ceremony. He and Jakob have worked it out so that Jakob remains our counselor. The only thing we have to do differently is to post the notice in the Aegina newspaper as well as in the Piraeus paper. And that's not a big deal at all. So yes, we're members of the church here and any week now we're going to start attending services!"

Penny laughed at that and told him a story about his grandfather and attending Mass. That led to more questions and more stories about his father, uncle and grandfather and Grandmother and grandson spent hours talking about their family, past and present.

When she finally ran out of stories, Penny had some questions for her grandson. "So back to Natalie, what about your father's life insurance?"

"Since there were no charges against anyone, as I said I imagine it went to Natalie."

"I see and what about the money from the Navy, your father's death benefits and the money for the dependents?"

"Uh, I don't know. She would have gotten that too, wouldn't she?"

"You should find out, I can help with that, at least with the Navy part."

"To what end, Penny?"

"She murdered them and abandoned you and then stole the money that should have been used to raise you and Sarah. I believe the life insurance company and the Navy owe you children that money."

"But…"

"At least make inquiries, Timothy; it's bad enough she murdered your father and brother and what she did to you and Sarah – and the rest of us. We can't fix that…the God we've been talking about is taking care of that, but we can try to get back what should have been yours."

"Penny…we have enough money, we have enough in our savings account for…"

"That's not the point, sweetheart. They didn't investigate when they should have…neither the life insurance company nor the Navy through NIS. Both of them did shitty jobs and she was rewarded those funds because of it; Jim told me she wasn't even legally his wife! We can't bring your father or brother back or change what happened to you and Sarah but you can do something…_we_ can do something about the financial end of things. And then give it all to charity if you want."

Tim sat, processing her words. She was right but it was overwhelming, physically, mentally and most of all emotionally.

She pulled him into a hug. "You know what, Timothy? This is something we can do, your grandparents that is. We failed you before, yes I know you've forgiven us darling boy, but the truth is we failed you. Let us take this on. You might not know this but Maisie is as much of a bulldog as I am and that must mean Ducky is too."

Tim nodded into her shoulder, relieved that this was one task his family could take up on their behalf. "You'll need some paperwork from NCIS, about the case. Gibbs can get it for you. And they probably have the life insurance information too." He turned his head so he was looking at her, "That's one of the things I did on Gibbs' team, examined the financial records. And Gibbs will know what else you'll need; let him help, Penny, please?"

"That's fine, Timothy, he and your grandfather can hash that out." Tim nodded, too emotionally exhausted to move. He and Penny sat and cuddled until Lina came looking for them.

Thursday flew by and all too soon Tim and Lina were kissing Penny goodbye before they left for work Friday morning. At least they knew they'd see her at the wedding, now a little less than five months away. From London she was going home to Virginia, she'd already told Maisie and Ducky that the three of them and Gibbs, would be looking into getting back the money given to Natalie. She was a woman on a mission, but first she'd enjoy more time with her London based family. Geordie had decided to go with her to London; he still had several days left before reporting for duty and remembered his idea of doing some traveling. When he returned to Athens, he'd be packing up and moving into his quarters at the Embassy and Tim and Lina would be preparing for their weekend in Santorini.

XXX

Eva's brother was visiting from Canada where he'd been working and as she and Tim went for their lunch order on Friday, they talked about their families. Since first meeting Tim, Eva had been intrigued with the family he'd lost and then reclaimed. She knew they'd met just about all of them now, except for his godmother, aunt and cousins. She asked if the Baton Rouge was returning in November or if his uncles would be flying in from somewhere else as they had for Ducky's wedding or coming over from the States with their families. Tim chuckled as he replied. In February, Uncle Dave had told them the Baton Rouge would be here in August but the Navy had changed that. Then when he and Lina set their wedding date for the end of November, the Admiral suddenly decided the crew should have both Thanksgiving and Christmas at home. Uncle Jim had let it slip that Tim's godfather had done some fancy maneuvering to accomplish the change but he'd gotten it done. So both men would be traveling to Greece with the others and would be on leave with no time restrictions.

XXX

For the first time since Lina's birthday in April they found themselves with a weekend without plans and the house to themselves and took full advantage of it, never stepping foot off the property until Monday. Tim had marked their e-mail accounts with "busy" and disabled Skype so it would show them as not available. Apparently everyone took the hint as there were very few missed calls on their cells when they finally looked Monday morning.

* * *

><p>The Hotel Danae exists in the real world, on the island of Aegina and yes, it has 54 rooms with one suite, it's close to the chapel, has a shuttle, free breakfasts, hosts wedding receptions, etc. I don't know whether it has a restaurant, a café, a taverna and a poolside bar but it does in this story!<p> 


	100. Chapter 100

**Wow, one hundred chapters! That's a first for me and I'd like to say: **

****THANKS to my readers and a special THANKS to my reviewers, I always look forward to seeing your names and comments in my Inbox! Your support means the world to me. ****

** And a big HUGE thanks to my very patient and supportive beta and good friend, HarmonFreak, without whom this story would have come to a screeching halt more than once.**

**Now let's see what Tim is up to…**

**Chapter One Hundred!**

During the following week they made their reservations to visit Santorini in the middle of August. They would fly in from Athens Friday evening and pick up a rental car. Tim called the hotel they wanted to stay in, Petit Palace Suites in the town of Fira, to check on a couple of things he'd noticed in the 'tips' on tripadvisor. One was to see if there were any weddings booked the weekend they'd be there…there were none scheduled which meant more peace and quiet. The second item was to make sure they had a suite with a private pool and a view of the caldera and the Aegean Sea. They were given a honeymoon suite and were also given a discounted price. The manager explained that most people booked through one of the online sites, such as Expedia or Orbitz; however because Tim had called personally, he was able to give him a nice discount, a bigger one than he would have received from those sites. When Tim made the flight arrangements, he used more of his Gemcity frequent flier miles to upgrade them to first class.

After their wedding, they'd be traveling with their wedding guests on the charter jet to DC and then hopping a commercial flight to New Orleans, which the art gallery was paying for. The owner of the gallery was also paying for their flight home to Greece and Tim would upgrade that flight to first class when those reservations were made.

In the meantime, work was fairly quiet. They chased a couple of sailors who were UA from the USS Galaxy, currently anchored off Naples. The pair had apparently decided they'd continue their drunken spree across Italy, onto the ferry between Brindisi and Greece, stopping off at one of the Ionian Islands rather than report for duty. By the time they climbed off the train from Patras to Athens, NCIS and the Athens LEOs were waiting for them with open arms and open handcuffs. After spending time detoxing from their week-long binge, they were hauled off to JAG to pay in full for their spectacular spree. Luckily no one had been hurt, except for the sailors who were now in for a whole world of hurt.

On Friday, the first day of August, Pete got a call from the Marseille junior who had TAD'd with them. The team lead, Roger and his SFA had been in a car accident that morning after interviewing a witness. Both men were in the hospital, but Doug, the junior agent, didn't yet know their status. He hadn't wanted to wake the Director at 2:00 AM DC time until he had more information but he'd also decided he'd better call someone. He'd called Athens because he knew them and because they were on call this weekend.

Pete called Tim into his office and they made plans. If Roger and Paul the SFA were incapacitated, Marseille would need a Team Lead as soon as possible. Doug reported that the case they'd been on was a cold case and Pete wondered to himself if Roger and Paul had been a bit restless and decided to go talk with witnesses on a Friday morning, not that it mattered. Pete reminded Doug that there would have to be an investigation into the crash and the young man replied that their Probationary Agent was working on it with the Marseille LEOs. Neither Pete nor Tim liked that much but for now that would have to do.

While they were waiting to hear from the hospital they contacted Joel and Stan, as a matter of courtesy. London had an ongoing case with Lydia away on vacation and Stan's team had a double homicide, so neither office had any problem whatsoever with Tim's assumption of leadership.

After those calls, Pete looked at Tim who nodded, "Hope the news is good. I should go now."

"Yeah, I'm thinking the fact that we haven't heard anything in," Pete checked his watch, "90 minutes tells me that too. Better pack a bag for a week, just in case. Hope those Santorini reservations are flexible!"

Tim waved at him as he grabbed his pack, stopping to ask Kim to get him a flight to Marseille with an open return, a rental car and a hotel room close to the office. While she did that, he hopped in his car and headed home. He was on the phone with Lina as he walked in the house, "Sweetie, got two agents in France down, a car accident, Pete's sending me over."

"In Marseille, Tim?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I wish I could go with you, I could fill a gallery with what I could do in a few days there."

Tim was surprised, "Are you serious, Lina?"

"Yes!"

"All right, let me get packed and check in with the office. We don't know their injuries yet or how long they'll be out; it might be one day or weeks. But I'll ask Pete about you coming along, I love the idea. You'd be on your own and we'll have to pay for your expenses."

"I hope the two are all right, Timothy, but yes, please ask!"

"Will do and I'll let you know."

He disconnected as he started packing his garment bag. His phone chirped with a call from Pete. "They're both going to be out of the office for most of next week. Paul will be on desk duty Thursday and Friday and back to the field on Monday. Roger's going to be out until the following week. So we need you there until Paul's cleared for the field. You, Doug and their probie should do fine, if you have problems, I can send Bec or Matt." Pete continued, "We should have you home in time to leave for Santorini!"

Tim sighed in relief, "Glad they're not hurt worse than they are. Have a question to ask…I called Lina and she asked if she could go along. She'd stay with me but otherwise take care of her expenses…she said she could fill an art gallery with two or three days in Marseille."

"Yeah, that's fine Tim; Trina's been with me a couple of times for the same reason. Just keep separate receipts. You're a professional; I'm not worried about you being distracted."

"Great, thanks Pete."

"Kim's got you on a flight coming up quick; unless you pack for Lina too, she'll have to travel separately."

Tim had a quick conversation with Kim who added Lina to the flight. While he waited for confirmation, he texted Lina and received a short list of items she wanted to take with her. He couldn't remember whether she needed a passport to enter France, a member country of the European Union, so he grabbed hers along with his. Kim called back with the confirmation; they were both on the same flight. As he disconnected from that call he got another text with Lina's toiletry items and made a face when he realized they'd almost forgotten her birth control pills; this was definitely not the right time for a pregnancy! He smiled to himself…now New Orleans in December…then he shook his head, best not to think of that now, he was going to France to work. Finally he had everything for both of them, including his gear bag and got it all in the car. Lina was waiting outside when he pulled into the Benaki; she hopped in and they hot footed it to the airport through Friday traffic. He dropped Lina and the bags off at the curb while he took the car to long term parking. When he climbed onto the shuttle with his gear he sent a quick text to Geordie who was on duty at the Embassy, to let him know what was going on. He got a reply saying, "Be safe and keep in touch."

They checked their bags and then headed for security. As he was carrying his weapons, he was escorted through security while Lina had to wait in line with everyone else. She eventually got through and they walked to their gate. Kim had told him but he hadn't yet mentioned it to Lina that the only seats available were in first class. She grinned when she saw they were in first class. "Of course!"

"It's only a two and a half hour flight, but I'm just as glad to have room for my legs." She laughed. He asked her about art supplies and she told him she would buy what she needed in Marseille, she'd already googled the shops closest to the office address, knowing they'd be staying close by. She'd start by taking photos however and then decide what she wanted to paint. She hadn't been before and thought she'd take some city tours first to see what she would go back to. Tim told her they'd be there for two weekends, this one and the next when Marseille would be on call, so there would be plenty of time.

Lina had the window seat and was enthralled as they made their descent. They grabbed their bags, went through Customs and got in line at the rental car counter. Tim needed to get to the office, so Lina would drive the car, drop him off and then go on to the hotel. On the way to the office, Tim sent a text to Doug letting him know he was minutes out and got a quick reply saying he was glad, that the phones had been busy. When he walked into the office, the first thing he saw was that the receptionist, Tea's counterpart, and the office manager were on the phone and the two agents looked frazzled.

He introduced himself to the probie, Sharra, and then asked for a sitrep from them. Luckily the calls were not new cases. One or two were about the status of some old cases, one was scheduled for court this week and Tim made a note to contact the prosecution on that one to let them know Paul would be fresh out of the hospital that day and not officially released for work. Roger wouldn't be available at all as he would have a longer hospital stay.

By now Vance had heard about the accident and had called, relieved to hear both men would recover and that Athens' SFA was already on his way. Still at home in his pajamas, the Director grinned at that, more leadership experience for McGee, excellent although he hated that his agents were injured. Several of the calls were from the Marseille PD about the accident and Tim decided to tackle that first. He had Kim's counterpart Margaret let Vance know that he was going to jump into that first and would be in touch with him in 2 hours.

Sharra gave him a sitrep on the accident investigation. Tim was happy to hear that the Marseille LEOs had already found the car that hit the NCIS sedan and had an arrest warrant ready. When he said as much, Sharra smiled, "Ever since NCIS demolished that whole drug cartel last year, the LEOs love us!"

Tim smiled, "Good to know, thanks! I was in on that, I might let that drop into the conversation if necessary."

After meeting everyone in the office and noticing they had one more staffer than Athens, he gathered Doug and Sharra and went to the accident site, just wanting to see it. Then they traveled to the Police Headquarters and met with the detectives who were about to bring in the suspect behind the hit and run on the NCIS sedan. Tim's French was minimal at best and definitely rusty so he used his translation app, which fascinated the detectives and the two other NCIS agents. In the end, Doug rode with the detectives and Sharra drove the agency sedan to the suspect's residence with Tim riding shotgun. When the LEOs hammered on the door, a woman of indeterminate age answered, her finger on her lips. "Quiet, who are you to be making so much noise? My husband is sleeping!"

The chief detective introduced himself, showed his badge and said he was there to arrest her husband. She got mad and tried to slam the door in his face. Tim, Doug and Sharra were in the background, really just along as witnesses, but Tim could see a little behind the woman and to her left and he didn't think the officers could. A man was slowly approaching the door with a shotgun. The detective would be the first target. Knowing the detective spoke excellent English, Tim called out "Gun – your left and behind the woman!" as he drew his weapon and pulled his agents behind their car. His yell distracted the shooter and the first shot went wild, giving everyone time to scramble behind cover. Tim looked at the door and the shooter as the woman screamed and disappeared from sight.

If he could get the correct angle he might be able to take the same shot he'd made at the Stavros house that night. He inched his way over to the detective to talk to him. When he suggested the shot, the man shook his head. "No, you cannot, I cannot give you jurisdiction, you're only here as witnesses, nothing more. Our officers are looking at the back of the house; our SWAT team will go in soon."

"What about the woman?"

"They will get her out first."

"No negotiations with him?"

"No, we have received word that he has done this before at least once, under another name in another country. The people that he hit died - an entire family. It took awhile for the program to recognize his face but it has been done. We are lucky your colleagues are still alive!"

Tim nodded slowly, it wasn't his operation; the situation was different and out of his hands. He'd learned from Pete and observed on his own that not every battle can be won and that not every battle was even theirs to fight. He started moving back to his vehicle, successfully ducking a shot. His agents looked at him. "Not our operation. The shooter is wanted for a previous hit and run with multiple fatalities. They're going in after him. Come on, let's get back to our work and give them fewer people to worry about."

Remembering a trick Tony showed him years ago, he crawled into the driver's seat of their vehicle, keeping his head and shoulders down out of sight, put the car into gear and eased the parking brake off just enough so that the car rolled backward and out of range. His agents got in, looking at him.

"So you're saying this wasn't our fight?"

"Right. We have no jurisdiction in this case and they're going to use extreme prejudice."

Sharra spoke, "They're going to kill him?"

"Yes, unless he surrenders."

"If we were in the US, it would be our jurisdiction."

"No Doug, it wouldn't. The local PD or NCIS would handle it by calling in the FBI. They're charged with investigating any and all attacks on federal agents. If it was done properly, the Bureau would share but it would be their case."

"It doesn't seem right, Roger and Paul are ours."

"I agree, it's hard to stand by and let others do what feels like our job. But it's the job of the Marseille police and clearly they don't want our help."

"Our help, you offered?"

Tim just nodded.

By the time they fought their way back to the office in Friday afternoon traffic, it was late. The receptionist, Lila, handed Tim two messages. One was from the Chief Detective; the message read: 'it's over'. The second one was from the Director. Tim was still five minutes out from his two hour promise but he'd kept him waiting long enough. He went into Roger's office, closed the door and called Washington.

Finding Home, Chapter 100 written July 12, 2014.


	101. Chapter 101

Thanks to Saissa for suggesting the region of Languedoc and the walled city of Carcassonne for part of Lina's travels. It is a beautiful place, full of history; I was especially enthralled with Carcassonne when I visited.

* * *

><p>FH, CH 101<p>

Tim was relieved with Vance's response to his sitrep. He knew that he'd done the right thing but still, he was happy when Vance agreed with him. In truth, Vance was very pleased with Tim's actions and comments about jurisdiction and picking his battles. He was happy to confirm that the younger man hadn't picked up Gibbs' unfortunate stance that every case should be his and every battle his to fight. As Director, Vance had had to put out many fires caused by Gibbs' bullheadedness in those regards.

What little was left of that workday Friday passed quickly and quietly, the agents working on reports or cold cases. Tim contacted Pete before he left the office, saying he was just checking in. His boss reported that all was quiet and they were hoping for no call outs over the weekend.

Tim wanted to talk with Roger and Paul but first needed to check to see if visitors were even allowed yet. Margaret called the hospital and was told both men were resting comfortably but other than family, visitors were asked to wait until Saturday or Sunday. That was understandable but Tim remembered all too well waking up in Israel and wanting to know about his team. With Margaret's help he contacted Roger's wife, introduced himself and explained that they'd been asked to stay away today but he figured Roger and Paul would both want to know what was going on, which he summarized by saying that the hit and run driver had been identified and that the Marseille PD had him. Not knowing the woman, he didn't want to pass along the unabridged truth; she seemed relieved to hear the information and happy to pass it along. She also welcomed him to Marseille and they chatted briefly about both offices; he was not surprised to learn that she knew the Russells.

Everyone but Margaret was gone from the office by the time Tim got off the phone. Locking up, they left together and Margaret gave him a key to the office. He and Lina had texted so he knew she wouldn't be back at the hotel just yet; he walked over using precise directions from the ever helpful Margaret. When he arrived it was to find that Lina hadn't been allowed to check in; the two of them had forgotten the room was booked under Tim's name for NCIS and that she had no id or document that showed their connection. However, their bags had been put in storage so while Tim did the paperwork, making sure to add Lina's name to the registry, their belongings were retrieved and taken to their room.

He felt awful about his fiancée being turned away but seeing the room partially mitigated his guilt. It was a suite at the back of the hotel, away from the street, with a small sitting area fronting the bedroom and a balcony overlooking a garden. In between the bedroom and the bathroom there was an alcove with a microwave, coffeemaker and small refrigerator. He unpacked and hung their garment bag clothing in the bathroom, then turned the shower on and shut the door. If that didn't work they'd have the front desk make arrangements but usually the hot moisture worked pretty well to get the wrinkles out. He was hungry and realized that with everything going on today, he hadn't eaten since breakfast at home. While he waited for Lina, he asked the front desk for restaurant recommendations and after he turned the shower off, he looked at online reviews for each place.

Although he was tired he knew he'd be restless tonight if he didn't get some exercise. There was a gym and pool here in the hotel so he texted Lina that he was going for a swim. He was just finishing his laps when he spotted his fiancée slipping into the water; they swam together for a few minutes and then climbed out, dried off and headed up to their room, arms wrapped around each other.

Tim thought later that it was a good thing dining in Marseille customarily ran as late as it did in Athens, otherwise they would have had to find a convenience store or vending machine for food! He'd made a reservation before he went to the pool and by taking a quick shower together, they were on time. To their amazement they were ushered to their table almost immediately. They had a wonderful view of the harbor and relaxed with their drinks and hors d'oeurves, watching the boats slip in and out while Lina filled Tim in on her day.

When she'd realized she couldn't check into the hotel without Tim, Lina decided to store the bags and get started on her sightseeing. The concierge helped with suggestions and that's how Lina ended up taking a walking tour of the city. He'd recommended one that was split into several walks, that way she'd see more and ensure she learned the most important information about Marseille. Following the directions the concierge gave her, she arrived just in time to join a walking tour of the Panier district or Vieux Marseille - quartier du Panier, a two hour bilingual tour in French and English. Lina spoke fluent French but was glad they offered English, thinking Tim might want to take one of the tours over the weekend. She had her camera and phone with her; as she snapped a photo she kept track of the object of the photo and where it was. The guide was interested in her diligence and Lina told her why she was doing what she was doing. As it turned out, no one needed translations and with the very knowledgeable guide and very curious visitors, the two hour walk lasted nearly four. Lina took many photos and after they returned to their starting point, went back for more. She told Tim she was so busy looking at everything that she got a little lost, which she enjoyed, getting to see more of the city than she intended. She'd stopped for lunch and kept the receipt so she'd have the name of the café, thinking they might have some time to explore over the weekend. The nice people at the café had given her directions back to the tour office.

As they finished dinner Tim admitted to being tired after the events of the day. They had a leisurely walk back to the hotel and he crashed as soon as they got in. The next morning he told Lina he didn't even remember opening the door to their room. They spent the weekend sightseeing, with Lina taking copious photos. The walk she'd taken on Friday had been through the Panier and Old Port districts which had a lot of history from World War II and the Nazi occupation.

One of the guided walks they took on Saturday covered more of the founding of Marseille. The history of the city goes as far back as 600 BC. Sailors from the Ionian Greek city of Phocea (now modern-day Foça in Turkey) landed in a small inlet, the Lacydon, some 2,600 years ago. The ruler of the region King Nann, offered Gyptis, his daughter as a bride to Protis, the captain of the Greeks. The Greeks settled and created the new settlement, called Massilia, now Marseille. Tim was surprised to hear that, he hadn't realized France or at least this region of it had been settled by the Greeks. He'd known that parts of Italy, Sicily and Naples, had been colonized by them, but not about France. He was later to learn that Greece had colonized parts of Spain as well.

The Provence region and Marseille were coveted and successively taken by several tribes and conquerors. Throughout the 6th and 7th centuries it was subjected to epidemics of plague. When Tim heard that he shuddered, thinking of Tony and how close he'd come to being a modern victim of the ancient scourge. He was interested in the history but he was more interested in watching Lina take in the sights. He loved the way her eyes would light up when she saw something she wanted to paint.

The last walk they did was known as the Painter's walk**. **The itinerary had them going through a very nice neighborhood with old houses, churches and great views of the sea and the little harbor that inspired the painter Cézanne and his students. Lina took photos along the way but she told Tim later that although she loved Cézanne's works she was looking for fresh perspectives.

During the early afternoon Tim had a call from Roger's wife, asking him to stop in at the hospital later in the day. She said both agents would like to meet him in person. She'd evidently spoken with Pete or Trina as she mentioned Lina and asked to meet her as well. After they'd finished their walking tours, they had a late lunch in a small café on the way back to the hotel and then drove to the hospital.

The men were sharing a room and both seemed to be doing all right although each still had an IV line. They were happy to meet him and Lina and relieved that he'd stepped in for them. The couple didn't stay long; Tim remembered the days of needing healing sleep, although he did feel better for having seen them.

Saturday night they had dinner at a restaurant Roger's wife had told them about, the quintessential 'hole in the wall' known and revered only by locals. While it was also on the water as last night's restaurant was, the front of the building looked like it was ready to fall down and if Marla hadn't raved about it, they would have passed. They got there fairly early, having been warned that the "regulars" would keep the tables full and were graciously welcomed by the owner who had been contacted by one of his favorite customers. The food was delicious and the view was just as wonderful; both secrets that their server asked them to help maintain for the locals. After dinner, they found the jazz bar also recommended by Marla and sat with their after dinner drinks enjoying the music and the view of the old port.

Lina mentioned wanting to visit Cassis, a coastal town in Provence. She thought she'd take the bus up during the week as it was a short trip, but Tim was also interested so they decided to go on Sunday. While both were comfortable with public transportation, they wanted the car in case Tim was needed for work.

They set out very early Sunday morning as Lina wanted to see the changes in light throughout the day for which Provence is famous. It was a beautiful drive and they stopped a couple of times along the way for photos although Tim joked that they probably could have walked the distance. They reached the town and found the car park just where their concierge had told them it would be. They'd brought their swim things but decided to sightsee first, have lunch at some point and maybe have a swim in the late afternoon before heading back. They spent part of the morning wandering the narrow streets of the town, popping in and out of shops. Having read about the calanques or limestone growths which over millennia formed cliffs and coves in the area, Tim brought his trusty ginger root and seabands with him in anticipation of a boat trip. They found the kiosks for the boat rides on the waterfront and signed up for one that would take them into and around 8 of the calanques. They had a lovely hour and a half ride through the various coves and Lina took more photos.

When they returned, they went back to the car and taking out the towels and flip flops they'd brought with them, bought baguettes and cheese, a small split of wine and additional drinks and then walked on to the beach. They found a spot that wasn't too rocky and had a great view of the water and the cliffs. From their vantage point, they could see hikers on the hills and cliffs. They thought about joining them but when Tim had packed their bags, he wasn't thinking of hiking so neither of them had the proper footwear. They contented themselves with putting their flip flops on and getting their feet wet. Tim smiled at being able to now say that he'd been in the water on the Côte d'Azur although he could mentally hear Tony teasing him about only getting his feet wet.

After drying off and putting their trash and towels back in Tim's pack, they headed back into town as Tim wanted to buy souvenirs and of course the inevitable postcards. When Lina found items she thought would make nice gifts for their junior wedding attendants, they bought them and arranged to have them shipped home. The "juniors" ranged in age from Callum Hubbard the youngest to Stephan Russell, the eldest, so finding gifts for them was challenging. Tim found little gifts and bought enough for both teams and a few little items for Christmas and birthdays, belatedly remembering they would have to fit in suitcases. He shrugged; they could always mail things home.

After leaving town, they took a side trip to a small village that was touted as an artists' colony. It was a quaint little place with beautiful scenery but it seemed to be closed up, they saw no one on the street and none of the few shops were open, even the doors on the church were locked! On their drive back to the main road, they stopped at a gas station and asked about the village. The attendant explained that the artists traveled to the tourist sites during the summer to better market their paintings; the village wouldn't come to life again for another couple of months. When he added that several cars had stopped to ask, Lina just rolled her eyes and they laughed when they got back in the car. She'd taken pictures of the village and they joked about how she might title the painting.

From there they drove back to Marseille, stopping for photos in the same spots as they had in the morning so that Lina could capture the contrasts in the light. She told Tim she thought she would take a day trip or two during the week, she wanted to visit the cities of Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Nimes and possibly the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct still intact over the Gardon River. When she also mentioned a desire to see the region of Languedoc, especially the walled city of Carcassonne, Tim extracted a promise that they would travel to this region on their own so that he could see everything she was about to; especially the walled city, the ancient aqueduct and the equally antique Roman Coliseum in the city of Nimes. He also suggested that since the places she mentioned were fairly close in driving distance, she consider staying overnight somewhere rather than driving back to Marseille and then out again.

When they parked the car at their hotel, they brought in the map of France they found in the glove box and marked the places she'd mentioned. Figuring out the distances, they decided Nimes would be the logical place to stay over as it was the furthest from Marseille. As Lina wanted to at least sketch, she decided to concentrate on Nimes, Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, leaving Languedoc for another time. She didn't want to be away from Tim for the number of days it would take to artistically do justice to both Provence and Languedoc. Tim put it on their list of places they wanted to explore.

They went to work online, looking for hotels. When Lina wished aloud that she could stay someplace as welcoming and secure as the bed and breakfast where they'd stayed in Pennsylvania last winter, Tim added that to their search. Finding several in the area that met their initial criteria, they narrowed it down to two before looking at the online reviews. The first place had cabins and although it sounded like fun, Lina said she wouldn't feel secure, much to Tim's relief. However, she was more enthusiastic about the second one, called Le Mazet. It wasn't far from town, just enough to need a car; had a tranquil setting with a pool and Lina thought it sounded perfect. She called and found they had a room available and after Lina explained that she was an artist visiting the area while her husband was on a business trip in Marseille, the owner was willing to let it for one night which was unusual during their high season. When Lina got off the phone, Tim showed her just how much he loved her calling him "her husband".

Tim practiced his martial arts moves before he had his swim and breakfast the next morning, leaving Lina asleep in their room. She planned to find the art supply store today and start some sketches. Tomorrow she'd leave on her trip, taking their rental car. Tim was close enough to walk to the office and there was a café open early and late just two doors down from the hotel. If he really needed a car while Lina was gone, it would be for work and he'd use one of the agency sedans.

The day passed quietly with the team working on reports and cold cases. Wanting to ensure Lina would be safe traveling on her own, Tim spoke with one of the LEOs he'd met on Friday. He was told as long as she stuck to the main roads and used common sense she should be fine. He was also given the name and number of a contact on the Nimes Police Department which he later passed along to Lina. Doug and Sharra asked him to have lunch with them and Tim agreed, guessing the staff didn't eat together as his own team usually did. When asked if he had any preferences, Tim pointed to a deli up the street; he'd noticed over the weekend that they had a courtyard with tables.

He was amused when he received an e-mail from Pete during the afternoon asking if he had time to join their regular conference call that evening. Tim hadn't planned on it, but the Marseille call with Vance was scheduled right before, so he didn't have a problem.

Knowing it was unorthodox he had Doug and Sharra sit in on the call. In his mind it was part of training, especially crucial when their regular chain of command was absent, dealing with the administrative side of the agency and Vance apparently agreed as he gave Tim a subtle gesture of approval. Tim made a note to have Bec and Matt sit in on a call sometime soon. When they'd finished business, Tim quietly dismissed the agents, telling them he was staying on to join the Athens conference call. After the two left Roger's office, Vance nodded at him. "Nicely done, Agent McGee, it's a good idea, as long as there's no staffing or disciplinary concerns. And you wouldn't have had either this week." He chuckled, "Roger doesn't include his SFA in these."

Tim's eyebrows flew up. "I never considered that, Director! I'll let Roger know, hate to have him blindsided if either of them mention it."

"Good thinking. Now, while we wait for Pete, tell me about your weekend."

Tim filled him in on their various walking tours and the trip to Callis. When Pete didn't appear Tim tried not to be concerned and kept on going, filling the Director in on Lina's plans. Vance chuckled again, "And now you're jealous, right?"

Tim laughed, "Not exactly but we are planning a trip to all those places so I can see them too!"

Finally Pete appeared and they were updated with Athenian business. They'd gotten a new case, a sailor UA for two weeks and thought to be in Greece. They'd had a lead and had just returned to the office after following it to a dead end; tomorrow they'd start at square one again.

Tuesday morning Marseille got their own new case, a murder of a sailor originally from a small town in the state of Washington. Needing background, Tim sent an e-mail to Cazal at the Bremerton office and was relieved when the reply pointed him toward DiNozzo. Late that afternoon, he called Tony via Skype.

"Hey Tim, Cazal said you'd be in contact, got a murder you need help with?" Tony peered at Tim's surroundings. "Where are you? That doesn't look like your office or home."

"I'm in Marseille; the SAIC and SFA were in an accident."

"Yikes, both of them? They going to be ok?"

Tim told him about the accident and their expected returns and then continued with his reason for calling, "As I told Cazal, we got handed a murder this morning and our dead sailor is originally from a town near Bremerton. He's only been Navy a few months, looks like he enlisted as soon as he was 18, and his record is spotless, what there is of it. I'm hoping you'll find something in his hometown. I've sent you the info."

"Sure, happy to be your eyes and ears on the ground here." Tim smiled and nodded his thanks as they signed off. When the case was over, they'd take the time to catch up but not in the middle of things.

The rest of the week flew by as they worked the case. By Wednesday afternoon they had the autopsy report and knew the how and where and that led them to theorize about a possible why. Tony's findings in the young man's hometown gave more weight to their possible motive. When Paul returned to desk duty the next morning he found them hunting online for the who. With the four of them working together they had the murderer identified by Friday morning and waited nearly the entire day for the arrest warrant. It finally came through in early evening and Tim, Doug and Sharra went out into Friday night commute traffic to bring in the suspect. In the long run that worked in their favor as the suspect had his car packed and was ready to make a run for it but had gotten stuck on his own commute home and then decided to wait until traffic had cleared. It probably wouldn't have mattered, they had his plate number and his shiny brand new Alfa Romeo 4 C would have been identified pretty easily, but the chase might have been a little challenging. Tim and Paul interrogated him that night; it took a few hours but finally they had a confession and called the Marseille PD to take him to lockup. Tim copied Cazal and Tony on the arrest report, crediting DiNozzo with finding a crucial piece of information: the killer had been an exchange student who lived with the victim's family during his senior year of high school. Their dead sailor would have been a young teen during that time, just 13, and there had been rumors that Tony picked up on when he visited the town that the exchange student was a pedophile. What Tim and the team found on their end was that the sailor had tracked the man down, confronted him and was subsequently murdered.

XXX

Although she missed Tim, Lina had a wonderful time on her brief tour of Provence. Like countless others before her, she found the light in the region fascinating. She took photos; bought postcards and prints of the places she'd seen; bought Tim a miniature of the coliseum in Nimes and planned a miniature painting of the Roman aqueduct for him; she'd already completed the sketch. The bed and breakfast, known as a chambre d'hôte in French, was a gem and she told Tim she hoped the two of them would return there someday. Knowing he had a new case and wouldn't be off work until late Wednesday night, she took her time getting back to Marseille.

The art supply store near the office had an easel she was able to rent for the rest of their stay; she picked it up Thursday morning to start the plein air painting she'd been itching to do since they'd arrived. The first thing she did was paint a miniature of the front of their hotel, loving its charm. After that, she worked on the waterfront and in the historic districts; her work clearly imbued with her feelings, her admiration for the city.

With Tim's case wrapping up so late Friday night, Lina picked up two takeout dinners at the café down the street and tucked them into the small refrigerator in their room. By the time he came in, she'd eaten half of hers; she ate the rest slowly while Tim tried not to inhale his.

They slept late Saturday morning and then had a swim before breakfast. Marseille was on call this weekend and as Paul's field clearance wasn't good until Monday Tim was still acting Team Lead. They'd deliberately left the areas closest to the hotel to explore this weekend, knowing Tim wouldn't be comfortable too far from the hotel and car. There was plenty for them to see and do and by early evening Tim had relaxed a bit. They had dinner at another restaurant recommended by the very knowledgeable Marla, Roger's wife, and enjoyed it just as much as the 'secret' place. Going back to the jazz bar, Tim stuck with a non-alcoholic drink while they listened to the music and danced a little.

Sunday they took a picnic, courtesy of the hotel kitchen, to a nearby park and strolled around the harbor and the neighborhoods, taking their last photos. After their dinner at the café, Tim called Roger to give him an update and told him about including Doug and Sharra in Vance's conference call. Roger said he'd never thought of it but it was a good idea and he was going to start routinely including Paul and occasionally the other two.

Pete called Sunday night, telling Tim not to come into the office once they got home Monday. If they got a call out before Tuesday morning, he could respond from home. Monday morning when they entered the hotel restaurant for breakfast, Tim was surprised and touched to find the entire Marseille staff there, including Roger and Marla. When Tim wondered how they'd known where and when to find them, he looked at Lina who smiled and batted her eyes at him. Laughing he pulled her in for a kiss. While they waited for their meals, Doug presented him with a gift, a two slot picture frame with photos of Tim. The first one showed him speaking with the French detective the day of the hit and run with Tim gesturing to show the angle he'd need to take the shot he'd offered; there was a heavily armed SWAT team member standing at the edge of the photo. The second one was taken while he and Paul were interrogating their murder suspect on Friday. The photographer, Tim thought it was Sharra, had carefully angled the camera so that only a bit of the suspect's sleeve gave any indication of a third person in the room. The photo showed Tim's face in profile and he was surprised and amused to see how stern he looked as he tented his fingers on something on the table. Tim knew it was the autopsy photo of their murdered sailor and he'd been directing the suspect's attention to it, but nothing could be seen in the photo. On the bottom of the picture frame was a small metal plaque that read: "Thank you for your help and leadership. NCIS: Marseille Aug. 2014". Tim was touched and warmly thanked them all. They enjoyed their breakfast with them and then left early for the airport to leave time for returning the rental car.

Both of them slept the entire flight home. Tim was so groggy that he nearly forgot to go through Customs in Athens but Lina grabbed his arm and steered him in the right direction. As they left the terminal, they were surprised to see Tim's car pull up to the curb with Geordie at the wheel. Geordie explained on the way home how he had Tim's car, which had been left in long term parking, and how Lina's car came to be tucked into the garage at home rather than sitting in the Metro station parking lot. Whatever he said, neither one remembered later; they were just thankful to be met at the airport and not have to drive home. They managed sandwiches when they got home, not wondering how fresh food had appeared in the refrigerator, and then crashed for a nap.

When Tim woke it was early evening. He'd hoped to get to class this evening but decided to pass. He called George to tell him, and wasn't surprised to find that their instructor hadn't expected him in the first place. When Lina woke they went for a swim and then unpacked and did a load of laundry. Lina declared she wouldn't wear any of the clothes she'd had with her for at least a month, she was that sick of them. Tim was just glad she'd gone with him and been able to see more of Provence. They laughed at how happy they were to be home in their own place, their own bed; they'd been gone 11 days but it felt much longer.

* * *

><p>Notes: the B&amp;B outside Nimes is real, found it online, looks like fun! The place with the cabins is also real and also looked like fun, just not right for Lina's visit. The abandoned artists' colony near Cassis was creative license.<p>

I mentioned the coliseum in Nimes and the Pont du Gard aqueduct because, sadly, I'd never heard of either before a tour bus I was on pulled up in front of them. I have to say I was really impressed with the aqueduct; it was standing there as whole as the day it was finished…let's see, it was built between 60 and 40 BCE, so that's 2054 years ago. Wow! If you want to google it, look for Pont du Gard, it is impressive.

Tim and Lina will visit Carcassonne and the surrounding region later in our story.


	102. Chapter 102

Finding Home, CH 102

Lina was first out of the house Tuesday morning; Tim was still tired and admittedly dragging. For the first time since he'd left Gibbs' team he didn't feel like going into work. He wasn't so much physically tired as mentally and maybe emotionally although he didn't understand why. It was still early; he had time to consider before he made a decision. Really the only consideration was could he do his job today? Could he chase a bad guy, take a shot, protect his team…or would he only have adrenaline to depend on? That could be dangerous. Decision made, he called Pete. "Hey Tim, how are you doing this morning?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, Pete, but I'm not coming in today. I'm not sick, not really physically tired…just don't think I should come in, afraid I'd put the team in danger."

Pete thought a moment, "Do you feel drained?"

"Yeah and it's more mental than physical. I don't get it, hoping a day will knock it."

"Maybe it's too much going on in your life? I've been waiting for you to call in like this since your uncles showed up and we found a Nazi murderer on their ship."

"Huh?"

"Can't keep up the pace forever, my friend! Everything that's come at you this past year, good and bad, it's been nonstop and at some point it was going to hit, you need to stop and take a breath. This is probably also part of our recovery from Bagram; we're human, we need time to recharge, especially with our jobs." He paused, "I'm so proud of you for realizing it and calling in. I've dreaded the thought of having to bench you."

"Yeah, don't want that happening. As I said, I'm afraid I'd endanger the team. Glad you had it figured out; I just feel like I'm underwater and don't know why."

"Yep, know that feeling. One day isn't going to do it, my friend. You should take the rest of the week off."

"Pete! I can't do that, one day will do."

"Nope, at least three days."

Tim sighed, "Ok, two days, back Thursday."

"Gonna trust your judgment, all right, two days. But you'd better not do anything stressful! No finding new relatives or taking on anyone else's problems."

"Yes sir. Gonna float in the pool and maybe write a little, had an idea for a new story, want to get it outlined."

"Good!"

"If you run into anything…"

"We'll call if we absolutely have to. But you know it's good for the kiddies to work directly with the old man."

Tim made a derisive noise and Pete laughed. "All right, you go float or write or putter, we'll see you Thursday. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks Pete!"

They disconnected. Tim sat in the kitchen, thinking about what to do. He didn't really want to do anything, everything he considered sounded like it would take too much energy. Man, he was tired!

Finally he forced himself up, made breakfast and then took it outside to eat. He'd practiced his modified moves this morning; now he did some additional stretches and noticed how good they felt. It was still a little too early for a swim so he went back to the kitchen for more coffee.

The pot was empty and he hesitated. Too much caffeine was probably not a good idea but he wasn't terribly excited about decaffeinated coffee. He looked in the refrigerator, thinking he'd have lemonade and noticed the jar of Italian coffee substitute that Penny left behind. It had no caffeine and was made with barley, chicory and rye. He read the label and found it interesting enough to try it. Making a cup, he took a cautious sip. Hmm, definitely not coffee, had its own flavor, didn't taste fake or processed, not a bad taste at all. Nodding his approval he took it into the office and pulling up his word processing program, started outlining his idea for a story.

When he finished with that, he sent Lina a text to let her know he was home, was just going to putter around the house, that he wasn't sick or hurting. She replied that she was also tired and they were having a quiet day, she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

As the day wore on, Tim found that he was also feeling upset and it was getting more pronounced. He didn't know what it was about; he just knew something was wrong. As his exhaustion and his current emotional state were unusual for him, he placed a call to Dr. Agnos' office and was given an appointment the following morning. That was good; he couldn't afford to work like this.

He went upstairs, did a little more laundry and put it away. He pulled up a book he hadn't read yet on his e-reader and spent a couple of hours trying to read. When he put the tablet down to get something more to drink he wandered back upstairs. Grabbing his swim stuff, including hat and sunscreen, he changed, lathered up and then set his phone alarm for 90 minutes, the length of effectiveness for the sunscreen. He poked through the pool shed to find the boogie board he'd used on the Fourth of July and left it on the edge of the pool along with his favorite float, the one with the built in chair and beverage holder. Deciding he should get some more exercise first, he swam laps. Not setting any time records, not really pushing it but definitely working on building his strength and he hoped his energy. When he felt his legs tiring, he pulled the board into the water with him, rested his torso on that and let his arms do the work. After a while he switched off and put his legs back to work, doing the butterfly and scissor kicks. He was surprised when his phone alarm chirped, time for more sunscreen! He had to dry off a bit for that and when he went back in the water, it was in his floating chair with an extra large tumbler of lemonade. He fell asleep bobbing around in the water, only waking when his phone chirped again. Paddling over to the side, he got out, dried off and then poked his head into the house to grab the clippers. There were three rose bushes blooming and he cut several roses of differing hues, stripped them of their thorns and put them into the vase he'd given Lina for Christmas, the one he'd found on his first trip to Aegina with his grandfather. By the time he finished with the roses, his stomach was growling so he made lunch and was surprised to see how late it was, nearly 1400! Taking his lunch outside, he sat at the table and ate it while he resumed reading the new book. A nap in the chaise lounge followed.

He was inside for more lemonade when he thought to check his e-mail; two messages caught his eye. The first one was from the hotel on Santorini, sending a confirmation of their reservation. Tim stared at it for several minutes. Their weekend getaway was coming up at the end of the following week. Right now leaving home, even for a romantic weekend in a beautiful place, didn't appeal to him at all. He'd rather stay home with Lina and just enjoy some downtime here. However he'd promised her this trip after all the Bagram craziness, actually all the way back to missing Valentine's Day in New Orleans; he was sure he'd feel more like it after he got rested up. He didn't need to do anything with the e-mail anyway; he'd just mention that they'd gotten the private pool and room they wanted.

The second message was from his publisher. They were pleased with the draft he'd sent and were mailing the advance money. To his surprise, they were also willing to publish his new works with his new pseudonym. Reading on, however, he saw that they 'hoped' he would also continue to write under the Gemcity name. He knew what that meant and writing more than he was already doing would be too much of a stretch.

He pursed his lips in thought as he paced around the house. He'd be willing to do one more Gemcity book if it wasn't a Tibbs. The McGee siblings had long planned to write a book about their life on the street. They'd planned on making it non-fiction but hadn't done much more than write down their ideas, always hoping to have Geordie's input. And now they could have it. What if they did it as fiction? It could be set as a prologue of sorts to the Tibbs novels, for McGregor and his family. They could write it just as they planned, keeping the McGregor name but changing the rest of the names. He huffed to himself, they'd be far more clever with the names than he had been a decade ago when he'd started writing the Deep Six books. However they wouldn't change the events and at the end they could reveal that the story was factually real. It would take longer with all of them involved but they could write that into the contract. That would be the last Gemcity and they'd all be 'Gemcity' co-authors; in the meantime, he could continue working on his grandfather's tales under his new name Zubin Cai, but without any jacket photo and with no hint of any connection to Gemcity. He sat down to write up his ideas and then sent e-mails to his siblings, outlining his plan and asking them if they were interested, what they thought of it and if they had any changes to the plan or alternate ideas. That done, he set the whole thing aside until he could discuss it with Lina.

He read a bit more and then went back into the pool. When Lina got home she found him relaxing poolside, playing Tetris.

She pushed his feet over so she could sit on the end of the chaise lounge. "Hello!"

He smiled and leaning forward, kissed her deeply and then asked about her day. She took a deep breath, "I managed to stay awake all day although it was difficult. What have you been up to?" She looked around the pool and noticed the boogie board, chair float and various toys. "Looks like you had fun!"

"I did although it would have been a lot more fun if you'd been here too. Any chance you can stay home tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid not, my love. Tomorrow we will have visitors from two communities and only the chaperones will be over the age of 12. You're really staying home again?"

"Pete banned me from the office, tried to make it the rest of the week. He says he'd been waiting for me to need this time since I met the uncles last year."

Lina nodded, "There has been a lot going on, but most of it has been good."

"Yeah, I don't know what it was about Marseille that pushed me over the edge but I felt like I could have been a danger to the team today if we'd had a case."

"Then staying home was an excellent decision." Lina paused, "Tim, I have something I want to talk to you about." With a wicked smile, he licked the palm of her hand. She shivered and laughed, "You don't play fair! Now listen, please. Is the money you've spent for Santorini refundable?"

He frowned and nodded.

"I've been thinking; we have the house to ourselves, we have the pool; what would you think of postponing our trip until next spring? After the wedding and New Orleans?"

"Sweetie, are you sure? This trip is for you; don't worry about…"

She'd put a finger on his lips to shush him. "I know you'll be fine but we need time together here at home. Time to ourselves and yes, more time to catch up with our lives. I don't think I can stand to go away again and then Gibbs will be here and after he leaves everything with the wedding will be really crazy. These next few weeks will be our only chance to just be us, to relax together here."

Tim nodded and smiled, "I'm fine with that, LinaMelina. As long as I'm with you, life is the best it can be."

"Oh you sweet man!" With the catching up they did that evening, the reservations didn't get postponed until the next day.

Wednesday morning Tim woke up long enough to kiss Lina goodbye as she headed off to work; falling back to sleep he didn't wake again until his phone alarm went off for his appointment with Dr. Agnos. After he did his stretches and moves he had breakfast and this time he had coffee, figuring if he wanted another cup later on he'd go for the coffee substitute. He showered, dressed and was in the doctor's office spot on time.

When he sat down in the doctor's inner sanctum, the man looked him over. "So tell me what's going on, Tim." Tim told him how he'd felt the day before.

"And now?"

"I'm still…worn out I guess I'd call it but it's better than yesterday."

"You off work today too?" Tim nodded.

"Tell me about last week."

"Really the last 11 days, Doc. The two agents in charge in our Marseille office got into a car accident and…." Tim told him how they'd gotten the call, dashing home to pack, hearing Lina was going with him and the flight, seeing Roger and Paul in the hospital the next day. He stopped, "I'm leaving something out."

"What?"

"Not sure, we got off the plane, went through Customs, picked up our rental car…Lina drove me to the office and dropped me off. And then…oh." Tim sat back.

"Tim?"

"Even though it was our guys who were hurt, we had no jurisdiction and the local PD didn't want our help. They figured out who hit Roger and Paul…it was bad, Doc, Roger was in Intensive Care that first day, his leg is messed up…anyway the PD allowed us to witness the takedown; I had the two other agents with me. One has a couple of years of experience, the other one is near the end of her probationary year. It got nasty, the guy had a shotgun and I offered to help, I'd figured out the angle I'd need to shoot it out of his hand, like I did in Athens that time."

The doctor looked back through his notes and nodded.

"But they refused my help, said I had no jurisdiction and they were right. Instead, their SWAT team went in. His wife wouldn't leave him and he shot her and then the SWAT team killed him." Tim sat back, defeated, his shoulders slumped.

"You feel you could have saved him - them."

"I could have tried but they were right, it wasn't our jurisdiction."

"So two people died because they wouldn't let you try - even though their reasons were valid."

Tim nodded.

"Ok, you've dealt with this before, you have the tools. We'll work on it but as… regrettable as it was, I don't think it's the only issue here."

He looked up as the doctor continued, "Tell me about the injuries to the two agents."

Tim first told him about Paul's injuries and then started talking about Roger's leg. At some point he stood and started pacing, something he did when he was really having a hard time pulling a thought or feeling out of his head. When he stopped, the doctor looked at him and Tim noticed he'd flipped his notebook back several pages. "Tim, sit for a minute."

The doctor poured him a glass of water and Tim took a few sips. "What you just described to me started out as…I'm assuming Roger's injury. But then you changed to Matt's leg injury."

Tim sat back in thought. "They're not the same; Roger's wasn't as severe. Matt…" he suddenly found he couldn't speak and he looked at the doctor, tears streaming down his face.

"It's ok, Tim, Matt's alive, he didn't lose his leg and he's back at work. Let it out." Tim did just that, remembering lying there in the desert, pinned to the ground, his body on fire and Bec telling him how bad she thought Matt's leg injury was. How scared he was when he woke in the hospital that his probie, his friend and brother-in-law, had lost his leg or worse his life.

Eventually he got through it and sat back, exhausted. The doctor gave him a wet cloth for his eyes, another glass of water and then left him for a few minutes so he could rest in private. Tim drank the water and rested with the cloth over his eyes. He sat up again when he heard the doctor come back in the room. "Time?"

"No, we still have a few minutes. Tim, you said you were off yesterday and again today?"

"Yeah."

"I'd like you to take the remainder of the week off. I won't make it mandatory but I do think you need to rest and let your body and mind absorb everything."

Tim huffed, "That's what Pete said."

"Good, that's a thoughtful boss. What I'd like to see happen is to have the team session at the beginning of next week and yes, I understand that will be difficult. I've already told Agent Russell I have no problem meeting everyone here before your office hours."

Tim nodded, "That would be easier, yes." He thought for a couple of minutes, "You really believe I need more time?"

"Yes, Tim, it's not just Matt, Bagram or Marseille. It's everything, probably the entire past year and I know we've dealt with a great deal of it but it has still had a cumulative effect." Dr. Agnos paused, "If you give yourself the time now to rest, without any obligations and without taking on anything else, it's far more likely that you'll be able to go on without any further problems. If you don't, something else may trigger another event such as this."

"Event? This was a breakdown?"

"No, it was not. A breakdown is what you might have had if you hadn't given yourself permission to rest yesterday and today. You made the right choice. Think of this as a warning from your body and your mind that you need to rest, to allow yourself to rest for a few days."

Tim nodded, "All right. I'm not as wiped out as I was yesterday but I'm still feeling kind of underwater." He looked up, "I can't be in the field like this."

The doctor nodded. "If you'd like I can contact Agent Russell."

Tim shook his head, "No, that's all right, he won't gloat and I know he has my best interests at heart, I trust him. You'll set up the team session for…next Monday?"

"Is that the best time?"

"We're not on call this weekend so yeah, probably the best bet."

"All right, I will contact Agent Russell for that."

"Do I need a follow-up?"

The doctor smiled, "If you'd like one that's fine but I don't think you'll need one."

"Thanks Doc."

The doctor shook his head, "You're doing a good job of taking care of yourself Timothy."

On his way home, Tim stopped at the grocery store and was astounded at how good a simple thing like grocery shopping felt. When he got home, he called Pete's cell.

"Hey Tim, how's it going?"

"I'm doing better Pete but you know what…you were right. I'm going to take the rest of the week. Just got back from Doc Agnos and…yeah, I need the time."

"Proud of you, my friend, that's excellent news. I did that too."

"Pete?"

"Years ago, Leon was still here. In two years, I'd moved here, met Trina, married and we'd had Stephan. Stephan was three months old when we discovered we were pregnant again. We'd had back to back cases, some of them pretty nasty, I hadn't been able to take my full paternity leave - the Director at the time wasn't so creative about volunteers helping out - and I just needed some time. Leon understood, Jackie was pregnant with Kayla and he figured I was leading the way, that he'd watch and learn."

"So you took a week?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for telling me, man, now I know it's not just me!"

"I'll keep telling you then, Tim. You are one of the strongest people I've ever met but you are human. I'm sure Doc Agnos has already told you this, but taking on responsibilities for your brother and sister when they were babies…and I mean Patrick and Sarah, kiddo…you learned that way too early. All of that probably saved you when you ended up in Baltimore, but Tim, you've been going full bore for 30-something years now and no break? Even Superman takes his cape off once in a while!"

Tim laughed at that, "Good to know you're equating me with a superhero…no pressure or anything! But yeah, I see what you're saying and I promise to work on relaxing."

"Good, now go float in that pool some more!"

"Yes sir!" After he disconnected he sent a text to Lina and then checked his e-mail. He laughed at the responses from his siblings, all three of them wanted to know why he'd sent an e-mail from his personal account in the middle of a work day.

Before he wrote them back telling them about his days off, he read what they had to say about his idea. It looked like all three of them liked it, Geordie wanted to know if they could create their own names to go with "Gemcity". Tim grinned at that, imagining what his crazy brothers and sister would come up with.

He grabbed his e-reader, a cup of the coffee substitute and went outside. He wasn't ready to eat lunch yet; he'd go for a swim after he'd eaten but just being outdoors in the fresh air felt good. He drank his beverage and read a few more chapters of his book and then found he was nodding off. He woke himself twice and then decided to just nap if that's what he needed.

He slept for an hour, woke up starving, made lunch and then lathered up and went for his swim. He followed much the same pattern for the rest of the week and over the weekend, although having Lina at home then made everything better.

On Friday, Pete e-mailed the Field team with instructions to meet at Dr. Agnos' office at 0700 Monday morning for their mandatory group session. Tim was pleased and relieved to see a second e-mail with the rest of the team names added on; the entire office was having a session with the doc after the Field Team's session.


	103. Chapter 103

By Monday, Tim had decided to tell his team about confusing Matt and Roger's injuries. He didn't know if the others would have much to say, but he thought the two younger agents might be wondering what kept him out of the office the previous week. There had been a cautious call from Damian and a curious one from Geordie over the weekend but neither Lina nor Tim said anything specific about his reasons for staying home. After a long debate, mostly with himself, some with Lina, he was honest with Gibbs during their weekly Skype call and told him that he'd taken the week off to catch up with himself and the part about Matt & Roger's injuries. When Gibbs questioned him about it and expressed concern, Tim felt they'd both passed some sort of test. He was relieved and happy that the man he'd chosen to be his dad was being supportive and he didn't even want to think about his fear that the 'old' Gibbs would surface, that Gibbs might have mocked him for the time off, for needing help. He also caught up with his grandparents and siblings and by Sunday evening was ready to resume his work life.

The Field team session started off in silence and Tim finally gave them a nudge, "Come on guys, it's just us. Doc is really here to facilitate. We need to talk about this; we already know we lived through it."

They looked at him and Pete nodded, "You're right and I'll start. I'm proud of each of you for the whole operation, handling the crime scene was tough enough but the firefight with the terrorists, you three were unbelievable! Matt, I watched you take down a guy that was sneaking up on you, you took him out with your leg and then when he regrouped and had a weapon, you shot him point blank, not a second's hesitation. Bec, Tim you two were also solid that day, sorry to say I didn't get to watch much of your action though. I know that Bec hadn't shot anyone prior to that and Matt, your only other shooting experience was on the Baton Rouge with all of us; you guys followed your training, kept your heads and did exactly what you signed up to do – protected your country and your team. Tim, they followed your lead, kept calm, kept their eyes open and yeah, that's a tribute to you. Bec, I've already told you this but it bears repeating, what you did after the crash…that was above and beyond. Agent Childers, you saved our lives with your actions."

Bec looked down and let out a sob. "I couldn't stop, I was so afraid I was going to lose you all…Matt's leg and Tim…Tim had a huge piece of metal sticking out of him. I had to keep going." She let out a choked sigh, "When Tim woke up, I was so relieved I could have kissed him, everyone else was either unconscious or dead; I've never felt so alone in my life. But I had to take care of you all, Pete, I had to."

Matt was sitting next to her and he rubbed her shoulder. "And you did, Bec, you did exactly the right thing. Like Tim and Pete said, we lived, we're here." Bec talked a little more and then sat back, apparently done.

Matt shook his head, "I don't remember any of it, nothing until I woke up in a hospital room and Bec was there and then they brought you two in. But I saw the pictures and from the damage to my leg and all those dead guys, I can only imagine how awful it must have been."

Tim shook his head, "Matt…last week I…" He stopped and then started again. "When I was in Marseille, I went to the hospital to see Roger. His leg was broken in a car wreck although it was nowhere near as bad as yours. But it impacted me more than I thought; last week when I came in here to see Doc, he asked me to tell him about Roger's injury. When I finished he said I'd told him about yours. I guess I kind of overlaid Roger's injury with yours because I…I couldn't get the sight of you lying there with your leg so twisted and bent out of my head for weeks after the crash. And Marseille just brought it all back."

Matt reached over and they hugged. "I'm ok, bro, I promise."

"I know you are; well most of me knows you are but apparently not all of me."

Pete finally spoke up and told them he remembered the point of impact, the moment their vehicle was impacted by the exploding IED. He hadn't previously told anyone but Trina. They talked about that for quite a while and then the doctor spoke, first to each of them and then as a group.

Overall it was a good session and one they probably should have done weeks before but Tim thought later that he at least hadn't been ready. The session afterward with Kim, Tea and Eva was also illuminating and again he felt it had done them good as a team to talk about the mission and their co-workers at home, keeping the office running, dealing with a temporary staff for months on end and the waiting for those two days. It hadn't been the rule back then, but Tim wondered if a team session would have helped after Somalia. Probably not, his former team, and he was just as guilty as the others, was expert at saying whatever was necessary to get through a psych eval…anything to get back to work and bury the feelings about the mission as deeply as possible.

That week and the week that followed flew by. With the wedding party finalized, Lina was scrambling to get her dress finished and get everyone else's at least in motion before Gibbs' arrival so that she could relax during his visit. Chloe and Sarah would be her honor attendants, equivalent to matrons or maids of honor in the US tradition, with Dani, Bec and her friend Rhea as her attendants or bridesmaids. They would be joined by five junior attendants: Alexis, Phoebe, Kayla, Krya and Ainsley. Archimedes was drafted to work on Dani and Bec's dresses and he brought in a friend of his to work on Krya and Phoebe's dresses. Hélène was working on Chloe and Alexis' dresses and hoped to have at least Chloe's done before they left for the UK. She had a friend who was also an expert seamstress; she would take over whatever was left to do on both dresses.

The men and boys had it a little easier. Geordie and Rob were the best men; James, Damian and Nicolas would be the groomsmen and the junior groomsmen would be Stephan, Jared, Lukas, Callum and Ross. Geordie could wear his dress blues and Rob a tux, although Tim briefly considered having the three of them wear the kilts they had from their grandparents' wedding. That is until Sarah pointed out that all eyes should be on the bride, not on the groom's knobby knees. Rob and James would have their tuxes made in London. Damian already had a tux, Nicolas was having one made in Thessaloniki and Archimedes promised to handle the boys' tuxes. Lina's nephews, Zander, Dmitri and Tad would be the ring bearers, an American tradition, while the flower girl would be Aunt Gaia's granddaughter Tasha who was the same age as Tad; their wedding attire would be handled in Thessaloniki. In the U.S., Claire and Maisie were already working on Ainsley and Kayla's dresses while they'd found a local tailor for Callum and Jared's tuxes. Ducky was in charge of getting both young men to their fittings and he was enjoying every minute he spent with the two youngsters. He had also managed to convince Jethro to have a tux made for the occasion, pointing out that he would also likely be wearing it if Tony ever married. To the good doctor's great surprise, his old friend readily agreed and it was only later that Gibbs confessed that Tim had already asked him to wear a tux. He'd hoped to have it made while he was in Greece but when he heard about Archimedes helping with the wedding party attire, he wasn't sure if the man would have time and really his time in Greece shouldn't be taken up with fittings when he wanted to be with Tim and Lina. He'd heard from Ducky via Maisie that Lina was doing her best to get everything moving before he arrived. Tim's uncles would also be in dress uniform although the ship would be in her home port and the Admiral and Captain on leave. With the Naval exercises taking place throughout the summer and early autumn, the Baton Rouge's visit to Greece was now scheduled for the following February and Tim was just as glad. By then they would hopefully have caught their breaths and could relax and enjoy their visit.

The charter jet had been arranged through friends of Ducky and Gibbs and when Tim added up the individual ticket costs vs. the charter he walked into Pete's office and gave him a huge hug much to everyone's amusement. When his grandparents insisted on paying for the charter, Tim tried to argue but didn't get very far.

The bridal couple asked Pete and Trina to take over working with the caterer at the Hotel Danae and the pair had a lovely day on Aegina tasting the various Mezes, foods and cakes that would be served and making sure the reception set up was to their friends' taste. The cake would be four layers of varying flavors along with cupcakes. Including the wedding party, there were over 100 people invited and the cake and cupcakes would be tailored for that number. When the senior Kalivas' insisted on paying for the reception and flowers, Tim asked Davos to let his favorite author pay for the food and had been relieved when his father-in-law agreed.

While Geordie and Rob had been tasked with selecting the music, Rob's crazy schedule made it problematic so Matt stepped in to work with Geordie. Damian helped as he knew the traditional music and dances that should be included. The hotel was providing the musicians and Lina and Tim were assured they would play modern as well as traditional music.

Remembering the spontaneous harmonizing at Jack's funeral, Tim had an idea for their wedding ceremony and when he shared it with Lina, she was enthusiastic. Before he did anything else, he asked Damian if there was anyone in the Kalivas family who sang. When Damian told him who it was, Tim wasn't quite sure that would work but when he told his brother-in-law his idea, he was assured it would work perfectly. So Tim sent an e-mail to ask Jimmy, Maisie, Uncle Jim and Nicolas' wife Margaret if they would please sing together during the wedding ceremony. He and Damian put their heads together and came up with an appropriate song that worked well in Greek and English. Damian told Tim about a friend who was a choir director and suggested that he could help with an arrangement so that both languages would be clearly represented. When Tim mentioned the idea to Kim after class one Thursday evening, she stopped in her tracks. "Eva has a beautiful voice and sings in her church choir and a community choir. Any chance you'd include her too?"

Tim liked the idea, thinking that would be fitting in a couple of ways. For one thing, it would mean Margaret would have another voice with her for the Greek rendition and secondly, it would tie Tim and Lina's families and cultures more closely together. The next day Tim and Eva went on the lunch run and he asked her to sing with the others at his wedding; she was so excited she couldn't eat her lunch. Everyone agreed to sing and Damian took over the planning. He'd already told his friend the choir director who found a perfect arrangement, meant for a duet which in this case would be the English singers and the Greek singers and they sent the music off to the US, Thessaloniki, the Baton Rouge and Tim hand carried a copy to Eva. Lina reported that Margaret was overjoyed to be included and that Nicolas had again proclaimed his eternal gratitude.

Matt also helped ferrying the kids around for their various fittings and with anything else needed. One of the responsibilities he took on were the boutonnieres for the men, including Davos, Gibbs, Ducky, brother-in-law Peter, the uncles, Tim's two and Lina's three - four counting Uncle Ariston's partner, and one for Matt. He was also handling the corsages for the ladies: Hélène, Tim's grandmothers and Aunty Liz, who as Tim's godmother would step in as his mother that day. There would be smaller corsages for Margaret and the aunties – 1 for Tim and 3 for Lina.

When Matt also took over coordinating the transfers from the airport to the ferry he quickly realized there wasn't enough wiggle room between the planned arrival of the charter flight, getting everyone through Customs and the last ferry of the day. Taking Tim's earlier research, he re-contacted the hotel that had offered the best deal and booked several rooms for two nights, one when arriving and one departing. There were a few vacant rooms and beds amongst family and friends that they would share, but not enough for everyone. The Vances would stay with the Russells and that was as much due to security as it was to friendship. The Hubbard kids would also stay with the Russells as adding two more sleeping bags for two nights wasn't going to hurt anyone. The senior Kalivas' were staying in Damian and Matt's guest room but there was also a fold out couch in Damian's office for at least one weary head. Dani had the cot in Lina's studio but Bec offered to sleep on it so that one of the couples could stay in her room. Until they had the RSVP list that was all the pre-planning Matt could do.

The return flight would leave early Monday morning; everyone flying on the charter would return from the island Sunday afternoon and once again they'd need a place to stay. The newlyweds were staying at a different hotel that night which meant that several people could stay at the house. After coordinating all that, it was only a small step for Matt to take over the guest list. By that time, everyone was referring to him as the wedding planner, which he thoroughly enjoyed and it was a big relief to Lina and Tim. Tim had worried about not including Matt with the groomsmen but it just hadn't worked out with the numbers. Now he would be a member of the wedding party, at least behind the scenes, and would wear his tux.

Lina designed the invitations and her friend and fellow artist Rhea was hand painting them as her wedding gift to the couple. A copy went to the hotel so that the wedding favors and napkins for the reception would tie in to the invitations. When it was time, Matt would mail the invitations and track the RSVPs.

By now, Tim and Lina had finished their pre-marital counseling, and had their rings blessed. At some point they would make a day trip to Aegina to meet with Papas Theo, their officiant. Tim survived making the promise for their future children, keeping Penny's advice firmly in mind and the newspaper announcement of their impending wedding was written and scheduled to be published at the same time for Piraeus and Aegina readers. The hotel recommended a local photographer and Tim had also asked Pete to be their videographer, knowing Trina and possibly Kayla, who'd done such a good job in February, would help him.

And while all this was happening, new cases were still coming into NCIS to be handled. During the month of August they handled three cases dealing with drugs, including a murder. Another murder case came in while they were cleaning up the last drug case and they found a connection in the UK; Joel and his team worked on that piece of it.

August also marked Matt's promotion to junior agent and they had a team celebration at the Russells. Carla and Norm were there of course and Tim wasn't sure who was happier about the promotion, Matt or Carla.

Sadly, Norm's college was again in danger of closing for the 2015 spring term due to lack of funding and he had started submitting resumes to colleges and universities in Greece and the U.S. While they all hoped that he'd find a position here in Greece or that funding would come through, they knew their friends' time in Greece could very well be drawing to an end.

Tim was thinking about it that as he and Lina sat outside enjoying the cool of the evening. "It'll be sad to see Carla and Norm leave Greece if they have to, but they'll do fine in the U.S. and it'll be easier for their families to help them with the triplets."

Lina nodded, having an idea where Tim was going with this but he surprised her with a side trip. "And years from now they can visit here so the kids can see where they were born and spent their first year."

"Like Kayla?"

Tim nodded.

"Do you think the Russells will still be here?"

"Yeah, I do sweetie. Pete occasionally says something like "we should move back to the States", but their hearts are here."

"What about when the children are gone?"

"I suppose it depends on where they go, how far." He reached out and took her hand. "I know we've talked about this…I won't be posted here forever. When Pete retires which he tells me will probably be in another year, he says he'll recommend me for his job. And I committed to a minimum of three years here before I left DC. If we want to move up in the agency - you're my partner so it is _our_ decision - then we'll need to move back to the States at some point." Tim paused, "What do you think of having our first child here, in Greece? Your parents would be here and hopefully Geordie, Damian, Matt, Bec and some of our friends will be around. We know the Russells, Tea, Eva and Kim and the guys will be here!"

"Yes Timothy, that is my wish too and I would like to have our baby soon."

"Soon…like now soon?"

Tim felt the familiar charge of lust and love when he heard her light laugh, "Practice is always good, love, but this is a bit too soon, I don't want to have to alter my dress! I'm hoping during our first year of marriage."

He scooped her out of her chair, "And I don't want to have to say the words to your father that mean we are actually having sex - at least not until after we're married! But you're right, sweetheart, we'd better get some practice in now!"


	104. Chapter 104

With Matt handling and further delegating many of the wedding details, Lina began to relax and enjoy her status as a bride-to-be. One afternoon she joined Trina in her studio and the two women worked on the stefana or crowns that the couple would wear during the ceremony. They'd purchased wreath rings and now they were doing some prep work as the crowns would have fresh marjoram wound around them but not until the morning of their wedding day. Lina also put everyone on alert for old dishware that could be broken during the reception, another Greek tradition. It signified the marriage would last as long as it took to re-unify all the broken bits, in other words forever. Tim handed over his old dishes but she said they needed more. When Pete and Eva brought some in to the office she declared that was enough. Tim found a sturdy cardboard box that could be used to transport them to Aegina and tried not to think about the weirdness of transporting old dishes by ferry just that so they could be broken and stomped on and he assumed thrown into the garbage. He felt marginally better when Lina told him the bits and pieces would be recycled and that if they wanted they could save some to make a mosaic. They sorted what they had and Lina picked out a few items.

Damian took on the task of teaching Tim enough Greek dancing so that he could do the traditional dances, the Syrtos for one, at their reception. He rounded up the Russell kids, Caleb, Evander and Adan and between them they taught Tim what he needed to know. When he had the steps down and had practiced enough with the guys, with Matt carefully joining in, they asked the ladies to join them to continue Tim's education. That was fun and the group ended up working on the dances nearly every week until the wedding. George even worked with Tim on a few of his favorite steps. Once they all agreed that Tim had the steps down for the Syrtos, they told him about Zeibekiko and Chasapiko. He knew what Zeibekiko was having seen it in Thessaloniki but Chasapiko was new to him. It was more to learn but they all had a good time.

There was another far more serious matter that would need to be handled before the wedding: security. The presence of a Director of a U.S. ARMFED agency and an Admiral of the U.S. Navy in Greece and specifically on Aegina needed to be addressed. Tim and Pete discussed it and then contacted the head of Vance's security team. From there the matter was taken out of their hands with only occasional questions coming their way, namely the guest list, the names of the charter crew and the limo drivers who would be meeting the arriving guests at the airport. They were later to learn that just about everyone invited or connected with the wedding or who could possibly be connected, such as the flight crew of the charter jet, the staffs of various restaurants, businesses and the hotel on Aegina, had been quietly vetted in a cooperative effort between the U.S. and Greek governments. Tim was never able to decide how he felt about that, amused, violated and dismayed or safe; maybe all of those things and he never did tell Lina.

By late August, Tim, Lina and the house were ready for Gibbs' arrival. He arrived early the morning of the last Saturday of the month. They were at the airport waiting for him with big smiles. Once he cleared Customs, Lina went forward and greeted him with a double cheek kiss and hugs. Then it was Tim's turn and the two men held on to each other for long minutes, just as they had in February and in May at the house when Gibbs had arrived right after Tim's return from Israel. Finally they parted but Tim held onto him still, taking a good look at him. "You look good, exhausted but healthy."

"And you look great, all healed up and you're tan. Never seen you tan before."

Tim grinned, "Can't really help it here. I keep putting the sunscreen on but somehow I've acquired some color."

"Looks good on you, son. Real good."

By this time Lina had gone to get the car so Tim took Gibbs' rolling suitcase and they waited outside in the shade. When she drove up, she hopped into the backseat saying, "Longest legs sit in front." Gibbs opened his mouth to protest but she reached over and patted him. "It's fine!" Tim put the luggage in the trunk, they climbed in and off they went, Gibbs remarking at having the top down and then enjoying the drive, looking at everything. Although he'd seen it in May, he hadn't paid much attention, being too concerned about Tim. Gibbs nodded when they passed the office, looking up and smiling as he spotted the American flag flying over the back of the building. "I'll bet it feels good to have everyone back in the office."

Tim nodded, "For Kim, Tea and Eva especially. They did a great job while we were out, all the TADs mentioned that."

They continued up the hill and right into the driveway and garage, to Gibbs' delight. "Can't believe I'd forgotten how close it is!"

He looked around the garage, "Nice to see your old shelves are storing something now."

"Yep, they're holding dishes to be broken on a Greek island."

Lina laughed and they had to tell him about the tradition.

He shook his head, "I like the sentiment." He was using a cane and Grandfa had warned them that he needed to take it easy the first few days. They entered the house through the front door via the ramp that Norm and the kids made for Tim months ago. "I forgot about the ramp too!"

Tim chuckled, "The Russell kids have been using it for skateboarding so we borrowed it back."

"They don't need it?"

"Nah, they're fine and Trina was really happy to see it go."

Gibbs tried not to, but when he reached his room - the downstairs bedroom, he'd stayed upstairs last time - and he sat on the bed, he sighed with relief, it felt so good. Tim patted the headboard, "Scoot back. Grandfa wants you to elevate your knee for a few hours." He rolled his eyes but he'd had a serious discussion with Duck before he left. If he followed the doctor's orders and took extra care with his knee for the first few days, he'd be able to do just about anything during his stay. If he didn't, it could cause a setback or at least not allow him the freedom of movement he wanted while he was here. When the kids slipped the pillows under his knee it did feel better and he said so. Lina slipped some more pillows behind his back. "Do you want to sleep, talk a little? Or are you hungry?"

They chuckled when his eyes lit up. "I'm hungry, Lina, didn't know it until just now."

Tim nodded, "That's good because I'm supposed to make sure you take some pills, I have it written down, and you need to eat first."

Gibbs nodded, "Glad the knee's taken care of but I'll be really glad when I can dance at your wedding!"

The kids laughed and Tim pulled out a DVD. "Want to see my dance lessons? Damian and the guys have been teaching me the dances we'll do at the wedding, well the Greek dances anyway."

Lina continued, "It's become a group effort and a lot of fun!"

Gibbs smiled, "Sure."

The kids sat on the bed with him while he watched Tim go from laughingly stumbling around in the first part to dancing with confidence and looking like he was having a great time. He had him pause it to find out what each dance was. While they watched he ate a gyro pita, declaring it delicious and then grinned as he smelled coffee brewing.

Lina brought him a cup, "I'm glad you showed me how to make Poppy-strength coffee; Geordie likes it too, I guess it's really Marine strength coffee."

He nodded, sipped it and grinned in appreciation, "Perfect Melina, thanks!" He'd taken his pills and within a few minutes he found himself dozing off. He woke himself up to find Tim standing there. "Go ahead and sleep, you'll feel better for it. Remember you have jet lag plus the pain pill; Grandfa said you'll sleep for a few hours."

"How many hours did he sleep?"

Tim had to stop and think. "Four, I think."

"Ok." Tim helped him lay down while still keeping his knee elevated. "Forgo'… s'posed ta le' Duck know."

"Lina already sent him an e-mail." Gibbs made a noise but he was out.

Tim flicked the ceiling fan on, quietly closed the door behind him and met Lina in the kitchen. "I think we planned well, sweetie. Today we'll drive him around Piraeus, if he feels like getting out and walking, that's great. Dinner at Vosporos?"

"Yes, and I was also thinking of the Nautical Museum if he'd be interested."

"Great idea!"

"And a late night swim?"

"Yeah or one before we go, let's see. Grandfa said to get him in the pool as much as possible. He wants him to walk up the hill here every day too."

"All right, swim and walk, that's a good routine."

"Speaking of a swim…"

"Yes, it is a perfect day for it!"

They grabbed their swim things and put them on, applying sunscreen as they went.

XXX

When Gibbs woke up, he didn't know where he was for a moment. Then he spotted Tim's typewriter and remembered that he was back in Greece but this time Tim had recovered and he was the one with a healing knee. When he couldn't hear anything he thought they might be upstairs. He unpacked, leaving out a change of clothes and then grabbing his kit, headed to the shower. When he was back in his room getting dressed, he looked in the mirror and saw a picture frame he hadn't noticed before, on the wall next to Tim's writing nook. He looked closely and saw that it was a collage of items from his own childhood. He swallowed hard, that's what his Tim had done with the personal stuff he'd asked to take. He laughed at a photo of him in a Grateful Dead tee shirt and longish hair next to one of him in his uniform, probably when he was home from Parris Island. There was a photo of Tim and him behind a ribbon of crime scene tape, both of them laughing at something, he couldn't remember what. Touching it, he was once again thankful that they'd worked things out. He walked out of his room and stood, listening for Tim and Lina. Hearing laughter and splashing water, he headed outside.

XXX

They were floating on separate mats, hand in hand, resting from a splash battle when Gibbs opened the patio door. He was wearing different clothes and his hair was wet, obviously he'd had a shower. "Hey, that looks like fun!"

"It is! Would you like a swim now or perhaps later? It's heated so we frequently swim at night."

"Later sounds good."

Tim helped Lina as they climbed out of the pool. "We thought this afternoon we'd take you on a driving tour of Piraeus. We know you saw some of it in May but you really didn't get to do any sightseeing so now we'll take care of that! If you feel like walking along the harbor this afternoon, we can do that or we can visit the Nautical Museum."

Gibbs noticed how Tim's eyes lit up at the mention of the museum and he knew which choice he would make.

"We'll end with dinner at Vosporos, one of our favorite restaurants. Then we can have a swim or whatever you'd like to do."

"Sounds great!"

"Ok, well, we'll get dressed and be ready to roll in a bit. I'm going to have something to eat first, you want anything?"

Gibbs laughed, "Yeah that sounds good. Ducky told me his first two days he was hungry every couple of hours and I guess that's gonna be true for me too. I don't remember how it was in May."

Lina laughed, "When you were here in May our schedule was all topsy turvy so we ate whenever we felt like it. Ducky did that in June though when they were here. Maisie did too, she was so embarrassed! I'd forgotten that. And it's good that you're hungry because we have plenty of food!"

Tim grabbed a robe he'd brought downstairs and wrapped up in it so he wouldn't drip all over the floor. Lina went upstairs to dress while Tim made sandwiches for them. "Poppy…"

Tim had what Gibbs privately called his shy look on his face and thought he might know the question. "Hey Tim, I call you son all the time, thought we were okay with this. Poppy or Dad or both is fine with me, I'll love either!"

"I know I kind of pushed Poppy on you before, so I'm glad you're ok with it."

"I am, kiddo, either is great!"

"Ok then. So Poppy, what would you like to drink? I have beer, coffee, iced tea, lemonade or…uh…milk."

"Is that the lemonade you like so much?"

"Yep."

"I'll have one of those, thanks."

"We'll take a travel mug of coffee along with us."

Gibbs laughed, "That's a good idea; don't want to jet lag out in the middle of the museum! How many times have you been?"

Tim chuckled, "Believe it or not, this will be my first visit too!"

"Great, we'll see it together, I like that."

Lina joined them and they ate their lunches outside.

He settled back in his chair, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. "It's nice to see you two in a 'normal' situation; that's a first for you and me, Lina. Have to say, this is the life here, how do you make yourselves go to work?"

Lina laughed, "It's a good thing we both like our jobs!"

Tim nodded, "We do our warm-ups out here before we do our run in the morning. But we're on a schedule so it's not like we can stop and have a swim." He laughed, "After you left and I was strong enough to be up and around, I couldn't wait to get back to work but Geordie was so excited about the pool that he dragged me out swimming every day and then I got used to it. I really miss that now." He looked at Gibbs, "I remember you asking me that when I first got the house, how much time I'd have to swim!"

Gibbs chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I did. From what I've seen so far, you live your lives outside more than I do."

Lina smiled, "Tim says it's the breeze off the ocean, it reaches us even up here, clears out the humidity, makes being outdoors pleasant instead of…how did you say it?"

"Sticky, sweaty and stinky."

"Yep, that pretty much describes the DC area in the summer."

They finished and Tim picked up his plate and then laughed, "I forgot I'm not dressed yet. Be right back!"

He changed into dry clothes; they grabbed the travel mug for Gibbs and took off. Lina drove and she and Tim took turns narrating as they drove around town, showing Gibbs their favorite places. They honked and waved at Archimedes who was standing outside talking with someone and he waved back with a smile; further into town, they waved at the outdoor server as they passed the Flying Pig and Gibbs looked back, "She waved back. I can't wait to go there again!"

Tim laughed, "You'll be there quite a bit, at least Mondays and Thursdays after our classes."

Lina added, "Somehow we almost always end up there at least one additional time every week. That's why we thought we'd go to Vosporos tonight; we've gotten lazy with our restaurant selections."

"That's not entirely true, sweetie, we went to that place with Geordie and Bec."

"And the name of it was?"

"Hmm, good question, don't remember. How about the one where you had the…never mind, that was Marseille. Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So you two eat out a lot."

"Yes. We did better in the winter when it was chilly and then when Geordie stayed with us. Tim or Geo would make something in the slow cooker."

They pulled up in front of the Nautical Museum and Lina let Gibbs and Tim out. "We did this wrong, now I'll have to find a parking space."

"Want me to go Lina?"

"No, maybe your parking gene has…I'll be back shortly." They bought three tickets and then Gibbs went inside to sit while Tim waited for Lina. She was laughing when she joined him. "I still do not have the parking gene. I hope our children do!"

"Ok but they won't be able to drive for several years."

"I'll hold them on my lap and have their little hands touch the wheel or something."

Tim just shook his head at their silliness as they joined Gibbs.

The museum was beautifully done and they enjoyed the exhibits with the myriad of photos, sketches, paintings and the models of Greek sailing vessels through the centuries. As they were browsing through an exhibit, Tim exclaimed, "Hey, that's…hon?"

"Yes?"

"Did you know her work is in here?"

"Of course, I thought it would be a nice surprise for you and Poppy."

"Wow!"

"Tim?" Pointing to the paintings, Tim explained to Gibbs that they'd been painted by Trina Russell and copies of them, or perhaps these were the copies, were hanging in their office. Gibbs was impressed by that and both of them took a good look at the details of the paintings.

Lina added, "Don't forget, she gave you a future painting for your birthday!"

"Does she do portraits?"

"Yes."

"Ok, I know what I want then."

They entered another room and Tim recognized another piece of art. Not exactly the piece but the style. He nudged Gibbs and pointed, "That one is Lina's."

"Tim, you haven't seen that before."

"I know your style, LinaMelina."

She smiled, "Yes it is mine. Trina asked me to do it for the museum. I have a similar one I'd already done; when she saw it she asked me to do this."

Gibbs frowned, a man had walked in while Lina was talking and was standing right behind her, too close. He didn't recognize him from any of the people he'd met or photos he'd seen of their friends. He started to make a move and then noticed that Tim was neatly cutting between the stranger and his fiancée and firmly maneuvering her back and away from the intruder. The man spoke and of course it was in Greek so Gibbs didn't understand a word but Lina's surname, "Ms. Kalivas, I beg your pardon for the intrusion, we're honored to have you with us today."

She gave him a nod that had no warmth and introduced him to her husband and father-in-law. By her tone and body language Tim knew she was uncomfortable with this man and stuck by her side. His former boss already understood so he didn't really need to do this but out of habit Tim gave him one of their old team signals so Gibbs stayed close and on alert. Tim spoke briefly with the man, letting him know they were both armed agents of the law and he soon slithered out of the room. Lina kissed Gibbs on the cheek and then kissed Tim. "Thank you; I do not like that man. He's never done anything but I don't trust him and I don't like being around him."

She looked at Tim, "I don't come here often and never by myself if he's here."

"Can you say something to the management?"

"Unfortunately he is one of the managers, appointed by the government."

They'd seen nearly everything but after that they were no longer interested in seeing anything else. Tim looked at Gibbs and with Lina tucked safely between them, they walked out the door.

She giggled, "Tim you are usually not so…federal agent with me."

Tim growled, "He was standing too close to you, I didn't know him, you didn't mention any friends working here, there was no way I was not going to intercede. I'd rather have you mad at me for interfering and apologize to you than risk harm to you."

She patted him on the face and leaned in for a kiss. "My knight in shining armor!"

He snorted but of course kissed her back.

Lina said on the way to the restaurant, "I felt safer with Old Nate at the camp in Baltimore than with that…snake."

Gibbs said quietly, "Maybe run a background check?"

Tim nodded, "I'll talk with Pete; we have to be extremely cautious about running checks on Greek citizens, especially if he hasn't done anything other than get too close." Lina scrunched her nose in distaste.

They found a parking space on the harbor walk and took a gentle stroll past the ships docked along the quay. Gibbs was fascinated with the replica of the ancient Grecian sailing vessel bobbing in the water and Lina said she thought they sometimes offered tours, they could check to see if there was one while he was here. Tim told them about the tall masted ship he'd seen on his first visit to the harbor.

"Sounds like a windjammer."

"Hmm?"

"From your description, the ship you saw sounds like it's a windjammer, has a steel hull. Not many of them around. There is – or was - an outfit based either in South Florida or the Caribbean that did windjammer cruises around the Bahamas and occasionally around the world. I remember them because they lost a ship to Hurricane Mitch in 1998. They followed protocol, heeded the warnings, brought their passengers in to safety and then they set off to ride out the storm at sea. Found life vests and life rafts afterward, enough to prove it was the _Fantome_ but nothing else. Ship was originally built for the Duke of something or other in 1927 and later was supposed to be a wedding gift for Grace Kelly, but didn't make it. The name of the ship means ghost in French."

Tim stared at him in awe.

"What? It interested me. Knew someone who sailed on her in the 70s, said they'd sit up on deck all night, the ship was not far off the main shipping lane and they'd watch the big ships go along, all lit up. She said they'd be under sail until midnight or so and when most of the passengers were asleep then they'd motor to their next destination. The days were spent swimming, snorkeling and drinking rum punches. They were floating around in the Bermuda Triangle, hoping they'd get stranded and not have to go home." Gibbs laughed, "Sounds like a romantic fantasy now, but it happened, I saw her photos."

Lina shivered and Tim wrapped his arm around her. "I don't remember the name of the ship we saw but it was sailing around the world. I remember Kim, Matt and I kind of shuddering at that…in this day and age it's probably more dangerous than it was when Blackbeard was prowling the seas."

Lina made a face, "I believe I'll remove 'a cruise' off the list of possibilities for our honeymoon!"

Tim hugged her, "Good idea, thanks!"

Gibbs chuckled, "You mean New Orleans isn't your real honeymoon?"

Lina shook her head, "That's a business trip for me and my loving husband will be the one wandering through the French Quarter this time."

Tim added, "We'll take a real honeymoon trip later, probably in the spring before…uh, in the spring." While Gibbs was trying to decide if he could safely pursue the "before", Lina added, "Before we start our family."

"Good idea, you want to enjoy your honeymoon, not deal with morning sickness!" And then Gibbs realized what that meant, "You're planning on having a baby next year?"

Tim explained, "We hope at least our first child will be born in Greece. You and the grands have the means to travel; we don't really know how much Lina's folks will be traveling. And with Geordie and Damian right here and Sarah and Rob not too far away, it just feels right. The baby will be baptized here with as much family around him or her as possible."

Gibbs' eyebrows rose again, "So you'll go ahead with raising your kids in the church."

Tim and Lina nodded. Tim laughed, "A very wise soul recently pointed out to me that I seem to have a very strong belief in hell. And if I believe in hell, then I must also believe in its opposite, heaven. It was kind of a roundabout way to realize that I'm more of a believer than I thought, but it works for me. Still not a huge fan of organized religion but I'm good with having our babies baptized."

Gibbs was quietly absorbing the news that he was going to be a grandpa in less time than he'd figured. He'd better get to work on the crib he planned to build. It would cost a fortune to ship though; maybe he should plan on a 2-3 month visit and build it here. That sent his thoughts off down another path.

They walked a little bit further and then headed back to the car. Lina insisted that Tim drive so that they could find a parking space close to the restaurant. In minutes they were pulling into a parking space in front of the restaurant.

* * *

><p>Note: Yep, that was me that took the trip on the windjammer 'Fantome', years before it met its sad fate and I still have the photos. I could tell you stories but… I'll just say it was a lot of fun.<p> 


	105. Chapter 105

By the time they got home, Gibbs could hardly keep his eyes open and went off to bed. Sunday morning Tim and Lina were back from their run, cleaned up and making breakfast by the time he joined them. "Can't believe I slept this late! What'd I miss?"

Tim gave him a pat on the shoulder, "We did our warm ups, went for a run, took showers and here we are. Don't worry about sleeping late - it's just the jet lag. You don't remember how it hit you in May?"

Lina laughed, "He probably doesn't, he slept whenever you did and you were sleeping a lot!"

Tim smiled. "Taking care of his kid and getting sleep while he could, that's a smart dad!"

Smiling at them both, Gibbs took the mug Lina offered him, "Thank you daughter."

She smiled at him, "This morning we thought we'd drive into Athens and see the Acropolis and the Parthenon. As Ducky told us you are not to walk up, we borrowed Matt's wheelchair and we'll call ahead so we can use the elevator. Then we'll come home and have a swim, perhaps take a short walk up our hill later."

Tim joined in, "The family is coming over this afternoon for a swim and an early birthday dinner so we won't stay long in Athens."

Tim and Lina had discussed plans for Gibbs' birthday off and on for days. They wanted to welcome him and celebrate his birthday with a big party but ultimately they'd realized that he would be more comfortable with a smaller group and they decided to stick with the immediate family: their brothers and significant others. The Russells were throwing him a traditional Welcome party on Saturday; by that time he would have already met or reconnected with most of the people there and would be far more comfortable.

Lina continued laying out their plan, "I have tomorrow off, so I thought we could take the Metro in and tour the Benaki, have lunch in the city."

"On your day off?"

She laughed, "You know, I think that's exactly what Ducky said on his first visit! I love being a visitor to the museum, it keeps my perspective fresh. And Caleb will be there, he'll be our guide."

Gibbs looked at them, "I forgot he's working there now. So I guess he won't be my guide to the open air place."

"The agora; no he won't. You two will probably see that tomorrow or another day, see how you feel."

Gibbs grinned, "It all sounds great, hard to believe I'm really here again and this time going to see ancient Athens!"

After breakfast, they loaded the wheelchair in the car, called ahead to let the management know they'd need the elevator at the Acropolis; that wasn't required but they thought it might save them some wait time, and drove into Athens. Gibbs was suitably impressed by the landmarks. Once they got up to the Parthenon he stood and used his cane to walk around a bit. He took a lot of photos, making sure to include his kids in them. One of the other visitors stopped and took photos for him with the three of them together. Back in the wheelchair for the ride down, he admitted he was glad they'd gone to the extra effort.

"That was good planning on your parts. I never would have made it up there. Thanks!"

"You feeling like you want to see more or ready to head back?"

"More – if we have time? How about the agora?"

"All right!"

They traveled to the museum and site of the ancient gathering spot and once again used the wheelchair. Tim was relieved and made a mental note to thank his grandfather for whatever discussion he'd had with the usually stubborn as a mule Gibbs. With him in the wheelchair, Tim didn't have to worry about the uneven ground in the agora. When the marketplace was spotted, Gibbs turned to Lina, "Is that the famous market?"

She nodded.

"Hmm, mind if we skip it today? Might want to see it before I go, but it's probably better to be walking, don't you think?"

They agreed and rolled him back to the car. On the way home, they drove by Damian and Matt's house just to show Gibbs some of the residential areas of Athens.

Once they were home, they had a light lunch. By the time they finished, Gibbs was swallowing yawns, so he went off for a nap while Tim and Lina did laundry, did some prep work for their dinner that evening and then hopped into the pool.

This time when Gibbs woke up, he knew where he was and he could hear splashing. He found his swim trunks and decided he'd be better off going barefoot than wearing those flip flops people seemed to wear like regular shoes. They'd be too slippery when they got wet and wouldn't provide any support anyway. He also grabbed the ball cap he'd brought and a towel from the bathroom.

Just being in the pool felt wonderful on his knee and he was happy to find he could easily swim. When he finally climbed out for a rest, Tim let him dry off a bit and then beckoned him over to the pool shed. He was mystified and even more so when Lina joined them.

"We have a surprise for you…" He peered in when they pulled the door open and then his mouth opened and shut as he spotted a huge red bow on top of…"a workbench?"

"Yes, Happy Birthday! Lina, Norm, Matt and I built it for you. Lina's dad gave us the measurements it should have and Damian did the design."

"You built me a workbench? Wow, you're incredible! I didn't think to bring any of my tools with me."

Lina smiled, "My father is bringing all his hand tools with him from Thessaloniki. He's hoping the two of you can work together on something; he won't tell me what."

Gibbs' grin threatened to split his face. "Kids, this is awesome, thanks! You know I haven't been able to get into my basement since the surgery."

Tim chuckled, "Don't ever let it be said that the McGee-Kalivas family doesn't go to extraordinary lengths to treat their guests well! We figured for all the times you'll be visiting us here or wherever we are, it would be nice for you to have a space of your own. I have to admit Davos gave me the idea; he wanted to know how you'd been doing without having access to your projects and that conversation led to this."

"And we're going to work on a project together?" Lina was looking at Gibbs so Tim felt safe in giving his head a slight tilt in her direction and then at Gibbs. Gibbs caught it and gave him a subtle nod. It was to be a surprise for Lina then. In the meantime Lina answered his question, "Yes, although he won't say what so I don't know whether it's a secret or he hasn't figured it out yet."

Gibbs moved into the shed a little further, "This is great, oh and a nice light, that's the same as I have…Tim?"

"Yup, I remembered it. You can obviously leave the door open while you're out here but we figured you might need some extra light at some point."

"And here I thought this was just a pool shed!"

"It is that too and we'll also store our patio furniture in here during the winter."

"Will store?"

"Yeah, we have the patio table and chairs that came with the house but after Davos saw the table Pete and Trina have, he decided we need a bigger table and sturdier chairs. So he's made the table and they're bringing it with them."

"They're driving then, not flying, from Thessaloniki?"

"Yes, they're driving a pickup truck with the table and tools."

"Wow, that's great. Can't wait to meet them and see that; they're coming on Tuesday, right?"

"Yes, they're staying at Damian and Matt's; we'll have dinner with them that evening. Unless we catch a case, then you'll be eating with the Kalivas' without Matt or me."

Gibbs wondered why they were staying at Lina's brother's house, but decided it probably wasn't any of his business. Tim had more to show him. "Just about everyone's helped in some way with the workbench and I had them sign their names on the bottom of the table. Matt asked if you wouldn't be more comfortable sitting while you worked and that sounded like a good idea. Damian helped us figure out how to build the table in two levels that can easily be changed so if you want to sit while you work it takes just the touch of a lever to lower it." He demonstrated and Gibbs grinned, "Perfect!"

"Pete thought you might want a stool but when I spoke with Grandfa he said a chair would be better so we have a chair that should be just the right height for you with the table in the lower position."

Lina had disappeared and now she reappeared carrying a chair they'd stashed outside to dry after they cleaned, sanded and re-stained it. They placed it in front of the workbench; Gibbs sat down and stretched his arms in front and to the sides.

"It's perfect - I'll be able to reach everything!"

"Yay that worked! We used Adan, Tea's boyfriend, as the template because he's about the same height and build as you are. Geordie found the chair at the flea market."

Gibbs grinned as he looked over the workbench Tim, Lina and their friends had made for him. "This is the best birthday present!" He looked up at Tim and Lina and his eyes got a little misty. "You've given me a corner of your home, can't begin to tell you what that means to me."

They had a long hug, only letting go when they heard other voices coming through the house. "Hello?"

"We're out here!" They moved out of the shed just in time to see Geordie and Bec walk out from the house. Geordie was in fatigues and Tim frowned, "Thought you were off duty at 1300?"

"I was supposed to be but there was a protest that got of hand over here at Norm's university. He was down there doing some work and couldn't get out, there were a couple other Americans in the administration building with him so he called the Embassy and we went and got them. Took us awhile to get them out but once the protesters figured out we weren't there for them, it got easier."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, it was getting pretty ugly as we left. So I haven't had a chance to change yet. Or to say hello, sorry!" He kissed Lina and then shook Gibbs' hand, "Good to see you again Gibbs!"

"You too, Lieutenant!"

"Geordie, please."

Gibbs nodded at him and then turned his attention to the young woman next to him who was almost vibrating with impatience.

"Agent Gibbs, I'm Bec Childers, I'm so excited to meet you and thanks so much for your help!"

He shook her hand, "You're more than welcome, Agent Childers and please, my full name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs, pick one to call me, we're off duty." He looked at Geordie, "Same for you. Gibbs is fine but so are the other two names."

"Gibbs then and I'm Bec." Geordie nodded, he was good with calling him Gibbs too.

"Pleased to meet you, Bec. Been hearing great things about you since you flew in last year." He smiled; a little mischief in his eyes. "Actually before you got here. I remember a story about a certain young junior agent dashing into an interview after sliding into a creek." He'd checked with Tim to make sure it was ok to gently tease her about her first interview with Tim. She blushed and laughed, "Well uh…"

"Of course that reminded me of Tim here who once fell into a creek while trying to get at a murder weapon buried in the mud. Same dedication, same willingness to do whatever it takes. He got that murder weapon which cracked the whole case open for us, I'll bet you got what you went after too, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Yes, I did."

Geordie was listening, very happy to hear Gibbs praising his brother and his girlfriend. He vaguely remembered the story of Tim in the creek and the Senator they'd busted for murder and wished Gibbs had told his brother then how proud he was of him. But they'd worked things out, Tim was happy and that's what counted. He'd also heard the story of Bec's first interview with Tim and Pete and had been proud and amused by it.

Gibbs showed them his new workbench, including the levering system. They'd both seen it, had worked on it but they were touched by his obvious pride in Tim and excitement about it. Lina and Tim disappeared into the house and came out with a cooler of cold drinks. Geordie downed a bottle of water and then he and Bec disappeared to change into their swim suits. They were just walking down the steps into the pool when Damian and Matt arrived. Matt had originally been reluctant to spend time with Gibbs but knowing he'd dropped everything to fly to Tim after Bagram, helping Tim and the others with the workbench and hearing some good and funny stories about him had helped. And he and Geordie had talked about it. They'd decided that if Tim was fine with the man, then they would support him. Now the young man shook hands with Tim's former boss, the man he'd once hoped to never meet, and nodded to him.

"How's your knee doing?"

"Pretty well. Ducky gave me specific instructions before I left – and predicted dire consequences if I didn't follow them, so I've been taking it easy. Thanks for the loan of the wheelchair; that really helped today!" He added, "And I'm glad you're not using it anymore; Tim tells me you're back on field duty."

Matt grinned, "Yeah, finally! It was a long haul but we all made it."

"Yeah, that was something for the record books, that's for sure. Taking down a whole camp of terrorists - that was really something, you four and your Marines. And then it seemed like a cruel trick of fate to place that IED right in your path. Glad everyone's back to good health."

Damian snorted, "Fate is right; although I'd say a twisted fate. It was almost a Greek tragedy; the good guys prevailed but had to pay a price for their success, just thankfully not the ultimate price."

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool. Tim got out about 5:00 to start up the grill and Gibbs got out with him. After he got the charcoal going, the two men went into the kitchen. Tim laughed, "We're having lamb. I've been following the instructions you gave me for grilling last year, remember the night I met my uncles?"

Gibbs grinned, "Yeah, you called me to ask me what to do."

"And then I had a meltdown and Uncle Jim ended up grilling."

"Hey, that was a big shock."

"Yeah, it was but worth it, that is meeting them, not the meltdown!"

Gibbs rubbed Tim's shoulder. "You've done a great job with all this, kiddo. Everything that's happened this past year."

"Even with Marseille?"

"Especially with Marseille. I'm so proud of you for giving yourself time, going to see Dr. Agnos."

He pulled Tim in for a hug. "You are the best son a man could ask for. You've done the Commander and me proud Timothy. And even more than that, you're a great human being."

Tim buried his face in his shoulder and Gibbs hung on. "Still dealing with things?"

He felt a nod. "Yeah, then let it out kiddo. Not going to get any better sitting inside you stewing. Trust me."

That got a rusty chuckle and a comment, "I'm ok, just need some Dad time."

"Got plenty of that for you, all you need. Come on, let's sit down a minute." They sat on the sofa and talked quietly.

Geordie was on his way into the house to use the bathroom when he spotted his brother and Gibbs. He nodded to himself. It hadn't just been Matt he'd spoken to about his brother and Gibbs. While he'd been in London visiting, he and the others had had some long conversations about Tim's need for Gibbs. Sarah and Rob told him what Tim had said, that Tim had had no one, no father figure until Gibbs. Geordie was thinking of that now and what had happened when Tim came home from Marseille. That had only been a few weeks ago, he figured he was still dealing with it and was suddenly very glad that Gibbs was here and that he'd stepped up to fix things with his brother all those months ago. The two men looked up when he walked in but Geordie just pointed down the hall, "Head!"

By the time Geordie came back through, the two men were in the kitchen talking about marinade. Geordie snatched a meze off a plate on the counter and Tim caught him, "Take them outside for the others will ya Geo? Here are the plates and napkins."

"Fork, Bec will want a fork."

"Yep, so will Lina. Hang on."

They divided the plates, platter of mezes, forks and napkins between the three of them and got them outside. Gibbs enjoyed his first bite and asked what was in it. Tim was surprised and amused and Lina was pleased when the older man tried one of every type of meze.

Matt chuckled, "You're more adventurous than I was, Gibbs. It was weeks before I would try anything other than the Tiropetes and those are cheese puffs!"

Gibbs grinned and leaned forward, "Don't tell anyone at home that I voluntarily ate grape leaves and spinach!"

Tim laughed, "Until dinner at your place in February, I'd never seen you eat anything other than sandwiches, pizza, Chinese food or steak and potatoes."

"Mm, turkey at Duck's, food from various countries that Jenny introduced me to and of course coffee!"

"Oh well yeah, that goes without saying!"

Gibbs grinned at him and reaching out, ruffled his hair. Matt noticed that Tim was grinning the whole time; there was no flinching. Oh yeah, they'd come a long way.

* * *

><p>This chapter, full of familial love and support, is dedicated to my family's own Poppy, my brother-in-law Rich who passed away November 2, 2014. Married to my eldest sister for more than 5 decades, father to two of my wonderful nieces, Poppy to his grandchildren, Rich has been my big brother, my 'Bubba' since I was a preschooler. You've met him, parts of him, as I can't help but be influenced by him. He is Caleb's love of history, Pete's wit and love for his family, Norm's love of fishing and teaching.<p> 


	106. Chapter 106

Thanks for all your lovely notes; I showed them to my sister who is appreciative - and blown away - at your kind words. She's been online probably twice in her life and had no idea that people would reach out as you have.

* * *

><p>CH 106<p>

Dinner was a delicious success and Gibbs praised Tim's grilling prowess. "If nothing else, I've passed on my barbecuing secrets! Hard to believe less than a year ago you were calling me for help."

Tim laughed and told the others the story of looking online for barbecue advice and finding the differing opinions, arguments and even what seemed like outright fights.

Dessert was a chocolate cake with a mocha frosting. Unable to find the birthday cake candles used in the U.S. in any of the local stores, Tim finally went online to find them. What he found were the perfect candles for Gibbs. He had to buy three separate boxes but they weren't expensive and totally worth it. He and Lina now placed the candles shaped like a hammer, nail and saw into the top of the cake and then lit them. Gibbs loved them, laughing harder than Tim had ever seen him laugh before; he finally stopped long enough to blow the candles out. Lina took pictures of the cake with the candles and Matt took several photos of Gibbs laughing while the candles burned, managing to get a surprised and happy Tim in the shots.

Gibbs was further surprised when the others had gifts for him but kept his objections to himself when Lina gave him a small nudge under the table. He liked Lina because she loved Tim, for herself as a person and also because she wasn't afraid to let him know when he needed to step up, shut up or take care of himself. He opened Geordie and Bec's gift first; it was a book about the history of the Marines, brand new on the market. "All right LT, Bec, that's great, thanks!" Geordie grinned at the nickname, he liked that and it served to remind the two of them that they had another bond besides Tim.

Damian and Matt gifted him with a large supply of the strongest coffee beans on the market in Greece. "We thought that should carry you through this vacation and maybe leave some in the freezer for your November visit."

"Thanks guys, this smells wonderful! Can't wait to try it."

Geordie and Damian insisted on doing the clearing up, Damian telling the story of Tim stepping in to help at his parents' home on his first visit. They didn't stay late as they had work the next day.

Monday morning, Tim and Lina followed their usual routine even though Lina wasn't going in to work. Gibbs was just arriving in the kitchen as Tim was leaving, so after kissing Lina goodbye, he absentmindedly kissed Gibbs' cheek. He didn't think about it until he was in the car and then shrugged; he supposed he was reverting to the greetings Grandfa, Gram and he exchanged when they'd been visiting.

Lina saw Tim kiss Gibbs' cheek but didn't think too much about it until she saw his misty-eyed look. He smiled at her, "Never thought I'd have another child to kiss me goodbye on the way out the door, not after Kelly."

She smiled back, "Tim got into the habit when Ducky was here last Christmas and again in June when Maisie was here too."

Gibbs smiled brightly this time. "I like it. The first time I saw Jack after all those years, I kissed him goodbye when we left."

Lina patted his face, "My brothers kiss my father occasionally; Nicolas not as much because they see each other almost every day. Damian didn't for years but now that things are good between them he does. My brothers kiss each other…and so do Tim and his siblings."

Gibbs nodded as he poured coffee for the two of them. "Did you run this morning?"

"Yes, I went with Tim. If you'd like, I'll walk up the hill with you after breakfast."

"Yeah, that'd be great. Don't know what I'd say if anyone spoke to me."

"Just speak in English. Most Greeks understand some English."

"What's father in Greek?"

"Papa."

"So I could say Timotheos, then point to myself and say Papa."

She chuckled, "Yes, that would work although I don't know how many people up the hill know Tim's name. The neighbors on either side and across the street know us."

"I could learn how to say good morning and hello."

"I'd be happy to teach you, we can work on it today!"

Gibbs nodded, "Good."

After breakfast they sat in the living room, Gibbs with his notebook and Lina gave him some key words.

"Hello is yassou if it is a child, (YAH sooh); or yassas (YAH sas) for a group or an elder." She spelled both words for him.

"Good Morning is Kalimera, kah lee MER ah. Roll your Rs a bit, as you do in Spanish but not quite as much. "

He repeated the word and she helped him with his pronunciation until it was right.

"Good Afternoon is Kalispera, (kah lee SPEHR ah)."

"Good evening is Kalinichta, (kah lee NEECH tah), accent the 'ch' as hhhh."

"Please and you are welcome is Parakalo (par ah kah LOH)."

"Thank you is Efcharisto (eh fahr ihs TOH), again, accent 'ch' as hhhh."

She stopped, "That's enough to get started, why don't you repeat them to me again."

They practiced for a few minutes and then she said, "Good! How about we go for that walk now, before it gets too warm and if we see anyone, you can practice. If we don't see anyone, you can practice with Caleb at the museum."

He nodded and they departed to their respective rooms, meeting back in a few minutes, Gibbs with his cane. They walked carefully down the driveway and then turned left up the hill. There was an elderly man walking down the hill and he nodded to them but moved past them too quickly for either of them to get a word out. Tim and Lina had walked up the hill the previous week and decided which house should be the turnaround point so now when they reached it Lina announced it was time to turn back.

Gibbs nodded, "That's good, uphill is tough and I'm sure downhill is going to be even tougher."

"Ducky says that this and a swim every day will help immensely."

"You're right and I'm going to stick to the plan. I'm serious about wanting to dance at your wedding."

"I know you are! And it is tradition that the groom's father dance with his new daughter-in-law." They grinned at each other. Gibbs added, "I should know this, but I don't… are any of your grandparents alive?"

"No, although we have aunts and uncles from that generation; I believe in English they're called 'great aunts and uncles?"

Gibbs nodded and she continued, "My father's parents were killed in an accident when we were children; my mother's father died when she was a teenager and her mother died four years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. She was a wonderful woman; I wish Tim had been able to meet her."

"Yeah, it goes like that. I'm just thankful you had a chance to meet Jack."

She smiled, "As am I. How is the new owner of the store doing?"

"Great! He tells me everyone has been very supportive and Sheriff Gantry has offered help if he needs it. "

"That's good."

They'd reached their house and went in the front entrance. Gibbs had done fine although he was sweating. "Is it too early to go for a swim?"

She laughed, "If you can stand the cold water, I suppose not!" They walked out to the pool and Gibbs leaned over and stuck his hand in the water under the pool cover.

"Feels ok to me." He grinned at her, took the pool cover off and laid it out on the far side of the pool to dry. He had shorts and a tee shirt on so once he had his shoes and shirt off, he slipped into the pool. He exclaimed, "It's uh…invigorating!"

She shook her head at him. "That means it's too cold for me! I'm going to make some coffee; I'll bring you a cup."

He nodded as he pushed off from the shallow end to swim laps. He remembered what exercises he'd done in the pool at PT and once he'd tired of swimming laps, did those. It felt good, his knee was holding up well. At the end of the day sometimes it ached a bit but even with that it was still a thousand times better than it had been before surgery.

Lina came back out with Tim's robe, a towel and his coffee. "We've been invited for lunch at the office today. They like to eat early on Mondays so we'll go in about 11:30 and then go on to Athens from there."

"That's great! I was hoping we'd stop in but I didn't expect a lunch invite."

Lina smiled, "I'm not surprised; we've grown into a family." She lost her smile, "Has Tim told you about Norm's job?"

"That they've lost their funding and he's looking elsewhere? Yeah, that's rough."

"We're hoping they'll still be in Greece for our wedding."

"I thought they were good for the fall term."

"Norm isn't sure and Kim just told me that the protest yesterday may have hurt their cause rather than help it."

"Wow, that's bad."

Lina nodded. "I thought I would mention it because Norm wants to take you fishing this week. He has a half interest in a fishing boat and thought the two of you and my father could go out."

"Ocean fishing?"

"Yes."

"Sounds like fun, will he let us pay for fuel, food, things like that?"

"I imagine so, he's a practical man and he has three babies to feed."

"They have family at home still, I mean in the U.S., right?"

"Yes, in a way it will be easier for them if they move back to the States as her sister and his brother's wife have been over here helping. It would be much easier if they didn't have to make international flights."

He nodded. "You know, the way everything is online now, it's a shame he can't get a job teaching online and then it wouldn't matter where he was."

Lina stared at him, "I don't know whether he's thought of that, Tim hasn't mentioned it. Excuse me; I'm going to call him."

Gibbs drank most of his coffee and then got back in the pool for more exercises. He finished with more laps, finally deciding he'd had enough. He climbed out and dried off with the towel and then wrapped Tim's robe around him. He sat in the sunshine for a few minutes, drinking the rest of the coffee and when he'd stopped dripping, he grabbed his shoes and went inside for a shower. Warm and dressed in dry clothes, he wandered into the kitchen and found a fresh pot of coffee brewing. He poured a mug full and grabbing his new book and his glasses, sat in the living room reading. The middle of the book had photos and he looked at those first. He was shocked when he looked at one of the photos and recognized the Drill Instructor; it was the same one he'd had. He looked at the raw recruits behind the DI, his eyes widening even more when he spotted his younger self. He recognized several of his buddies and shook his head; this was pretty unbelievable. He looked at the caption for the photo and saw that it made note of one of the first female Marines. He looked at the photo again and now found his friend Joan Mattson. That made him a little sad and he touched her photo. She had been one of the first female Marines as well as his first female friend who was not a girlfriend, potential girlfriend or God help him, wife.

When Lina came back downstairs, she found her father-in-law deeply engrossed in the book Geordie gave him for his birthday. He looked up when she sat beside him. "I'm in here! Look…"

He showed her the picture. "That's amazing! I wonder if Geordie knows?"

Gibbs shrugged; he would definitely be asking the LT.

"Oh please tell him when I'm nearby! I can't wait to see his face!"

Gibbs laughed, "All right, you and Tim and Geordie and Bec I imagine."

"Yes, they are quite inseparable although neither will talk about it much. Geordie told Tim they're enjoying themselves but neither is in a hurry to do anything permanent."

"He's three years older than Tim."

"Yes but he's just getting acclimated to the world outside of Special Forces."

"Yeah, that's true and with the amount of time he was in, that's going to take a while."

They talked a little bit longer and then Gibbs yawned. His eyes widened, it was 10:00; he didn't have time for a nap! Lina smiled, "Go. Sleep for an hour, I'll wake you at 11, don't worry."

He really was sleepy so he headed off and was asleep by the time his head hit the pillow. Lina woke him at 11:15 saying, "It takes us two minutes to get down the hill and whoever is fetching lunch today probably won't leave until 11:30."

He nodded, got up, washed his face and put his shoes back on. He wished he had some sandals. He'd ask Lina on the way into Athens if she knew of a place where he could get some decent sandals. He needed the kind that buckled on, thinking he'd wear them on other visits. He knew that Tim was figuring he'd be here at least another two years, and also knew that Vance was thinking along the lines of 3-5 years. That made the likelihood of more warm weather visits very likely. Having nicely rationalized the purchase of sandals, he sat back and enjoyed the ride down the hill. "This would be fun on a skateboard or a bike."

Lina made a noise, "That's what Rob said. Tim has talked about riding a bike into work but riding it uphill at the end of the day would be very difficult."

"Mm, get into the right gear it wouldn't be too bad. Of course it wouldn't be much fun at midnight after a case."

Lina nodded, "There is that."

When Tea greeted him in Greek, Gibbs remembered the word for hello, "Yassou" and she beamed at him. He said hello to Kim and Eva, having met the three women in May and then Pete was standing in front of him, a big grin on his face. "It's great to have you back here when we're at full strength! Welcome back to Piraeus and NCIS: Athens!" Gibbs smiled back at him; it really was good to be back. Pete showed him his office and then the kitchen and Gibbs waved to Matt and Bec as they went. Tim was amused that Pete wanted to show him around; he thought that was probably a combination of a Team Leader showing respect for a peer and a subtle show of personal support for the man. He didn't think it was needed any longer, he thought his swift arrival in May and all the other good things that had happened between them had taken care of that, but still it was nice to see. Matt and Eva were going on the lunch run; they took Lina and Gibbs' orders and left. While they waited, Kim and Tim got the chairs set up in the garden so they could eat outside.

Gibbs thoroughly enjoyed lunch with Tim's team. He saw not only what a strong role Tim had in the office as a whole but also the genuine affection they had for each other. As he'd told Vance months ago, he'd listened to what Tim said about his new team and adopted some of Pete's and now Tim's modi operandi into his 'new' team. So far it was working very well. When Maggie was over here on TAD, it had given Wilson a chance to step up, something he'd proved he was ready to do and it had also given Ned a chance to shine. Maggie was ready for her own team; Gibbs thought that would be happening in the next year; he'd already talked with Wilson about stepping into an SFA position, although Vance cautioned him against telling him it would be on his team. Once a Team Lead spot opened up for Maggie, Wilson could be told.

Gibbs thought about retiring, a subject on his mind a great deal during his recuperation but he still felt he had more to do, more to offer the agency. Maybe after he stepped down as Team Lead he'd take Vance up on his offer of training new agents. He'd take the new hires fresh out of FLETC and do an expanded basic training with them, an additional two or three weeks. He liked that, he could leave more of a positive legacy at the agency than the sour taste of his old team although Tim had told him some of the 'legend' stories he'd heard from Bec. When he had some alone time with his son, he planned to bring it up, see what he thought about it. He would be really happy if Tim and Tony and maybe Ned, Bec and Matt could give him some ideas about what areas to bolster. He had ideas, Vance had ideas but Gibbs wanted to hear from the younger agents.

The other area Vance mentioned he would need help with was formalizing the volunteer groups that had been Tim's original idea. Vance wanted a group of TAD volunteers of juniors, SFAs and Team Leads. And he wanted help in more than just setting it up; Vance wanted a seasoned agent to run the group, to make sure the right agents got sent to the right spots. Gibbs privately thought he'd pass on the setting it up although he didn't think that would be too painful, but he'd love to do the matching. Maybe he could somehow combine the expanded training gig with the TAD management. Hmm, that would be another topic of discussion with Tim!

Lina watched Gibbs watch Tim and the others and she saw pride, happiness and contentment in him. He was proud of and happy with Tim's accomplishments and she didn't quite know what the contentment was about. Maybe that he was here again, getting reacquainted, maybe just spending time with Tim, maybe something else. After they ate, they drove into Athens to the Benaki. Lina's original plan had been to take the Metro but remembered Ducky's advice to have Gibbs take it easy on his knee the first few days and as this was only his third day she decided the swim and the walk this morning had been enough.

The two of them enjoyed their day together; Gibbs was very interested in the exhibits and got along well with Caleb, appreciating his dry sense of humor. He'd mentioned his need for sandals to Lina so after they finished at the museum, Gibbs buying a few things in the gift shop, they walked a few blocks to a men's shoe store and Gibbs found a pair of good sturdy walking sandals. After purchasing them, they headed back to the car, stopping along the way for coffee and a cold drink for Lina. Gibbs shared some of his thoughts from lunch with Lina; she was touched that he wanted her opinion and excited for the conversation he would have with Tim, knowing her fiancé would love it. They were on the road back to Piraeus ahead of the commute traffic and Gibbs went to have a rest before they went to Tim's class and the Flying Pig.

They went to George's studio a little earlier than usual as Gibbs really wanted to watch his son at work on his moves. Over the past few weeks, Tim and Matt had brought themselves almost back to their pre-Bagram levels. George was still working separately with them but by now they were learning the moves Kim and Bec had learned earlier in the summer. When they finished and bowed to each other, Gibbs was so proud he thought he'd burst. As George was introduced to him he looked at him with a twinkle in his eye and said, "Ah, the proud papa. He is strong, your boy and getting stronger every day."

Gibbs nodded, "It's been said that he has the heart of a lion and I believe it's true." He looked at the others, "They're all remarkable young people, strong, smart, competent and working to be more than they are." He paused, "I don't know whether you've heard this but the head of our agency plans to add mixed martial arts to our training for new agents. And you've had a big part in that!"

George's grin threatened to split his face in half. His eyes were still twinkling as he said something in Greek to Tim that made him blush and the others chuckle. Lina told Gibbs, "He says he's going to make sure his brother knows Tim's papa is in town, that he'll want to meet you. His brother is the Deputy Chief of Police in Athens and a great admirer of Tim and the team."

By then, Damian, Geordie and Evander had joined them and Gibbs greeted them with a smile. They adjourned to their regular table at the Flying Pig where the 'returnee' was warmly welcomed and the various lists were handed out. Geordie, Bec and Matt each had their own now, along with Evander and Tim. Damian declined; while he liked beer well enough he was really more of a wine guy. Gibbs laughed when he was asked if he would like to start a list. "I'm only going to be here a couple of weeks now, but I will be back in November and other times, I'm sure. Yeah, sure that sounds good!" He loved the brew he tried and listened to Evander as he gave him a rundown of what his favorite entrees were.

Tuesday morning, he went for his walk by himself after Tim and Lina left for work. He came home and this time let the day warm up a bit before he ventured into the pool. He swam laps, did some exercises and then floated on the mat.

After Lina left for work that morning, Tim showed him the design of their project. "It's a jewelry armoire. Do you think we can get this done while you're here? And I mean we, I want to learn what I can, I'm not expecting you to do this for me."

Gibbs smiled, "We'll do it together; I'm looking forward to it. It's a good design, simple with clean lines and elegance to it; I can see why you picked this for Lina. And yeah, I'll do more than you do just because I'll have the time, but it'll be built before I leave. You might have the final sanding and staining to do though."

Tim grinned, "That's fine!"

When Tim picked up his pack to leave, Gibbs pulled him in for a goodbye hug and kiss. "Stay safe!"

It was close to 1300 when Damian called to let Gibbs know the senior Kalivas' had arrived. Gibbs was just waking up from a post-lunch nap and was glad to hear the new in-laws had arrived safely. Damian had worked at home today so he'd be there when his parents arrived and now he told Gibbs the three of them would drive over in the truck to deliver the table and tools. Gibbs put his new sandals on, sent Tim a text to let him know the in-laws were on the way to the house and tidied up the kitchen. He found his Greek language notes and reviewed the words he'd need, noting that he should use the other form of hello.

He finished reviewing those and was combing his hair, still damp from the pool, when he heard a vehicle pulling into the driveway. He walked out the front door to meet Lina and Damian's parents.


	107. Chapter 107

CH 107

Damian was driving and hopped out of the truck as Gibbs walked into view. A man was getting out of the passenger side and had his hand in, presumably to help the woman seated in the middle. Damian walked over to Gibbs and smiled at him, "I'll translate although my parents speak pretty good English. They're very excited to meet you."

Gibbs replied, "Me too."

Although they hadn't met in person, they had of course met on Skype and in the past month had been involved in a very stealthy ongoing e-mail and Skype discussion of various matters between the parents and grandparents. Now introductions were made and as her daughter had done on their first meeting Hélène gave him a double cheek kiss. Davos shook his hand and then gave him a one armed hug. "I am pleased to finally meet the father of Timotheos in person! You must be very proud of him!"

Gibbs grinned, "I am, although he's done it all without my help." He continued, "And you must be exceptionally proud of Lina and Damian, they're wonderful people!"

The young man was startled but nodded at him in thanks while his parents beamed. The three parents quickly settled on using their first names, in Gibbs' case Jethro and Damian was amused at how easily they were getting along. He thought it was as if they'd been in touch for years, like online friends who were just getting around to meeting in the flesh.

They decided to get the table moved right away and then have a swim. Rather than go through the house, they would carry it through the garage which had a door out to the side yard. The two Kalivas men took most of the weight of the table but Gibbs was able to help some and Hélène guided them. Moving it to the patio area only took a few minutes and then Gibbs stopped to admire it, running his hand over the finish. It was a beautifully made table and Davos had made it with leaves to extend for a large group.

Gibbs smiled, "This is beautiful!"

"Ah, I am glad you like it. My eldest son Nicolas and my granddaughter Alexis helped me with it and of course Damian did the design work."

Gibbs hadn't realized that and he clapped Damian on the shoulder. "Great design."

While Hélène changed into her swim suit, the men brought the hand tools from the truck. Davos stopped Gibbs, "Jethro, has Tim shown you the project?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to get started! The plan is for you and I to get it started and then Tim will work on it with us."

Davos nodded. "Yes, I believe we can get the body done this week and then he can work on the…" he turned to Damian and said something in Greek to which Damian replied, "Joinery and detailing."

"Ah, the joinery and detailing."

Gibbs grinned, "By the way, I love the workbench, thank you for your part in it and thanks for bringing the tools!"

Davos smiled back, "I will leave these here for our use when either of us visits."

While his mother wanted a swim, Damian could see that his father and Gibbs were more interested in getting started on their project. They had the wood, brought from Thessaloniki and they would buy anything else they'd need later but right now they were excited to get started. They could measure and cut this afternoon as Lina would be at work for another few hours.

He wanted a swim too, so he changed while the two older men opened up the workshop and got busy measuring. By the time Damian and his mother had swum several laps, the carpenters had rough cut almost all the pieces. Among the tools Davos had brought with him was a power saw and although Gibbs had seen them used, he'd never tried one himself. He had no problems using it, wanting to get this part done so they'd be ready for Tim when he had time to work with them.

As they worked, Davos had a few questions. "Jethro, you have met my other son-in-law, Matt, yes?"

Gibbs smiled, "Yes, they were here for dinner on Sunday. I've heard a lot of great things about him from Tim – he was Tim's first friend here you know. I was glad to finally meet him and see how well he has recovered."

Davos nodded. "I am glad. He is a good man and he makes my son very happy."

"Had a rough time back in May, took a lot of strength for him to hang on and to make as complete a recovery as he has." Jethro leaned on the table, "Did you know he's been joining in the dance class?"

Davos grinned, "I did not. I know Damian is teaching Tim the Syrtos and other Greek dances but I did not know Matt was doing it!"

Jethro laughed, "They showed me a DVD the other night, maybe we can watch it again tonight, there are a lot of people in that class, I think just about everyone they know here."

Davos nodded, "I like that and I look forward to watching them dance at the wedding. Maybe I will dance with them!"

Gibbs laughed, "I wish I could learn but Dr. Ducky said no. I'll be allowed to do slow dances with Lina and Hélène but nothing with a lot of movement."

Davos shook his head, "It is good that you have had that knee taken care of; once you are recovered there will be no more worries. You can continue to catch bad guys, yes?"

Gibbs laughed, "Yes, run them down!"

Davos huffed, "That is just what Timotheos said the first time I met him!"

Gibbs shrugged, "It's what we do when we have to."

Davos frowned, thinking back to what Gibbs said earlier. "While you dance with Hélène, who is to be the mother of Tim for our dance?"

"I believe that will be Tim's godmother, Liz."

"Ah, that is fitting."

They went on to talk more about the wedding and about their tuxes; Davos asked if Tim's grandfather would be wearing his kilt. Gibbs laughed and said no, that after some discussion it had been decided that he would also wear a tuxedo. He asked Davos about Penny as he still had not met her in person which the other man thought was funny.

They spent a great deal of time talking about Penny's proposal, sent via e-mail to Gibbs, the Kalivas' and the Mallards. She said she was planning on renting or buying an apartment in Athens or Piraeus and spending part of the year as long as Tim, Lina and Geordie were there. Her initial idea was that if any of the others wanted to also stay there on a visit, it would be open to them. There had been a lively discussion with all of them as Ducky and Maisie had had virtually the same idea and proposed a multi-bedroom place. Their proposal was that the grandparents pay the costs and Gibbs and the Kalivas family would be welcome to use it whenever they were in town. The Kalivas' countered with a wish to participate in the cost, pointing out that they would be visiting more often and Gibbs also wanted to pay a portion. That part had finally been settled with everyone willing to chip in. None of this had been shared with any of the children, although the Hubbards and Cranes were brought in on it and Claire was secretly hoping to spend the following summer in Greece with the children.

Before Gibbs left for Greece the previous week, they'd finally all agreed on what they wanted in the dwelling. It should have at least four bedrooms and three bathrooms, although five bedrooms and 5 baths would be better, preferably in Piraeus although Athens would also be good. A minimal kitchen was acceptable and a comfortable living space with low upkeep and good security, something with air conditioning, modern or at least updated; an outdoor space would be icing on the cake, either a balcony or patio. They were perfectly willing to look at apartments, condos and houses as long as they would not be responsible for upkeep and it would be safe when unattended.

Between the four branches of the combined family, they had enough to buy a property if that was a better deal. Penny, again via e-mail, had asked Gibbs if he would talk with Evander. They'd already contacted him and he knew what they were doing; the group was hoping he would be able to show Gibbs some places while he was here. Having heard via Kim that the Kalivas' would also be in town this week, Evander had pulled Gibbs aside the previous evening and told him he had a few properties to show the three of them. Gibbs updated Davos now and while he made some covering noise, Gibbs called Evander to set up an appointment for the following day.

The afternoon went quickly as work progressed on the armoire. Tim called to tell them they were caught in the tail end of a shared case but they'd only needed to bring in a witness. They'd done that so as soon as the witness was questioned, he and Matt would drive to Athens; they'd probably miss mezes but be in time for dinner. He'd already spoken with Lina; Caleb was going to drop her off at Damian's on his way home. Lina had reminded Tim the pickup had a backseat so Gibbs could catch a ride with Damian and the Kalivas'. It was close to 5 already, so Gibbs and Davos shut down their work for the night, locking the shed. They took turns cleaning up downstairs and were ready by the time Hélène and Damian had changed into dry clothes. Gibbs locked the house before they left. As they rode, they talked about their plans for tomorrow, the public plans at least. As Damian was going in to his office, Hélène and Davos would drive to Piraeus after breakfast and get back to work. Hélène said she was perfectly content to spend the day in the pool or poolside. They'd take a break and go out to lunch about 1:00, which of course was really their appointment with Evander. He'd reminded them that his car and their truck could be easily spotted from the office, going up or down the hill, so they'd need a cover. It had been his idea to make the appointment around a mythical lunch. Gibbs realized they needed to find the name of a restaurant not usually frequented by any of the team but Evander said he'd give them a name, menu items and a description of a place.

Dinner was delicious, a traditional Greek meal that Damian made in a slow cooker. He'd loved the meals Tim and Lina made in theirs so he and Matt had purchased one. The two agents arrived just as the rest of them were sitting down to dinner. Mezes had been saved for them, much to their delight. They said the case was Rota's but they had a piece and there was a piece in Naples which Rota was also handling. The Athens piece was taken care of; all that was left were the reports. The other two feds laughed as Tim said, "And we know the reports will take four times as long as the entire case."

Matt added, "And the reports for the local governments will be kicked back to us at least three times."

Tim nodded, "Until they give in and deal with it."

That was news to Gibbs and he said so. "You have to do a report for the host country government?"

Tim nodded. "The double homicide we had that started here and ended in Croatia?" The others nodded. "We had to do reports for Greece, Croatia and every country that idiot drove through, even though he committed no crimes in their jurisdictions and went through passport control with no problem. For awhile we thought the guy might be out of prison before we got all the reports squared away!"

Matt grimaced, "And every country wanted us to use a different form."

"Yeah, that wasn't fun."

Davos chuckled, "They don't show that part on TV."

That got laughs from everyone. They watched the dance class DVD and Gibbs enjoyed it even more the second time. The Kalivas' were laughing even harder, knowing how things were supposed to look.

They drove home with the top down and Gibbs thoroughly enjoyed the night air. "You're right, this air feels good, it's not…what did you say, Stinky, sweaty and what?"

Tim snorted, "Sticky."

"Yeah right." Gibbs turned to Lina in the back seat. "How cold is it in the winter?"

She smiled, "Enough for a warm jacket and sometimes gloves and a hat. We get snow on the mountains. But winter doesn't last long."

Tim added, "Spring hits in March, at least it did this year. That was when we had to go to Germany to get a taste of winter."

Gibbs was thinking he might just spend winters over here, which he knew was Penny's plan and he wouldn't be surprised if Ducky and Maisie felt the same way. They'd have to work on that, too much family all at the same time wasn't a good idea. He was still daydreaming about that when he realized they were home, parked in the garage and Tim was looking at him with a funny expression on his face. "You ok? You looked like you were a thousand miles away."

He grinned at his son. "Actually I was right here, thinking about life in Greece." When he got out of the car he patted Tim's face.

Lina went up to bed while Tim sat up with his dad for awhile. He told him more about the case and Gibbs shook his head, stupidity never ceased to amaze him. The third yawn Tim tried to swallow had his dad ruffling his hair and telling him to get some sleep. After he went up, Gibbs sent an e-mail to his fellow conspirators, letting them know the plan for the next day.


	108. Chapter 108

When Tim went upstairs, he found Lina still awake. She looked at him, "My love, you are thinking too hard."

He smiled, "Sorry, bad habit. He's up to something…my dad is."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I can't figure it out but I'll bet your parents are in on it too."

"Ooh, something for us then…the wedding perhaps?"

"Maybe." He leaned in for a kiss, "Not going to worry about it. I trust him and your folks."

"Good. Come here and I'll help you to not worry about it."

XXX

Gibbs was up by the time they returned from their run the next morning and having observed them making their smoothies on previous mornings, had the ingredients in the blender all ready to go. He enjoyed a cup of coffee while they drank their breakfast. He didn't mention it, but he'd had a little taste after running the blender and he had to admit it tasted pretty good. He'd been very surprised to see Tim putting green leafy stuff, he said it was kale, into the fruit and milk blend, along with a vegetarian mix protein powder. Gibbs couldn't taste any of the green or protein stuff and that was a good thing. After they left for work, he decided to try one of his own, reasoning that if he didn't like it he'd throw it out and scramble a couple of eggs, make some toast and pay them back for the discarded mix. He halved the amount of ingredients he'd seen Tim and Lina put in. When everything was well blended he was relieved and surprised to find that he really did like the taste and the texture and he felt as full and satisfied as he would be with the eggs and toast. He had no idea where to get the protein stuff, he'd ask Tim and swear him to secrecy; after all he had a reputation to protect! Although when he thought about it, maybe it was time to let that reputation go. He was going to be a grandfather in the foreseeable future, he needed to set good examples, certainly better ones than he'd set with Tim, Tony and the others in the last decade.

He went for his walk and noticed it wasn't quite as much work as it had been just two days earlier. He saw the elderly man again and said "Yassas" to him. The man stopped and nodding to him said something back. Gibbs nodded in return and said, "That's all I know so far."

"I wished you a good morning."

"Oh, I do know that one – Kalimera to you too!" The gentlemen nodded to him and continued on his way. Gibbs was pleased, that was two new things this morning and who knew learning new things could actually be fun?! He walked past the house where he had turned around other days, going up two more houses and then making the turn. He took it easy on the way down, walking carefully with his cane. When he got back to the house, he took stock and found his knee felt the same as it had yesterday morning, maybe even a little better. He decided to have an early swim and was just drying off after doing his laps and exercises when he heard the doorbell. He grabbed Tim's robe and ushered Davos and Hélène into the house. She looked at him, "You are awfully happy this morning!"

He told her about trying the smoothie and speaking to the elderly gentleman while on his walk. She laughed, "You are enjoying Greece; that is good! Now, you two go work while I putter. I asked Lina to leave me any projects she has unfinished for the wedding."

That explained the pile of some sort of netting he'd noticed earlier. He pointed it out and Hélène shook her head. "Ah well, I did ask!"

She picked up a pair of scissors and a plastic template that was on top of the material and began to cut. Gibbs watched and then said to Davos, "What's that for?"

"Wedding favors, a Greek tradition."

Hélène continued the explanation, "We will fill these with candied almonds and tie the net closed with ribbon. Every guest will have one." She grinned, "The shape of the almonds, roughly egg shape, signifies the hope for fertility, children. The almond is bitter so the candy is to add the sweet to the bitter."

Gibbs nodded. "I'm glad I'll know all this before the wedding otherwise I might miss a lot of the details."

"Jethro, Davos told me he will be dancing with Tim's godmother, Liz. As she is the designated mother of the groom, I'd like to correspond with her on e-mail. Is she on the conspirators list?"

"No, she's not although she and the Admiral know about it. I have her e-mail address."

"Oh good. And will you help me write a short note, make sure I use the correct words?"

He nodded, "Sure, just let me know when."

"I think now would be good - before you two get busy with Lina's armoire."

He nodded and the three of them adjourned to Gibbs' room with Lina's laptop.

Hélène wrote Liz a sweet note introducing herself and asking her if she had planned her wedding attire yet. She said she wanted to make sure Liz understood that by taking on the dance with the bride's father, she was assuming the role of mother of the groom. She wrote a bit more with Jethro gently correcting her along the way. She gave a sigh of relief when they sent it. "Good, that's done! I should send her a photo of my dress- that might help."

"You want to make sure you don't wear the same thing?"

"No, it is almost the opposite! It is considered good luck if we wear the same colors." She returned to the netting, shooing them outside. When they took a look at the previous day's work, they were pleased and kept going with it. As they had the previous day, they talked a little as they worked. For once, Gibbs started it. "You know they won't need any furniture while they live here."

Davos grunted, "Not until their first child comes along." The two men grinned at each other.

"I was trying to figure out how to make a crib and ship it over here. Then I thought it would be easier to just make it over here."

"It would be, yes but you would need to be here for several weeks." Davos thought for a moment. "What if you make part of it and I make part?"

Gibbs nodded, "That would really be something, wouldn't it?" He paused, "I just made headboards for a couple who have adopted two children. Do you know who Jimmy and Breena are?"

"I believe I know the story of the two children, my daughter and your son met them, yes?"

"Yes, those are the children, Ethan and Stevie. Jimmy and Breena are their new parents; we work with them, part of our family." Davos nodded his understanding. "I had intended to make a crib but Stevie the little one, is already sleeping in a bed, so instead I made two headboards. The headboards for a single bed are about the same measurement as the end pieces for the crib." He paused, "Actually, that was originally Tim's idea!"

Davos nodded, impressed. "Ah, so you're thinking you could make those end pieces and ship them over?"

Gibbs nodded, "Yes. And maybe I'll fly over with them and we can assemble it here."

Davos nodded and grinned, "Just in time for our first shared grandchild."

Gibbs grinned back, "Yes!" They continued working and got quite a bit done that morning. When they heard Hélène splashing in the pool, they decided to take a break. They'd work more this afternoon after they returned from their real estate viewings.

XXX

Tim was still plugging away at the reports that afternoon when Tea walked by him on the way to the garden for her break. "I just saw your father-in-law's truck go by."

"Going up or down?"

"Down."

He looked at his watch, "They must be going for lunch." He wondered where they were going. He was glad Davos and Hélène were here to spend time with Gibbs, but it sure felt weird. He would have some time off next week; in the meantime he was just as glad Poppy wasn't sitting around bored. He chuckled to himself; no way would the man be bored now that he had tools and a project to work on.

When Bec and Matt finished their reports they sent them to him; he added them to his and sent the whole mess to Pete, who loudly groaned when he got them. "UGH, too many!" He snorted, "We spent 5 hours on that case and how many on the reports?"

Tim looked at the time, "6 hours so far."

Pete shook his head. "We should ask your dad to come in and do them for us, we'll pay him double."

Tim laughed, "I want to witness that conversation!"

Matt chimed in, "Yeah Pete, you might get 'The Look' for that."

"Nah, that doesn't scare me…much." They all laughed as Pete sighed and tackled the paperwork.

XXX

The trio met Evander at the first place, a house. Gibbs had been secretly hoping for a house. Other than during undercover assignments, he hadn't lived in an apartment since the early days of his marriage to Shannon. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of sharing walls, floors and ceilings with neighbors but knew the maintenance and security might be easier to handle.

This was a large house, up for sale although Evander said the owners might be willing to rent if it met their expenses. With 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, it exceeded their needs. All three of them took pictures as they moved through each room. The rooms were bright and airy, the whole house seemed well cared for although the appliances, floors and countertops and the bathrooms were at least a decade old. When Gibbs remarked that his own house hadn't been updated in far longer than a decade, Davos said the same thing about theirs.

Gibbs snorted, "Yeah, but my house was built in the twentieth century not the fifteenth!"

Evander's eyes widened at that while his clients chuckled at Gibbs' quip and the young man's reaction. The living room wasn't huge but there was a large extra room that Gibbs mentally tagged as a family room and there was space for a large table in the area adjacent to the kitchen. The backyard was surprisingly small for such a large house but that didn't matter much for their expected use. Most of the yard was hilly, with terraces carved into the hill and steps going up the middle. Right off the back door was a concrete patio that needed some serious work done on it as it was chipped and cracked. But when it was fixed there would be room for a grill, table and chairs.

Overall, they liked the house all right; the real selling point was the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. They agreed none of them were in love with it. They followed Evander to the next place, a large townhome/condo with four bedrooms and 3 baths. It shared a wall with another unit and as Tim had noted on his own search nearly a year ago, the common wall was occupied by closets upstairs and the kitchen downstairs. There was a fenced patio on the ground level. It was …adequate. The kitchen had been updated recently so that was a selling point but the common areas were not what Gibbs thought they should be for a four bedroom dwelling. And the downstairs was dark, there was very little natural light coming in. There was covered parking in the back with extra spaces and a gate from the patio to that parking. They took pictures but Gibbs' heart wasn't in it and he thought the others felt the same. Hélène tried to be positive, "There is good space in here, we most likely will not all be here at the same time, after all. And the kitchen is good." They nodded.

The third viewing was for another house. Hélène smiled as they pulled up into the driveway. "I like it already; it has a good look to it."

Gibbs nodded, "We call that curb appeal."

Davos was looking at the driveway, "There is enough room here for four cars."

"Plus the garage."

"Ah yes, so 6 vehicles, that is certainly adequate!"

Evander ushered them into the house and they stood looking at the large room off the entryway.

"Great family room."

"Yes, I agree."

There was a hallway from the large room to the rear of the house, as they walked they felt cool air and knew the air conditioning worked well. The kitchen was a decent size, not overly large which was good for their purposes and had been updated in the last few years. There was a generously sized area adjacent to it that Evander explained had been used as a dining room but he thought it could also be a media room. He ushered them through a door to the backyard and they took a look. It was nicely landscaped with a large covered area to provide shade. The landscaping was mostly ground cover, shrubs and shade trees which would make maintenance a lot easier.

Back inside, Evander took them down a hallway where they found a large bedroom with a full bathroom tucked behind the kitchen. He explained that it was originally the dining room but had been renovated to a bedroom suite to accommodate a family member no longer able to use the stairs. All three of them nodded at that and Gibbs tapped his cane on the floor, "That's a bonus; I'm the one with the cane and I never thought of that!"

On their way to the stairs Evander pointed out a powder room and storage closet set at an angle under the staircase. Gibbs gamely tackled the stairs, taking it slow and easy. Upstairs, they found five bedrooms, each with a private bath. There was no master bedroom; each of the bedrooms was the same size, all with decent sized closets and ceiling fans. There was plenty of natural light with wood flooring throughout.

They'd been so busy looking they hadn't taken many photos, so they went over the house again to take care of that. Gibbs remained downstairs, spending a little extra time in the downstairs bedroom. Evander stayed with him and Gibbs took the opportunity to ask him about the roof, plumbing and electrical. He was well satisfied with the answers: the roof was two years old; the electrical had been updated when the previous owners re-did the kitchen 6 years ago and the plumbing had been updated 4 years ago when the dining room had been converted to the downstairs bedroom suite. The real estate agent told Gibbs that the house had been empty and for sale for over a year, mostly due to its size. Gibbs' first thought was that there was no sign of any break-ins or vandalism, a good omen. His next thought was that the price would probably be negotiable.

When the Kalivas' returned to the main floor, they locked up, thanked Evander for his thoughtful selections and told him one of them, most likely Penny, would be in touch. He told them he was really enjoying being part of the 'conspiracy' although it was difficult not saying anything to Kim.

He handed them a flyer with information about the restaurant where they'd supposedly eaten lunch. He'd eaten there and liked it; there was a good selection of entrees. The flyer was their takeout menu. They'd eaten a light snack at the house before they left but Davos and Gibbs were hungry again so Hélène called in a takeout order. It was ready by the time they got to the restaurant; all three of them got out of the truck to go inside, saying that way they weren't technically lying. They'd now been in the restaurant and were eating food from there.

On their way home they drove slowly by the office and noticed as the front door flew open and four agents hurried out with their packs. Bec and Pete headed for the van while Matt and Tim climbed into the sedan. Davos pulled over just beyond the driveway and they sat watching as the two vehicles peeled out of the parking lot. Gibbs had his eyes focused on the side mirror and he saw Tim lift his hand in a wave as they pulled out. Davos continued the drive up the hill. "They were very fast coming out the door."

"Yeah, that's something you learn pretty quick. I guess we'll…" His phone buzzed with a text. "It's from Tim."

* * *

><p>Note: Might as well let you know that along with the actual Greek wedding traditions I'm including in this story, there are at least two that are 'creative license'. And some of the explanations for the real traditions might also be 'creative license'.<p> 


	109. Chapter 109

Note1: SOP means standard operating procedure.

Note2: Because I can't seem to help myself. There's a pop culture (i.e. TV show) reference in this chapter. Virtual cookies to anyone who figures it out and it's not Star Trek (surprise!). Hint: it's from the 90's.

* * *

><p>The text started with a "<em>cl<em>" which meant Gibbs would have to edit the explanation for his companions; whatever was happening was classified for now.

_'__Sailor gone berserk in Athens…he's in a building or on a rooftop shooting.' _

Gibbs replied, "_Let me know if I can help. Can still shoot!_"

He got a reply from Pete, '_Thanks, we may need you. If we call you, have the Ks drive you to the office; Kim will issue you a weapon and drive you to the scene, close to it.'_

They were back at the house by now and he hadn't said anything to his companions. Excusing himself he changed his clothes and shoes and strapped his ankle holster on, checking the weapon he'd brought with him. Never hurt to have a backup. He just wished he'd thought to bring his badge and ID with him. When he emerged from his room, he found the Kalivas' at the table eating. He sat down and filled his plate. "I offered my help and Pete answered, said they might need me. Either Pete or Tim will contact me and then if you could drive me down to the office? Kim will issue me a weapon and drive me into Athens to the scene."

"It is bad?"

"Don't know, has the potential to be."

"Terrorists?"

"No, from what Tim said sounds like one guy."

He'd finished eating and they were washing the dishes when his phone buzzed. It was a text from Tim,

_'__Need you ASAP. Come in the south side of the scene, we'll tell the LEOs to direct you to us, have the Ks stay at the house, Athens in uproar.' _

"Ok, we need to go. Tim wants you to come back to the house and stay here, says Athens is in an uproar right now."

They piled back into the truck and were quickly at the office. Gibbs walked in to be handed a phone by Kim. "Gibbs."

"Vance; you have my permission to join the team. Stay safe!"

"Thanks Director, we will."

Kim handed him an ID identifying him as a member of NCIS: Athens, a temporary badge with his own badge number on it and combat gear plus two weapons. One was their standard sidearm and the other a sniper rifle with everything he'd need. It wasn't his but it would do.

"They have one with them but they want both."

He put the vest on, checked out the weapons and joined Kim in an agency sedan.

"Do you have a sitrep?"

"Yes, they have the sailor's location pinned down to one of three buildings; they're searching each of them. They were able to grab a photo of him; we ran facial recognition and identified him, his name's Sinclair, Jeffrey Sinclair. We're working on finding a contact for him- family member, CO, someone who knows him."

Gibbs nodded, that was SOP.

"All right. Know where they are?"

"In a building next to the one Tim is sure the guy is in."

"In or on?"

"Tim and Pete both said on. Tim said to tell you 'Ari'."

Gibbs swore.

"That's bad?"

"Bad enough." He paused, "Do you know if they've called for an aerial recon?"

"Yes, they've asked Col. Martin at the embassy for a helo flyby."

Gibbs nodded, "That might be our best shot."

"From a helicopter?"

Gibbs suddenly grinned, "Have to remember I'm the hired help today, Pete's in charge."

Kim made a noise, "Actually I think Tim might be running the op." She looked at Gibbs, "He's got more experience with this sort of op than Pete does."

Gibbs nodded, that was one very wise Team Leader if he had ceded control to his SFA but Kim was right, Tim certainly had experience with this kind of operation. They reached the police blockade and after studying their ids, one of the officers spoke with Kim. She turned to Gibbs, "They won't allow me into the middle of this, so he's going to take you in."

She leaned over to him, speaking quietly. "Now here are _my_ orders. I want everyone back safely, got that? No bullet holes or broken bones, no shrapnel, not even a bruise; walk back into the office on your own steam, all of you."

He nodded, "Got it. See you in a bit." He put his helmet on, climbed on the back of the motorcycle and they took off. He was taken to the back of a building and was given hand gestures he easily understood. He'd never before considered the universality of the language of cops. He got as low and made himself as small as he could as he hurried into the building. Matt was on the door, pulled him in and took him to Tim and Pete. They were conferencing by phone with someone, Matt whispered that it was Col. Martin at the Embassy; apparently there was a disagreement about who would be shooting once the helo was in the air. Tim finally said, "We have two certified and experienced snipers here. I appreciate your dedication but Colonel, this is not a war zone, nor is the Embassy in any danger, it's our job, our responsibility. We do need that helo, however. We'll expect Lt. Sheridan and the helo in 7 minutes at the coordinates I gave you."

Then he disconnected and started loading his weapon. "Gibbs, we're both going up, one on each side of the helo. We still don't have confirmation of the building he's in."

Gibbs nodded and turned a bit so he was including Pete. "Your guts telling you he's on a rooftop?"

Tim gave him a nod, "Kim tell you?"

Gibbs nodded.

"From the victims and the bullets we've found, the trajectory has to be a rooftop."

"Wild?"

"Yeah."

"End game?"

"Like to take him alive but we need to stop him, whatever it takes."

"Kim said you had a visual. What's he wearing?"

"Uniform, no cap, head was bare."

"Vest?"

Tim shook his head, "Don't know, don't think so. Hell, we don't even know where he got the weapon. LEOs are working on that. We have 7 casualties, 5 are critical, 2 were grazed, no fatalities. We've got a 10 block radius evacuated and shut down; Athens' public buildings are all on lockdown."

Gibbs nodded, "Ok, good." They finished loading as they heard the helicopter landing. Tim gave orders to his team as he and Gibbs headed to the helo, the older man mindful of his knee and realizing he'd left his cane back at the office. Gibbs couldn't believe how good it felt to be working with Tim again, he never thought it would be possible and he was so proud of what he'd witnessed already that he thought he'd burst. Kudos would have to wait though; right now they needed to focus on the situation.

Sheridan nodded at them and looked to Tim for orders. He gave him the pattern they needed to fly and they lifted off.

They found Sinclair on the rooftop of the building Tim had calculated from the trajectories. He waved at them and yelled a plea for help, he was pinned down. Tim swore, "Drugs or flashback."

"Or both."

They were watching Sinclair and shouted a warning to Sheridan as the sailor took a shot at them. The Lieutenant managed a quick turn and the bullet ricocheted off one of the struts on the helicopter. Tim shook his head, "Still going for disarming but if we have to do more damage, it's on him."

Gibbs nodded his agreement. With Sinclair's placement on the roof, this would be Tim's takedown. He told Sheridan the plan and when they were in place the pilot did his best to hold the helo steady.

Using the scope, Tim carefully focused on the hand holding the lock and the arm holding the stock and fired. The shooter went down, the rifle dropping, bouncing on the stock and landed a couple of feet away from him. He slumped down and over, apparently unconscious.

With both agents covering, Sheridan put down and Tim scrambled out after the weapon while Gibbs continued to cover him and the helo.

Tim's bullet had torn through the man's left hand, traveled through his right hand and buried itself in his right shoulder; mercifully the man was unconscious. They searched him, finding a handgun and a few pills all of which Tim bagged before he updated Pete. "He's down, unconscious, we'll fly him to the hospital; they have a secure room there?"

Pete asked them to wait while he found out. "Ok, Deputy Chief says to take him there; they'll have an escort waiting on the roof. Good job!"

"Thanks. He's gonna need surgery."

"He's alive, that's good shooting. Did you pull another Stavros or was it Gibbs?"

"It was me and yeah, I did."

"Proud of you, Agent McGee, another impossible shot. Get him to the hospital and we'll meet you over there."

The helo had emergency medical supplies, including a stretcher; the two agents put it together and then Tim paused, "Lt. Sheridan, are you allowed to leave the helo?"

"As long as there's no one else around and it's still in my visual range, yes sir."

"Good. Agent Gibbs is recovering from surgery; I'll need your help carrying the prisoner to the helo."

"Can do, sir."

"Gibbs, cover the helo while we get this guy squared away."

"Got it."

They'd already applied pressure and the bleeding had slowed. They wrapped the wounds as best they could and then Gibbs stood guard, covering them and the helo while Sheridan helped Tim get Sinclair onto the stretcher and into the helo. Once he was in and Gibbs was guarding him, the others climbed in and they took off. It took them less than 3 minutes to reach the hospital where Sheridan put down on the rooftop. A group of medical staff and Athenian police officers was waiting, Deputy Chief Avramidis among them. The medical team offloaded the stretcher with an armed Agent McGee escorting them. With a wave, Lt. Sheridan lifted off to head back to the airfield.

While the prisoner was examined and taken to surgery, Tim handed over the evidence bags with the two weapons, additional ammo and pills to one of the waiting LEOs who left with them. Tim sighed as he handed over the rifle and his Sig to Pete. Gibbs waited patiently while Pete debriefed Tim, knowing his turn was coming next.

The Deputy Chief, who looked vaguely familiar to Gibbs, walked up to him. "I hoped to meet you while you are here, but not under these circumstances. You are Timotheos' father, yes?"

"Yes." The man held out his hand for a shake and introduced himself, "You have an extraordinary son, you must be very proud!"

Gibbs nodded, smiling, "I am; I'm very proud of him, of everything he does."

"That is the second time he has brought a bad situation to a close without killing the shooter." The Deputy Chief proceeded to tell him about the shooting at the Stavros home the previous year. While he was talking Gibbs remembered the case he was talking about and also what George the martial arts instructor had said and realized this had to be his brother.

The Deputy Chief soon joined Tim and Pete and after much discussion, they decided they would share guard duty until jurisdiction of the case was decided. There would be a 2 person detail 24/7 with one NCIS agent and one Athenian police officer; each detail would stand a 6 hour shift. The agreement made, Tim walked away thinking about what that would do to their team. Once again, they would be shorthanded.

Pete debriefed Gibbs, thanking him for his help and then joined Tim, "Got any bright ideas?"

"Maybe. There are provisions in the regs for temporary agents."

"And?"

"Colonel Martin wanted to help. What if we deputized some of his Marines for guard duty? That way we'll be available to do our jobs and not standing guard."

"Which is also doing our jobs."

"I know Pete but two of us will be on duty here every day and two every night. How are we going to operate? We don't know how long this guy will be in the hospital."

"Hopefully no more than a day or two and then either JAG or the Greek government can take over, depending on who wins jurisdiction." He paused, "What does that do to Martin's troop readiness? "

Tim's mouth twitched and Pete leaned in. "He has 2 extra squads right now. They're deployed from Afghanistan; he pulled them in to help with the protests in case the Embassy gets involved."

"Hmm, so you're thinking that four of them can be deputized as temporary NCIS agents and stand guard duty on our prisoner until jurisdiction is decided?" Tim nodded and Pete clapped him on the shoulder, "Special Agent McGee, your creativity never ceases to amaze me. All right, you want to make the call or shall I?"

Tim huffed, "I will, Pete, I need to eat a bit of humble pie."

"Nope, you were doing your job, Agent McGee you were absolutely in the right to say what you did."

Tim shrugged. "Won't hurt to use a soft touch though, man's been an incredible help to us." Pete nodded and moved away to update Kim as Tim took out his phone and called the Colonel.

"Colonel, it's Agent McGee again. We got our guy, wanted to thank you for the use of the helo and of course Lt. Sheridan. We captured the shooter alive but wounded and now find we need some help with guard duty at the hospital. If you're still willing to help, I had an idea."

Tim listened and smiled a bit when he heard the Colonel's answer. He told the man his plan and they talked a little about the ramifications and logistics. In the end they struck a deal so that six of Martin's Marines would be sworn in as temporary agents and take over guard duty for the prisoner. Their agent status would only cover guard duty and they would report to Agents Russell and McGee or whomever they delegated to. The permanent NCIS agents would check in with the guard details every shift but barring unforeseen circumstances would not stand guard.

The prisoner would be in surgery for a few hours, the doctors estimated four, more if there was extensive work that needed to be done on the shoulder joint or the man's hands. The NCIS group headed back to the office; Gibbs rode with Pete at his request while the others rode in the van with Bec once again driving. As they watched the van drive away, Pete held up a finger to Gibbs, "Hang on a sec, need to make one more phone call, get our boy squared away." He continued, "Cross your fingers that our friends have returned to work, don't know much about the TADs."

He pressed the contact button for the CIA office phone at the Embassy and listened to it ring. Finally it was answered. "Edwards."

"Ted, am I glad to hear your voice! How are you doing? When did you get back? Is Jack back too? And yeah, we need your help."

"Been following along with the Colonel and the media coverage, Pete. Tim did good, real good! I got back late last week, Jack got here Monday. We're both on desk duty but we are officially on duty so we can do the IA bit. When do you want me?"

"Can you make it this afternoon? I'm on the way back to the office with Tim's dad."

"His dad? He was with you, he witnessed that?"

"He's an NCIS agent himself and a Marine trained sniper."

"Oh well then. Yeah, I'll grab one of the cars and be over in…say an hour?"

"Thanks man and tell Jack welcome back from all of us."

"He'll probably come with me, going crazy sitting around."

Pete hung up. "That's a relief, they'll do the interview for IA, get the paperwork done and Tim can be back in the field tomorrow."

Gibbs chuffed, "That's a lot faster than we can do at home!"

"Yeah, sometimes it pays to be on our own with no other feds around but the spooks."

"You all right with me calling the Ks to let them know it's over and everyone is all right?"

"Yeah that's fine. I'm sure Tim's called Lina, they were probably holed up in the museum all afternoon, LEOs shut just about everything down before they called us."

Gibbs called Davos who was relieved to hear from him. "The shooter is in surgery; thanks to our boy he's alive. I'll be at the office for a little bit, I was with him so I have to be formally interviewed…I'll explain some of this later."

"But Tim is fine, you are fine, Matt is fine, the rest of the team?"

"Yes, no injuries to any of us."

"And the news says no victims have died, that is good."

"Yes, a bad situation that could have been far worse."

He disconnected as they rolled into the parking lot. Pete warned him as they walked in, "Tim will be pacing out in the garden; he does that after a shooting."

Gibbs just nodded. When they walked in, the group looked up and Pete told them, "We're all right. Ted and Jack are on their way over, no talking about this until they're finished." Knowing the drill, each nodded silently. Gibbs went straight out to the garden where he spotted his son standing, looking up at the sky through the leaves of one of the shade trees. He turned when he heard the door open and nodded to his dad. "I'm ok; I just do this, need to decompress before I go back to work."

"It's a good idea. I've always gone for coffee."

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, I know."

When Gibbs reached him, he wrapped his arms around him. "You did so good out there, Timothy, so damn proud of you."

Tim sighed as he relaxed into the hug. "Thanks, you know I learned that shot from you."

"You did?"

"I don't remember the particulars of the case, but you shot the gun right out of the dirtbag's hand. I was so impressed that I taught myself how doing paintball."

"Paintball?"

"Well yeah that's how I learned to shoot better – and on the run. And a couple of my cop friends helped me too."

Gibbs felt a pang of regret knowing he had not taught Tim anything, he'd seen something he wanted to learn and went elsewhere to learn it, because his boss wouldn't have been much help and his co-workers would have mocked him. He kept his regrets to himself as this was not the time or place.

"Pete called your buddies; they're on their way over."

"They're back, that's great! Geez, I'd better go get my reports done!" He hurried back into the office and started on his reports. Gibbs followed him and then realized he'd have to do his own report and nearly swore out loud. Pete caught the look on his face and laughed, "That's what you get for offering to help. C'mon, you can use my computer."


	110. Chapter 110

Glad you like Tim and Gibbs working and just hanging out together, works for me too!

Virtual cookies go to the two guests who answered the pop culture question. Yes, Babylon 5 was the name of the show. "Jeffrey Sinclair" was the first commander of the station and the character later morphed into "Valen". "Capt. John Sheridan" replaced Sinclair in season two and was a mighty hero as he battled space baddies and had all kinds of adventures.

* * *

><p>Gibbs had fewer reports to do but Tim was still closer to being finished when Ted and Jack walked in the door. Gibbs heard the door but didn't look up and was surprised when he heard people applauding. He looked up then and saw that two men he hadn't met yet were surrounded by the NCIS staff. He nodded to himself - yep these people really took care of their own. Vance could not have picked a better team for Tim if it had been special ordered. He sent his report to the printer and walked out with it. Tim grinned at him, "Gibbs, finally you get to meet the good CIA agents!"<p>

Ted huffed, "Two _of_ the good CIA agents you mean."

"Uh yeah sure."

Smiling, Gibbs shook hands with each of them and remarked that he'd heard great things about them from Tim, Pete and Director Vance. Jack laughed, "That's all well and good, but we still have to interview you two. I know you were both in the helo, who pulled the trigger?"

Tim raised his hand, "That was me."

"Ok, Ted needs to interview you as I did the honors last time and Agent Gibbs, you're mine!"

They split into pairs, Gibbs and Jack went into Interrogation while Ted and Tim went outside to the garden. The two in the role of IA took a few minutes to read the corresponding reports and then questioned McGee and Gibbs. All was in good order and they were soon satisfied, signed the reports and Kim faxed them to DC. In the meantime Pete called Dr. Agnos' office and made an evening appointment for his senior. With the preliminary incident reports done, the interviews conducted and Tim's psych eval scheduled for that evening, all they needed was the medical report. That came through while Tim was meeting with Dr. Agnos. Sinclair was out of surgery and expected to make a full recovery. Kim peeled the report off the fax machine, took a quick look at it to make sure the shooter was still alive, slapped a new cover letter on it and sent it to Washington. After that she gave Pete a copy. Gibbs was amused, she obviously was not going to waste any time getting Tim back out into the field.

He'd talked with the Kalivas' again after the two CIA agents were done; telling them he was going to wait for Tim to finish everything he needed to do to wrap up the case. Hélène announced she was cooking dinner and that they'd already called Damian but they didn't have Geordie's number. When Tim and Gibbs came home, they were to bring Matt and Bec with them.

When Matt heard that he laughed and pointed at Bec, "No way you're getting out of this!"

She shrugged, "They're not _my_ in-laws. Gibbs and the grands are…uh…I'll call Geordie."

Gibbs' eyebrows hit his forehead and he looked at Matt who had a mischievous look in his eyes. The two men grinned at each other, acknowledging that that had been a comment worthy of teasing, but not here. Gibbs turned, smelling coffee brewing and headed for the kitchen where he found Pete waiting for him. "Ah ha, thought that would work. Heard all that, just wanted to warn you, Bec is nearly as private a person as Tim is."

Gibbs nodded, "Ok, thanks for letting me know; I sure don't want to say anything out of line."

Pete opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he heard the front door closing. He poked his head out into the bullpen, "Special Agent McGee, sitrep!"

"Special Agent Russell, I'm cleared for the field, signed, sealed and delivered."

He'd already handed Kim the form and she was on her way to the fax machine. Tim looked at Pete, "How is he?"

"Out of surgery and expected to make a full recovery. And JAG is coming in on the early flight in the morning so hopefully they'll hammer out jurisdiction by end of day tomorrow."

"They coming here?"

"No, the Deputy Chief and I are meeting them at the airport and taking them to his office."

"So you'll be out all morning."

Pete nodded, "Likely. The office is yours! I'll have my gear if you need me."

Tim nodded and Pete continued, "What's your gut on this?"

Tim took a couple of seconds to consider. "Should be ours but JAG will probably cede as a gesture of good will. American sailor shooting Greek citizens and then whisked away by a bunch of government lawyers wouldn't go over so well and it'd make the Greek government look bad. They've got enough trouble as it is. Willing to bet State's already talked to JAG."

He paused, "We get lab results yet?"

He looked at the two junior agents and Bec pounced on her phone first, "Checking with Sgt. Christopoulos."

Then she stopped and made a face as she saw Matt talking with Kim, "Or we could check with our own office manager."

When she saw Kim shaking her head, Bec picked up the phone again and called the Sergeant in charge of evidence at the Athens Police Department. There was a bit of a discussion but Bec looked satisfied when she hung up. "Lab didn't copy us, thought it was Athens' case. The sergeant is sending us a copy of the preliminary report now."

Kim disappeared to the fax machine while Pete explained to Gibbs that the agents were strongly encouraged to stay away from it. Gibbs nodded, "I'm not allowed near ours either. Don't know why, I've never done anything to it."

Tim tried not to roll his eyes as he said, "The people in charge of the office machinery have seen you with cell phones; that was enough to ban you from the fax and copier."

"Cell phones, yeah, they never seem to work right for very long. I'm ok with my laptop though, Tim – and the TV."

"Have you done anything on the laptop other than what Jimmy and I wrote out for you?"

"No, you guys covered everything I needed."

"How about the TV?"

"Nope, Emily and Jimmy wrote down all the channels I watch and how to change to them."

Behind him Tim heard Matt start to say something about Emily's age, remembering some of Tim's stories, but Tim waved his arm behind him and Matt took the hint. Kim came back with the multi-page lab report and gave it to Tim. "Here you go."

"Thank you Kim…now let's see. Ok rifle is matched for several of the victims….huh, and the handgun accounts for the rest." He looked up, "Sinclair has a lot of explaining to do." He continued, "Lab shows the pills we took off of him are…prescription allergy pills. They're testing each one to make sure it's what it is supposed to be, won't be completed until tomorrow morning."

"Blood tests?"

"Clean, no drugs other than the allergy stuff and his alcohol level is almost nil."

"So he just decided to shoot people today."

Tim looked at Pete and then at Kim, "Did we get that contact?"

"Yes, his CO. He's in Hawaii and knows he'll be interviewed."

Tim nodded, "Gonna do that before we stop for the night. Maybe he has some insight….Kim, is Sinclair stationed at Pearl?"

"No, his ship is docked there for some repairs."

"Repairs…and this guy is a machinist mate. Huh…well, let's see what the CO says."

Tim took the information from Kim and disappeared into Observation to make the call. Pete released Tea and Eva for the night. Kim waited until Tim was through with his call. "Anyone need me for anything else?"

"No, thanks Kim, phenomenal job today! We're going to wrap up here pretty quick." Tim sat at his desk, drumming a pencil, thinking. Finally he spoke, "There's nothing in his history; his CO says he's generally easy going, good worker, seemed to like the Navy and what he does."

"No previous history of sniping at innocent bystanders…or anyone?"

"Nope, none of that and no fights. The only thing that stands out is that he was recently working on repairing some of the machinery and hit his head; Doc had him in sickbay with a concussion. They're sending the medical reports to JAG."

"Good work Timotheos! Now, you need to take your sniper dad and your future in-laws and go home! Relax, eat hearty, have a glass of wine or two, kiss your fiancée, have a swim!"

Tim opened his mouth to say something but Pete beat him to it, "That's an order…make it so!"

Tim gave him a mock salute, "Aye Captain!"

Matt and Bec retrieved their go bags and then the four of them rode up the hill. Damian's car was parked to the side in the driveway and Tim was very happy to see Lina's car tucked away in the garage. When they walked in the house, Lina was there, she greeted each of them, wrapping her arms around Tim. Gibbs smiled as he saw his kid's shoulders finally relax. He was suddenly very tired and very hungry. Something smelled delicious and after Hélène made sure her sons-in-law, Bec and Gibbs were all right, they had mezes and drinks. Damian had picked Geordie up at the Embassy and now he was pouring the wine and fetching the beer. After a delicious chicken dinner, Geordie and Damian took care of the dishes and then Lina announced they all needed to go for a swim. Gibbs didn't particularly feel like it but figured he'd better set an example…and it just might help him relax. Nobody stayed too late; they were down to Tim, Lina and Gibbs by 2300.

Gibbs managed to have a private talk with Davos and Hélène and was encouraged to hear they had sent the photos and their opinions to the rest of the conspirators, telling them where Jethro was. They reported that Penny, Ducky and Maisie all liked the third house and asked if they could go back and do a video walk through. They'd also let them know when Tim and Jethro were out of danger. Gibbs was tired, exhausted really. He hadn't worked since the day his knee was wrecked and as glad as he was to help, it had taken more out of him than he thought possible. He and Davos were supposed to go out fishing on Norm's boat tomorrow; he was sure he'd be fine in the morning.

Thursday morning when he woke up, he could tell he'd overdone things the day before. He would probably have been fine looking at houses or helping out on the case, but both had been too much and he hadn't thought to wear his brace. His knee was achy and he was tired. He pulled himself up and looked at his knee, yep it was swollen. Not bad but not as good as it had been yesterday morning. He put his brace on, grabbed his cane and hobbled into the kitchen. The smart thing would be to postpone this boat trip for another day, but Davos and Hélène were only here for a couple more days. Tim was in the kitchen cooking eggs, bacon and toast. He looked up and smiled, "Comfort food."

Gibbs nodded, "Got it, believe me."

Tim looked at him again, "No boat today, Norm called – he's got an interview at a college in Thessaloniki this afternoon so he's at the airport now, on standby for an early flight. And Dad, your knee is swollen!"

"Yeah, guess I overdid it yesterday. I walked farther yesterday morning and then I was walking around with Lina's folks and then the op, guess it was too much."

Tim turned the burner off. "Let's get you sitting down, elevate your knee and get a cold pack on it."

He helped Gibbs into the recliner and tucked a couple of pillows under his knee. "Yeah, that feels better. Well, I'm glad for Norm and tell you the truth a little relieved about the boat."

Tim kissed the top of his head, "You don't mind staying home today then? Scratch that, you don't need to be on that leg at all. I'll be right back with your coffee."

Gibbs had a few sips and started to feel a little better. "I won't stay off it completely; I need to keep moving. I won't go for a walk but I will swim, how's that? I'll wait for Davos and Hélène though…are they coming over?"

Tim replied from the kitchen as he dished up their breakfast. He made a sandwich for Lina and wrapped it up as she was still upstairs. "Yes, I spoke with them right before you got up, they'll be over about 9. Listen if you're going to work in the shed today, do it sitting down, ok? And elevate that knee some more. Grandfa will be very unhappy with both of us if we've done anything bad to it."

"_We_ didn't, Tim, it was all me and it's achy tired, not really hurting; I'm sure it'll be fine with a day of rest."

"Promise to take a pain pill?"

"Make it an aspirin or two and yeah, I'll promise."

Tim nodded and they shook on it, laughing at each other. Tim brought Gibbs' breakfast in on a tray. "Lina's running late so she said not to wait for her."

Tim sat on the couch, his plate on his lap and they ate in companionable silence. Lina finally ran downstairs and grabbed the egg and bacon sandwich Tim made for her. "I'm sorry, I'm so late, have to run." She kissed Gibbs on the cheek, gave Tim a lingering kiss and then flew out the door. Gibbs looked at Tim who gave him a cocky little smile while the tips of his ears turned bright red.

Gibbs laughed and patted his kid on the back. "Nothing like the comforts of home, son."

Tim nodded, "Makes all the difference in the world." He paused, "When we were in Afghanistan, lying there waiting for Malachi, Bec reminded the three of us, even though Pete and Matt were unconscious, that we had someone at home waiting."

"As did she."

Tim shook his head, "She didn't meet Geordie until he showed up at the hospital in Israel."

"Pete said they're very private."

"Yeah, we don't tease them too much." He chuckled, "Not like Lina and me or Sarah and James or Damian and Matt, we were all clearly connected very quickly."

"So…the family scuttlebutt says that Penny thinks Sarah and James will marry next year."

Tim nodded. "Oh yeah, no doubt about it. Lina and Sarah have some sort of agreement that our wedding comes first."

"Huh."

Tim huffed. "Not sure how that happened or why but they talk all the time, they're friendly, so I'm not worried about it."

"Maybe Lina wanted to make sure that for once you'll let yourself be in the spotlight and not sacrifice it for Sarah."

Tim looked at his dad who just smiled at him. "Yeah, I could see her doing that and she's right if that's it. Lina's my partner, she's my priority now. The kids are grown and doing fine on their own."

"Rob too?"

"Yeah, much better, loves London now. Of course he's so busy he's not seeing much beyond school and work, but he's happy and thriving and that's all I can ask."

He rose and took the tray with their dishes to the kitchen. He poured his dad another mug full of coffee, poured the rest of the pot into a thermos and brought it to him along with the bottle of ibuprofen and a bottle of water.

"Let's see…what else…oh, here's the remote for the TV and here is your new book."

"Don't suppose _you_ have a new book?"

"How about I show it to you tonight? I really can't let anyone besides you and Lina see it."

"Huh, yeah, tonight's fine."

"All right, Damian gave Davos his key to the house, this house I mean, so don't shoot them when they come in."

"Won't, I like them."

"That's good, I do too!" Tim laughed, "Look at this huge family we have now!"

Gibb laughed with him, "You did it all you know!"

Tim thought, "Guess I did, how about that! All right, I gotta scoot. Take it easy and I'll see you tonight…maybe a little early if things are quiet, I'll come home before class."

"You can do that?"

"Sure, why not? As Pete says, "No traveling and no alcohol until quittin' time", but yeah, when we've had a tough day like yesterday – and I mean the whole staff - it's good for morale."

Gibbs shook his head, "I've seen how hard everyone works, so that's great! Guess it wouldn't look too great at HQ though."

"Well, with traffic and geography there it would take too long to get agents to crime scenes or out to talk with witnesses. With the exception of Matt and Tea, who are still closer than I was in Silver Spring, we all live locally. And that reminds me that Matt will be in a little late. Last night he volunteered to check on the guard detail. He went to the hospital after he left here last night and he's checking again this morning. He thought it was important since we have the Marines doing our work for us."

"That's good, I like the way he and Bec respond to things, good agents both of them; you're doing a great job training them!"

"Yeah they are and thanks! Have to give credit to Carla and Bec's original office though; they got good strong foundations for us to build on."

"Pete has you take the lead a lot?"

"Yeah, he wants me trained as Team Lead before he retires. Whether I take his place or move somewhere else."

"And Vance knows that?"

Tim laughed, "I think Vance started it! Those two embarrass me sometimes; you'd think I was the greatest thing since sliced bread the way they plot and plan."

Gibbs grimaced, "Making up for lost time Tim; that should have been me plotting and planning for your advancement."

"Maybe but other things happened and that's water under the bridge Poppy." Gibbs sighed and pulled Tim close for a hug.

Tim turned his head so he could be heard, "Hey, I'm alive, thriving, happier than I've ever been in my life and you're here with me, we're doing great!"

Gibbs' reply was muffled and he hugged Tim a little closer. Eventually they parted and Tim smiled, "Try to take it easy today, ok? You're tired and I know you were worried about us yesterday. And whatever you've got going with the Ks…" He laughed as he saw the blank expression, "Hello, trained investigator! Worked with you for 10 years, I think I know when you're up to something. It's ok, I won't pry, I'm sure it'll be a wonderful surprise whatever it is."

Gibbs shook his head, "Should have known better!"

"Yep; anyway whatever you've got going, maybe you could just take it easy today?"

Gibbs hmphed, "Think I'm going to have to, they want to go to that island tomorrow…where the wedding is going to be… Aegina, is that right?"

"Yes and you will need to walk from the ferry into the town there or to the shore - and the beach is sandy not just rocky. Tell you what, we still have Matt's wheelchair, why don't you three take it with you, then if you need it it's there and if you don't, you can put all your stuff into it and push it."

Gibbs sighed, "Yeah makes sense and I don't want to do anything wrong now!"

"All right, I better get going. Call me if you need anything, if I don't answer you can always call the main number and Tea will help you." Gibbs smiled at his thoughtful son, kissing him before he left.


	111. Chapter 111

FH, CH 111

Thursday flew by as Gibbs and his Grecian fellow conspirators met with Evander for a second viewing of the house they all liked. This time they were going to film each room with Gibbs' phone. Evander bit back a laugh when it soon became evident that none of the three had a clue how to do that so he offered to do it for them. That way, he said, they could all be in the video pointing out various things in the house.

Gibbs didn't even think of attempting the stairs today; in fact he was rolling through the empty house in Matt's wheelchair. He did the narration for the walk-through of the downstairs bedroom suite and demonstrated how easily the chair fit. He also added that he'd overdone it yesterday and the chair was just a precaution as he was supposed to be taking it easy and resting his knee at home. When they finished with the video, Evander presented them with the documents they'd need to make an offer; he'd faxed the same forms to Penny earlier.

When they got home, they looked at the papers and the clock. It was only 10:30, far too early to contact their co-conspirators across the Atlantic. They had a snack with coffee and then Hélène resolutely set to work on another wedding task while the men headed out to the shed. They worked on the armoire for three hours before they decided to break for lunch. The armoire was almost to the stage where they'd need to stop so that Tim could work on it.

After lunch, which was eaten outside, the trio went for a swim and spent the afternoon in the pool, swimming and floating, talking about their hopes for their kids as well as their travel plans. The Kalivas' were leaving the following week for their trip to the UK and they were very excited about it.

James and the McGee siblings were meeting them at the airport and would go with them to their hotel. They'd have a meal together and do some sightseeing around London. At some point, they planned on taking the same on-and-off bus tour that Tim and James had done. They had a list of the things they wanted to see and there was also an escorted tour of the city of London, they might do that first and then go back to spend more time at certain places. On Saturday, James and Rob would go with them to see Stonehenge and the cathedral at Salisbury. Before they left on the multiple days day bus tour, there would be additional day trips in and around London; they still hadn't decided on the Cornwall tour. Rob would be with them again one other day and Hélène smiled, "He says he is coming with us as a fellow tourist as he has been so busy with work and school to see much."

Gibbs nodded, "That's good, Tim will be very happy to hear that! He and Ducky worry about Rob working too much."

Hélène smiled, "Then I will have to give him some motherly care while we are there."

She touched Gibbs' arm, "Tell me, when did he lose his parents? I know when Tim and Sarah's father and brother died and Geordie's father, but not about Rob."

"I don't think his father was ever part of the picture; I've never heard anyone say anything about Rob's father – other than Tim having raised him of course. As for his mother, I don't think any of them know if she's alive or dead. I tried to find out last year when I was investigating the McGees' deaths…you know about that?" They nodded. "I had a theory that their stepmother had also had Rob's mother killed, but I couldn't prove it. She left them when Tim was hurt, let's see, he was 12, so Rob would have been 5."

"When Tim was hurt?"

"Hmm, maybe you should ask Lina or Tim about that, I didn't realize you didn't know. Anyway, Rob's mother, Ellen Brill, had been around most of the time until then, although Tim took care of the kids. After that she disappeared. But from what I learned at the shelter and from Tim, she was not much of a mother to her son. When Tim first found him, he was just two and was running into a busy street, running after his mother."

"And Tim stopped him?"

"Yes, he handed Sarah to Geordie and caught Rob just in time. When they took him back to the camp with them, his mother was there; Tim told me she hadn't even noticed little Rob wasn't with her."

"Oh that poor boy!"

Gibbs shrugged, "Geordie's the only one that remembers his mother. Tim wasn't even two when his mother Lily died and Sarah was conceived from Lily's frozen eggs and their father's sperm. The stepmother was her gestational host…grew her in her womb, but she was never any sort of mother to them."

"And now they have grandmothers, aunts and me!"

Gibbs smiled, "Yes they do and we're lucky, all of us, to have them in our lives." The conversation drifted back to their travel plans and eventually to the trip to DC in the spring. "When we come, we'd like to visit the shelter and camp where they lived."

Gibbs nodded, "I'll take you; I do some work there now and then."

Davos' eyes lit up, "Carpentry?"

"Yes, place like that, the shelter I mean, there's always something that needs fixing."

"I should like to do something while I'm there."

"We'll plan on it then."

From there the conversation meandered over to possible retirement plans for Gibbs. He laughed, "I guess I have to go back to work first!" He paused, "Retirement will probably be next year, but could be the year after. My boss has some alternate ideas for me once I quit the field. But…I'd like to be able to travel over here to see the kids, stay in our house, and I'd also like to be able to visit Tony wherever he ends up."

"We have not yet met Tony."

"Oh, that's right; he was in Spain while they were recovering. Did you meet Maggie?"

"Yes."

"She's on my team - Tim's equivalent. She's been a Senior for longer though, four years and will be getting her own team in the next few months. She and Tony are dating even though they live on opposite sides of the country. My boss has told me Tony will probably also be promoted in the next year or so and I imagine he'll try and get a posting closer to Maggie."

"You think they will marry?"

Gibbs thought for a minute. "If Tony hasn't scared himself off by now, I think there's a good possibility of them marrying. This is his first serious relationship in a decade and he's in his 40's now."

"And do you approve of the match?"

"Oh yeah, I haven't seen them together since they first met, but Maggie's great and she's happy; Tony's happy, happier than I've ever seen him."

"That is good; you have your children's futures in your head."

"For my boys. I also have two young women I consider my daughters."

"The one who was Mossad?"

"Yes, Ziva. She's in the Israeli Diplomatic Corp now; I hope she'll contact one of us again someday."

"And the other?"

"Abby - the one who is in prison for her actions against Tim."

From the looks on their faces, they hadn't heard about this. "Hmm boy, I've put my foot in it! I might as well tell you the story and make my apologies to Tim and Lina."

He told them a little about Abby and Tim through the years and what she'd done the previous year.

"And she is still in prison?"

"Yes, a federal prison, she has another two and a half years to go. Ducky and I are in touch with her brothers and she is responding well to therapy and drug treatment but they say she's still confused."

"How does Tim feel about this?"

"Mostly sad now. At the time, he was hurt and angry…there were a lot of problems between us and he was reluctant to talk about it with me. I think he was afraid I would take Abby's side. Thank God he had Ducky to help him."

"Do you talk about it now?"

Gibbs nodded, "Sometimes. Enough so each of us knows it's ok to say her name, to talk about her and what happened."

Davos patted his arm, "That is good. He is a good man, you should be proud!"

"I am, incredibly proud except I can't say I helped. He mostly learned what not to do from me."

"Not anymore, he is proud of you too. Even when we first met him he referred to you as his dad, and with pride."

Gibbs blinked his eyes, "He's a wonder, that one. Have you two met the Deputy Chief of Police of Athens?" They shook their heads, puzzled at his apparent change of subject. "Maybe he'll be at the Flying Pig tonight after class. You should hear him talk about Tim and our team, he's a big fan!"

"Oh, that would be most interesting!"

Gibbs laughed at Davos, "I think you should have been a cop!"

"Hmm maybe, I would have been a good one!"

"I'm sure."

Hélène huffed, "It is bad enough worrying about our sons-in-law, but to have you in danger as well? That would not have made me happy!"

They laughed and resumed their floating in the pool. When they heard a voice calling out to them from the house they were surprised. It was Tim, home early. Luckily they had tucked the house documents away in Gibbs' room so there was nothing to show what they'd been up to. Tim laughed when he saw them; his dad and in-laws floating in the pool. From the number of bottles and glasses on the table, they'd been out here for quite a while. "Hello everyone! Have you had a nice day?"

Hélène spoke for all of them, "Yes, Timotheos, we have been playing in the pool for a great deal of it. And how was your day, calm I hope?"

"Yes, blessedly calm! We worked on our reports all day."

"You have that many again?"

"Yeah, we probably spend more time writing reports than we do catching bad guys."

Gibbs snorted, "No probably about it. So, can you tell us?"

"Yeah, it's official. JAG gave it away."

Gibbs nodded while Davos and Hélène looked puzzled.

"JAG is the legal entity from the U.S. that was working with the Greek government to decide whether Sinclair should be tried here or in the U.S. and the decision was for him to stay here and stand trial."

"Ah, that is good, makes the government look better, yes?"

Tim just smiled and deliberately did not look at his dad.

XXX

George's eyes widened almost comically when the crowd walked in toward the end of class that night. In addition to the usual four there was a couple he thought must be Lina's parents and of course Timothy's proud papa. He noticed Matt and Tim deliberately avoiding the mirror and he helped by keeping them turned as he worked with them. Kim and Bec had recently requested that they not be taught anything new until their colleagues caught up with them so they were practicing and defending with each other while George worked with the men. When the bell chimed, they bowed to George, he bowed to them and then they bowed to each other. Tim proudly introduced the Kalivas' and George grinned, "I have been waiting to meet Lina's parents, Timothy's in-laws. I believe I have met everyone else in Timothy's family, papa, grandfather, two grandmothers, sister, brothers, even the boyfriend of his sister, brother-in-law, but not Melina's papa and mama. It is a great honor!"

Gibbs chuckled, "You still have a few people to meet. His godparents, aunt, uncle and cousins."

Tim called out, "And Tony!"

"Of course and Tony."

George thought for a moment, turned to Kim and asked her a question in Greek. She nodded and he turned back, "No, I have met Tony, Maggie and another young man, before Josh, one time when the team was away on business."

Kim smiled, "They wanted to see what we do so they came with me."

George nodded, "Now, are you all going to the pub?" They nodded. "Good, my brother will be there of course, he wants to meet the parents of Melina and he wants to brag some more about your team."

The group headed out to the Flying Pig where they were warmly greeted. Lists were handed out to all the regulars, now including Gibbs. Tim sat at the large table looking around; this wasn't even their whole group. He looked at Kim and Matt, "Do you remember bringing me here my first night? It was just the three of us!" They nodded and drank a toast to the group. Gibbs was once again glad to see the camaraderie and then realized that this was Tim's doing. When Pete retired, the others, Tea and Eva, would join, but Tim already had things well in hand. Over the past year, hearing about the Russells' parties he'd had a wandering thought or two about what would happen when the leadership was Tim's. Now he saw that it would be fine, they might migrate to Tim and Lina's home on a weekend instead of the pub during the week, but he was already leading the group. And he reckoned Pete was very comfortable with it.

Friday, Tim examined Gibbs' knee; it looked much better but the wheelchair would still go to the island with the trio. Tim also put the boogie board out, telling his dad how good it felt to be so buoyant on the waves. After the kids left for work, Gibbs got the slow cooker out and found the recipe book he'd spotted the other day. He found frozen chicken and put that along with the other ingredients into the cooker. It was about time he started doing something to help during his visit! After that was done he took a look at his e-mail. He let out a yell when he saw that the others wanted to put in a bid to buy the house, if the Kalivas' and Gibbs agreed. When the Kalivas' arrived the trio sent one e-mail that had a big "YES" with each of their names. Evander had warned them to make sure they erased any history and e-mails, sent and received, from the laptop and had written directions for them, so before they left for the island they did that again. They made a quick stop at Evander's office to sign some papers; he'd said if the three of them could sign then the Powers That Be would accept the faxed signatures of the others and start the process today rather than waiting until the original signed documents arrived in the mail.

Papers signed, they caught the next ferry and were on Aegina by noon. Hélène wanted to see the chapel and the hotel before they did anything else, so they caught a taxi to the Hotel Danae. The event coordinator met with them and made sure they had everything planned correctly for the reception. Having seen the Dance Lessons DVD, Davos wanted to make sure there was enough room on the terrace. While they did that, Gibbs met with the restaurant manager to ensure that the rehearsal dinner was all set. That was something different, Gibbs wasn't sure a traditional Greek wedding usually included a rehearsal dinner, but he wanted to pull all of the family together before the wedding. The family from the U.S. and UK were arriving early in the week before the wedding but he didn't know when Lina's other siblings and their families, aunts and uncles would be arriving. However, they would all be there by Friday night so that's when they'd gather.

Hélène came and got him so they could see what the cake would look – and taste - like and then they were shown some of the rooms and the pool. They took the hotel shuttle up to the chapel and then since there was no one else needing a ride, the shuttle driver took them from the chapel straight to town. The wheelchair was stashed at the dock; Davos went to fetch that while the other two decided where to eat lunch and celebrate their new house and the upcoming wedding. Gibbs realized that some of the hotel rooms reserved in Piraeus for the first and last night of the charter jet passengers' journey could be canceled, but he decided that should wait until they actually had the keys to the house and furniture in it.

He mentioned furniture to Davos and the man laughed. "Please, we own furniture stores, we will furnish the house! Beds, bureaus, chairs, sofas, kitchen table, linens, kitchen things…the appliances are staying, remember. Hélène has excellent taste, she will pick everything out and it will be delivered before all of you arrive for the wedding."

Hélène's eyes twinkled, "Do not worry, Jethro! Penny, Maisie and I have already agreed on what we want: nothing fussy, nice looking, comfortable and sturdy, easy to get in and out of, and queen size beds for every room. If you have anything in particular you want, please let me know!"

Gibbs gave her an almost shy smile, "May I please not have flowers or all brown for a bed covering or curtains?"

"What colors would you like?"

"Blues and greens. Nothing too bright but not all dark or beige either."

"Good! Do you like the colors of the sea?" He smiled and nodded. "We have some lovely blues and greens that I believe you will like."

"And the table?"

"Ah, I wish we had time to make one, right my friend? But we'll be busy enough with our other project! The table will come from the store."

Hélène smiled, "I think that is such a wonderful idea, the two of you making a crib, each working in his own country. "

Gibbs smiled, "I wish I had time to get my part done between now and the wedding; then it could come over on the charter flight."

Davos thought, "And you could store it at the house…our house. Could you have the rough cuts done and do the fine work here later?"

"Maybe." Gibbs thought about what he'd need to do. "Probably, once we agree on what type of wood we want. I can order it once I get home and get to work. Might get my friend Tobias to help me." He continued musing aloud. "I won't be back on desk duty for another two weeks after I get home. If I can get Tobias to help me with the lumber and the rough cuts, I could do enough to bring it with me on the charter. But we'll have to swear everyone to secrecy."

"And when will you go back to Field duty?"

Gibbs tilted his head, "Not sure. It might not be until after we get back from the wedding and to be honest, maybe not at all."

"Then you will start those other jobs you were mentioning, that your Director has in mind for you?"

"Yes. Tim doesn't know any of this by the way, so please don't mention it to him. He's taking some time off next week and I'll talk with him about it then."

They agreed and went back to talking about the house. When they finished lunch, they headed for the beach and spent an enjoyable few hours on the sand and in the water. All three of them tried Tim's boogie board but Gibbs spent the most time on it. Tim was right; it felt great to be so buoyant.

They returned to Piraeus fairly early as this was the Kalivas' last night and they were taking Damian and Matt out to dinner. When they brought Gibbs home, they packed up what they'd left, leaving the tools. They said a heartfelt goodbye; glad they would see each other in a couple of months and then headed back to Athens.

Gibbs was tired but restless, so he finished the pre-Tim work on the armoire and got things set up for the two of them to work on it. Then he had a shower and decided he might have another swim later. He wondered if there had been any further activity on the house purchase and logged onto his e-mail. He was happy to see that the offer had been accepted. As they were paying cash, escrow would be very short, just long enough to confirm legal status, that there were no liens against the title and of course for the money to reach the bank here in Piraeus. Evander told them they could take possession of the house the following Thursday. That was perfect, his flight home was a few days after that so he could get the key from Evander, make a copy for the Kalivas' and mail it to them. He'd make copies for everyone else when he got home.

The next thing was to plan how to tell the kids and for this they wanted all of them: Tim, Lina, Damian, Geordie, Sarah and Rob along with their significant others. They'd also need to make and post some house rules, especially in regards to the condition of the house before and after someone stayed there. But that part could come later.

Checking the time he thought it was early enough that Damian wouldn't be home yet, so he called Hélène and Davos to get their mailing address. Hélène thought for a moment, "I'm having our mail sent to a private mail box while we're away; I've already got it set up, let me find the address." She spelled everything out for Jethro and he read it back to her, thinking he'd get the key, get a copy made and ask for Evander's help in mailing the Ks' key to them.

Hélène also said they'd talked a little bit more about telling the children and they wondered if they could have a Skype chat while they were in London; her thought was that they could visit Sarah and James' flat, perhaps the day Rob would be sightseeing with them and have the call then – that would be the next Friday. Gibbs mentioned that James and Sarah were sharing the flat and that Tim believed they'd be announcing their engagement after the Kalivas-McGee wedding. He told Hélène about the agreement between Lina and Sarah.

She chuckled, "Ah, now that's interesting!"

Gibbs agreed to write a group e-mail with the idea for the video chat and when to have it, mentioning that Hélène and Davos would be sightseeing with Rob that day, so it should be fairly easy to arrange to get the three of them to Sarah and James' flat. He wrote and sent it as soon as he was off the phone as it was getting late and he didn't want to get caught by Tim or Lina.

Gibbs was going for a nap when his phone chimed with a call, this time it was Evander. "Gibbs, I wanted to know whether I should mail all the keys to one place, except for the Kalivas' of course, or to each individual's address?" Gibbs explained the plan and the younger man chuckled, "I will make keys for all of you and you can take the others' home with you. I'll mail the Kalivas' key, you can give me the address when you come in for the others."

"Might be easier if you just make me the one key and I'll make the rest when I get home, only takes a few minutes and it's not expensive, I don't mind!"

"Very well, if you don't mind, that does make more sense. Now, I had one further thought. None of you will be back until November, correct?"

Gibbs explained the Kalivas' would be furnishing the house sometime in October. "Ah, that's good to know. What I will do until then is keep an eye on it for you. There should be no problems, there hasn't been in all the time the house has been for sale, but I will keep an eye on it anyway."

"That's great, over and above, thank you!"

"I will text you when the keys are available."

"Thanks Evander, you've been a big help with this!"

"I have been happy to help; this has been a lot of fun!"


	112. Chapter 112

A/ N: Surprise, a two chapter day, although this one has not been beta'd. As I'm going to be busy this week with Thanksgiving here in the U.S., I decided to post two chapters and you can read them at your leisure. Happy Thanksgiving to readers in the U.S. and Americans elsewhere in the world! As always, I love to hear from you!

Also there's a certain reader in Canada who's slowly coming to believe in this version of Gibbs…I believe this chapter has what you've been waiting for.

* * *

><p>After Gibbs disconnected the call he finally laid down for a nap. However, as tired as he was he couldn't sleep; his mind was whirling with everything going on. He was just drifting off to sleep when he heard the garage door opening. It was Tim; he could hear that the car was entering the left hand spot in the garage. He scrubbed his face with his hands and got up, meeting his son in the hallway. "Oops, did I wake you up?"<p>

"Hi son, no; I've been trying for a nap but I just can't seem to get there."

"Oh, yeah, hate that! Did you have fun with Davos and Hélène?"

Gibbs chuckled, "Yeah, we had a great time; I'll wait until Lina gets home to tell you all the details!"

Tim gave him a hug and then sniffed the air, "I smell something wonderful!"

"Good! I put some chicken in the slow cooker before we left this morning, used one of your recipes."

"Excellent, thank you!"

"Thought I'd make some couscous too."

"Ok, now you're really impressing me. Next you'll do something really wild and mention a vegetable!"

"Well, yeah, there's the veggies in with the chicken, thought that would be enough."

Tim grinned at him as he opened the fridge, "Hmm, that bottle of wine wasn't there this morning!"

"No, had Davos stop on the way home from the ferry."

"And I see a tray of Mezes that used to be in the freezer. Yum, this is going to be a great dinner…is there a special occasion?"

Gibbs grinned, "It's Friday, you two have worked hard all week, you're not on call this weekend and I wanted to pitch in."

He got a grin in return, "Works for me!"

Lina walked in minutes later and they relaxed outside with glasses of chilled white wine, ice cold beer and the Mezes while Gibbs told them about their day on Aegina. He'd taken pictures on his phone but now realized he couldn't show them as he still had house photos and the video on there too. And he didn't know how to move those. If he were at home he could ask Jimmy but here…hmm, they were going to the Russells' tomorrow, maybe one of the kids could help him. Or…the Kalivas' had taken photos today too, he could text them and ask them to e-mail them to the kids.

He filled them in on what they'd done on the island. "After we saw the hotel and chapel, we had lunch in town and then went to the beach. I love that boogie board! And I'm glad we had the wheelchair. I was pretty tired by the time we were ready to come home, so I sat and Davos wheeled me over to the pier. Felt like I was 100 years old but my knee is back to where it was Wednesday morning."

"Great! Sounds like a fun day. And they're off home in the morning, that's a long drive."

"Yeah, they're taking Damian and Matt out to dinner tonight."

Lina chuckled, "Last time they were here, they had dinner with us…I mean besides the party at the Russells – so I suggested they might want to make sure Damian and Matt aren't left out."

"They're great people, I really like them."

"Good! I'm so pleased you've become friends! Matt and Damian are still a little nervous around them. For years now, up until this past Easter, Damian has not allowed himself to be open with our parents. They didn't know anything about Matt. Then my parents went to visit my uncle, my father's youngest sibling Ariston who lives in Macedonia and that opened my father's eyes and made him see how much he'd shut Damian out."

"Your uncle is gay - or bi?"

"Yes…" Lina told Gibbs the story of Ariston and the invitation to Davos and Hélène and how much had changed. "Ripples in the water, Poppy. Uncle Ariston threw a pebble into the water and the ripples are still moving outward."

"Wow!"

"Yes, you'll meet Ariston and his partner, Paolo, at the wedding. I haven't met Paolo yet and Tim hasn't met either of them."

Lina told them more about her family's history as they moved inside for their dinner, declared to be a delicious success. Gibbs admitted he was relieved, he'd followed Tim's recipe but other than steak and potatoes and his grilling skills he wasn't much of a cook. It was late by the time they finished and he was too tired to swim again. Besides, he wanted to check his e-mail, so he begged off a late night swim and went on to bed. He texted Davos and told him why he couldn't show his photos and got a message back saying they were sending their beach photos to Lina and that if he looked on his phone he should have a way to e-mail photos. He shook his head, he wasn't going to risk killing his cell phone without a backup; he'd wait until he got home and could safely ask one of the kids. He snorted at himself, what a dinosaur…what had Tim called him once…oh yeah a brontosaurus. In the meantime, he found an e-mail from Evander congratulating them all again and telling them about the plan for the keys and a reply from the rest of the gang with lots of little animated doodads jumping and whooping and throwing confetti…even a doodad that looked like fireworks.

Saturday morning he was up early and having a quiet cup of coffee when he heard Tim on the stairs. He was pretty bleary eyed but his eyes opened wide when his dad carefully placed a full mug of coffee in his outstretched hand. "Mmm, you're a good daddy, thanks!"

"Going for a run?"

"Thought I'd go with you on your walk."

"Great!" Gibbs peeled a banana and split it half, handing half to Tim who was looking at him with wide eyes.

"Fruit?"

"You've seen me eating fruit before! Usually it's an apple but I eat bananas and oranges too." He paused, "When its time for smoothies this morning, I'd like one if there's enough."

"Huh?"

"Made myself one the other day and loved it, kept me full longer than eggs. "

Tim looked at him, one eyebrow hooked, "Our smoothies have green stuff and protein powder in them."

"Yep, kale…I added it and the protein powder too. Couldn't even taste it."

"Wow, I just…wow Dad, I'm proud of you!"

"Thanks kiddo!"

"Is this for public knowledge?"

Gibbs pretended to think and then laughed, "Sure, I don't care…would love to be around when you tell DiNozzo!"

"Oh yeah, can't wait to tell him…tell you what, I'll get on Skype with him and you can walk in just in time, how's that?"

"Sounds like fun!" They ate their bananas, put their shoes on, Gibbs got his cane and off they went up the hill. The elderly man was about to pass the house as they reached the end of the driveway and Tim called out a good morning to him, calling him by name. The man stopped and nodded to them both and Gibbs wished him a good morning. The man smiled, "So you are Tim's papa? Welcome to Greece and to Piraeus!"

Gibbs chuckled, the man spoke perfect English. "Thank you, it's beautiful here and I'm really enjoying my stay."

The man, Mr. Ladas smiled at him for the first time, "That's good and I see you have made friends with Timotheos' in-laws; very smart!"

Gibbs nodded, "They're good people, I genuinely like them and I'm very pleased my boy has found such a good family to marry into."

Mr. Ladas nodded and turned back to Tim, "You have a friend who teaches here in Piraeus, a professor?"

"Yes, Norm Hofstadler."

"My grand-nephew has taken classes from him and is very sad that he will no longer be teaching here. Has he heard from any colleges in Greece?"

"Yes, he flew up to Thessaloniki on Thursday for an interview at City College, International Faculty of the University of Sheffield. I haven't spoken with him so I don't know how it went."

Mr. Ladas nodded, "That is good to know. We need to employ good teachers for our young ones. And if he is employed by that one he may have opportunities in the UK as well."

Tim nodded, thinking that he might just google Mr. Ladas when they got home; he was speaking with a certain amount of authority. They soon parted and Mr. Ladas continued on his walk downhill while Gibbs and Tim walked up.

Gibbs looked at Tim, "He sure sounded like he knew what he was talking about!"

"And he knew Norm's name, knew that I knew him. Let's look him up when we get back." Gibbs nodded as they continued their walk. He was pleased to note that his knee was behaving very well today and said so to Tim.

"That's great, but let's take it easy anyway; there's always more going on at the Russells' party than you'd expect. The kids are in charge of the games and they added croquet when Matt and I were in wheelchairs."

"Is everyone coming?"

"Yep! Have you met Dani and Ross yet?"

"I remember Dani, yes; she came by the house with something for you, but not Ross. They're Lina's former housemates?"

"Yes and Bec is living there now." He laughed, "I don't think you've met all the Russells or the Hofstadlers yet – have you? I can't remember who dropped in when you were here in May. Let's see, who else? Oh, Adan, Tea's boyfriend, he's a landscape designer, he's a great guy." He paused, "You know Evander; he's a real estate agent and his sales are really starting to take off. Kim told me yesterday that he's got a sale pending that will bring him enough commission for them to look for a place of their own to buy. She's really excited about it. And of course you know Caleb."

Gibbs was very glad of his ability to keep his face clear of emotions as Tim talked about Evander and Kim. He replied, "Yeah, very dry sense of humor."

Tim chuckled, "I knew you'd like that! He's pretty quiet at these parties, not one of the merrymakers but he's fine in one on one conversation." He mused, "Caleb's quiet and Eva's a bit shy; they're a good match."

"What are all the kids' names?"

Tim told him, ending with the names of the triplets. "Babies, that'll be fun!"

"Wait until you see Lina with them! She stayed with them while we were missing and she's one of their favorites." Tim had a dreamy look in his eyes.

"So how many, son"

"Um…kids?"

"Yeah."

"Well, all the ones I just told…"

Gibbs laughingly interrupted him, "No Tim, how many kids are you and Lina planning on?"

"More than two less than 8 and we're planning on fostering and adopting along with making babies."

"Wow!"

"Yeah Poppy, I'm glad you had crib/headboard practice with Ethan and Stevie!"

"Hmm, maybe I'd better start looking for a pattern for bunk beds."

Tim chuckled, "Think we're a few years away from needing those."

"Tim…not to change the subject but Monday when you're off, I've got things I need to discuss with you. Some suggestions Vance made for my life once I have to leave the field."

"You mean before you retire?"

"Yeah. While I was waiting for my knee surgery, he came in and talked with me for a long time. He's got a couple of things I could do – things that would mean something to the agency, not just 'keep the old guy happy' stuff."

"That's great Dad! What kinds of things are you talking about?"

Gibbs chuckled, "Training and coordinating. The first gig would be for me to take new NCIS agents straight out of FLETC and put them through a basic training, sort of a pre-probationary agent training. Because as much as I messed up, Vance has been paying attention to what and how you've been teaching Matt and Bec and says a lot of it came from me."

Tim smiled, "Yep, some of it. I sort of extrapolated from what you taught me, but yeah."

"See, I didn't think I was really teaching you; Franks always said he was 'showing' me and that's what I thought I was doing."

"Ok, there is a difference but the point is I learned how to be an investigator and a cop through you."

"Even though you had to go elsewhere for experience and knowledge."

"Well yeah, there's that, but these newbies wouldn't have to do that. "

"Right and I'd be teaching them the basic stuff that drove me cra…that would help teams better teach their probies."

"Stuff I didn't get because I was a civilian?"

Gibbs sighed, stopped and touched Tim's arm. "Yeah Tim, things I screwed up…"

Tim nodded, glad he had his sunglasses on and also knowing Gibbs wasn't fooled. "It'd be good if the newbies were taught those basic things before they go to their teams to start their probationary period." Before he could stop himself, he added, "Maybe their teams would like them better; be more accepting."

They were back down the hill now, in front of their driveway and Gibbs put his hands on Tim's arms, gently rubbing them. "I have something to say, so if you'll just please listen?"

Tim nodded that he would not interrupt. "Working that op with you the other day, that was something I never thought would happen again – that I'd have another chance to work with you. And then watching you take point, no hesitation, you knew what you needed everyone to do and you told them without looking back because you know they'll follow your lead. And then taking that shot…amazing. And then you took care of me, getting Lt. Sheridan to help with the prisoner! Afterward, you spoke with each of your team, made sure not only Matt, Bec and Pete were all right, but also Kim, Tea and Eva. That's leadership, son, true leadership; the kind that you're born with, it can't be learned, not like that. I'm so proud of you I could burst." Gibbs stopped for a second, giving the back of Tim's neck an affectionate squeeze before continuing, "The thing is, I have no right to be proud, I had nothing to do with any of this, not in a positive way anyway. I overlooked your potential, I saw it in Norfolk that day and during the year you TAD'd to DC but once you were on the team, I lost sight of it. I sure didn't teach you any of the skills I've seen you exhibit and I rarely provided any positive leadership, good examples and hardly looked out for any of you. Well, I did but I figured if you weren't bleeding and you kept showing up for work, you were all right. And using intimidation or favoritism to get results, that's not leading, at least not the kind that endures; it only gets short term results and at some point it stops working. I let you down, Tim, in just about every way possible and yeah, I know we've moved on but I learned from Doc Cranston that I am always going to be the guy that let you and the others down. I provided very little real leadership and even less support to you. I should have been watching out for your career, that was part of my job. I am sorry, monumentally sorry. I'm grateful that you reached out to me last year when I fell apart and I'm thankful beyond words that we are where we are today but I needed to say that and I need to make this right."

Tim shook his head, "That was such a low blow. I shouldn't have said…"

"Tim, come on kiddo, look at me, we've come a long way together this past year, right?" Tim nodded. "But it's still there son; we can't change what happened, our history. "

Tim made a noise, "So we acknowledge it, talk about it, figure how to not let it happen ever again and move on."

"Sounds like Doc Cranston."

He got a rusty chuckle, "Doc Agnos."

"Well they did go to the same graduate school."

Tim straightened up and looked at him for a long moment and then pulled him in for a long hug. "I have a 3 page rebuttal but I think we're better off letting go so we can continue to move forward together. I accept your apology along with all the love and support you give me, have been giving me."

"Thank you, son and I'm grateful too for everything you give me."

"Come on, I'll let you make me a smoothie."

"Now you're talkin'!"


	113. Chapter 113

FH, CH 113

They headed into the house where they found Lina having her first coffee. "Good morning, you two, have you been out for a walk already?"

They nodded and she just smiled at them. She'd find out later what had happened.

After their smoothies, Lina headed over to her studio to work on wedding things for a few hours. The men waited until her car disappeared down the hill before heading to the shed. Tim was impressed with the work already done and very glad that he had two woodworkers to count on. "Thanks, this really helps! There's no way anything I did would look this good."

Gibbs snorted, "You forget we're decades older than you and have had a lot of practice. This was a great idea, to have us working on something together, really let us get to know each other."

Tim nodded, "I started out thinking I'd love to have you help me make something for Lina but then when I realized the time involved and the fact that they really wanted to meet you - this seemed like a much better idea. I'm thankful to the two of you for leaving me some work to do. So I can legitimately say I worked on it!"

His dad ruffled his hair and the last of the collywobbles from their troubled conversation disappeared. They worked closely together as they built the drawers.

The armoire was over five feet in height and the top of it would have hinges to open up to a compartment covered with felt, with a mirror fastened on the inside of the top. The rest of the armoire would house a series of six drawers in varying depths. Three of the drawers would be deeper and have removable trays for smaller items such as earrings, rings and pins while the other drawers would be single levels and not as deep, intended for necklaces, pendants and other items. Tim had gotten the idea when Lina moved in and he saw that she kept her jewelry in various boxes marked on the outside with the contents. He'd started looking online for jewelry boxes but the ones he saw were too small and none of them were the style he wanted for his fiancée. When he found the armoires, he knew he'd found the right idea, but again either the style or the size didn't mesh. That's when he decided to make one or have one made. Something Lina could use for the rest of her life, maybe pass it down to their daughter, if they had a daughter. He couldn't do it on his own however; he needed help…a lot of help.

When they had the drawers assembled and were waiting for the glue to dry, they sat outside in the shade with cold drinks and talked some more. "Dad, you said that Vance had more than one idea for you."

"Yeah and the other one is your idea!"

"What…oh, the volunteer thing?"

Gibbs grinned, "Yeah! Vance says he thought he'd have this new pool of volunteers be part of the responsibilities of the Contingency Response Team. But he's changed his mind, said the Lead in charge of the CRT has more than enough to do and it works well as it is, he doesn't want to change it. So now he's thinking a pool of volunteers covering the positions in a Field Office: Team Leads, SFAs, Juniors and Office Managers."

"Wow, that's great!"

"He says it's a combination of your original idea and the plan that Joel and Roger worked out while you and Stan's team were at Bagram."

"You know, if this pool had existed last year, we could have drawn from it for the drug cartel bust instead of borrowing the CIA agents."

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, believe me, that's a big concern of Vance's. The way this will work is that anyone in those positions who meets certain criteria can sign up, with the approval of their superior to be on the volunteer list for one year…twelve months. The way Vance is envisioning it now, each volunteer only does one stint a year, so Maggie and DiNozzo's two stints won't happen in the future. Of course that depends on how many people sign up and in what positions and how many call outs there are for volunteers in any given year. Also, if a SFA has enough experience, they can serve as a Team Lead, as Maggie did, and the same goes for a junior serving as a TAD SFA but the ideal situation is everyone staying in his or her regular position during their volunteer gig. Volunteers are to return to their own office and may not be hired by the office they volunteered in for a period of 12 months. Vance doesn't want people floating around, trying out offices."

Tim nodded, "Sounds very well planned out. Who approves which Team Leads can volunteer?"

"Vance or the Assistant Director."

"And what constitutes a call out for volunteers?"

"Vance is still working on that; right now it's when more than one fully qualified team member is out of the field for a specified number of days or a team is away on a case for more than 3 days."

Tim nodded, "We had a situation last winter where the entire Marseille office was down with the flu and they were supposed to be on call the weekend they were all sick. The junior agent, who had TAD'd here, called us and we took it, let Joel and Stan know in case something happened in both Athens and Marseille's jurisdictions. That's the way NCIS: Europe has handled things for years. When I was in London working as project manager, not a field agent, Athens fell short an agent so Joel sent one of his juniors to fill in until I could get there."

He laughed, "It meant I was on call for the field in London but that was fine with me."

Gibbs shook his head, "Never had that situation, multiple teams at HQ and we always have the Pentagon or Norfolk teams close enough to pitch in. Don't remember anything like that in the Southern California office, not that Franks or McAllister would have shared that information if there was a problem."

Tim nodded, "It is different when the legal entities you're entering are sovereign countries, not states - and you need passports and sometimes visas."

Gibbs thought about that, "I'd better add that to the list of questions, what to do about visas. What do you do if you get a call out in a country where you need a visa?"

"Last time I know it happened was the drug cartel bust and the governments had already agreed to NCIS stepping in. I think mostly the visas were waived by verbal agreement and the paperwork was done after the fact."

"Huh!"

"Considering that we were coming in to help them clean up their streets, I can see why they made the concessions. So what would you be doing with this group?"

"Not sure. Vance wants someone to set it up, get it organized and get the word out. Another person – or could be the same one – runs the pool, coordinates sending agents out, makes sure it's the right fit. Phasing people off the list and getting new ones on. We can't send a new SFA to fill a Team Lead spot, same with a newbie Junior…hmm, that's another criterion: need to have a minimum of 6 months in their current position."

Tim looked at him, "You're not all that interested in getting it set up but you wouldn't mind running it?"

"Yep." Gibbs continued, "And I was trying to think of a way to do both jobs – the post-FLETC training and administering the volunteer pool."

"I imagine that would keep you busy. How long would each post-FLETC training session take?"

"Mmm, at least a month, two would be better."

"So split the difference, 6 weeks?"

"Yeah, could make that work."

"You putting any physical training in there?"

"Maybe. With the way you guys have taken down suspects with what you've learned in less than a year in your classes, Vance is very interested in making MMA mandatory for new agents so then yeah, I'd bring an instructor in for that. Makes sense just from a defensive side - dirtbags know it and it's hard to defend against."

"So the agency will pay for classes?"

"Good question, he's still chewing on that one. Might have to go with a basic class the agency pays for, any more is on the agent."

"And the basic would be the only mandated one?"

Gibbs nodded. "FLETC is changing some of their courses and we need to step up to match them with our training - and just to keep up with the world."

He could see Tim was thinking about something and waited patiently.

"Two things: first, there might be agents who are already masters in martial arts; they might kick in some of their own time to teach the newbies…past the basics I mean. Second and going back to the volunteer group…you could get a fact sheet from each foreign office about the country the TADs are going to, what their top customs are that Americans would need to roll with. Some key words and phrases, spelled phonetically in English – and again that could be supplied to you from the office manager. Kim put one together for the TADs that came in while we were in Germany last spring and then fleshed it out more for the next group of TADs while we were out with Bagram and then recuperating. I could get you copies or send them to Vance. Maybe even the current political climate of the country – and the city they'll be working in. That's something our Intel Analysts could feed you on a regular basis, no need for you to research when they deal with it every day. If there was time it would be great for a volunteer to know what cases are active in the office he or she is going to and what resources they'd have locally. Carla for instance, she's been a huge help to our TADs this year. Or our CIA buddies, Colonel Martin at the Embassy. Hmm, maybe the resource sheet only goes to TAD Team Leads."

"Anything that would mean the volunteer could get to work as quickly and productively as possible."

Tim nodded, "And not spend time figuring out how to ask for directions or where to house suspects. I hope it doesn't happen this often all the time, but in less than 12 months there have been several incidents – five if you count us twice –amongst the European offices where an entire team has been away from the office, away from the host country for several days – or down with an illness. Even with the car crash in Marseille, if Paul had been out longer or their probie wasn't as close to the end of her probationary year, we would have needed more than just me. And yeah, Joel or Stan could have sent somebody but that would put two of the three fully staffed offices short."

Gibbs nodded, "Unless and until the budget increases, we need to be better prepared when something like that happens."

"Yeah, having two juniors now is a godsend; I'd rather not go back to one junior and a probie, although new agents have to train somewhere. I got lucky in that Carla had handpicked Matt and did a great job of training him before I got here; he's a smart guy and picked up everything very quickly. And Bec is the same way, so yeah, we're good at the moment but if – when there's a change, we'll need to make sure we have four fully qualified agents."

"Yeah, that's a question I've wanted to ask you…when Pete retires, will you recommend Bec for the SFA position?"

"Ok, one you're assuming I'll get Pete's job…should give you a headslap for that! But hypothetically speaking…if Pete retired within the next 6 months, no, she wouldn't be ready. If he stays closer to a year or beyond, yes, she'll be ready."

"_I'm_ assuming? Son…the entire agency is assuming including our boss and your own Team Lead!"

Tim grinned, "Still…no counting chickens before they cross the road, eh?"

Gibbs laughed at the mixed idiom and ruffled his hair, "Yes Ziver!"

Tim grew thoughtful again, "Dad, I'm thinking of sending Ziva an invitation to the wedding."

"That's a wonderful idea, kiddo."

"She probably won't come, but I want her to know that she's still part of our family, that we want her here with us."

"Does she know about the 'clan'?"

"When I wrote her I told her a little bit, about Grandfa mostly but not all of it. I didn't want to write that long of a letter!"

Gibbs laughed. "Good point. Maybe she just needs a little extra push, maybe the invitation would do it."

Tim nodded, "We have extra rooms reserved, just in case more people come than we're anticipating."

Gibbs gave him a smile, "I think you can count on almost everyone from the States!"

"Maybe, not sure if Fornell, Ned or Wilson will come."

"Tobias is a definite; he's already scheduled the time off and he thinks Emily might come along. Ned might surprise you and I doubt Wilson will come, but it's good of you to invite him."

"Didn't seem right inviting the rest of your team and not him!"

Gibbs grinned, "You're a good soul, Timothy." He paused, "Back to Ned, I think he'll be one of the first ones signing up for the volunteer pool."

"Really?"

"Yeah, if Maggie hadn't jumped in the second time, he would have been on the next plane over here."

Tim nodded slowly; clearly his mind was somewhere else.

"What, Tim?"

"That made me remember how I felt in the hospital in Israel. I wanted you there so badly…and Lina too. And then when you said you were on your way…I didn't even have to ask; Dad I can't begin to tell you what that meant to me."

Gibbs blinked back sudden moisture in his eyes as he pulled his kid in for a hug. "I thought not coming over when you were hurt by the drug dealer was tough, but Bagram…I had to see you Tim, had to touch you, see you breathing, help you any way I could."

Tim nodded. "So glad because…I'm a grown man, a federal agent…I shouldn't need my dad every time something happens."

"Why not? Don't know what Doc Agnos would say about this, but losing your dad as early as you did and having to raise two kids on your own, that has to have left its mark, Tim. And yeah, I know how old you are, but that doesn't matter, age doesn't matter. Who did I go to last year? My dad! And I'm a helluva lot older than you. You've got me now, I'm here, son… whenever you need me…please continue to let me help!"

Tim smiled and nodded. "I did, I do and I will, I promise."

Eventually the two remembered the drawers drying in the sun and went back to working on the armoire, both feeling better for the conversation. Not just the emotional talk but also Gibbs' tentative plans.

The day was pretty warm and they finally decided they'd done enough, closed up the shed and dove into the pool. They were still swimming when Lina returned. She heard the splashing, grabbed her suit and before they'd even realized she was home, she was splashing around them. "Oh this feels so good!"

"Hi honey!"

"Hello darling!"

Tim reached for her and they kissed. "Mmm, missed you!"

"Me too, did you and Poppy have a good time?"

Tim grinned and Lina looked at Gibbs who was also beaming. "We had some good talks."

"Wonderful, I'm glad!" She laughed, "We're going to swim at the Russells' too so when we get out we should put Gibbs' swim trunks in the dryer."

"Do we have to wait between meals or can we go in right away?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure."

Tim thought a moment, "It'll be more comfortable with dry suits anyway."

She nodded as Gibbs looked at the big clock they'd installed on the outside wall of the house.

"It's 3:30 now, what time are we supposed to be there?"

"4:30 so we have a few more minutes."

"If we're going back in, I think I'm just going to rinse off out here." That was another new addition to the household, an outdoor shower and drain Matt had helped Tim install.

"Good idea, think I'll do that too." They splashed for a few more minutes and then got out to rinse and dry off a bit before they went into the house. Gibbs went first, changed into shorts and squeezed the excess water out of his swim trunks before popping them in the dryer.

By 4:20 they were on their way, with the top up on the car as it was too hot to go without the air conditioning. Gibbs had been prepped to look for the surprise at the entrance to the Russells house and he smiled as he saw it, "That's great!"

They smiled happily as they walked into the nicely cooled house. Pete and Trina were in their usual spots to greet them and Gibbs was happy to finally meet Trina in person. On their way to the pool he met Adan and Ross and reconnected with Dani. Norm and Carla were already in the pool and the babies were in a shallow wading pool in the shade being played with and watched over very carefully by Lukas and Phoebe.

Norm climbed out to shake Gibbs' hand. "Glad to finally meet you and I'm sorry we had to cancel the boat trip the other day!"

"Aw, that's ok; it was in a good cause, how did it go?"

"Better than I thought, they've asked me back for a second interview!"

"That's great Norm!"

Tim relayed the conversation they'd had with Mr. Ladas that morning and Norm looked at him, his eyes wide. "Did you say Ladas?"

"Yes, lives up the street from me. Why, do you know him?"

"No but he's on the board of directors at the college in Thessaloniki!"

"Wow, that's …wow!"

Gibbs chuckled, "We thought there might be more to him; we were going to google him but never got to it."

Carla was still in the pool but had swum over to the edge so she could hear what they were saying. Now she laughed, "That's wonderful, sweetie! Now all we have to figure out is…everything else!"

He shook his head, "One step at a time, Hon, one step at a time."

Within a few minutes everyone had arrived. When Adan joined them he looked around, "Where's Tea?"

Carla laughed as she gestured to the water, "She's here, swimming underwater!" Tea emerged from the depths and they laughed. She explained that when she was a child she'd wanted to be a mermaid and would only swim underwater. She didn't often get a chance to swim in a pool these days so she'd been taking advantage of it before everyone got in. Gibbs was glad he'd had a good swim because the pool was very crowded with everyone in it. But it felt good and everyone was having a good time.

Norm called out, "Stephan, what are we doing between?"

"We have a surprise today!"

"Oh, cool!"

Tim grinned as he watched his dad during the party. He was clearly at ease with their family members, the NCIS group and the kids. After Trina took him on a tour of the house he seemed to be more comfortable with her; and then he got into a conversation about fishing with Norm, Adan and Dani who had grown up fishing with her grandfather. He spent time talking with Carla, swapping stories no doubt, and playing with the babies who were thrilled to have a new person to crawl over.

An hour or so later, Gibbs noticed that most of the younger folks had disappeared. He looked around to see who was left outside: the Hofstadlers, Pete and Trina, Dani and him. He thought about that and about Tim and Lina carrying an extra bag in with them. That gave him an idea about Stephan's surprise but he kept it to himself. When music he identified as Greek suddenly poured out of the house, he gave himself a mental pat on the back. Trina and Dani were grinning as they herded the rest of them into the house where they found the living room furniture had mysteriously disappeared. Then Tim and Damian appeared and started to perform one of the dances Gibbs had seen them do on the DVD. As they danced the others joined them and the group went through the numbers, Tim and Lina dancing together and apart, the group dancing together. It was a wonderful performance and the small audience was wild with appreciation. Gibbs loved it, watching the DVD had been fun but seeing this live was exciting, even more so now that he knew everyone. He knew Geordie had missed some of the classes because of his duties, but he thought he did very well. Matt took it easy, only joining part of the dance and that was a smart move! He knew that Tim and Damian had worked on a couple of steps, tweaking them slightly to avoid unnecessary strain to Tim's knee but he sure couldn't tell where.


	114. Chapter 114

Surprise! This week you'll have a new chapter every day, an early holiday gift from me to you. Enjoy!

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><p>Dinner followed and Gibbs enjoyed every bite of a succulent lamb dish and every drop of a wine produced in Greece. Dessert was fresh berries topped by a rich whipped cream that Phoebe explained was made with goat's milk. They'd picked the berries locally and visited a goat farm that morning, bringing the freshly separated cream home with them.<p>

As they stuffed their very full and tired selves into the car that evening, Gibbs gave Tim and Lina a hug each. "Thanks guys, this was great! I couldn't imagine it would be as much fun as Ducky, Maggie and Tony said, but it was – and more! And it's really good to finally meet everyone you've been talking about!" His eyes sparkled, "It was a privilege to see the first live performance of your dance troupe!"

Lina laughed, "Our dance troupe? Now that would be fun!"

She looked at Tim who had a thoughtful look on his face. "Timotheos!"

"Just thinking hon, it would be fun, wouldn't it? We could dance for charity or something." He shrugged, laughing, "Not like any of us has a lot of time to practice!"

They'd decided to do some more sightseeing on Sunday, Lina promising to show them places not usually on the tourist route…or at least away from the tour buses. Taking a picnic lunch with them, they enjoyed the road trip, the ancient sites, the fresh air and the company. Home by early evening, Lina and Tim had a swim while Gibbs grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs.

After they enjoyed their meal and cleaned up the dishes, Gibbs slipped into the pool, finally getting his nighttime swim. He'd dried off and was just going into the house when Tim's phone buzzed with a call. It was Sarah and she was laughing hysterically. "Tim, you have all kinds of hidden talents!"

"What are you talking about?"

"On YouTube, someone posted a video of you guys doing your dances."

"Oh….OH! We're on YouTube?"

"Yeah, I'll send you the link."

As Tim hung up with Sarah, Gibbs' phone buzzed with a call from his boss. "Glad to see you're having such a good time over there, Gibbs!"

"Leon…huh?"

"Kyra Russell told Kayla that Dani posted a video of some people dancing traditional Greek dances, some people we all know, on YouTube."

"Oh, Tim's sister just called and I heard him say that."

"You should go watch it!"

Gibbs glanced over and saw Tim at his laptop. "I think Tim's bringing it up now. Gotta go, Leon."

The three of them gathered in front of the laptop and watched the video which included the audience as well as the dancers. They laughed when they saw the babies doing their own thing to the music. Gibbs hadn't realized he'd been tapping his cane to the beat of the music. They looked at the number of hits, nearly 300,000 in 24 hours. Gibbs laughed, "Isn't this what they call going 'viral'?"

They looked at him in astonishment, "Emily might have mentioned it when she was helping me with my laptop."

All three of their phones were flooded with texts from family and friends. Lina's niece Alexis had seen it and told her parents and grandparents. In the States, Kayla and Jared had let Callum, Ainsley and Ethan Palmer know so the entire extended family was texting Gibbs and Tim and Lina. Ned Dorneget saw it and texted Maggie and Wilson. Maggie told Tony who texted that he was laughing so hard he had to watch it three times before he saw the whole thing. Tim even had a text from Stan Burley who had heard about it from one of his team, congratulating him on the dance and getting the Boss to laugh. Gibbs got a laugh with a text from the normally quiet Wilson asking if they were all going to have to learn this now and saying it looked like he was having a good time. By the time the three of them gave up and turned their phones off, they figured they'd heard from just about everyone who knew their phone numbers.

The fun didn't end, however. The next morning Tim found a text from Malachi who was very happy to see all four of the NCIS agents had recovered well while Lina reported that she had a text from her friend the Ambassador, who said news of the video was making its way around the Diplomatic Corps. Gibbs had texts from Fornell, Roger Cooke and his cousin Richard – and Tom Morrow. Geordie reported that Colonel Martin told him about the video and he'd taken a lot of ribbing from his CO and fellow Marines.

Tim had the afternoon off so headed back up the hill at lunchtime. He found his dad puttering in the shed, humming some of the music they'd played yesterday. He opened his mouth to ask him something when his phone chimed with a call. He didn't want to turn it off in case the team had a call-out but he'd been hoping that the texting frenzy was done. When he saw the caller id, he grabbed his dad's arm. "Look!"

Gibbs looked and his face lit up as Tim hit the speaker button, answering the call.

"Ziva…hello!"

"Hello, Tim. I had to call, I just saw the video of you dancing which was amazing - and Gibbs was there!"

Gibbs leaned in, "Hi Zeever!"

"Oh Gibbs, it is so good to hear your voices!" The three of them chatted for a few minutes as Ziva had questions about everyone. Then Gibbs had an idea and signed to Tim who looked at the time and nodded with a big grin. While Ziva continued talking, Gibbs pressed a contact number, told the caller nothing was wrong and who else was on the line and then put him on speaker. It was of course Tony and now the four former teammates were connected. Tim let his dad do it his way, he would have brought Tony in on the call from his own phone but this worked almost as well. It was a happy call, each of them excited to speak with the others and they spent nearly 30 minutes catching up. Ziva had received Tim's letter so knew some of what had gone on in the past year, she'd also been in contact with Malachi and knew about the rescue. By the time they ended the call, Ziva had promised to do her best to come to the wedding, saying she couldn't wait to see them all and to meet Lina and Maggie.

After they'd disconnected Gibbs grabbed Tim in a hug, close to tears of joy. Borrowing Abby's phrase, Gibbs called them his "Three Musketeers" and loved the idea of them being reunited at the wedding. It was nearly 1400 by the time they finally got around to starting that day's work on the armoire.

When Tim joined his friends at class that evening, George teased them about his famous 'dancing warriors'. When Lina, Damian, Gibbs, Geordie and Evander came in, George bowed to them as well as to his students. Dinner at the Flying Pig was even rowdier than usual; a banner was pinned on the wall behind their usual table proclaiming, "Congratulations and Welcome to Piraeus' own Dance Troupe!" and people streamed by the table, looking at them. But when drinks were sent to them, Tim stopped them and told the servers they would not accept drinks from anyone. It was not only protocol as federal agents did not accept gifts of any kind it was also a safety issue.

When they finally got home, the three of them went for a swim to relax after the excitement of the last few hours. Lina only stayed in for a few minutes as she had work in the morning, but Tim and Gibbs hung out in the pool for over an hour. The armoire was in good shape, just needing some detailing they would do on Wednesday. Tomorrow they were going to take a road trip to a place called Lamia, north of Athens, which meant they wouldn't leave home until after the worst of the morning commute.

Tuesday was sunny and bright and forecast to be a little cooler than it had been; they lathered on the sunscreen and left the top down on the car. The trip was three hours each way so before they left the slow cooker was put into use with one of Lina's favorite recipes.

Their first stop came when they saw the signs for Thermopylae, site of the historic battle between the Greek-Spartans led by Leonidas and the Persians, led by Xerxes. They took pictures to, as Gibbs said, "Prove we were here!" and continued on their way. They enjoyed the drive and found all manner of topics to discuss on the way. When they reached Lamia, they found it was fairly hilly and the city center was very busy. Gibbs hadn't had his walk that morning so they walked up the equivalent of his daily route and then back down, stopping in at a small café for lunch. The main attraction, a castle built by the Franks during the Crusades, was unfortunately too much of a hike for Gibbs' knee, so they took photos and bought postcards. From there they drove to Ipáti, one of the most historical towns in the region and known for its beautiful trees and wonderful views of the sea. They took more photos there and walked around. From Ipáti they wandered to the Agathonos Monastery, which dated back to the 15th Century. There was a Natural History Museum there but it was closed for the day. Still, neither of them had ever seen a monastery before and it was an interesting side trip. Their last stop in the area was to the original Gorgopotamos Railway Bridge which played a part in World War II. Blown up by a coalition of British and Greek guerrilla forces on November 25 1942, it caused a crucial delay in the advance of the Germans and put the Greek underground on the map. Gibbs remembered Jack telling him the story of the coalition and the destruction of the bridge when he was growing up and told Tim he never thought he'd have a chance to see it.

That evening as they turned into their driveway, Gibbs reached over and squeezed Tim's shoulder. "Thanks, kiddo! This has been a great day, seeing all these ancient places and more of modern Greece. But you know the best part is just spending it together."

Tim grinned at him, "It was fun, wasn't it? Still want to stay home tomorrow? We can do more sightseeing."

"As tempting as that is, we need to finish the project."

Tim nodded, "You're right and we've got the pool for fun."

Knowing the guys would be late, Lina had met her friend Rhea for drinks and meze and had just gotten home, in fact she was dishing up their dinner when they entered the house. "Hello, did you two have fun? And thanks for whoever made dinner - that was a nice surprise!"

Smiling, they told her about their day and she showed them a sample of the invitations Rhea was making for them. Gibbs had never seen an invitation like this; it really was a work of art. She'd first hand painted the text, making two sets, one in Greek, one in English. Then she made copies of each for the individual invitations and started hand painting them. Each one was unique and she'd been busy most of the summer working on these in her spare time. When they were ready to be mailed, each invitation/painting would be covered with a piece of sheer rice paper, carefully placed on an envelope that would fold up around it and gently glued shut. The envelope would be placed into a protective mailing box addressed to the recipient. Noting Gibbs' fascination with the sample, Lina told him he could have it and smiled when he asked if he could have it signed by the artist. She thought she might take Gibbs with her when she met with Rhea again over the weekend. Or maybe she'd ask her friend to dinner, yes, that was a better idea.

Wednesday flew by as the two men finished the structure of the armoire, including the detailing, sanded it to Gibbs' standards and then stained it. They'd drilled the holes for the hardware before they stained it and the next step would be to attach it all. The mirror would be fastened on the inside of the top and the insides of all the drawers would be covered in a soft but durable felt cloth once the stain was dry. The stacked trays for the deeper drawers and the various holders and separators for the other drawers were ready as well.

When they'd finished applying the stain, they cleaned up a bit and then hit the pool only getting out for drinks and food – and to check the armoire. Lina texted Tim early in the day when Chloe confirmed that their parents had been driven to the airport and seen through security; Davos and Hélène were on their way to the UK! Hélène had promised to send a text to Lina once they were through Customs and Tim had quietly asked Sarah, who was meeting them at Heathrow, to text him once she had them "in her custody". She'd thought that very entertaining and then remembered how grateful she'd been to have Rob and James there to meet her when she arrived last year.

In mid-afternoon, Tim finally had the text from Sarah that the Kalivas' were with her. He passed the word along to Gibbs just as he received Lina's text saying her parents were through Customs. The next time they needed drinks, Gibbs climbed out to get them and sent a text to Penny that Davos and Hélène had landed safely in London. The request for a family-wide Skype call Friday night would go out this evening. The conspirators had realized they couldn't just ping everyone that night and expect them all to be available. To cut down on the number of windows they'd need open, Gibbs was planning on inviting Geordie, Bec, Damian and Matt over for the call and dinner, which would be his treat.

The stain dried quickly and Tim and Gibbs spent a couple more hours working happily together covering the insides of the drawers, the top compartment and the removable trays. Then they inserted all the other hooks, holders and gizmos in the shallower drawers. Next came the mirror and while the glue was drying for that, they attached the hardware to the drawers. The last touch was to apply touches of gold leaf to the feet and the edges of the drawers. And when it was all done, they took photos. Gibbs would send one to Davos once Lina had seen the armoire Friday night. The plan was for the two men to carry it upstairs Friday morning after Lina left for work.

When Tim saw the e-mail request from Penny for a Skype call Friday night, he gave his dad the fisheye. Gibbs thought about displaying his infamous stone face but knowing that Tim already knew something was up, he just shrugged and grinned. Tim showed Lina when she got home and they turned to stare at Gibbs who laughed at them. "What? You think I'm going to cave now and tell you? It's only another couple of days!"

"We figured it had something to do with the wedding, you, Davos and Hélène. But Penny's involved too. So Grandfa and Grammie must be in on it. Hmm, what could that be?"

Lina chuckled, "Let's not speculate, it'll be more fun to be surprised."

Tim nodded and then said, "I don't know if I can not speculate…it's what I do for a living!"

He had a sudden thought and looked at the list of recipients but only his and Lina's name appeared. "Huh, Penny used BCC, darn it!"

Gibbs looked at him, "What does that mean, anyway… BCC?"

"Oh, it's a holdover from the days of handwritten or typed memos. Do you remember the snap-out memo forms with one or two copies attached with a sheet of carbon paper in between each 'copy'?"

Gibbs nodded. "Ok good. So 'cc' meant carbon copy; so that was someone being copied and it was ok for all the recipients to know that person was being copied. 'BCC' on the other hand meant 'blind carbon copy', that is the recipient wouldn't be listed as getting a copy. The terms migrated to electronic mail, what we now call e-mail. Now 'cc' means you can see and reply to whoever else is listed on an e-mail and 'bcc' means you can't, you can only see your name and you can only reply to the sender. For the sender, BCC means they can send to multiple people without sharing anyone's e-mail address which is always a good security measure on the Internet, and it also means that no one besides the sender knows who all has been sent the message."

Gibbs nodded, that was useful information and he remembered seeing documents back in the day that had been 'blind copied' to him or Mike Franks. Penny may have used the "BCC" but most of the recipients had a pretty good idea who else would have received the message. While Gibbs was telling Lina and Tim his idea to make it a group call and dinner Friday night, the rest of the 'group' called them. Lina was on the phone with Damian when Tim took a call from Geordie. Laughing they denied any knowledge and asked them over for the call and dinner. Nobody had a problem with that!

Tim was dropped off at work on Thursday so Gibbs could have the car. He'd had his walk and was just finishing his smoothie when his phone chimed with a call, just before 0900. It was Carla who explained that she had a doctor's appointment that afternoon, her babysitter had had to cancel, none of her backups were available and Norm was in Thessaloniki for his second interview and wouldn't be home until early evening. She'd thought of Gibbs and called Tim for his number. Gibbs was happy to help out and it would give him some additional 'practice' taking care of babies as it had been awhile. Carla was so relieved she almost forgot to give him directions to the house. He'd go over about an hour before she had to leave so the babies would have time to get used to him again.

He spent the morning in the pool relaxing and then ate his lunch poolside. He showered and dressed in shorts and a tee shirt; on second thought he grabbed his pack and threw in an extra shirt. Knowing the kids were crawling and that he might need to climb stairs and move pretty quickly, he opted for his sneakers rather than the new sandals and added his knee brace to his pack. He left himself plenty of time and stopped in at Evander's office to pick up the keys to the new house before heading over to Carla's. Evander and Kim had taken care of the triplets one evening a few weeks ago and now he told Gibbs how much fun it had been although he said Kim was terrified something would happen to one of the kids.

Remembering to give his new friend the Kalivas' private address and telling him that the news about the house would be made public Friday night, he pocketed his two keys and was at the Hofstadlers' right on time.

Carla and the kids gave him a noisy welcome. He helped her finish feeding them, cleaned them up and got them down for naps with their bottles before she left for her appointment. He'd brought the draft of Tim's new book along to read and settled in next to the baby monitor to enjoy his afternoon. When he heard the kids babbling to each other two hours later, he changed each of them and brought them downstairs to what Carla referred to as the "kiddie corral". It was a large structure that took up most of the living room and gave the babies a safe place to play and explore. He guessed it was the descendent of the playpen Kelly had played in when she was a baby. He remembered Shannon telling him that when he was deployed being able to relax for a few minutes without a baby in her arms had been a godsend. He played with the kids inside the corral, stretched out on his back and let them crawl all over him.

Carla was home by 1700 and Gibbs left, picking up Tim on the way home. His son sniffed at him, "Mmm, you smell like baby."

"Not poop!"

"No, good baby smells. You'd better change your clothes and wash up or you're going to be a grandpa much sooner than planned."

Gibbs laughed, "Son, do me a favor and wait a decent amount of time before you tell me – or the world – that Lina is pregnant?" Tim mock pouted and his dad ruffled his hair. "You sure do like babies!"

"Hey, I'm an empty nester, cut me some slack."

Gibbs laughed, "That's true; you were an empty nester before you were 30, huh?"

Tim nodded. "I liked watching Sarah and Rob as little kids growing up and into themselves."

They got home and Tim did his warm-ups while Gibbs had another swim. Tim left for class a few minutes before Lina pulled into the garage. Gibbs dried off and sat on the patio and read some more of Tim's book while Lina had a quick swim. Then they set out for the end of class and dinner at the Flying Pig.

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><p>AN: The Franks (who built the castle in Lamia) were a confederation of Germanic tribes during the 3rd century A.D. By the Middle Ages, the term "Frank" had come to mean a "Western European".


	115. Chapter 115

Friday morning found Tim and his dad carrying the new armoire up to the master bedroom as planned. Gibbs dropped Tim at work again and headed to the liquor store. That was a fun challenge because he not only wanted white wine to cook with, but a bottle to serve and a bottle of champagne to celebrate the new house. He walked out with three bottles, proud of himself for being able to communicate what he wanted. Next up was the grocery store. He had a list of ingredients for another of the kids' slow cooker recipes and he'd used the phone translator app to find the appropriate Greek names. At the meat counter, he pointed to the fresh chicken and then held his phone out for the guy to see the amount he wanted. The man nodded, weighed and wrapped the order and Gibbs thanked him, hoping he was saying it right. From the smile he got he guessed he had. Next he found the vegetables he wanted and last were the dessert foods he wanted to serve.

Once home, he seared the chicken and then loaded it into the slow cooker along with some of the other ingredients. He set the timer for the next insertion of ingredients, in 3 hours, and then grabbed Tim's book, determined to finish it before he left on Tuesday.

He knew he had to go home, for one thing Ducky and Maisie's second wedding was the following Saturday and he was after all, the best man! And really the kids deserved some time to themselves; they'd had a very busy time in the last few months. He'd see them again in less than 3 months for the wedding. Even though everyone would be here then and he'd have to share. Then he smiled again, once he retired or cut back his hours or whatever he ended up doing, he could come over on his own again. And he wouldn't be recuperating from knee surgery next time, wouldn't need the extra help.

Determined, he opened the softbound book to the page he'd marked last night and continued reading. He had to admit, he was going to miss these books about their team…his old team. But anytime he wanted to visit, he only had to pop open one of Tim's, er Gemcity's books and read a page or two.

The timer roused him from the story. He carefully marked his place and went to put more ingredients in, resetting the timer for another 2 hours. He put the book in his room and changed into his swim suit, made himself a gyro pita, grabbed a bottle of lemonade, a towel and went outside to eat and swim. He was floating in the chair when the timer went off again. He was partially dry so he wrapped up in one towel and stood on another one in the kitchen to do some peeling and chopping before loading it all into the slow cooker. It was starting to smell wonderful and it looked pretty good too. There were only a few more hours before everyone got here. They'd have the call before they ate and he thought it would be easier if they had the laptop on the dining room table. He went back outside and looked at the new large table and counted the chairs, yep, there were enough. Great, they'd eat outside after the call. He remembered seeing Lina pull something for the table out from the hall closet so he fished around in there and found a bunch of place mats that would do for tonight, but really that was something the kids could use, these were pretty old fashioned and not in a good way.

He looked again and found what he thought was an outdoor table cloth but it was too small for the table. Looking at his watch, he figured he had time to get to a store and buy placemats but he had no idea where to go or what the kids would like. Deciding instead to wash the place mats they had, he put them in the washer and then noticed they were a solid color on the back...much better.

He checked the list he'd made himself earlier, yep there were enough beers in the ice chest and there was plenty more ice. The bottles of wine and champagne he'd purchased earlier were cooling in the refrigerator along with the mezes, now thawed. He would pop them in the oven to bake in another hour or so.

He took a quick shower; changed into shorts and a tee from the Benaki, put his sandals on and put his still wet swim suit into the dryer with the placemats. Then he carted plates and cutlery outside. He came back in for something and realized he hadn't had any coffee in hours. Figuring he had another hour before anyone showed up, he made some coffee, popped the mezes into the oven and retired to his room to continue reading the new Tibbs. He closed it again when the timer rang as he didn't want to get any grease on the manuscript. He knew it was a copy, the original had been sent to the publishers before he arrived, but he still didn't want to mess it up.

The placemats were on the table outside, ugly side down, held down by plates and cutlery by the time he heard the first car pull into the driveway and he smiled as he heard the garage door open and the car pull into the right hand spot, it was Lina, home a little early from the museum. He was in the kitchen putting a couple of mezes on a plate for her when she came in. "Oh, it smells absolutely heavenly in here! Do we have to wait…oh!" Gibbs handed her the plate. "Oh you thoughtful man, thank you!"

She sat at the counter and tried not to inhale the treats as Gibbs poured her a glass of lemonade. She said she needed to eat before she had any alcohol. While he handed her the icy glass, he took her empty plate and filled it again. "You are truly the best father-in-law in the world. You should stay, we need you here!"

He laughed, "I'm flattered and I would love to but my best friend is getting married next Saturday and I promised to be his best man."

She was eyeing the plate, empty again, and trying to decide whether he would be horrified if she licked the plate. Laughing at her, he filled the plate again.

"Did you miss lunch, daughter?"

"Yes Poppy. There were so many people I never took a break and then when I could I decided to just come home early. Ah these are so good, have you had any?"

He nodded; he'd had plenty for now. She'd just finished her third and last plate of mezes and her second glass of lemonade when they heard a car in the driveway. This time it was Damian and he had Geordie with him. "Matt and the others will be here soon, there was some call they had to be on, Matt couldn't say what."

Both of them had sports bags with them and went to change into their swim togs. There was still an hour before the call.

Everyone but Gibbs was in the pool when Tim, Bec and Matt arrived. Bec and Matt had changed at the office and jumped right into the water. Tim barely looked at any of them before he grabbed his swim stuff from the laundry and ran upstairs to change. Gibbs frowned and then noticed Lina was also looking puzzled. When Tim came back downstairs he slipped into the pool and then shot up like a rocket. Matt and Bec started laughing and making some sort of squealing noise with him. Lina gave Gibbs a look which he interpreted as "You're the father here - find out what's going on."

So he did, when all three agents paused for breath, Gibbs leaned down and gently tapped Tim's wet head. "Spill."

Everyone got quiet as Tim gestured to Matt and Bec who swam closer to him. "Poppy…you are looking at three of the four recipients of not one but two awards approved for us by the Secretary of Defense. The first one is of course the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom, which," he turned to the others, "is the civilian's version of a purple heart. The second is the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism."

Matt chimed in, "They're pretty happy that we took out that whole terrorist group."

Gibbs was so proud he thought he'd burst. Geordie climbed out of the pool and stood next to him and the two Marines snapped off salutes to the three newly decorated federal agents.

"So proud of you, all of you! You've earned the accolades, put your lives on the line not only finding the resolution to the Bagram bombing but tracking down, strategizing and successfully bringing justice to our troops. And that's our mission: to protect Geordie and Col. Martin, Admiral Crane, and Captain Hubbard – and their families. You four did an exceptional job, thank you! And I bet when the DoD awards are announced in October, you'll be getting the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award too."

Tim smiled at his dad and brother while his colleagues' mouths fell open.

"But we were just doing our jobs."

"You're right, but you were over and above your sworn duty, Agent Childers. You could have tagged the terrorist camp and let Bagram do the honors. You could have spent the time searching for Ted and Jack. You chose to do the work yourselves, putting your own lives on the line." Gibbs smiled, "It is what we do and every once in a while the world pays attention. That's a good thing!"

They talked some more and then went back to playing in the pool; everyone was out drying off and having mezes and a beverage about 30 minutes prior to the call. When the others went to change, Geordie stayed behind and Gibbs patted him on the shoulder, "Good day, isn't it?"

"I'll say, that's incredible. Bec's told me how rarely NCIS gets any recognition, so this is really something."

Gibbs nodded, "Speaking of recognizing things, I want to show you something."

He went inside and came back with the new book Geordie and Bec had given him for his birthday. He looked at Geordie who seemed interested but a bit puzzled. Gibbs opened to the photo and put the book on the table in front of Geordie. "What do you see?''

Geordie looked startled and then looked at the photo. "Drill instructor, from his uni looks like it's around the mid to late 70's, post Vietnam. Bunch of newbies…" He looked closer at the raw recruits and then up at Gibbs, his mouth hanging open. "Uh…?"

"Yeah. That's me. And Joan…" Gibbs pointed to the lone female at the far side of the group, "was a friend of mine."

"Oh my God, you're telling me this book…you're in this book? And…were you dating?"

"No, I had a girl, married her a few years later, my first wife Shannon. Joan and I were friends. All the guys were hitting on her and she was having a tough time, so I decided to be a friend."

"Wow, that's incredible, I looked at a few of the photos but I never…"

"You did good, LT, believe me! I've been going through the photo all week remembering stories about these guys."

"And Joan, have you kept in touch with her?"

Gibbs shook his head sadly, "She never made it to her first posting. Her plane went down, killed everyone aboard."

"Oh geez, I'm so sorry."

"Our loss really, the Corps."

Lina popped her head out from the living room, "Come on you two, we're going online."

They went on inside in time to see Penny, Ducky and Maisie appear on the screen. A few seconds later, Sarah, Rob, James, Davos and Hélène appeared and they were ready to go. Penny started it, telling them how she'd decided to split her time between Athens, London, Virginia and her travels every year and her decision to rent apartments in Athens and London. She explained how she'd told Ducky and Maisie and found they had had much the same idea and that when Gibbs, Davos and Hélène heard the plan they wanted in too.

"So our conspiracy was born. Evander gave me his card when I was there in July so I contacted him to tell him my plans had changed; that now we were looking for an apartment or house with at least four bedrooms for all the parents and grandparents. He Skyped with us and when Gibbs and the Kalivas' were going to be in Piraeus at the same time, he arranged to meet them and show them suitable places. The three of them have been our eyes and ears these past weeks! "

Penny held up a picture of the house; Davos and Hélène and Gibbs had their own photos which they showed their respective groups. "This is the house."

Gibbs pulled two keys out of his pocket.

"And here are the keys."

Tim's eyes were as big as a kid's at Christmas. "You found a house…you're renting it…all of you?"

Gibbs shook his head while Ducky stepped in. "No, we decided we would buy and Evander brought your parents to the perfect house for us."

Gibbs grinned and played the video they'd made the other day.

Tim looked at him, "You're in Matt's wheelchair. That was the day your knee was swollen."

Davos spoke, "Yes, he walked up and down too many stairs the day before, Timotheos plus he went on the helicopter with you to catch that bad guy, but he behaved himself when we went back to the house."

Lina gasped, "Lunch…Wednesday…Tim said Tea saw your truck going past the office, he thought you three were going out for lunch."

The guilty trio laughed and Hélène explained. "We did have lunch. After we looked at the places, Evander gave us information about a lovely restaurant. The boys were hungry so we went in and got our lunch."

They all looked at the photos Gibbs and Davos had on their phones. Tim smirked, "That's why you didn't show us any pictures of your trip to Aegina; these photos were on your phone too!"

Gibbs gave a half smile, "I was going to ask one of the Russell kids for help but I didn't want to share our secret."

Penny resumed, outlining their plans for the house and how they hoped Bec, Kim and Matt's families would come back to sightsee and stay in the house. Hélène told them how helpful Evander had been and how excited he'd been when they made their offer. When she paused, Tim looked at his workmates and the three of them laughed.

"What?"

"Kim said Evander was taking her out to dinner tonight, someplace expensive and she was trying to figure out why." That got chuckles from everyone.

"Well now you know, he made a lovely commission."

The 'kids' had lots of questions which the older folks answered. By the time they'd ended the call Gibbs had promised to give everyone at Tim and Lina's place that night a tour of the house over the weekend.

Before they disconnected, Gibbs announced that Tim, Bec and Matt had an announcement and he pulled them front and center while Tim told their family about their awards. Of course that created more uproar. When the call was eventually over, the group went back outside for dinner. Tim and Geordie helped Gibbs serve his chicken dish and then brought the side dishes out. Wine was poured and the food was happily attacked. As they ate, Gibbs realized Lina hadn't said anything about her armoire, probably because she hadn't been upstairs yet. She and Tim kept their swim suits near the laundry and now he saw that she was still wearing her suit, she'd thrown some sort of dress thing over it.

After everyone else left, Tim and Lina said goodnight to Gibbs and headed upstairs. He turned toward his room but ended up in the kitchen, removing the leftover mezes from the refrigerator. He was just biting into a Dolmathes, with its rice-stuffed grape leaves, when he heard Lina exclaim loudly. He stopped chewing long enough to grin; she'd evidently noticed the armoire. He was still standing there contemplating the last of the Tiropetes, the feta cheese puffs, when he heard light steps running down the staircase. He put the platter down just as his daughter-in-law reached him and gave him an affectionate hug and kiss, "Thank you, thank you, it's beautiful, it's wonderful!" Then she turned around and ran back upstairs. Chuckling he put the platter back in the refrigerator, he'd finish that bad boy tomorrow, and headed for his room, where he sent Davos the photo of the completed armoire. Then he settled in; he still had a few chapters of Tim's draft to finish and he wasn't quite ready for sleep yet, so he'd read for a while.

Saturday it was Tim's turn for a surprise as Lina and Gibbs announced they were taking him sailing. This first trip was for him to experience being out on the water in a sailboat; they'd thought to start teaching him and then realized he hadn't been on a sailboat since he was a very young child. So today was just to experience sailing, to get his first taste of it: the thrill of the boat racing through the water, turning with the wind, feeling the salt spray on his face. Lessons would come later; Lina explained that she and Damian were still planning on teaching him and Matt.

Tim admitted he was a little nervous as they stepped onto the sailboat they'd rented for the day. He didn't remember sailing as a child, had only heard about it from Uncle Dave, so sailing was a whole new adventure for him. He was glad it was a calm day although…he glared as a light breeze caused the lines to clank against the mast. He knew about some of this, for instance he knew the big horizontal thing that swung around with the sail was called a boom and that he needed to stay out of the way when it moved. The lines that moved the sail up and down the mast were called halyards. General boat terminology, fore and aft, port and starboard, he knew from his father the Commander and of course from his work.

They put their life jackets on as Tim grinned at his family. He was going sailing! And sail he did. He loved every minute of it; he loved the illusionary feeling of nearly standing on the water and the power of being propelled by the wind. He loved when they tacked and turned and raced through the water. He loved the sea birds following them, hoping for food. He loved watching other sailboats in motion, knowing that's how their boat looked. He felt free, imagining this is what flying might feel like without the deck under his feet. He was thankful he had this trip to just sit back and enjoy as he figured if they'd been trying to teach him he would have been too distracted. And when they returned to the marina at the end of the afternoon, he was still smiling, still grinning as he had been all day.

They ended their outing with dinner at The Flying Pig and Gibbs asked the server to take their photo. It was still early when they returned home so into the pool they went. They swam until long after dark and then remembering that tomorrow would be another busy day, got out and dried off.

Sunday morning found the three of them at Saint Nicholas' attending services. Papas Jakob greeted them afterward and was pleased but puzzled to be introduced to Tim's father. And then he remembered the story of the young man adopting his former boss as his papa. Home again, Lina worked on putting together their dinner in the slow cooker. Then they had lunch, Tim made gyro pitas for the three of them and of course his favorite lemonade. Lina added cookies and Gibbs told them he'd decided to just stay. He'd live in the 'big house' and just join them for meals. Lina laughed while Tim managed to look conflicted. He knew Gibbs was teasing but he would miss his dad greatly. He was an easy house guest to have just as Geordie, Grandfa and Gram had been. He'd really enjoyed spending time with his dad, really feeling like they were father and son, seeing him meet their friends and Lina's family. He could just picture him staying, building furniture for the Kalivas', sculpting other things out of wood, going fishing with Norm, teaching him to sail, helping Carla with the triplets, maybe consulting on a case, yeah, he could see all that. But he knew it wouldn't happen, the man had a life of his own to get back to. He wouldn't just walk away from his team and he wasn't ready to leave the agency. So he had a real smile on his face as he reached over and did what once would have been unthinkable, he ruffled the older man's hair.

After lunch, they piled in the car and drove to the new house, what they were already referring to as the 'big house'. The others were waiting and Gibbs took them on a tour, making sure he only went upstairs once. When Bec asked about furnishings, Lina explained about the family business and Gibbs told them of the women's agreement for 'comfortable, nice looking, not fussy'. The guys looked at him and he shrugged, "I asked because I didn't want any froufrou stuff."

They nodded and Geordie patted him on the back. "Marine colors then?"

Gibbs laughed, "Yeah, as a matter of fact. But small 'm' marine, Geordie; I said I'd like blues and greens and Hélène asked if I liked the colors of the sea."

When they looked at the backyard, Bec seemed thoughtful, "You know Adan, Tea's boyfriend, is a landscape designer, I mean if you wanted to change anything back here."

Gibbs nodded, "Good point, Bec. Maybe once everyone's seen it in person; stayed here once or twice we'll see how much we use the yard."

He noticed Damian had been taking photos of each room and he and Lina had been conversing in low voices. Now she asked, "Have you talked about painting at all?"

"Painting the rooms?" She and Damian nodded.

"No, we thought we'd just leave them for now."

Damian pursed his lips. "It will be easier to paint before the furniture arrives."

"But we'd have to agree on colors."

"Melina and I have some ideas. What if we put together a presentation and send it to all of you on the computer? Then you can say yes or no, but if the answer is yes that will give us…me, time to get the job done."

Gibbs smiled, "Sounds good to me!" He grinned at Tim and Matt who were checking the doors and windows for security. "Look ok guys?"

Tim laughed while Matt blushed, "Uh, yes Poppy; looks great, you did a good job choosing this place!"

"Think we need an alarm system?"

"Don't know. We could look at the stats for break-ins in this neighborhood."

"Might get one just for peace of mind. We'd probably only use it when we're not here." He looked at Tim, "You made that one for your grandfather in his old place, right? The one that even Victoria could use?"

Tim nodded and then smiled realizing he'd made an alarm that even Ducky's mother could use never knowing she was his great-grandmother. She hadn't been home the times he'd been there, the first to look and measure, the second and third times to install and test and show Ducky how to use it. He snapped back to the present, "I could build one for you, sure."

Bec was deep in thought, "If it went off, who would get the call?"

Tim shrugged, "Me." Geordie spoke up, "Or me, I'd like to be on the list too. If NCIS is out on a case and Damian's traveling somewhere, I can be here in a matter of minutes."

Damian nodded at him, thanking him for the inclusion. He privately thought he'd rather have the armed agents or Geordie the Marine respond but he supposed if he was called, he could call the police. That settled they took one last sweep through the house and left, locking up.

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><p>Note: froufrou means showy or frilly ornamentation (as far as Gibbs is concerned, think 'girly'!)<p> 


	116. Chapter 116

Note: I've been asked how Tim is able to sail, given his 'inner ear' problem. I don't remember if an 'inner ear' problem is canon or fanfiction lore but his seasickness certainly is canon so we'll go with that. At some point Tim discovered that ginger root and a real world thing called "seabands" took care of his seasickness. I thought I mentioned it somewhere in this story or possibly in "The Project" but if not, oops, sorry! It's definitely in another series of mine called "Pirates, Traitors and Goats, Oh My!" but I realize not everyone will have read those stories. Anyway, ginger root and seabands are a seasickness remedy for Tim that was first employed by SmartKid37 in a McGibbs slash story only posted on NFA. I've used it with her gracious permission.

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><p>FH, CH 116<p>

Back home again, the trio split cleaning duties and when they finished, the pool sparkled at them. Gibbs laughed, "I don't know what I'm going to do when I get home and there's no pool!"

"Put one in?"

"Maybe, yard's big enough."

"You know Poppy, I think Penny's house is only about 15 minutes from you and the pool is indoors. Maybe you could make a deal with her, fix or build something for her and swim whenever you want. You could swim all winter that way, be really good for you." Tim continued, "You could keep your swim things in the car, stop off on the way home from work."

Gibbs thought about that, "I like that idea, son, I'll talk with Penny when I get home."

When he went inside to change, Lina poked Tim in the ribs, "You are diabolical."

He chuckled, "I would have suggested it anyway sweetie - but it sure fits into the long term plan, doesn't it?"

She grinned, "Oh yes my darling, quite perfectly!"

Lina's friend Rhea was coming over for an early dinner that evening so as Tim said, they put real clothes on instead of the shirt/cover-up over swimsuits they'd been doing. Tim had an inkling of what his fiancée was up to with this dinner and was amused. The fact that his dad had been so enthralled with the hand painted sample invitation was icing on the cake of Lina's scheme.

When the woman arrived, Tim was glad to see his dad was also amused. Rhea was a friendly woman in her 50's with beautiful soft grey hair and warm brown eyes. Much like Lina, she carried herself with an easy confidence. What Gibbs hadn't realized was that she was an ex-pat American and that, rather than the invitations, was their first topic of conversation. She'd lived in Greece for more than twenty years. In college she'd met and married a Greek man studying in the U.S. and they'd spent the first few years of their marriage in the States. When his father became ill, they moved to Greece where they'd stayed. Sadly, her husband had been killed in an accident a few years before. Greece was her home now and she hadn't even considered leaving after he died, continuing to work at the Benaki where she eventually met and befriended Lina. Rhea and her husband hadn't been blessed with children but had been aunt and uncle to his nieces and nephews, now grown with children of their own.

Dinner was delicious and Tim and Lina had a great time listening to the conversation and watching the fledgling attraction start to develop between Poppy and Rhea. When Gibbs finally mentioned the sample, Rhea laughed and Tim's eyes widened as he saw the same reaction in his father's body language as he himself had had the first time and every time since that he'd heard Lina laugh. He motioned to Lina and they started to clear the dishes but Rhea stopped them. "No, no you two made this delicious dinner, let us clean up!"

They gave up without much of an argument and retreated to the living room listening to the quiet talk. When Rhea left a couple of hours later, Gibbs walked her out to her car and returned with a grin. "All right you two!"

Lina looked at him, her eyes twinkling, "Yes, I did that on purpose! You liked her though, didn't you?"

"Yes, but daughter, she lives here, her life is here!"

"So you talk on Skype, you'll see her in November and go from there…or not." He chuckled and kissed them goodnight, giving each an additional hug.

Tomorrow was his last full day here; his flight home was Tuesday morning. Tim and Lina would say goodbye to him here at the house before they left for work and then Norm would pick him up and drive him to the airport. For his last day, he once again had Tim's car. After his walk that morning, he drove to the Metro station, parked and took the train into Athens to do some shopping, meeting Geordie at the Embassy for lunch. Pointed in the right direction, he ambled through the flea market making several purchases – once again including a bag to carry them in – and then headed back. Home again, he spent several hours in the pool, knowing he would have very little exercise on his flight, and then finished the last chapter of Tim's book which he had deliberately left for today. Well satisfied with the story, Mr. Gemcity had done Tibbs, McGregor, Tommy, Lisa and the others proud once again; Gibbs closed the manuscript and sat with his hand on the back cover, as if he could drink in the love, affection and pride that had gone into this. He really didn't want to leave; this life here was so much more satisfying than his 'real' life at home. But he'd been a visitor, a guest; that was different than living a normal everyday life. He had to go home and then maybe he could think straight. Then he thought of Penny and how her visit had changed her life. He shook his head, he needed to think clearly about this and he couldn't do this here. He _could_ live here though; he could rent his Arlington house out for a few years and move back when the kids were posted back to the States. Or would he follow them again? There would likely be grandbabies and he couldn't see willingly being apart from them. Sighing, he gave himself a headslap, he needed to get packing and stop dreaming. He could and would think about it later and he definitely needed to talk with Duck. Remembering that tonight was his last visit to Tim's class and the pub he rinsed off, got dressed and started packing.

When Lina got home, she found him out by the pool, dressed and ready to go, with a cold drink in his hand. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "We will miss you."

"And I you…this has been so great, Lina, I don't have words to tell you how much this has meant to me."

"I was only teasing a little when I said you should stay. Tim would love it, I would love it."

"Thank you Melina, but you two need to have your own lives."

"I didn't say you should live with us – you have your own house now after all! And in case you haven't noticed, we have plenty of family and friends to share."

He nodded, "I know. I have a lot to think about."

"Are you all packed?"

"Yeah, except for last minute stuff in the morning."

"You really don't mind Norm taking you to the airport?"

He huffed, "I'm going to cry, you're going to cry, Tim's going to cry…I'd rather do that here; it's tough enough leaving." He looked at her, "Remember February."

She quickly nodded, "That was awful." Then she smiled again, "I'm so glad we get to fly to the U.S. with all of you after the wedding!"

It was time to go to class. Taking Tim's car Gibbs drove, once again enjoying having the top down on the convertible. George wished him a good trip and the staff at the Flying Pig told him not to worry about his brew list, it was safely saved online. First asking permission, he hugged everyone and kissed Bec, Kim, Damian, Geordie and Matt and gave Evander another hug and handshake as they left the pub. When Lina offered him the keys, he shook his head as he wanted one last look as they drove home.

It was later than usual when they got home but he had some things to say to his son. Lina knew, he'd already said them to her, so she kissed him goodnight and went upstairs. He told Tim how much everything had meant to him, how wonderful it had been to be accepted and recognized as his father, how proud he was of him, how thankful he was. They talked for nearly an hour and then knowing he had to be the strong one Gibbs kissed his son goodnight and sent him upstairs.

Morning came far too quickly and Gibbs walked up and down the hill while Tim and Lina ran. They had their smoothies for breakfast and when the pair was ready to leave for work, Gibbs smiled and shook his head. "I love you both more than I can say; I'll see you in just a few weeks!" One final hug and kiss, some tears and then he walked into his room so they could leave. After he heard the cars leave, he came back out with the gifts he'd purchased for them yesterday. They were silly little things but he wanted them to come home and laugh when they found them. He hid them around the kitchen and living room and then finished packing his last minute items. He popped the rest of his birthday coffee into a freezer bag, marked it as his and placed it in the freezer. That was it, he was done and ready. And just in time as he heard a car pull into the driveway. Norm came in to help him with his luggage and off they went to the airport. As they went by the office, Norm slowed down and told him to look. There was a large banner in the front window that said, "Semper Fi" with names on it.

He grinned as Norm said, "That's from all of us, that's all our names…even the babies."

"Wow, this group…anyone take a photo?"

"Oh yeah, I think everyone but Tim, Pete said he's working at the big table until he knows you've gone past."

Gibbs sighed. "I haven't had this much trouble leaving anyone in years."

"Yeah, we have a pretty special group here. Hey, we haven't told the others yet, but I'll tell you – I got the job in Thessaloniki! _And _I'll be teaching online, so we won't have to move. I'll have to be on campus twice a term, first and last class but other than that, I can do it all from home!"

"That's great Norm! And a big relief I imagine!"

"Yeah, have a two year contract so we can breathe for a couple more years."

"That's great, I'm so glad everything's worked out for you. Now we can go on that fishing trip!"

"Yep…but not in November, spring would be better."

Gibbs laughed, "Think we're all going to be pretty busy in November!"

"I heard about your house, that's pretty cool."

Gibbs told him about the conspiracy and how much fun it had been. They chatted about Tim and the others until they pulled up to the curb at the airport. Norm hopped out and lifted the luggage out of the back of the SUV, making sure not to grab any of the baby gear by mistake. Gibbs laughed at that, gave him a one-armed hug, grabbed the pull handle and walked into the airport, determined not to look back.

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><p>I can hardly stand Gibbs leaving Tim and the others, but he had to go back to DC. Hope you've all enjoyed his visit as much as I have! We'll see him again during the chapters surrounding the wedding, starting with Chapter 118.<p> 


	117. Chapter 117

Thanks for all the reads, follows, faves and reviews, it's been fun this week - and a relief because I was really tired of waiting to post the wedding chapters! And that will start next week - in the meantime hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thanks to my awesome beta harmonfreak1 for giving more of her limited time to handling FIVE chapters this week!

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><p>Tim felt a little guilty at his relief when they caught a case the afternoon that Poppy left. It took them through the weekend and into Tuesday, a week after Gibbs' departure, to break it. Once it started to unravel, they pulled in all 3 of their bad guys, putting two in isolation lockup while they interrogated the third guy. Then they swapped for another suspect and this one confessed. Eventually they had enough on all three and went home to collapse before starting their reports the next day.<p>

That case was followed by another one during their next on-call weekend and the next few weeks flew by. One case involved multiple countries and the team split to handle their work. While Pete and Matt headed to Croatia, Tim and Bec went to Turkey to speak with witnesses and 2 persons of interest. They ended up staying extra time waiting for an extradition order for their prime suspect. When extradition to Greece fell through they ended up taking him straight to JAG in Naples where they interrogated and charged him. By the time they reached Athens, the two of them had been away for a solid week.

Somehow the work on the wedding kept going. Damian and Trina picked up what Matt had to drop due to work and Carla and Dani pitched in when they could. The invitations got mailed and between Lina and Archimedes, the dresses were finished. He insisted on doing the hem for Lina's dress and she was just as glad to have another set of hands to help. He approved of her work, beaming like a proud uncle. He would be at the wedding and had volunteered to help the men with their tuxes, having a steamer handy and helping with ties, etc.

While the team was very busy, there was little of the worry so prevalent last spring during the Bagram mission. Except for the case that sent them to Naples, Tim and the others were working locally and made it home for at least a few hours every night. And every time Tim climbed wearily from his car and into the house, he thanked the universe for allowing him to meet Lina and for the comfort of having someone waiting for him at home. With everything going on, the rest of September and all of October vanished under the back to back case work and as Pete said, they had to turn two months of calendar pages at once.

XXX

In the States, Ducky and Maisie's second wedding had been as lovely as their first one and much to Gibbs' relief his best man duties required him to wear his tux rather than the dreaded kilt. He'd seen photos of the guys at wedding #1 and while they looked fine they were also a lot younger than he was and hadn't been in a church with the Director of the agency and pretty much everyone Ducky had ever known which meant lots of NCIS folks and medical examiners. He did laugh when they got to the reception and saw the photos from the first wedding prominently displayed. It seemed to be a very popular gathering spot for his colleagues; he texted Tim to warn him he might be getting some e-mails about it. When Tim finally had time to read the text days later, he just laughed. He wouldn't have time to read anything other than case-related e-mail for the foreseeable future and besides, Lina liked him in his clan tartans. Who cared what anyone else said!

A week after Ducky and Maisie's wedding, Gibbs reported back to work, on desk duty. His last round of PT would be finished in another three weeks and with everything else taken care of he now anticipated being released for field duty by the end of October, earlier than he'd thought. He was glad to see his team and he had to admit it felt good to be back at work, although he chafed at the physical restrictions. He continued to think about moving to Greece, at least for part of the year. He spoke with Penny and Ducky about it and didn't know whether to be happy or conflicted when both seemed to think it was a good idea. Penny teased him that they'd have to plan it on a calendar so they wouldn't be there at the same time but he wasn't worried about that. He decided to wait until he was back out in the field and probably after the wedding to make any decisions.

As Gibbs predicted, when the quarterly awards were given by the Department of Defense Vance announced in an 'All Hands' meeting that three of the Athens team members had been awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award while the fourth, Agent Bec Childers had been awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Award. He quipped that the team was currently so busy they weren't even aware of their award status and he hoped to catch up with them in the following weeks. When he read the names of the team, Gibbs beamed like the proud papa and friend he was and there was so much applause and cheering by everyone there that Vance had to stop for a full minute. He was very glad the meeting was being recorded so the Athens team could enjoy their accolades.

By mid-October the Kalivas' had returned from their trip, moved into their new 'grandparents' unit and ordered the furniture they wanted for the Piraeus house. Nicolas, Margaret and the boys were doing fine in the big house and Margaret was happy with a kitchen renovation that Damian designed for her. Nicolas was a bit puzzled when Margaret expressed further unhappiness with Hélène; this time it seemed the problem was that Margaret's mother-in-law was far too busy to help her with anything. Nicolas, having learned some difficult lessons over the last few months, wisely nodded and sympathized with his wife.

Damian and Lina presented the paint color scheme they'd developed to the Parents and Grands and they loved it. Damian arranged for a painter he'd worked with on other projects to do the painting at the house and was very pleased with the results. The furniture arrived the last week of October along with Davos and Hélène. They enjoyed putting everything to rights in their new shared home away from home. Lina spent a few hours with them one day, dropping off a large painting she'd done as a surprise for the combined family. She had intended it for the room off the kitchen but that was now a dining area, so the painting ended up in the family room where Hélène thought they'd spend more time.

While everyone was busy with cases, wedding preparations and the house, changes were quietly happening amongst the unarmed members of NCIS: Athens. During a brief break between cases, Eva shyly told them she was four months pregnant and blushed as her co-workers expressed their happiness for her and Caleb. A month later, Kim announced that she and Evander were buying a home, a house in the same neighborhood as Tim and Lina. It wasn't as large as theirs and it needed some cosmetic work but it was a great neighborhood and close to work for both of them. When Lina heard, she e-mailed the parents and grands, knowing they'd be pleased that their real estate agent had reaped the rewards of his hard work for them. When Kim and Evander finally moved into their new home, Eva and Caleb moved into their former apartment as it was much larger, had two bedrooms and best of all, an elevator. Despite everyone's hectic schedules, both moves were handled by the 'move' crew.

When Ducky heard about Eva's pregnancy, he wrote Tim and Lina that Eva and Caleb's baby would be very close in age to the Palmers' expected little one. Jimmy and Breena told Ducky and Maisie after the wedding that they were expecting a baby of their own, due in February. Ethan and Stevie were excited although the toddler was really too young to understand. The adoption process for the two boys was steaming ahead and it looked like it would be finalized shortly before the Kalivas -McGee wedding. If not, the Palmers had already received permission from the court to take the boys with them to Greece.

The first of November was a Saturday and the NCIS team had the weekend off. Lina asked her brother, Matt and Trina over so they could finally get a clear idea where they stood with the wedding preparations. She knew the RSVPs were arriving but she'd lost track of how many acceptances they'd had. Trina arrived with a surprise, the painting Tim requested shortly after Gibbs' arrival, a portrait of Tim, Gibbs and Tony. On each side of the background of the painting there was a wall with a miniature painting of Ziva and Kate. Tim stared at it with tears in his eyes, "That's perfect Trina, thank you so much! I'm going to put it in my office."

While the others got started, Tim disappeared with the painting and they heard him hammering. Trina looked at Lina, "Pete says that's going to hang in the Director's office someday." Lina just smiled and nodded quietly.

They made quick work of the wedding task list; to Lina's great joy she found the number of declines was quite small. As predicted Dwayne Wilson had declined as had the McGee siblings' friend Lu but nearly everyone else from the U.S. that they'd invited had accepted, including, to Lina's great surprise, her benefactor from the art gallery in New Orleans.

Overall the group found that the only critical thing left, to Lina's horror, was the bridal couple's trip to Aegina to meet their celebrant. With everything going on, the couple had completely forgotten. When Tim returned to the group he was told and he grimaced, they needed to get that done. He called Papas Theo right away and they arranged to meet him the next day. It wasn't what either of them had planned for Sunday but the office was on call the following weekend and neither wanted to take personal days; their lives were chaotic enough right now.

On Sunday they caught the earliest ferry to the island and attended services in Agioi Apostoloi, the chapel where they would be married and afterward met with Papas Theo. He was older than Jakob and Tim found him both mellower and more intimidating. He questioned them closely about their counseling and attendance at services. Lina had been attending faithfully since Gibbs' visit and when Tim was home, he went with her. The man seemed to understand that. When he asked about their individual faith, both answered truthfully and he was pleased with their honesty. He asked them to stay for lunch with him and that was a unique experience.

After, they rode the hotel shuttle to the ferry intent on getting home but Tim caught Lina's wrist as they disembarked from the small bus.

"Hang on, sweetie. We've been on the run for months now, we haven't even had a date night in weeks, why don't we spend the rest of the day here and relax? It could be my birthday celebration."

She agreed and the two of them resolutely put aside thoughts of the many things that needed their attention back on the mainland and spent the afternoon enjoying being together.

They strolled through the main street of the small town, stopping for an ice cream along the way and then sat on a bench eating their delicious treat, licking their fingers and wiping each other's faces when they were done. They sat for a few more minutes quietly talking and people watching and then continued their ramble, hand in hand. The pottery shop was open and they popped in to look. Lina fell in love with what she called 'a sweet little vase' and smiling, Tim took it to the cashier. Then she found salt and pepper shakers and little condiment bowls that would go nicely with the dishes he'd purchased here nearly a year ago and those had to come home with them as well. While the clerk, not the same man Tim remembered, wrapped everything, Tim spotted a dolphin in what he thought of as "Lina's colors" and they purchased that as well, planning to hang it outside. That required more wrapping and double bagging while the smaller purchases went into a second and just as large paper bag with handles. Lina grinned when they left the shop, "Good, there's lots more room in this bag!" Tim laughed as they headed for the next shop. The bag was easily filled after finding a new shirt for Tim in colors that Lina said complemented his eyes, silly matching tee shirts for the two of them, a beautiful lacy blouse that Tim insisted on buying for Lina when he saw her eyes on it, and new sandals, on sale, for both of them. Tim surreptitiously took photos of a large multi-dimensional frame they liked hoping either Davos or Gibbs could make a similar one for them. After finding beach toys for the triplets' first birthday which was coming up soon, they bought two baby bibs with graphics of the island, one for Eva's baby and one for the Palmers' and then smiling at each other, threw in a third for their future child. Some little souvenirs of the island also came home with them, to be added to the gifts for their attendants.

The month started flying by at near warp speed. Tim's birthday and the anniversary of Tim and Lina's first meeting were quietly celebrated while Cammy, Jase and Will's first birthday with the extended family was a somewhat noisier affair. All too quickly, they were only a week out from the arrival of their guests from the U.S. and UK. The big house was ready and the host homes with a spare bed or two confirmed and ready. With the addition of 6 bedrooms in the new place and the private rooms available throughout the NCIS extended family, the only one who needed a hotel room in Piraeus for the Saturday and Sunday nights would be Taylor Ganier, Lina's art gallery friend and benefactor. Everyone else would stay those two nights either at the big house or at their assigned host home. Matt had it all mapped out and everyone was aware of who they were hosting or staying with. The Russells would have the Vances, the Hubbard kids and Emily Fornell. Rob, Sarah and James were staying with Tim and Lina along with the Palmers. The Cranes and the Hubbard adults were staying with the Parents and Grands at the new place. The others were scattered between the rest of the extended family and Mr. Ganier was in fact offered a spot at Damian and Matt's but after graciously thanking them, opted for the hotel room.

The hotel rooms on Aegina were organized as well. For awhile Matt had toyed with the idea of having all the kids stay together – girls in one room, boys in another but Trina had nixed that idea. In all, 49 of the 55 available rooms, including the suite, were booked for the wedding and Tim sincerely hoped that any guests not connected with the wedding had been warned.

At the request of the U.S. passengers who wanted a full week in Greece, the charter flight was leaving Friday from DC, landing at Gatwick in London early Saturday morning to pick up Sarah, James and Rob. It would then continue on to Athens. Courtesy of Penny, limos along with Damian, Geordie, Matt and Evander would meet the passengers and transport them to wherever they were staying. There was a group dinner Saturday evening that originally had been planned for the Russells' home, but there were just too many people so they'd called the owner of the Flying Pig who was more than happy to once again open up the back room for his favorite customers. Sunday morning the limos would gather them again and transport them to the ferry. Once they reached the island, the hotel would send extra shuttles to the ferry landing to transport them and the luggage to the hotel. Tim and Lina would also be in that first group, giving them the week to relax and spend time with their guests. The Russells, minus Pete and plus Ross, would join them at some point Sunday afternoon. Others would be flying and ferrying in throughout the week but by Friday night everyone from both families and the NCIS: Athens group would be there.

Tim had thrown caution to the wind and invited the other three European Team Leads and the staff he knew to the wedding which caused some private discussion amongst the three SAICs. In the end it was a relatively easy choice as Roger volunteered Marseille for an extended on-call that weekend, starting Friday morning so that Joel, Lydia, Stan and of course Pete could attend the wedding. If multiple cases came in, they'd deal with them with Athens being called in last.

Ziva had responded and would be arriving on the island Thursday afternoon. Malachi had also been invited but told Tim via text that he wouldn't know until the last minute whether he could attend. Colonel Martin, his wife and the Ambassador would attend but wouldn't be staying over. They, along with Ted and his wife Doria and Jack and his girlfriend would be traveling to and from the island on Saturday via private boat.

Lina's sister Chloe and her children would arrive Sunday afternoon; husband Peter would travel with Nicolas, Margaret and their children later in the week. And of course Hélène and Davos would be in the first group traveling to Aegina, they didn't want to miss a second of the fun.

But all of that was still a week off. Tim prayed to whoever might be listening for a case-free week, two weeks, well really four because he didn't want his team having to take on cases while he was in New Orleans. Then he was ashamed of that thought, they were certainly more than capable of handling anything that came at them.

The week of course dragged its feet. They'd been on call over the weekend, with no call outs. On Monday and Tuesday they had 2 cases called in but both were false alarms as far as Navy or Marine connections; one was a case for the Athens PD and the second one wasn't a case at all. They worked cold cases and caught up with what seemed like thousands of reports.

Lina was just as anxious as Tim. They were all ready; their wedding apparel and everyone else's was ready. The gifts for their attendants were wrapped and ready to go. The marjoram plants would be transported in their pots, to be clipped and woven into the crowns the morning of the wedding. The frame and ribbon work of their crowns was ready. The old dishes had gone over to Aegina with Lina and Tim the day they met with Papas Theo, and were stored at the hotel. Their trip to New Orleans was all set, they only had to come home Sunday and pack different clothes – and those were ready too.

Laughing at themselves for being overachievers, they spent the evenings floating in the pool, trying their best to relax. They had a few surprises for their parents and the grands, but those were over at the big house…ready.

By Wednesday, Tim found he was so restless at work that he took his laptop and phone out into the garden, not wanting to disturb the others. Pete joined him late in the afternoon, bringing coffee with him. "A little anxious?"

Tim huffed, "Something like that yeah. We've been scrambling for months and now we're ready but the calendar isn't."

His friend smiled, "Be patient, it'll be here soon enough and then it will go so fast you'll wonder what happened." He had a wistful look as Tim patted the empty chair next to him and the man sat down.

"What's gone so fast?"

"Everything!"

Tim agreed, "Yeah seems to go faster every year."

Pete made a face, "Yes! And I don't think time slows down until you're dead. So don't push for faster, Timothy. Before you know it you'll have kids and in 5 minutes they'll be finishing school and leaving home. Your career, your bread-winning years will be over in 10 minutes and you'll wonder where the hell the time went."

"Pete…you trying to tell me something?"

"Not personally, no. Just…don't rush things and enjoy your life as you go along." He paused, "Poking my nose into your personal business, but for a good reason. You two planning on starting your family soon?"

Tim nodded. "Yes, probably next year. We'd like at least our eldest child to be born in Greece."

"Well, you'll have a few years for that but if you're planning on next year, then I could stick around until the baby's past the scary stage."

"The scary stage?"

"Yeah, I was terrified I was going to drop or inadvertently hurt my kids until they were about three or four months old. They're so tiny and helpless."

Tim swallowed, "Huh, well yeah then, I'd appreciate not having to take on a new job and a 'scary' new baby at the same time."

"Won't be a new job, you're already doing it, but yeah, it'll be different having the desk in the corner office. I was terrified the first few months after Leon left."

"You're still here; you must have handled things ok."

"Yeah, I lucked out."

Tim laughed outright. "Pete, that's exactly what you're always telling me not to do, knock myself down! You're a great investigator, leader and agent, stop talking like that!"

"Guess I should set a good example, huh?"

"Please!"

They changed the subject and Pete told his friend stories about his courtship of Trina and their wedding.

Tim laughed again when he finished, "So that's why you two, and the Hofstadlers, decided Lina and I were ready for the altar two minutes after we met!"

"Yep."

"Should have told me."

"Didn't want to scare you – or encourage you to be too hasty."

Tim was about to make a comment when Kim popped her head out the door, "Hey you two, we're ready to declare this very long day a done deal. You going to be out here for awhile?"

Pete jumped out of his chair, "Heck no, Ms Kim, we're out of here, aren't we Tim?" Tim was already closing down his laptop, gathering his papers and coffee mug.

The next day was Thursday so they at least had class and the pub that evening. The hours crept by but the clock did eventually move. Class was fine, George's four students were back on the same level again much to everyone's relief and they were happy to have something to concentrate on. Tonight was their last class and pub dinner before the wedding. Geordie didn't join them that evening; he was pulling extra duty so he could have more time off for the wedding. They weren't quite their usual boisterous selves but still managed to enjoy the meal and the company. Before they left Tim stopped to speak with the hostess to confirm that everything was set for the large gathering Saturday night.


	118. Chapter 118

FH, CH 118

Friday morning, Tim set up a reminder on his phone for filing their marriage registration after they returned from New Orleans. They had 40 days after their wedding to file it so they should be fine. The work day passed quickly as Tim prepared to be away from the office for the next couple of weeks. Friday evening was a whirlwind of last minute preparations: washing, cleaning and packing.

Just before midnight Friday Tim received a text from Gibbs to let him know that their flight was in the air from DC, they were over the Atlantic already and how cool it was to have the jet all to themselves. Tim and Lina were just back from their run Saturday morning when they heard from Uncle Jim that they had landed at Gatwick outside London, picked up their passengers and were just waiting their turn to get back in the air.

When the jet landed in Athens a few hours later, Tim and Lina were there, outside of Customs with Damian, Matt, Geordie and Evander. The passengers filed through Customs and then there was a mad rush at the bridal couple. They hugged and kissed or shook hands; at times not even sure whose hand they were shaking or hugging and kissing and they made sure the children were not left out although Callum, Ainsley, Kayla, Jared and Emily seemed to have matured greatly in the months since they'd last seen them in person. And while Stevie Palmer was a little shy, his brother Ethan remembered them very well.

Finally the space in front of them cleared to reveal a single man and a couple. Lina smiled as she welcomed her art gallery benefactor, Taylor Ganier, to Greece. And then Tim grinned in surprise because behind Ganier were Joel Morris, from the London office, and his wife! They'd decided late Thursday to take the week off and spend it on Aegina. They'd contacted James who'd told them to join them at Gatwick Saturday morning; Sarah sent a text to Geordie who in turn let Damian and Matt know their extra room would be occupied after all. And all of them had kept the Morrises early arrival a surprise for Tim. After hugging his former project manager, Joel beamed when he was introduced to Lina. "I'm so pleased to meet you, Melina. Pete has been keeping me updated on your courtship for months now."

His wife Carol rolled her eyes and poked him but he just laughed. Damian and Matt also welcomed them, telling them they would be their hosts for the night and on their return from the island.

The first vehicle left with the Athens group and then continued on to Piraeus while the second one went straight to Piraeus. While Matt joined the limo passengers, Damian had two errands to handle at the airport. The first was to retrieve the oversized items that Gibbs brought with him and stash them in his SUV. The second was to meet his parents' flight and then drive them to the big house where the oversized items would be dropped off along with his parents. On the way his father told him at least three times that the items were to remain a secret from Melina and Timotheos, even Matt. Damian had no idea why Gibbs would have made what looked like roughed out single bed headboards and hauled them across the Atlantic but he figured his parents and Gibbs were up to something and once again he'd just keep quiet, wait and see.

By early afternoon, everyone had been dropped off at his or her respective dwelling for the night; they would be picked up again that evening for transport to and from the Flying Pig. Taylor Ganier had already made plans for the evening, so he wouldn't be attending the pub dinner. Carol Morris hadn't been sure she and Joel should go but neither of them could resist seeing the now famous pub or the entire Athens team and Tim's large family. Carol had been at the "Zero Bugs" luncheon in London and remembered Tim as a quiet man, perhaps a little shy and had been told of his difficult past. She knew there had been changes in his life as far as his family, but was astounded when they boarded the jet to find so many people related to the former orphan.

Tim and Lina had driven Tim's car to the airport and caught up with their guests at the house as they were getting out of the limo, waving to Tobias and Rick Carter who were staying at Kim and Evander's new place a few blocks away. Once everyone had taken their luggage to their rooms, they gathered downstairs for snacks and beverages. Then they went for a walk to stretch their legs and get some fresh air, Tim leading them up the hill and over a street to show them Kim and Evander's place. After that the four Palmers headed upstairs to their room to crash. The climate control dome was installed over the pool so Tim, Lina, Rob, Sarah and James swam while the Palmers slept.

Ethan was the first of the Palmers to awaken. He remembered where he was and quietly left the room, padding downstairs. As he stepped onto the main floor, he heard some strange noises, almost like echoes. He was a little frightened but knew he was safe, his parents were upstairs and Tim and Lina were here somewhere. He followed the noise to the backyard and stood looking in awe at the dome. He could see people inside, they waved to him and he waved back, watched them some more and then went back inside. He thought it might be ok to go in the dome but he'd better ask Mom or Dad first. He knew Tim and Lina, and Sarah, James and Rob from the plane, but they weren't his parents and he'd learned that he needed to ask now; he didn't have to figure everything out for himself anymore. There was food out on the counter in the kitchen; he helped himself and then sat at the counter eating and drinking a glass of lemonade. He liked that, the food was good; it wasn't all funny tasting like he'd been afraid of because it was a foreign country. And the lemonade was really good. He looked around the house. It looked a little different from their place at home, but it had a couch and chairs like they did, a TV like theirs and some stuff on the walls like they did. It didn't look so different, not like Mars or something really weird.

He saw a photo on a bookshelf that was just like one they had at home. It was a picture with his dad, Uncle Tim, Uncle Gibbs, his Grandfa and one of the guys from the plane, Tony, and two pretty ladies. He liked the wood thing on the wall and pulled a chair over to stand on so he could look at it. It said "Family" and a funny looking word and had a bunch of names on it, some he recognized: Sarah, Rob, Gibbs, Ducky and Maisie. That was cool, he wished his new family could have something like this; maybe he'd ask Tim where he got it and he could surprise his parents when the baby was born. Yeah, that would be fun!

Then he heard steps on the stairs and his little brother chattering; he quickly jumped down from the chair and put it back at the table before his dad and Stevie entered the room. Dad was carrying one of the packs and asked if he wanted to go swimming while Mom slept. They changed in the bathroom downstairs and went out to the dome. Ethan liked this place, it was fun!

After everyone but Breena had had a swim some of them rinsed off outside while Jimmy and the kids took showers. Jimmy let Breena sleep as long as possible, knowing pregnancy plus jet lag was a tough challenge. He finally woke her up when Lina told him she was going to start getting ready in a few minutes and she thought Breena might also want a shower.

Everyone was ready and hungry again by the time the limo showed up. Kim and Evander were driving their own car, Rick and Tobias riding with them; they honked and waved as they drove by as the others were getting into the limo.

Retrieving the adults at the Russells - Pete had all the kids in their wagon - and Dani's they continued to the big house, stopping long enough for everyone to climb out and take a quick look through the new place, oohing and aahing at everything. The residents laughed as the other vehicles had already stopped by for their own tours. Finally they arrived at the Flying Pig just as the rest of the group walked into the pub.

As spacious as the back room was, it was nearly at capacity with the crowd that night. Tea and Adan, Eva and Caleb joined the newcomers, delighted to meet the rest of Tim's family and some of the friends they'd only heard about. Ned and Rick had a wonderful time meeting everyone they'd been hearing Gibbs and Maggie talk about and Tobias just sat back and shook his head at what the kid had done in just a year. Pete noticed and the two of them spent quite a while talking about their friend Timothy.

Like Tobias, Joel and Carol were again blown away by the family and friends Tim had gathered in such a short time. Joel was also happy to see that James was very comfortable with Lina and Tim's family, who treated him as if he was already married to Sarah and he was quite interested to see that the mystery brother Geordie was in attendance and seemed to be accompanying Bec Childers, Athens' female junior agent.

Davos and Hélène were in seventh heaven, enjoying meeting everyone they hadn't yet met and gathering together like this. They were very happy to meet Joel and Carol as well as Leon Vance; the Director was happy to see how affectionately Matt and Tim were regarded and how healthy Matt looked after his close call.

Gibbs just looked at everyone and thought how great it was to be ho…back here again. He and the senior Kalivas' had spent some time catching up this afternoon and Hélène noticed how happy Tim's papa was to be here. She told Davos she was sure their friend was going to end up living here. He nodded his agreement, hoping they were right.

Eva and Breena were conversing about their pregnancies, comparing miseries, ultrasounds, weight gain and due dates while Caleb and Jimmy smiled at each other and talked archeology, a topic Jimmy had taken an interest in after hearing Dr. Mallard talk about it for years. Wisely, neither said a word about food cravings, mood swings, morning sickness or swollen ankles.

The kids had their own table and were having a great time. Ducky was beaming at his family, looking at his grandchildren with pride. It was just a year ago that he'd met with Maisie and found out about Lily and now here they all were: he and his love were finally married and had this wonderful family.

Vance sat back and observed his agents, their co-workers and the family en masse. He'd noticed something in Gibbs's eyes when they got off the plane today, almost a relief, like one would feel coming home after being away. He thought about that and realized that he could visualize Gibbs living over here while Tim and Lina were here. He'd miss him around the office, he would admit that but he knew that was coming in the next year or so anyway. He'd miss the man himself, not just his work; the two of them had become friends somewhere along the way. He wondered how DiNozzo would feel about Gibbs living over here and then looking at the man saw that he was so involved in listening to Maggie that he didn't seem to notice anything else. He huffed, he knew that look. He'd seen it on Pete's face listening to Trina, on Tim's listening to Lina and knew it had been on his face for the too few years he'd had with Jackie. Determined not to give in to the ever present tendrils of grief tonight, he moved his thoughts along to his offices here in Europe. Joel wanted to come home, he'd been in London for 5 years and he and Carol wanted to get home to the States, take a posting there. Lydia, Joel's SFA had also expressed a desire to move home and she, along with Tim and Maggie, would be part of the new crop of Team Leaders in the next year or so as positions opened up. He thought about giving Joel's spot to Maggie and then wondered where DiNozzo would go. He could be SFA somewhere, but not in London or Athens, he could not work with Maggie and Vance wouldn't do that to either McGee or DiNozzo, establishing that friendship had been too hard fought a battle for both men. Besides, Pete hadn't said anything about retiring in months now, not since right after Bagram. He wondered if Paul, Roger's SFA, would want to move to London and thought he'd talk to Roger although he wasn't sure Paul was the right person for the London SFA spot. Now Rota…he was interrupted by Pete, "You're wearing your 'I'm building my empire' look, Leon."

Vance snorted; here was another one he'd miss when he retired, this friend who knew him all too well. Before Pete, he hadn't really been friends with any of his teammates or co-workers. Friendly, sure, but not friends. Ah well, best he should put his 'empire building' away for now and enjoy the evening.

The Flying Pig had gone all out for this dinner. They'd worked with Tim and Lina to present a fixed menu which was then sent to the attendees. Everyone had made their choices a month ago and had been given a chance to change last week. With all that done ahead of time, Joel and his wife were the only unknowns; there was no confusion, each person had a name tag on a little stand that they put at their place setting when they came to the table and the servers easily found them. Gibbs was ribbed mercilessly for his beer list, mostly by Tony who hadn't thought to establish one when he'd been here in March and he hadn't known about Tim's. Jethro and Davos spent some time comparing notes on their lists and then demanded to see Tim's. He handed it over with a bit of a blush as it was almost as long as the beer menu.

No one who'd been to the pub with the group before was horribly surprised when George and his brother Dimitri knocked and then came into the room. Tim looked around the table and caught the twinkle in Pete's eye, yep, he'd done it. That was fine, the brothers had met everyone along the way, why not the whole crowd at once? Both were coming to the wedding, but that was different. When the Deputy Chief was introduced to Vance, Tim didn't mention he was the Director of NCIS. But Dimitri looked at him, sized him up and then looked around the room. "So how many work for this man?" He gestured to Leon and then laughed at the number of hands that went up. "Ah, you are the head of the agency then?" When Vance answered in Greek, Dimitri's eyes gleamed as he started telling him about his wonderful agents. George, after meeting those he didn't know and greeting those he did breathed a long suffering sigh and begging their pardon once again eventually dragged his brother out of the room.

It was fairly late when they finally climbed back into their assorted rides and left for their rooms for the night. Late enough for the jet lagged younger children to be carried by their fathers and friends to their rides and then to their rooms.

As late as it had been, Rob and Tim were up early the next morning, preparing breakfast for their crowd. Kim and Evander wouldn't be joining them on the island until Friday, so Kim brought Rick and Tobias and their luggage over to Tim and Lina's. The two men wanted to help with breakfast but were instead enjoying their coffee on the patio as the weather was warm today, unusually warm for the end of November; Tim could only hope it would continue through the week and their wedding weekend.

By the time breakfast was ready, Lina, the Palmers, Sarah and James were up and dressed and ready to eat. Breakfast was served buffet style to save time and dishes were whisked away as quickly as someone finished eating. James and Sarah took point on the kitchen cleanup and had the dishwasher running and everything else done in no time. Lina and Tim disappeared upstairs and started hauling their luggage downstairs. Rick and Tobias helped while the bridal couple made double- triple sure they had their wedding garments and everything they needed. The marjoram was in a large sturdy box and Rick offered to take responsibility for that, privately wondering why live plants were so important at a wedding. When Tim started laughing at the careful expression on Rick's face the others looked puzzled until Lina explained about the broken dishes and transporting them to the island and the reason for the marjoram plants.

As they were going out the front door Lina asked Tim if he had his ginger root and seabands. He didn't and ran out to the garage to get them from his go bag. When he returned, the limo was just pulling into the driveway and he pulled Lina in for a kiss, "Thank you, LinaMelina, you might have had a very sick husband on your hands!"

Everything was loaded in and off they went to pick up the others before they reached the ferry. When they stopped at the big house, the parents and grands joined them and the first thing Ducky asked was if Tim had his ginger and seabands with him. Tim told him what had happened and Ducky chuckled, "No matter!" as he pulled extras out of his pocket. Gibbs gave a snort as he pulled more of the items out of his pocket and with a blush, Rob did the same.

Rick and Tobias had been very surprised when Tim and Lina had climbed out of the limo at the big house and kissed the grands, Lina's parents and Gibbs good morning. Not just Lina, Tim kissed Gibbs too, Gibbs kissed him back and ruffled his hair. And they were really curious about the close friendship Gibbs seemed to have with Lina's parents.

When Tobias said something to Rob, he chuckled, "When Gibbs was here for his birthday, Davos and Hélène were here for most of his first week. The three of them were looking for a house – this house - and I think Davos and Gibbs built something together too. I know Davos brought all his hand tools down from Thessaloniki for Gibbs to use while he was here and he's left them at the house."

Sarah added, "It's a jewelry armoire, they built it for Lina, but it's from Tim, he and Gibbs finished it together. And nearly everyone here worked on building a workbench for Gibbs to use when he's in town. It's in the pool shed but they're going to move it over here soon because Tim is…" She snapped her mouth shut as she'd been about to reveal a secret of her brother's.

Rick felt a deep satisfaction with all this, so happy for Tim that he was finally getting what he needed from Gibbs and happy for his colleague as well.

The second limo pulled up as they were offloading the first one onto the ferry. Lina's wedding dress, which was hung in a full length opaque garment bag on loan from Archimedes, was carefully stowed in a little room behind the snack counter where it could hang unimpeded. By the time the ferry blew its whistle, ready to sail, everyone who had been expected this morning was aboard. Mr. Ganier would join them on Friday as he had business in Athens; Damian and Matt, Bec and Geordie, Pete and the office staff were working through Thursday and would join them Friday morning. While Trina planned to bring her children over later today, Emily Fornell, the Hubbard and Vance kids were on the ferry with their parents this morning.

The ride over was calm and warm; nearly everyone spent it on the top deck glued to the railings, looking out at the ocean, hoping to spot a dolphin or even a whale. The exceptions were Breena and Stevie who had found comfortable seats inside and were asleep again. Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim admitted that it felt a little strange to be passengers on a ship rather than her commanding officers. When the captain of the ferry heard of their rank in the Navy, he offered each a 'turn at the wheel'. When Dave started to decline, Jim saw an opportunity for the children and so while the two officers were on the bridge, Ethan, Callum, Ainsley, Jared, Kayla and Emily took turns at the wheel. Jimmy woke Stevie up and Uncle Jim held him while he too had his turn. Photos were taken of each of them as they 'captained' the ferry.

Rob spotted the shuttles waiting for them as the ferry pulled into the dock. The deckhands hauled all the luggage from the hold up onto the pier and Rob and James scrambled down the gangplank to make sure the right luggage was stowed on the shuttles. There weren't many but there had been a few ferry passengers aboard not part of the Kalivas-McGee group. Once everything was stowed and everyone was aboard a shuttle, they left the dock and slowly trundled their way to the Hotel Danae. Within minutes, they were climbing out, sorting the luggage and heading into the hotel lobby. They were checked in with a minimum of chaos and once in their rooms, most of the visitors from the U.S. decided to unpack and take a well deserved nap.


	119. Chapter 119

FH, CH 119

Sunday

By midday Sunday, most of the U.S. visitors were awake, unpacked and met with the others in the lobby. They had a quick tour of the hotel facilities (pool, hot tub, tennis court, indoor taverna, poolside bar, café and restaurant) and after Tim and Lina joined them, went into the more casual café for lunch. While they had been settling in that morning, Hélène sent out invitations to everyone already there or expected to arrive by Wednesday, asking them to join in a Greek pre-wedding tradition Wednesday evening, a ritual called "Starting the Leaven". The Kalivas' would be hosting a party immediately after.

After lunch, the group split up again. Jim Hubbard, teasing his kids, said he thought they'd just stay at the hotel this afternoon, maybe take a swim. "You know, because we have an ocean at home, what's so different about this one? And really, we should catch up on our sleep."

Ainsley's eyes opened wide, "Dad! We're in Greece and it's warm when it's not supposed to be, that's clearly a sign we should be at the beach. We can sleep on the way home!"

Callum nodded, looking sadly at his father, "You always love the beach, why don't you want to go to this one?"

Jim chuckled and the kids figured it out. "Dad!"

Claire laughed, "All right you two, your father is teasing; of course we're going to the beach! Let's stop wasting time and get our stuff together!"

Sarah was nearby and happened to hear; grinning, she shook her head at her uncle. "Don't they know when you're teasing?"

"I thought so, sure got them this time, didn't I?"

Sarah laughed as she pulled her cousins in for a hug, "I can remember being teased when we were your age, usually Tim and Geordie would gang up on us. We always fell for it, I'd get mad and Rob would start to get upset and then they'd laugh and we'd know." The kids giggled.

The Cranes had decided to see the island via a small tour bus, complete with a guide, which would pick them up at the hotel. The Kalivas', Rick Carter and Penny joined them while the Vances, most of the Palmers and the Fornells joined the Hubbards on the beach. Breena was still very tired so Jimmy took their kids to the shore while she stayed poolside, enjoying an afternoon to herself.

Tim and Lina talked about taking the tour or going to the beach, but the weather was so beautiful and the water so enticing they didn't want to pass it up. Ultimately they decided to go sailing and asked Gibbs to go with them. When he told them that Ned was also an accomplished sailor he was promptly invited. Tony and Maggie mentioned at lunch that they were renting jet skis and the 6 of them took the shuttle down to the marina.

Shortly after everyone had dispersed, Trina and her tribe, including Ross, arrived, climbed on the shuttle to the hotel and within an hour were back on it heading to the beach.

At some point in the last few months Uncle Damian had introduced niece Alexis to the Russell kids on Skype and when they boarded the ferry in Piraeus that morning, she'd spotted Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Luka and Ross and made a beeline for them. So when the Russells headed to the beach after checking into the hotel, they were accompanied by Alexis, her mother Chloe and brother Tad.

Emily Fornell, the Hubbard and Vance kids were glad to see their friends again, pulled Ethan Palmer right in with them and were happy to meet Alexis and Tad. The group of 14 kids, ages ranging from 3 to 16, had a wonderful afternoon. Their parents were impressed with the way the older kids watched out for the younger ones while Jim, Rob, James and Sarah joined in the watery fun and kept eagle eyes on all of the children.

Too little to play in the deeper water with the older kids, Stevie and Tad quickly made friends, playing in the wavelets at the shore and making a sand castle with Stevie's dad, Tad's mom and some of the other adults. Occasionally Ethan, Alexis or one of the other kids would take a break and come in to play with them.

By early evening, the sun's heat was beginning to weaken and the beach-goers were out of the water, drying off and starting to pack up for the ride back to the hotel. At the marina, Maggie and Tony brought their jet skis in and headed for the shuttle. Out in the bay, the sailors maneuvered for their return to the marina. Once the boat slipped into its berth, they tied up, lowered the sails, gathered their belongings and also walked in the direction of the shuttle stop. Tim smiled as they saw the other two waiting. "I see we have good timing! Was it fun?"

Tony responded, "Oh yeah, it was awesome! I've been jet skiing in Long Island Sound and off the coast of Florida but this is far more open and fewer boats; seeing the island from out there was really something. How was the sailing? That's so cool that you can do that now."

"Yeah, it is cool – Lina and Gibbs took me out when he was here in September and I loved it but we haven't had a chance to get back out there again. It was great out there today, enough of a breeze but pretty smooth."

"And you did ok?"

Lina smiled proudly, "He did more than ok, he had the wheel for quite awhile."

Gibbs nodded his agreement while Ned just grinned; he'd had more fun in the last three days than he'd had in a long time. He wondered if they needed any more agents in the office here. He thought there might be a change coming up with Maggie and noticing how happy Gibbs had been on the flight over and the last couple of days, wondered if he was also thinking of making a change, maybe retiring? He mentally shrugged; he'd wait and see, maybe let Gibbs know he'd be interested in a foreign posting once he was a little more seasoned.

Maggie smiled, happy for their friend and patted Tim on his arm while Tony commented, "It was a great day and there's lots to come! So what's everyone doing for dinner tonight?"

Tim laughed, "Poolside cocktails and meze first, then we'll talk about dinner!"

As they spotted the mob of beach-goers approaching, Ned said "Glad we got in when we did, gonna be standing room only on the shuttle!"

Once they got on, Stevie sat on Jimmy's lap and Tad on Chloe's so everyone had a seat until the shuttle stopped in town to pick up Ducky and Maisie. Tim and James gave up their seats so their grandparents could sit. As they got off the bus and walked into the hotel lobby, James felt more than one pat on his shoulder. He thought that was weird as he knew any of the others would have gotten up; it was just that they'd been the closest. He mentally shrugged; he enjoyed being part of the McGee family and figured it would come as no surprise when he asked Sarah to marry him at Christmas. She'd let him know that she felt no big news should happen before Tim's wedding, so he hadn't popped the question yet. He had the ring already; after discussing it with his mother and finding there were no heritage rings from the Powells or his mother's family, he remembered the conversation Sarah's Gram had with her months ago. So he contacted Sarah's grandmothers and the three of them, James, Gram and Penny, had managed a couple of stealth Skype sessions during which the women had shown him three rings. He picked one that was perfect for Sarah, only to find out it had belonged to Lily McGee, much to the delight of the older women. Gram Maisie brought it with her in June and managed to get it to him without anyone noticing; she'd already had it cleaned so he had it sized and tucked it safely away.

Back in the room he was sharing with Rick, Gibbs sighed with pleasure as he stepped into a steamy hot shower. Sailing had been great, Tim had really done well and the four of them had made a good crew. Of course he'd loved spending the day with his kids and it gave him an opportunity to get to know Ned a little better on a personal basis. Ever observant, he'd noticed how happy his junior agent had been since they boarded the charter jet back in DC and how interested he was in the stories Tim, Leon, Pete and Joel told about working overseas. Gibbs told Tim months ago that Ned Dorneget would be one of the first in the volunteer pool, but now he thought maybe he wanted more than that, maybe he aspired to a posting overseas. He made a mental note to ask the young man at some point. He was a fine agent, his overlong apprenticeship had served him well as he learned more than most young agents about the agency's inner workings while his fellow agents took it upon themselves to make sure the team-less man further developed his investigative, shooting and self-defense skills.

Gibbs realized that as tired as he was right now, his new knee was doing fine. He'd noticed a hot tub when he was here in September with Davos and Hélène, now he thought he might sit in that for awhile later tonight. He was having dinner with the kids tonight, when he'd asked Lina if he should wear a suit she'd said no, to dress casually but that the suit would be great for the party on Wednesday. He wasn't quite sure who else was joining them for dinner, he thought probably anyone who wanted to come along and then Monday morning there'd be a brunch with the McGee-Hubbard-Mallard clan. In the meantime, he was looking forward to drinks and mezes out by the pool.

To Lina's surprise, Uncle Ariston and his partner Paolo had arrived during the afternoon; now she greeted her uncle with hugs and kisses and happily welcomed Paolo. Tim was pleased to meet the men who had had such a profound affect on Davos and in turn the entire Kalivas family.

The poolside party was lively and a lot of fun considering how tired most of the partygoers had to be. With just about everyone having shared their afternoon with others in the group, there was no need for 'breaking the ice'; people were already chatting as if they'd known each other for years rather than a day or in some cases, an afternoon. With the Kalivas family speaking English, there was no language barrier, although Gibbs heard some people repeating a few Greek words they'd heard. Maggie spoke a few words, a by-product of her volunteer time in Greece and she'd evidently taught Tony as Gibbs heard him say something to Chloe who beamed at him. Rick and Tobias said Evander had taught them some key words and were practicing them this evening with the others gently correcting them.

Nearly the whole crowd joined Tim and Lina for dinner. They decided to eat at the hotel restaurant so that the Palmers and Chloe could get their little guys off to bed earlier. Another benefit was that each party could charge their meals to their room which made things much easier for this tired bunch.

After dinner, Gibbs changed into his swim gear, grabbed a towel and headed for the hot tub. He had the whole thing to himself for a few minutes and then chuckled as the Mallards, Penny, Davos, Hélène, Leon and the Cranes eventually joined him. There was plenty of room and they talked quietly as their jetlagged and otherwise tired bodies relaxed. When Gibbs returned to his room he found his roomie Rick already sound asleep. He quietly went through his nightly routine and then crawled into his own bed, barely feeling his head hitting the pillow.

Tim and Lina briefly thought about the hot tub but decided to go dancing instead and asked Sarah, James and Rob to go with them. There was one club in town that was open tonight and they'd come prepared. Rob declined as he was determined to catch up on his sleep but Sarah and James eagerly accepted. By the time they had changed and were waiting for their taxi, the shuttle having shut down for the night, the hotel was quiet.

Tim chuckled, "We wore everyone out today!"

Lina smiled, "They did well considering how much jetlag they must still be feeling."

Sarah said, "Even I can feel it and we only had a four hour flight and lost an hour!"

"You guys ok? We'll probably go again later in the week if you're too tired."

James grinned, "Oh no, you owe me a club night, Mr. Gemcity!"

Tim laughed, "I'd forgotten all about that!"

Sarah shook her head, "Too bad Geordie and Bec and Damian and Matt aren't here; they'd be up for clubbing!"

"Yes and I imagine Rob, Ned, Jimmy & Breena will be later in the week and maybe Tony and Maggie."

"Chloe and Peter? Ariston and Paolo?"

"Mmm, that would be fun and perhaps we could get Mama to babysit and persuade Nicolas and Margaret to join us!"

Sarah grinned, "That'll be fun, a whole group of us!"

The four of them enjoyed their night out together, dancing and getting into the island atmosphere of the club. They didn't stay out horribly late but they were quite sure they were the last ones awake when they got back, until they spotted the small flickering light of a candle on a poolside table occupied by two shadowy shapes. It was Ariston and Paolo who'd had a midnight swim and were drying off before they turned in. They had a thermal carafe of coffee, ordered just as the kitchen closed for the night. Bidding everyone goodnight, Sarah and James went on to their room while Tim and Lina sat for a few minutes with the two men, conversing quietly and sharing the last of the coffee before the four of them called it a night.

Monday

Monday morning brought a few clouds which the Hubbard kids watched anxiously as they enjoyed their brunch. They were in town at a restaurant open only for breakfast and lunch. Uncle Dave had spotted the four waiting for the taxi the previous evening and was curious about where they'd gone.

Tim took a sip of his coffee, sighed and turned to Lina. "It's not going to work sweetie, you were right, this is too big a secret to keep."

She nodded, "All right go ahead and tell them."

Sarah and James studied their food while Rob looked puzzled, Gram and Uncle Jim looked alarmed and Penny looked interested. Gibbs took a long look at his son and knew they were about to have their proverbial legs pulled. Tim looked down and then up again, avoiding looking at his dad. "Well, all the wedding stuff just got to us, too much pressure…so we eloped last night, Sarah and James came along to witness."

Maisie and Uncle Jim's mouths dropped open while Uncle Dave frowned, Aunty Liz and Aunt Claire rolled their eyes, Penny and Gibbs bit back grins and Ducky gave in to his chuckle.

The kids looked back and forth from their cousins to their parents and the older adults. Finally Aunt Claire snorted, "Oh right! That's a good one! So what did you really do?"

The others blinked, laughed at themselves and waited for the truth. Lina laughed, "We went dancing. There's a club that was recommended to us and it was open last night."

Tim nodded, "And then we came back and had coffee on the terrace with Ariston and Paolo."

Gibbs perked up, "Coffee? How late was that?"

"Mm, about 0100."

Ainsley's eyes widened, "You were still awake at 1 AM?"

Tim smiled at her, "Yep, Ains, we live here, remember? No jet lag."

"Oh yeah. Lucky!"

Tim nodded, "No jet lag for us but Sarah and James were pretty tired." He leaned closer to the two youngsters and whispered, "They fell asleep in the taxi coming home!"

Callum giggled, "Did you have to carry them in, Tim?"

"I thought I was going to have to, Coz, but they woke up in time!"

James nodded, "I tried to talk him into carrying me anyway, Callum, I was so tired, but he wouldn't do it!"

The kids giggled at their cousins being so silly.

Afterward, most of the group returned to the hotel while Tim and Lina strolled through town with his godparents. Lina was amused to see that Uncle Dave was as enthusiastic a souvenir shopper as his godson. When she mentioned it to Aunty Liz, the woman laughed. "He's pretty good at finding good quality items though! We have artisan items from all over the world, most of them quite nice."

Lina smiled, "Tim's doing that now too, not quite from all over the world but the items he brought back from Scotland and France are a lot nicer than the ones he purchased in England while he was working there." She paused in thought, "Of course, those are mostly toys."

"Toys?"

"Trinkets or toys, yes, for his desk and the team. A miniature classic taxi from London, a tiny London Eye, a little phone box, things like that. He says those were the first souvenirs he ever bought."

Liz laughed, "That's wonderful! I suppose he was making up for not having toys as a child." Lina nodded and then pointed to something she saw in a shop window. The men, walking a little ahead, turned around in time to see Liz and Lina disappearing into a clothing store. Without a word they settled on the bench outside the shop and continued their conversation. Eventually the four wound their way to the hotel shuttle stop and returned to the hotel glad they were on a charter flight and wouldn't have to pay for excess baggage.

It was still early in the afternoon and the hotel seemed deserted. The Cranes were going to the beach for a while which meant the bridal couple would have complete privacy. They made good use of their time alone and eventually joined the others at the beach. When they looked for Rob, Sarah and James, Gibbs tilted his head, "They decided to rent jet skis." Tim tried not to look alarmed as neither of his siblings had ever been on a jet ski and he doubted James had either. Gibbs patted his shoulder, "Relax, son, they've already had a lesson and will follow strict instructions."

Tim sighed, nodded his thanks for the information and was able to enjoy the afternoon in the waves with Lina.

By 1600 everyone was out of the water and drying in the sun in preparation for the kids' dinner this evening. Tim, Lina and Gibbs were taking the kids, all the kids, into town for dinner. They weren't quite sure Stevie would want to join them but he hated being left behind when Ethan went anywhere and he was by now fast friends with Tad, so they hoped he would want to go and be comfortable with everyone. By 1800, all 14 of the kids were on the shuttle with the three adults and they were dropped off right in front of the restaurant. It was a family eatery; when Tim had contacted them about bringing in their large party he'd been startled to find they knew who they were and then realized that this many people on the island for an extended stay at this time of year would surely be noticed. He was thankful they'd decided to visit several of the restaurants in town and not just eat at the hotel.

In fact, the local business owners were very aware that there was a wedding with many foreign guests, had known since the day Tim and Lina had booked the hotel and chapel. They were very happy with the amount of sales they'd had in just one day. Although most of them were open year round, late November was well past the prime tourist season so any monies taken in now were considered a bonus. Several of the stores had re-stocked their up-market souvenirs and local crafts over the past week, hoping the wedding guests would visit their shops and so far their hopes had been realized. One of the store owners had even cleverly stocked a few wedding cards printed in English and Greek in case anyone had forgotten.

The local florist was in heaven, she'd had to do a lot of work to gather the flowers ordered for the chapel, the men's boutonnieres, the women's corsages, the bridal party flowers, the centerpieces for the family dinner on Friday night and the reception on Saturday. However she had prevailed and found everything she needed and was thankful for the business.

The restaurant had prepared one long table for their special guests and to the kids' delight they each drew a slip of paper with a seating assignment that Tim and Lina had carefully prepared. It was fun to walk around the table and see who got to sit at either end and who was sitting next to whom. The exceptions were Tad and Stevie; they sat in booster seats in between Lina and Tim with Ethan and Alexis not too far away and Gibbs anchored the opposite side of the table. The kids had a good time and enjoyed their dinner immensely; they were very well behaved and as usual the older ones kept an eye on the younger ones. Tim was happy they had a good time, and thought this was probably easier than their original plan which had been taking them all to play miniature golf. As it turned out, the one course on the island was closed for the winter.

Tuesday

Bright sunlight woke Rob Tuesday morning. Apparently he and Ned, with whom he was sharing a room, had forgotten to close the drapes last night. His roommate was still asleep so Rob quietly showered, dressed and leaving Ned a note, took his key and went downstairs to see if anyone was around for breakfast. Gibbs arrived in the lobby at the same time and they headed into the café for breakfast. Rob needed to eat and Gibbs needed coffee so there wasn't much conversation until the thermal carafe arrived with a plate of pastries, freshly baked and delivered by a local baker. Then both men relaxed and spent the time getting to know each other a little better. They were nearly through their meals when some of the others started to trickle in. They refilled their carafe, took their mugs and walked out to the terrace to enjoy their post meal beverages. Rob was happy to find Gibbs a much friendlier personality than he'd thought and Gibbs was happy to find that Rob was willing to talk about his life in London. His 'prize' year in London was nearly over but he would continue his studies and work there for the time being. Feeling comfortable with Gibbs and not wanting to worry his siblings, Rob admitted he was still thinking about transferring to Athens. With Sarah and James so involved with each other it was difficult to avoid feeling like a third wheel, not that the pair had ever done anything intentionally to make him feel that way, and this was especially true now as he and Amelia were no longer seeing each other. Although he was very busy and not particularly unhappy with his life, he missed his brothers and wanted to get to know Lina better. "And really, I don't think I can stand another winter in London. It's awful Gibbs, the wind and the cold bites right through you and it doesn't matter how many layers you have on."

"I can see that wouldn't be fun, Rob. You're set on Greece? You know if you came back to the States you could live with me."

Rob looked at him and smiled, "Thanks! That's good to know. Yeah, I remember Tim telling me months ago but um…"

"You weren't as sure of me then as you are now?" Rob nodded. "Offer's still good."

"Great! But I'm pretty much set on moving here."

"Tell you something?"

Rob nodded, "Of course."

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to do the same thing…well not medical school but I love it here and it just feels like home."

Rob grinned, "Yeah it does! So you're going to live in the big house?"

"Part-time, yeah. I'll have to coordinate with the others, seems like your grandparents – all three of them – are considering spending part of the year here."

Rob nodded, "That'll be hard on Callum and Ainsley."

"Yeah, I know your grands are keeping that in mind. If they spend the summer here, the kids and Claire could come with them or at least visit for as long as they want."

Rob laughed, "And then you could be here the rest of the year."

Gibbs' eyes twinkled, "Something like that! Penny will be here too. So really, you move here, you'll have all of us off and on."

"You'd retire then."

"Yes. Although there's something my boss offered that I might be able to do from anywhere, you know, work from home."

Rob tried not to laugh and failed, "You know that probably means you'd have to use a computer."

"And a phone, yep. But if I have a reason, I can do it."

"Do you speak Greek?"

"Only enough to embarrass myself. Lina taught me how to say good morning, hello and a few other phrases when I was here in September. How about you?"

Rob grinned, "I've been taking lessons that I downloaded from the internet. I think I'd rather learn the way Tim did though."

"Hmm? Oh from the girl he dated?"

Rob chuckled. "Yep."

"That does sound like more fun."

Rob was surprised when Gibbs seemed to stop to think about it.

"Don't tell me you've met someone over here?"

"Yeah, a friend of Lina's, Rhea. She'll be here Thursday."

"She's the one who did the invitations? Those are kickin'!"

Gibbs just smiled at the young man who continued.

"So…"

Gibbs laughed, "She came for dinner while I was here and we hit it off. She's a couple years younger than me, an American ex-pat who has lived here for twenty years, a widow. And no, she's not a redhead."

Rob smiled, "I wasn't even thinking of asking that!"

They'd emptied the carafe by this time and the sun was getting hot so after a few more minutes they adjourned to their rooms to prepare for the day. James had asked Rob and Tim to go on a hike with him that morning. There was a well marked trail behind the hotel they thought they'd try. Laden with enough provisions for at least a week in the wilderness, the three left shortly after 0900. By the time they returned Rob feeling guilty about confiding in Gibbs before his siblings, had shared his plans to move to Greece and Tim had persuaded James to share his plans to propose to his baby sister. Knowing Tim had done the same with Lina's father James asked for approval from Sarah's older and younger brother and was happy to receive it from both. All three men appeared deeply contented with their hike.


	120. Chapter 120

I was asked in a review if James is the same James from the previous story in this series, "The Project". Yes, it is James Powell who is not only Tim's friend but Sarah McGee's boyfriend; he's been mentioned numerous times throughout Finding Home.

* * *

><p>CH 120<p>

Tuesday continued…

The beach crowd had thinned out a little today. The Palmers, Chloe and Tad and Trina with Luka & Kyra had decided to take the island tour while Tony and Maggie had gone sailing with the Admiral and the Morrises. Rick decided to do a little shopping and Ned went with him. Agent Carter's wife Denise had been unable to take time off from work for the trip; he was looking for something special to help lift her spirits and Agent Dorneget wanted to find something for his mother as well as the only Gibbs' team member missing this week, Dwayne Wilson. He figured if he couldn't find something for Dwayne and his wife, he'd bring back something for their kids.

Jim Hubbard and his kids, the 2 older Russell children, Ross and Alexis were with the Vances and Fornells on the beach along with Gibbs and Ducky while Davos and Hélène had disappeared somewhere with Ariston and Paolo. Lina was in town for a lunch with Maisie, Claire, Penny, Liz and Sarah.

The afternoon passed pleasantly for everyone although Grandfa, also known as Dr. Ducky, made all the swimmers get out and take a break in the shade for lunch. When they were treated to ice cream after their gyro pitas, the kids forgot all about their momentary pique. The tour goers and shoppers arrived later in the afternoon to spend some time in the waves. Feeling much better, Breena took to the waves with Ethan who was thrilled to be swimming with his mom. When Stevie seemed content playing with Tad and with Uncle Gibbs and Grandfa watching over him, Jimmy joined his older son and wife in the water. By the time the hikers and the lunching women joined the beach set, most of the parents were in the water playing with their kids. When Penny and Maisie offered to watch the two little ones, the rest of them, including Dr. Ducky, took to the waves.

By this time the group had a routine going; everyone was out and drying off when the unseasonably warm air started to cool in the late afternoon and by 1700 everyone was back at the hotel. Tim and Lina showered and changed, dressing up a little for dinner with their parents. They hadn't seen the Kalivas' all day, but had received a text that they were back from their outing. While they got ready, Tim told Lina about Rob's plans. She was as enthusiastic about the probability of him moving to Greece as Tim, thinking he could stay in the big house until he found a place of his own or perhaps he'd live there as a caretaker for their parents and grands.

The bridal couple joined their parents in the lobby and jumped on the shuttle before the others who were going into town that evening. Hélène had discovered a restaurant a brief walk away from the main streets of town and once the others had disembarked, the shuttle driver drove them down to it. It was a charming place with a terrace that looked out on the bay. They sat out there and took their time with drinks before they finally ordered their meals and then extended that relaxation with after dinner beverages. Tim told them about Rob's plan and the Kalivas' were thrilled with the possibility of having a third McGee sibling in Greece.

When Tim turned his puppy dog eyes toward Gibbs, the man laughed. "All right son, I'll tell you my plans. I wasn't being secretive you know, I just wasn't sure this week was the time to make life changing announcements." Davos and Hélène looked at each other, remembering what Gibbs had talked about in September. Tim was holding Lina's hand and Lina gave it a light squeeze; she knew what he was hoping for, she felt the same as he did. When his dad said the magic words, that he wanted to spend at least part of the year, months at a time, here in Greece, it was all Tim could do to stay seated. Gibbs saw the look in his eyes and leaning over, gave him a kiss on his head and a hug.

Lina had one condition, "No more 'helping out' on cases, I don't want more worry!"

Gibbs shook his head, "I'll be retired from the field, Melina, and maybe from the agency."

Tim looked at him for a long moment, "Maybe? Are you thinking you can run the volunteer group from here?"

Gibbs tilted his head in agreement, "Just need a phone and access to the internet, right?" He chuckled, "Hey if Norm can teach college classes online, I can coordinate volunteers!" He continued, thinking aloud, "I guess I'd need a tablet so I can take it with me anywhere."

Davos laughed, "Like the beach."

Hélène added, "Or out on a boat!"

Gibbs nodded, "Yep." He looked at their kids. "But only if it's all right with you two that I'll be around a lot. I'll have my own life – my work with the volunteers and whatever else I get into. I'm not expecting to spend every spare minute with you two; we'll need our own space."

Tim and Lina nodded and Tim added, "But you'd be here, we won't have to wait all year to see you for a few days."

Gibbs grinned, "And I'll coordinate with your grandparents so all four of us aren't here together for months on end."

Hélène laughed, "And us!"

"Of course, although I expect you'll be in and out with your travels and yes, I'll be in the States for your visit next year, I'm looking forward to that!"

The five of them continued discussing the new plan for nearly an hour before they noticed there was a crowd of people waiting for tables.

Wednesday

The next morning was again sunny and warm and Tim and Lina decided to go for an early morning swim before they ate. They had the pool to themselves for several minutes before Joel and Carol Morris joined them. After the four of them decided they'd done enough laps, had enough of a workout, they got out and spent some time drying off.

Remembering her uncle's carafe the other night, Lina disappeared for a few minutes and then joined them. "Coffee is on its way and we can have our breakfast out here if we want."

Tim looked at the small tables and then over at the bar area which had a long table. "Maybe over there? Be more comfortable."

The Morrises agreed so the four of them moved over to the bigger table. When the server brought their coffee and cups out, she found not four but seven people and they asked for menus. By the time she returned with more cups and menus, she found the group had grown to 11 people and the table was full. With a grin she left to quickly return with more menus, more coffee, cups and cutlery. This looked like fun to her, an impromptu party. After she'd taken their orders and left for the kitchen, Tim looked around, "Hey, we're all NCIS or married to it…oops, sorry Tobias."

"That's ok Tim, I'm fine being associated with the agency, just don't tell my boss!"

The group chuckled and looking around saw what Tim meant. Vance, Gibbs, Rick, Ned, Tony, Maggie and Tobias had joined the breakfast group; the only ones missing were Jimmy and Ducky. It was sheer happenstance although an agreeable one. Vance waited until everyone had a beverage and then toasted Tim and Lina. Lina followed him with a toast to each of them and their hard work. "I've seen some of the results of work you do. I was at the memorial for a sailor last year after his killer had been taken care of and I'll never forget how his shipmates came up to Tim, Pete and Matt and thanked them for their help and even Tim's friend from Mossad thanked the team. I've seen the letters of thanks and commendations on the wall in DC and the wording on the letters that come with the medals. What you do matters a great deal! And Tobias, as much as they tease you, I know Tim has told you how grateful he is for your kindness and support during the mess with his former co-worker last winter. That mattered a great deal too and I happen to know it matters to my father-in-law as he has told me several "Tobias and Jethro" tales."

Tobias laughed, "Better watch him Lina! He's been known to spin a yarn or two!"

Gibbs pointed at him, "Pot calling kettle, Tobs!"

Vance sat back, watched and listened, wishing they could have more times like these, enjoying the camaraderie. When there was a lull, he declared that it was totally unfair of him to do what he was about to do without the man being present and then went ahead and told a few tales of his years in Greece with his SFA. Tim laughed until his sides ached listening to their boss talking about Pete's younger days. When Vance seemed to be winding down, Tim had a question, "What happened when he sprained his ankle?"

"Huh! Well you know how dedicated Pete is, he…" Vance was off and running again.

When he finished the story, Tony had a question, "Director, I know you and Gibbs met before you came to DC that first time we all met, but where and when?"

Gibbs and Vance looked at each other and Gibbs grinned, "Oh, that's my story to tell Leon!"

Vance shook his head as Gibbs told the story of the mashed Danish pastry after Leon's meeting with their boss. "Took him 9 years to pay me back, too!"

Leon chuckled, "In my defense, I didn't forget, I just waited until I saw you again!"

"Wait you two worked in the same office and that was the only time you met?"

"The meet I had with McAllister right after Leon smashed my pastry was so that I could be assigned to Europe, DiNozzo. Never went back to that office."

Ned frowned as he hadn't realized Gibbs had worked in one of the European offices. "Gibbs, what office were you in over here?"

"Uh, I wasn't, Ned, we were more or less a float team, went where we were needed. In between assignments we mostly went back to DC." Ned thought that sounded like the a version of the contingency response team or maybe a covert team, he'd heard rumors of the existence of those in the volatile 90s after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the various wars. He decided not to ask any more questions and was later rewarded with a pat on the shoulder from his boss. In the meantime, Tim and Tony grinned at each other and asked their former boss about Ducky and the French policeman he'd pushed over a cliff. No one outside of his old team had heard about that one but the operation had been declassified a few years ago so Gibbs told the funny parts which involved a decades-younger Ducky pushing a French cop over a cliff into a river and then the two of them, now fugitives, making a run for it and having to be rescued by Agent Jenny Shepard. By the time he finished, they'd long finished their meals, several carafes of coffee and other beverages and Kayla and Jared appeared, looking for their father. So the impromptu NCIS gathering broke apart with everyone returning to their rooms to prepare for their day.

This morning the kids, minus the youngest ones, were going horseback riding along with some of the adults , namely Chloe, Tony, Maggie, Claire, Tobias and Vance. Because they'd be out on a trail away from help with a guide who had not been on anyone's list of employees and subsequently had only been vetted this morning, neither Gibbs nor Rick was happy about the Director's participation. Tony, Maggie and Vance would be armed. The Director hadn't especially wanted to go but his kids had asked their father to join them and he didn't have the heart to refuse. This trip had been do-able for him in the first place because of the preparation by his security team, but even with two seasoned agents on the ride with him, the others were still uneasy. In the end, as the FBI had no jurisdiction outside of the U.S., Tobias was quietly taken aside and sworn in as a temporary NCIS agent until they returned to DC, with Claire as a witness. Then off they went for their two hour trail ride while Gibbs and Rick paced. When the horses returned with their happy riders, all of the agents gave a big sigh of relief. Vance later thanked all of the agents involved telling them it had meant the world to his children that he'd been able to join them.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the beach, although for several of the riders, meaning most of the adults, a detour to the hot tub for a much needed soak came first. Everyone returned to the hotel late that afternoon as the "Starting the Leaven" ritual would begin at 1800, to be followed by a party.

As Gibbs combed his hair, he wondered about this tradition. He understood 'leaven' was part of a starter one used in baking instead of yeast and he also knew from his grandmother that a good cook will hang onto her bread starter as long as possible. She'd told him that a good starter can be over 100 years old. From that, he could see how starting one's own leaven with the intention of keeping it for one's lifetime could be an accurate analogy for starting married life and keeping it healthy and alive for the couple's lifetime. He wanted that for Tim and Lina, and Tony and Maggie if that was to be and knew in his heart that had Shannon lived, it would have been true for them.

He left his tie and jacket until last and looked through the bureau drawer to find the sack of silver dollars he'd brought with him from home. He wished Jack had lived long enough to see this, to be here with them. He knew his dad would be proud of the way he and Tim had repaired their relationship, although he supposed they'd really grown a new one. And with Tony too, both he and Tim had forged new relationships with DiNozzo and now if things worked out, they'd have Ziva with them for a couple of days. He paused as he saw the bottle of Old Spice but knowing his kids seemed to expect it, he put a little bit on. Then he stopped and sent up a little prayer to his dad and his girls, thinking of them tonight and always. Finally putting his tie on and shrugging on his jacket, he grabbed the sack of coins and his key card and exited to the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him.

He watched quietly as the Hubbards emerged from the room next to his and stood, checking their coin supply. When Jim finally spotted him he asked, "Hey Jethro! Do you have any idea what this whole sieving thing is all about?"

Gibbs nodded to them in greeting. "I was just thinking about that. My grandmother told me about bread starters, which I think is what 'leaven' is and that a good cook will hold onto hers for her lifetime. That leads me to believe that 'starting the leaven' has to do with starting the marriage out right and wanting it to last the lifetime of the couple."

Claire smiled, "That's lovely, Jethro, thank you! Now I'll really enjoy this!"

Callum looked at the three adults, "So they're going to bake bread now…at the party?"

"No, Cal, they won't actually make the bread, I guess sifting the flour is the start of making their bread starter which in tradition means starting their lives together."

"Ok good, because baking bread takes a long time."

Agreeing with him, they continued on to the party. Entering the room, they spotted Tim and Lina off in a corner where she seemed to be explaining something to him. Davos and Hélène were greeting everyone as they came in and Gibbs grinned as he spotted Rick. "Thought you got lost somewhere!"

"Nah, needed to get out for a while. I went for a walk up to the museum, came back, had a little nap and then thought I'd get cleaned up and out before you got back."

Gibbs chuckled, "Huh, I just realized I didn't need a nap today, good. So how was the museum?"

"Pretty interesting, there's a lot of history here!"

Behind him Vance snorted, "There's a lot of history everywhere; the whole country is covered with history!"

"Hey Leon, you hit the hot tub yet?"

"Oh yeah, I was in there with DiNozzo and Tobias after riding, before the beach. I think I'll need another soak tonight before I turn in."

Within a few minutes everyone had arrived so Lina and Tim did their thing sieving the flour, the loving smiles on their faces directed at each other. When they'd finished with the flour, their Koumbara Chloe took the sieve, passed it around and then put the coins in a flour sack, tied a knot in it and presented it to her sister and brother-in-law saying, "These coins are a gift from those who love you, in hopes of a long and prosperous life together." Tim and Lina accepted it, thanking everyone in English and Greek for their generosity. As the parents of the bridal couple, Davos, Hélène, Gibbs and Liz then turned to the crowd and in English and Greek, invited everyone to celebrate. Davos and Gibbs opened the first bottles of champagne and sparkling cider and poured a few glasses, making sure they weren't giving champagne to any of the children while servers wandered through the group with trays of meze. Tim and Lina circulated together, greeting each of their guests and thanking them for coming to the party. Tim told Lina later that he missed the rest of their family: their brothers and Matt, Bec, Pete, Kim, Tea, Eva and the others; it felt very strange to do anything like this without them and Lina agreed. Nevertheless, the couple had a wonderful time. Eventually the party wound down and people headed off to town for dinner. Tim and Lina found Tony and Maggie and the four of them ate together. Afterward they walked along the beach and the two men had a quiet, brotherly chat.

Thursday

When Thursday promised to be as bright, sunny and warm as the previous days, Tim and Lina grabbed their beach stuff and headed out on an early shuttle, joined by Rob, Chloe, her children and the Russell family. Once at the beach, they rented the large sun shelter and by noon just about the entire contingent of guests and family had joined them. Dr. Ducky once again made sure that everyone took breaks in the shade, wore hats and renewed their sunscreen; by then he'd learned the Greek word for it: adiliaka. By mid-afternoon Tim and Lina were starving; slipping shorts and tops on over their swim apparel, they set off to a quiet café off the main street for lunch. While they were having a wonderful time visiting with everyone, they found they occasionally needed a breather and certainly needed to spend time together.

After they ate, they walked around town for awhile and then headed back to the beach. There they found much of the crowd in the shade, including the kids. Tad was playing in the sand and looked a little lost without his buddy Stevie, who was napping, so Tim sat down in the sand with him and the two 'boys' had a happy time building sand castles and walls, anything that the water could come in and knock down. When Tim stood up, intending to grab a bucket that was escaping, Tad held his arms up. His new uncle scooped him up and put him on his shoulders, telling him to hang on. Tim looked around and spotting Chloe, asked permission to take the little one into the water. She said yes although he usually didn't like the ocean but she brought his life jacket down to the shoreline and they put it on him. Tim went slowly into the water, telling Tad to keep an eye out for mermaids. They'd gone several steps out into the waves when Tad started climbing down from Tim's shoulders. Tim had enough of the kid in his grip that he wasn't worried about him falling or getting away, but he was curious. "Hey Tad, what are you up to? Playing monkey?"

"No Uncle Tim, I want to swim in the waves like 'Lexie and Mama and Papa."

"Ok kiddo, let's do it this way, I'll swing you through the waves so you can swim a little but still hang onto me. I need you with me."

Tad patted him, "Ok Uncle Tim, I'll hold onto you, you will be fine."

"Thank you Tad." Figuring this was probably freaking Tad's mother out, Tim maneuvered them so they were sideways and Chloe could see what they were doing; he took Tad off his back and put him on his hip. "Ok, big guy, you ready?"

Tad nodded with a big smile so Tim held the boy's upper body and swooped his legs through the water, "Whooo, there you go! Did you like that?" He hoped his sister-in-law could hear her son crowing with glee. "Do it again Uncle Tim!"

On the shore, they could indeed hear the glee in Tad's voice and Chloe relaxed. "He picks today – and Uncle Tim – to decide to 'swim' in the ocean!" The others chuckled. Chloe looked at Sarah, Rob and James who were sitting next to Gibbs, "I know he raised you two, did he teach you to swim?"

The siblings nodded, "One summer when we were 4 and 5, someone took all of us kids to the beach and he taught us how to jump the waves. When we were older and had access to a swimming pool, he taught us how to swim."

Rob smiled, "Do you know how they met me?"

Chloe shook her head and Rob told her the story. Afterward she nodded, "So yes, he did that at 9 years old, as an adult he certainly would not let my son come to any harm."

Lina and Uncle Dave reappeared just then, carrying the gallon of ice cream they'd promised to bring back. Lina smiled when she spotted Tim in the water with Tad. "Oh how fun for the boys! Look Chloe, Tad's finally gotten into the ocean!"

Stevie Palmer was just waking up and upset that his friend was in the water without him he started running toward the shore. Uncle Gibbs caught him within a few steps and bringing him back to the shade, looked at Jimmy who was also waking up. "Thanks Gibbs."

"Daddy, wanna play with Tad."

Gibbs was ready to get back in the water himself and so made an offer to Jimmy. "If you don't mind, I could take him out. You have a life jacket for him?"

Jimmy seemed to hesitate, then nodded and dug it out of their pack. "Not too far please!"

"Ok, we'll see how we do, how about you let me know when we've gone far enough?"

Jimmy nodded and the three walked down to the water's edge. Gibbs suddenly realized why Jimmy was hesitant. "You're worried about my knee!"

"Yeah, uh, sorry Gibbs."

"Nothing to be sorry about Jimmy, you're absolutely right, how about you take the little guy? I'll go with you but you carry him."

Jimmy nodded and the three of them slowly waded out to where Tim and Tad were playing. The three men took turns swooshing the two little boys through the waves while they giggled with happiness. When the ice cream was dished out, Chloe sent Alexis to the shore to call in the swimmers. "Tad, Uncle Tim, there's ice cream for us!" She repeated what she'd said, this time in English. Tad wasn't sure he really cared about the ice cream right now, this was too much fun, but then he saw Uncle Tim making happy faces about it so he decided they could go and have their treat. His friend Stevie brought his people in for treats too. Watching her little one escort his dad and Uncle Gibbs to the ice cream, Breena resolved to have Stevie learn how to swim as soon as possible. She must have said it aloud because Chloe nodded, "I agree, I will do the same for Tad."

They were just finishing off the last of the ice cream when they heard the ferry whistle. Chloe grinned, "That's Peter and Nic, the boys and Margaret!"

Alexis stayed with Tad while Chloe went to the dock to let everyone know they were at the beach. She eventually returned with Margaret, Zander and Dimitri, all ready for the beach. Margaret beamed when she saw Jim, Maisie and Jimmy. Along with Eva, they'd been practicing their duet on Skype for weeks now. She smiled, happy to be here. When she saw Penny, she made her way over to her and made a sweet apology for her actions during Penny's visit. Penny leaned in and kissed her cheek, all was well. Margaret then made her way to her mother-in-law and smiling still, leaned in and kissed her. Hélène smiled back and the two embraced. For the Kalivas family present who witnessed this, it was like a miracle and there were a lot of happy faces. For the others, they saw nothing out of the ordinary, a daughter-in-law simply paying her respects and showing affection for her mother-in-law. Later Tim told Gibbs that Hélène had decided that if Davos could change as much as he had, then she could certainly make more of an effort with Margaret. She'd written her a note telling her how much she liked the kitchen renovation; that she hoped Margaret would be as happy in the house as she had been and attached it to a gift she'd brought back for her from the UK, a print of a modern painting from the Tate Gallery. It wasn't a favorite of Hélène's but she knew her daughter-in-law would love it. As Lina said later, the ripples from Uncle Ariston were still spreading.


	121. Chapter 121

For a who's who of characters, see notes at the end of the chapter.

CH 121

Thursday continued…

Nicolas and Peter soon joined them on the beach and they played in the water with the older kids. Margaret, Chloe, Breena and Lina took the four younger boys for a walk down the beach to find sea shells, hoping to distract them from the water. The afternoon was waning, it was starting to cool off and none of the moms especially wanted the little guys in the water at this time of the day. They'd left instructions with the others to have all the kids out of the water in thirty minutes. When Margaret and Chloe wondered whether that would actually happen, Breena and Lina laughed, "You said that in front of everyone; Jimmy, Tim, Grandfa and Gibbs heard, don't worry about it!"

Breena explained, "Jimmy's nervous about them being in the water, I can't believe he let Stevie in at all! He'll get Ethan out or Grandfa will and the others will follow."

When they returned with the bucket full of sea shells the kids had gathered, they found everyone out of the water and sitting in the sun drying off. While they packed up, Davos and Tobias returned the sun shelter, everyone checked to make sure they'd picked up everything including the trash and then walked toward the shuttle stop. They didn't have long to wait and this time it was standing room only, even with as many of the kids on laps as possible. Finally they were all in and the bus trundled back to the hotel.

Tim and Lina were having dinner in town again tonight, they'd made a reservation for a large number and invited whoever wanted to come; however other than their siblings and significant others, they weren't quite sure who would show up. Hélène and Davos were babysitting their grandsons and Stevie. The older kids, from Ethan on up to Stephan, the eldest, had been invited to a pizza party with Grandfa Ducky and Gram Maisie and the Hubbards were also helping with that. The four younger boys would join in as well but would have a much earlier 'curfew' than the older kids. That left a lot of people as possible dinner companions.

Tim teased Lina as they cleaned up, "Everyone's going to show up, hon, even the kids."

Lina laughed, "Oh no…no no, this is an adult party tonight! We'll be surrounded by our own kids soon enough, my love, I saw you out there with Tad today!"

Tim caught her in his arms and gave her a sweet kiss. "Let's come here every anniversary!"

"Every one?"

"Mm, maybe every 5 years?"

"Yes, I like that sound of that!"

Finally they were ready and hurried to the lobby, a little late. Much to their amazement, they found not only the ones they'd anticipated but the ones they'd been missing as well: Damian & Matt, Geordie & Bec, Pete, Eva & Caleb, Tea & Adan, Kim & Evander. Pete tapped Tim on his shoulder, "Surprise!" It was a happy surprise and they had hugs all around.

"We thought you weren't coming over until tomorrow! I'm so glad you're here!"

They laughed, "Rota covered for us this afternoon and tonight until Marseille's coverage kicks in at midnight."

"Stan and his wife are still coming?"

Pete grinned, "Yep, they're in the air now; they'll catch a ferry over in the morning and Dani will probably be on the same ferry. Her meeting in Rome with her new client took a little longer than she thought; she's flying home tonight and will join us tomorrow."

Tim nodded, "She texted Lina, we're just glad she was able to have the meeting with her client and still make the wedding! And it's been great that Ross could be here all week, he's had a lot of fun."

Pete beamed at him and Tim turned to their other friends.

"And Caleb, Adan, Evander, you three have days off tomorrow?"

Adan smiled, "I have an appointment here on the island tomorrow, Timotheos, with a developer who's planning to refurbish one of the older resorts; I have a chance at getting the landscaping job."

"Wow, that'd be great Adan!"

Tim turned to Caleb who chuckled, "Yes Tim, I traded days off; I worked Tuesday so I have tomorrow off."

Evander grinned at his friends, "I'm going to meet with a real estate agency tomorrow in the hopes that I can affiliate with them here as well as the agency in Piraeus."

"Good idea, Evander, hope that works out!"

Lina looked through the crowd, "And Rhea? Did she come over with you?"

"I'm here, sorry I'm late!" Gibbs grinned as they greeted each other with cheek kisses and several sets of eyebrows climbed. Tobias looked at Rick who looked at Vance. He gave them both a look and the three men rolled their eyes; trust Gibbs to already have a lady friend here! Tony snorted and had to turn away before Boss saw him. He was now facing Ned who was also trying not to look too obviously amused. Maggie shook her head at them. Tim and Lina ignored the unspoken amusement as they welcomed Rhea and then gathering the other 30 something of their family and friends, headed out to the shuttle. As they climbed on, a voice called out, "Wait for me, please!"

Tim knew the voice, his eyes grew big and he reached carefully over Eva's shoulder to grab Tony's shoulder with one hand and off to his side to tap Gibbs and then Jimmy with the other. The four men and Breena turned around and in unison exclaimed, "Ziva!"

The six of them went into a group hug while Ned, Rick, Vance and Tobias made their way through the crowd and tried not to hover. When the group came up for air, the others climbed into the pile and there was more than one wet face when they parted again. The others were waiting patiently when the huddle finally broke up and Tim immediately looked for Lina. "Lina, this is Ziva David. Ziva, this is Melina Kalivas, my fiancée."

They greeted each other and then Tim looked around with a grin, "Probably easier if we introduce you to everyone else at the restaurant!"

Ziva agreed with a smile and the group finally climbed onto the waiting shuttle. The Admiral took a head count and Tim called the restaurant owner who was quite happy, gleeful even, to host their lovely large crowd. He'd been afraid they would eat all their meals at the hotel but this group had already eaten at various places in town and there was at least one more day to come, with more people arriving.

When Tim had originally contacted the owner about the large crowd for dinner, the man called his friend the florist to tell her the group would be here for dinner. Earlier in the day she'd mentioned an idea to him, something that might help the bride. She'd left a message for Lina that she'd be happy to finish the crowns for the bridal couple on Saturday morning, knowing that would free up some time and more importantly relieve some bridal stress. She'd waited awhile for a response and then went out for some air. Now her phone buzzed with a text from him and she smiled, understanding why she hadn't heard back. She turned toward the restaurant and watched the passengers disembark from the shuttle; spotting the bride and groom, she knew she'd have to wait until tomorrow for an answer. And then she smiled; she knew the crowd at the restaurant would bring her good friend much closer to being able to afford some long needed renovations to the eatery. She herself had already figured that with this wedding, she would be able to keep her business going another year.

Dinner was hilarious. It started with Tim trying to introduce Ziva to everyone and finally Geordie took charge. Gibbs would have but he was laughing too hard to do anything, beside himself with joy. Not only was his family reunited but the woman he wanted to get to know better was here with him and didn't think he was an idiot for crying when his surrogate daughter showed up after more than a year's absence.

With his quiet but wicked sense of humor, Geordie had everyone line up and introduce themselves one by one or couple by couple, giving Ziva a one line explanation of who they were to Tim and Lina. She was at first amused and then astounded when the crowd did as Tim's brother suggested. Tim and Lina were in hysterics at what their family and friends were telling the poor woman. Damian declared he was their chauffeur and Matt their butler. When Pete and Trina announced they were the official party givers, Ziva saw a lot of nods, apparently that was true. Caleb introduced Eva as their singing partner and himself as their personal tour guide. There were a lot of nods at that too so she thought that might also be true. She recognized Sarah, but there were two very tall men with her whose names she didn't catch. When Tim couldn't stand it anymore, he stopped the parade and quickly went through the crowd, introduced Joel as his first 'post-Gibbs' boss and Pete as his current Team Leader as well as chief party-giver. When she asked Trina what kind of parties, she was referred to YouTube and she remembered the Dancing Lessons video that had led her back to her family. Then she was shown a clip of the Christmas video with Vance and the others doing the conga, Tim's teammates were revealed and after that the group settled down. Drinks and meze were consumed while stories were told of past and present and then their entrees arrived.

Ziva marveled at the number of people gathered for Tim's wedding. She was truly amazed at the travelers from the U.S. who had taken time off from work and school to travel this far. Happy for Tim, she noticed there were no parents introduced. Rather than ask, she decided to listen and observe and over the course of the evening heard that Ducky and his wife (wife?) and Tim's uncle and aunt were hosting a party for the children (whose children?) while a couple referred to as Davos and Hélène were babysitting the 'little ones' (babies?). She thought the latter couple was probably related to Lina but she had no idea who the children and 'little ones' might belong to. The only one she could think of was Emily Fornell but that was one, oh but there were also the Vance children; that made three 'children', yes she could see that. And there were still no parents named. Finally they were having after dinner drinks and the man she had heard Tim and Lina call "Uncle Dave" and others "Admiral", climbed to his feet to propose a toast.

"Melina and Timothy, I'd like to propose a toast to your parents, even though only one of them is with us this evening. Here's to Davos & Hélène, Lily and Dan; without them this marriage would not be possible and all of us would not be gathered here. And here's to Jethro, who has stepped quite nicely into Dan's shoes." Gibbs was actually blushing a little bit and smiling a lot, a whole smile, no smirk involved. He nodded in appreciation and then reached over and pulled Tim in for a hug, kissing the top of his head and then kissing Lina as well.

Pete was next, "Today's Thanksgiving in the U.S. For those of us based in Greece, we usually celebrate with a party at our house. In fact, this is Bec's first anniversary with the team; I remember that last year her welcome party was also our Thanksgiving celebration. Usually we go around the table and say what we're thankful for. This year I know I can speak for our whole team and our families when I say we are most thankful to be alive, together and healthy again. So yes, I propose a toast to everyone's continued health and success in bringing down bad guys."

They drank and he continued, "Now when Tim arrived from London last year he was still a little shy and tired from overwork."

He was interrupted by catcalls from Joel and one of the very tall men and amazingly Tim. Ziva remembered that Joel was Tim's first 'post-Gibbs' boss but she had no idea how the other man, James she thought, fit into the picture. Perhaps he worked in London? And she'd never heard Tim make the noise he'd just made. She decided to keep listening and observe.

Pete laughed, "Ok, I lied, he was exuberant with the success of the project and his new life but he was still a little shy. Somehow he heard about me meeting Trina all those years ago," He turned and mock glared at Vance who tried to look innocent and failed. Shaking his head, Pete continued "and he pretty much said he never expected that to happen to him. And did it?"

He looked around the room as everyone chuckled. "Not only did he proceed to meet Ms Kalivas FOUR weeks, 4, count them…FOUR weeks to the DAY after his arrival, he proposed to her FIVE months later and…well, just blew my record to hell and then wouldn't even let us talk about it!"

Ziva looked at Tim, he was laughing so hard he was holding his sides; she'd never seen him laugh like that, not even close.

Pete shook his head again. "And oh yes he supposedly was lacking experience in the field when he showed up, that's why he had to transfer in as a junior agent and what did he do FIVE weeks after he arrived? FOUR weeks he meets Melina. The following week, week FIVE, he shot a gun right out of a perp's hands. Million to one shot and he did it again in September when Jethro was here, this time from a helo with a sniper rifle! And you know how he learned that shot? Paintball! Saw Jethro take a similar shot at some point and worked it out playing paintball!" He continued, "Best damn SFA anyone's ever had, best damn Team Lead…and Lina's the best partner for him, you two are truly a match made in heaven. Know what she did? We're in the hospital in Israel, the four of us; Leon's got Tim's family, all 1001 of them..." he paused for more laughter. "it's the truth, the guy showed up a year ago with three siblings, that's it, no grandparents, godparents, parents, aunts, uncles cousins, he's an orphan with his 2 'kids' and a mystery brother. In a month's time, he gains 1001 family members and Geordie eventually shows up to help us, thank God. Anyway, Leon's got them all…Gibbs & Ducky in his office, Sarah, Rob and James in London, Penny I forget where you were, some godforsaken spot on the planet, Liz, Claire and the kids at home, the Admiral and Captain somewhere afloat…on Skype. Too many open sessions or windows…whatever, it crashes. Finally the screen clears and we see our boss again and he says they're cutting over to Trina and the kids, my family. So I'm talking with my gang and all of a sudden who walks in the door of my house and into the camera frame but Ms Melina Kalivas. Smart one, that! When the McGee Clan Skype session crashed, she hopped in her car and drove over to our house, knowing the Russells were next in line. Now that's using your brain! You're a hell of an artist, Lina and you would have made a hell of an agent too!"

Lina was shaking her head violently at that and giggling while Tim murmured in her ear.

The Admiral stood up again, "I'm Tim's godfather. Now Jim, he's Tim's uncle, another one of the 1001 relatives Tim found last year, and I knew Melina was serious about Tim the first two times we met her. One of our sailors was murdered while we were in port in Piraeus, the same week Tim found us, and of course his team, sorry Pete, Pete's team solved the murder and took out a war criminal. Our crew had a memorial service at the airfield the day our sailor was being shipped home and we were adamant about keeping it local. Now, Lina and Tim had met for the first time one week previously, ONE week and she asked Tim if she would be allowed to go to the service, she wanted to honor our sailor and Tim's work. That night they came aboard for dinner and if we'd had any doubts they would have been removed then. Jim and I didn't know that Tim is allergic to kiwi and our cook thoughtfully added fresh slices to our dessert. Tim told us but Lina, also unknowing, had already eaten a slice, picking it up with her fingers. What I found later was that the poor woman used nearly an entire bottle of hand sanitizer on her hands. I can't imagine her skin was in any good shape after that and she's an artist, she needs her hands! But Tim was more important to her; she wanted to keep him safe from the kiwi. That's our Lina."

Ziva was glad that Tim had found someone who loved him so much; she remembered some of his dating fiascos and if anyone deserved to find a wonderful partner it was him. And she understood that James was a Londoner although she was not yet sure of the connection to Sarah and she still didn't know who the other tall young man was.

She looked at Tony, thinking he would say something witty about Tim but he did not; she wondered why and then realized that he had not teased Mc…Tim once this evening. Yes, there had been one time but it was very tame for him, nothing biting at all. She thought about it and decided that was the difference, these people respected Tim, loved him and were not afraid to show it; far different from how her former teammate had been treated when she was on the team. With an inward sigh she further realized that she had been part of that attitude toward him and remembered what he had said in his letter to her.

Returning to the present, she watched DiNozzo with Maggie who was Gibbs' SFA. She wondered how they had met. They were undeniably a couple and she admitted that it hurt but that had been her choice and she was glad to see that he was happy. He was certainly happier than she had ever seen him, just like Tim and surprisingly enough, Gibbs. She had never before seen her former Team Leader express affection of any kind toward Tim, much less hug and kiss him and be called his father. And she had heard Tim call him something else earlier, he was trying to get his attention and called "Poppy" across the room; Gibbs had turned to him immediately.

She felt like she had stepped into an alternate version of reality although everyone seemed a lot happier, a lot more…settled in their own skin, so that was good, was it not? Ziva had a lot to think about as the group finally gathered their belongings and wandered out to the shuttle. Breena caught her elbow. "Spend some time with me tomorrow and I'll try to answer your questions. You look a little lost."

"Thank you Breena, I appreciate that. Yes, I am feeling lost; so much has changed in one year!" Breena smiled her agreement.

When they returned to the hotel, Ducky was in the lobby waiting and swept her into his arms. She relaxed and hugged him back. "Let me look at you, my dear." She smiled as he looked in her eyes. "Much better. You've found your new path."

"Yes I have Ducky. And you, I have heard you have a wife now!"

"My Maisie, yes, finally we're married. And did you know that Timothy, Geordie, Sarah and Rob are my grandchildren?" She nodded, ah so Rob, the other tall man, was a McGee sibling?

Ducky continued, "And Callum and Ainsley, well I suppose they are my 'step-grandchildren' but we don't bother with that! And of course young Ethan, little Stevie and the newest addition to our family who will be born in a few months."

When she looked blank, Ducky laughed, "Breena is expecting a baby, Ziva. Ethan and Stevie's adoptions are finalized so I can finally say this: Breena and Jimmy are expecting their third child, my 9th grandchild!" He frowned, "Tenth counting Patrick, may he rest in peace."

"Patrick?"

"Lily and Dan's second son, born 15 months after our Timothy, and now deceased."

"Oh I see; I am sorry to hear that. There is so much change Ducky, it is hard to comprehend it all!"

"Yes, I'm sure it is. Well, you'll be with us for a few days anyway, hopefully you'll get caught up!"

Ziva felt a presence behind her and turned to find Gibbs, Tim and Tony and spotted Lina and Maggie moving toward the elevators. Gibbs took her hand, "Come on Zeever let's go talk. The Palmers are down for the count, their kids wore them out, but Ducky and the rest of us are good for a couple of hours." She nodded, glad for the chance and the five of them turned toward the hotel bar. They grabbed a table and sat. She looked at each of them, "You look well, each of you. Ducky, I was thinking earlier that Tim, Tony and Gibbs look happier than I have ever seen them. And so do you."

She was surprised when it was Tim that replied. "We are, Ziva." He looked at each of them, lingering on Tony who gave him a genuine smile. "It's been a tough year and I never thought when I left that our family would ever be intact again much less better than ever;" he huffed, "I didn't even think I was part of that family, but we've fought for it, fought over it and here we are."

Ducky chuckled quietly, "To quote Charles Dickens, it's been the best of times and the worst of times."

Tony and Gibbs nodded at that and Tony rubbed his face. "The worst came after you left, Ziva. We fell apart, well Gibbs and I did. And we left Tim to manage on his own."

Gibbs snorted, "Which he did, he managed himself right out of DC, over to London for a special project and then on to Greece."

Tim picked up the story, "I needed to move on, that was my goal, it was time to move forward, I felt like I'd stalled and I had a lot of negative feelings about things that had happened. I thought I was just leaving it behind though, I never expected anything to come of it."

Gibbs explained that, "Because the 'bad things' were known to every Director he'd worked for and none of them did anything."

Ducky added, "Until Vance." Gibbs and Tony explained what had happened, including the McGee cold case. Then Tim resumed the story, "And that's when it all changed, Ziva. When I left and when Director Vance decided to have them work on my family's case."

"Those two decisions?"

Tony nodded, "Yep, Tim leaving and Vance's decision on the case…the ripples are still spreading."

Gibbs added, "With the possible exception of Rob and Sarah studying in London, everything else has happened due to Tim's decision to leave the team, which he took to Vance and Leon's subsequent decision to re-open the McGee case."

They talked a little more and Ziva finally felt comfortable asking Tony how he and Maggie met. He shook his head sadly. "In Stillwater, Zi, at Jack's funeral. Tim and Lina were in New Orleans for Abby's trial, they flew north, I flew in from Seattle, Maggie and Ned flew up from DC, along with a lot of other people. We stayed in the same Bed & Breakfast and nothing happened then but a month later Tim's team was called out…" He told her the story of volunteering to work in Athens and arriving to find that Maggie Barnes was the TAD SFA. "We were there for two weeks and had a chance to get better acquainted. Then McSureshot here," he and Tim grinned at each other, "and his team broke their case and came home. Maggie and I flew back to DC on the same flight and since then we've been together every chance we get."

The five of them talked for another hour before Ducky's yawns were too obvious to ignore. As they left the bar, Ziva admitted to herself that she felt if not better, at least more in tune with everything that had happened. She hoped Breena would fill in more of the gaps.

Characters: Tim's Family: Siblings: Sarah (boyfriend James Powell, first seen in "The Project"), Rob, Geordie (girlfriend NCIS Agent Bec Childers); Godparents: Admiral (Uncle) Dave & 'Aunty' Liz Crane; Uncle, Aunt & Cousins: Jim & Claire Hubbard, Callum, Ainsley; Grandparents: Ducky & Maisie Mallard, Penny Langston; 'Dad': Gibbs; Friends seen as family: Tony (girlfriend Agent Maggie Barnes); Jimmy & Breena Palmer & their adopted kids Ethan & Stevie; Ziva David

Wedding attendees from NCIS or the FBI: Director Leon Vance (& kids), Agent Rick Carter (in this series, first seen in "The Project"), Agent Ned Dorneget; FBI Agent Tobias Fornell; London Team Leader Agent Joel Morris (first seen in "The Project") & wife Carol; London SFA Lydia Worden, Rota Team Leader Agent Stan Burley & wife Patricia

Lina's Family: Parents: Davos and Hélène Kalivas; Siblings: Nicolas & wife Margaret (kids: Zander & Dimitri); Chloe & husband Peter (kids: Alexis & Tad); Damian & partner NCIS Agent Matt Watson; Uncle: Ariston & his partner Paolo; Aunt: Gaia; various other aunts, uncles & cousins, including Sophia & Tasha.

Lina's friends: Rhea, Dani (& son Ross who hangs out with the Russells a lot), Taylor Ganier (first introduced by name in wedding chapters)

NCIS: Athens personnel & families: Pete Russell and wife Trina, kids: Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas; Kim & husband Evander; Matt Watson (see Lina's sibling Damian); Bec Childers (see Tim's sibling Geordie); Tea & boyfriend Adan; Eva & husband Caleb. Also: former SFA Carla & Norm Hofstadler & triplets Will, Jase & Cammy.

Athens US Embassy: Col. Martin & wife; the Ambassador (no name); CIA agents Jack Hughes, Ted Edwards & wife Doria.

Others: George Avramidis – MMA instructor; his brother Dimitri Avramidis, the Deputy Police Chief of Athens; Archimedes the tailor.

XXX

Just a note about the real world Hotel Danae, I believe it's much closer to the beach and town than I've positioned it in the story. On the website, the shuttle only goes between the ferry and the hotel…so if you're lucky enough to get to Aegina, don't expect the shuttle to take you everywhere the way I have the wedding guests traveling! And if you are lucky enough to go there…sigh, won't you please take me with you?


	122. Chapter 122

CH 122

Friday

Friday morning was as beautifully sunny and warm as the rest of the week had been. Tim and Lina slept late, had breakfast in their suite and eventually wandered out to the pool for a swim. While they wouldn't have minded a tour of the island or another day of sailing, today they felt they should stick fairly close to town and the hotel to welcome the rest of their guests who'd be arriving. They'd already seen Dani, Stan Burley and his wife and Lydia Worden and friend. The five of them had arrived on the mid-morning ferry, checked in and almost immediately headed back out to the beach. Stan told Tim that the ferry now sported a large banner that said, "Ferry to the Kalivas-McGee Wedding" in English and what Dani said was Greek. They'd taken photos and sent them to Tim and Lina.

The children were of course already at the beach but they'd be back in mid afternoon to spend the rest of the day at the pool or resting as their parents deemed. Several of them would have a late night tonight with the combined family/rehearsal dinner and no one wanted too-tired children at the dinner or worse, at the wedding tomorrow.

Tim and Lina were going into town for lunch with all of their siblings. They'd go a little early as Lina wanted to stop in and thank their florist for her wonderful offer to finish their crowns in the morning. Gibbs was having lunch somewhere on the island with Rhea while Ziva, Tony, Maggie and Ned, Jimmy and Breena were lunching somewhere else and Tim really hoped Gibbs and Rhea had found a private out of the way place! Tim's team was all over the island, he knew Caleb and Eva were visiting the historical sites and they found Tea at the pool once again doing her mermaid thing while Adan was at his appointment. Kim and Evander and Joel and Carol hadn't been seen yet that morning and they figured everyone else was at the beach.

The lunch group was just gathering, ready to leave when the shuttle arrived from the ferry. Aunt Gaia disembarked with little Tasha, part of their bridal party, and young Sophia, Gaia's oldest granddaughter who at 23 would be the youngest of Lina's attendants. Tim surprised them with the double kiss so common in Europe.

Sophia was a late but very welcome addition as that meant Matt could also join the wedding party. Tim had felt badly all along about not including his friend in his groomsmen, but there had been an insistence on an odd number of attendants, so adding Matt as a groomsman would have required one additional man and two additional women as attendants to make sure the numbers were correct.

When Hélène asked Lina if they could possibly squeeze Sophia in and that Gaia would make her dress, she said that she felt the even number of attendants was in this case a good omen. Lina had accepted with alacrity. Listening on speaker to Lina's conversation with Hélène, Tim was on the phone with Matt before Lina had time to disconnect. Matt had been a good sport from the start, Damian had explained the 'odd number' tradition and he knew Tim and Lina's brothers and James came first and understood why he was not to be a groomsman. However, he also admitted it felt pretty good when Tim called and begged him to join their wedding party. The begging hadn't been necessary but it still felt good.

What no one but Hélène and Gaia knew was that they'd cooked up the addition of Sophia specifically so that Matt could be included. Tim and Matt's soft hearted mother-in-law saw how bothered Tim was by not including Matt and how stoic Matt was about it. She called her sister and they decided for once they could safely go with an even number of attendants and so the request to add Sophia was hatched. The young woman certainly didn't mind, she loved weddings and she'd get to meet Americans, how fun!

Two more uncles and three additional aunts, siblings of either Davos or Hélène, and their spouses were on the same shuttle and Tim and Lina graciously greeted each one. When the shuttle was finally empty of passengers and luggage, the siblings and their significant others jumped on and took off.

Lunch with the combined group was a lot of fun; Tim was happy to see that everyone had a good time. When Rob asked who the young woman was who'd just arrived, the Kalivas' went into spasms of laughter until Damian was finally able to explain about Sophia. None of them had seen her in years; in their minds she was still a child of 10 but at 23 she wasn't that much younger than Rob and Sarah. Lina made a mental note to make sure he was paired up with her tonight and tomorrow. They enjoyed their food and when the owner approached them to ask how they'd liked it they confessed they'd enjoyed the food and service at every restaurant they'd been to on the island, including this one. That made him very happy and he later shared the positive news with his fellow restaurateurs.

While they were gone, Hélène started the "Filling the Sack" ritual. Her first step was to put everything that she'd been saving for Lina since she was born into a large sack: a hand-stitched quilt she'd been working on for her daughter since she was pregnant with her and finally completed this past summer, a favorite book of poetry, items she'd found in the UK, an heirloom tablecloth from Hélène's great grandmother, a pair of fine crystal candlesticks that had been a 'sack' present for Davos' mother and eventually passed to Hélène along with other assorted treasures. Sighing, she left the sack in her room for now, worried about this evening. While the party would be fun, her husband had decided something that was bothering Hélène a great deal. Timothy and Lina hadn't been told yet, but Davos said that they would not be sharing their room tonight. Lina would stay with her mother while Davos would stay with Timothy. When Hélène had objected, the 'old' Davos reasserted himself and she stopped arguing, knowing she'd have to find a different way of handling this.

Gibbs had had a wonderful lunch with Rhea; they'd been for a walk and were enjoying getting to know each other. He'd already decided he would talk to Vance about doing the volunteer coordinating, retire from the field and move here, at least for the winter and spring; if he could just stay here now, he would. When they returned from lunch, Hélène took him aside and told him about the room changes. He didn't like it, he especially hated that this would be sprung on Tim and Lina as if they were 16 years old, during the family dinner. He would find Tim and let him know. He understood tradition but he didn't want Tim or Lina to be caught off guard, embarrassed or humiliated on the eve of their big day. These two weren't children, they were in their 30s, self-supporting successful adults. And if anyone was going to stay with his son, it would be him, not Davos. Rhea saw that he was upset and it didn't take much to get it out of him. She told him staying with Lina's parents was not a tradition she'd ever heard of during her years in Greece. Thinking that through, Gibbs excused himself to find Rick, first giving Rhea a soft kiss. He explained the situation to Rick and after the man finished laughing, he agreed that Davos could share his room tonight so Gibbs could stay with Tim. Gibbs then called the front desk and asked that a rollaway bed be delivered to the suite for tonight. Part of the situation handled, Gibbs sent Tim a text, asking him to call or find him when he got back to the hotel. Then he went back to Rhea and they spent the rest of the afternoon together. When Tim called him, Gibbs told his son what was afoot for the evening. Joining them, Tim was not as upset as Gibbs had been, mostly because his dad had told him ahead of time, but he wasn't looking forward to being told what to do, either. When Lina also joined them, the four of them came up with their own plan.

After they finished conspiring, Lina went to find her mother as it was time to complete the "Filling of the Sacks". Gathering all the women and girls around her, she added to the sack her mother had started, with items she'd brought with her from home or purchased along the way. She loaded all of her clothes in separate sacks which sat open on the bed while her guests threw coins into them.

While the women were doing that, Tim gathered the men and boys and treated them to drinks at the poolside bar. They talked about the fun they'd had that week, teasing each other and several of them made plans to return to the island on their own. While they were talking, the shuttle pulled in and Tim and the others helped Norm and Carla disembark with Cammy, Jase and Will. After greeting everyone and laughingly wondering why only the men were present, the family disappeared into the hotel to check in and get settled.

Finally Tim received a text from Lina that they were done with the sack filling and the group broke up so the wedding party could get ready for the rehearsal and dinner.

The rehearsal was very casual as Papas Theo was not involved; other than appearing briefly to unlock the door, he wasn't at the chapel. Chloe and Nicolas walked Lina, Tim and the wedding party through what would happen. There were a few different parts to the ceremony but none were difficult and as their Koumbaro and Koumbara, they would guide them. The duet could only be sung after the ceremony as the Church allowed no changes at all to the ceremony, including adding personalized music.

Once the ceremony was complete, the duet would be allowed and Margaret and Eva had already prepared their group for that. The two women had rehearsed together a few times since Eva's arrival last night and the entire group had practiced twice today, along with their many previous Skype rehearsals. They would have one more rehearsal in the morning but they believed they were ready.

From the chapel the wedding party traveled back to the hotel and gathered in the restaurant for the combined family/wedding party dinner. Aunt Gaia was amused to see Tim's younger brother chatting up Sophia and Gibbs and Rhea were very happy to spend more time together.

After they'd all been seated at the table, Tim and Lina stood. "In keeping with tradition, we will spend tonight apart." Lina continued, "I will stay with my friend Rhea in her room tonight." Tim joined in, "And I've asked my dad to stay with me in our room. We know we're adults and able to make our own decisions but tonight for one last time we are willing to follow this family tradition."

As Tim sat down, he gave Davos 'The Look'. Nicolas, Peter and Damian suddenly had coughing fits while Matt tried to hide his alarm, God he hated that look, and Gibbs smiled serenely at his son.

Hélène was relieved and the whole thing would have been over if one of the uncles, the second eldest, hadn't said, "What tradition? There's no night before the wedding tradition in their case - they're betrothed, Davos, they've been betrothed since April, since Easter – you told me that and I'm given to understand their rings have been blessed." He smiled at Lina and Tim, "My niece, you and your husband may do as you wish but do not feel obligated because of tradition. I fear someone here has an overactive imagination." He looked pointedly at Davos, challenging him.

There was silence for a beat or two and then Ariston started telling Tim and Lina about a trip they'd taken to the U.S. with Paolo quickly joining in and Ducky leaned in to ask Chloe a question. The sudden tension subsided.

Davos realized he'd made a rather large mistake when Tim, who had never done anything but show him respect, gave him that look. He'd thought this would be funny, a joke although he'd intended to carry it through, but evidently he'd been wrong. He kept to himself while he tried to figure out what to do and the party flowed on around him, without him.

Tim could feel Lina's tension and swept her out on the dance floor when someone thankfully started some music. There was a large balcony off to one side and he maneuvered them out there.

"LinaMelina, I love you so much and I'm so glad we're going to be together for the rest of our lives."

"Timothy, I love you so much and I'm grateful every day that we were brought together."

"It's our time, sweetheart, let's not worry about your father or any of this. It's our day, just for us, everyone else is just along to celebrate with us. Just focus on us, that's what my dad said -remember?"

She smiled and laid her head on his chest, "Yes my love. It's us, just us." She looked up. "I don't want to sleep without you tonight, Timotheos."

"Nor I without you, Melina. Now we don't have to worry; your uncle, whichever one that was, has taken care of it for us."

She gave that light laugh which had first sent a bolt of electricity through Tim a little over a year ago and hadn't stopped since, "That was Uncle 'Toli, his full name is Anatoly."

"Ok the outspoken one who is now my hero, 'Toli."

"Yes and the quiet one is Uncle Kir; his full name is Kiron."

"So in order of birth, Davos, Anatoly, Kiron and Ariston, have I got that right?"

"Yes my love - my father and uncles!"

"And the aunties? I know Hélène is the eldest and Gaia the youngest. How do the others fit in?"

"Yes, my mother is the eldest, next comes Narella, then Madelyn and lastly Gaia. The other auntie, Fedora, is my father's sister and she comes between Kir and Ariston."

"Poor thing, the only girl!"

"I've always been told that she was spoiled by the family."

"Good for her then!"

When that song finished, another started and Damian poked his head out through the doorway, "Is there room for us?"

"Of course!"

He and Matt joined them and the four of them swayed to the music. Eventually they went back inside and traded dances with family members. For awhile Tim and Lina, Damian and Matt danced close to Ariston and Paolo, which amused and touched the older men, especially when Tim's brothers and their dates and his sister and her boyfriend joined them. They were soon followed by Ariston's older niece and nephew and their spouses. Evidently they had been accepted by the younger generation who had also accepted Damian and Matt. That was good!

Seeing that Davos looked like he was setting up for a good sulk, Gibbs took him aside. "So what was all that about, my friend?"

The older man sighed, "It was to be a joke."

"So you weren't going to force them apart?"

"Oh no, I was going to follow through but I had forgotten how much respect your son has shown for me, my daughter and our traditions. I should never have done this and I don't know how to fix it."

Gibbs shook his head, "Sure you do; just go apologize to your kids."

Davos looked at him and Gibbs shook his head again, "Don't let your pride keep you from this, Davos; stupid things like this can start driving a wedge between families. And I know that's not what you want!" He continued, "Tim has forgiven me for a lot worse, trust me."

Davos nodded, clapped his friend on the shoulder in thanks and headed for the bridal couple who were still dancing.

He tapped Tim on the shoulder, "May I speak with you two?" They both nodded and he apologized to them. Tim smiled and shook his hand while Lina kissed him on the cheek and all was well with the world again. He danced with his daughters and daughter-in-law, then his wife and the evening was a success.

Note: the 'insistence on an odd number of attendants' is the other tradition that is of my own creation.

NEXT CHAPTER: THE WEDDING!


	123. Chapter 123

CH 123

THE WEDDING

Getting Ready

Saturday morning was sunny and promised to be as beautiful as the rest of the week had been. Tim woke suddenly, realizing he was getting married today, _they_ were getting married today! He turned to Lina, finding her watching him with a tender smile. They shared a long kiss and then climbed out of bed for their morning routines.

Although the florist was finishing the stefana, or crowns, for them, they would work with her for a few minutes. Other than that, there were very few things that either bride or groom had to do before it was time to get ready for the wedding. After briefly working with the florist, winding the fresh marjoram around the crown frames and making sure the crowns still fit, they went to the café for breakfast. They were joined by their parents, Tim's grandparents, godparents and some of the aunties and uncles. As he ate, Tim thought that his family was keeping him under even closer surveillance than ever this morning and asked why.

Jim patted him on the back, "In the past year, we've gone from grief to the amazing discovery that you and Sarah are alive and thriving and brought Rob and Geordie to us. We're more or less used to that by now, but speaking for myself I…" Jim stopped and took a deep breath, "I look at you today and I see my little nephew, my little buddy. And here you are, all grownup and about to marry this wonderful woman. Sometimes it's still just a bit…surreal."

When his grandmothers and godparents nodded their agreement, Tim got up and hugged and kissed each one of them. "I'm here, we're here. I wish we could do something about the years we missed, but we can't so we'll just have to make the most of the present."

After breakfast Tim and Lina changed into their swim things and headed out to the beach but not before stopping to greet Dani, Stan and his wife as they headed in for breakfast. While they were still chatting with them, the Hofstadlers arrived for the trek to the beach and Norm and the babies were introduced to the Burleys. Athens and Rota had worked several cases together during Carla's years as Pete's SFA so Stan, his wife and Carla were well acquainted. Finally, Tim helped Norm get the triplets aboard the shuttle and off they went to the beach. The bride and groom had originally thought they'd stay around the pool this morning but instead decided to spend some last hours on the beach with their friends and family. Who knew when this particular group of people would be gathered again like this? When Lina said that, Tim grinned, "Our fifth anniversary!"

She laughed, "Good, then they'll be helping us with _our_ children!"

Lina was fairly relaxed as she had decided that her father's faux pas last night was the 'one thing' that always happens or goes wrong. It was over and done with so everything else would now go smoothly. And as Tim said, as long as the two of them and Papas Theo showed up, anything else that happened would be trivial, not a concern.

Taking care to avoid sunburn on this day of all days, they spent the morning on the beach and in the water playing with their friends and family. After a late lunch, Lina, Tim and their attendants, including almost all of the children, had another quick swim and then were out of the water to dry off and on the shuttle back to the hotel.

The bridal party was taking over the suite and after the couple showered, Sarah was the first to arrive with her things. Tim kissed Lina goodbye and moved everything he needed into James and Sarah's room.

For the next few hours, the bridal party with the help of the grandmothers, aunties and Hélène did their hair and makeup and finally slipped their dresses on. Young Tasha was dressed last and she smiled as she slipped into what she called her fairy princess dress. Hélène, Claire, Gaia and Liz did a final check of each attendant and of course the bride.

Taking their time as it wouldn't take any of them more than a few minutes to get ready, the rest of the men shaved, and showered in their own rooms, combed and dried their hair, threw on some clothes and eventually wandered over to the Groom's room in their dress slacks or in Geordie's case his dress blues, and dress shoes, carrying everything else.

Tim and James were already in the room and had been joined by Poppy, Grandfa, Rob and Geordie. Tim and Gibbs had already spent some time together, taking a little walk on the beach this morning so that Poppy could pass along some words of advice to his son which he assured him came from his marriage to Shannon. Grandfa didn't stay long but as a married man of 5 months, he also had some words of advice for his grandson although in truth, like Gibbs, he just wanted to spend a little extra time with Timothy. Then he slipped out as he was helping Jim, Pete and Davos with the junior groomsmen and the ring bearers. Gibbs went with Ducky for a little while, to give the McGee brothers some time alone. Geordie smiled at the Gunny as he left, knowing what he was doing. He turned and looked at his brothers, including James. "Wow, last time we'll be together as bachelors…even though I doubt Tim and James consider themselves single."

James and Tim looked at each other and grinned, Tim replying: "Yeah, ain't it great?"

James laughed, "Geordie, as far as I'm concerned I haven't been single since the day I met your sister!"

Tim nodded, "Yep, same for me and Lina."

Geordie and Rob nodded; they had no doubts about that! And truthfully, Geordie felt the same way about Bec but he didn't want to make their youngest brother feel left out.

Rob smiled at Tim, "I hope I find someone as wonderful as Lina!" He laughed, "Maybe I have and just don't know her well enough yet."

Tim pursed his lips. "Rob, don't go rushing into anything because of us. You be sure…" he got up close to him and put his hand on his shoulder, repeating, "Be sure whoever it is you think you want to marry is right for you and that you're right for her. You know what my dating history is…crazy bad! But at least it taught me what I was looking for in a mate."

Geordie snorted, "More like what you didn't want in a mate." Tim huffed and they laughed. They talked for another few minutes before Gibbs wandered back in accompanied by Matt and Damian, already dressed and ready to go; Matt carrying a box with their boutonnieres. Tim grinned at them, "Ah, my brothers-in-law…looking good!"

Damian laughed, "We're not your only brothers-in-law in the room!"

Tim chuckled as he put his arm around James' shoulders, "My only official ones, guess we have to wait a few weeks for one more!"

They were soon joined by Nicolas who thanks to his father and Tim's relatives was remaining calm while the younger boys were dressed and prepared for the ceremony. Tim handed over the rings and Nic slipped them into an envelope in his jacket pocket. Geordie put his tunic on and Gibbs helped him smooth it out, lovingly patting his ribbons and medals. "Good man, Geo."

"Thanks Gunny, that means a lot coming from you!"

Archimedes was the next to arrive and he spent some time steaming lapels and sleeves, making sure the men looked perfect. After he left and just before the groom's party made its way to the poolside terrace where the photographer was waiting for them, Gibbs checked each man again, spending some time smoothing out their jackets, straightening Rob's tie and generally showing his affection. He patted Tim's face. "So proud of you, so happy for you!"

"Thanks Dad."

Gibbs didn't want to wrinkle anything so he carefully leaned closer, kissed Tim's cheek and then stood and looked at them all.

"Wonderful bunch here, Tim. That says a lot about you, that these good men are your friends and brothers by choice."

Tim smiled as he looked at the others, "They are a wonderful bunch and now they're going to get me to the church on time!"

Gibbs blinked and laughed. "They sure are kiddo, but photos first!"

The Journey

The last item Lina put on was her veil and that caused a stir in the room. It was two layers, with the first layer white and the second, outer, layer had a ribbon of a lovely burgundy red running through it. As Hélène explained, that was Greek tradition, wearing a red veil symbolized fire which would protect Lina from evil. She would also carry a lump of sugar with her to ensure a sweet future.

After their photographer was satisfied with the quantity and quality of photos taken, Chloe took Lina's bouquet to Tim and after she returned, the bridal party eventually left the room, walking to the shuttle which they found bedecked with streamers and flowers, courtesy of the hotel. Additional shuttles had already transported the guests to the area around the chapel steps.

Waiting

The groom and his party were already there, having left as soon as Chloe delivered Lina's bouquet. As they stood waiting, Tim thought about the photos, knowing he would have several favorites. The top of the list would be the ones with Tim and his dad together, Tim and Grandfa, a third with his brothers and Grandfa, one with the three McGee brothers, another with the three brothers, this time also including James, another with their grandfather and them, the brothers and Gibbs, Tim and Davos, and lastly Tim with his uncle and godfather. There were a lot more but those would be the ones he'd remember posing for. And Pete, bless him, had recorded the photo shoot, so that should be fun too.

Now the groom stood on the top step with Papas Theo, holding Lina's bouquet. His best men and groomsmen were standing on the steps below him and their guests were gathered around. Tim's smile widened when he saw Malachi in the crowd as well as the group from the Embassy. He was touched that Malachi had made the journey from wherever he'd been and hoped he would be able to stay for the reception. He smiled at Tony, catching his eye and thinking of the journey they'd traveled over the past year and his friend smiled back at him, nodding. His uncles beamed at him; he relaxed as he felt their love and pride. He had finally admitted he was nervous. Not about getting married but the ceremony itself which was far different than anything he'd ever experienced. He was thankful that Nicolas and Chloe would be there to guide them so he wouldn't mess up too badly. He looked at his brothers: Rob, Geordie, James, Damian, Matt, Nicolas – and Peter standing with the little guys. He nodded again to his uncles, to George and his brother, to Archimedes. George, Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim saw he was nervous and they stood straight and tall; smiling, he followed their example. His gaze continued to Maggie, Jimmy, Breena and their children, to Ziva giving him an encouraging smile, to Claire, Ned, Rick, Tobias, his grandparents so full of love for their family, to Pete and Trina watching him with love, Kim and Evander, Eva and Caleb, Tea and Adan, Joel and Carol, Vance with a spot by his side where Jackie should be, Ariston and Paolo, the other uncles and aunties. Tim sent up a quick prayer for Jackie, for Dan and Lily, Grandpas Drew and Nelson, Uncle Mark, Patrick, Jackson, Kelly and Shannon. His nerves were soothed; now he felt like he was floating on happiness and love.

He smiled when he saw Davos and Hélène arrive with Gibbs and Aunty Liz. When everyone was in place, Tim squared his shoulders and walked down the steps to be greeted by both sets of parents; Hélène handed him an herbal boutonniere which she helped pin to his lapel. When he asked for her blessing, she kissed him on both cheeks as a sign of her blessing and approval. Davos surprised him with a handshake and kiss which Tim returned; he surprised his godmother and dad with a hug and kiss and then he returned to his step.

Finally the bridal party arrived and Tim only had eyes for Melina. He forgot anyone else was there when she smiled at him as Davos carefully escorted her up to the top step where Tim handed her the bouquet. She had looked beautiful in – and out of – every piece of clothing he'd ever seen on her but this…her radiance and beauty was beyond words. His heart was pounding; he was truly the luckiest man in the universe to find Lina; so beautiful, so lovely inside and out.

The Ceremonies

The first ceremony was the Betrothal. There on the steps of the church the priest offered petitions of prayer on behalf of the bride and groom. He then asked God's blessings upon the rings and proceeded to bless the bride and groom with the rings. He performed this three times in the name of Holy Trinity. Starting with Tim, Papas Theos went to Lina, from her to Tim and back again. Tim had been told that the weaving motion between bride and groom represented their lives being entwined into one and he thought he could feel that happening as the priest moved the bands back and forth. The priest then placed the wedding rings on the ring fingers of the right hands of both bride and groom. Tim welcomed the weight on his finger, feeling the love and history these bands represented.

Following that, Nicolas as their Koumbaro exchanged the wedding bands again, weaving between them an additional three times before the rings were again placed on their right ring fingers. Then Tim and Lina entered the chapel together, led by Papas Theo, their wedding party behind them. They stood on a white cloth in front of the altar, holding white candles that had been lit, while behind them the guests quickly entered and took their places. The Betrothal service closed with a final prayer, sealing the placement of the rings. Tim and Lina had eyes only for each other, feeling the traditions binding them together in love and faith in each other.

The next ceremony was the Crowning. Their crowns had been placed atop a tray at the front of the church. Papas Theo first read many prayers and blessings for them and the wedding party and lastly three prayers which touched upon the institution of marriage through the ages. During these prayers, the priest joined Lina and Tim's be-ringed right hands to symbolize the union of the couple. Tim told Lina later that he spent much of the prayer part of the service thinking of their future.

That part of the service was completed with the actual crowning. The priest took the crowns from the table, blessed Lina and Tim again and crowned them with a prayer. Chloe as Koumbara then exchanged the crowns between them three times to seal their union, the three times symbolizing again not only the entwining of their lives but the Holy Trinity.

The service continued with more readings from the Bible and prayers. Following those, the couple was presented with the common cup which contained a small amount of wine. After the priest blessed the cup, each took a sip and then Papas Theo led the new husband and wife around the altar table three times in a type of joyous religious dance celebrating their union. Chloe and Nicolas held the ribbon of their crowns while they followed the priest. During their procession, a series of three traditional hymns were sung.

When they'd completed their procession around the altar, Papas Theos gave additional blessings to the couple and then removed their crowns, followed by another benediction. With that, their wedding was complete, the marriage ceremony ended. They remained while their personal international choir sang the duet they'd been practicing for months and with the last harmonious notes Tim and Lina left the chapel, followed by the wedding party and their guests.

The Reception

Once everyone had gathered on the terrace at the hotel and the champagne and other beverages were served, the musicians began to play. The first dance was for the bride and groom and Lina and Tim danced well to the music they'd requested. Lina said later she had no memory of traveling back to the hotel and Tim agreed, they were listening to the duet and then they were on the terrace dancing.

The next few dances were for the parents and grandparents and gradually the wedding party joined them. When the music started getting livelier, the Greeks among them grinned, knowing their traditional dances were fast approaching.

When Damian started teaching Tim the Greek dances months ago, his intent was to have him learn the basic steps of some of the traditional dances. And that was part of what happened, Tim had certainly learned the basic steps. But with the 'Piraeus Dance Troupe' already used to dancing together, tonight they could hardly stand to sit still or dance the slow dances. What had begun as basic dance lessons had gone much further than that and in doing so caused the reception to also go far beyond all of their plans and expectations.

Yes, Tim and Lina started things off by dancing the smooth Syrtos together. There was some general dancing and then the bride led her bridal party in the rather raucous dance known as the Kalamatiano, done in 7/8 time, a bit wilder than the Syrtos despite the two dances being much the same. Members of their group and some of the Kalivas family had been joining in individually but after the Kalamatiano, the 'Piraeus Dance Troupe', smiling and calling out their excitement, once again put on the performance they'd done at the Russells months ago, the one that most had only seen on YouTube. Alexis, Callum, Jared, Emily, Kayla and Ainsley had been secretly practicing at home, watching the video over and over and they laughed with joy as they joined in with the dance group.

Everyone eventually joined in, whether they knew any Greek dance steps or just moved with the music. Tim noticed Lydia in the line at one point, having a wonderful time trying out the steps and he smiled at her, vaguely remembering someone referring to her as 'icy'. Maggie and Tony joined with Jimmy and Breena and were doing their own thing while Ethan was doing very well with the steps in the line. Gibbs, a product of 60's and 70's rock and roll (pre disco, thank you very much), felt right at home with the dancers and followed Rhea's steps as best he could. The Russells were keeping up fairly well and Vance had joined them along with Sarah, Rob and James, Dani, Rick, Ned, Joel and Carol and Tobias. Penny did her own thing to the music as did Ducky and Maisie although when Tim looked closer he thought that Grandfa and Gram might be doing a Scottish dance, their steps reminded him of the Highland Fling they'd done at their wedding reception.

Davos and Hélène soon had their own line going, teaching the Americans a modified version of Greek dance with their own siblings helping out.

Everyone but the original 'Dance Troupe' fell back into their chairs for the acrobatic _tsamiko, _where the now skilled dancers leapt into the air and later for the rowdy _zeibekiko_, where some of the dancers took shots of ouzo off of the floor. When they were done, there was such applause they had to perform an encore; thankfully the musicians gave them something a little less exuberant. When the group was finally done, there was thunderous applause; even the hotel staff and shuttle drivers had joined the audience.

The party went on into the night, with some members of the Dance Company occasionally breaking out into one or another of the dances. In between, the tasty meze and food were eaten, a lot of champagne, wine, ouzo, beer and other beverages were consumed; the cake was cut and served. The laughter and joy seemed to envelop the terrace and still the party continued; the bride and groom making sure they spent time with each of their guests.

For the last dance of the evening a line formed with Damian, Lina and Tim at the right end followed by many of the guests, all of them joining together this time by grasping handkerchiefs between them. Damian danced, setting the pace and executing some rather intricate steps while some of the others followed along with more basic steps. The members of the Dance Troupe scattered throughout the line, duplicating Damian's steps and with all of the Kalivas family involved it was a thing of beauty.

When the music stopped, the dancers cheered. The party finally wound down around 2 AM and by 3 AM, the terrace was clear of anything but empty tables and chairs.

The Last Day

By noon on Sunday, the last straggler had been seen; even the newlyweds had shown up in the late morning. Coffee consumption was almost as high as the alcohol consumption at the reception and most of the guests ate hearty breakfasts. For everyone flying out on Monday, this was it, the last day of their magical week on Aegina. Those who wanted to do a little sightseeing in Athens said their goodbyes and took the early ferries to the mainland; most of the families went to the beach one last time and Tim and Lina spent time with their combined family.

The Kalivas family, minus Damian and Matt and plus Ariston and Paolo, was staying an extra night, departing on Monday. By late afternoon after heartfelt goodbyes, everyone flying and the locals who had to work the next day were on the ferry back to the mainland. The limos met them and once again delivered them to their rooms for the night. Tim and Lina returned to their house long enough to change out their island and wedding clothes for the clothes they were taking to the U.S. Then they left for the honeymoon suite of a local luxury hotel.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed the wedding! As I've said before, I tried to follow the traditions I found although some of them were difficult for me to write without knowing the 'why'.<p> 


	124. Chapter 124

Hello my lovlies! I'm glad to be back amongst you, have been having severe internet problems...all fixed now (fingers crossed)! Thanks to HarmonFreak1 for all the help...above and beyond my friend, above and beyond!

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><p>CH 124<p>

When the travelers were picked up for their flight Monday morning, they were first taken for one final Greek meal: breakfast, with plenty of fresh and wonderfully tasty pastries. They were happy to see one another again; it had seemed strange to be in different places last night after hanging out together all week. Claire looked around the group, "Did anyone else go to summer camp as a child?" Several heads nodded and she continued, "This feels like the grownup version of leaving at the end of camp, you knew good things were at home but you were sad to leave your friends and the fun and wished you could stay forever." There were murmurs of agreement and Tobias called out, "Yeah, summer camp was fun, but I think from now on, I'll take camping on a Greek Island anytime!" More laughter followed and then the group broke out into a standing ovation as Lina and Tim appeared.

After breakfast, they continued to the airport and onto the chartered jet. It took awhile for everyone to settle in once they'd boarded. Gibbs thought it was probably because none of them had sat still for very long since they'd landed in Athens over a week ago. Once they were in the air, the seatbelt sign was off and the crowd had finally quieted down, he sent a text to Leon letting him know he had something he wanted to discuss. He got a reply that said "About time! Empty seats?"

The two met in the few rows of empty seats, sitting across from each other in aisle seats. Vance had a taut look on his face, "I'm about to lose you, aren't I?"

Gibbs was taken aback, he hadn't expected that but he forged ahead with the truth. "Yeah, Leon, it's time to hang up my gear bag."

"Are you just leaving the field then?"

"Depends on you."

"I sure hope that means you've decided to take one of the two positions we discussed! So, tell me."

"I'd like to handle the volunteer coordination…from Piraeus."

Leon nodded, he'd thought of that as a possibility. He was also relieved because the budget wasn't going to stretch quite as far as originally planned and he'd had to make a decision between his two new programs. The volunteer pool was a necessity while the additional training was not quite as crucial.

"You going to work from your house or the office?"

"Huh, hadn't even thought about the office. No, that wouldn't be right; I wouldn't do that to Tim. I'll work from the house. I've already checked with my co-owners, they're fine with me working from there."

"You'll have to get up to speed on the computer programs you'll use and you're going to have to finally learn how to use a cell phone – there won't be a drawer full of them anywhere nearby. And you'll need to work around the time differences when things are happening."

"Time differences won't be a problem and I won't bother Tim with my electronic problems, got it." An amused look appeared on his face, "I'll learn what programs I need to know before I go, how's that?"

"All right, that works." Vance paused, "I can't believe you're leaving the field voluntarily…I take that back, I can believe it, I just don't want to."

"Thought about it for months now."

"Since you were here - there - in September."

Gibbs shook his head, "May, after Bagram. The house and the job just made it a clearer choice. I've got other priorities now, family in my life that I never thought I'd have. I'm not wasting any more time." He tilted his head, "Time to give up the field to younger bodies, time to go enjoy my family. Being able to do that and still do something useful for the agency, that's sweet."

Vance sat in silence for a long minute. "We've come a long way, Jethro, the two of us. Never thought we'd end up friends, but we have, been a helluva ride. The end of an era, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded, "I like my new name just as well, probably even better!"

Vance smiled then, "Poppy? Have to admit that's got a nice ring to it." He sighed, "Gonna miss you around the place, hell I've already missed you around the place. Not just your work…you."

"Appreciate that Leon. Like you said, I never thought we'd end up friends either. Although you did pay me back…"

Both men chuckled and Vance grew serious again, "How soon?"

"Gonna rent my house out so I'll need to get it into shape and figure out how to get it rented. Guess I should wait until you find a new Team Lead…unless…?"

"That your recommendation?"

"Yes. I'll be good leaving with her in charge of my…the team."

"What about DiNozzo?"

"Hope he'll be able to find something close by."

"Joel wants to come home, I thought of Barnes for London but couldn't figure out where DiNozzo could go. This works better, he's got more local choices."

When Gibbs looked quizzical, Vance grunted softly, "I could move Winters from Team Lead at the Pentagon to London, move the SFA up to Team Lead, DiNozzo could take the Pentagon SFA position. Close but not in the same building."

"Appreciate that Leon. Glad you're giving him another shot at it and trying to keep him close to Maggie, that's over and above."

"He's done the work, earned it. But that change won't happen right away, have to figure out where Joel's going first." He paused, "Pete's going to wait to retire until after your first grandbaby makes his or her debut."

Gibbs pursed his lips, "Because?"

"Because he was my SFA and didn't get to take his full paternity leave when his eldest was born and he wants to make sure that Tim does. Not the same situation but he's talked with Tim and he wants to give him every chance to be with your future grandchild before he moves into the corner office and has to dive into all the fun that comes with it."

Gibbs nodded, "He's a good man, Pete Russell. I trust him with Tim – just like I trust you."

"Wow, that's good to know. You never answered my question, how soon?"

"I'm thinking the middle of January."

"Or the first snow." They both chuckled.

"How long do you think you'll want to work?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Dunno. 65, 70? Till you retire?"

Vance grunted, "Smartass. I hit 50 this year, but I gotta get the kids to college."

"Close to ten years then, Leon. Don't know about working that long, I was kidding about 70."

"Not ten years, we have college funds, so just need to get them 'to college' not necessarily through college." He sighed, "I put Jackie's life insurance in there, knew she'd want that. I'm thinking 6-8 more years. Maybe I'll move over to Greece with you all."

"Doubt they'll be in Greece by then and I'll be going when they do, somewhere close to them."

"You'll be back home then because you know where they'll be when I retire."

"Huh, yeah. Snow again."

"It's a good decision, Jethro. Like I said, I'm gonna miss the hell outta you but you do the volunteer coordinating, I won't be too far away."

"Got an idea who I'll report to?"

Vance looked surprised, "Me!"

"Not the Assistant Director?"

"Mmm, might have to do that on paper but for all practical purposes, me."

The Admiral came wandering down the aisle to use the restroom and stopped to chat on the way back. "You two solving the problems of the world?"

Vance snorted, "Oh yeah, we've got it all worked out!"

Gibbs patted the seat in front of him, "Stick around, Dave, you can hear all our great plans."

He sat and the three men talked until the seatbelt light came on as they prepared for the descent into Gatwick.

Tim and Lina got off the plane to say goodbye to the departing passengers: the Morrises, Lydia Worden, her friend Marty and of course the siblings. Gibbs had a difficult time saying goodbye to Sarah, Rob and James and could only imagine how Tim felt. He decided that the next time he flew over he'd stop in London for a day or two. They were on the ground less than an hour before they took off for the last and longest part of the flight, across the Atlantic.

By the time the charter landed at Dulles, Tim and Lina had said goodbye to everyone and with Taylor Ganier quickly gathered their belongings and headed to the gate for their commercial flight to New Orleans. They'd been a little surprised when Tony had confided that he was staying over in DC for the rest of the week, he'd be heading back to Bremerton on Sunday. As they deplaned, Lina remarked that she wouldn't be surprised to hear that Maggie and Tony were planning on marrying soon. Taylor teased her that as a bride, she just wanted to make sure everyone was as happy as she and Tim were. When he said that, Tim smiled, trying very hard not to look as smug as he felt.

They'd made good time over the Atlantic so they were in no rush although Tim thought it might be easier if they were in a rush, then he wouldn't have time to think. Once they checked in at the gate, they found seats in the waiting area. When Tim sighed, hating to leave everyone, Lina leaned over to Tim, "We'll see them next week."

He kissed her and nodded. "Pete was right, everything went so fast."

"It was fun, wasn't it?"

"Oh yeah, it was great! So glad we did things the way we did!"

"Me too."

"And finally you have your show…the opening, are you excited?"

"Not yet, I will be when we get there, when I get to the gallery."

Taylor sat across the aisle from them on the flight down and Tim spent some time getting to know him a little better. The man had held back in Greece, Tim figured it was the sheer number of family members but now the art gallery owner said it was that he knew there would be more time this week.

During this visit to the Crescent City, the gallery had arranged for the honeymoon suite in a charming boutique hotel. It was within walking distance of the gallery and the streetcar routes that Tim planned to use to sightsee. He would go back to Preservation Hall and maybe take a tour of the bayous although he'd rather do that with Lina if they had the chance. He was excited about Lina's gallery show and excited for her; however he wasn't all that excited about being back in New Orleans, not after their trip in February for the trial, the trip that had ended with the news of Jack's death. He'd find things to do, the hotel might be 'boutique' but it had a pool so he could at least swim every day and he'd find a running route.

That first day, they were exhausted and slept a good deal. The next day, they walked together to the gallery so Tim would know where it was in relation to the hotel and so he could locate the streetcar that would take him on a tour of the city. It was the same sort of on and off arrangement he and James had found in London last year. He forced himself off at places and admitted that it was a beautiful city, it wasn't the city's fault that Abby went crazy or that Jack died.

At the gallery, Lina was very impressed with the arrangements made for her artwork. She was introduced to the woman who'd worked on it in Taylor's absence, a Jeanette Laroche and complimented her on her work. During the next couple of days they worked closely together preparing for the opening which was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday; her works would then be on display through March. Jeanette had also developed a brochure of her work which Lina loved; they scanned it so that it could also be seen on Lina's website.

In the meantime, Tim got to know more of the city by riding the streetcars. He was shocked one afternoon when the car he was riding on stopped in front of a restaurant with a familiar name, "Sciuto's". Tim took a photo of it; he'd research the ownership when he got back to the room but he made a mental note to avoid it if it was recommended to him. He didn't want to chance running into Luka and being recognized. He knew he hadn't done anything wrong nor had Luka, but he was quite sure neither of them had any interest in meeting.

By Thursday Lina was able to relax a little and asked Tim to meet her at the gallery so they could have lunch. When he arrived he was thrilled at the rooms full of her art. Lina had been telling him about the woman who had put everything together and he was looking forward to meeting her. Now as Lina led him through the gallery, he glanced away from one of his favorite paintings to see a woman looking at him curiously, as if she might know him. Lina apparently hadn't noticed as she introduced Jeanette to her husband Tim McGee. The look changed from curiosity to something closer to horrified; the woman nodded a greeting and then excused herself, disappearing into the back. The couple was puzzled, but when Tim's tummy grumbled, they shrugged and off they went to lunch. When they returned Taylor asked them to come to his office. He quietly explained that Jeanette Laroche's married name was Sciuto; she was the sister-in-law of Abby Sciuto. Not that he thought it mattered, but Taylor assured them he hadn't known this, he'd never heard Jeanette's married name before and if he had he would have made other arrangements. As the gallery setup work and the brochures were done, he hoped there wouldn't be any problems; however Jeanette had arranged for the catering at the opening and she'd told Taylor that her husband's restaurant, Sciuto's would be handling that.

There was a long silence while Tim fought an urge to grab Lina and run, leave the city and never come back. This place… Tim shook his head, he couldn't go there, he needed to support Lina and if that meant staying in this accursed place three more days and facing the family of the woman who'd hired someone to kill him, then that's what he'd do. There was just no way this unhappy coincidence could be allowed to impact Lina's opening, he just wouldn't let it; she'd been wonderful about supporting him through everything, he would not let her down.

He looked at Taylor, "I saw the restaurant the other day; I meant to do some research on the ownership but never got to it. I'll deal with it, we'll handle it before Saturday, don't worry. There is no way I'm going to let this impact the opening. For one thing, I doubt either of them is responsible for his sister's actions. For another, Lina's been singing this woman's praises all week; I sure don't want this to impact her any more than it already has. And really, this is too important to allow the past to smack us in the face."

Taylor nodded, "Thank you, Tim. I'd like to help…I should tell you Jeanette is hoping you two will have lunch with her tomorrow at Sciuto's."

"Don't know about that, I need to make some calls first."

"All right, let me know if you change your mind about the help."

Tim nodded, kissed Lina goodbye and walked back to the hotel. He paced in the room, thinking about meeting with these people. His gut was giving him fits; everything in him rejected the idea of a meet. Then he realized why: the civil suit. He still had not decided whether to pursue a civil case against Abby although he had more time before the deadline. How would meeting with her family affect that?

Sighing because he knew the answer, he dug through his contacts to find Tobias, it would be best to go back to the agency that had handled this, either their legal people or someone Tobias recommended could give him the final answer and figure out what else needed to be done to prevent the current situation from getting any messier.

When Tobias answered, he sounded both amused and concerned, "I don't know whether to be scared that you might be calling for relationship advice, because I should be somewhere around Gibbs on the list of who to ask for help with that…or something else has happened."

"Something else and it hasn't really happened, just need to run it by someone and since you were originally involved…" Tim filled him in on the Jeanette connection and what had happened so far.

Tobias huffed at him, "You know the answer. No way should you be meeting! You've been involved in enough legal matters, Tim. Yeah, definitely no meet and no talking on the phone either, unless you've decided not to pursue a civil case."

"I haven't made a decision. Right now I'm leaning toward going forward with one."

"Yeah, I can see why you'd be thinking that way…they really asked you for lunch?"

"Yes…oh crap, you think that was done purposely?"

"Wouldn't put it past them. And Tim, you not meeting with them or being around either one also includes Lina. So this person, Janet…" Tim interjected "Jeanette." "Yeah, her; as far as the opening at the art gallery, it's either her or Lina and no catering from anyplace connected with them. The minute you two are out of there Ganier's free to do whatever he wants, but not while you or Lina are there."

"So not even going with being professionals…not being in the same place at the same time…yeah, you're right."

"I'm going to call the prosecutor; I'm hoping he'll have some sort of advocate that can explain the situation to the Sciutos. If not, he and I will decide who will contact them. I'll keep you posted…oh, and I'll call Ganier."

Tim sighed, "Is that necessary?"

"Yes, you can't be the victim and a special agent at the same time, not in this situation."

"One more question, Jeanette designed a brochure of Lina's works; do we need to scrap that too? They posted it on Lina's website."

"Take it off the website and if the brochure's content is registered to whatshername, scrap the brochure. If it belongs to the gallery, that's fine you don't need to scrap it, but still take it off the website until we figure this out."

"Tobias, this opening should be a big break for Lina, please…keep that in mind when you're talking with Ganier and the prosecutor. Her career shouldn't suffer because of Abby's actions toward me."

"Will do Tim and I'll express that to Ganier too. And it helps that we've met, spent some time talking on the plane." He paused, "Just remember the axiom that there is no such thing as bad publicity."

Tim chuckled, willing to go along with the light tease. "Yeah right…thanks…oh, one more thing."

"Don't tell Gibbs?"

Tim huffed, "No, just give me a chance to tell him first."

"Can do, I've got phone calls to make anyway. You gonna call Lina first?"

"Of course."

"And then Jethro."

"Yep."

"Ok, timing should be about right."

They disconnected and Tim immediately called Lina's cell. When she answered, he asked her to find someplace private to talk. She confirmed that Jeanette had not returned nor had she been in touch and then he gave her the news. She too had thought of the possible civil case and wondered how that would work. She admitted she was relieved that Tim had been in touch with their friend Tobias. While they were talking, she stepped back into the gallery and told Tim she could hear Taylor on the phone with someone.

After hanging up with Lina, Tim took a deep breath and called his dad. "Hey Tim, is everything all right?"

"We're ok Poppy; do you have a couple minutes? Not in the middle of a case or…?"

"Nah, had one yesterday, Doc ruled it a suicide so we're just finishing our reports now. What's up son?"

Tim quickly told him and heard the man moving, probably to the corner of the stairs where there was some privacy. But then he heard elevator doors sliding shut and something being flicked, must be the emergency shut off. "All right Tim, tell me how you're doing?"

"As long as this doesn't have a negative impact on Lina's work, I'm fine."

"Huh."

Tim sighed. "Been trying to be professional and hold it together for Lina; sorry. Yeah, I'm…ok, I feel better now that I don't have to meet these people, don't have to talk with them. Dad, I hate this place, I know that sounds whiny and petulant, but crap, I just want us out of here."

"If it's whiny and petulant then you have company because I'm not crazy about the place either, son and I want you both out of there." He took a breath. "This was going to be a surprise but oh well…we're coming to the opening, Tim."

"Wha… 'we'?"

"Penny, the Cranes and me. Unfortunately, Duck, Maisie and the Hubbards have another commitment, something the kids are involved in."

"Dad! That's….wow!"

"Yeah! Now, we're not staying in the same hotel, so don't worry, we worked that out with Ganier."

"I'm blown away - this is so great! I'll try to keep it secret for Lina, but she's upset too so I might need to tell her to cheer her up. How about dinner Saturday night?"

"Yes unless Lina is being wined and dined by a wealthy art collector, then we'll aim for brunch on Sunday. Or maybe both."

"Yeah ok…Dad, geez, you guys are the best!"

"We want to support both of you, Tim." They talked for a couple minutes more before Gibbs remembered he was holding one of the elevators captive and they disconnected. Tim was so relieved he didn't know what to do; first Uncle Jim shows up to support him at the trial in February and now their family flying in to support Lina, how lucky they were!

He decided to just let the whole Sciuto near-fiasco go. While he'd been pacing, he'd thought more about Lina than anything else and wanted to show her just how proud he was of her and how happy he was to be her husband. Sending a text with lots of flowers & hearts, he invited her out for a special evening and wasn't terribly surprised when his phone buzzed with a call.

"I'll be there within the hour, my love. Taylor has arranged for another caterer, one he has used before and is quite happy with…he has called in another assistant, two in fact; the brochure is off the website, we checked and it only mentions my work and the gallery, nothing of Jeanette. We're ready, all is well here."

They disconnected and Tim got busy. He started with a brief conversation with Ganier. Then he called the restaurant Ganier recommended and when they had no seating available until quite late he shamelessly threw Gemcity's name in to acquire an earlier reservation. He'd thought about a horse and carriage pick-up but he was feeling the need for some anonymity, especially as he had just put the Gemcity name out there. Instead of the buggy, he arranged for a private limo to pick them up. They'd have a tour of the city before heading to the restaurant. After, they'd go to one of the more exclusive clubs and again he called ahead, this time using Lina's name as the artist whose grand opening was this weekend at Ganier's and was given the code for the doorkeeper.

With everything set for the opening, Lina wouldn't be needed at the gallery on Friday. Along with tonight's romantic dinner and fun at the club, they would spend tomorrow together, having at least one day of honeymoon in this place.


	125. Chapter 125

Just want to wish everyone happy holidays! I'll see you the Monday after Christmas. Have fun, don't drink too much ouzo, er lemonade…or eat too many pastries...or candy canes;)!

* * *

><p>CH 125<p>

By Saturday morning, the newlyweds did indeed feel more like they were on their honeymoon. Lina was very happy with the limo, the romantic ambiance of the restaurant and the fun of the club. She was thrilled when Tim told her they'd gotten in using her name. They teased each other about being 'celebs' or as Lina said, 'Mr. and Mrs. Fifteen Minutes of Fame'. They'd spent Friday wrapped up in each other, never stirring from their room.

They didn't have to be at the gallery until mid-afternoon Saturday so they took their time before getting up to face the world that morning. After a swim, they took a stroll to a nearby café for breakfast and then continued their walk through a park close to the hotel. They were still out and about when Lina's phone buzzed with a text from Taylor, asking her to come in early and to bring Tim. She was mystified until she turned and looked at her husband. "You know what this is."

"Maybe."

"So?"

"Nope, not going to speculate."

"Taylor says to arrive ready for the opening, why would he want me there so early?"

"No idea sweetie."

"I hope nothing's wrong."

"I'm sure there's not."

"How sure?"

"Mmm 98% sure."

"That's not 100%."

"I know."

"All right, I guess we should get back to the hotel then."

He nodded and holding hands, they walked back to the hotel. Tim had his dark suit with him and would wear that while Lina would wear one of her dresses that always made him want to sweep her off her feet and head for the nearest bit of privacy. When she put it on this afternoon, he noticed there wasn't quite as much cleavage as usual and when she caught him looking, she laughed. "I'm a new bride, I don't have to work to entice you and I don't want you to be uncomfortable with other men eying me. I made a simple adjustment."

He nodded, "Thank you; you're a very thoughtful wife."

Once they were ready, they stood and looked in the mirror. He looked at her, "You're beautiful Melina. Inside and out, you're a beautiful person." She gave that laugh of hers as she said, "Great minds think alike, Timothy. I was just thinking what a wonderful person you are, inside and out."

That called for a kiss and it was some time before they came up for air. They laughed when they parted and looked at each other. Lina grinned, "Come, I'll have to wipe the lipstick off your face and fix my makeup." She looked at him, "And our hair."

"I just realized this is our one week wedding anniversary!"

"Already! We are an old married couple. Let's celebrate tonight, shall we?!"

"Plan on it!"

They fixed themselves and finally left the room. Walking into the gallery hand in hand, they were met by Taylor. "Thanks for coming in early; I have something I want you two to see before the opening."

They walked to his office, Tim still keeping up the pretense of not knowing anything. When Taylor opened the door, he flicked the light on and the group hiding in there called out "Surprise!"

Lina stood there with her mouth hanging open, finally blinking and looking at her husband. He didn't look surprised, he was happy, he'd known. She went forward into the group for welcoming hugs and kisses.

The opening was a resounding success and before the weekend was over, Lina had contacted Rhea and Dani to express ship more of her work to the gallery. Penny purchased a painting she'd fallen in love with when she'd seen it as a work in progress in July; Liz and Dave purchased one they'd first seen on her website. Gibbs knew what he wanted but told her he'd tell her later. After the gallery closed, Taylor and the assistants would remove most of the sold items and replace them with more of Lina's work. The group had dinner together Saturday night but didn't stay out too late. Most of them were still recovering from transatlantic jet lag along with the time difference between Virginia and Louisiana.

When they returned home Sunday afternoon, Gibbs got busy. He was ready to go, all he wanted now was to get the work on his house done, get through his leave-taking from HQ, do whatever paperwork needed to be done to be a resident foreign national and get himself back over to Greece. He had a lot of work ahead of him!

Leon had already given him a list of what apps he needed to learn and he'd found classes he could take. But first he needed basic classes that Ned offered to help him with. Gibbs liked that, Ned was smart and knew his way around a computer well enough but he wasn't a tech guy so he hopefully wouldn't use those techy words that not only made Gibbs feel dumber than a box of rocks but also older than dirt.

He'd had dinner with Fornell Thursday night after the latest Sciuto situation had been handled and his friend understood his need to be close to Tim and Lina; he himself would likely follow Emily in a few years, once she settled somewhere. Tobias told his old friend that whenever he was home, if he needed a place to stay he could hang out with him. Gibbs had already arranged to stay at Penny's with the Kalivas' in the spring when they'd be in DC for their vacation. When the two had compared schedules, they found that Penny would travel to Greece in April while Gibbs would fly to DC with Davos and Hélène. Gibbs thought he'd take Tobias up on his offer on other visits as he doubted his schedule and Penny's would always work quite so well.

His next step was to talk with Tony and he really needed to do that before he went any further. When the two men finally connected on Skype the week after Lina's opening, Tony was not surprised to hear the news.

"I figured that out before we left the island, Boss, at least that it might be a possibility! First you bought into that house with the others – if you were just going to visit a couple of times a year I doubt you would have bought in. And I'm sure you want to see Rhea more than a few days a year!" He laughed at the look on Gibbs' face, "Gibbs! Not only a trained investigator, I recognize the look; I've seen it in the mirror and on Tim's face. You're at least smitten." He paused and got serious for a moment, "Just be careful, ok?" Gibbs nodded, smiling. "I'm really glad you're not leaving the agency, although I worry about the Navy Yard without you aboard. The volunteer gig sounds like fun and I'm sure you have other projects in mind."

Gibbs chuckled, "Lina's dad and I are building a crib. I started part of it here and hauled it overseas on the charter. They're coming down for a few days in January after I get in and we'll be working on it. He wants me to do some other wood work, on commission, for their business. Thinking about that."

"Wow, that's something, huh? And…a crib? A baby already, wow! I know Tim's always wanted a family but so soon?"

Gibbs gave an almost imperceptible shrug. "They want their first child to be born in Greece so that Lina's family will be close by. Davos and I decided to go ahead and build the crib before I decided to move. There's been no announcement of anything."

"Oh, ok. Had me going for a minute there Boss!"

"Jethro."

Tony looked at him, "Jethro?"

"Yeah, or Dad or Pa or Poppy or whatever name you like, besides Boss."

"Pa, you wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. Tim calls me Dad or Poppy and he told me awhile ago that 'Pa' was your name for me."

Tony nodded, "Dad would be good although I know it'd be confusing if Senior was around."

"Not likely to happen unless _you_ have something to tell."

"I'm…yeah; there might be something to say someday, maybe someday soon if we can work out the logistics…but not today."

Gibbs gave one of his head tilts. "Haven't said this in a while but I'm always available if you need to talk, or need anything."

Tony smiled. "Thanks, I know that and you have been. Every time I see you – and Tim and Ducky – I know you're with me or that I'm with you." He made a face trying to get the words right, "That you will be there for me when I need you." He paused and tried out the new name, "Dad…what if I don't ever have anything to announce, what if we're just together?"

"If you're happy and Maggie's happy, that's fine with me, I'm not pushing any weddings, believe me!"

"Ok, good, I've been kind of concerned about that, not sure when I'll be ready to do the "m" word…" there was a long pause before he continued, "Tim told me Sarah and James are about to get engaged."

"Yeah, apparently Sarah and Lina had some sort of agreement that little sister wouldn't get engaged until after big brother's wedding. Tim's thinking James will pop the question at Christmas. Hope you'll be able to make the wedding!"

"Me? You think I'll, we'll, be invited?"

"Of course, Anthony, you're family."

"Your family, I didn't think…"

"My family, your family, Duck's family, Tim's family, _our_ family."

"Wow, that's…ok, I'll talk to Maggie…um, any idea when?"

"Tim says she's talked about a spring wedding since she was a little girl, so either this spring or spring 2016."

"All right, we'll wait to hear. Uh, Dad…when you leave the team…"

"You'll be hearing more about that in a few days son."

"Great…I hope it's what everyone wants. You know I'm eligible for promotion?"

"Yes, so I've been told and I'm proud of you Anthony, damn proud! I know this past year has been rough but you've worked through it, you should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks Dad – and Boss. Just hope Vance feels the same way."

"He does, believe me."

Tony thought he'd believe that when he was actually promoted again. "I've been sort of keeping an eye open for team vacancies along the eastern seaboard. At this point I don't care if it's still a junior position; I just want to be closer to Maggie."

"And home."

"Well, yeah, although you won't be there."

"Still home for us."

"Yeah, it is."

"I think if you hold on for a couple of months there will be some movement in positions, might get you pretty well situated."

"Yeah?"

Gibbs just grunted having already said more than he'd intended. On his end, Tony looked at his face and nodded, after working with him for so many years, he knew the look.

They promised to keep in touch via Skype as they had been and as Tony said, "Vance will bring Tim home eventually and then at least we'll all be on the same continent!"

XXX

When Tim and Lina arrived in DC early Monday afternoon, Jim and Claire picked them up at the airport. They were only staying overnight; leaving for home the next day. Penny claimed them this time and the family dinner would be at her home that evening. They didn't even bother taking their suitcases upstairs; they had what they needed in their carry-on bags. Lina had a nap while Tim had a swim and a walk around the property with his grandmother. When Penny showed him the plans for the renovation of the storage room, Tim hugged her. "She'll love it Penny, thank you so much!"

"I know it'll be a few years before you get back here. Let's see, two more in Greece, then what three years somewhere else in the U.S before you're back in DC?"

Tim laughed, "You're as bad as Gibbs, counting chickens before they cross the road."

She looked at him puzzled and he laughed harder realizing she wasn't familiar with Ziva's crazy idioms. He also explained to her what was happening at the house in Piraeus while they'd been gone. With Evander's help, he'd contacted their landlords a few months ago and asked permission to expand the back and side walls of the pool shed; sheet rock and paint the interior; install a small heating and air conditioning system and add light including a skylight and windows to make it into a studio, a surprise for Lina.

Damian had done the design work and they'd mailed copies of the blueprints and permits to their landlords in Argentina. He would replace the windows with siding when they moved out if the professors so wished. He'd also talked with Rhea about what Lina would need for her fused glass work and sculpting, but he hadn't done anything with that information yet, thinking Lina might want to handle it. In the meantime, he'd received permission for the renovation shortly after Gibbs' departure but he hadn't had time to do anything before the wedding.

The process had started the previous Monday; as they were enjoying breakfast with the other charter passengers, a contractor trusted by Damian had started the work. But even before that, Norm, Matt and Adan had arrived shortly after Tim and Lina drove down the hill Sunday afternoon. They had carefully moved Gibbs' workbench to the big house and set it up in the garage with a work light overhead. The tools were also moved, but stored inside the house.

XXX

Lina woke knowing exactly where she was: in her future home. She looked around the room, imagining beds for the children with small tables and chairs, bookcases and toy boxes for them all. There was a bathroom between the rooms - what did Tim call it? Oh yes, Jack and Jill style. There were other bedrooms and bathrooms and the attic and basement were unclaimed; she thought the attic could be their Master suite or perhaps it could be a playroom for the children, although the basement sounded better for that. She thought they'd keep the pool but perhaps move the tennis court outside and use the building it was in for a gymnasium or classrooms if they had a school on site as well. There was enough land to build more dwellings for whoever else would live here, perhaps Rob and Sarah and James, maybe even Geordie and she hoped Bec or maybe she and Tim would be the ones living in a new home. Tim had known when he first saw this place that it was the "big house in a park" that the McGee siblings had dreamt of as children. Occasionally he wondered if he'd seen it as a child and the memory had seeped through; he'd told Lina that someday he'd ask Penny.

Eventually she roused herself and after freshening up, went to find her husband and Penny. She found them in the kitchen having a cozy cup of tea and joined them. When Penny asked if she wanted tea, Lina asked if she had herbal tea and Penny stopped in her tracks, she did not remember seeing Lina drinking herbal tea, nor taking naps in the middle of the day. She looked at her granddaughter-in-law carefully and then smiled, "No more caffeine for the day, right?"

Lina smiled back at her, "Right."

"That's all?"

Tim chuckled as Lina answered her. "Yes, I had three cups of coffee at the hotel and airport, that's more than enough for me. I need to sleep tonight."

Tim shook his head, "Penny, we've only been married a week!"

Lina frowned at him, confused, and then figured it out. "No, we haven't conceived yet Penny."

She laughed, a little embarrassed. "Timothy, your father was a honeymoon baby, did you know that? I just thought maybe you were following a family tradition!"

Tim nodded, "We may yet as this wasn't our honeymoon. That'll happen in a few months."

"Of course sweetheart, I forgot about that!"

Lina gave Penny a gentle hug, "Don't worry, Penny, we are hoping for a baby in the next year."

"It's a good thing we have that big house because we'll all be there when our future baby is due!"

After finishing the herbal tea that had started the conversation, Lina and Tim went for a walk in the trees, returning as the sun began to set. They stopped as they approached the front of the house; the lights were all on and it looked very inviting, and once again reminded them not only of the McGees' dream but of the Kalivas home in Thessaloniki, thousands of miles to the east.

They had just gone inside and taken their jackets off when the family started arriving. The Mallards and Hubbards, Cranes and Gibbs were soon sitting in the spacious living room catching up on the weekend. The evening served to act as a cap to the wedding adventure as the newlyweds prepared to return home and resume their lives.

XXX

Tim grinned when he saw the "Welcome Home" banner over his desk when he walked in straight from the airport on Wednesday. It bore a striking resemblance to the one he knew had graced the wall behind Kim's desk after her honeymoon in June. As wonderful as their time on Aegina and the wedding had been, not to mention the 'adventure' of being in New Orleans again, he was ready to get back to work and some semblance of normalcy. Although when he thought about it, he realized he'd lost track of what normalcy might be somewhere around the end of April when he took Lina to Nafplion for a surprise romantic weekend and ended up in Afghanistan. It had been a remarkably crazy seven, nearly eight months.

They were on call that weekend, almost a year to the day since Ducky had arrived and told Tim he was his grandfather. For once they had a call out, a local case which took them through the following week to resolve. They'd barely finished the reports on that case when they were handed a piece of a case from Marseille. Before they knew it, Christmas Eve, their on call holiday, had arrived. Thankfully it was quiet and they enjoyed having Christmas Day off.

Rob flew in a couple of days before, bringing all his belongings with him as he made the move from London to Piraeus. Sarah stayed in the UK and traveled with James to his family's home in Castleton. Other than the times Tim had had to work, it was the first Christmas apart for the younger three McGees' and the first one in many years that Geordie spent with any part of his family. Christmas Day found the McGee brothers and their loved ones joining the Russells, Dani, Ross and the Hofstadlers for dinner. Rob stayed at his brother and sister-in-law's house over the holiday, but by the 27th he had moved into the big house. He'd also made arrangements to join the Kalivas family for the January 6th Christmas celebration, noting that Sophia would also be there.

For those of you who don't remember what the McGee siblings' childhood dream was all about, it's in Chapter 71, the conversation Tim and Gibbs had in his basement the Sunday before the first trip to New Orleans.


	126. Chapter 126

FH, CH 126

Almost immediately after his conversation with Tony, Gibbs had a long talk with Maggie. Once Vance officially signed off on all of it, they confided in the rest of the team about the upcoming changes. Knowing how hopeless Gibbs was with technology and realizing he would need some serious help Ned decided to make sure the man understood what he was doing on his laptop and then made sure he also knew more about the functions of a cell phone and how to successfully use them. He was relieved that Gibbs caught on; he guessed it was because the older man knew he'd have to rely on himself and because personally using technology, other than to Skype with his family and friends, would finally mean something to him. By Christmas, with one more week to go before New Year's, he believed Gibbs was ready for a test. But that would have to wait until after the holiday.

Gibbs spent Christmas Day with the Hubbards, Mallards and Penny; the Cranes were with their grown children. He spoke with Rhea and then with Tim and Lina and the group via Skype. He'd enlisted help in getting his house prepared and it was ready for tenants earlier than he'd thought possible. He'd also contracted with a reputable management company that would handle everything for both him and his tenants.

After Gibbs aced the basic classes, Ned continued working with him, now on the specific software he'd need for the new job. He set up the test: a fictional volunteer situation that would necessitate extensive use of his cell phone and laptop functions.

XXX

Christmas night, Tim, Geordie, Rob and the rest of their family received e-mails from London scheduling a family Skype call on the 27th. Rob was moving to the big house that day but would return with Geordie to Tim and Lina's for the call.

On the day of the call, they gathered in the dining room, the laptop in the middle of the table and chatted with their stateside family, gathered at Grandfa and Gram's home, as they waited for Sarah and James. Champagne and sparkling cider were chilling in the refrigerator, Geordie's contribution to what they thought would be the announcement they'd been waiting for.

Finally Sarah and James popped up on the screen. "Hello everyone thanks for joining us!"

James beamed at them, "We have an announcement; I've asked Sarah to marry me…" Sarah exclaimed, "And I said yes!"

She held her left hand up to the camera so that her family could see her engagement ring. When the happy noise died down a little, Uncle Jim leaned in to take a good look at the ring. "Sarah, is that your mother's ring?"

"Yes, James got it somehow."

Penny, Gram and James started laughing and the others demanded an explanation.

James pointed to their grandmothers, "I just realized those two were involved in two conspiracies this year! The first one was Sarah's ring and then the house!" At the outcry, he continued, "I talked with my mum about family rings and then I remembered that Gram had talked with Sarah last winter about the rings, before Tim brought Lina's ring home from Grandfa's. So I waited until Sarah was out of the house and called Gram and told her what I wanted to do. She got Penny in on it and the next thing I know, we're on Skype together and they're showing me family rings. I picked this one, it's perfect for Sarah, and then they told me it was Lily's. Gram brought it with her in June when they came over for their wedding and managed to get it to me without anyone noticing. I was sure Tim or Matt would have noticed something but no one said anything. I've had it since then."

Gibbs grinned at him, "Excellent work, James, let us know if you ever decide you want to become Special Agent Powell!" When Sarah's eyes widened, Gibbs winked and she shook her head at the tease.

Claire was the practical one, "Have you set the date or the location for the wedding?"

Sarah nodded, "Yes, it's April 11th in Castleton, James' hometown. We're working on a list of places to stay and how to get there; we'll get that to you in the next couple of weeks."

Grandfa's eyes twinkled as he asked, "Church or civil?"

James and Sarah looked at each other and smiled, "Church and it's just going to be family, our extended family."

She looked at her sister-in-law, "Lina will you please be my maid of honor? I guess I should say matron of honor."

"Of course Sarah, I'd be honored!"

"That's as far as I've gotten. Well and I want Timpa to walk me down the aisle." Tim was a little teary remembering how he had teased her when she was little about her ever evolving plans for a fairytale wedding. He tried to speak past the lump in his throat and finally managed, "Of course Sweet Pea."

The family chatted for a little while longer before reluctantly signing off. Lina went to get the champagne and cider from the refrigerator while the three brothers had a snuffly hug together.

The week between Christmas and New Year's seemed odd to Tim as he waited for the announcement about Gibbs. Even the team was off kilter as Bec had flown to the U.S. the day after Christmas for a visit with her family and would not return to work until the second week in January.

That Monday afternoon after Christmas, Vance's e-mail arrived with the official news that Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was retiring from the field effective December 31st and that Special Agent Maggie Barnes was being promoted to Team Lead for the MCRT. Tim just sat looking at it while he heard the others exclaiming as they read the announcement.

He finally got up, grabbed his jacket and fled to the garden. No matter how much of a good thing this was, with Gibbs moving here and his new position, it still hit hard. Gibbs was leaving the MCRT. The Team Leader of the top team at the agency for the past however many years was hanging up his Sig. This was his Boss leaving his team. Yeah, he wasn't Tim's boss anymore and it wasn't Tim's team, but it was still, had still been, Gibbs' team. He paced for a while and when Pete stuck his head out and asked him if he was all right, Tim just shrugged. "I thought I was ready for this. I mean, he's moving here to be closer to us, that's a great thing. But seeing the announcement, wow."

"Hurts, huh?"

Tim nodded. Pete came out and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Changes never stop kiddo."

"Yeah."

"It's late enough, why don't you give Tony a call?"

"That's a good idea."

"Good, now come inside before we have to chip the ice off you." Tim went back in with Pete and then upstairs to call Tony.

Thousands of miles away, DiNozzo had arrived at work, booted up his computer and started going through his e-mail. When he saw the e-mail from Vance, his hand faltered on the mouse. He already knew about Maggie's promotion of course, knew what was going to happen, they'd spent Christmas together and talked about it for hours. But seeing this from Vance…he wasn't sure he was ready to read it.

He sat there staring at his monitor, jumping when his cell buzzed. Looking at the id, he sighed with relief, it was Tim, he should have known his friend must be feeling the same way. He answered, "Tim…"

"You read it yet?"

"No, been sitting here staring at my e-mail, haven't been able to click on it yet."

"Tony…I had no idea it was going to hit me like this. I've known, well since you have."

"It's one thing to talk about it, another thing to see the official announcement, huh?"

"Yeah. You want to open it now?"

"You've seen it."

"Uh huh. Had to go out to the garden, was afraid I was gonna blub."

"All right, you're here with me, I can open it now." Tightly holding his cell, Tony quickly scanned the announcement. "Ok, I'm done; I don't need to look at it again."

Tim gave a rusty chuckle, "Me neither."

"Going away party is the 31st."

"You going to fly out for it?"

"Can't, we're on call New Year's." Tony paused, "Not sure I'd want to without you there."

"Same goes. That'd be cool to surprise him though, wouldn't it, both of us?"

"Yeah it would but Tim…?"

"Just dreamin', Tony, I know we can't be there."

"Maybe they can set up Skype sessions for us."

"That'd be good."

"I'll ask Maggie to ask Vance."

"Thanks man." They talked for a few more minutes and then decided to make a quick call together. As they had done once before, they called Gibbs' cell together and left a message. Then the two of them went back to work, feeling better for having connected.

When Tim hung up, he realized there was one more person who should know. He sent a quick e-mail to Vance and when he got the reply he was hoping for, he forwarded the announcement.

XXX

Gibbs had seriously considered calling in that day. He was good with his decisions, he was looking forward to his move but this part, the leaving thing, was really tough. And this was just the announcement! Even though he wasn't leaving the agency yet, he was leaving the Yard, hell - leaving his team and it was every bit as difficult as he'd dreaded. When he got to work, he immediately went out for coffee, leaving his cell on his desk. When he got back with hot drinks for his teammates, he saw he'd missed a call. When he listened to the message, he had to swallow hard to keep his emotions at bay. He looked up at his boss who had suddenly materialized beside his desk. "You ok?"

Gibbs gave him a tight lipped nod and Vance could see he was fighting his emotions.

"Tough day, knew it would be." He hesitated, "The boys called."

"Both of them?"

Gibbs nodded, "They did it once before, last year, after Tim helped Senior."

"Called you together?"

"Yeah. Said they saw your e-mail, had a tough time with it, got on the phone together and wanted to touch base with me."

"Good, those are some good men you raised there, Jethro."

Gibbs gave a strangled half laugh and started to protest that he hadn't raised them and then just gave his friend a smile. "Thanks, for whatever part I played, I mean good part, I appreciate it."

XXX

In the consulate where she was currently stationed, Ziva was preparing to close her e-mail for the day when a new message popped into her inbox. She smiled as she saw it was from Tim. Opening it, she read it twice before quickly shutting down her computer and fleeing her tiny shared office for the privacy of her room upstairs. Eventually she made a call; Gibbs' eyes lit up again when he saw the number on his cell, remembering it from Stillwater almost a year ago.

XXX

Between the day Vance sent out the announcement and the 31st, Gibbs worked on Ned's fictional volunteer situation, succeeding in using the programs and setting up the volunteers without needing any help and without breaking or harming any of the software or equipment. He kept copious notes and the test situation so he could refer back to it if necessary.

Following his plan, Gibbs formally handed over permanent leadership of the team to Special Agent Maggie Barnes effective January 1st, 2015. As Vance said on the plane home and again at Jethro's party on his last day, it truly was the end of an era. The party was attended by nearly every employee based at the Navy Yard, retiree Ducky who came in with Breena and the children, Navy and Marine personnel, including Admiral Crane, Captain Hubbard and surprisingly Col. Martin, on leave stateside. Penny, Liz and Maisie dropped in with Claire and the children and Gibbs laughed at their nametags. Penny's read "Former murder suspect, I'm innocent, really, ask Jethro!"; Maisie's said "Ducky's wife, that's right, wife! Gram to Jethro's kids." Claire's just said, "Baker of Jethro's favorite cookies, Aunt to his kids". The children's tags read "Favorite Niece" or "Favorite Nephew".

Seeing those, Col. Martin took a tag and wrote: "CO to Tim's brother. Admire the Gunny, repping the Athens gang."

In no time, the Admiral was sporting a tag that said, "Jethro's co-parent to McGee clan, Godfather to Tim" while the Captain's said, "Jethro's alternate grill master; Uncle to Gibbs' kids."

Liz's tag said simply, "One day surrogate wife to Jethro & Godmother to his Tim."

Not to be outdone, Tobias made up a nametag: "Favorite scapegoat and rescuee, who's gonna help me now?"

Breena's said: "Wife of Doc P., Jethro's other daughter-in-law, I was here first (with a smiley face)!"; Ethan and Stevie's nametags both said, "Palmer kid and also a favorite nephew!"

Determined to keep the spirit going, Ned had one that said, "Waited 3 years to get on his team and then he retires!" Vance laughed heartily at them and quickly thinking, made one that said, "HA! Took me 7 years; three directors and 3 SecNavs, FINALLY he's leaving. Yikes, who am I going to laugh…er, argue with now?" with a winky face and several sad faces. He wrote so much he had to use two of the tags which he told Ethan, who asked, was because he was the Director.

Gibbs was happy to see them, touched that the Colonel gave up part of his leave to stop by and wish him well, laughed until he had tears in his eyes at the name tags and the stories Ducky, Dave, Leon, Rick and Col. Martin were telling. He was floored, however, when first General Ellison, Commandant of the Marine Corps and later Secretary of the Navy Porter briefly joined the festivities. Per Maggie's request, they also had a few Skype sessions going for the duration of the party, one each for Piraeus, Bremerton, Rota and one for Cassie Yates in South Florida.

XXX

With Bec away, Geordie was at loose ends so he took a day's leave and joined the McGee-Kalivas clan on the trek north to Thessaloniki for the family Christmas in early January. As before Nicolas picked them up at the airport in Peter and Chloe's van and they squeezed in. There was quite a crowd with Lina, Damian, Matt and all three McGee brothers.

Nicolas gave each of them a warm welcome, announcing, "I hope you've brought warm clothes as it's been very cold!"

Rob grinned, "Nic, it's still warmer than London in winter!"

The other man shuddered and said very dramatically, "Then, Rob, I shall never visit London in the winter!" He laughed as he looked at them all, "I can still see some of your island tan."

Lina made a noise, "It's disappearing now."

Tim nodded, "My first ever tan, I kept it going most of the year, now I'll be pasty white again. I hate being pasty white." That brought laughter from his brothers.

Quickly moving between the terminal and the van, they loaded up and started moving. Tim shivered even as he felt the van's heater pouring out the heat. "I'm ruined for cold weather – it's way too cold here and this would be a balmy winter day in Virginia!"

Rob snorted, "Lightweight! This is a summer day in the UK!"

That made them laugh again as Nic drove them home. As the new family guest house wasn't ready they'd be staying in rooms in the main house and the senior Kalivas' new rooms. When they arrived Tim smiled at the warm light pouring out from the main house. Margaret, Davos and Hélène and the boys were there to greet them; Tim loved the warmth and the feeling of coming home and indeed each of them was greeted warmly. It felt very strange to be here so soon after being at the house's doppelganger in Virginia. As Zander and Dimitri were sharing one of the bedrooms near their parents, Lina and Damian had their old rooms while Geordie and Rob would share a bedroom in the new 'grandparents' dwelling. Tim was surprised and amused when he saw it. It was a separate structure; however it was attached to the main house by a short enclosed breezeway, which gave it more of an air of a new wing. He'd seen the plans so he knew the architecture matched the main house but it wasn't until the next morning that he saw how well it blended in. Damian had done a stellar job and he beamed when Tim said so.

That night, the boys showed their aunt and uncles, including Geordie and Rob, all of the Christmas decorations and the gifts they'd received from their maternal grandparents at their 'other' Christmas. They were very excited about having Christmas again. Before the travelers turned in, they warmed up with hot soup and fresh bread, still warm from the oven. Tim noticed that Hélène and Margaret were sharing the kitchen but that if there were any questions Hélène gave way to her daughter-in-law. He supposed that was only right, the kitchen – and house - was now Margaret's. When they got to their room, he said something about it to Lina, "It looks like Mama and Margaret are getting along much better."

She laughed a little, "Yes, they're both trying very hard to get along. Mama keeps her mouth shut unless Margaret asks her for advice and that has actually happened. Papa and Nic see it as a miracle and are very careful not to rock the boat. But they have their own interests, Mama is planning more trips and is still involved in picking fabrics and designs for the business, something Margaret isn't interested in at all and she is after all very busy with the boys."

The next morning brought a true gift for the children – snow! It snowed overnight and while it was not enough to stick for long, it was enough to delight the boys. When Chloe and Peter arrived with Alexis and Tad, the youngster was almost too excited to talk. He paused long enough to mind his manners and say hello to everyone and then dashed back outside with his dad, sister, cousins, and uncles. Alexis came back inside after a few minutes, shivering, "It's too cold!" She joined the others as they sipped hot beverages in front of the fireplace. Gaia and Sophia arrived shortly after and the boys were brought inside to warm up. Before they opened their gifts, the family gathered around Margaret's piano as she played and they sang Christmas carols while Tim and Rob just listened and smiled. Then Alexis, as the eldest grandchild, read the story of the Magi and finally the gifts were given out. Tim and Lina had brought little gifts from the U.S. and those went over very well. Overall, it was a very pleasant day spent with the family but all too soon the travelers were piling into Peter's van for the trek back to the airport. With January 6th falling on a Tuesday, they'd taken one of the last flights up last night, had the one day off and would return to work on Wednesday.

XXX

By the end of the second week in January, Gibbs had shipped his tools and whatever he wouldn't be able to take on the plane to Tim and Lina's place. Tim joked that it was like getting wedding presents all over again although this time there were no thank you notes to write.

As Gibbs boarded his overseas flight he realized just how hungover he was from the party Rick and Tobias had thrown for him the night before. No matter, he had several hours to sleep on the plane. Copying his son, he traveled first class, glad to have the room to stretch out. He woke when the plane started its descent into Heathrow very early Saturday morning. As he cleared Customs, he smiled when he spotted Sarah and James. He was here to spend time with the pair, wanting to get to know them better. He knew he'd have plenty of opportunities with Rob and Geordie while he was in Greece but didn't want to let this chance with the London branch of his family slide by. The original plan was for a weekend visit but Ducky persuaded him to stay several days and do a little sightseeing. He was booked at the hotel that was close to the flat and pub, the one already frequented by just about everyone else in the family. He knew he probably wouldn't be here long enough to meet James' family but wasn't too worried as Tim and Lina were coming over next month to meet them and besides, Penny, Duck and Maisie, even Davos and Hélène had already met the Powells.

He was greeted with a warm hug and kiss from Sarah and a handshake from James. They loaded his bags onto a luggage trolley and trundled it close to the exit. Before they went out the double door, James stopped and looked at the baggage and then at Gibbs, "Usually we travel on the train but I think we'd better take a taxi this time!"

Gibbs nodded his agreement, "Good idea; it's on me. I shipped a lot of my things straight to Tim and Lina's but you'd never know it - I still have a lot of stuff."

By now Sarah noticed Gibbs carrying a heavy jacket and she could see gloves sticking out of the pockets. "Glad you brought your winter things; it is super cold this morning, you should put that on."

"Rob warned me."

James grimaced, "I never thought to have Tim warn Sarah or Rob before they came over from the States and Tim or Grandfa ended up buying them both warm coats."

Gibbs tilted his head, "Hard to know what to tell people when you don't know where they've been living."

He shrugged his coat on and they moved quickly to the taxi stand. The queue had vanished into vehicles while they'd been talking which meant they were briskly whisked into a nice warm cab. Gibbs watched the scenery as they drove, mostly a lot of cars on the roadway. Things got more interesting when they entered London and moved through the streets toward his hotel. He was so intent on watching that he was startled when Sarah spoke.

"Gibbs, are you hungry?"

He nodded, "I am and I ate on the plane! Is it going to work the same here as it does in Greece where I'm hungry every two hours for the first few days?"

The pair laughed and Sarah nodded, "I guess so because Penny, Grandfa and Gram said the same thing."

Gibbs huffed, "I'll live, just not used to eating so often."

Sarah teased, "I remember Tim telling us the team was lucky if they got to eat anything besides whatever was in the vending machine when you got busy."

He huffed again, "Nasty stuff. Your brother and his Nutter Butters, Tony and his chocolate bars."

James looked curious, "You miss the action?"

"Thought I would; tell you the truth, been so busy I haven't had much time to think about it."

"Have they called you at all, you know with questions?"

This time Gibbs chuckled, "You know Maggie took the lead, right? She ran the team while I was out last year and ran the Athens team while they were in Germany and then when they were in Bagram and recuperating. Doubt she'll have questions any time soon!"

James again, "You didn't mind leaving?"

Gibbs shook his head, "No, it was my idea; it would have happened in the next year anyway, there's a mandatory age limit for Field Agents. But now…I have a family again and I couldn't pass up the chance I've been given with Tim. I've been an idiot with him, trying not to be anymore."

Sarah patted his arm, "You're doing fine."

He gave her a lopsided smile as they pulled up in front of a small hotel on a quiet street. As he paid the driver, glad he'd purchased a couple hundred pounds sterling before he left the States, James started moving his luggage into the hotel lobby where Sarah stayed with it. Gibbs took the last two pieces and the driver helped him in with them. Once inside the hotel, the trio stood shivering in the warm lobby until the front desk clerk pointed at the hot beverage station behind them. Sarah noticed espresso as well as regular coffee and she filled a cup for Gibbs who gave an appreciative twitch of his nose and then a happy sigh after his first sip.

"Hits the spot, thanks Sarah." She smiled as he continued his check-in. His room was on the third floor so they did sort of an assembly-line process with the luggage and the small lift. First they hauled it close to the lift and then James stayed with it while Gibbs and Sarah continued up to the third floor with what pieces they could fit in with them. They found Gibbs' room, thankfully not far down the corridor, and Sarah stayed there with the door open while Gibbs went back to the lift and removed the next delivery James sent up. It went quickly that way and James came up with the last pieces. By now all three of them were hungry, so they locked up the room and leaving the hotel, crossed the street to a small café Sarah and James often frequented for weekend breakfasts. After they ate, they walked Gibbs back to the hotel; made sure he had their cell numbers and left him so he could unpack and nap. They planned to meet at the hotel later that afternoon and take Gibbs on the bus tour James and Tim had enjoyed nearly 18 months ago.


	127. Chapter 127

FH, CH 127

Back in his hotel room, Gibbs enjoyed the warmth. He spent a few minutes unpacking what he'd need for the week. He'd put his clothes and things for the UK in one suitcase so he didn't have to unpack the rest, just stacked them in a corner. After he unpacked, he took a shower, enjoying the hot water. Clean sweats and a warm sweatshirt continued the 'good feels'. He'd already sent texts to Tim and Ducky letting them know he was here and after his shower was happy to see replies from both. Tim and team were on call; they'd caught a case yesterday and would be in the office and field working on it today. Right now they were 'sitting around' waiting on a warrant which Gibbs figured in Tim-speak meant he had everyone digging through what they had, making sure they dotted all the 'I's' and crossed the 'T's' before they made their bust. A couple of minutes later he had a text from Pete that made him chuckle as it had one question: "Has he always been this serious?" Figuring it was a reference to Tim's penchant for doing things right the first time, Gibbs sent a '?' as a reply. Pete's reply: "You're no fun! Oops, warrant …bye!"

Gibbs laughed outright; he was genuinely fond of Pete Russell. On top of his appreciation for how he'd mentored Tim, Pete often reminded him of Tony or as Tony might have been if things had been different for him while growing up. Pete was funny, loved to party, irreverent while knowing and respecting boundaries, a believer in sharing, perfectly capable of being serious when he needed to be, from what Gibbs could tell a devoted husband and father, loyal to his friends, a hard worker, a good investigator and leader. Tony was most of those things but he wasn't so good with boundaries, although he'd learned a lot in the last year, he didn't always make the leap to serious as soon as he should and like Gibbs he was uncomfortable with sharing. He was a good investigator but Gibbs thought his leadership skills might still need work, for which he blamed himself; he should have been working with his SFA on those. And as much as Gibbs believed that Tony would be a good and faithful husband to Maggie if they ever married, he was not sure he'd ever be comfortable as a father.

Pulling the spread off the bed, Gibbs kicked his shoes off and stretched out on top of the sheets, rousing long enough to set his phone alarm (now that he knew how to do that without breaking the phone) and then collapsed back onto the bed, shutting his eyes. In typical Gibbs fashion, he was awake five minutes before the alarm went off. He stripped off his sweats and dressed warmly for the bus tour. He was waiting in the lobby when James and Sarah returned. It was only a few blocks to one of the tour bus stops and the sun was shining, even if it was weak wintery sunshine, so they decided to walk. They spent the afternoon hopping on and off the bus at the various historic or significant sites. Gibbs loved seeing the relief shift Guards marching behind Buckingham and touring the Tower of London where so many skulduggeries had occurred. He got a kick out of seeing New Scotland Yard and another thrill when the bus paused at the end of Downing Street, remembering stories Ducky had told him about London and the Prime Minister's residence at #10 Downing Street. These days no one without clearance was allowed to enter Downing Street, but still it was good to see where it was. Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey; James told the story of Ducky asking Tim to buy souvenir socks for some white elephant exchange and Sarah and Gibbs looked at each other, grinning. Off the bus and into the store they went and Gibbs looked at all the miniatures he could buy. When he saw baby items, he picked up several things, saying they were for 'Baby Palmer' who was due to make her appearance the following month. Sarah noticed he bought multiples of several things but didn't say anything, remembering that Eva in Tim's office was also expecting a baby in February. Maybe one of them was having twins. That brought the triplets to mind and she noticed that some of the items he'd picked were for older babies…toddlers.

The three of them laughed as they piled up the souvenir socks for Tim: three pairs of socks with the Union Jack pattern on them. Gibbs remembered that Tim liked to bring back 'trinkets and toys' for his co-workers when he traveled and when he asked James, the young man said Tim had purchased toys for his London team, not the Athens folks as he hadn't yet met them. Grinning, Gibbs piled more trinkets, tiny little teapots, mini Big Bens, taxis, etc. on the counter. Finally they were done and left the store, souvenir bags in hand, and made the perilous journey across the street to the Abbey. Sarah wanted to see Poets Corner again while Gibbs remembered watching a film of Churchill's funeral when he was a kid and he thought it had taken place here. He was corrected by another visitor: Churchill's state funeral had been at St. Paul's Cathedral, although there was a memorial to the wartime Prime Minister at the Abbey. Back on the bus, their next hop off was at St. Paul's to see the American Memorial chapel as well as any artifacts of Churchill's funeral. The chapel is dedicated to the 28,000 Americans based in Britain who died in World War II. Tim had reminded James of it recently, mentioning that Gibbs' father had been a bomber pilot in Europe during the war. That day Gibbs saw the Red Book of Remembrance with its beautiful illustrations and of course the names of the lost Americans.

After they left there they stopped for coffee and then walked two blocks to a street with small shops and restaurants. James' phone buzzed with a text and he grinned at Sarah. She turned toward Gibbs, saying, "We have a surprise for you." He hooked an eyebrow and she giggled. "I hope you don't mind but this just seemed like the perfect time." He smiled at them, knowing whatever the surprise was the two of them were excited and a little nervous. They entered one of the restaurants and Gibbs quickly spotted a couple moving toward them. It wasn't hard to figure out who they were as the man was an older, shorter version of James. When James introduced him to his parents as Sarah's adoptive father, Gibbs felt his eyes tearing up. The Powells were a little younger than him although not by much. To his amusement, James' dad, George, was a detective in a city close to Castleton. His mother Edith worked in the same city for an insurance company in the claims division; she told Jethro that she'd learned enough of her husband's business to do a little detecting of her own when handling claims. The five of them spent several happy hours over dinner as the parents got acquainted. George and Edith were staying at the same hotel as Jethro and had plans to take him on a short driving tour the next day. They offered him a choice of Stonehenge and the great cathedral in Salisbury or a drive through the Cotswolds. Knowing he could take a day's bus tour through the Cotswolds during the week, Jethro chose Stonehenge. As he said, he loved a good mystery and he'd always wanted to see the ruins. James would go with them while Sarah would stay home; she had a deadline looming and needed to do some serious writing. Gibbs smiled inwardly at how much the young woman sounded like her brother. They took the tube back to the hotel and Gibbs studied the map of the different lines and stations. He circled the line and stop he needed so he'd always know how to get back to the hotel.

He slept like a rock that night and met the Powells in the breakfast room in the morning, pleasantly surprised to see the amount of food offered for an 'English breakfast'. James joined them just as they finished and they bundled into the Powells' car, driving off to Salisbury Plain. They had a great time at the ruins, had lunch in Salisbury, and managed to take a lightning quick tour of the cathedral and a drive through of the city before they drove back to London. The Powells left shortly after as they had a 3-1/2 hour drive back to Castleton and work in the morning. They were looking forward to seeing Jethro and the rest of the family at the wedding in April and of course would finally meet Timothy and Melina in a few weeks. Jethro had dinner with Sarah and James at their flat that evening. He'd see them off and on during the week; he was having lunch with Sarah on Tuesday and had been invited to meet James at the NCIS office for lunch on Thursday. Wednesday he was taking a bus tour to Bath, Stratford-on-Avon, the Cotswolds, and Warwick Castle. As a sniper, a former sniper that is, and defender of his country, he was most interested in seeing Warwick Castle and how it had been situated for defense; perhaps a different perspective than most people would have when visiting a medieval castle.

Monday he traveled via the tube, making his way to the British Museum where he spent several hours. From there he wandered, on the bus, on the tube, just observing. He found Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square where he was impressed with the lions but not so much with the pigeons. Tired, he returned to the hotel, had a nap and then met James and Sarah at their favorite pub, just down the block from the hotel. He enjoyed the pub food and the dart game afterward. Tuesday Sarah met him at the hotel midmorning and she took him to several of her favorite places before winding up near her university where they had lunch. She had class in the afternoon so she headed off while he found his way back to the waterfront and took a boat tour of the Thames. Eventually he wound his way back to the hotel, stopping for Chinese take-out at a place James had mentioned.

Wednesday he was up early for his bus tour. They picked him up at the hotel and off they went. He thoroughly enjoyed the day, predictably taking more pictures at the castle than anywhere else. The bus wasn't full, not terribly odd in the middle of January; the tour guide made sure everyone met everyone else and she selected Gibbs to tease. He didn't mind and briefly considered taking the same tour company's day trip to Paris on Friday but decided that when he went to Paris he didn't want to be alone in the midst of strangers. He wondered if Rhea had been there with her husband. He also wondered whether it would be all right if he asked her to go to the wedding with him. Tim was going to walk Sarah down the aisle although that seemed to be a bone of contention between Sarah and James. Sarah wanted Timpa on her arm and James wanted Tim as his best man; Gibbs was certain that ultimately Sarah would win and that would also be Tim's preference. Other than that, Gibbs and Tim would more or less share 'father of the bride' duties. That had been a surprise to Gibbs, something else he never thought he'd be able to do, dance at his daughter's wedding. Sure, Sarah wasn't the daughter he'd started out with, nor was she either of the two women he'd thought of as daughters in recent years, but he was more than willing to be her dad, just as he was with Tim and hoped to be with Rob and Geordie.

His mind circled back to Rhea. He'd Skyped with her several times since Tim and Lina's wedding; spoken to her twice this week and couldn't wait to see her when he arrived in Greece. He decided he'd consult Lina about asking Rhea to the wedding. For all he knew she'd already have plans that weekend as it was the Orthodox Easter.

When the bus dropped him at the hotel, Gibbs went straight up the block to the pub for a pint and an early dinner. He returned to the hotel and booted up his laptop, wanting to talk with Rhea and Tim and Lina. With the hour's time difference, it was a bit early to contact the kids, so he pinged Rhea. She didn't answer so he sent her an e-mail instead and eventually pinged the McGees.

Tim answered, "Hey Dad, how's it going? You frozen yet?"

Gibbs laughed, "Oh yeah, going to be a big block of ice by the time I get on the plane Saturday!"

"That's funny, last week we were complaining about the cold in Thessaloniki and Rob said it was a lot worse in London, called us lightweights."

Gibbs laughed, "I'm just glad he warned me, the cold really does bite right through you!"

"So how was the bus tour?"

Gibbs told him about it and they laughed over Gibbs' thoughts about medieval defenses and knighthood. "You know that's weird because I thought of you when James and I were there, I could totally see us as knights riding out to protect our feudal lord."

"So who did you cast as the feudal lord?"

Tim chuckled, "Vance of course!"

"I'll be sure and tell him that!" They laughed again and then Lina joined them. "Hi Poppy, sorry, I was out in my studio, Tim sent me a text."

"Hi Lina, glad to hear you're enjoying the studio; what are you working on?"

"It's wonderful, I still can't believe Tim had all of it planned and done without me suspecting a thing! I'm working on something for Sarah and James' wedding, I'll show you when you get here."

"Oh, I thought maybe it was something for the baby, Eva's baby."

She gave him an impudent look and then smiled, "No, the wedding is first although I do have a few other things going."

"Isn't it cold out there?"

"No, my darling husband thought of everything; it has its own heating and cooling system."

"I have to share credit with Damian for that, LinaMelina."

"Of course my Tim! So, Poppy are you enjoying London?"

"Yes…" Gibbs told them more about the bus tour.

"Oh that sounds like fun, I'm glad you weren't the only one, considering how cold it's been there!" They talked for a few more minutes before their kitchen timer rang; a familiar sound that made Gibbs a little homesick and very glad he would see them soon. They exited Skype and Gibbs was picking up the book about Warwick Castle he'd purchased when his laptop pinged with a call from Rhea. He answered, smiling happily.

Thursday morning Gibbs explored more of the area around the hotel and pub, observing the inhabitants as they lived their lives. About an hour before he needed to get ready and leave for his lunch with James, Sarah called him. "Hey Gibbs, did you have fun yesterday?"

"Yeah, it was pretty interesting, that castle is something else!"

She laughed, "I could see you as a medieval knight, holding off the enemy!"

He chuckled, "Yeah that's what your brother said and I had that in my head too."

"I'm working on our wedding invitations and have a question for you. Are you going to bring someone to the wedding and would you like that person to get her own invitation or be your 'plus one'?"

Gibbs huffed, "Been trying to figure out the best way to approach that. Yes, I hope to bring Rhea; it's ok if you say her name Sarah! I haven't asked her yet, was waiting to see if you had room for another person, I know you're keeping the guest list pretty short."

"Of course Poppy! Mmm…is it ok if I call you that? I mean Gibbs is..."

He interrupted her before she got anymore tangled up, "Sarah, you can call me anything - Poppy is great, better than great! I'm happy that you want to call me that."

"Ok, so yes we've actually got Rhea on the guest list because you two are…whatever you are…but I didn't want to assume. Isn't that a rule?"

Now he laughed, "Yeah, it is…was. Not assuming is good but in this case you were right. How about we just leave it as "and guest" and I'll invite her?"

"Ok, great! Now, what are you going to do this afternoon after lunch with James and Joel?"

"Joel too? Be nice to see him again."

"Yep…so?"

"Hadn't thought about it, really."

"I finished my last edit this morning; the manuscript is on its way to the publishers, so I was thinking we could do something."

"Great!"

"Have you ridden the London Eye yet?"

"No, I haven't, would you like to join me?"

"Yes! I've only been on it once, but now that I know what the buildings are it should be more interesting. I'll get tickets online and meet you at the office at 1:30."

"Sounds good, wear gloves, scarf and a hat, it's pretty chilly out there today."

She sighed, "If NCIS would move their European tech center to Greece, I'd be extremely happy!"

"Yeah, I can think of a few other people who would be very happy about that, me included!"

He finished the last of the espresso he'd been drinking and with a nod to the owner, left the café and carefully crossed the street to the hotel, fighting every instinct to look right instead of to the left he was used to as he stepped off the curb.

An hour later he emerged onto the street again and quick walked to the tube station. A short ride and he was walking into the lobby of the NCIS office, showing his Id to the receptionist. She smiled, knowing the name was on her 'expected visitor' list for the day. "You're James Powell's friend – and Tim McGee's dad, right? Oh, that will make you James' father-in-law then!"

He smiled back, loving her assumption and seeing no need to explain the complexity of their family. He was escorted through security by an agent who then led him to the elevators. They got off at the third floor and found James just hanging up the phone. Smiling at each other, they shook hands as another voice came from behind them. "Jethro, welcome to NCIS: London!" It was Joel and they too shook hands. James took him around the IT department and introduced him to Tim's former project team. In honor of Gibbs' visit, they'd worn their 'Zero Bugs' shirts to work, although most were wearing long sleeved shirts underneath. Someone brought out a photo album and he looked through it, smiling with pride at every picture of Tim, clearly leading the team.

Before they left for lunch, Joel took him to his office. He saw the SFA who'd been at the wedding, Lydia, in the hallway; she greeted him but didn't shake his hand as she had her hands full of cardboard boxes. Joel explained that she had just been told of her new posting, Team Lead at MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) in Yuma, AZ. When Gibbs congratulated her and wished her well in her new position, she quipped, "Thanks, I'm looking forward to finally being warm again!"

Joel grabbed his jacket and noticing Gibbs' hat and gloves, gathered his own cold weather gear as they left his office, meeting James at the elevator. The bistro they were going to was only a block away but in the cold it seemed farther. Gibbs enjoyed the lunch and talking about his position as coordinator for the new volunteer pool. As it had been developed from the ideas of Tim, Joel and the Team Lead of the Marseille office, Joel was quite naturally interested as was James who wondered if IT could be added in for the tech centers in DC, Okinawa and of course here in London. Gibbs asked him a few questions about their operations and said he'd bring it up with Vance, knowing he'd have to do some homework on his own first.

They quick walked back to the office to find Sarah in the lobby waiting for Gibbs. He'd already decided to pay for a cab to take them to the Eye and she had no problem with that. She'd done a little research and found that the capsules they'd ride in were heated and that there was no queue today, visitors had been sparse. The taxi driver got them as close as he could and they made arrangements with him to be picked up when they were finished. They jumped out of the nice warm cab and hurried to the ticket office. With the tickets purchased online, the exchange was brief and within a couple of minutes they were ushered into the warm capsule. Sarah had a great time pointing out the various landmarks and buildings to Gibbs, the Post Office, House of Lords, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, parks, the river Thames right below them and the railways, bridges and boats. Gibbs was glad the Eye moved slowly, giving him ample time to look at everything. Before they had completed their exit from the capsule, their taxi appeared where they'd been dropped off. When they got in and remarked on his quick reappearance, the driver chuckled, "You were the only ones riding, I just watched until I saw you were close to the end. Great views, aren't they?"

Sarah wanted tea and the driver recommended they try Harrods as he said every first time visitor to London should experience Harrods once as well as a traditional 'Afternoon Tea'. When they agreed, he drove them straight to the store. Gibbs wasn't sure what to expect, he was not much of a shopper. But the driver told them a couple of stories about the place, in business since 1825 and at the present site since 1849; he admitted he was intrigued. On their drive over, Sarah made a reservation for the Tea Room, and once there they quickly found the lift to the second floor. Spotting restrooms along the way, they stopped to clean up a little. Gibbs was amused by the tea room; he found the tea he normally drank much to Sarah's surprise and agreed to try a baked treat with clotted cream which sounded odd but tasted wonderful. The two thoroughly enjoyed their Afternoon Tea and once finished, strolled through other departments of the huge store. Gibbs bought a couple of things and then asked for them to be double bagged, just so each of them could have one of the uniquely branded plastic bags.

Laughing, Gibbs said, "You should register for wedding gifts here, you never know!"

Sarah snorted, "We could buy a flat for what our dishes would cost here!" She looked at him, "Did you hear about the china?"

He shook his head.

"It's a long story, I'll let Tim tell you the rest of it, but what it boils down to is that someone found a storage shed full of our family belongings, including our mother's china, which Penny had given her. The boys and Lina decided I should have it so it's being shipped over."

Gibbs pulled her into a hug, "That's amazing, Sarah and it's wonderful that you'll have something of your mother's."

She shrugged, "She only had it for about three years you know; Penny had it for longer than that. I think it was originally Dad's grandmother's china, Penny said she'd tell me more about it once I have it."

"What else did they find?"

"Old mail, clothes and toys, boxes of photographs and things that belonged to either Patrick or the Commander. Tim and I will sort through those at some point. I'd like some little thing of Patrick's and maybe of my dad's too."

"You said it was in a storage shed?"

She nodded. "Yes, in the backyard of a house in San Leandro. I think it's the house we stayed in when Tim came home from the hospital."

"Tim knows the details?"

She nodded, "More than I do, some of it is apparently classified." She made a face, "Of course!"

He patted her shoulder, "Believe me, that's usually stuff you'd rather not know anyway."

They were on the train home by now, just steps ahead of the afternoon commuters. When Gibbs got back to his room, he sat down in front of his laptop. After talking with James and Sarah, he had an idea for something the three of them could do Friday evening, his last night. He brought up the search engine he liked and typed in the information he was looking for. He found it and continued, making the arrangements he wanted. And in just a few minutes, he had purchased 3 tickets to a popular play, running at the New London Theater; closest tube stop Covent Garden. Then he set about finding an interesting sounding restaurant in the area. He laughed softly to himself when he saw the long list. He picked one that appealed to him, unknowingly copying Tim and James' choice over a year ago, making reservations at Kopapa.

Friday went swiftly as he visited the last few places on his list. Joel knew someone connected with Scotland Yard and so Gibbs was able to step foot inside the iconic agency and have a bit of a tour. Pub food for lunch, a stop with a photo at 221B Baker Street, a little bit of shopping and he was back at the hotel getting ready for dinner and the play that evening. James and Sarah met him in the lobby and off they went. Gibbs had told them they were going to dinner and a play and that there would probably be a good amount of walking, so they were prepared. As they waited for a train, Gibbs grinned, "We're going to Covent Garden. I have directions to the restaurant from the station and then from the restaurant to the theater, the New London."

Sarah's eyes lit up, "The New London; is that War Horse?"

Gibbs nodded and James and Sarah smiled happily. "We've been wanting to see that, Poppy, thank you!"

"Good, I hoped I had that right! Dinner is going to be an adventure - for me anyway - as it's a fusion restaurant."

"That sounds like fun!"

"Good!" Fusion in Covent Garden sounded vaguely familiar to James but he didn't know why so let it go for the time being. It wasn't until they arrived at the restaurant that he chuckled, "You have good taste, Jethro!"

"You know this restaurant?"

"Sure do, I ate here almost a year and a half ago, with a new and good friend who was only in town for a month."

Gibbs just stared at him, "You're joking!"

James shook his head, "No…Kopapa. Tim and I ate here and then went to see a play, "A Woman in Black" I believe."

Sarah shivered, "C'mon you two, let's go in, it's cold out here!"

The food was good, very different but Gibbs and the other two enjoyed every bite. The walk to the theater wasn't too long and they were full enough to want the exercise. The play was riveting with a lot of action; Gibbs was glad he'd read the synopsis beforehand so he knew the story. Sarah and James seemed to be enjoying it and Gibbs was well satisfied with his choices. After the play, they walked back toward the tube stop and Sarah stopped, grabbing James' arm, "Look, there's that famous pub, The Harp, let's go in for a few minutes." The men shrugged and in they went.

They said goodnight and goodbye with hugs all around and kisses from Sarah a couple of hours later at the hotel with Gibbs determined to stick to Tim's 'no last minute' goodbye rule. Besides he'd be back in April for their wedding and would likely see them over the summer.

Tomorrow morning he'd take a taxi to Heathrow and resume his journey to Greece and his new life; little realizing how much he was still echoing Tim.


	128. Chapter 128

FH, CH 128

Customs in Athens took longer than usual the next day. He had his agency id and copies of his government paperwork so he brought those out and then was passed through with a welcome. He grinned when he saw Lina and all three of the McGee brothers waiting for him. As he hugged and kissed each one he exclaimed, "Can't believe you're all here, this is a great surprise …wonderful!"

They smiled at him while Rob explained, "We wanted to welcome you home to Greece." He paused and Gibbs saw the mischief in his eyes, "James warned us about the baggage. And here we thought Sarah was the one who traveled with the kitchen sink! We figured we'd need at least two cars."

They'd borrowed the Russells' wagon and that plus Tim's car got the luggage and all of them to the big house. Gibbs snorted when he said the name, "Every time I hear that I think of a prison."

Geordie drawled in his best John Wayne imitation, "Gonna send you to the Big House, pilgrim."

Gibbs laughed, "Yeah, that's it!"

Rob was living in the downstairs bedroom because, as he explained his thought process, "Your knee is healed, I talked to Doc P about it; he said you'll be fine with stairs. I thought me taking the downstairs room made more sense as I'm in and out at odd hours and this gives us both more privacy."

That was fine with Gibbs. He'd already given the selection of his bedroom some serious thought. He wanted quiet and privacy. Quiet meant away from the stairs, privacy, well all the rooms were private. Now he headed straight for the one farthest from the stairs and on the back side of the house. Geordie chuckled as he helped bring his bags upstairs. "So how long have you been thinking about which room you wanted?"

Gibbs grinned at him, "Since the first time we saw the house."

"You knew then you wanted to move here?"

Gibbs shrugged, "It was on my mind, yeah. I kept telling myself it was a couple of years off but…well, not with all of you here now. Life's too short."

Geordie nodded and then, in a first for him, pulled him into a hug. "Welcome home, Poppy."

Gibbs returned the hug, "Thanks Geo. Glad to be here!"

Once they had all the bags stowed, they gathered downstairs and Gibbs noticed a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen. He found a large slow cooker on the counter, the delicious smells emanating from it.

Tim noticed and told him, "We thought we'd have dinner here tonight, unless you have plans?"

Gibbs tilted his head, "Need to call Rhea."

Lina smiled, "She's joining us, Poppy, along with Bec, Matt and Damian."

Gibbs nodded happily, "A family dinner, that's great, guys, thanks!"

"We've been trying to have a family dinner every week, usually Sundays. This week we'll all be here instead. But don't be a stranger, please...remember we have the dome over the pool so you can have a swim if you want."

Gibbs chuckled, "You don't have to bribe me son. I do need to thaw out from London first though; right now getting into water that's not steaming hot doesn't sound all that appealing."

"Good point! Another thing before I get sidetracked: I'll pick you up around 10:30 Monday morning. We need to present your credentials to the Embassy. The Greek government has all of your paperwork, but this is a formality we all have to go through."

"Even though I'm working online?"

"Yep, you're still a foreigner living and working in Greece. Don't worry about it, Rob and I have both been through it, it's no big deal, you'll have a brief meeting with the ambassador's assistant or maybe the ambassador herself."

Geordie added, "And if you guys time it right, lunch with me!"

Gibbs pretended he was weighing the options, "Yeah, that's good enough for me!"

"You can't buy a car until you get the paperwork done, Poppy, and you're going to need a car! You can use mine when I'm home asleep but you'll eventually need your own."

Gibbs loved that both of Tim's brothers were calling him Poppy, he wondered if Sarah had told them what he'd said the other day. This was what he'd wanted, what he'd hoped to accomplish, he just hadn't thought it would happen so soon. He resolved not to take it for granted, to be the best dad possible to them all.

Tim cleared his throat, "Actually, we're planning to sell the VW and get something else. If one of you three wants to buy the VW, that'd be great!"

Gibbs looked at Rob and Geordie, "I'm gonna pass on the convertible. If one of you two want it then maybe I could buy your car." The brothers nodded and retired to the other room to discuss the acquisition of the VW convertible. Gibbs resumed his poking around the kitchen and now he found the refrigerator nicely stocked. He wouldn't have to grocery shop for a few days. He spotted the bottles of lemonade and looking at Tim and Lina, pulled out three of them. He started to reach for the glasses but saw Tim grab two of the bottles and hand one to Lina.

They sat down in the great room off the kitchen and Gibbs slipped his shoes off. "Oh that feels good, had a great time this week but I haven't done that much walking since I left the Corps!"

"Hey Dad, James said you saw Lydia, do you know where she's being posted?"

Gibbs grinned, "Arizona…Yuma, the Marine Air Station, Team Lead. She said she was looking forward to being warm again."

"Wow, that's a huge change from London!"

"Yep. You know Joel's asked to be reassigned?"

"I shouldn't but yeah, he told me before the wedding."

"From what Vance said, Lydia could have had that, but she'd already asked to be posted home; Leon said he circled back to her but she said home, so home she got."

"So when is Joel going and where and who's taking London?"

Lina's eyes widened and Gibbs shook his head at her, "No Melina, you're not moving to London." He started to say more but decided this was not the time.

"I don't know when or where Joel's going, I got the impression he's going to be there until his new SFA, whoever that is, gets settled in."

Tim squinted in thought, "Bet it'll be Julian."

"The guy that's there already?"

"Yeah, he was supposed to be reassigned last year and the spot went to someone else." Tim didn't think it necessary to mention that the "someone else" had been Tony. "I think he has four or five years in now as junior, he's probably ready."

"So they'd need a new junior and a new Team Lead. That leaves a nice anchor for the office, the agent who's worked there for awhile. Huh."

"What?"

"Ned wants to post overseas. I don't know about London but he's a good agent, he could take a lateral into a junior position." As Tim opened his mouth to reply, his brothers walked back into the room, "Ok, enough shop talk! We've made a decision."

"And?"

"I'm going to buy the VW, Tim. Geordie says the trunk isn't big enough and with my height, it's perfect."

"Ok, Robbie, that's great. So you'll buy the VW, we'll buy whatever we're going to buy and…Poppy, you going to buy Rob's car?"

Gibbs laughed, "I don't even know what it is! Have I ever seen it, Rob?"

"Don't think so but we can fix that, come on out to the garage." They walked out to the garage to find a Ford Escape, a few years old.

"Nice, got room to haul stuff or people. Paint looks good, interior…" He slipped inside and moved his shoulders and legs, "Got plenty of room, well if you drive it Rob, it'd be fine for me. Who'd you buy it from?"

"One of Tim's neighbors, a Mr. Ladas."

Gibbs looked at Tim, "Is that the old man that helped Norm?"

Tim nodded.

"Great."

"Hey Gunny, what did you do with your muscle car?"

Gibbs grinned, "It's in storage in Tobias' garage, Geo, so when I'm over there I'll have it to drive."

"And your truck?"

"It's at my buddy Roger's place, put to work as a ranch truck. He'll take good care of it, he knows what it means to me and I'm allowed to visit anytime." He looked at Rob, "How much?"

Rob laughed, "Hang on a moment." He looked at Tim, "How much for the VW?"

Tim told him the price and Rob nodded and turned to Gibbs, "That's how much."

"We need to do sales tax or anything?"

"Everything's included in the price. It's a lot of paperwork Poppy. We need to get your credentials accepted first."

"Ok."

Tim smiled, "What we could do until we get the car thing settled is you or Rob can take the VW, you two decide, and I'll use one of the agency sedans. We have two of them and I don't think we've ever used both. Oh yeah, the first month I was here, the Uncles used one and we collected it from them at the memorial service the next day."

Rob grinned, "If you don't mind, I'll take the VW!"

Gibbs laughed and reaching up, patted his shoulder. "It's a deal, Rob. I'll drive the Ford."

Tim looked thoughtful, "When I bought the VW from Norm, he gave me a notarized letter that said I'd purchased it from him and had permission to drive it. I think we should do the same sort of thing for both of you until all the paperwork has gone through. Tea is a notary."

"Good idea. I've been working on my Greek but I've got a ways to go! If I get stopped, I'll have to use the phone app to be understood."

It was Rob's turn to pat his shoulder, "Believe me you'll learn the language very quickly now that you're here!"

They finally went back into the house and Gibbs again sat in one of the recliners, popping it up…ah it felt good to be home!

Lina was rummaging in her handbag. "All the talk about paperwork made me think…" She handed an envelope to Gibbs, "This came for you the other day." He smiled his thanks and tucked it in his pocket.

The group spent the day catching up with each other, playing cards and enjoying each other's company. Midafternoon Gibbs excused himself and went upstairs for a nap. He liked his room; this was the one he'd stayed in coming and going in November. There was a painting of Lina's he wanted to buy, it would go perfectly above his dresser and then he'd see it every morning when he woke up. The envelope crackled in his pocket and he took it out, knowing it was from Ethan Palmer. The boy had called him one day shortly before Christmas, whispering as he asked if he knew the wooden thing with the family names on it at Tim's house. He did and told Ethan it had been a gift from Tim's uncle, although he couldn't remember whether it was Dave or Jim. Ethan asked if there were more and then whispered that he wanted to get one with his family's names on it, as a present for Violet when she was born. Touched, Gibbs told the boy he'd find out where it had been made and let him know. He gave him Tim's address and told him to write down all the names he wanted on the plaque and mail it to him. When Ethan worried about how he'd pay for it, Gibbs told him they'd work something out, that he trusted him. He'd talked to Jim about it after Christmas, swearing him to secrecy and was told the family names had been added by a vendor at the Monastiraki market; Jim remembered the vendor's name and where his booth usually was and described it so well that Gibbs thought he'd be able to find it easily enough. Now he opened the note from Ethan and found all the names. It was a long list; he'd included Penny, his Slater and Mallard grandparents plus all of his 'courtesy' aunts, uncles and cousins. Although as Gibbs thought about it, he realized 'courtesy' really didn't matter, especially when the boys had been adopted, just as he himself had been informally adopted by the McGees and Tony. Family is family no matter how they got that way.

Two hours later he woke, took a shower and changed his clothes. He'd hung his jeans and a sweater he'd bought in London in the bathroom while he showered and the wrinkles were at least less noticeable. As he combed his hair he wondered that none of them had said anything as it was quite a bit longer than usual. He wandered downstairs and found Lina curled up asleep on one of the couches, her head on Tim's stomach while he read on his tablet. He looked up with a smile as Gibbs quietly crossed the room and kissed him on the top of his head. Tim signed that he loved him too and that Rob and Geo had gone to the store.

When Gibbs asked him, still using ASL, what kind of car they were thinking about buying, Tim pulled up a photo of a Nissan Qashqai. They looked at the photo for a minute and then Tim increased the font and handed Gibbs the tablet so he could read the details. He read it and nodded, looked like a good car, nice looking, plenty of room, good safety features. It just looked smaller than he was expecting. When he signed that, Tim signed that they were also looking at a Nissan X-Trail, although he thought it was probably more than they needed. He brought that up as well as some other vehicles they were thinking about. Tim signed, "We can't get anything like 'carfax' over here, so we don't want to buy used unless we know the previous owner."

Gibbs nodded, that made sense and he knew it had been a major factor in the purchase of the VW. He grinned, signing, "Maybe you should ask Norm if he's ready for another car, you could buy his SUV!"

Tim snorted softly and then looked thoughtful. When Gibbs hooked an eyebrow, Tim signed, "Was thinking about the SUV they have, not buying his but asking them how they like it. I believe it's a Ford." He grinned, "I like the idea of buying American over here!"

"You'll keep Lina's car?"

"Yeah, we just need one bigger car for luggage – and for Lina's art supplies. Can't fit easels and canvas into the VW very well."

"Guess you weren't thinking of marrying an artist when you bought it, huh?"

Tim just grinned and changed the subject, signing that Eva was going on maternity leave in another two weeks and Carla was going to fill in for her. She and Norm had decided to put the triplets in day care part-time so they could get to know other children besides their siblings and start building more social skills. Carla returning to the agency was temporary; Eva's mother was coming to stay with the new parents after the baby arrived and when Eva was ready to return to work her sister who lived in Athens and had a three year old, would babysit on the days both Eva and Caleb were working. They were still signing, talking about this or that when Lina woke up.

Stretching she smiled at Gibbs, "So what do you think so far?"

"That I'm grateful to be here with my family!"

Rob and Geordie returned from the store and the five of them worked together to get the rest of their meal ready before the others arrived. That happened all at once as first Rhea and then Bec, Damian and Matt arrived. After greetings were exchanged, they sat down for drinks and meze. Gibbs grinned happily as he chewed on a meze; these were definitely a good reason for moving to Greece! After they'd devoured those and caught up with everything that had happened since Aegina, Tim and Geordie served dinner. While they ate, Gibbs gave an account of his week in London and made sure he mentioned the chilly weather, thanking Rob for his advice.

Geordie laughed, "I have some advice too, Dad, don't go to London when it's cold, wait for summer! You'll love the difference between the blast furnace of Athens and pleasantly warm London." The others laughed as the summer heat in Greece really could be compared to a furnace.

Gibbs retorted, "Have you forgotten the miseries of the mid-Atlantic in the summer?"

Geordie huffed, "It's been awhile. I remember it being nasty though."

Lina laughed, "It must be, Tim says he never wants to be there in the summer again!"

The others chuckled as Tim chanted, "Sticky, sweaty, stinky."

After dinner, they quickly cleaned up the dishes, giving thanks for Hélène's insistence on a dishwasher when they were looking at real estate.

When Gibbs suddenly let loose with a monster yawn, the others laughed and started packing up. Rhea admitted she was tired too as she'd worked at the museum today. He walked her out to her car and took his time coming back in, to the amusement of his family. Tim and Lina were the last to leave, inviting him to go to church with them in the morning. He accepted and then realized he'd need to steam his suit tonight. He said something about it to Tim who nodded and said, "Remind me and we'll go visit Archimedes, you'll need at least one additional suit."

Lina smiled, "And get your tux cleaned!" He was surprised at that but Tim just winked at him. It felt strange to stay behind while they drove away but he'd get used to it; in the meantime he was very glad Rob was here. When the young man offered to handle steaming his suit so he could sleep, his offer was gratefully accepted. Rob came upstairs with him and left with the suit and tie, saying he'd be awake long enough to also launder the dress shirt. Gibbs had another one but he was pretty sure it would be in worse shape.

When he woke the next morning, Gibbs wasn't sure where he was. It wasn't the hotel room, it certainly wasn't his bedroom in Arlington and then he realized he was in his new bed, in his new home.


	129. Chapter 129

FH, CH 129

As they drove over to the big house the next morning, Tim grinned at Lina, "It's so cool that he's here, that he's staying!"

She laughed "I know, my Tim, we are going to love having him here!" She paused, "But we'll have to learn to share him."

"You mean with Rhea?"

"Yes, they seem to have gotten very close."

"Are you worried about it?"

She started to shake her head and then stopped, "Maybe, a little."

"Because of his track record, I can understand that. Although he told me he'd figured out why those marriages didn't work."

"That's good, as long as he doesn't hurt Rhea."

They reached the house and he joined them, insisting on climbing in the back.

Tim looked at his suit, "Nice job getting rid of the wrinkles!"

"Thanks to Doc, he took care of it for me. I'll get it to a dry cleaner this week and I guess go visit Archimedes."

"We'll do the car swap tomorrow after we get back from the Embassy, that'll make things easier for you."

They parked near the church; as they walked up the steps they saw Pete standing outside and he smiled as he welcomed Gibbs. "Welcome home, Jethro!"

"Thanks Pete, it's great to be here. I'm still thawing out after London, glad it's a little warmer here." They walked in and the trio sat with the Russells as Gibbs gave subtle waves to Trina and the kids.

After the service, the priest welcomed him back and Trina gave him a kiss while the kids gave him hugs.

The Russells joined them for lunch and afterward Tim drove Gibbs home. "You know you don't have to go home, you could spend the afternoon with us."

"Tim, you two need your space and besides, I'm not leaving, remember? I'll be here for the next four months and then only away for a few weeks. Besides, I'm taking the Metro into Athens, Rhea and I are going to the flea market." He told Tim about Ethan's project.

"Oh, that's great, Dad. Ethan's a good kid, Jimmy and Breena are going to love that." Tim huffed, "And I know you'll be leading your own life, it's just going to take me awhile to get used to you living here."

"I know son; it'll be an adjustment for all of us. Don't forget I'm going to the embassy with you tomorrow though; hope we'll get lunch with Geordie."

"Yep. Are you coming to class and dinner tomorrow night?"

"Planning on it!"

"Good! By the way, I've given up alcohol for the time being."

"What, giving up the beer?"

"Dad, did you not see how long my beer list was at the Flying Pig? I figure a few weeks of abstinence won't do me any harm."

"Ah, Tim, one beer twice a week, that's not going to hurt you. All the dinners out…now that might put the pounds on if you weren't so careful with your MMA, running and swimming."

"Actually we've cut back…well not the Flying Pig, but we're eating at home more except for MMA nights."

"I'll cook you dinners, now that I know how to use the slow cooker and have the time."

"I'm going to hold you to that! So Dad, how are you getting to the Metro station?"

"Thought I'd call a taxi."

"How soon are you going?"

Gibbs looked at his watch, "Rhea can't meet me until after 2, so not until 1:30."

"Ok, let's go see what Rob's schedule is. If he's going to work, you can ride in with him; otherwise…we'll figure something else out. I know you're a grown man, well able to take care of yourself, but I'd prefer you not get stranded your second day here, especially if you come home late tonight!"

Gibbs opened his mouth to argue and then closed it and smiled, "You're a good son, Timothy, thanks."

Rob was already gone; he'd left a note that he'd gotten called in on a double so he wouldn't be home until late tonight. Tim shook his head, "I cannot get my little brother to stop working so much! He doesn't need to work doubles, he needs sleep."

"I thought Ducky had talked with him."

"He has, I have, Geordie has, Lina has, James has and Sarah has. It doesn't matter, he just keeps taking hours."

Gibbs pursed his lips, "Mind if I give it a try?"

"Not at all Poppy; maybe he'll listen to you! I was hoping that with the addition of Sophia to his life that he'd want to spend more time with her, at least online if not flying up to see her now and then."

"Think he's saving money for that?"

"I don't know. He's a grown man, I've been trying not to hover or be too nosy."

"Yeah, I can understand that. All right, let me go change out of my church clothes. Help yourself to food or drink, you know, the stuff you bought!" Tim chuckled and then called Lina. In the end, Lina drove over in her car, picked Tim up and followed Gibbs, driving the VW, to the Metro Station, making sure he knew what train to take and where to get out.

Gibbs rode the train with a bit of giddiness, disembarking to find Rhea waiting for him with a big smile. They'd already slipped back into the fledgling relationship they'd established at the wedding and in months of talking on Skype. Finding the vendor they needed, the man promised to have the plaque done by Thursday, explaining he was working on another order that would be done by Tuesday. He took the list of names and as they went over them with him, he made little notes on the paper. When he asked if he should leave room on the plaque, Jethro said yes. The vendor peered at the list again and then said something to Rhea in Greek. She repeated it to Jethro, "He says he's seen some of these names before, he did another one in English for a US Naval officer, he says over a year ago and he's added names to it since then."

Gibbs nodded, "Yes, this is for another branch of the same family. The one you made then was given to my son by his uncle, the Navy officer."

The man had understood part but not all of it so again Rhea translated. The man was obviously pleased to be working with the same family. They left him and wandered around the market. Gibbs saw a couple of things he thought would be nice to have in the house, purchased them and then found a woven bag to carry them in. When they tired of the market, they moved down the street and meandered together, Rhea showing the city to Jethro. They stopped for coffee and then continued their wander, enjoying being together with no real time constraints.

By the time Gibbs got off the train in Piraeus that evening, he was exhausted but happy and very glad that Tim had insisted he have a vehicle waiting there for him. He found his way home with no problem and stumbled up the stairs to bed.

He slept late Monday morning, had a banana and went for a walk. When he returned he showered, had more breakfast and dressed. With all that, he still had an hour to wait until Tim picked him up. He checked his cell phone for any overnight messages, something he would need to start doing as part of his morning routine, and found one from Tobias, who'd sent him some sports news. He sent him a reply and then went back upstairs to unpack another suitcase.

He chuckled when Tim pulled up in one of the agency sedans 10 minutes early. Gibbs knew that Tim and Tony thought that '10 minutes early' meant they were right on time. He'd been messing with them for years; he supposed he should come clean about it now. He'd originally started it because DiNozzo drove him crazy being late all the time and Tony passed it along to Kate and Tim and in time, Ziva. The girls had figured it out pretty quickly but neither Tim nor Tony seemed to have a clue. When he opened the passenger door, he looked at Tim and grinned, "You're early!"

Tim looked at him and started laughing, "I knew it! I told DiNozzo you were messing with us…all those years!"

"Yeah, over a decade and it was fun! You gonna tell him?"

"Oh no, if anyone tells him it's got to come from you!"

Tim wanted to know about his day yesterday so Gibbs told him about the vendor and wandering around. "Obviously you made it home ok."

"Yeah, I was so glad that car was there when I got back, kiddo, I was exhausted!"

Tim nodded, "Let's get this car thing going today. I'll drive an agency sedan until we get whatever we're going to buy and pay the agency mileage. Looks like you get the VW until Rob gets home and then swap."

"Works for me, we can get the documents notarized today?"

"Yeah, I wrote them up and Tea will notarize them when we get back."

"Been meaning to ask you…Sarah mentioned your mother's china."

"Huh, yeah, long story and I forgot you didn't know! Apparently when Svetlana rented that house in San Leandro after she murdered Dad and Pat the owner felt sorry for her "losing" her husband and stepson and the Navy "forcing" her to leave base housing so quickly. So the woman allowed her to place a large prefab storage shed in the backyard, you know the big metal kind with the sliding doors. Svetlana stayed on for a while after she dumped us and after she finally moved out, the woman wrote her a couple of times to come get her belongings but she never replied. In the meantime, the owner was diagnosed with a debilitating illness and eventually went into a nursing home. The house was handled by a property management company and nobody ever thought to look in the padlocked storage shed. For 27 years Dad! The woman died last year and her estate is being settled, the house is being sold at auction. So the auction house people go out to the property and use a bolt cutter to get rid of the padlock; they open up the shed and find all kinds of weapons: nasty old and rusted, Soviet Union era weapons, and ammunition. They call the police who call in the FBI and Ron Sacks, who leads Tobias' San Francisco team, gets involved. He comes over with his team, starts going through the boxes and finds a baby book for Timothy McGee. He starts looking through everything and finds more Tim McGee, eventually finds a school picture that looks enough like the Tim McGee he knows that he calls Fornell who of course is on the next flight out. All this happened while we were in New Orleans – you too, a lot of it happened that weekend. Sacks' first call to Tobias was shortly after I'd talked with him about the Sciuto situation. At some point Tobias notified Vance but I'm guessing it was after it was all sorted out. The weapons and the notebooks they found made it classified but most of what was there was all kinds of our family's belongings. Photos, toys, my mother's diaries, my dad's uniforms, household items, the family china, kitchen stuff, clothes, even Elmo the pig."

"Who was…?"

"Gram says he was mine to begin with and at some point I gave him to Patrick and when Sarah was a baby, we gave her what was left of him."

Tim got real quiet. "Felt like I'd gotten Patrick back." He huffed, "Feels like the universe is just sort of belching up whatever is left of her evil."

"I'll say. Has anyone gone through the whole thing yet?"

"Not completely; Sacks and his team sifted through all the papers. They removed everything that was Svetlana's and Ron said they threw out a lot of garbage, things that had decomposed too badly to know what they'd been and yes, they had a forensic specialist working with them. The rest is being transported via the Baton Rouge; Vance got permission from Secretary Porter. When I asked Tobias if he'd mentioned it to you he said no, that he thought I should tell you. So here we are."

"February then - it'll be here next month?"

"Yeah. Lina's hoping there's something we can pass along to our children."

"Elmo the pig!"

"I'm sure he's way too disgusting to give a child by now, but you never know."

"Think that's the last of it?"

Tim shrugged one shoulder, "I'd say yes but I doubt it. Penny's still fighting with the life insurance company and she says the Navy finally committed to paying the family whatever they paid out to Svetlana - the current worth of that amount."

"Yeah, I heard about that. What will you do with it?"

"Not sure yet, needs to be something we all agree on. Most of it will go to charity, although Lina and I have been talking about using at least part of it for our siblings' home."

Gibbs smiled, "Penny's house?"

Tim looked at him, "Yeah, eventually."

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it; it was just the way you described."

"I talked to Penny about that; I'd been there several times as a little boy. Grandfa thinks some of my memories must have survived the trauma and that one bubbled up without me consciously recognizing it."

"Amazing!"

"Yeah. I just wish I'd remembered something useful like a phone number or a name."

"If Ducky is right then maybe your mind was giving you only what you could handle – and the image of the big white house in the 'park' gave you a goal and some hope."

"You're right, I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess it's immaterial now. I'm just glad we'll have more of the Commander and Patrick's stuff. I'm hoping there are things that will let me get to know my father better. And Penny and Sarah are excited about the china; it originally belonged to my McGee great-grandmother."

They'd arrived at the gate; Security scanned the car and examined their documents before they were allowed onto the property. They parked and entered the building where they went through personal security. Now that he was retired from the field, Gibbs was no longer required to carry a weapon and he no longer had an agency issued permit to do so. He had permits issued to him to carry concealed in Virginia, Maryland and the DC metro area, but not here. So his trip through security was quicker than usual as he handed over his knife, while Tim handed over his field weapon, backup, and belt knife. When the guard gave him a look, Tim tried not to smile, "I left the ankle holster at the office." The man nodded and Tim walked through the scanner quietly. Gibbs had been amused and a little flattered when Pete told him during his birthday visit that his entire team now followed Rule 9 - carried knives and knew how to use them.

Once through security, they headed upstairs to 'Conference Room C'. On their way, Tim spotted Mr. Christopher, the diplomat who'd questioned him about Ziva; he smiled and nodded at him. The man stopped in his tracks, "Agent McGee, isn't it?"

"Yes sir."

"Good to see you again."

Wondering if the man had ever spoken with Gibbs as he'd intended, Tim introduced him. "Ah, I know that name too…you are Ziva David's former supervisor at NCIS?"

"I was, yes. You called and we spoke when she started with the Israeli Diplomatic Corps."

"Yes of course. Welcome to Athens! Here on a visit?"

"No, I've moved here."

"Wonderful! If you ever need any help, either of you, be sure to let me know. Here…" He passed cards to each man. They thanked him and started to walk away only to be called back, "Sorry, my endless curiosity…have you heard from Ms. David?"

Both of Ziva's friends smiled and Tim replied, "Yes, in fact we saw her in November. She joined our family on Aegina for my wedding."

"Congratulations! Oh, that's the wedding the Ambassador went to, her friend the artist. So you are married to Melina Kalivas? Lucky man, she's a phenomenal artist, I am a fan of her work! And I'm glad you got to see your friend, sounds as if your concerns have been settled."

Tim shrugged, "We still don't know exactly what she's doing." Gibbs added, "Think that's probably best." Mr. Christopher smiled and with a nod, went on his way.

Tim led them to the conference room and opening the door, found Jack, Ted and Ms. Donohue waiting for them.

"Hey Gibbs, welcome back, good to see you again! We hear you're here permanently!"

Gibbs nodded, "As long as my family is here, I'm here."

"Great, good move! You're retired from the field then?"

Ted chuckled at the look on Gibbs' face. "Sorry, company policy, we get briefed whenever a Federal agent arrives, including background and purpose. Tell you the truth, I like it, it's always good to know there's more good guys in the area."

Gibbs acknowledged that with a tilt of his head and handed his paperwork to Ms. Donahue. "Thank you Agent Gibbs, I'll be back in a few minutes. I believe the Ambassador wants to have a few words."

While they waited, the four men settled in for a chat. Gibbs was not surprised when Jack asked about the house. Seeing the look on his face, he added, "That we knew about because of Dr. Langston's name on the deed. She's an interesting person and yeah, Tim we heard about her arrival in July. She gave her word to the Ambassador that she would not cause any problems here so we're not worried. And of course it helps that Gibbs, your maternal grandparents and your upstanding Greek citizen in-laws are also on the deed." He laughed, "And that we know you, have worked with you and see your brother the Marine every day."

Ms. Donahue returned with the Ambassador. As she'd met Gibbs at the wedding, she just wanted to say hello and welcome him to his new home while she handed him his official paper work. "You're approved for work here in the Greek Republic, congratulations."

She also handed him an envelope and gave a handful of them to Tim. "Agent Gibbs, I hope you brought your tuxedo with you! If not, I know Timothy has a good tailor!" She leaned in, "And just so you know, we've added another expat to the Embassy guest list; she's an artist, has lived in Athens for years now, a close friend of your daughter-in-law's." Gibbs' eyes twinkled as he nodded his appreciation.

"Now, I understand Ms. Hofstadler is back at work with the agency?"

"Temporarily, yes, while Eva Elytis is on maternity leave."

"Wonderful! There are invitations there for both women and their spouses." After Ms. Donahue whisked the Ambassador away to another appointment, Gibbs opened his invitation, "February 14th, Valentine's Day."

Tim laughed, "Look at it this way: it'll save you from having to think of something to do."

Gibbs nodded, "Good point."

They met Geordie and walked to a nearby taverna for lunch and then they headed back to Piraeus. They stopped at the house to see if Rob was awake, he wasn't, so Gibbs grabbed the VW keys and followed Tim back to the office. Kim wanted a copy of Gibbs' paperwork to keep on file, pointing out that no matter his field status he was still an NCIS employee working in Greece, and to pick up the 'permission to drive' letters. Tea had the letters ready, so he took them and left, not wanting to interrupt their workday any more than he had. Besides, now that he had his paperwork, he was officially open for business.

When he got home, he hooked up his laptop and checked in, nothing was doing. He sent an e-mail to Leon to let him know he was official – and that he had his first invitation to an Embassy party. That was it then, he'd go over the checklist he and Ned had created every week but until the notice went out about the new Volunteer Pool and the rules or until someone needed extra bodies er people, there wasn't anything to do.


	130. Chapter 130

CH 130

Tim grinned as he handed out the Embassy invitations. Carla's sharp eyes spotted the extra envelopes in his hand when he'd given the rest out to the others. "Is that for Eva and Caleb?"

"Mmm, yeah and this one is for…"

She laughed, "Gimme!"

He handed it over and she opened it, "Oh boy, a party, a grown up party on Valentine's Day!"

Tim smiled and then realized that was the day Jackson had died nearly a year ago. No, the coroner had ruled he'd died the night before, sometime between 10 PM and midnight, so it was the 13th, not the 14th. Still, they should do something, although he didn't know what. For the first couple of years after Kate's death, Abby had insisted the team go out for drinks to commemorate the anniversary. Then they'd been out of town on a case on the date, Tim thought it was the third or fourth year after her murder and that was the end of that. It didn't matter as none of them ever forgot Kate or what had happened to her. He gave himself a mental shake as he sat down at his desk and got back to work.

XXX

Dinner would be at the Flying Pig that night, so there was no need to cook anything. With a happy grunt, Gibbs carried the large box holding his tools out to the garage. He set the workbench up the way he wanted and then looked around, thinking sometime this week he'd get some pegboard and hooks so he and Davos wouldn't have to dig through a box every time a tool was needed. The crib pieces were hidden in large furniture boxes stacked against the back of the garage; when Gibbs started taking them out he realized he needed to read Rob in on the secret. He took out the end pieces, the ones he'd brought with him in November and went to work on them. By the time he knocked off to get ready for Tim's class and dinner, the pieces were ready to be attached to the sides and bottom that Davos would bring down from Thessaloniki next week. They'd wait to add the last details such as stain or decorations until there was a baby on the way and Lina and Tim decided what they wanted for the nursery. Gibbs put his pieces back in the furniture boxes. Back inside, he found Rob up and around, wondering where he was. He gave him the notarized letter and the keys for the VW and in return took the keys for the Ford. Then he guided the young man out to the garage and showed him the end pieces to the crib and explained the project. Grinning, Rob promised to keep quiet. "That's cool, I love secrets! When you finish this, make sure you and Davos sign it somewhere with the date, like everyone signed your workbench."

"Good idea! You coming to Tim's class and dinner with us?"

"Yeah, I could do that. I haven't been before; I've always been working or asleep."

"Too many hours, do you need to do that, Rob?"

"Um…yeah."

"Why son? I know you don't need the money."

Rob twisted his lips. "I do need the money. I mean, I know we're all working and it's not just the four of us anymore, but I can't spend Tim's money."

"Tim's money?"

"Our joint account."

"That's Tim's money? I thought it was from and for the three of you."

"It is but it's mostly Tim's. And he's always done all the work, kept us alive…fed, clothed. I can't spend it and I have to add to it."

"Rob…he doesn't want you to do that. He doesn't see that money as 'his', it's yours, collectively."

"Can't help it, Poppy. I've tried not working so much…Grandfa talked to me, Tim talked to me…everyone has but I can't."

Gibbs' heart hurt for Rob; that he'd been dealing with this by himself. "Have you told anyone else this, son?"

He shook his head.

"Ok, let's do this. When are you scheduled to work again?"

"Wednesday, unless I get called in."

"All right, tonight let's just put it aside and relax, watch Tim's group and have some fun at the FP. We'll talk about this tomorrow, how's that?"

"Ok Poppy. You won't tell Tim?"

"No, I won't, you will; let's leave that to talk about later too. But Rob, if you get a call to work before Wednesday, I hope you'll tell them no."

Rob was quiet for a few minutes. "Ok, I'll need a reason though."

Gibbs opened his mouth to argue but decided to go with the flow for now. "We'll think of something. C'mon, let's go get cleaned up and changed. Let's take the Ford and then we can pick Lina up at the house."

"All right."

"And Rob, how about you let me treat you tonight?"

Rob opened his mouth to say no thanks but saw a look in the other man's eyes. "All right, thanks Poppy."

Checking the time, Gibbs sent a text to Lina that he and Rob would pick her up at the house, smiling when he got her smiley face reply. When they were ready, Gibbs took a few minutes to adjust the seat (_My God the kid had long legs!_) and mirrors in the Ford and then they took off. After picking up Lina, they pulled into a parking space just behind Damian and Geordie, next to the studio. Evander pulled up just as they were getting out of the car. Waiting for him, they entered just in time to see a prone Tim sweep George's legs out from under him, roll away, flip and bounce up when George launched his defense. Rob's eyes were glued to the defenders and he jumped when the chime sounded, signaling the end of class. He watched, still fascinated as the class and the master bowed to each other. Damian noticed and smiled at him, "You've never seen them in action, Rob?" He shook his head. "They are quite something; you should come earlier to see more."

"Have you ever seen them on a case?"

"No, thank God, I'm sure I would be too nervous! But I know they've taken down bad guys with these moves."

Rob knew that too. He just…he had never really visualized his brother in action. He had seen him throw a knife once when he and Sarah were little and someone was trying to hurt them, but he'd never thought of what his brother would look like as a warrior. He nodded to himself; yeah he could see it, his brother the warrior. He'd always protected them and now he was protecting other people. He really liked that the agents were using MMA instead of bullets when they could.

XXX

Rob had been to the Flying Pig but certainly not as often as the others. He grinned at the "Piraeus Dance Troupe" banner still on the wall and watched as Poppy, Geordie and Evander were given their beer lists. He'd heard about that from Tim and knew he was abstaining right now. Overall he had a good time and hoped he'd be able to join in again.

Rob's brothers and dad were watching him and relaxed when they saw he was enjoying himself. Tim had been a little worried when he saw him standing with the others at the studio; he'd never been sure how Rob would deal with facing the fact that Tim's job required him to practice violence when necessary.

Gibbs was trying to figure out how to deal with Rob's belief that the family joint account was Tim's money and that Rob needed to work constantly to either catch up or provide for himself, or both, Gibbs wasn't sure. He also wasn't sure if he was even the one who should be handling it. He decided to call Duck when they got home, maybe he would have some suggestions. Being dad to grown kids was a lot more complicated than to an 8 year old. But then it would be, Rob with a chip on his shoulder and working himself into bad health was far more serious than Kelly misplacing her favorite Sea Pony. When they got home, Rob settled in to watch TV and Gibbs headed upstairs to call Ducky.

XXX

Across the Atlantic, Ducky smiled when his laptop pinged, seeing it was Jethro. "Hello old friend, are you enjoying your new life?"

"Yeah Duck, I am! Spent Saturday with the kids and Sunday with Rhea. Today Tim took me to the Embassy where I got my approval papers from the Greek government, so I am officially open for business. And I can buy a car."

They talked for a few more minutes and then Jethro brought up Rob's work and what he'd found out. Ducky's face clouded, "Oh the poor boy and his poor brother. What did you tell him?"

"That we needed to talk more but not tonight; he agreed that if he got a call tomorrow asking him to work he'll refuse although he said he'd need a reason."

"Oh dear."

"Yeah. And from the number of hours I've heard he's been working, I'll lay odds he's their main 'go to' guy whenever they need help."

"When is his next scheduled shift?"

"Wednesday. Duck, I'm not even sure I should be the one handling this with him. I'm perfectly willing to but my gut is telling me it should be his siblings."

"Your instincts are right, my friend, but first you'll need to tell Rob that and then we will need to tell the children or he will. This will be quite an upset for Timothy. Let's see what we can come up with to help…"

XXX

Tuesday the phones were quiet; the team worked cold cases. Tim was reviewing one that had originated in London the first year Joel was Team Lead there and he saw that Lydia had been the SFA. As he worked through the file, his mind drifted and he wondered where Joel's new post would be and if he, Lydia and Julian had been as close as this team was. Of course it helped that Matt and Bec were part of his family but still. He hoped Eva would come back, he missed her and she'd only been gone a little over a week. It was great having Carla here but he missed the balance that shy Eva provided to the office. It would be really great if they could keep both Eva and Carla. He thought about that, he'd forgotten that Marseille had one more staff member than Athens. Although there would have to be a need and that would be Kim's call. He shook off his daydreams and returned to the cold case.

He was just packing up for the day when Lina's car went by, headed home. He called, "See you all tomorrow!" as he hurried out of the office. When he got to their parking area he stopped, looking for his VW and then remembered Rob had it. He and Lina had at least identified what they wanted in their next car: Tim wanted sturdy with a good safety record for the vehicle model while Lina wanted comfort and convenience but nothing too bulky in appearance and both wanted four doors with as much storage space as possible, space that could handle easels and large canvases.

When he got home, Lina greeted him warmly and then pulled back. "We may have a car."

"What? Who?"

"Caleb's older brother, Abercio, the one we met last year. His son has left for university and he and his wife want a smaller car. They have a…" she made a noise as she dug out her phone, "Here, he sent me a picture."

Tim looked; it was a late model medium sized SUV, larger than the Escape and the Nissan they'd been looking at, smaller than the X-Trail. Caleb had written down the year, make and model so after dinner and a swim, Tim went online to research the safety record. He was pleased with what he found. It was too late to do anything more about it tonight, but he e-mailed Caleb anyway to let him know they were interested in the car and he hoped they could set up a time to take a look at it, do a test drive. As he remembered, the brother lived between Piraeus and Patras, so it would be a bit of a drive but not too bad.

After sending the e-mail, Tim noticed a new message from Rob and frowned, why hadn't he just texted him? Then he saw that the message was addressed to Geordie and Sarah as well and said that Rob had something he needed to talk about with his siblings and wanted to set up a Skype call so that Sarah could be with them. For now, he just needed to know everyone's availability. After checking with Lina Tim sent theirs: Wednesday and Friday evenings. He looked back a few minutes later and saw that Sarah and Geordie had also replied and that everyone was available Friday night. Tim paced for awhile before he gave in and sent Rob a text asking if he was all right. His brother replied that he was healthy and safe but did have a problem he needed to deal with. He sent a second text that said it had something to do with his work hours. Tim puzzled over that and then realized Gibbs must have spoken with him about how much he was working. Somewhat relieved, he told Lina who nodded. "I think it's worry that's causing it, love."

"But worry about what? He knows we're fine for money now and we have many resources if we weren't. I don't understand."

She shook her head, "I don't either; we'll have to wait to hear what he has to say."

Tim nodded, pulled his bride onto his lap and that was the last of the discussion about Rob.

Wednesday dragged with no new case and Tim started to worry about Rob's call again. Realizing he would drive himself and everyone around him crazy by Friday, he texted Lina to see if she could talk. She replied that now was a good time, so he took his phone out to the kitchen to call his wife. Just thinking that made him incredibly happy. By the time Lina answered her phone, Tim had a plan in mind. "Hello, Wife!"

"Hello Husband!"

"Are you free for dinner tonight?"

"Only for you, my love."

"How about I come into town and pick you up at the museum, we'll have dinner and see if we feel like a movie, music or dancing. Something."

"Ooh, date night in the middle of the week, I like that!" When they disconnected Tim was feeling considerably better than he had been all day. He went back to his cold cases and re-read the one he'd looked at earlier, with new determination. When it was finally time to leave for the evening, he shut down, grabbed his jacket and smiling nearly ran to his car. He stopped at his favorite florist, picking up a bouquet for his bride. It was chilly that evening so he went inside the Benaki to meet Lina. Caleb was just finishing up and Tim had a chance to chat with him while he waited for Lina. Eva was doing well, restless and very ready to have the baby. Tim had been part of the crew that painted the nursery so he knew that was done. The couple had inherited a crib and changing table from Eva's sister; the office staff had chipped in to buy them a rocking chair and the museum staff had provided the baby's carrier/car seat. With a baby monitor, stroller, a lot of diapers, onesies and several cute baby outfits, hand knit blankets from the grandmothers, plus all the other things a newborn and new mother need, the couple was ready. The baby was due in 20 days and Caleb said, "20 days! Eva's mother arrives this weekend to stay with us."

"And she'll stay after the baby is born?"

"Yes, for the first couple of weeks at least."

Tim nodded; glad he was fond of his own mother-in-law and wondering if the Kalivas' would stay with them or at their own house when they eventually had a baby. Probably with them and Gibbs and the Grands would be here too. He came back to his senses when Lina put her hand on his arm. "I'm ready, my husband."

He waited until they were in the car to kiss her. She smiled at him, "This was a wonderful idea." He nodded, "I need time with you, sweetheart, away from our everyday lives."

She nodded, "As do I, my love."

He looked at her, "We haven't talked about this in awhile…are we still on for Santorini in March before Sarah's wedding?"

"Yes, that's wonderful! And when we go to the UK, perhaps we could stay for a few days after?"

He grinned, "Works for me! And what would you think about adding on a weekend in Paris followed by a trip through Provence and the Languedoc? Especially that walled city, Carcassonne."

"Oh that sounds lovely…Paris, Provence and Languedoc! But won't that use up a lot of your vacation?"

He laughed, "Don't worry; I still have leave on the books that's leftover from my time in DC. With nearly 12 years in at the agency, I earn plenty of personal leave. And we need to travel, have some fun before we become parents."

"That's very true my love, although I'm all for children traveling and learning different cultures as they grow up - but perhaps not as infants! I do know that Penny is continuing on to Athens after the wedding so perhaps we could stay in London at her new flat."

"If she has it by then, sure!"

"We'll tell her we want to stay in it and that will give her an incentive to look!"

Tim chuckled, "That's very clever, LinaMelina!"

They took their time over dinner, enjoying the leisurely evening. They decided they weren't dressed for clubbing or dancing, and found a movie instead. There was a theater running old movies in English and that's where they ended up. The movie was "Bringing up Baby", a classic from 1938 with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Neither had seen it before and loved the romantic comedy. They drove home smiling and relaxed after their unexpected evening out and were ready to face the rest of the week.

* * *

><p>Notes:<p>

Hey! My writing partner (harmonfreak) and I have a new story up on NFA and A03. It's called 2.36 Hours and was written for the NFA 2014 Secret Santa fic exchange (aka SeSa) for Smackalicious, beta'd by our very own mcgeeksgirl and alix33. The story is based on the prompts given by her. NFA stands for NCIS Fanfiction Addiction (and you want the community storyboard, not the forum) and A03 is Archive Of Our Own…if you're going to google them. Our author name is Gotthaveharmonfreak. Enjoy!

A/N: The phrase 'having a chip on one's shoulder' refers to holding a grudge or grievance that readily provokes disputation (arguments, disputes, nastiness, etc).


	131. Chapter 131

CH 131

As Rob requested, the call Friday night involved just the four siblings. Seizing the opportunity, Lina and Bec had a girls' night out with Kim and Tea. Skyping with Sarah from his brother's house, Rob told them his problem. "I'm sorry I haven't been telling you guys the truth. I just…I thought I could handle it and I didn't want to worry you. You guys have enough going on."

By the time he finished the sentence he was wrapped in his brothers' arms and Tim had to force the words past the giant lump in his throat. "Rob, since when does that exclude you? We're always going to have stuff going on, that's life."

Rob shook his head. "I'm an adult now; I should be able to handle this…get past it."

Geordie huffed, "Rob, age doesn't have anything to do with it. We're still your family, still your siblings. We're sorry we hadn't figured out what was wrong."

Tim looked at his baby brother and thought that might be the problem. "Rob, are we still treating you like you're 12?"

Rob sighed, "I'm the youngest. I'm always going to be the youngest."

"Do we have a hierarchy in our family?"

When Rob looked down, Tim tapped him on the shoulder, "That was a real question, I don't know the answer."

"No, not really, but yeah, I'm the youngest."

"And you'll always be younger than us, so we need to find a different way of looking at things." Tim sighed, "I know I have a tendency to be overprotective…" he paused at the laughter, "I know, but I've been trying to back off and let you live your own lives. If I've gone too far the other way, I apologize."

"I don't think that's the problem," Geordie offered, "and maybe it's going to take some time to figure out. But what we can do now is make a decision about the joint account. Is it still needed?"

Sarah decided to take this on as she could see it needed to come from someone other than Tim. "I don't think we do. We're family, always will be, but we live independently from each other now. If any of us ever needs help, the others will step up. But I don't think we need the joint account."

Geordie looked at Rob, "Doc?"

"How…what would happen with it then? And yeah, it'd be great if I didn't have to worry about it anymore."

"Tim?"

Tim had heard what Rob said about worry but decided to come back to it. "I'm with them, Geo. It's lived past its usefulness. I propose we split it between us and close the account."

Sarah made a face, "Can we leave a little bit of money in it? Whatever the minimum is to earn interest? Because then we could use it to start saving for our Siblings Home. That is if you guys are still interested?"

Her brothers smiled at her, big wide happy smiles that let her know they were definitely still interested. "Ok, first of all, let's take the balance and decide what we want to leave in there."

They quickly decided what to leave in. When they started talking about splitting the rest, Geordie looked at Rob. "You're not comfortable with that."

"It should be split proportionately, most of it was earned by Tim; he should get a bigger split."

Tim looked at his brother. While he was hurting for his brother, he was starting to get upset over his insistence. "Rob, I…I don't know what to say. It's not love, it's not your place in the family, it's just money. And why have you been worried about the account? This has been going on for awhile, hasn't it?"

Rob nodded but only said, "It's your money."

"It's _our_ money!"

"You earned it, most of it!"

"Because I had the means to do that, because I'm older and went to work first."

"I can't take your money, Tim, I can't. I can't take it and I can't spend it. You've done everything for me all my life and I can't do it."

Tim sat, frozen. He didn't know what to do or say, he felt like his brother was repudiating everything he'd ever done for him. Sarah looked at her brothers, saw the situation about to spiral into something ugly and out of sheer need, did what only she could do: let her famous temper take over.

"Stop it both of you! Rob, you're starting to sound like a jerk. Tim put that money in there to take care of his family, as the head of the family. If you don't want it, then don't take it. Tim, I don't think he realizes how much he sounds like he's rejecting everything you've ever done for him. But you need to steer away from whatever path that brain of yours is taking you on!"

Geordie saw where she was going and stepped in, "Rob if you feel that way, maybe you should figure out how much you owe Tim, you know, for raising you. You should start paying him back."

Rob had gone white with shock at their words and Tim was still frozen in place, hurt and angry; trying very hard to be a calm rational adult. He wanted to run to…who? He had been the parent and Geordie had been the only one he'd ever been able to talk to about problems with the kids. He finally stood, walked into his office and sat at his desk. After a few minutes Geordie came after him, "Tim."

"How was that wrong, Geo, saving that money? I just wanted to make sure none of us would end up back on the streets, that we would have enough money for any emergencies."

"I know Bro and it wasn't wrong."

"Then…I don't understand. He's got years of school ahead of him, if he doesn't take the money he'll end up…how will he manage? He'll have to work even harder than he is now, he'll have student loans up the wazoo…" he squared his shoulders, "You know what? He's just told me he doesn't want my help, so I'm not gonna worry about this."

Tim stood and walked back out to the dining room, Geordie following him.

"You have your wish, Rob, I get that you want your independence. I'll take your share along with mine. Don't know how you'll manage but I'm guessing you don't want that to be something you share with me… us. Sarah, do you agree?"

Sarah worried as she looked at Tim, she'd never seen him so upset, so ashen-faced, not even when he'd told Gibbs off and was leaving DC. "Yes, if that's what he wants, that's fine."

"All right, Geordie, would you please handle the transaction?" Geordie nodded numbly. Tim looked at Rob, his eyes expressionless, "Will that work for you?"

Rob just stared at him, "I didn't mean…"

"What? Didn't mean to sound like you were shoving everything I've done back in my face?"

"No! I just…"

Tim's voice softened, "What Rob? What did you expect to happen?"

"I…I didn't know. Gibbs and Grandfa said I needed to tell you guys, that you've been really worried about me."

"To what end?"

"So you'd know why I'm so obsessed with working."

"And that's because you see the joint account as my money and you feel compelled to match what I put in there or to replace what you use in your schooling. You don't want to feel like I'm supporting you, you want your independence."

"Yeah."

"Then why didn't you just stop using the money? If you were so gung ho about supporting yourself, why have you been lying to us? Why not just say so before letting it blow up like this?"

"I was afraid of disappointing you."

Tim had to bite his tongue to keep from telling him that for the first time in their lives, he _was_ disappointed in him. "Have I ever expressed disappointment in anything you've done, Rob?"

"No."

"So why now, why this?"

"Because it's like taking a step away from the family."

"Oh my God. Rob, it's just money, we've lived without it before and we were a family without it. What's changed?" Tim had another thought, "Is using this money reinforcing your feelings about not being an equal in this family?"

Rob nodded. Tim took a deep breath. "You're always going to be the youngest. There's nothing we can do about that. Do you feel like we, like I, treat you like a child, or maybe like less than you are?"

Rob shook his head, "No, I haven't felt that for a long time. Yeah, it took you awhile to see me as an adult rather than a teenager but that's changed over the years."

"Then help me out here, Rob. I earn more than you right now. One because I'm older and I can't change that and two because you've chosen a profession, an honorable profession, that takes a lot of years of education."

"Yeah."

"So…?"

Rob just shrugged and Tim lost it. "You know, I've had enough! You don't want the money, fine, we've settled that and if you only want what you've put in plus interest, no problem you can figure that out and let Geordie know. But Rob, I'm done trying to get answers out of you! You need to figure out what you want with me; I'm willing to listen but I'm done playing this…guessing game."

Sarah added, "What do you want with each of us, with the family, Rob? Because other than wanting your independence, you're just lashing out apparently without having any real reason."

Geordie nodded at Rob, "What they said, Bro. You got a lot of soul searching to do. Might want to think about getting some help."

Tim turned to Sarah, "Good night Sarah, love to you and James." He looked at his brothers, "Love you both, you can see yourselves out. Good night." He turned and tried not to run upstairs.

Rob stood in place and then looked at Geordie. "He's really angry." Geordie just nodded, shut the laptop off and turned toward the door. "You want a ride home or is that too much?"

"Geordie!"

"Seriously, Rob, what did you think was going to happen? And how the hell are you going to live? You can't stay at the Grands forever you know. Most of them will be here next month and you'll need to find your own room; that was the deal, right?" Rob nodded. "How are you going to pay for your schooling?"

Rob shrugged. "I don't know; I haven't figured it all out yet."

"Wow. For someone as smart as you, that's pretty stupid, Bro."

"Don't call me stupid! I don't need you looking out for me, any of you! I'll get enough back to rent a place closer to school, find roommates or maybe someone who already has a place."

"Yeah, and your tuition? Books, supplies, scrubs…_food_?"

"I'll get scholarships and student loans, like everyone else."

"Like everyone else…Rob, has someone been giving you a bad time about not having to struggle?"

"No."

"Have you talked to Sophia about this?"

"She's independent, she'll understand."

"Oh boy."

"What?"

"I think you're going to have some very loud wake up calls, Rob."

"What do you mean?"

"Nope, I'm done, I've said enough about that. But I tell you, I'm not real happy with how you treated Tim tonight."

"You think I was rejecting him…he thinks I'm rejecting him."

"I think it came across like that and he was right about calling you on the lying. Why the hell didn't you just do what you wanted to do – you could have gone out and gotten student loans, scholarships, grants, on your own. But you didn't, you kept using the joint account and driving us all crazy with your obsession with work. And Rob, I don't know if you'll be able to get all the funding students get at home. You may need to move back to the U.S."

"That's ok. Gibbs and the Grands have said I can live with them."

"Except Gibbs lives here now and there are tenants in his DC house. But the Grands, yeah, that would really help establish your independence." Rob winced. "Why did you move from London to here?"

"I thought it would help if I was here. And I wanted to be around you guys."

"Really? Why?"

"I don't want to talk anymore."

"Right." Geo was used to keeping his cool with his subordinates and during missions but this…he was steamed and he wasn't doing a very good job of reining in his anger. When Rob got out of the car at the Grands, it was all Geordie could do not to peel out of there.


	132. Chapter 132

Jan. 2015: Happy Anniversary to Finding Home! The first chapter was posted here and on NFA on Jan.12th 2014! . I've had and am still having a lot of fun writing it! Thanks to everyone who's stuck with the story - enjoy!

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><p>Gibbs was in Athens, having dinner with Rhea. Ducky had very firmly suggested he not be home when Rob returned, to keep out of the mess that this was going to be. Ducky's plan was to persuade Rob to get professional help with this and in the meantime, he would mention dropping out of school for a semester. He didn't actually want him to drop out but was hoping the shock of hearing that would light a big enough fire in the young man to realize that he had a problem. Gibbs was not sure of any of that, he'd told Rob's grandfather that they should stick with their original plan, to let the siblings handle it.<p>

So now Gibbs was in a restaurant with Rhea, trying very hard to focus on being with her and not wondering what was happening with his family. She wasn't fooled, of course, and got the story out of him.

"It's pride."

"Rob's?"

"Yes, and maybe a little of Tim's, I don't know about that."

"Why would Rob suddenly have his pride injured…because he feels he's not contributing enough?"

"Probably…Tim really raised him?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm, that's interesting. When I met Rob on Aegina and saw him with Tim, they seemed like brothers to me, not parent and child."

"Right, Tim's worked hard to become more brother than parent as the kids have reached adulthood."

"I wonder."

"What? Rhea, please…I'm really struggling with this and I can't even imagine what state Tim is going to be in."

"He'll feel like Rob is throwing everything back in his face?"

"I'm afraid of that, yes."

"And he is, isn't he? I mean really, he's saying he doesn't want any more help. And from what I've seen, that's what every parent strives for, an independent child."

"I get the independence yes, but not necessarily removing yourself from your family and certainly not blowing up the house on the way out. I know, I'm exaggerating, but…he's hurting Tim and he's not thinking it through, he's got a lot of training still left, expensive training."

"Jethro, there's something there…something between Tim as brother and Tim as parent."

"You think that's where Rob's pride is getting hit? It's ok from a parent but not from a brother?"

"Maybe because he thinks he should be equal to his brother, not dependent on him?"

"Huh. Hope one of them realizes that."

"You should call Tim. He knows you've talked with Rob about this? And is Lina home?"

He shook his head. "No, she was going out with Bec and some of the others tonight. And I'm pretty sure Tim will have been told Rob talked with me and Duck about this." He sighed, "You're right, I need to talk with him. Will you excuse me?"

"Jethro, this isn't going to be a short conversation and from everything you've told me, Tim's going to need you. Why don't we take the rest of our dinner home and you can call him from there?" He nodded and they quickly had their dinners boxed up and drove to Rhea's place. Once inside, Jethro called Tim.

XXX

Tim had been debating calling Gibbs. He wanted Lina to enjoy the evening out with Bec as both women would have to deal with the fallout from this mess soon enough. But Gibbs already knew; he'd talked to Rob about it and so had Grandfa. What had they been thinking? He didn't get it. The independence he got, yeah, but not the rest of it. Then he remembered that Gibbs was out with Rhea tonight, so no calling him. He was downstairs again, in his office free writing and when the call came in, he sighed in relief as he answered. "Hi Dad."

"Hi son, how did it go?"

"Not good. Just…not good."

"Tim…I thought I could handle it with him but when he blurted out the problem, I went to your grandfather and we decided it needed to be you guys."

Tim told him his thoughts about Rob's need for independence, their decision about the joint account and then Rob's unknown problem with him.

"Yeah, been thinking about that. Rhea dragged it out of me."

"You two come up with any ideas?"

"She's thinking it might be that he doesn't want to be dependent on you, his brother."

"But he spent his childhood dependent on me."

"No, you were his parent and kids are supposed to be dependent on their parents."

There was a long silence as Tim thought about that. "Geesh! You think it's because our relationship has changed from parent and child to siblings? And he should be equal to a sibling so it's his…pride?"

"Yeah, that's what she's thinking and it made sense."

"Nothing I can do to fix that unless he wants to stop being my brother too."

"Tim."

"That's what it feels like, Dad. Like he doesn't want anything more to do with me, like he's rejecting everything I've ever done." Tim suddenly huffed, "Isn't that what teenagers do? I've been waiting for years for his rebellious stage. Guess he's finally hit it."

"Yeah?"

"Ok, so maybe if I look at it that way, I can deal with it. He's a late bloomer."

"Tim, you're allowed to feel whatever you're feeling. I imagine that's hurt and angry."

"Oh yeah, big doses of both. And thanks for the reminder, Poppy, because I don't think the feelings – or Rob's problem – are going to go away real soon."

They talked for several minutes, not coming to any conclusions, but Tim felt better for having his dad's support and Jethro felt better for having talked with him. One of the last things Tim said was that he wouldn't initiate any further contact with Rob, that he'd be available if he needed him or wanted to talk, but that the ball was in Rob's court.

When Lina got home and was told what had happened, she was horrified. She hadn't seen anything like this coming, that Rob would push them all away. "Then why did he move here, Tim? All of this would have been easier for him if he'd stayed in England."

"Yeah, I don't know. Sophia, I guess."

"But how is he going to see her? He won't make enough from his job to feed himself and keep himself in school, much less get to Thessaloniki!" She thought, "He has been taking money from the account, right?"

Tim nodded and she continued, "Why? Why didn't he just make other arrangements? And then he moves here…that is one very confused young man." Tim nodded again. "Oh my love, it's all coming down on you."

"Feels like it. I hope this doesn't happen with our children Lina."

"Well, there will be two of us, my husband, we will support each other. I hope we will be close enough to see trouble coming."

He shrugged, he thought he'd been close to Rob but it hadn't helped or maybe the closeness was the cause of the problem.

XXX

Lina was grateful it was the weekend and that before the trouble with Rob Tim had set up a meet with Caleb's brother Abercio for Saturday. Caleb wouldn't go with them, he didn't want to be away from Eva and they both understood that. When Gibbs called and asked if he could come along, pointing out that he knew cars pretty well, Tim perked up. In the end, Rhea also joined them and the four of them made a day of it. They made the drive to Abercio's where Gibbs and Tim looked at the engine and kicked the tires, meaning Tim saw an engine while Gibbs saw all the parts of an engine that was in excellent condition. Tim had the measurements he and Lina had figured for her equipment and as they suspected, there was plenty of room for her favorite easel and different sized canvases and everything else she might need for her work. They took turns driving it and both Lina and Tim felt comfortable with the way it handled. With Gibbs' stamp of approval, Tim handed over the cashier's check he'd brought with him. After shaking hands on the deal, Tim asked if they could leave Lina's car there for a few hours. The four of them had decided to continue the drive to Patras, have lunch and see some of the sights before heading home; they'd pick up the car on their way back. Abercio was fine with that so the four left in the new car, complete with a handwritten note from Abercio that they were purchasing the vehicle and had his permission to drive it.

When they reached the city, they found Plateia Olga (Olga Square) and a café that Rhea remembered. They enjoyed their lunch and walked around the square for a little bit. Tim and Gibbs watched and learned as their two artists looked at the views with a different perspective than either of them. From the square, they traveled to the Faro, or lighthouse, and looked around. There were other sites and a gallery that housed many works of Greek artists, but Gibbs and Rhea could see that Tim and Lina were tired. They saw one last site, the impressive Rio-Antirio bridge; the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge. Crossing the Gulf of Corinth near Patras, it links the town of Rion on the Peloponnese to Antirion on mainland Greece. From there, they headed back to Abercio's for Lina's car and then drove home. By the time they got home, dinner was ready as Tim had set up the slow cooker with one of his favorite recipes before they left. Rhea and Gibbs stayed to eat but left fairly early as Rhea had a busy day planned for Sunday.

XXX

While Tim and Lina were on their day trip, Grandfa continued his plan to try to help his grandchildren. He'd spoken with Rob after his return from his brother's the previous evening and was disheartened by the amount of confusion he showed. He made the suggestion about dropping out of school but wasn't sure the young man had really heard him. He got up early Saturday morning after a sleepless night, much like his McGee grandchildren, and pinged Rob on Skype. When there was no answer, he called him on his cell and found he'd been called into work. He couldn't talk long but promised to contact his grandfather when he got off work. Ducky hung up and sat, discouraged. Maisie joined him and they tried to figure out what else they could do.

XXX

After his dad and Rhea left, Tim decided to go for a swim. After sitting in the car for most of the day, he needed to stretch and he hoped it would help him to sleep. Lina didn't feel like swimming but she sat and watched Tim while he did. When he got out, he dried off and slipped his robe on. "He's on his own, Lina. I can only trust that he'll get the help he needs and be here when he…if he needs me."

"You raised him well, my love, trust in that."

He huffed, "Let's talk about something else. In the future, which bedroom shall we make the nursery?"

She smiled, "I think Geordie's old room. It doesn't heat up in the afternoon sun the way the others do but it still gets plenty of light. And it's the quietest room."

Tim looked at her, "You've really thought this through. Should we be practicing some more?"

She leaned into him and they kissed. When they came up for air, she could still see vestiges of hurt and worry on his face. She pulled him into her arms and eventually they went inside and upstairs and they made life affirming love.

By Monday Tim was feeling more like himself and ready to get to work. He'd spoken with his grandparents and sort of understood Ducky's plan although he didn't put much faith in it. Everyone called to talk, everyone but the one he needed to hear from. Of all of them Aunt Claire had the best advice. "Let him go, Tim. He needs to find his own way. There isn't anything you've done wrong. I think Jethro is right - that Rob is going through some sort of very late rebellious stage and somehow his pride has gotten tangled up with his common sense. Luckily you raised him right so he won't go too far off track and he'll come back to us once he's figured things out."

"And if he doesn't?"

"He will, Tim and in the meantime you have a lot of good stuff going on in your life! I know you're hurting, that this came out of left field but you need to concentrate on your life with Lina."

"Yeah, I do. It's great being married; you know I didn't think it would be all that different, but it is, it's wonderful."

They talked for a little longer before disconnecting. He felt cheered by her positive spirit and well loved by his family; he hoped that Rob was getting that message of love as well.

XXX

Monday was quiet at the office so they worked on cold case reviews. That afternoon, Roger called Pete to let him know they thought they had a Greek connection on a drug case they were working. It was Tuesday before Marseille had the information for them and the team went to work. As it turned out, the Greek connection was larger than the Marseille case and was the root of the cartel so Athens took the lead. It took the rest of that week and almost to the end of the week following before they hauled in the drug cartel kingpins. It wasn't quite as widespread a bust as the one all of NCIS: Europe had handled 15 months ago, but it came close and Gibbs was put to the test arranging for volunteers to join the teams in the field and to staff the offices. That was tough because the volunteer pool hadn't been set up yet but Gibbs got it done, pressed for use of C-130s for transport and by Thursday of that first week, volunteers were in place in Greece, France and Spain and the extra resources came from their own agency rather than having to borrow from the CIA.

Vance was deeply satisfied with the results. Another drug cartel, again involving multiple countries, was broken, the volunteer pool worked although it wasn't even set up yet and this time, no one was injured and no one had to be fired afterward. Gibbs interviewed the volunteers and the Team Leads after the bust and was satisfied that the pool worked as planned. There would be some tweaks, for example the 'one volunteer gig' would depend heavily on the number of incidents around the globe, the number of locations involved and the number of qualified volunteers at any given time.

Deciding not to wait any longer, notice of the new volunteer group was sent out along with the rules and Vance was heartened by the number of Team Leads, field agents and office managers who signed up. By Gibbs' count, they had enough to fully cover 8 offices at any given time. That was enough to cover all of the European offices and a few of the ones based around the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Seeing the need for a first responder for that part of the planet, Gibbs asked for and was given a co-coordinator, based in Japan. Vance recognized that with the scope of operations, an additional coordinator would have been needed even if Gibbs had remained in DC. The co-coordinator was a recently retired agent; one Gibbs had worked with and trusted. He would take the first calls from the offices on the Pacific Rim as well as Australia, New Zealand and Agents Afloat in the area and then coordinate with Gibbs.

The end of the drug case meant a solid mountain of reports and that took Tim's team through the end of January and into the first days of February. When Eva gave birth to her baby boy, named Athos, on February 2nd, Matt won the pool for the day of the birth while Gibbs won the transatlantic 'whose baby will be born first' extended family pool. Breena gave birth to her baby girl, named Violet, on February 10th and Rick Carter won that pool. The Palmer baby's name had been a topic of much discussion between her parents and brothers. In fact Violet had been Ethan's suggestion and when she was born their parents knew that it was perfect. They were amazed when their older son presented them with a wooden plaque with the names of all their family members, including Violet. They were deeply touched by Ethan's thoughtfulness and let him know how proud they were of him.


	133. Chapter 133

CH 133

Tim felt like he'd been in a time warp. Gibbs arrived, Rob withdrew from the family, they'd bought a car and then he'd disappeared into work for the better part of a month. Suddenly it was February, the babies were on the outside and healthy, their moms were healthy and it was time for the Embassy party. While he'd been involved in the drug case, Lina made a new dress for the party, his tux had been cleaned, he'd found time to get his hair cut the previous week, he'd shined his shoes to even Marine satisfaction; he was ready. Carla and Norm would once again be joining them while Eva and Caleb would be absent and of course it would be Gibbs and Rhea's first Embassy soiree. Taking their new car, Tim drove while Lina, Kim, Evander and Tea rode in comfort.

They arrived to find Gibbs, Rhea, Geordie, Bec, Damian and Matt already there. They had their usual set of tables and, once everyone else arrived, settled in for a night of fun. They were surprised partway through the evening when the musicians started playing traditional Greek music. Damian, Matt, Tim, Pete and Evander started the line and the women joined them, weaving in and out. By the time the music really got going, the former dance troupe was in sync and the dance floor cleared to watch them. Tim caught the eye of the Ambassador who was watching, a big smile on her face and he wondered if she'd specifically requested this. Eventually just about everyone at the party joined in just as they had at the wedding, either following Damian, who was still leading the line or doing their own thing. Tim grinned at Deputy Chief Avramidis and his wife when they joined the line. He didn't remember seeing them here before and liked that the Embassy seemed to be embracing more of the locals. Although they'd always had a good time at the Embassy parties, the group knew that this one would stand out in their memories.

XXX

The next morning the Baton Rouge steamed into port shortly after dawn and Tim and Lina were on the dock waiting despite having had only a few hours of sleep. Some of the crew at the railing recognized them and called out greetings. Agent Gordon-Parks waved at them and once the ship was docked motioned them up the gangplank. After they were checked in by the officer on deck, she welcomed them and turned to take them to the Admiral and Captain when Lt. Hadley suddenly appeared. He also greeted them and after congratulating them on their marriage, escorted them to the Admiral's office.

Uncle Jim was still tied up with ship's business but Uncle Dave was waiting for them and gave each of them long hugs and a kiss or two. "You two look wonderful, it's so good to see you! How was the Embassy party? It was last night, wasn't it?"

They nodded and told him about Gibbs' and Rhea's invitations and the Greek dancing. He laughed, "You've started a new trend, that's good! We should honor our host countries."

Uncle Jim soon joined them and they got more hugs and kisses. "Let me look at you two."

They talked a little more and then Jim exclaimed, "I heard you bought another car! Did you sell one of yours?"

"Yeah, we sold the VW."

"So what did you get?" They went to the porthole and as there were very few cars parked out there, they were able to see it.

"Ooh, nice looking. Must be comfortable, eh Lina?"

"Yes, we had several passengers last night and we were all quite comfortable."

They talked for a few more minutes and then Mr. Parker, now Lt. (junior grade or j.g.) Parker, escorted them to the Admiral's private dining room for breakfast.

After they ate the Captain took them to the cargo hold to see the contents of the storage shed. Noticing a funny look on Tim's face as they entered the hold, Lina suddenly realized this might be the same cargo hold where they had been forced to kill the old Nazi last time the ship was in port. She squeezed his hand and he smiled at her.

There were a lot of boxes, far too many to fit all of them into their car. There were also several larger items that Tim was surprised to see, including three bicycles, two smaller and one full sized with the remains of what might have been a toddler seat on the back. He squatted to look at the smaller bikes and called out, "This one was Patrick's, see the green ribbon? Mine had a yellow yarn tie, I guess it's gone."

He'd arranged for a moving company to pick up the items during the week and bring them to the house; they'd store them in the garage until they could get through them all. Tim looked at the boxes and saw that someone had marked the contents of each box. He put aside the ones he wanted to take home with them today: the boxes with family photos, his father's papers, his mother's belongings, one marked Patrick and the one with his journals. He stood there looking at the stack, shaking his head. He turned to his uncle and found Uncle Dave had now joined them. "Last year, you brought me you and our family. This year, you brought me my parents, Patrick and our past." They pulled him into a warm embrace. They'd heard about Rob's problem but didn't know if there had been any recent changes. Last they'd heard Ducky and Maisie had been working with the young man to persuade him to get professional help. They knew he'd moved out of the Grands' house and into an apartment with roommates in Athens, but that was the sum total of their knowledge and neither wanted to ask. Now as they released Tim, Lina smiled at her husband and asked the two officers "Are you still available for dinner? Geordie and Bec, Damian and Matt, Poppy and Rhea will be joining us."

"Yes and we can't wait!"

"Good! Geordie will pick you up at 1600 and bring you back tonight. We thought that would be easier."

"Great, we always welcome Marines aboard the Baton Rouge and especially our Lieutenant nephew!" Dave thought that answered that question; there was no mention of Rob. Jethro told him later that the young man had been invited; Lina had called him but he'd declined, saying he would be working.

The items Tim set aside to take home were lifted out to the dock and a couple of crewmen helped him load them into the car. "Nice wheels, Agent McGee! Did you sell your VW?"

Tim laughed; he couldn't believe these guys remembered his car! One of the men grinned, "It's a convertible; of course we remembered it and the pretty lady riding in it with you. We heard you two got married, sir, congratulations!"

"Thanks, she's the best thing that ever happened to me!"

One of the other men chuckled, "That's what my wife always tells me and you know what? She's right!"

Once everything was in Lina joined him and they went home. Along with dinner tonight, they'd see more of the uncles off and on during the week. As they backed into the driveway, Tim smiled as he spotted his dad parked on the street. "Yay, Dad's here, I'll bet to help us unload!"

Lina smiled, "That's good Timotheos. I'll go make coffee and take a box in with me."

She waited for Gibbs, greeting him with a kiss before going inside. Tim smiled at his dad, "This is a nice surprise!"

"Knew you planned to do this tonight when everyone's here but I wouldn't want to wait, figured you'd be the same."

"Yeah, hearing about boxes full of stuff is different than actually seeing them, having them. Look, someone - I'm guessing Ron or one of his team - marked the contents." Gibbs tilted his head in approval. He threw Tim a pair of leather gloves, removed a second pair from his pocket and the two men got to work. They stacked the boxes on the shelves in the garage, the heavier ones on the bottom, lighter ones up higher. Gibbs looked at it, "Might be a good idea if you and Lina swap parking spots until you get these sorted, hate to have any of these fall on her car."

Tim nodded his agreement. He'd left the items he wanted to open immediately in the car and now they moved those into the house. They were his journals, the boxes of photos and one large object he'd also brought back with them. Uncle Jim said it was a painting and from the pained look on his face, Tim guessed his mother was in it.

Gibbs stayed while they opened the boxes. Tim sat on the floor and pulled out his journals and shook his head, "Look at these! I wrote the first one when I was 6, after Pat and I came home from the hospital. After Natalie beat us half to death."

"That when her doctor said it was post partum depression?"

"Yeah."

Gibbs shook his head and eased himself down onto the floor next to Tim, putting an arm around his shoulder. He would never understand how the Commander, by all accounts a good guy, could have failed his children so spectacularly. Yeah, he himself had also failed Tim in many ways but he hadn't put him, as a child, in the hands of a relative stranger and left him there even after the stranger had nearly killed both boys in a fit of rage.

Drinking up the comfort given by his dad, Tim eventually gathered the journals and took them into his office; he'd look at them later. Next, Lina guided them through carefully removing the layers of protective wrapping from the painting. When it was revealed, Tim sank back down onto the floor, unable to look anywhere but at the painting. It was a family portrait with his father, mother and his baby self. He was in his mother's lap and she was visibly pregnant. His father was looking at him with a smile, holding his son's little feet with his big hand and Tim wondered if he'd been kicking. He was smiling up at his parents and he could just see a few teeth. He reached out now and lightly touched his mother's face.

"Look at the back Tim, there should be a tag to tell you when it was painted." The tag said that he had been 9 months old at the time the original photo had been taken. The painting had been done the following month. When he turned the canvas around again, Lina gasped, startling Tim and Gibbs. She pointed to the bottom right corner. "Tim, look!"

He looked and saw the signature of the artist, LV Hubbard. "My mother painted this? She painted this…Lina, my mother was an artist! An artist." He sat in wonder staring at his wife. "I didn't know, no one said, I never asked."

Gibbs cleared his throat, "She was so young, Tim - she may not have had a chance to do much."

Lina nodded, "She was 19 when she married your father, then she had you and Patrick and she was only 23 when she died. Unless they saved what she did throughout her childhood, there probably wasn't much to tell you about."

Tim nodded, it didn't matter, he knew now. He smiled at Lina. "Lily."

"Yes, for our first daughter."

She looked at her husband, "And Patrick for our first son." Tim looked at her, "There are more names though, for both girls and boys: Donald, Victoria, Daniel, Maisie, Stirling, Penelope and Langston for starters. And I know we can't name our kids after any of your living family but what were your grandfathers' names?"

"Papa's father was Mikolas Jairus and Mama's was Jorrin Lysander."

"Those are great names and any of them would go with Patrick. What about your grandmothers' names?"

"Mama's mother was Thallassa, which means the sea and Astraia, which means starry. Papa's mother was Sousánna, which means lily, and Hanna, the Greek version of the Hebrew name that means grace or favor." "So starry sea or graceful lily… or we mix them up, beautiful either way."

Lina smiled softly, "Or we could give our children original names not tied to anyone."

He smiled back at her and pulled her into an embrace while Gibbs took himself off to the kitchen for more coffee, thinking about Lily or Patrick. He'd be happy with either of course but after seeing the painting he was leaning more toward wanting a boy, longing to see a small version of Tim and help him grow up with all the love and care children should have.

Gibbs left shortly after and Tim and Lina spent a few hours going through the photos. They found the one that was the basis for the painting and laughed as they saw that Tim's feet did indeed look like they were in motion while his father's hand was reaching out to hold them. There were wedding pictures and photos of Lily pregnant with Tim, then Tim in the hospital as a premature infant, being held and fed by his parents, Penny, Grandpa Nelson and Gram with Grandpa Drew. His first Christmas, still in the hospital, the next Christmas, toddler Tim smiling toothily at the camera holding a stuffed pig, "Hey, that's Elmo!"

"Ah I see, a very handsome pig, my love."

"He wasn't for long!"

The next Christmas featured an older Tim sitting under a tree holding baby Patrick. Toddler Tim wasn't smiling this time and adult Tim knew now that his mother had died just weeks before. He looked through the rest of the photos for that Christmas and found several with Grammie and Aunty Liz holding him and Patrick and a couple of his father holding his sons, looking absolutely devastated. He put those back in the box and taped it up. "Tim?"

"Too sad and…scared."

"Scared? Darling you're worried about Sarah or Ainsley having the same thing…or me?"

"Yes, I am. Because Lily had it I'm worried about you and Sarah and Ainsley - and all the other women in our lives."

"Tim, I'm fine. Medicine has progressed so much since your mother's illness, they have tests now for the kind of cancer she had."

He nodded, "I can't…yeah, ok."

"Sarah has already been tested, did you know that?"

He nodded, "Yes, while she was still on my health insurance, I insisted."

"And she gets re-tested every few years, as do Maisie and Claire and Ainsley will be tested when she is old enough."

"Good, they're taking care. And our daughters will too, Lina. I can't..." he stopped, shaking his head. "This is enough for today. I'm going to put everything away; I don't want to spend the Uncles' time here being sad or overwhelmed." He looked at the painting, "Except for that, I'd like to leave that out if you don't mind."

"Mind? Oh Tim, let's find a place to hang it. What do you think of hanging it in the room that will eventually be the nursery?" He smiled at that and they went upstairs to hang the painting.

Knowing that everyone might arrive early for a swim even though it was a chilly winter day, they got the house and the meal ready. They'd heat meze and prepare hot toddies while the swimmers were in the pool so there would be hot food ready for them. As the morning turned into afternoon, they talked about the weeks ahead, belatedly realizing they were more than halfway through February.

They had originally planned to fly to London to meet the Powells but James had e-mailed them and asked if they'd mind if his parents came to them. It seemed Mr. Powell's superiors wanted him to take some of his many vacation days, Tim had rolled his eyes at that familiar problem, and George and Edith wanted someplace warm, at least warmer than England. The revised plan involved them flying into Athens next Friday, spending the weekend with the McGees and then flying on to southern Turkey where the climate was reportedly the warmest in the Mediterranean. Tim was relieved; with everything going on he hadn't been looking forward to a weekend away, at least not one where they had to fly somewhere.

The Baton Rouge was not sailing until next Sunday, so the Uncles would also have a chance to meet James' parents and of course Geordie and Gibbs would be included – and Rob if he wanted. Geordie had volunteered to text him with the information about the Powells' but no one had said anything so far.

The following Friday, Grammie and Grandfa would arrive and stay until Sarah's wedding in April. After, they'd go home until June and then return to Greece, bringing Claire and the children with them. Then they'd probably stay until a week or two before the kids' school started in late August. There was a possibility that the Palmers would also come over during the summer but nothing had been confirmed yet. When Tim asked Lina how she felt about all the visitors she calmly replied that he could expect even more visitors when they eventually moved to the U.S. She looked at him rather wickedly, "I have more family, remember? I'm sure my 7th cousins twice removed will be dying to visit us as well as my uncle's nephew's brother-in-law's stepson's niece. And I'm not making that up!" She smiled proudly when Tim snorted lemonade.

Tim and Lina's Santorini trip was all set for March. The team had traded on call weekends with Rota so that Rota would be on call the first weekend in March; the Santorini trip was the following week and Athens would be on call the last weekend of the month. They'd decided to take their honeymoon week now. It wouldn't be 'swim in the ocean' warm but they would have a heated private pool with their room. They had a list of things they wanted to do on the island and were sure they'd find more once they got there.

After their belated honeymoon trip, they'd be back to work for a few weeks before they left for Sarah's wedding. The Kalivas' postponed January visit was now scheduled for the weeks after the return from Santorini.

XXX

Geordie had indeed sent a text to Rob asking him to join them for dinner either Friday or Saturday (or both) while the Uncles and Powells were here, but he declined. Geordie was very disappointed with his youngest brother; he was not only missing the Uncles, whom he thought Rob loved dearly, but a chance to welcome the Powells to Greece. Two days later Rob sent another message saying that he already had plans with Sophia. Geordie wondered what the young woman thought of Rob's situation or maybe she would just be finding out.

Geordie's thoughts were both right. Lina told her mother about Rob, hoping for advice. Hélène reminded her of the Margaret and Nicolas situation and that even her own problems with Margaret had been resolved; she believed that the young man would find his own way back to the family. On further thought she asked Lina if she thought Rob might be overwhelmed with all the changes in his life and family. It was something Lina and Tim had discussed but it didn't provide a solution and they'd come to the same conclusion, it was up to Rob.

Immediately after her conversation with Melina, Hélène got sidetracked when her grandson Zander called for her, too scared to climb down from the tree he'd climbed up, following his cat. She didn't think of the conversation again until she spoke with her sister Gaia a few days later. When her sister mentioned that Sophia would be visiting Rob in Athens, Hélène told her about Rob's situation with his family. Gaia did not like the sound of that. While she was fond of Lina's husband and liked his family well enough, she wasn't sure she wanted her precious granddaughter involved in what sounded like a messy problem. She thought about it and finally called her daughter-in-law, Sophia's mother. Not having met any of the McGees, the mother contacted Sophia and told her she should not get involved with the situation. Sophia hadn't heard anything about it from Rob. She knew he had moved to an apartment in Athens and that he had roommates, had sold his car and bought another one, but nothing more than that. She reassured her mother and grandmother that she would be staying with Damian and she promised not to get involved with Rob's family problem.

While all this was going on, Rob had thrown himself even deeper into work and his studies. When he'd received his money from the joint account it wasn't quite enough to move into the share rental he wanted to join but the roommate whose name was on the lease was in class with him and knew how hard he worked. He allowed him to move in and make payments on the deposit. Rob worked as much as he could but there was just never enough money. Too stubborn and proud to ask for help, he sold the VW and bought a much older, cheaper car. That gave him enough money to get through a few weeks and he hoped some miracle would occur to get through more. So far he'd been able to keep up with his studies but without the money he needed for food, he was hungry all the time and unable to keep supplies of his usual protein bars and snacks. His roommates shared what they could and that helped. When Sophia made plans to visit, Rob didn't know what to do, how to entertain her. She'd be expecting to go out to eat and to go clubbing; he didn't have the money to feed himself much less pay restaurant prices. His apartment was too crowded to cook and have a nice dinner in; there were five of them sharing the small two bedrooms, 1 bathroom unit.

One afternoon when he'd been called off work, he sat on the couch, which was also his bed, trying to figure out what to do. He'd wanted independence and he had it. But Geordie was right, he hadn't thought it through, he wasn't prepared. For weeks he'd blamed Tim for that, thinking that he'd kept him too sheltered, was overprotective, every angry thing Rob could think of. In time he started to remember what Tim had always said about the joint account, that it was there as a safety net and that he was investing in Rob's future, in their futures. That made Rob wince, but still he wouldn't talk with his siblings. He'd been shocked when Grandfa had suggested he drop out of school for a semester but it had just led him to believe that he needed to work harder. Beyond that, he really was too busy to think very much about his growling stomach, mood swings or constant fatigue.

XXX

The Sunday night dinner with the Uncles and most of the family was relaxing and fun, even though Rob's absence was the proverbial 'elephant in the room'. They all trooped upstairs to view the painting and Tim and Jim remained upstairs for a few minutes to talk about Lily. Jim had adored his older sister and had been thrilled when she presented him with a nephew, his little buddy as he'd called Tim. His memories of Lily and Dan's wedding were different from Gram's and the others as Jim had only been 16 at the time. He admitted he'd thought it was the most romantic thing in the world, meeting one's soulmate and marrying just weeks later, just think of the dating a guy wouldn't have to do! Tim grinned at that and told him Pete and Trina's story. They were laughing when they walked downstairs. All too soon, the Admiral and Captain were gathering their things and kissing Lina and Tim goodnight as they left with Geordie and Bec. Rhea had ridden over with Damian and Matt so when they also left, Tim and Lina were alone with Gibbs. "You two all right?"

"Yeah, that was nice, it's just always hard to say goodbye to them." Tim smiled, "Like it was with you before you got smart and moved here."

Gibbs chuckled as he ruffled his hair.

"Dad…"

"What is it son?"

"Have you heard from Rob? Has Grandfa? It's been a month."

Gibbs shook his head. "We've left him messages but all we get is texts that say he's at work or school and will contact us later."

"If he doesn't have enough money for food, he could do serious damage to his health."

"Your grandfather is well aware of that. He and Maisie have shipped a large box of non-perishable food to him."

Tim sighed in relief. "Good, I thought of leaving a box of food on his doorstep but he'd know it was one of us, I'm afraid he'd just give it away." He huffed, "I also thought of finding his bank account number and depositing money but he'd know."

"Not to mention you'd have to hack and you can't do that here, Tim."

"I know, Dad, I know. Is there anyone he'll listen to?"

Lina joined them. "Sophia."

"Does she know?"

"Probably, I spoke with Mama about it so I imagine Gaia knows and if Gaia knows, Sophia does."

"But she's up north…"

Lina smiled, "If it were you and me, Tim, would you listen to me, even if I were in Thessaloniki?"

"Of course, you're the woman I love, I…oh. So she's our best bet?"

Gibbs pursed his lips, "Sounds like she's our only bet right now."

They left it at that and after helping to clean up, Gibbs took off. Tim and Lina wearily climbed the stairs to their room, stopping in first for another look at the painting.


	134. Chapter 134

CH 134

The week flew by as usual, although Tim enjoyed the time he was able to spend with his godfather and uncle. They joined them at class and the FP on Monday and Thursday nights, Tuesday night was dinner at Gibbs' and Wednesday night Tim, Lina, Geordie and Bec had dinner aboard the Baton Rouge, in the Admiral's private dining room. Tim was able to slip out for a few hours a couple of days and he went back to the flea market with his uncles. The second time he was with them, they took a taxi by the apartment building Rob was living in and Tim tried not to shudder. It wasn't a homeless camp but it was a rough neighborhood. Tim just hoped that when Rob got off work late he was sleeping at the hospital. During the week he spent time talking with Uncle Dave about Rob. He was really the only one of the family, besides Tim himself, who had already been through his children's teen years. Maisie and Penny had of course, but neither woman remembered any problems, their kids had remained focused on their goals. While neither of the Crane kids had had a particular problem, Dave remembered their thirst for independence and the problems some of their friends had had. Tim had been younger than his classmates in high school; by the time he was at a typical 'rebellious age', he was in college and still had two minor children at home. He told Uncle Dave he thought maybe his rebellious stage had finally hit him when he decided to leave Gibbs' team and they both laughed.

Thursday the moving truck delivered the rest of the items from the storage shed and the garage was full of boxes. They were still able to squeeze one car into the garage but for now the other one lived in the driveway. Friday, the Powells arrived and were installed in the McGees' downstairs bedroom. Gibbs hosted dinner that night and the McGee-Kalivas local clan gathered at the big house to welcome Sarah's in-laws to their family and to Greece. James and Sarah had told his parents about the problem with Rob, whom they'd known in England, and they were disappointed to see that the young man hadn't yet found his way back to his family. They were impressed with Tim and Lina and Geordie and Bec whom they hadn't met before and were glad to also meet Damian, Matt and Rhea. It took them awhile to catch on to the fact that Tim, Bec and Matt were all NCIS agents and George admitted that was rather overwhelming. "Is this your team then?"

"No, we have a Team Leader, Pete Russell, you'll meet him tomorrow."

Pete and Trina had decided to throw a party for the couple and the uncles, knowing the McGees were struggling without their youngest member.

"So it's you three and your boss."

Bec laughed softly, "Actually, Tim is our boss."

"I don't understand."

"He's the senior field agent and the way our team is set up, Matt and I report to him. And really, Pete has him run the team."

George was amazed, he'd never heard of anything like this, a subdivision within such a small team.

Gibbs decided to step in, "Russell is retiring within a year," he huffed when Tim opened his mouth, "Yes son, I know he hasn't announced it but you know he is - we all know he is." He turned back to George and Edith, "He's had Tim run the team since he got here, wanted to make sure he got all the training he needed."

"So he is in charge on paper but Tim is in reality."

When everyone nodded, George chuckled, "That's a new one on me! I think I'll suggest that to my boss!"

That brought a round of laughter. Dave and Jim told the story of having to call their nephew and his team for help with a murder aboard their ship. The case wasn't classified so between the uncles and Tim and Matt, the story was told in full.

Then Gibbs shook his head, "And they thought it was all wrapped up." In unison the agents exclaimed, "But nooo!"

The two officers and Gibbs went on to tell the story of the second case involving the Baton Rouge. Edith was shaking her head, "And I thought George had strange cases!" As is frequently the situation when cops are off duty and spend time together, they had a good time swapping case stories.

Saturday at the Russells was as fun as it always was and Gibbs was not overly surprised when a conga line was formed for the exercise between dinner and dessert. The Powells had been forewarned by Sarah and they had a wonderful time. They'd seen the videos of the Greek dances and hadn't known if those would be performed again or something else. Everyone could participate in the conga line though and they laughed their way through it. When it was time to leave, the Uncles once again hitched a ride back to the ship with Geordie and Bec. As the Baton Rouge was leaving port in the morning, that meant Tim and Lina had to say their goodbyes as they left the Russells. It was as difficult as always but at least this time it was with the sure knowledge that they'd see each other in less than three months at Sarah's wedding.

On Sunday they saw the Powells off to Turkey and then the work week arrived and flew by. When the Athens PD found a dead U.S. sailor, the team was called in. Dr. Costas ruled it a suicide and reported that the sailor had had a terminal illness. That corroborated what they'd found and the case was closed although the team and the good doctor turned out at the airfield as the casket was loaded for the sailor's last voyage home.

XXX

When Rob got home from work one night that same week, he found the apartment empty of his roommates and a large box next to the couch. Noting that it was from Grandfa and Gram, he opened it right away. Underneath boxes of macaroni and cheese, cans of chicken, tuna and other food, he found an envelope with a note clipped to it. The envelope was filled with Euros and Rob felt his emotions start to slip. The rest of the box was filled with food, boxes, cans and packages of food and even a round tin containing cookies that looked like they were homemade. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he read the note: "Rob, we love you dearly and are worried sick about you, all of us. Please son, use this money as you need and please contact one of us. If you're not comfortable with the 'clan', then contact the Kalivas', they are family too. And eat the food! It's for you, not to give away."

Rob had only had a piece of toast with peanut butter for breakfast and nothing since then. He was starving so he tucked the money and note into his pocket and resumed digging through the box. He took out a box of mac and cheese and then frowned, he didn't have any milk. He rummaged around and found boxes of powdered milk, a large heavy tin of olive oil, jars of dried parmesan cheese, boxes of Velveeta and containers of dehydrated meats as well as other foods, bottles of vitamins and 2 large containers of protein drink powder. He took the box of mac & cheese and fixings to the kitchen and ate some of the Velveeta while he waited for the water to boil. He quickly made up a quart of the dried milk and drank part of it after shaking it thoroughly. Still waiting for the water, he went back to the box and pulled out something else he'd spotted, a container of chocolate mix. He poured the milk he'd need for the mac & cheese into a separate glass and then stirred chocolate into the rest, wrote his name on the milk container and put it in the refrigerator. The olive oil worked well in place of the butter and he added some of the freeze dried vegetables and a can of tuna. It was the best meal he'd had in weeks. He was so hungry he ate right out of the pan; he wanted to eat it all but knew that it was a bad idea to overload his system. He ate what he estimated was close to two servings and then put the rest in the refrigerator, again marking the container with his name. He didn't mind sharing, but he preferred to be asked or to offer. Then he locked himself in the bathroom to count the money.

As Tim had taught them long ago, he split the Euros into several packets and hid them around his clothing. Some went in his shoes, some in his socks, a little bit in his pockets and some in his empty wallet. He had a money belt in his gear, he'd have to dig around in his footlocker to find it and he could wear that tonight or else it would all have to go under the couch cushions. He'd put most of it in the bank in the morning.

Thinking of Tim made him sad again and not for the first time he wondered how to fix this. He was alive because of Tim, he owed him everything. Everything, he shuddered, that was too much. He brightened, Sophia would be here in two days and now he could take her out somewhere. He wouldn't spend much, they'd go someplace fun but inexpensive and then maybe they could find someplace where they could go dancing for cheap. He thought of the university and looked online, relieved to find there was a concert this weekend that he could take her to, it would be very inexpensive and there was sure to be dancing. It wouldn't be clubbing but it was the best he could do. There were also a couple of other events that they could check out.

XXX

Gibbs laughed at himself for cleaning house the day before Duck and Maisie arrived, he didn't think he had really been home enough to make a mess. However, they'd had the dinner last weekend for the Powells and Rhea had stayed over a few times so he made sure the floors, table, dishes and counters were clean and the laundry was done.

While he waited for Davos' arrival so they could continue work on the crib, the two men had chatted online and agreed on a pattern for a changing table-bureau, using the same type of wood and he was now working on that. He had the cuts done and was glad Davos had left his power saw here. After this and the crib, their next project would be a rocker. He'd made one for Shannon years ago and now he wished he'd thought of shipping it over here, he'd love Tim and Lina to have it. And geez, he hadn't even thought of loaning it to the Palmers! It was in the attic at his house, tucked away with other treasures and mementos of his life with his wife and daughter. Then he remembered he'd be going to the States in April, maybe he could arrange to stop by the house, pick it up and ship it over here. It would probably cost a fortune, but it would be worth it, even if he had to take it apart before shipping it. Having a plan made him feel better and he finished his work in the kitchen.

The Mallards had stopped in London for a week to see Sarah and James. They'd have a shorter flight tomorrow, arriving in the early afternoon. Geordie would be off duty, so the two of them would take the Ford to the airport to meet the Mallards and they could go into Athens later to pick up a rental car. He went through the recipes he'd been collecting, looking for one he thought Duck and Maisie would like. Everyone would gather here tomorrow night for a family dinner; everyone but Rob, that is. Geordie said that Sophia would be in town and Damian had confirmed that she was staying with them and offered to try to persuade his cousin and Rob to join the family for dinner. They wished him luck but none of them held out much hope. Duck had received an e-mail from the shipping company that the box of food had been delivered to Rob's address and that piece of news was a relief to everyone, at least they knew he had food for a few weeks.

XXX

Thursday afternoon while they were at the big table reviewing cold cases together, the list of promotions and reassignments finally arrived. Tim smiled when he saw Joel and Carol Morris had landed at Camp Pendleton, CA, near San Diego. That was a large office with several satellite offices reporting to it; Joel now had responsibility for a huge territory. With a laugh he realized that with Lydia's new position as Team Lead in Yuma, she was still reporting directly to Joel.

Gibbs' field retirement and new position was mentioned along with Maggie's promotion to Team Lead of the MCRT in DC and Dwayne Wilson had been promoted to SFA. Tim scanned the rest of the list looking for the new SAIC for London. He smiled when he found it, it was Winters from the Pentagon team, her SFA moved up to Team Lead and yep there it was: Tony had been promoted to SFA at the Pentagon. Tony had told him that was his dream posting, he and Maggie could finally see each other every day. Tim wondered if they would move in together, seemed like a good next step or maybe they'd first see whether they could handle a day to day relationship. He was pleased for his friend and wished him the best this time around. Working the Pentagon, that was some serious stuff there, he hoped DiNozzo would be able to handle it. Still, he trusted Vance's decision.

Remembering a comment Gibbs had made, Tim went back to the list of the London postings and what he found made him very happy. While Julian had made SFA as Tim had speculated, Ned Dorneget was transferring in as the junior agent. That was awesome, he was happy for his friend, his year on Gibbs' team had done him a world of good and he was getting out into the NCIS world; that was great! He looked forward to working with him, with them, at some point. He stopped to send a few quick e-mails, welcoming Winters to NCIS: Europe, congratulating Julian and Wilson, sent a personal note to Joel, one of welcome and congratulations to Ned and a personal note to Tony. Then he texted his dad to read his company e-mail.

When Pete saw the list, he pulled Tim into his office. "You ok with all this?"

Tim looked at him puzzled, "You mean DiNozzo at the Pentagon?"

"Yeah, him but also Winters taking London."

"Oh! Yeah, Vance and I had an off-the-record chat about that a while back, told him I'm not ready, we're not ready to leave here. Sorry, I thought he would have mentioned it to you."

"Wanted to hear it from you myself."

"Pete, it was a no-brainer, I never even thought of saying anything. Yeah, we won't be here forever, but this is way too soon for me. I'm happier here than I've been my whole life and I like being part of the community, the roots I've got going here."

Pete smiled at him, a very pleased smile. "That's good Tim."

"I have a question for you though."

"Shoot."

"Have you and Trina decided to stay here? Because we're thinking that wherever we live, we'll be back here every five years for our anniversary; it'll probably be more like every year if we can swing it but at least every five years and we'll want to see you two." Tim paused, "I can't imagine you anywhere else."

Pete laughed, "Yes, we're staying. The kids want us to stay, Kyra and Lukas both want to go to college here and we want to stay. We'll likely spend a few months in the States every year, help out with our moms while they're still with us, but other than that and a little traveling, we'll be here."

Tim smiled, "That's good, Lina will be glad too."

"You like continuity and balance."

"I do, yeah, and structure."

"Understandable, all of it." Pete paused, "Anything new with Rob?"

"Not as far as I know. Grandfa sent him a huge box of food and we know it was delivered. His girlfriend is visiting him this weekend, that's Lina and Damian's cousin so she's staying with the guys. He refused to see the uncles. There are days I'd like to smack him upside the head and tell him to grow the hell up and there are days I hurt for him."

"I think the smack is probably what's needed."

"Yeah, I'm beginning to think so too but it's not coming from me, there's resentment there already."

"Rock and a hard place my friend."

"Being a parent?" Pete nodded and Tim continued, "In this case I think it's more due to being his brother than being his parent, or former parent…whatever I am to him."

Pete changed the subject and they talked about the McGees' plans for Santorini. The Russells had been recently and Pete passed along the names of a couple of tavernas and restaurants they'd liked.

Friday just before lunch, Pete called Tim back into his office. "Your grandparents' flight is coming in this afternoon, right?" Tim nodded. "You should go to the airport with Jethro and Geordie."

"Pete, we have work!"

"Take your gear & go bags with you, if we get a call out, we'll meet you somewhere, but it's ridiculous not to see them because you're working on cold cases." Tim looked at him, trying to decide if someone had set this up with him.

"No one talked to me about this. You should go - if it were my grandparents, I'd go. Go…say hello, get them settled in and then come back to work if you want. Look, you can even call it your lunch break, how's that?"

Tim had been looking at him with narrowed eyes, now he gave in, "Ok, I can do that." Going back to his desk, he called his dad and asked him to pick him up on his way to the airport, he was going along.

Gibbs was glad Tim was going along and bemused when he received a text from Geordie a few minutes later that he couldn't make the airport run, his 48 had been cancelled. He might be able to make it tomorrow night but wasn't sure. He didn't say more than that but Gibbs turned the TV on to watch the news and saw there were protests in Athens. He nodded, it looked like Col. Martin might be 'circling the wagons' – reinforcing protection at the Embassy. He was glad they didn't have to go through the city to reach the airport. Wondering about Rob as it was highly likely the protesters were either at or close to the university he picked up his phone and called the young man. He was relieved and a little alarmed when he heard Rob's voice. "Poppy, I'm at the university, there's all kind of trouble here."

"Can you get out?"

"They're telling us to stay here, that we're safer inside. How long do these things last?"

"Don't know, Rob."

"Sophia is flying in this afternoon, I'm supposed to meet her at Baggage Claim at 2:00. "

"Your grandparents will be clearing Customs about that time, Rob, we'll pick her up."

"Uh…yeah, I guess that's good, I um…"

"How about we call a truce for today?"

"A truce? Is this a war?"

"It's sure felt like it, you against the entire family. Not happy that you ignored your uncles. That was rude to them and they certainly can't be involved in whatever your problem is."

"Man, I…I've really screwed up, haven't I?"

"Yep and you're the only one that can fix it. Just remember we're family, Rob, we love you even though you've been a real jerk recently. I can say that because I've been an even bigger jerk and for a lot longer."

"But I'm the one causing the problem? I thought…" he sighed, "I don't know what to do."

"I have an idea."

"Please."

"Go to your student health center and tell someone you're having a problem, that you need counseling. If they can't help you, talk to your supervisor at the hospital, get a referral. Or call Dr. Agnos and get a referral from him. You need help, Rob, otherwise this is going to continue causing problems for you and it's already causing problems with your siblings. I don't know what did or didn't happen but, son, the way you're going about things isn't working for you or your family; you need to figure it out and it's easier to do with professional help." He waited until he heard Rob's agreement and then continued, "Good. Now send me Sophia's flight and cell number so we can let her know we're picking her up. She'll have to come back here, I don't even know if Matt's going to be able to get home tonight if this keeps up; the news looks like the city is shutting down. I'm hoping Lina can go home with Rhea."

"Wow!"

"Yeah. And kiddo, check in with me later so I'll know you're still safe. I'm going to let Col. Martin know…are there other American students with you?"

"Uh, yeah, there's a few of us, maybe 12 or 15 here."

"Ok, call me at 4 even if you're out and home or at work."

"All right, Poppy and…thanks."

"Son, I'm serious about you needing help, you want to be independent, that's great, but treating your siblings and the rest of us like you have been is inexcusable. Get help, figure it out, and remember we love each other even when we're being a pain in the ass."

Gibbs shook his head when he disconnected, then he went through his contacts until he found the Colonel and sent him a text about Rob and the other American kids at the university. He got a reply thanking him and that they were working with the Athens PD to find a way to get the kids out. Gibbs wondered if any of the American kids were Marine or Navy dependents.


	135. Chapter 135

A/N: Jan. 2015: In light of recent world events, I think it only fair to tell you I wrote this little arc a few months ago.

CH 135

Across town, the NCIS group was also watching the news and wondering the same thing. Tim was worried about Rob and relieved when he received a text from his dad saying he'd talked with him and that he was safe enough inside the university buildings and that Col. Martin was working with Athens PD.

Tim thought about who would know about any students having Navy or Marine connections. He could call DC and see if Vance had the information or he could take the faster way and call Ted. He chose the faster way.

"Hey Tim, your kid brother all right?"

"Trapped inside the U, but ok so far. Ted, do you know if any of the American kids enrolled at the U are Navy or Marine dependents?"

"Oh boy, you do ask tricky questions. I can see if I can get that information."

"Thanks man."

"Tim, there are only four of you!"

"Still our job."

"We'll go with you."

"Hoping we'll have some of the Colonel's finest with us too but first…"

"Yeah, I'll call you soon as I know."

Tim went into Pete's office, closed the door and told him about Rob and the other Americans. "This is probably something we should always know in a country that's experiencing problems."

"Yeah, you're right, we have a duty."

"Ted's getting the information for us."

"Good. You talk with Lina?"

"Yes, they closed the museum as soon as they heard about the protests, got all the visitors out, made sure the tourists had someplace to stay and showed the Greeks from out of town how to get out of Athens without going anywhere near the U. Then she went home with Rhea and her place is way across town, she should be all right."

"They could get out using the northern loop."

"Yep, if it comes to that. She wants to stay put for now."

"Listen, you should still go to the airport with your dad. Take all your gear, if we end up doing this it's going to take a while to put it together."

"Going as shotgun now, literally."

"Yep. And when this is over, we're going to apply to Vance to get him a permit to carry, field agent or not. Cancel that, we're not going to wait, I'm gonna call Vance now. As Ted says, we need all the good guys we can get on our side!"

When Gibbs arrived for Tim, he was motioned into the office. As he walked in, Pete handed him a permit and a weapon. "We checked the regs; you're a trained field agent and we're reactivating you for this emergency. Don't know if we'll need you but now you're legal if we do. Tim has your combat gear and Vance has already faxed an authorization in case the government here gets picky. Go get Ducky and get everyone back to Piraeus. If we call you, you can meet us somewhere and Ducky can drive home in your car."

"And Sophia."

"Who?"

Tim and Matt spoke in unison, "Rob's girlfriend."

"She's arriving shortly after the Mallards, I've already texted her so she knows that we're picking her up and will bring her back to the house."

Tim turned to Matt, "Plan on staying with me tonight if you can't get home."

He nodded, "Thanks Bro."

Pete nodded, that was his team taking care of each other. Tea was making plans to stay with Kim and Evander so the staff would be safe. He looked at Tim, "Caleb?"

"Drove in today, Lina said he was going to drive the northern loop around to the airport and get home that way, going to take him awhile but he'll be home. He could have gone with Lina to Rhea's place but he didn't want Eva to worry."

Tim and Gibbs gathered their combat gear, Tim's gear bag with extra items for Gibbs and left. While he drove, Gibbs relayed his conversation with Rob. Tim nodded, "Thanks Dad, sounds like he was finally ready to listen. Think he needed some tough love."

"And he's scared, that'll bring a kid home."

"Except he's not a kid." Tim sighed and chuffed, "But I'm the one who's always running to you and I'm certainly not a kid. So yeah, maybe being scared and hearing that from you will work."

Tim then told Gibbs about his conversation with Ted and Pete; Gibbs did a head tilt. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Gives the Colonel more legal reason to go in with us…we're sworn to protect and he's protecting us."

He laughed when Poppy gave him a side glance. "Ok, overdoing it! But yeah, if there are dependents, that's on us and we'll need our Marines."

"Yep." They rode in silence for most of the rest of the way. When they reached the airport, they found it heavily guarded and Gibbs was doubly glad Pete had reactivated his field agent status and formally attached him to their office. Both men had to show their badges, id, permits to carry and passports and explain why they were there. There was no animosity just far more red tape than usual and one of the LEOs eventually recognized Tim. Once they were finally allowed into the airport, Tim headed to the domestic terminal baggage claim area to meet Sophia while Gibbs continued on to the Customs area to meet the Mallards. He had just entered the large area when the LEO from outside caught up with him.

"I will wait with you so that no one will give you trouble. Your Greek is…not quite Greek yet."

Gibbs chuckled, "Thank you, I've only been here a couple of weeks."

"Ah, then you are doing well! And Timotheos McGee is your son?"

"Yes."

"Well done, he is a good man."

Gibbs nodded, resisting making the disclaimer about not having raised Tim and then spotting Ducky and Maisie, waved to them. The officer waited until they were with a Customs official and went forward to speak with him. He was soon back, laughing, "I was told these people are already known to our Customs agents, there is no problem."

They both turned as Tim and Sophia joined them. The young woman seemed a little nervous but not overly so. She had already called her mother to tell her of the change in plans, that Lina's husband the 'American Federal Agent' had picked her up at the airport along with his grandparents. As the news of the protests was just starting to be seen up north, her mother had been worried but now relaxed when she realized her daughter's boyfriend had made arrangements to keep her safe.

Ducky and Maisie were through Customs, had been warmly greeted by Tim and Jethro and shyly greeted by Sophia when Tim's phone buzzed with a call. It was Ted. "I've faxed the names and contact information of the American students who are Navy and Marine dependents; there are 5 of them. Kim should have it by now. You'll need to call them to see where they are, of course."

"Of course. Thanks man, we owe you…again."

"Nah, interagency cooperation, no problem. If, I guess I should say when you go in, count on us to go with you."

Tim disconnected and then called Pete on his cell; he answered and immediately started talking, "We've reached two of them so far. One is up in Delphi for the day, the other one is at the university, in a different building than Rob. The other three didn't answer their cells; we left messages, if we don't hear back in 5 minutes we'll run a trace. We called Rob for a sitrep and he says everyone is fairly calm; the professors are helping them, having a lively discussion about civil disobedience, helping them with projects. The Colonel wants to go by 1700; he wants to get in and out before full dark. That gives you and Gibbs time to get back here to the office. We need intel on the buildings; we'll get that together and keep working to reach the other three while you're on your way back. And I'll inform Vance. You get everyone?"

"Yeah, the grands and Sophia; I'll call you from the car."

When he'd heard the news from Pete, he'd given Gibbs and Ducky a signal and they'd started moving the luggage. Ducky questioned him, "Timothy, are you meeting them here or will you go back to the office?"

"Office, tell you in the car."

Maisie and Sophia didn't understand what was going on, although Maisie had an idea and she was not happy about it but knew her grandson had a job to do.

When they'd loaded the Ford and were back on the road, Tim explained, "Sorry, we were in the open at the airport and this has to be kept quiet for now. There are several U.S. Marine and Navy dependents trapped at the U along with the others. They are our responsibility. We'll be going in with the Colonel to bring them out."

"The four of you?"

"Five, Gibbs' status has been updated to 'active' again. Probably be 7 as our friends will go in with us."

Gibbs nodded, "If this goes beyond today we'll need more help. I can get probably up to 10 more on a C130, be here by morning."

"Pete's talking with Vance now; we need his authorization for this. The Colonel is pushing back." Tim huffed, "Think he'd make a great NCIS agent if he ever retires from the Corps!"

They quickly arrived at the office and Ducky took the driver's seat while Tim and Gibbs grabbed all their gear and vanished into the office. Once inside, they found the agents and Kim on the phones while Tea and Carla watched the news. The two men crossed to the plasma and stood watching it. Spotting something, Tim made a gesture to Carla. She pressed the pause button and handed the remote to Tim. He studied the screen, saying, "Need our latest top 20." Carla ran to the kitchen and returned with a large binder. Tim flipped through it, stopping about 3 pages in. "There and there! Look on the screen…Pete!"

Pete and the others came running as Tim, Gibbs, Kim and Carla peered at the screen. "Damn! Bec, call the Embassy, put them on their highest alert; tell the Colonel we have two known terrorists with the protesters. Kim, get me Avramidis, Matt, call Ted." Tim paused, "This could be a distraction – the protests, an easy way for them to gain access. What are they doing? Maybe planning on blowing up the university, with all the protesters and the students and professors stuck inside?"

Kim handed him the phone with Avramidis and Tim spoke in rapid Greek. "Deputy Chief, we've spotted two known terrorists in with the protesters. Get the news footage from ZNN, timestamp 14:53:04. The protests might be a distraction, if they're in the crowd, they may be planning on bombing the university." Tim listened and then hung up.

"They're moving on it. Bec?"

"The Colonel has the Embassy on lockdown and they're working on getting the streets cleared and notifying the other embassies."

Pete added, "I've updated Vance, we have the go ahead, he's on the phone with SecNav, Homeland and the State Dept now. Gibbs, he's put the Contingency Response Team on alert so I guess your volunteers are off the hook."

Gibbs nodded, "Understood."

Tim's phone chimed and he didn't have a chance to speak before the caller started. When he disconnected he updated the others, "Avramidis, they're calling in the military and have provisionally asked for assistance from the U.S."

Matt reported that Ted had sworn and said he'd let them know what more they found. Kim answered her phone and reported that Caleb had reached home safely. Then they all got busy on their computers and Matt called out, "I think I found them on airport security, 3 days ago…look." He pulled up the footage and they saw the two terrorists, somewhat disguised. The young man pointed out two others, "They have the same ball caps."

"Yeah, good catch, that was sloppy of them; run them through facial recognition and let Athens know. All right everyone, we're doing great here. Until we get called in, keep working on this, see if you can get their aliases, any information and pass it along to Avramidis' office."

Tim's cell chimed and when he answered Lina spoke. "We're on our way to you, Tim. Damian made it to Rhea's and we decided to follow Caleb's route home. Where are you?"

"Dad and I are at the office, the grands and Sophia are at the big house. Where are you on the road?"

"Just coming into Piraeus."

"Good. Melina, you three need to go to the big house and stay there, all right?"

"Tim?"

"I'll call you with an update when we can, sweetie and Grandfa will fill you in. We'll be safe. Love you, gotta go." Tim disconnected.

"Damian made it over to Rhea's and she's with them, they came around on the north loop to the airport, they're in Piraeus, headed for your place, Dad." Gibbs nodded, relieved.

"All right we have two of four terrorists with the protesters. Let's scan the footage, see if we can find the other two. Bec, see if you can get a copy of the ZNN footage from Avramidis, if not, then call the local station, ask them if we can download their footage of the protest, get as much as you can. Make up some plausible reason, something that won't give anything away when it shows up on the news 5 minutes from now."

"Got it. I'll tell them we need to see that there are no American sailors or Marines with the protesters."

Tim gave her a pleased nod. "Matt, sitrep."

"Talked with Avramidis' assistant. They're revising plans, still going ahead with moving the protesters off campus before dark but now also scanning for explosives."

Pete nodded, "Our State Dept. is assisting; they're using our technology to scan the campus and the surrounding areas."

"The Marines – and us – going in might be the trigger they're waiting for."

"Yeah, I know."

Kim tried not to squeak, "You're still going in?"

"Yes, we still have those dependents we need to get out of there."

"What if they're suicide bombers?"

"That's one of the reasons we're looking at the footage…Bec?"

"Downloading now. It'll be just a few sec…got it." The plasma cleared and then the news footage starting rolling. Tim looked over at Kim, "Let's send this to DC – MTAC, the more eyes on this the better." Kim nodded and set it up so that the footage would show simultaneously.

When they spotted the other two terrorists, they reported it to Avramidis. Visually the four men looked heavier, bulkier than they had in the airport footage, giving credence to the team's theory that they might be suicide bombers or were waiting to slip into the buildings to plant the explosives. They clipped stills of all four and sent them to Avramidis, Ted and Vance.

While they were waiting for their orders, Tim stood in thought. "Any chance of any tunnels or vents we could use to get on and off campus?" He looked around, "Matt, call Athens, see if we can get blueprints/schematics, ask if anyone knows if there's anything underground we could use."

He thought some more and looked at his dad. "Mr. Ladas, we never googled him."

Bec heard him, "On it, what are we looking for?"

"Any connection with the University."

"All right, looking…uh, is this the Ladas you want? He's elderly."

"Yeah, lives up the street from me."

"Can't see any connections, he's…oh, he's a past president of … he's on a few college boards now, does that help?"

"Maybe, let's find his phone number." Kim handed it to him with a little smirk and he smiled back at her. He dialed the number, "Mr. Ladas, this is your neighbor, Timothy McGee. My team is working with the authorities on a solution to the protests in Athens; do you know if there are any underground entrances to the campus?" Tim listened for a minute or two. "If we had a schematic of the campus, would you be able to show us where that is?" He listened, "Wonderful, my dad will come pick you up…yes, his Greek is much better now."

Kim gave Gibbs keys to one of the sedans and he sped off up the hill. While they were waiting, Tim explained, "When they were building the university back in the 60's, they found ruins and stopped to excavate them but ran out of time and funds; the whole campus was then somehow elevated to leave the ruins open; there's more to the story. For now, it sounds like there's a gate or a door somewhere at the back of the campus that would lead us underneath…the question is, once we're underneath can we get into the buildings?"

Pete nodded, "You're thinking we go in underneath, get our students out, probably have the Marines with us so get everyone out, evacuate the entire place…maybe have a diversion up front?"

"Yeah. Wish we knew when and where they're planning on planting these things or blowing themselves up."

Matt spoke, "They're looking for maximum numbers of casualties and attention."

"So before dark, after?"

"It's warm today and it will cool down when the sun sets, so probably before dark, before some of their intended victims get cold and go home."

"Although the 'fireworks' will be more intense after dark; but do they go for the evening news or the late news?"

"Yeah, tough call." Pete and Tim looked at each other. "We do this as soon as possible."

Pete added, "And I want us in full body armor; call…"

Kim called out, "Calling the Colonel."

The printer started spitting out pages and Matt gathered them, "Schematics."

While they waited, Pete pulled Tim back into the office. "You've got the lead on this, all the way, Tim. You're doing a great job, just keep running with it." They exchanged a long look and then Tim nodded his acceptance.

They were sorting through pages of schematics at the big table when Gibbs returned with Mr. Ladas. He went right to work, finding the printouts he wanted, explaining where the entrance to the excavation was and showing the basement entrances from the excavation to some of the buildings.

Tim twisted his lips, "Do we know what buildings they're in?"

Pete replied. "Library and Science. Avramidis said Campus Security reported that they moved everyone from the other buildings into those two."

Mr. Ladas smiled, "Then you have your way in. The entrances from below go to those two buildings." He took a pen and marked the schematic.

"Sir, would those doors be locked?"

"Yes, I'm sure they are, although as far as I know it has been decades since anyone besides Security has been down there."

"Do you know who would have keys?"

"Campus Security, I would imagine."

Pete stood in thought, "I'll call Dimitri's office and see if they know of any employees they can get to who might have keys. Keep your fingers crossed."

Gibbs gave Tim a look and he nodded back at him as they stepped aside, "Yeah, if we have to; keys would be better though."

"You and I can handle it and I bet your friends could too."

Kim approached Tim, "Excuse me Tim, the Colonel has five sets of what you asked for. Well, 7 but the other two are spoken for."

"All right, thanks Kim, once we figure out how we're going to actually get into the buildings we'll set up a meet."

"You'll want more than the 7?"

"Not for the equipment – people. We'll need to keep the number low for visibility but yeah to rescue students in two buildings, we'll need two teams, one for each building and then people remaining to help lead them out…and that leads me to another question." He turned back to Mr. Ladas and the others. "We need to figure out where we're taking the evacuees once they're out; we'll need to get them away quickly and quietly."

They looked at the schematics and Mr. Ladas pointed at the northeast corner of campus. "There! There are many trees and tall shrubs in this corner and it is not in view from the front of the campus. There is no road but there is a dirt path back there, wide enough for vehicles."

He traced the path. It looked like it would be at most a one minute walk from the entrance to the area covered with large shrubs and trees.

"How many people are you rescuing?"

Pete replied, "114."

Tim did some quick math and figured out how many vehicles they'd need accounting for a driver and at least one armed guard. "No stopping for anything, we get in the vehicles and get the heck out of Dodge." He turned to Matt and Bec, "One more thing, could you do an estimate of how much explosive these guys might have on them and what the outside perimeter will be when it goes? Figure the scenarios, each one separately, pairing up and all four together."

Mr. Ladas looked at them, "You are going in, you five?"

"Yes, part of our jobs is to protect Americans."

He shook his head, "What of the protesters themselves?"

"The Athens PD and the military are working on that. We're just trying to get our part done with as little damage as possible – to anyone."

He nodded, "I am glad you thought to call me. I hope this helps." Referring them to the schematics again, he showed them where the students and professors were likely to be in each building and how to get to and from the basement.

Kim reappeared and held out her phone to Tim, "Colonel wants to know."

Tim nodded and joined Pete in his office. They outlined the new information and plan to Colonel Martin who replied, "Good, I like the plan. All right, how soon can you get here?" They arranged to meet him at the Embassy grounds and from there they'd drive around more back roads to the dirt path in back of the shrubs. Pete had already updated Avramidis with the plan; their colleague passed the word that NCIS and the U.S. Marines were authorized by the Greek government to retrieve and evacuate everyone in the buildings and promised a diversion up front when they gave the word. They had the campus surrounded with snipers and were working on a plan to take out the four terrorists although they were wary of 'dead man' switches that would cause the explosives to blow if the hands holding the switches fell away. The evacuation plan would be executed first to be followed by trying to move the legitimate protesters away.

While the team suited up, Kim pulled letters of authorization from the fax, one from the Greek government and one from their own State Department. The team suited up with their regular gear, the body armor would go on over it. Tim slipped Gibbs the lock picks that Carla had left in his custody, also pocketing his own. They took one car as they needed to keep this as low profile as possible. Once they were on their way, Tim announced "Phones off, completely. Set them to mute and turn them off."

Pete nodded, "Good plan."

Tim split them into teams; he'd lead team A with Bec, Pete and Ted to the Library building while Gibbs, Matt and Jack would comprise Team B and head into the Science building. Tim wanted to work with Gibbs but he needed him to lead the other team and open the other basement door. While he thought Jack was capable of picking the locks, he _knew_ Gibbs could. He made a mental note to train both Bec and Matt in the dark art of lock picking as soon as this was over.

They reached the Embassy, entering the grounds and the small Marine barracks. There they were given the body armor and suited up, ready to go. Geordie came in, already in full gear while they were getting ready. He didn't say a word as he gave Bec a loving kiss and hugged the others, kissed his brother and Gibbs, saluted them all and disappeared. Tim tried hard not to think of the possibility of Lina and Sarah being the only ones of his immediate family to survive. If that were to happen, Sarah at least would find a way to resurrect and then kill them all again. Gibbs, reading his body language, gave him a discreet tap on the back of the head and gave him a look that made Tim smile. He turned to Matt, Bec and Pete and smiled at each of them, confident of their success. "Ready?"


	136. Chapter 136

CH 136

Ted and Jack joined them; this time they rode in what looked like an old windowless van although it had an engine that sounded suspiciously like a Humvee and was comfortable inside. The Marines would be handling the evacuation vehicles, the teams just had to get their evacuees to them. Ted told them that the British, Canadian and Indian embassies were loaning vehicles with a driver and armed guard each for the evacuations. It was a mutual aid plan that had drawn up several years ago but never executed until today. Ted reported they also had offers of help from several other embassies.

During the ride over, Tim reviewed the plan with the two retrieval teams. The Colonel insisted on assigning a trio of Marines to each team and nobody had the slightest problem with that. There would also be Marines stationed in the underground area and more of them outside to make sure everyone got to the vehicles and to stand guard. If any protesters wandered back there they were authorized to get them to safety, restraining them if necessary.

They parked in the back of the shrubbery and keeping as low as possible made it to the excavation entrance without any problems. Once fully underneath they switched their headlamps on and split off to the two buildings and Tim grinned when he realized Lt. Geordie Perry was on his team. He quickly brought the Marines in on the plan and then they deployed. When they found the basement door to the library building, Tim removed his gloves to better manipulate the lock picks. He was thankful when he heard the tumblers move and he pulled the door open. They stumbled around a bit at first but finally found the stairwell and made their way up to the third floor. Pausing before they opened the door, Tim looked at the others, they could hear people talking. This was one of the tricky parts, needing everyone to stay calm. Tim looked at Pete and smiling, took out his phone, turned it on and punched Rob's contact info. His brother started talking as soon as he answered: "Hi Tim. We're still inside, still safe but it's really noisy outside and we're wondering when we can leave."

"Rob, who's the calmest person there?"

"Uh…Professor Laskaris."

"I want you to walk over to him with the phone and give it to him, tell him who I am, that I need to speak with him."

"Ok." Tim heard his brother walking and then talking to someone. A voice said hello and Tim answered him, told him again who he was and that he was in the stairwell, that he had a team to escort them out but that they needed everyone to be as calm and quiet as possible and added that they were in full combat gear and looked pretty scary. The professor chuckled, "You are Rob's brother, good! If you will give me three minutes, I will gather everyone." He kept the line open and Tim heard the man calmly asking everyone to gather around him and then told them what was going to happen. Taking a deep breath, the team moved out of the stairwell and into the large room. Rob was in the front of the crowd, "Tim, you're here!"

Tim spoke in Greek, "Yes, brother, now I need you all to be as quiet as possible. We're leaving now, down the stairs. But you need to remain quiet and move quickly; we're safe and there are more Marines down below to help us. Do we have anyone that needs help?" The professor shook his head and Tim continued, "All right turn your phones off and keep them off until you're told it's ok to use them, this is very important. Let's go."

The team split up so that there was a member for every few students along the stairwell. Lt. Perry led them out, much to Rob's joy, and Tim brought up the rear. When they reached the underground they were shown the way to the vehicles and the students nodded as they spotted the additional Marines. Gibbs' team joined them; they split into additional groups and were quickly led to the vehicles. As the last two vehicles, bearing the teams, moved away, they heard gunfire and the drivers stepped on the accelerators, knowing they needed to get out of range of the explosives. They were safely away when there was a series of explosions and Tim winced, wondering how many people had just been murdered or injured by the terrorists.

The vehicles drove to the U.S. Embassy where the Hellenic Red Cross had vans waiting to take those who needed either a ride home or shelter until they could safely return home. Other embassies had representatives there as well and the students were quickly sorted. The American students were brought into the embassy and led to the ballroom, where they found cots had been set up for those whose dwellings might be in the cordoned off area around the campus. They were fed, interviewed and encouraged to call their families, using the embassy phones, to let them know they were safe. Tim had already sent word to Vance who had updated SecNav and her office was contacting the Marine and Navy parents.

They'd called Kim, but they didn't have a chance to call the big house until Gibbs, Geordie and Tim had Rob in their arms and then it was Matt who called Damian. Once the two of them had spoken, Damian handed the phone to Lina. When she answered, Matt held the phone up to Tim's mouth. "Tim, are you there?"

"Yes my love. We are all here, we are all safe."

"My God, what…you have Rob too?"

"Yes, we have Rob and everyone else that was inside those buildings."

"Tim…all of the students…there were terrorists! A bomb went off."

"We heard the explosions. Listen, please tell everyone we love them and we'll be with you as soon as we can."

"And Geordie and Gibbs and Matt and Bec and Pete?"

"Of course sweetie, they were part of the operation."

Ducky took the phone, "We're very happy you're all safe, my boy. Come home when you can."

"Thanks Grandfa."

Rob had already been interviewed, but the teams themselves had to be debriefed. However, there was no federal agent from an eligible agency who had not been involved anywhere in the vicinity. As they had not fired their weapons, they didn't need the in depth interviews that IA required, but some wrap up was needed. They finally settled on Team A interviewing Team B and vice versa and decided that would have to do for now. They'd already stripped off and returned their borrowed combat gear, so once their 'interviews' were done, they thanked their CIA and Marine compatriots as well as the Brits, Indians and Canadians, climbed into the agency sedan and wearily headed back to the office.

When they walked in the door, Kim, Tea and Carla nearly knocked them down, hugging each one as she or he entered. Before they could reach their desks, Kim had Eva on the line to let her know they had all returned safely, unharmed. Then Vance called to let them know that the President had already received a call telling him of his agents and Marines successfully saving more than a hundred college students and teachers of varying nationalities from the terrorists. They'd already given each other high fives and fist bumps but now they did it again and Pete quipped, "NCIS has been an unknown player for all these years but not with this team, no siree! We're out there now!"

When they finally heard from their friend the Deputy Chief, their moods plummeted when they heard that several of the protesters were killed and others injured by the explosives that had gone off. They tried to take heart with the news that there would have been far more damage if the terrorists had had their way or even if the explosives had fired off properly. The Deputy Chief told them that several plainclothes army personnel had infiltrated the crowd and shadowed the terrorists; three of them were able to get to the dead man switch as each terrorist was taken out and held on until the bomb squad could get to them. Unfortunately in the panic after the first shots, the fourth army guy was knocked down by a frightened protester and that was the bomb that blew. The soldier survived while the frightened protester did not.

Eventually there would be an inquiry into the whole mess, including the activities of those who had organized the protest, but that didn't happen that day. After they'd talked to Vance, the Deputy Chief and the Secretary of the Navy they congratulated each other again, Tim and Pete thanked everyone, closed the office for the weekend and went home.

When Tim, Gibbs, Matt, Geordie, Bec and Rob walked into the big house, they were met with applause, cheers, hugs and kisses from everyone there, with Sarah and James on Skype. Since Matt's call to Damian, their operation had hit the news and was playing on ZNN alongside the story of the protests, the discovery of the terrorists and their subsequent takedown, along with the lives lost and people injured.

The team was exhausted; luckily Ducky knew what to look for and he saw the adrenalin crash beginning to hit. With help, he got them all to the dining table, gave them each their favorite non-alcoholic beverage and then fed them dinner.

Tim woke up in his own bed the next morning with no memory of getting there. When he finally stumbled downstairs he nearly ran into Matt who was just pouring coffee. He pointed to a note on the counter;  
>"Damian and Lina went for a walk."<p>

Tim finally looked at a clock and was surprised to see that it was 11 AM. The note also said their breakfasts were in the oven, so Tim pulled those out and popped them in the microwave while Matt poured juice. They sat at the counter eating and then Tim laughed, "So Matt, how was your week?" As tired as they were that hit their funny bones and they giggled their way through breakfast. Tim thought if Gibbs were there he might have head slapped both of them although after yesterday it was entirely possible he might have just laughed along with them.

They had retired to the living room for naps when they heard a phone chime. Tim groaned, "Oh God, please don't make it be work!" Matt agreed as they looked for the phone. It was hidden behind a couch cushion and Tim frowned when he saw the name, "It's the Director, geez it must be 2 AM over there!"

He accepted the call, "Sir, is everything all right?"

"You sound like hell, Agent McGee. And yes, everything is all right."

"Sorry Director, I just woke up. Haven't had my second cup of coffee yet."

He heard a sigh, "And I am sorry to call you like this but the President wants to talk with all of you. They're arranging a photographer to meet you at the office this afternoon when he calls."

"All of us sir? Can't this wait until Monday?"

"I wish it could my friend but the White House wants to get this into this news cycle."

"Ok. Director, have you talked with Pete?"

"Yes and he said that I would have to tell you the bad news."

"Do we need to dress up? Suits?"

"No, if you look as tired as you sound, you're going to look rough anyway. Just wear your normal work clothes."

"I'm assuming you want Kim, Tea and Carla as well and what about Mr. Ladas? We wouldn't have known about the underground entrance and how to get in and out without him."

"Mm, we'll recognize him separately, how's that? But yeah, everyone else and those dependents you rescued will be brought in along with Rob."

"Oh geez. They probably haven't even been home yet!"

"I'm sorry as hell Tim; I know all you want to do is sleep and rest at home. What I'm doing to replace your lost day off is having the other offices take your calls on Monday."

"So we'll have Monday off, the whole office?"

"Yes."

"Oh well, then, we're good, thanks Director! What time are we due at the office?"

"The President will be on video chat with you at 1500, so please show up a few minutes before."

"We'll be there sir; I'm going to lead with we have Monday off and then tell them the rest."

"Good idea, wish I'd thought of that! You talk with everyone yet?"

Tim laughed, "I really don't know. I know we were at the Grands and that we spoke to Sarah but I have no memory of anything else. I woke up in my own bed a few minutes ago. Matt and Damian are here too."

"Oh, is Athens still on lockdown?"

"Either that or Damian was the one that carried me and Matt inside."

Vance laughed, "That's good, Tim although it is entirely possible! All right, tell Matt, Lina and Damian hello and I'll speak with you all on Tuesday."

"You won't be on the call?"

"Not planning on it."

"Huh, seems like you should share the glory, Leon."

Vance snorted at him as he hung up. Tim sighed as he looked at Matt. "You heard?"

"We get Monday off and have to do something at the office today."

"President wants to congratulate us, something about this news cycle."

"Wow, the President, Tim, seriously?"

"Yes Matthew, seriously."

"I need a shower and a shave and all I have is…oh my go bag is in my car."

"So it's at the office if it's not here. I'll get us more coffee while you go look."

"Ok, if I'm not back in 5 minutes, come wake me up."

Tim grunted at him as he picked up the phone to call his teammates.

After he finished, he looked at his phone and saw that he'd missed several calls and texts, make that many calls and texts. No wonder his phone had been down here and behind a cushion, although that sounded more like Gibbs than Lina or Damian.

By 1430, they were at the office, still bleary eyed and mainlining caffeine. Gibbs, who'd brought Rob along, shook his head and said, with a perfectly straight face: "This never happened in DC, Timothy! We always went home, slept and no one bothered us until Monday."

Tim just gave him a look and they both laughed, "Ok, we never had a chat with the President - that's the only part that's true."

Despite Vance's advice to wear their normal work clothes, they were all in suits or more formal office attire than any of them usually wore. Athens was still officially on lockdown so Matt's suit was comprised of a dress shirt and tie from Pete and the suit itself was borrowed from Evander. Tim had asked Eva to consider coming in and she'd arrived with Caleb and the baby. They'd tucked the baby upstairs with Caleb and hoped little Athos wouldn't wake up during the 'chat'. They'd contacted Claire and she promised to record the program when it ran; unless ZNN had it, they probably wouldn't see it here. Kim set up her phone for a video recording so the original chat would be saved as who knew what would actually be aired!

At 14:45, a van pulled up with Colonel Martin, Geordie and their rescued Marine and Navy dependents, who looked as bleary as the rest of them felt. None of them had been home yet and although they'd had showers, they were still wearing yesterday's clothes. They perked up when they were given coffee, tea and fresh pastries, courtesy of NCIS. Tim just hoped the sugar and caffeine would be enough to get them all through this.

The photographer arrived with the van and he was busy taking 'background' shots…for what Tim didn't know. He'd gotten a shot of the exterior of the building with the flags waving over the roof and the NCIS plaque at the front door. He also took candid shots of the team and the rescued students. At 1500 the plasma screen popped on and the Presidential Seal was displayed. That was followed by the man himself and they all stood straighter. He was very personable, gave a little statement about the call from the Greek head of state to thank him, and how proud he was of their extraordinary work going above and beyond to rescue not just the students they were charged with but all of them stuck in the buildings no matter what their nationality.

He spoke with the students themselves and paused when he heard Rob's name. "McGee, are you related to Special Agent McGee?"

"Yes sir, he's my brother as is Lt. Perry."

Rob pointed off camera to Geordie who was pushed into camera range by his CO.

"Did you know they were coming for you, Rob?"

"No sir, we didn't know anyone was coming for us. I'd talked with Poppy, uh, that's Special Agent Gibbs, and Pete, Special Agent Russell, during the day but we were just told we were safe as long as we stayed inside. It would get loud outside sometimes and that was scary but until Tim, Agent McGee, called to tell us he was in the stairwell, we thought we were just stuck there until it was over."

"I have to ask…'Poppy'?"

"Yes sir, Agent Gibbs is our family's adopted dad, Poppy's what we call him."

"I see, that's quite a family you have there, Rob."

"Yes sir, they're the best."

"Wonderful! So, Agents, tell me how you hatched the plan to bring everyone to safety."

The agents gave a brief summary, including Mr. Ladas' help and the man nodded. "Well you certainly have a lot of fans there. Our State Dept. has been deluged with texts from the folks you rescued and their families, thanking you and there's a certain Deputy Chief of Police in Athens who apparently insisted I be told what a great team you are."

They laughed and Pete told him a little about their work with DCP Avramidis. After chatting for a few minutes, the President wanted to know their hometowns. The students went first and when it was Rob's turn he said, "I guess Baltimore Mr. President, it's the first place I remember."

"Moved around a lot did you?"

"I don't know. I was only two when we got there and Tim saved me."

If Gibbs hadn't had his hand on his back, Tim thought he might have fallen over in embarrassment or maybe just crawled under a desk.

"Saved you? I think we need to hear that story." Rob sent a look of apology to his brothers as he launched into a mercifully short version of their story. The President was obviously enthralled and if it hadn't been for whoever was directing the chat, he might have spent the rest of the day pulling more information from Rob.

"So Rob, you grew up on the streets and now you live in Greece, all of you."

"Not all of us sir, our sister Sarah is going to grad school in London."

"Ah and what are you studying?"

"I'm a medical student, sir."

"So you're Dr. McGee. And Sarah?"

"She's a writer, just publishing her first novel."

"So you and your siblings are a doctor, writer, a decorated Marine Lieutenant and a decorated Federal agent. And you all grew up on the streets - that is truly amazing!"

"Yes sir, but we have two writers in the family. I…oh..."

Tim rescued him, "It's all right, Rob. I'm also a writer, Mr. President."

"Ah, Special Agent McGee, what do you write? Novels, non-fiction?"

"I write what I know sir, novels about a team of federal agents."

"Hmm, a team. You know my favorites of that genre are the ones by Thom E Gemcity."

Tim gave him a rueful smile, "I'm afraid that's me sir."

"Wow, I've really hit the jackpot!" The President went on to speak with the others, questioning them about their families and finished by saying, "Now I understand we've brought you into the office on your day off and I know the students haven't been home yet and I'm sure you're all still exhausted from yesterday. Thank you for doing this, I'm sure your families will be happy to see that you are safe and unharmed. I've just gotten word that our students will be allowed to go home after this. While we deeply regret the loss of lives and the injuries, we are thankful that the Greek government was able to prevent any worse damage and neutralize the terrorists."

He looked at the NCIS team, "Keep up the good work, you're an exemplary team and an asset to your agency, the U.S. Navy and our nation. I am proud of all of you, including the other agents who assisted and of course our Marines."

He leaned in to Gibbs and in a fake whisper, said, "Great family you have there, Agent Gibbs, I can see why you retired to Greece to be near them all!" Caught by surprise, Gibbs beamed in pride and that was the closing shot.

After the students left, they locked up the office again and went off to their respective homes. When Tim and Matt got back to the house, they changed and joined Damian and Lina in the pool. They swam, had a snack and then the two men left for home.

Standing in the kitchen, Tim looked at Lina, "Hi sexy!"

"Hello my hero!"

Tim huffed, "Not a hero, just doing my job sweetheart." He paused for a few seconds, "I'm so grateful we got them out."

"Were you scared?"

"Yeah, for a little bit but Poppy saw it and gave me a little reminder and that did it for me."

"What kind of little reminder?"

"A little tap on the back of my head to remind me that fear is good; if you use it right it keeps you alive, it's ok as long as you channel it. He reminded me how good we are; that we are capable, well trained federal agents and we had every reason to believe we could do this without anyone getting hurt."

She smiled at him, "Because you took the time to figure it out, love."

He smiled back at her, wanting to touch her all over, "Know what? Let's not talk about this anymore." He pulled her into his arms, scooped her up and carried her upstairs.


	137. Chapter 137

CH 137

The newlyweds finally stirred from their bed late Sunday morning when they decided they needed sustenance. They found their phones downstairs with texts from the Grands asking them for dinner that evening. Tim answered and then helped Lina prepare their brunch. They lazed around most of the day, napping, having a swim and reveling in hot showers afterward. Finally they dressed and headed out across town.

They were happy to see Rob was there; Grandfa had ordered him to stay with them until he had regained the weight he'd lost. He and Sophia had enjoyed the few hours they'd had together before Rob drove her to the airport for her flight home. Once Geordie, Bec, Damian and Matt were there, they called Sarah and James and had a family discussion. Rob started it by apologizing to his siblings and the family, telling them he had sent an e-mail to Dr. Agnos asking for a referral. Bec smiled when he mentioned the doctor, "He's good, Rob, we had our team session with him after Bagram. I'm sure he'll refer you to someone as good as he is."

Rob hadn't known about the team session and felt better knowing that he wasn't the only one, besides Tim, who needed help. Before they sat down to eat, Grandfa took Rob aside and offered to loan him the money for the rest of his schooling. It was a solution Tim had proposed to his grandfather, planning to have his grandfather 'front' the loan while he actually provided the funds. That way Rob's pride, independence or whatever was troubling him would not be further disturbed. Ducky and Tim had had a lively discussion before Grandfa had overruled him. He would fund the loan, not Tim.

When Rob was agreeable to the idea of a loan, Grandfa pulled out loan documents, already completed and only needing Rob's signature. Rob just shook his head at his grandfather and signed.

Tim watched, trying not to mind so much. He'd provided for his family since he was a kid and he'd wanted to continue, even if it was in the guise of brotherhood rather than parenthood. He saw that Rob was fine with accepting money from their grandfather but not from a sibling. He guessed that the combination of being beholden to a sibling and always being the youngest and seemingly 'behind' the others might be a big part of Rob's problem. Tim would work on his own attitude but there were things that he and Rob could work on together too.

Before Tim and Lina left that evening, Ducky, Maisie and Gibbs offered to help Tim sort through the rest of the storage shed items. That sounded good to Tim, for one thing Gram might know what a lot of the stuff was, might want some of it and for another, he didn't want to spend every spare minute of the next month going through this stuff.

Back home, Tim spent some time chatting online with Claire and the kids who were excited and curious about the campus situation. After that, he spoke with Tony. His friend was packing and getting ready for his move back to the DC area. He was more excited about being able to see Maggie every day than he was about the new job. They'd decided he'd get his own place for now and go for a 6 month lease. At the end of that time if they were ready he and Maggie would look for a place together. Tim smiled, that was good to hear; he personally thought Tony would be more comfortable easing into the 'living together' situation. After their conversation, Tim sent brief texts and e-mails to everyone else he'd missed. Then he joined Lina upstairs.

He slept in on Monday and was just finishing dressing when Poppy and the Grands arrived. Tim had moved some boxes into the living room yesterday and he and Poppy moved some more this morning. One of the first things Tim did was to show his grandparents the family portrait. "Gram, Grandfa, come upstairs, I want to show you what we found." When Maisie saw the portrait she started crying and was comforted by her grandson. Ducky stood staring at Lily, the daughter he'd never met, with tears also running down his face and Gibbs comforted him. Just as Tim had done, Ducky reached out to touch Lily's face. "Maisie love, we don't have a copy of this."

"No Donnie, I don't know where her sketches and originals went. She was going to make copies but then she became ill and had Patrick and then…well you know the rest. It just never happened."

Tim cleared his throat. "Lina has offered to make copies for you. Or maybe you should take this."

"No, no, Timothy my darling boy, you should keep this one. May I ask why it's hanging in here?"

Tim smiled, "Because this will hopefully be the nursery some day and one of the things we want to do for our children is to introduce them to our family, all of our family."

"Oh, that's wonderful son."

They talked for a little bit longer, Maisie telling them about the day the photo was taken and then they went back downstairs and got to work on the boxes. They unpacked the boxes that had Patrick's toys and clothes in them and found the remains of Elmo the Pig. Maisie laughed, "Did you know I made that for you Tim?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't, I just remember that he was well loved by the time Pat and I gave him to Sarah."

"Yes and I was horrified when your father told me that Sarah had it. I made her a new one; we'll have to see if we come across it." Tim didn't remember a new Elmo or anything that looked like it but decided not to mention that, this was already tough enough for his Gram. He sorted through Pat's toys, putting aside one or two that had been his favorites. He laughed when he held up a stained striped tee shirt. "He got jelly all over this and rubbed it in while he was trying to get it out. And then he hid it because he was afraid Natalie would be mad at him and would throw it away."

Gibbs looked at it, "You going to keep that?"

"Just for now."

Maisie smiled. Penny had told her about the 'raising the kids in church' conversation and how Tim hadn't wanted to lie to the priest and Maisie agreed that Tim might be decades older but he was still the same person. "Just for now" was a phrase she hadn't heard in more than 25 years but it was pure Tim. He needed to absorb whatever the shirt meant to him and then he could move on.

Tim ended up putting just about everything of Patrick's back in a box and tucked it away in his office. Then they went through the Commander's belongings and Tim took his ribbons and medals while Maisie kept a few things she thought Penny would want. One box held a leather jacket that Tim tried on and kept. There were a few other things he put aside for his siblings.

Aside from the china which Sarah already had, there were a few boxes of kitchenware, including some things that looked brand new; Maisie said she thought they'd been wedding presents. Tim took a colorful trivet and a large ladle that they could use and Gibbs took a few things for their kitchen; they put the rest aside for the others to go through. Whatever they didn't want would be donated to charity.

They saved Lily's boxes for last. Along with some jewelry, knick-knacks and scarves, they found some of her artwork. A miniature of Tim and his father, another one started but never finished with Patrick in his cradle with what looked like another figure shadowed in, Tim possibly, standing and holding on to the side of the cradle. Underneath those was another box of treasures as they uncovered her sketchbooks, photos and more paintings. Maisie didn't take anything of Lily's, she wanted the children to take what they wanted first and then she'd go through what was left. Ducky found a photo of Lily, Tim and Patrick; he took that along with an honor pin from Lily's high school years. When Maisie saw Gibbs' eyes light up at a photo of Tim at age 4, in full cowboy regalia and twirling his little pistol, she picked it up and handed it to him.

Tim grinned, "Hey, I remember my cowboy stuff! Did I wear it all the time?"

Maisie nodded, "Yes you did, we were lucky to get it off you long enough to wash it. Your uncle Jim gave you the whole set for your 4th birthday, he was thrilled at how much you loved it. Your father's comment was that at least it wasn't drums because Jim had given you a little drum set for your 3rd birthday. That didn't make anyone but you happy and your poor father had to remove it from the house while you were asleep one night."

Tim laughed and looked at Gibbs, "So I'm not a famous drummer – instead I grew up to join the last of the cowboys at NCIS."

Gibbs chuckled, "Been called that enough, that's for sure."

Tim sat in thought, "Did I ever have a sailor's outfit, Gram? I don't remember."

She started laughing and finally said, "Son, you were dressed in a sailor's outfit the day your parents brought you home from the hospital and had several more over the years."

Ducky chuckled, "Odd that you remember the cowboy outfit but not the nautical clothes." Tim just nodded at him.

They'd brought their swim things so after a hot lunch, they all went for a swim and then got back to work. Tim wanted his father's bicycle and wasn't sure what to do with his and Patrick's bikes although he thought he might sell them on E-bay as children's bikes from the 80s were now considered 'vintage' by collectors, he figured he'd donate any money he made from the sale. There were some small kitchen appliances that would be donated to charity; Gibbs said he'd look at them first to make sure they worked or see if they could be easily repaired. One of the bigger items they found was a toy box that looked handmade.

Maisie looked at it, "Oh Penny will love that this survived." She looked at Tim, "As I remember the story, your uncle Mark McGee made this in his shop class in high school. He made it and then didn't know what to do with it; when you came along he painted it up as a toy box and gave it to you."

Tim smiled, "I'm going to write all this down so as things get passed along in the family the stories won't get lost." He started to set the box aside and then noticed that one corner of the lid was damaged. Gibbs looked at it, "I can fix that, Tim, and the repair will match the rest of it. Or I'll show you how to fix it and you can do it."

Tim thought about that for a few seconds, "I like you having a hand in it Poppy; then it kind of ties everything together." He turned it over and saw the initials underneath, MM and the year it was made. "We can add your initials and the year."

Gibbs ruffled his hair. They took a photo of Tim holding the box and e-mailed it to Penny who was currently on a lecture tour in South America.

By the time Lina got home they'd gone through most of the boxes and had a bag of garbage, a large box of items to be looked at and probably donated and much more that needed sorting through by Tim's siblings. The boxes for the sibling sort were loaded into the Ford and the McGees' new car as there was more room in the garage at the big house for storage than there was here. Between what Tim had tucked away, what was going for storage and what they'd been through today, they'd cleared out enough so that both Lina and Tim's vehicles could return to the garage.

As their chat with the President was airing on ZNN's European affiliates that evening, the MMA group had decided to forego their class. When they'd called George and told him why none of them would be at class he was very excited and agreed that they should stay home and watch because that's just what he was going to do. With the largest TV, the McGees' home was the gathering place for most of the group. Col. Martin, Tea, Eva and Caleb and the Hofstadlers declined but everyone else gathered at the house on the hill that evening. That included all of the Russells, Kim and Evander, Dani and Ross, Matt and Damian, Rob, Geordie and Bec plus Gibbs and the Mallards. They ate potluck, as always they had more than enough, and then all twenty of them squeezed into Tim and Lina's living room to watch their chat with the President. Before it started Kim played the video she'd made on her phone so they'd remember what had been said and then they watched the broadcast. Overall they were pleased. At Tim's request, the references to him as Gemcity had been edited out and the part about them in Baltimore wasn't as agonizingly long as he remembered but most of the rest was there. The references to Mr. Ladas' help were included and they cheered when they heard that. The photos the photographer took that day were woven in throughout the interview and that nicely played up the NCIS office with the American and Greek flags waving over the roof and the plaque beside the door. One thing none of them had realized was that the banner that had been hanging on the wall behind Tim and Bec's desks for months now was featured in almost the entire chat. It was a smaller version of the banner the FP had made for the dance troupe. After the interview with them, there were shots of the parents of the students being interviewed and thanking NCIS for rescuing their children. What surprised them was that it wasn't just the Marine or Navy parents who were interviewed; it was a smattering of the parents of all the students, including Greek, American, Russian, Romanian, Indian, South African, Israeli, Polish and Croatian.

The Russell kids had notified their friends, including the Vances that they were going to be at Tim and Lina's to watch their father and friends speak to the President. So when in due course Tim's phone chimed, he wasn't horribly surprised to see it was their Director. As he accepted the call, he put it on speaker and heard Vance laughing. "Tim…everyone's there, right? And would you put me on speaker?"

"Almost everyone and you already are, sir."

"I have to tell you this first…the President's daughters watched the interview and saw the banner for the dance troupe. Apparently the President just figured it was something going on locally but his daughters found the original Dance Lessons and the wedding video on YouTube and made their parents watch both of them. I just had a call from his Chief of Staff asking me to thank you all, he said the man hadn't laughed like that in months and really needed it."

"Wow, that's amazing Director. We hadn't even realized the banner was in the shots, to tell you the truth we forgot it was still on the wall! You know we usually have a flag up."

"I know, but in this case it was a wonderful oversight! Congratulations to you all, you did a wonderful job and I know you were exhausted."

They chatted with him for a few more minutes before disconnecting. Eventually the happy crowd left for their own homes and Lina looked at her husband. "You're famous!"

Tim laughed, "Another 15 minutes of fame, wow!"

"Yes, but now when you are sworn in as Director of NCIS people will nod and say, yes, he led that rescue of all the students in Greece and didn't he help take down a drug cartel?"

Tim bent his head, shaking it, "Lina, you know…"

"Yes, 'I was just doing my job'." She did a fair imitation of Tim's voice and his eyes sparkled as he picked her up and whirled her around.


	138. Chapter 138

The rest of the month sped by all too quickly and before they knew it, March had arrived and Tim was beginning to understand what Pete meant about things moving too fast.

On the first of March, Tim received an envelope from the U.S. Navy. He was sitting at the kitchen counter wondering what it could be when his laptop pinged. It was Sarah and she was very excited. "Tim, did you get your envelope, did you open it?"

"I got an envelope from the Navy, is that what you're talking about Sarah?"

"YES, open it Bro!" James was with her and from the grin on his face Tim knew it was something good. Lina joined him and after saying hello, she watched as her husband slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the folded piece of paper. As he straightened it out he saw what it was and his jaw dropped as he read it. "Sarah, did you get…?"

"Yes, Tim I did, a check from the Navy for $651,607.53."

"Wow, I didn't…I got $473,905. I guess because they only had to pay for 9 years for me, plus college. You got 15 years plus college."

"Read the letter." Tim handed the check to Lina and read the letter. "It's the Commander's benefits that his minor children, that's us, should have received in 1986, in today's market value."

He looked at Lina and then at Sarah. "Wow!"

"Too right, wow!"

Tim looked at Lina, who nodded with a smile. "Sarah…"

"Yeah, split it four ways, James and I agree."

"Would you please make the suggestion?"

"I'll do that, Bro."

"You going to use your share for your wedding?"

"Yes and there will be a lot left over."

"Honeymoon?"

James shook his head, "Don't mean to sound disrespectful, but I don't want death benefits from the Navy to pay for our honeymoon."

Tim looked at his brother-in-law, "Uh yeah, good thinking."

"We're thinking we'll put some in savings and invest some. Tim, if we're careful, we could grow this big enough for our Siblings House, to buy the property and build the house."

"Sarah, we don't need to buy or build."

"Huh?"

"You haven't seen Penny's place yet, have you?"

"No, we're going to the States in September; we'll see everyone's homes then."

Lina leaned forward, "And you two are the only ones who haven't been to my family's home either."

"Nooo…Lina, Tim, I'm not getting this."

Tim smiled at her, "Sweet Pea…is it ok if I call you that?"

"Oh my God, what has our little brother done to you?"

"No more referring to him as little brother and he doesn't want to be called Robbie."

Sarah visibly clenched her jaw and Tim continued, "What I started to say is that Penny's house is on 5 acres of land, like a park. It's a big white house, multiple stories with buildings around the property." He smirked, "There's no McDonald's next door though."

"How…Tim, did you know that?"

"When we were kids?" She nodded. "No, I didn't know anything, not consciously anyway, until last February. Lina and I stopped by to see it and it just hit me that I must have seen it when I was little. And Penny confirmed that Pat and I were there many times. Grandfa says the memory must have been in my brain but not quite right, so when we were dreaming about it as kids, it was there but I didn't know I'd been there or that it belonged to our grandmother."

"Wow, so…wow! What about the Kalivas' place though?"

Lina smiled, "When I saw Penny's home, I was shocked but I didn't tell Tim until he saw our family home in April. Penny's place is nearly a duplicate, Sarah; my family's home is much older and has been added on to but the new parts are in the back so from the front they appear very much alike."

"That is so weird. I can't wait to see it!" She paused, "So we can definitely make our Sibling House work…oh, Penny would need to know and want to be a part of it, or give us the property, or we can buy it from her."

Lina smiled, "She wants to be part of it and when we are ready, she'll deed it over to us."

"Just like that?"

Tim nodded, "Yes. She was going to leave it to Callum and Ainsley or sell it and leave them the money, Sweet Pea. After she lost us and Uncle Mark died, she had nobody left in her family."

"I forgot and that is so sad. Geez, I hope the kids don't mind!"

"I doubt they know about it; Jim and Claire might not even know."

"Ok, so back to the money, this would help us with operating expenses."

"Oh yeah."

"Do you think Rob will still want to be part of it?"

Tim shrugged, "We won't be able to do anything but fundraising and planning while we're over here. I'm certainly not going to ask him about it now, but feel free."

"You're still mad."

"I'm still…something, yeah. Might be my injured pride."

"You?"

"Yeah." Tim had already told Lina and now he told Sarah about his feelings of rejection when Rob had accepted a loan from their grandfather.

"Geez, he's gone off the rails."

"Ducky ordered him to stay at the house until he's gained weight and flat out told him how many hours he's allowed to work."

"And that worked?"

"Yep."

"Because Grandfa is a parent and you're now a sibling. Wow that really sucks."

Tim shrugged and then remembered all of Dr. Agnos' admonitions to let things out, to let his family and friends know how he felt.

"Yeah, it's not good. I'm glad Grandfa was able to get through to him but geez, I raised him and now I'm like something he stepped in."

"So even after he apologized, it's still continuing? At least his attitude toward you?"

Tim nodded. "Feels like it. Really awkward for one thing."

"We love you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to be such a wuss about this but I don't exactly know my role in the family anymore…at least with him."

"You're my Timpa and my brother, same as always, Tim."

"Thanks Sarah."

"Sweet Pea."

"Yeah?"

"Always, even when we're old and gray, you promised."

"I did."

"Gonna hold you to that."

"Thanks Sari." James and Lina had been exchanging looks and between them managed to change the subject to the interview with the President. James said that at work he was still basking in the reflected glory of being Tim's brother-in-law. After they'd exhausted that topic, they talked about the wedding. James hadn't given up his demand that Tim be his best man while Sarah was adamant that Tim walk her down the aisle and he clearly couldn't do both. The two of them made Tim and Lina laugh and they signed off still chuckling.

Two days later the Kalivas' arrived. Before they'd left home, Lina had called to talk with her parents about Tim and Rob; she was worried about her brother-in-law, worried that his continuing attitude would permanently damage what had been a cohesive group and she felt Grandfa had played a part in the way Tim was feeling. Her parents had the experience to help Tim. After all, Grandfa hadn't had a family until last year, nor had Gibbs, not in years anyway – and neither of them had grown up with siblings. Gram hadn't experienced anything like this and Penny wasn't available. Lina knew that her husband had talked with his godfather but again, Uncle Dave really had not experienced anything like this first hand.

When Davos and Hélène arrived, they spent time with Tim, telling him more about their family. From their experiences, he learned that, as with all relationships, a family's is fluid, not static. People and situations change, relationships change. Sons and fathers who had been close drift apart. Brothers and sisters who'd been inseparable no longer spoke, daughters turned from their parents and siblings. As Davos pointed out, the reverse was also true, that if there was communication, feelings could be aired, habits and attitudes could be changed. Hélène understood a little more than Tim told them. She saw that he was also feeling awkward around his grandfather; possibly because Rob had listened to Ducky and not to Tim. When Hélène asked, Tim told her that he'd initiated the conversation about setting up a loan for Rob and that he had ultimately been shot down. Tim admitted that he was starting to feel that he must have done something wrong and that he no longer was a part of the 'chain of command'. Since he was 9 years old, he'd been the head of the family, now he felt somewhat like he'd been deposed or at least ignored.

XXX

Gibbs' gut had been telling him something was wrong but he didn't know what it was. Nobody was hurt or ill. He had noticed that Tim had been a stranger at the big house, but he'd thought he was just busy or that his son and daughter-in-law needed some time alone. They were newlyweds after all. Tim was ok with him when he was at the McGees' home but just ok, there was something off. He thought back to the day they'd unpacked the boxes, Tim had been fine with him and attentive to his grandmother but he hadn't spent much time with Ducky.

When Davos and Hélène arrived, they spent a lot of time with Tim and that was all right, he was here all the time, after all, he could certainly be an adult and share. But it wasn't all right, something was wrong and Gibbs needed to know what and why the Kalivas' could help and he apparently couldn't. He'd thought Tim and Lina were just busy but when Tim spent the time with the others he started to wonder about that. He picked up the phone to call Tim as his phone chimed with a call from Tim.

"Hey son, how are you doing?"

"I'm ok, Dad."

"Busy at work?"

"Mmm, buried in paperwork and reviewing cold cases."

"Listen, I've been missing you, kiddo, think we could spend some time together, me and you?"

There was a noise and Tim said very softly, "Yeah, I'd like that, that's why I called."

"Ok, you want to go for a drive or…"

"Fishing, could we go fishing?"

"Yeah sure, that'd be good." They made arrangements and when Gibbs hung up he suddenly remembered fishing with his dad, that for years it was the only way they could talk. He didn't say anything to the others, he didn't know if whatever was wrong was between him and Tim or if anyone else was involved although his gut was telling him the latter.

He thought back to everything that had happened recently, ever since Maisie and Duck's arrival. He wondered if something connected with the rescue had occurred and then he realized that was it. Rob had returned home. He'd apologized to his siblings and he was following Ducky's orders. Finally he was listening to his grandfather, gaining weight, paying attention to his studies and not working…Gibbs suddenly wondered. Rob was living at the big house; he saw his siblings if they showed up but he wasn't making any effort to see them that Gibbs had noticed. But he was okay now, Ducky had…yeah…Ducky: Rob and Ducky. Ducky had stepped in and Rob had listened to him, taken the money and signed the papers. Gibbs was out of his depth here and knew it; his only biological child had died young and he'd had no siblings, he didn't know how things should go. And the McGee siblings, well he'd admired the relationships they'd had. He huffed to himself, 'had' seemed to be the operative word.

He arrived a little early to pick up Tim the next day, hoping he could have a cup of coffee with his daughter-in-law. She seemed a little subdued and he cocked his head at her, "Melina, are you all right?"

"I'm not, Poppy, because our Tim is not. Please let him talk to you today, please be there for him, try to understand where he's coming from. He needs you and he needs you to be there for him, undivided."

"I will, daughter, I promise."

She smiled as he kissed her cheek. "Thank you and please don't bring any fish here."

He laughed, "Yes ma'am! What are you going to do today?"

"Have lunch with my mother and Rhea."

"That's right. Have fun and try not to worry. Whatever's wrong, we'll figure it out."

She gave him a long steady look before saying, "There is nothing broken between _you_ two." That gave him some relief but he still didn't understand why Tim hadn't said anything to him before this.

As they drove off in the Ford, Tim sighed, "I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I…I've been trying to figure some things out."

"Things between you and me?"

"No, NO, Dad, no, we're good, I mean I hope we're good."

Gibbs frowned; he hadn't heard Tim speak so tentatively about their relationship in over a year. He put a hand on Tim's shoulder. "Whatever it is, kiddo, I want to be here for you, with you. Please let me help."

Tim nodded. "Thanks. Been kind of a mess. Lina's parents have been helping because, well, none of you have siblings or family really until a year ago."

"So it is Rob."

"Partly, yeah."

"And…your grandfather?" Tim nodded sadly and turned his face to the window. "Timothy, please don't turn away from me."

Tim turned back and Gibbs saw the grief and anger in his eyes. "Will you explain it to me, please? I have an idea of what might be happening but it's just speculation."

Tim nodded. "I'll try."

"All right, do you want to go on to the beach or just go home?"

Tim thought before he answered, "It's a nice day, we could get some sun and I think it would be easier to talk away from everything."

"Like Jack and I used to?"

Tim smiled, "Yeah."

"Ok son, let's do that."

They were at the beach in a few minutes and were pleased to see there was no one in the water. They were free to fish as long as there were no swimmers nearby and they didn't need licenses to fish from the shore; they'd looked up the rules. Gibbs took the equipment out of the back of the SUV while Tim grabbed the chairs, the insulated bag with their lunch and most importantly the two big thermoses filled with coffee. His dad grunted, handed him a fishing pole and grabbed the insulated bag and a thermos. "Got your sunscreen?"

Tim rolled his eyes, "Of course."

"That's better, c'mon, let's get this stuff set up, need coffee."

They set up and then Tim ran back to the SUV and brought out two blankets. "Ah that's good, Tim."

Gibbs set up the lines, showing Tim what to do and they cast into the water. Then Gibbs sat down and poured two mugs of coffee and decided he'd tell Tim what he knew, maybe that would help.

"I noticed you haven't been to the house and I tried to convince myself you were busy with Lina and work: you two are newly married, after all." Tim smiled and the tips of his ears turned bright red.

"Figured out you'd sort of stayed away since that family dinner. We saw you the next day but we were busy. You helped your Gram and talked with me, but you really didn't have much to do with your grandfather. When I thought about it, it seemed more like you were confused than mad."

Tim nodded.

"I was upset with Rob that he listened to Ducky but not me, that he was perfectly willing to sign a loan agreement with him, but wouldn't let me do…anything – and that Ducky wouldn't let me do anything. Rob apologized but he's still rejecting me. And Grandfa…I've been the head of the family since I was 9 years old. Even with Geordie being older, he knew he wasn't going to be around the kids as much as I was so that was something we figured out early. Now…my pride at least is hurt, I went to Grandfa with the idea of the loan; that he set it up and put it in his name, but that I would fund it. But he shot me down and he…just took care of it…of everything. Like he just took charge. I feel like I've been booted out of my own family." He looked away. "And I'm trying really hard to understand that it was nothing personal, well not by Ducky anyway. But he never said anything to me. Don't I deserve some respect from him, from Rob? I…I don't know what to think. Davos and Hélène have been trying to help me because they've been through all kinds of issues in their family. And I think Hélène gets it. So I've been able to talk with them, but it still doesn't fix anything and I don't know what to do. And I can't go to Dr. Agnos because instead of giving Rob a referral, I heard he's now seeing him. So I'm feeling like Rob's taken him away from me too." He paused, "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Rob's recovering his health and all that, but he's a grown man, he shouldn't have had to be ordered to do that. And…" Tim's shoulders slumped.

"And…?"

Tim looked at him, "And you know how insidious doubt can be. One minute I doubt Rob's sincerity, then Grandfa and the next thing I'm wondering if I'm off base with everything else too. I don't know what happened. Rob moved here and everything went to hell. Well, not everything."

"And that's a good point, Tim. Rob moved here but you're building your life with Lina and soon you'll have children of your own, your priorities have changed."

"And we've talked about priorities changing, not since he moved here but while he was in London. That's why I worked so hard to become more brother than father. I've always been there for him, every time he's needed me. But now when I need him to have a little understanding or at least to talk with me, he rejects me and there's my grandfather, just handing him money, like that's what he needs and I don't even exist."

Gibbs looked at Tim, the man he'd come to know so well, the one he loved as dearly as he would if they shared DNA. He saw the anger and confusion and reaching over, pulled Tim into his arms and held on.

"Just let it out, let it out and let me comfort you." He held him for a long time, murmuring to him.

Tim was close to emotional exhaustion and he let his dad hold him, felt the love and the strength of his arms around him. He'd needed that, he'd needed one of his parents-grandparents to acknowledge him, to acknowledge that things weren't right.

Gibbs was remembering his initial conversation with Ducky about Rob's problem and how the two of them had clearly stated that this was something that would have to be handled by the four siblings. But Ducky hadn't allowed that, he'd stepped in and handled things to his own satisfaction, without saying anything to his other grandchildren or even to Gibbs. At least he and Tim had talked about the loan but it didn't sound like that had gone well. Sure, he could understand the care package from Ducky, Rob had already rejected Tim and Geordie and was apparently too proud or stubborn to ask for help – to the point of starving himself. Gibbs shook his head, he'd thought Rob was more in need of a head smack than anything else and he still did; he really had been acting like a child having a tantrum. And when had his old friend decided that he should be the one to swoop in and placate that tantrum - fix the symptoms without fixing the problem - creating more problems in the process? It really sounded more like something he would do rather than Duck.

"He's upset the balance."

"Huh?"

"Ducky. This was clearly a problem that Rob needed to work out with you, Geordie and Sarah; he and I agreed on that, I called him specifically to ask him if my gut feeling was right and he agreed. He agreed! And yeah, he's fixed the health and money situation, but overall he's made the problem even worse. Rob didn't have to figure things out he just had to go to Grandfa. How is that teaching him anything productive? Your grandfather has made him his pet; Rob is once again living for free and someone is taking care of him although he flat out rejected his siblings for wanting to do the same thing. He's being a brat, a smug brat at that." Gibbs took a deep breath, "He's treating Rob the same way I treated Abby, isn't he? Basically giving in, pandering to his tantrum, spoiling him."

Tim looked up at him. "Did he ever say anything to you about his treatment of Abby?"

Gibbs had to stop and think. "A little bit but not until Jimmy flat out told him that he was nearly as much a part of the whole Abby fiasco as I was. He ever talk to you about it?"

Tim had to stop and think. "He apologized."

Gibbs moved his head in acknowledgment.

"Dad, what you said…about Rob, that's exactly what happened. Rob was having a tantrum of sorts. Not that he wanted his independence but the way he went about it. I still don't understand why he moved here and why he kept using the account. Sarah wasn't using it and there wasn't a problem and he knew that." Tim stopped and just breathed quietly for a minute before continuing, "He said he felt like a third wheel in London – the first time he talked about moving here, the Christmas Ducky told us he was our grandfather. So when he finally did move here he must have felt he was still a 'third wheel'. We've tried to include him, Dad, but he just kept saying he had to work. So then he got mad and decided he wanted to be independent but also wanted our attention." Tim sighed, "I need Dr. Agnos to stop seeing him, I don't understand that either. It's a clear conflict of interest."

"Have you talked with him…Doc Agnos?"

"No, I haven't, but that's one thing I can do something about, I'll call him tonight."

"That's good Tim; that will help how you're feeling, like someone pulled the rug out from under your feet."

"Yeah, that's a great description Dad, thanks."

"Tim…I don't understand why you didn't come to me. Please tell me you didn't doubt me?"

"No, I didn't, not things between us. I was trying to be an adult and figure things out for myself and then I went to the Kalivas' because of the whole family thing and then I feel like I'm whining and I realized I had some hubris involved so I was dealing with that and…he's your best friend."

"Ducky."

"Yeah."

"Timothy, I thought I'd made it clear that you come first." Tim nodded, feeling like a jerk but his dad tightened his embrace and he knew it was all right.

"And yeah, maybe you do have some pride involved, Tim, but you've been responsible for Rob nearly your entire lives. That's not just pride, that's also an ingrained sense of responsibility. He's your kid no matter how much you work toward being his brother; he's always going to be your kid."

"Except he doesn't want to be anything to me anymore."

"Yeah, it looks like that, doesn't it? I'd say he's confused, he doesn't seem to really know what he wants."

"Like a kid."

"Yeah."

"Dad, would you mind if I call Dr. Agnos right now? That's the one thing I can do and I just want to get it done."

"Nah, kiddo that's a good idea, want some privacy?"

"No, I'm just going to ask him to refer Rob to someone else, that as his patient I feel it's a conflict of interest."

"Ok."

Tim called the doctor's private number and was relieved when he picked up. "Tim, are you all right?"

"Not sure, Doc, and I'm sorry to call on a weekend but I just, I needed to ask you."

"Ask me what?"

"Are you seeing my brother Rob as a patient?"

"No, that would be a clear conflict of interest as you're already my patient. I referred him to Dr. Clark. He's a fine psychologist and his office is close to the hospital where your brother works." There was a pause, "Why do you ask? Did you think I was seeing him?"

"He told our grandparents you were."

"Oh my, I'm glad you called then, you must have thought I'd lost my mind."

"He seems to be quite good at making people feel that way, Doc. Our grandfather told him he had to get help and he came back with the news that he was seeing you. I'm guessing he's lying and not seeing anyone and yeah, I know you can't help me with that!"

"I can't, but it does sound like you're having a tough time with whatever is going on."

"I am and I may come in but I'm not sure it'll do any good unless he gets some help."

"Are you getting support from your family?"

"Yeah, I am – from my dad, Lina, her parents, my older brother, my sister and her fiancé, who is a close friend."

"You didn't mention your grandparents."

"No, well Penny doesn't know about all this, she's traveling."

"All right. Think about coming in Tim; let's see if we can't at least get some clarity for you."

"Ok, I'll call the office on Monday. Thanks Doc."

Tim disconnected and looked at Gibbs. "So he's lying about that. He's not seeing Dr. Agnos; he was referred to someone in Athens close to his work."

"And you think he's not seeing that doctor either."

Tim nodded. "I hope I'm wrong. He's really confused, I'm afraid he's worse than any of us thought."

Gibbs nodded, "I can talk to your grandfather about that, the fact that he's lying about Dr. Agnos and I'll just tell him the truth, Tim, that you called him. Ducky needs to know that he's been out of line with you, that you're feeling some disrespect from him."

"I'll tell him that, Poppy, I just needed to talk all this out with you. I can tell him now. God, I'm so glad you're here!" Tim pulled his dad in for a hug. "You know, I've never had a parent to back me up. Geordie always did, even a few times when he wanted me to cut Sarah some slack he backed me up. But he's as upset about this as I am and neither of us knew what to do. And now here you are, my very own dad. So, yeah if you'll please clue Ducky in about Dr. Agnos, then I'll handle my stuff with him. Somehow."

"Your grandfather."

"Yeah…?"

"You called him Ducky a few times."

Tim took a deep breath and nodded. "Guess I'll make that appointment on Monday."

Feeling better after talking with his dad, Tim relaxed and they spent a peaceful afternoon together. They enjoyed the special lunch Lina made for them and finally packed up to leave when they noticed they were almost out of coffee.


	139. Chapter 139

CH 139

Tim smiled at Lina and kissed her as he walked into the house, "Hello my bride! Did you have a good time with your mother and Rhea?"

"Yes my darling, I did. And did you with your father?"

Tim nodded, "It was a really good day; we needed to spend some time together. What would you like to do tonight?"

"Well, we were thinking…"

Tim started tickling her and she squealed, "All right, I'll tell you! We were thinking that perhaps you'd like to go to dinner with Papa, Mama, Poppy and Rhea?"

"The 6 of us? Yeah, I'd really like that. Our dads are really funny together when they get going."

She grinned, "Good!"

"When and where are we going?"

"To that place we went to with Geordie and Bec; I made reservations for 9 PM, so we have plenty of time to relax."

Tim grinned, "Relax huh? Not what I had in mind!"

They met their parents and Rhea at the restaurant that evening and sat beneath a large window overlooking the harbor. Some of the boats were lit up and the effect was lovely with the lights reflecting in the water. When Rhea and Lina seemed enchanted with the view, Tim looked at his dad and they chuckled. "Did you bring your camera, Lina?" She thought, "I have my phone but I do think I need my camera."

"It might still be in the car, we had it with us when we went to Patras."

"Oh! You're right, it might be."

"I'll go look, hon." Tim hurried out to the car and dug around, finding the camera in the passenger door pocket. If there was one thing he'd learned from living with an artist it was that they always had something to draw with and almost always a camera. When he returned, he found Lina and Rhea had decided to wait for pictures until after they ate as the moon would have risen by then. They relaxed over drinks, meze and their meals. Davos had heard that his daughter and son-in-law were going to do some traveling after the wedding in the UK, so he questioned them about their itinerary. "Are you spending any time in London?"

"Probably not. We thought we'd stay longer but then Tim mentioned Paris and that was the end of London! We'll be in Paris for a few days and then we'll fly or take the train, we haven't decided yet, to Languedoc, rent a car and tour there; drive to Provence, visit everything Tim missed when we were there in August and fly home from Marseille."

"Fly or drive…how long is the train trip?"

"It would be a few hours and we would get to see the countryside."

"And how long to drive it?"

Tim cleared his throat, "From Paris to the Languedoc region, about 11 hours."

"Oh, that's a long trip, too long for me!" Hélène exclaimed.

Rhea smiled, "With me and you too Lina, it would be at least double that time as we'd need to stop and take photos or sketch along the way."

Lina laughed, "We'd never make it to our destination! I'd be wandering through the fields snapping photos of every flower."

Rhea chuckled, "Are you sure you want to take the train? That sounds like torture to me, to have all those lovely sights right in front of you but not able to take photos or sketch."

Lina nodded thoughtfully, "That's a good point, but don't forget I am not traveling by myself!"

Tim took her hand, "We'll see plenty of flowers and beautiful landscapes once we get to Carcassonne and Provence, LinaMelina."

Turning the tables on his in-laws, he asked them what they'd be seeing on their trip to the U.S. after the wedding. They were excited about staying at Penny's home and told them of their plans to see the shelter and camp, to visit Claire and the children, Breena, Jimmy and the boys and meet baby Violet, to see all the famous buildings and to go with Jethro for a personal tour of NCIS. Davos leaned in, "I cannot wait to see the wall with all the thank you letters and I know there will be more there for your team, Timotheos!" His eyes twinkled, "And maybe we will call the White House and tell them that we are Timothy McGee's in-laws, we would like to see the President!" Then he laughed, "And Tobias offered to give us a tour of the building where he works. I think we should see that before NCIS, otherwise the FBI will be too much of a letdown." Gibbs gave him a fist bump for that and Tim laughed at them.

After they finished their meals and beverages of choice, Lina and Rhea put their coats on, took the camera and went out to take photos of the boats on the water with the moon now shining on them. When Tim tried to pay for dinner, his father-in-law stopped him. "It is our turn to pay, Timotheos, you paid last time. Ahhh, you thought I would not remember, but I do!" Tim smiled and relaxed, as long as they rotated, he was ok with that. Poppy gave him a look, checking in to make sure he was ok with that and Tim nodded. He excused himself and went out to join his wife and their friend.

Sunday morning Tim and Lina met the parents and the Grands for church. After, the Kalivas' left to meet Damian and Matt for brunch and Poppy and Rhea headed into Athens. Tim knew his dad had worked it out with the others so that he'd have time with his grandfather but he wasn't exactly looking forward to it. Lina had called Maisie before they went out last night to ask them for lunch today.

After much discussion with his wife Tim had decided to talk to his grandfather after lunch. He knew that meant the meal would be awkward but he was usually ravenous after church and didn't want to wait to eat. They'd set the table before they left and everything was ready. He dished up the meal they'd left in the slow cooker overnight and served it to his grandparents with a chilled white wine. Lina kept the conversation going telling a story about an eccentric American artist she'd met recently.

The meal went far too quickly for Tim but he knew he needed to get this worked out. Maisie and Lina did the cleanup while Tim steered his grandfather to the living room.

"You're upset with me Timothy."

"Yes, I am. Do you know why?"

"No, I can't think why."

"What did you and my dad agree to when he first found out about Rob's reasons for working?"

"Ah…Rob. We talked and I agreed with him that we should let you four work it out amongst yourselves."

"'Let' us work it out, like we're children. My dad said you agreed that the matter should be left to us. That's very different from allowing the kiddies to work their problem out."

"Yes, I suppose that's right."

"Ok, so do you realize the amount of disrespect you're showing…just that right there? And why did you then completely disregard that assessment and agreement?"

"What? I did no such thing and I am not disrespecting anyone!"

"Not the way I see it. Or Geordie." Tim proceeded to tell him what had happened. Ducky sat there in horror. "I deposed you? But it was your idea!"

"The idea of the loan but my version had conditions and it was to be our money. But you wouldn't listen; you steamrollered right over me and then threw money at Rob. What did that teach him? Certainly not how to be independent – or how to act like a grown up rather than a 3 year old. Because that's what he's been doing, he's been having a tantrum; he's been too stubborn and proud to ask for help. I know because I RAISED HIM, I raised two kids, how many have you raised? But no, you knew better so you threw money and food at him. What are you going to do with him when you leave for home, take him with you? What happens next time he has a tantrum? What made you think you knew best what to do for him and really, what the HELL caused you to lose respect for me? I've kept this family together for nearly three decades without anyone's help and that's the crap I get from you?"

Tim was so worked up that when he finished he had to get up and walk outside in the chilly air to calm down. He'd never raised his voice or sworn at Ducky before, ever but he wasn't going to apologize.

Ducky was horrified, he hadn't thought of the others at all in his dealing with Rob and he had argued with Tim, he'd been dead certain he was right. He had been so happy, so relieved that he'd saved Rob when no one else seemed to be doing anything. A tantrum, well no he had never raised a child, hadn't even really been around anyone who had until the Palmers brought Ethan and Stevie home, so he wouldn't know. But he should have known – or asked. He'd never even considered the fact that Tim and Geordie had known Rob all his life, that Tim had raised him. Timothy, oh his poor grandson. He'd really made a mess, more of a mess than Rob had. And yes, Jethro told him that Rob had lied about going to see Dr. Agnos but he hadn't seen Rob this morning to ask him. Now that he thought about it, Rob had seemed rather smug about Dr. Agnos taking him on, knowing he wouldn't work with both him and Tim. Oh lord. He'd been played and he'd hurt someone he loved dearly in the process.

By the time the Mallards left that afternoon, Ducky had apologized to Tim and assured him of his respect and love and Tim had accepted his apology. They'd had a good long talk that cleared the air between them. And they'd decided on a course of action with Rob. Ducky's only condition with the loan had been that Rob get professional help. Ducky was going to call Rob on lying to him and then have a frank talk with him about his behavior. Further, as Rob had not met the condition of the loan, Ducky was going to call it in. They were going to practice tough love; rather Ducky was finally joining the rest of them in that. Tim was certain the shock of that would force Rob to see what an idiot he was being with his life and his family.

Tim was once again exhausted. He'd been as plain spoken with his grandfather as he'd been with Gibbs over a year ago, telling him that his trust had been if not broken, severely strained. Ducky felt worse when he remembered that Tim had given him a 'free pass' during his time in DC, he clearly remembered what Director Vance had told him and Jimmy that day in his office. How much more could he ask of him?

The trip to Santorini was now less than a week away so Tim dove into cold case reviews and getting paperwork done, determined not to let his brother negatively influence his life any more than he had. He knew Pete was concerned but this time he wasn't sharing, except to tell Pete that it was nothing to do with his marriage or his work and that he just wanted to be an NCIS agent when he was at work. When they went to class that night, George looked at him and shook his head at the others; he would defend with Timotheos this time. He watched him closely when the others showed up at the end of class and noticed he seemed relieved. His wife, father, father's lady friend, the Marine brother and Lina's brother and parents were there and he was happy to see them.

Somehow the week passed and Friday night Tim and Lina finally found themselves on a plane to Santorini. Tim chuckled, "How long have we been planning this?"

Lina sat in thought. "Just since last summer. We postponed after Marseille."

"And now it's our honeymoon week, a whole week to ourselves; this is perfect!"

She cuddled close to him, "And we need it even more now than we did after the wedding." He agreed and they spent the flight as close as they could be, watching out the window as they flew over the beautiful Aegean Sea.

When they landed, Tim was surprised to see a sign welcoming visitors to Thira and Lina explained that was the Greek name of the island; the name Santorini came from the Venetians. They picked up a rental car at the airport and drove to the town of Fira and to their hotel, the Petit Palace Suites. They had the honeymoon suite with the private pool and spa along with views of the caldera and the sea.

When Tim had contacted the Petit Palace to make their reservations this time around, he was pleased to find they still had the original information on file and they were given the same deal. Remembering their own crowd in November, he checked and was happy that there were no weddings scheduled during their stay. The discounted price made a big difference this trip as they would stay an entire week rather than the weekend originally planned.

After checking in, they headed for their room. Lina ran the key card and when the door clicked open, her husband surprised her by scooping her up and carrying her across the threshold, murmuring "Happy Honeymoon, Melina!" as he kissed her. Somehow he managed to hold onto her and draw the bed coverings back at the same time. She was starting to unbutton his shirt when there was a noise at the door which Tim had propped open with one of their cases. A disembodied hand shoved their one remaining bag into the room and firmly pulled the door shut. After Tim and Lina finally stopped laughing they resumed their play and made sweet love. They were dozing in post-coital bliss when the room phone rang. Lina answered, it was an automated call to let them know room service would be closing down in one hour. Giggling, she woke Tim and they ordered dinner, pre-ordered their breakfast and then turned the ringer off on the phone.

Sunday morning they finally ventured out from their suite. They'd spent a lot of time in their pool and Tim decided they would make their own pool more private as swimming naked with his wife was a new favorite. Tim enjoyed the spa but Lina found she was uncomfortably hot in just a few minutes. They turned the temperature down but she still wasn't comfortable so they stuck with the pool. However now they'd decided they should actually see some of the island, so they dug out their swim suits, gathered towels, hats and sunscreen, found shoes, the keys to the car and were on their way out of the lobby when they remembered to stop and ask the front desk if there were beach chairs they could borrow or rent. The request led to a discussion of beaches around the island. Lina had been to several of them but not to the one that intrigued them both, one that had 'ruby red' sand. When the concierge mentioned that the Red Beach was not far from the ruins of the ancient Minoan city that settled it! They'd go to the ruins first, explore there and then go on to the Red Beach.

The concierge was amused by the rolling bag they had with them and found a couple of bungee cords so they could attach the beach chairs they rented for the week. Lina explained the bag contained her collapsible easel, some small canvas frames and her sketchpads – as well as their beach stuff. When the man asked if she was an artist, Tim proudly pointed to a painting adorning the main wall of the lobby. The concierge's eyes widened, "You're the artist? You're Melina Kalivas?" Lina laughed a little as she smiled and asked that he keep the information to himself. He agreed and they finally left the hotel, Lina softly telling Tim she'd do a little sketch for the concierge this week to thank him for his discretion.

They drove to the Minoan city which was called ancient Akrotiri although the real name of the town remains unknown. Akrotiri is a present-day village nearby so when the ruins were discovered and no name was found, the ancient site took on the name of the village. In its heyday it was an outpost of Crete and the inhabitants of that island, the Minoans, settled on Thira around 3000 BCE. Ancient Akrotiri was first settled during the Bronze Age; the city disappeared under a thick layer of volcanic ash during the eruption of the volcano that became Thira in about 1500/1450 BCE. For that reason it was often compared to Italy's Pompeii as the two cities had suffered the same fate although from different volcanoes. The tsunami resulting from the eruption had devastated the island of Crete and eventually resulted in the end of the Minoan civilization and the beginning of the legend or myth of Atlantis.

It was thought that prior to the eruption the Minoan empire was the most advanced in the world, with multi-storied buildings and indoor plumbing. Tim and Lina had seen several beautiful frescoes from the Minoan city in the Archaeological Museum in Athens and now they could imagine those frescoes on the walls they saw before them.

Tim admitted to feeling somewhat leery of Santorini as it featured the largest caldera on the planet. He hadn't thought about it since their arrival but now it popped into his mind again. He asked the tour guide if the volcano was still active and she replied that it had last erupted in the middle of the 20th century. She also added that scientists around the world monitored seismic activity which was a frequent harbinger of an impending eruption. Tim was ashamed he'd even asked, he was a scientist and he knew that information. Or at least he knew that the U.S., Japan and Italy kept a watchful eye. He tried not to think about the hikers and others who'd been killed during a volcanic eruption on Japan's Mt. Ontake a few months earlier. He was glad they'd flown in, at the slightest earth tremor they were out of there, he'd hire a charter if he had to; he wasn't taking any chances with their lives.

He continued to wander the site while Lina got busy with her sketch pad and camera. When he found spots he thought would interest her, he took his own photos and sent them to her. Once she'd captured everything she wanted for future paintings of the ruins, they drove to the Red Beach, found parking and took the rolling bag down to the beach. They'd stopped at a local market and purchased food and drinks, so they were set for the afternoon. It was a warm day for March but as expected it wasn't warm enough to play in the water so they contented themselves with sitting in the sun and talking, playing cards and reading. Lina wandered with the camera and sketchpad and spent a couple of hours with one of the blank canvas frames propped on her easel as she sketched in the cliffs, the beach and the water. As she'd started doing since they first met, she included the two of them, this time as figures playing in the water. Sometimes Tim was the only one included and there were pieces where adding either of them just didn't work, but she liked to include them when possible.

When she returned to the chairs, she found Tim watching a sail boat on the water. When he turned to her she showed him her sketches. He looked closely at one of them. "Sweetie, you've included someone new…that's us, right?"

She nodded.

"And who's that?" There were a few other people on the beach but no small children and the figure was of a small child sitting on the man's shoulders as they rode the waves.

She smiled at him, "Who do you think it is?"

He looked at her puzzled and then the truth slowly began to dawn.

"Lina…is she ours? Is that our baby? Are you saying…honey, are you pregnant?"

She laughed, "Yes my love, I'm very certain I am."

"But how…just now? I mean since we've been here?"

"No, Timotheos, I think we made our baby last month. I'm not sure just when but I've been feeling differently for a couple of weeks."

"Different how? Good, bad?"

"I've been a little nauseous and just…different. And you remarked that my breasts were fuller."

Tim bit back a smile, "I say that almost every month, love, don't I?"

"You do, yes, but let's just say that there have been enough signs to point to a baby."

He whooped and grabbing her lifted her up to twirl her around but decided that probably wasn't a good idea. After thoroughly kissing her he looked at her, "You look the same."

"Yes, no changes yet my love. But those will come."

"All right, what do we need to do, is it too soon to take a pregnancy test?"

"I'm not sure but we can certainly do one and do another one later if we need to."

Tim shook his head, "I've researched, looked up symptoms, what to expect, all kinds of information and it's all flown right out of my head. The most important thing is LinaMelina, how do you feel?"

"Right now I feel fine. As I said I've had some nausea, in the evening though, not the morning but I haven't thrown up yet, you would know that. And I need a nap during the day; this weekend has been wonderful for napping."

Tim laughed, "Uh sure, napping because we've been going at it like bunnies! Seriously, I read that soda crackers sometimes help the nausea, we can get some on the way back to the hotel."

"Good idea!"

Tim gently pulled her onto his lap and nuzzled her. "Can't believe we're gonna be parents!"

"Yes we are, but we have lots of time to get used to the idea."

He looked at her, "Aside from 'as long as the baby is healthy', what do you want?"

"A little boy who looks just like you!"

He smiled, "And I want a little girl who looks just like you! I hope our children will look like you, Melina and genetically speaking, they're liable to have your beautiful coloring."

"Or yours, Timothy, don't forget your own genetic heritage - Penny, Nelson, Ducky and Maisie's. Our child will have Greek, Irish, Scots, English and French blood."

"Let's go find a pharmacy!"

She laughed at his eagerness, "All right."

They packed up and took everything back to the car, stopping at a local market to buy soda crackers and to ask for directions to the nearest pharmacy. It was a few miles away in another town, so off they went. There were several kinds of pregnancy tests so they bought one of each. While they were looking for the pharmacy they'd seen signs for something they'd wanted to see so after they made their purchases they headed back up the road.


	140. Chapter 140

CH 140

While they were driving, they looked at the list of things they had planned to do this week. They'd talked about riding donkeys and Lina had been interested in cliff jumping which terrified Tim. Not that he would even consider it but that Lina would. Now that they'd seen the donkeys and passengers in action, they decided to pass on them. To Tim's infinite relief Lina had also decided to pass on the cliff jumping, admitting it had been a whim and seeing how high the cliffs were had quickly disabused her of the idea, not to mention what danger that would present to her pregnancy if she was in fact pregnant. There were beaches they wanted to visit, an organized outing on a catamaran that included a sunset sail and dinner and they thought they'd also rent a sailboat for a day or part of a day.

One of the items that stayed on the list was to look for old cave houses in Emporio and that was the sign they'd seen right before they found the pharmacy. They drove back; Tim pulled up the notes he'd made on his phone and they spent some time exploring. Later when the afternoon was waning they got hungry and went looking for tavernas. They were happy to find one that Pete had recommended, a traditional taverna. Lina ordered moussaka and said it was as close to perfect as she'd ever had. Tim enjoyed his lamb dish and the two of them admittedly gorged themselves.

From there, they made their way back to their suite with the rolling bag and the all important bag from the pharmacy which Lina carried into the bathroom. Then they waited, both agreeing it was the longest few minutes of their lives. Finally they rushed into the bathroom and looked, it was positive, they were pregnant!

Although they had photos and Lina had sketches, the rest of the week passed in a blur and neither could ever remember anything much beyond the Red Beach. They rented bicycles one day and found roads that were virtually deserted by motor traffic. They went on the catamaran sunset cruise and saw dolphins or at least their camera saw dolphins. They drove to a couple of the black sand beaches and got some sun, their skin attested to that. They drove to what was supposed to be the prettiest beach on the island, on Amoudi Bay. There were steps down but there were a lot of them and the donkeys used them extensively, so they rode the little cable car down and back. They rented the sailboat and spent an afternoon sailing and taking more photos.

One of the few things they did remember clearly was having massages on their balcony overlooking the Aegean. So even though they didn't remember most of it, they went home with tans, full of good food and the photos to prove they had a good time.

While they didn't remember what they did, they did know they'd talked about the baby, about when to tell their families and friends, what names they'd consider, what color to paint the nursery, when they'd know the baby's gender, whether they wanted to know the gender – they'd decided on yes for now. They would wait until Lina's first trimester was completed to tell everyone although Lina was sure her mother would know and Tim was equally sure his dad would figure it out.

Geordie and Bec picked them up at the airport on Sunday. Bec had stayed at the house while they were gone and reported there had been no problems and that she really loved being two minutes from work and having a heated pool. Geordie asked about their stay and they told him about the Minoan city, the cave houses and the beaches. When he asked about the private pool, Lina replied that it had been wonderful and certainly well used while Tim looked out the window with a grin. By unspoken consent, the topics of work or family were not brought up.

Apparently the 'no work or family' had been a universal decision as the couple passed the rest of the day very quietly, undisturbed by calls or texts from anyone. They unpacked, did their laundry and prepared for the work week, still wrapped up in their happy news. Before they called it a night, Lina sent an e-mail with photos to her parents and Tim did the same with his dad and grandparents.

Tim intended to get into work early the next morning but he just managed to slide in before 8. His workmates welcomed him back and as he started to sit in his desk chair Pete appeared in his office doorway, 'Need to see you."

Tim joined him and Pete shut the door behind him. "You have a good time?"

Tim smiled, "Yeah, it was wonderful!"

"Just what you needed, you look rested. So, we had a case last week and Matt shot the dirtbag. That was Friday and Jack and Ted aren't around; since you weren't here you can do the IA bit."

"Is he ok and is his report done?"

"Yes to both, come on, you trained him; of course his report is done! Where do you want to interview him?"

"Observation but I need 10 minutes to read the report."

"I'll send him in."

Tim took the printed report from Kim and headed into Observation to read it. It had been a drug case and the dirtbag had pulled a weapon on Matt and was in the act of pulling the trigger when Matt pulled his faster. The suspect was alive and in one of the secured rooms at the hospital in Athens. From the details in the report, Tim concluded that there had been no time for negotiation or use of MMA. It had been 'shoot or be shot'. He was ready when Matt appeared, looking like he hadn't slept in days and Tim took him through the interview and then, walking out with Matt, signed off on the appropriate form and handed it to Kim. She headed for the fax machine while Tim pulled Matt into the kitchen and made him some of the coffee substitute he now kept there. "I don't remember if you've tried this, Matt, but you probably don't need any more caffeine today."

"I don't remember either, but thanks."

"So tell me how you're doing, have you had your psych eval yet?"

"No, Pete set it up for this afternoon."

"Ok, so how are you doing?"

"I'm…I don't know, it's not as bad as Bagram in some ways and in other ways it's worse."

"Make sure you tell the doc that." Matt nodded and sat there looking a bit lost. Tim sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "It's ok."

"It is? It doesn't feel like it; I had to shoot someone."

"Yeah but you saved someone I care about very much so I'm damn grateful you pulled the trigger first. He pulled a gun on you, he was going to shoot you and as close as he was, he wasn't going to miss. It was his choice, Matt, it's not on you. You identified yourself as a federal agent and he chose to fire. That's self defense in any court of law."

That got a smile out of him and Tim gave him a little hug.

"You know, you're allowed to speak to us about how you feel."

"I couldn't, Pete told us not to talk to anyone until you got back. He was gonna ask your dad but Vance wanted him to wait for you."

"Is that why no one called yesterday?"

"Probably. Bec had to tell Geordie she couldn't talk about work with him or you so he might have told everyone else to hold off. The shooting was in the news so they would have known."

"You feel like staying? You probably haven't slept much, huh?"

"No…I tried though and Damian was wonderful." He looked at Tim, "I'll stay. I can't go out anyway until after my appointment. I'd rather be here with you guys than home alone."

"Ok, Special Agent Watson. Then we should probably get back to whatever it is we do here."

Matt laughed, "Wow, you really were on a honeymoon!"

"Oh yeah!"

They refilled their beverages and went back to work. It took Tim the better part of three hours to wade through his e-mail and flag the ones he needed to deal with. Pete and Tim went on the lunch run.

"You do look rested, Tim. Picked up some color too."

Tim laughed, "It wasn't warm enough to swim but we did some hanging out on the beaches, got some sun."

"So that's not a spray?"

Tim snorted, "Dang, I never even thought of that! No, it's real. And yeah, I guess I did get some rest. It was good to be away from…things for a week." He looked at Pete, "I am the luckiest guy in the world."

"You're one of them, that's for sure! I'm one too, I understand." Pete hesitated and then went on, "You look better and sound better, so what are you going to do to stay that way?"

Tim huffed, "Work to let things go."

"Is your brother still a problem? I hoped that whole mess at the U would have resolved that."

"Nope, it got messier after that, his actions, his choice. I don't know that this will always be my attitude but for now I'm going to say that if he wants back in my life, he's going to have to earn a place and if not, well he's a grown man, I hope he has a nice life. I'm not wasting any more time worrying about him."

Pete barely hid his shock; he never thought he'd hear Tim McGee speak that way about a sibling. "You need to take care of yourself, Tim; you're right he is a grown man."

"Thanks, you might have to remind me now and then."

As much as he missed Lina today, it was nice to sit with his teammates and have lunch. Matt left about 1400 for his appointment and was back by 15:30 with a signed release. Kim had it faxed to DC before Matt had time to remove his jacket and sit down.

Tim sent a text to his dad after Matt left for his appointment asking if Rob was home and the text said yes, he was home alone for the next few hours. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly after Matt's return and before he knew it, Tim was in Pete's office waiting for their call with Vance.

After the brief call, Tim joined the others in the kitchen but didn't start his warm-ups. Kim gave him a look, "Did you practice last week?"

"Did you practice on your honeymoon?"

She grinned as she shook her head.

Matt huffed, "That's ok; you and I can work together because I haven't done anything since Friday. Although I'm still gonna whoop your ass!"

Tim made a noise, "I'm sure you would, but I'm not going tonight."

"Why not?"

"Got someone I need to talk to; I already let George know."

Figuring he meant Rob, the others just nodded and he took off. His comments to Pete at lunch had bothered him all afternoon, to the point that he realized that it was time, past time, for him to have a serious talk with his brother. If after the week he'd had with Lina, his attitude toward Rob was still so negative that he was ready to write him out of his life then he needed to let him know. Not to threaten or beg, but to lay it on the line, similar to what he'd done with their grandfather, although he hoped he could avoid the anger.

When he knocked on the door of the big house, he was half afraid Rob wouldn't answer. But finally the door swung open. "None of them are home."

"Came to see you, Rob."

"Ok."

"Thought maybe we could talk…really talk. Because we haven't done that since this whole thing started, not just you and me."

"I know, it's just…it's too hard."

"Yeah, for me too, but that's why we should do it."

Rob sighed, "You want to tell me how wrong I've been, how stupid I'm being…like everyone else."

"No, I don't. I would like to know why though."

He followed Rob into the family room and they sat on the couch, on opposite ends. Tim huffed inwardly; at least they were on the same piece of furniture; that was a start.

"What if I don't know why?"

"Then maybe we can figure something out, I don't mean to play armchair psychologist or anything but just things between us Rob."

"So you're going to grill me?"

Tim actually chuckled at that. "Nah, no interrogation, I was actually thinking we could approach it like a jigsaw puzzle."

"Oh, that wouldn't be so bad."

"Hope not!"

"Uh, aren't you supposed to be at your MMA class tonight?"

"You're more important." Rob got a funny look on his face and Tim moved closer to him. "Let's start with a list of events in our lives over the last couple of years, how's that? I'm not sure but I'm thinking that might be the framework, the edges of the puzzle." Rob nodded.

"So we three left the States."

"No, start before that. I won the award, Sarah got into grad school, and you were still on Gibbs' team."

"Ok and then…"

"Sarah was going to the UK so I picked London, I thought it would be cool, I'd know the language and she'd be there so it wouldn't be so lonely."

"And before that we three hadn't been apart for any big period of time."

"Only when you went to FLETC and we stayed with Mrs. Ferguson. But we saw you a couple of times and we knew how long it was gonna be, it wasn't forever."

"Ok, but when it happened or when we were planning for it, it seemed like it was a big deal for all of us."

"Yeah."

"So after that we were in Norfolk and that was all right, we had our first apartment but you guys had to change schools again."

"But it was both of us and I got to skip to Sarah's class so that made it better. She makes friends easier so I had friends too."

"I didn't know that, Rob, you've never said that before."

Rob shrugged, "It's different now that I'm in med school; everyone's a geek."

Tim's hand itched to ruffle his hair, "Med school geeks?"

Rob nodded.

"Guess that makes sense, common interests and pain, huh?" He got a half smile for that.

"So back to you and Sarah deciding to go to London together, you felt good about that, excited as I remember."

"Scared, we'd be across the ocean from you, I didn't know if I could do it but I really wanted to go and I…well, I wanted to make you proud of me."

"So how did you feel when I told you I was going to London for a month?"

"Weird, I mean I was relieved that you'd be there too except we wouldn't be there at the same time. And then I was kind of…" He stopped and looked at Tim.

"Just say it Rob, I'm a big boy, I can take it."

"Well it felt kind of like you'd stolen our big adventure, like big brother was going to be there first."

"And that made you mad?"

"Yeah kinda and disappointed, although I was really glad you were going to be in Greece, it was a lot closer. And then when I got to London before Sarah, James was there to meet me and that was a huge relief. That was a long flight with a lot of strangers and it felt so good to see someone I'd at least met on Skype. And he knew how to get us back to the city and I had a place to stay. I don't know what I would have done without him – and you found him so that made me glad you'd been there."

"And you two got to be pretty good friends."

"Yeah, until Sarah got there. Then…well, we'd already set up my little cubbyhole bedroom because I was too scared to leave and I missed you so much. But finally I found a room because it was just too hard with the two of them flirting and giggling all the time."

"That was our first Christmas when we found out Ducky is our grandfather and met the others."

"Yeah, that was a big deal, and it was really cool to see him at your place and to be someone's grandson." He paused, "I really wanted to stay."

"I remember us talking about it, you were going to think about it some more and then you changed your mind."

Rob gave him another half smile, "I met Amelia and then it wasn't so bad and we double dated with Sarah and James."

"And then?"

Rob swallowed hard, "You got hurt, I was so scared and then Geordie showed up and came home from Israel with you and got posted here. I wasn't seeing Amelia anymore and I was so lonely. And then Penny arrived here; we were over here for that weekend and then she came to London and I talked with her for a long time. That's when I really decided to move here, to transfer after the term was over."

"Ok, so you were getting ready and pretty happy about the move as I remember."

"Were you?"

"Happy to have you here with me? Oh yeah, Rob, I was excited that you were going to be right here in Greece, I knew we probably wouldn't see each other every day but even a couple times a week was way better than a few times a year." He paused, thinking, "Rob, I think I know where I made a big mistake. I thought that it was important that we three move on from being 'Timpa' and kids, that since we were all adults, we should work toward the whole sibling relationship. But that hasn't worked very well, has it?" Rob was studying the floor.

"Robbi…sorry old habit. I never meant to stop being your Timpa. I will always be the guy who raised you and that makes me your dad as well as your brother. I don't know how we should deal with that but what I tried isn't working, is it?"

Rob just nodded and finally spoke, "I don't know how to be your brother; I've always been your kid. When you guys started the whole sibling bit I thought it would be ok. I liked being your youngest when you were Timpa but I hate being the youngest of the siblings. I know that doesn't make any sense. And then I just felt sort of…abandoned."

Tim had been slowly moving closer to him across the couch and now he just gathered him up into his arms and held on. "No, Rob. I'm here, I love you, we'll work this out, I promise, but you need to work with me, I can't do it by myself."

When Rob could finally talk again he started, "I decided I would be strong and become independent because siblings are independent from each other. And then I was mad at you and didn't want your money but it…it's been awful Tim. I couldn't or wouldn't tell you what was wrong and then I was too stubborn and stupid to ask for help. My roommates have been helping me and I did manage to get through a month but I didn't know what I was going to do next. Poppy tried to help but he's yours and then Grandfa sent me food and money and then he offered me the loan and I realized I was going to have to take money from someone if I wanted to continue with school."

Tim held on tighter, "I'm so sorry Rob, so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault; I'm the one who is sorry, Timpa. I was the one who started it, being a brat, a grown up brat. I was determined to find my own way and too proud to ask for help or even to tell anyone what was wrong." He sniffed, "I even lied to Grandfa about going to Dr. Agnos and I don't really know why I did that, just felt like I was hitting back at you."

"And you did, I was pretty upset until I called him and he said he'd referred you to someone else."

"Yeah, that was stupid, I should never have lied. I'm sorry for that too."

"So have you seen the other doctor?"

Rob nodded, "I went three times last week."

"Good."

Rob made a derisive noise, "Don't get too excited, Grandfa said I had to."

"So he's been your parent."

"Yeah, sort of, but he's not you."

"He's great at being a grandpa, but you're the first kid he's tried to raise and you're already grown, so you can see that might be a problem. I was lucky, I got you when you were young." They were both smiling by the time he finished with that.

"So what do you want to do?"

"Um, I want to move back to Athens with people my own age and maybe we could do things together once in a while?"

"Absolutely, I'd love to have a place in your life and you'll always have a place in mine, let's pinky swear on that." They pinky swore, the most solemn oath they had in their little family.

"I have a couple of questions for you and more to talk about."

Rob nodded.

"Would you mind horribly moving to a place in a better neighborhood?"

"I wouldn't mind moving and maybe I could get a place where I can sleep in a bed and not on a couch. Although I think Freddie only did that because he felt sorry for me, think they weren't really looking for a 5th roommate. But I owe them some money, so I'll pay them first and then look for a new place."

"That's a good plan! And would you like to have them all over to our place for a home cooked meal and a swim?"

"Really?"

Tim nodded.

"Yeah that would be great because they've helped me with food too."

"Ok, we'll figure out when. So do you feel like we've mostly figured out our puzzle?"

Rob thought for a couple of minutes, nodded and then shook his head, "I have a couple more things. I'm confused about whether you're Timpa or my older brother. And Poppy."

"Yeah, I wanted to go back to what you said about Poppy. But first, how would you feel about me being both Timpa and your brother? We can leave off the 'older' part because I'm getting too old to want anyone to know that and also because I think to you it implies some level of authority and that's no longer true. You're a grownup, I'll be all the Timpa you want and as Timpa I'll offer opinions and advice but it's your life. I'll always be around to help and to listen, as both Timpa and brother. Would that work for you?"

"I think so. So if I'm upset about something and need a hug or…like this…that's ok?"

"Yes, that's ok anytime, Rob, in fact I will be happy if you come to me when you're upset. Not happy that you're upset but…"

Rob gave him a full smile. "I got it."

"Ok, now tell me about Poppy."

"This sounds mean but I've just felt like he's yours, like he's on your side."

Tim nodded and thought for a little bit before he started talking. "He's new to you: new to being a 'good guy' after you hearing about my problems with him for years - and he's certainly new to being 'Poppy' to you. One of his goals in moving here was to get to know you and Geordie better and he was thrilled when the two of you started calling him Poppy so quickly. He felt a little bad because he didn't feel like he'd earned it; he told me he would be the best dad possible to us. Then when you told him about your working and the money, he really wanted to help but the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was something the four of us McGees needed to work out. So that's how that part happened. And if you've felt like he's kind of backed off since, he probably has. He promised me to always be there when I needed him and I've really needed him through this, this has been very difficult for me, so I understand why you've felt he's 'mine' because you're right, he has been and that put him in an awkward position, I hadn't even considered that. But he volunteered to help with the evacuation at the U, Rob, and that was for you, not for me or Geordie. He was as determined to get you out of there as we were. So…maybe if you two spend some time together, get to know each other a little better?"

"I can do that. But if he's our dad, then…"

Tim nodded, "Confusing, huh? Think you could handle having two dads?"

"I guess, as long as one of them is you."

"And it will be. Lina and I are going to have babies someday and we'll have to figure out whether you want to be brother or uncle or both, but we can worry about that later and I will still be your Timpa!" He paused again, "I'm asking for one more pinky swear. Will you pinky swear with me that from now on we'll talk with each other when there's a problem? No matter how nasty or awkward it is?"

Rob nodded, "Yes, I'll pinky swear to that."

They did their second pinky swear and then Tim pulled Rob's head down to kiss him. "As Timpa, I reserve the right to kiss you when I want to, although I also promise not to embarrass you in public or in front of your friends."

"Ok and as Timpa you can call me Robbie."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Thanks man! Been biting my tongue to try to stop myself."

"I don't want to have to treat you for a damaged tongue – or worse have to explain it to anyone!"

They chuckled at that and then had more hugs and Tim knew it was time to say what he needed to say. "Rob, there's more and now I'm speaking as Timpa, the guy that raised you. I feel like we've figured things out, but you've had your say, I haven't really had mine and it's time. You know how I feel about lying. Lying to protect yourself or someone close to you in a dangerous situation is one thing and a polite social lie is not good but still understandable. But deliberately lying as you've done – at least twice now – is unacceptable to me and that's something we both know. You lied about the joint account and you lied about Dr. Agnos and you've already said that was intentionally done to hurt me. That still hurts, that you would do that. Your actions and your lies have had some sad consequences; they caused me a lot of grief and pain which I think was part of what you were looking for – that and attention although in this case it was negative attention. And that means Lina was worried too. Perhaps worse, this has caused a lot of friction between me and Grandfa, so much so that we had a confrontation and I had to get help to deal with it. Really, everyone in our immediate family has been affected. So if you were looking to cause an uproar - congratulations you certainly succeeded. I have to say that for the first time in your life, I have been disappointed in you, in your actions. And as much ground as we've covered together today, you've got work to do to regain my trust." He paused for a few seconds before continuing, "Couple other things. You need to talk with Sarah about feeling like a third wheel in London. For one thing, when you got here Lina and I were starting our marriage but we did our best to involve you, we wanted to involve you. But you pushed us away – and Geordie too. That's something you need to work on and before you talk with Sarah, examine your feelings. I'm not saying you didn't feel like a third wheel, just make sure you weren't pushing yourself away like you did with us - and then talk with Sarah. And you need to apologize to Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim for refusing to see them. That was beyond childish! I'm telling you these things as Timpa, I expect better from you, I know you're not perfect, none of us are, but Rob, you put yourself at risk and hurt the rest of us and that is just plain unacceptable."

Rob had his head bowed, listening. "I really screwed up, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't think…" Tim pulled him into his arms again and the words he spoke now were said harshly through the fear in his heart, "You could have died, Rob. Your stubbornness and pride could have killed you. You know that, you know that your body has special needs! How would that have left us? Did you think of that? Do you know how selfish this all was…to prove what? It was a damn tantrum that could have killed you, Robbie…" Tim felt the tears he'd been holding back for weeks now running down his face. "What would I do without you? What would _we_ do without you? What about the kids you've always wanted to help, what would they do, who would help them? Were you really so angry with me that you would punish everyone who loves you or needs you by removing yourself? And if it's depression or an emotional or physical problem then please, Robbie, let us help, let Dr. Clark help. Dear God, please don't push us away again."

Rob was crying now too and the two hung onto each other, crying through their hurt, pain, anger and guilt. They stayed like that long minutes, only parting when Tim's phone buzzed. Continuing to hold Rob, he pulled his phone out to see who it was and said, "Lina, need to take this." Rob nodded, his head buried in Tim's shoulder.

"Hi hon."

"Tim, are you with Rob?"

"Yeah."

"You can't talk, can you?"

"Right."

"So you're not going to the FP tonight?"

"No, why don't you go ahead; Rob and I will grab something to eat somewhere. I'll see you at home in a couple of hours, all right?"

"Does that mean good things?"

"Yes, in every way I can think of to answer that!" She laughed as she disconnected and Tim tightened his hold on Rob, kissing the top of his head. "Hey kiddo, shall we declare the storm to be over? Want to clean up and get some food somewhere?" He felt Rob's nod. "Ok, good."

"Timpa, first…I am sorry, I apologize for being such an idiot, for lying and being mean. I didn't realize I was hurting everyone and I am sorry for doing what I did to you, I wish I hadn't."

"I accept your apology, Robbie."

"I'll make my apologies to everyone else when I see them."

Tim kissed the top of his head again and Rob sighed, knowing it really was all right, he hadn't lost Timpa or his family. "All right, that's good. Now, can you look at me?" Rob looked up, blinking his tired eyes. "I'm always going to love you, Robbie, you're my kids, you and Sarah. Need you to remember that, I hate that you felt abandoned, please if you ever feel that way again, please let me or Lina or Poppy or someone know. We know, we four, what it feels like to be abandoned and I never wanted you to feel that again."

Rob whispered something and then cleared his throat. "I never felt abandoned before, Tim. I don't remember anything before you and Sarah and Geordie found me, I just remember you holding me, being warm and knowing you would always take care of me. I do remember being happy that I didn't have to run after anyone anymore." That made Tim cry again and it was Rob's turn to offer comfort. They huddled for a little longer before they got up and washed their faces. Rob changed his clothes and they drove off in Rob's car. They ended up at a taverna Poppy had mentioned recently and managed to get through dinner. Tim asked about Rob's classes and that helped them get through some lingering awkwardness. Eventually, they drove back to the big house and Tim came in for a few minutes to say goodnight to his grandparents and his dad. He was surprised when Gram grabbed him and then Rob, holding onto both of them, not terribly surprised when Grandfa and Dad joined in. The five of them held on for several minutes before Gram eased her hold and they parted. Tim kissed each of them goodnight before leaving, driving home with a much lighter heart than he'd had arriving this afternoon.


	141. Chapter 141

CH 141

With Rob's return to the fold, life was even sweeter and Tim watched in awe as his wife's body changed with her pregnancy. The day he discovered her little 'baby bump' he was so excited he wanted to tell everyone the news right then and there. Lina held him to their agreement; they still had another few weeks until they were through the first trimester.

In the meantime, the rest of March had flown by and they were preparing for Sarah and James' wedding. James, being a very smart man as well as a good friend, asked Rob to be his best man. That settled the fight over Tim and made Rob – and Tim - very happy.

The McGees made their reservations for their post wedding trip through France. Those going to the U.S. after the wedding had reserved their flights. Gibbs had asked Hélène and Maisie for their advice, not sure if he would be pushing too much to ask Rhea to go with him to the States. Both women told him the same thing: Rhea was a strong woman, if she didn't want to go she'd let him know. So he asked and she was thrilled to be going along. She was originally from the Southwest and had never been to Washington, D.C.

Penny was home in Virginia by now, making sure the house was ready for guests. She'd made her own reservations and was looking forward to a couple of months in Greece. When it got hot, she'd decamp to London for the rest of the summer and probably head back to Virginia for the holidays. Although…well, she'd wait and see.

Ducky and Maisie were enjoying their stay in Greece and were glad they'd only be away for a few weeks before returning with Ainsley, Callum and Claire. Ducky's relationship with Tim had healed well; if anything he felt closer to his grandsons for having worked through their problems.

With Evander's help, Rob found an apartment in a nicer area near the hospital and he'd also found a roommate. Poppy made him a bed and nightstand and was now working on a small table for him. Now that he wasn't working frantically all the time, he'd had the time to travel to Thessaloniki to visit Sophia and meet her family and friends. The roundtrip ticket had been a birthday present from Timpa and Lina.

Sarah and James were getting anxious for their wedding day to arrive. Copying Tim and Lina, they were postponing their honeymoon for a few months when they would travel to Florida for a visit to Disneyworld and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral. They'd also spend some time in New York City, Baltimore, Virginia and DC. Ned Dorneget who'd become a friend of James and Sarah, contacted Rick Carter who agreed to provide a tour of NCIS HQ aboard the Navy Yard. James was very excited about that, the visit to the shelter and camp in Baltimore, the three days in New York City, but most of all, the visit to the Kennedy Space Center. Sarah was excited about Disneyworld, staying at Penny's in Virginia and New York City and to some extent showing James where she'd grown up.

The McGees and the Kalivas' would miss Easter at home this year as the wedding was the same weekend. While western Christianity would celebrate Easter on April 5th, Orthodox Christianity's Easter celebration was the following week, April 12th, the day after Sarah and James' wedding. This wasn't a particular problem for Tim and Lina but it caused a brief flutter in the Kalivas family as they were also invited and wanted to attend. They did some research and found two Orthodox churches in Manchester, within an hour's drive of Castleton where they'd be staying. They contacted each one and explaining the situation, figured out which church would be closest to them. That settled they made their reservations for the trip.

The Athens group, including Rhea, flew to Manchester England early on Friday as the McGee brothers, Lina, Bec and Gibbs were in the wedding party, while the Thessaloniki group flew out that afternoon to the same airport. The trip from the airport to Castleton wasn't terribly long, about 40 minutes but there wasn't any convenient public transportation; the choice was rental vehicles or taxis. The grands had come to the rescue, arranging transportation from the airport and around Castleton as needed for the family.

While Manchester is a very busy airport, the Athens group was given quite a few curious looks when they climbed into the limos that awaited them. They hadn't gone far when Tim's phone buzzed with a text from Penny, wanting to know when they'd be arriving at their hotel. Most of the U.S. family had flown in a few days before so that they would be over the worst of their jetlag by the wedding. Uncle Jim and Uncle Dave would be the last to arrive early that evening, this time flying in from Portugal. With a much shorter flight than they'd had last June for the Mallard wedding, they'd be able to stay as long as the others on Sunday.

Lina sighed in relief as their limo pulled up in front of the hotel they were staying in. While overall she was feeling fine, the flight and the drive had worn her out and she was looking forward to a nap on what she hoped would be a comfortable bed. Tim left the limo first and then reached for her, trying to be inconspicuous. She was happy for the fresh air and was already enchanted by the look of the B&B and the surrounding buildings. While the others grabbed the luggage, she took several photos and tried to remember if she'd brought her new sketchbook along. She knew she had her old one but it was almost full.

Seemingly reading her mind, Tim leaned over to her, "You have both the new one and the old one. They're in the big case."

"Oh thank you love, you know me so well! I'm glad we're staying over for an additional day - I can see I'll be busy."

She gave Tim a quick kiss as they moved inside where they were pleased to find Sarah, James and his parents waiting to welcome them. George Powell offered to take them on a walking tour of the village after they'd settled in and that sounded good to just about everyone.

When they'd made the reservations here, the owner had asked if there were any exceptionally tall people in the group. Geordie, who'd made the arrangements, was taken aback but told the woman that yes, there were several tall people. The woman explained that one of the most popular rooms had a low beam in it and she tried not to book very tall people into it. When Geordie asked how low the beam was, he was told it was 5'10". As there were 10 rooms in this particular B&B and Geordie wasn't sure if they'd need them all, he requested that if all ten rooms were booked, to please place the Mallards (Grandfa was 5'7", Gram 5'5") into the room with the low beam. As it turned out, all ten rooms were booked by the family, so room #9 with the low beam went to the Mallards.

Penny was also waiting with the Powells and Sarah and greeted them with hugs and kisses. "Hello my sweethearts, I'm so glad to see you all!" She pulled back and looked at Lina, "You look tired, my darling! You can rest in my room while everyone gets checked in. I'm sharing with Sophia but she won't be here for another few hours." She chuckled, "I think I'm supposed to be chaperoning her, guess whoever thought that up doesn't know me well!"

Lina thought of protesting but Penny was a force of nature and before she knew it, she was stretched out in Penny's room. She fell asleep as Penny slipped out the door and back downstairs where she spotted Tim just getting room keys. She saw the number, "Oh good, you're just down the hall from me."

He smiled and gave her another kiss, "Penny, it's so good to see you! It feels like forever."

She hugged him, "To me too, sweetheart. And now I'll be in Greece while you're gone, but I'm not leaving until at least mid-June, maybe not until after July Fourth – if you think there's a chance of taking the celebration to Aegina."

He laughed, "Haven't thought that far ahead, but I'll send the suggestion to Pete, he can start the ball rolling."

Once they were settled into their rooms, the family returned to the lobby for their tour and found Tony and Maggie waiting there for them. The tour was a lot of fun as George knew everyone in the village and had stories about events both current and ancient. The group was warmly welcomed by everyone they met and found it hilarious that the villagers were especially fascinated with the Americans who lived in Greece and the Greeks themselves. The residents were impressed when Davos told them he and Hélène had had a tour of their lovely country several months ago. They were all invited to the local pub that night after the rehearsal dinner. James just rolled his eyes and told Tim and Gibbs they'd have to keep an eye out that nobody overdid the pints. Gibbs laughingly pointed out that he'd had the same job at Tim and Lina's wedding and no one had been horribly hung over at the wedding. James just grinned at him.

The rehearsal and dinner went well and Lina and Tim teased Davos about their own rehearsal dinner. Afterward some of the group went on to the pub and Tim, Tony and Geordie were given instructions to make sure no one overdid it. Although there were a few who clearly had imbibed too much, none of them were part of their group and they were all in their beds shortly after midnight.

Sarah's wedding day was sunny and warm, perfect weather for the ceremony and reception. They gathered for breakfast at the church hall as there was no restaurant large enough open for breakfast in the village. While a group breakfast wasn't a tradition, when Edith was helping Sarah plan the venues she'd made the suggestion, thinking it would be fun. And fun it was although Sarah didn't eat much and neither she nor James had coffee or tea. They enjoyed their families, now tripled with the addition of the Powells to the McGee-Kalivas clan. Ainsley and Callum were again involved in the wedding as junior attendants but this time they were the only two from the clan. A friend's young daughter was the flower girl and the ring bearer was a Powell cousin. Rob was having a good time both as the best man and as Sophia's escort. He'd consulted with Tim for the toast and was excited and of course nervous about delivering it. Tim advised him to look at James who would be a good sport and to pick one or two people, Damian and Matt for instance, amongst the guests to look at.

When it was time for the bride to leave for the church, Tim and Gibbs went to the room where the women were dressing and knocked on the door. Lina answered and they were allowed in. Ducky had arranged another mode of transportation, a horse and carriage that would carry the bride and her party, including Tim and Poppy, to the church. Sarah's eyes lit up when she saw the rig and Tim carefully helped her into the carriage, making sure her dress, their mother's wedding dress, didn't get caught or crushed. Once everyone was in, they set off for the church where they reversed the process. Rob and Geordie, best man and groomsman, were waiting in the vestibule of the church. With a kiss to the bride, Poppy left them and walked in with Rhea, the Powells, Penny and the Mallards, with Tony and Maggie following right behind. The brothers returned for Lina and Bec and then Callum and Ainsley walked in, followed by the ring bearer and flower girl. Tim smiled down at his baby sister, having a hard time not seeing the dreamy 5 year old Sarah practicing her exaggerated walk down the aisle. She smiled up at him and they walked into the church when the bride's musical cue was played. When it was time to relinquish Sarah's arm and the officiant asked who gave this bride, Tim answered as Sarah had requested, swallowing past the lump in his throat, "Our dad, brothers and I, her Timpa."

The wedding was lovely, the reception was lively and fun; everyone had a good time and Rob did fine with his toast. Poppy handled the 'father of the bride' dance while Liz Crane was once again 'mother' for the occasion. Tim, Gibbs, Rob, Tony and Maggie were happy to see Ned Dorneget and got caught up on his new life in London. He was enjoying the work, loved the city and was taking every opportunity to explore. He told Tim he was dating someone he'd met on the plane, another American working in London and the two of them were having a good time seeing the UK and Western Europe on the weekends.

Tim was also happy to see most of his former project team; it was fun to introduce Lina to them and catch up with their lives. All in all, it was a beautiful day. Sunday they met for a late brunch, minus the Thessaloniki group who hadn't yet returned from their Easter service. The group flying to the States was flying out Monday morning so they had all day. Those flying to Greece were on the last flights out that evening.

Tim and Lina were staying over and leaving late Monday for Paris. That would give Lina a chance to take photos and do her sketches. She told Tim she wanted to stroll around the village again, she'd seen a couple of things she thought she'd like to sculpt and a stained glass window she wanted to stylize in a pendant and earrings. It was a pleasant day until it was time for people to start leaving. Tim had a hard time parting with Poppy and the others, feeling like he never quite had enough time with his family. He was very happy when Liz told him she would also be spending the summer in Greece. After they'd hugged or kissed everyone goodbye, Lina took Tim's hand and they went for a walk, with the camera of course.

Monday was spent in the village gardens and surrounding countryside as Lina snapped photo after photo, occasionally stopping to sketch something she knew wouldn't show well in a photo. The last of the wedding guests to leave, they packed up and headed to the airport for their flight to Paris.


	142. Chapter 142

The flight was short and when they landed in France, they splurged on a taxi directly to their hotel in the 6th arrondissement. As Paris was still in the throes of evening traffic, the trip took nearly an hour to cover less than 15 miles, but Tim didn't want Lina to get overly tired or crowded on a train or bus into the city. Once they checked into their room at the Hotel de Seine, Tim unpacked while Lina stretched out on their comfortable bed for a quick nap. Their double room was larger than Tim had expected; he was pleased that he could easily move around.

The location was perfect as it was within walking distance to the Musee d' Orsay, Notre Dame, the Louvre and many other places. The hotel itself was surrounded by restaurants, cafes, art galleries and shops of all kinds. When they'd been planning their trip it helped immensely that Lina had been to Paris before, she knew the different arrondissements and neighborhoods.

With such a short visit, they'd decided to stay centrally located and just enjoy being in Paris. The things Tim absolutely wanted to see this first visit were the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe and to stroll along the Champs de Elysees. Lina had spent many hours in the Louvre and admitted she would love to re-visit the Musee d' Orsay. Both wanted to take an evening boat tour down the Seine. That first night they ate a light meal at a café they found after a short stroll. Walking another few blocks after they ate, they made their way back to the hotel. Tomorrow would be soon enough to see more of the city.

The next morning they slipped out to another café for a wonderful breakfast. Tim was in food heaven and Lina laughed at him. "Timotheos, I know you love the food in Greece, now we will add French food to the list!"

He continued chewing the light flaky croissant and after he'd swallowed he smiled, "Recipes! Let's look for a cookbook and then we can learn to make French cuisine as well as Greek and American."

She laughed, "Of course! That should be easy to do while we're here and it's always fun to have a specific thing to look for."

He looked at her, "And let's get something for you and something for the baby."

"Very well, but you must have something too!"

He grinned, "I already know I want a little Eiffel Tower and we'll see what else."

She huffed, "I meant besides a toy for your desk Timothy!"

After their stay in Marseille, Tim felt confident in his ability to say "Good morning", "Please" and "Thank you" in French and was gratified that the café staff seemed to understand and was pleased by his efforts. When their server heard them speaking in Greek, she asked what language it was and was excited to learn that it was Greek as she was planning on visiting there on her next holiday.

After breakfast they headed to the Metro for the ride to the Eiffel Tower. As they walked from the Metro station to the Tower, they came upon a young artist set up on the edge of the sidewalk, painting. Lina stopped to look and engaged the young man in conversation about his interpretation of the view. After admiring one of his paintings they purchased it, much to his joy. Lina made sure he signed it with his name and the date, saying she was sure she would see his works in galleries in years to come. He carefully rolled the canvas and wrapped it, giving them a large tube to carry it in. When he asked their names, saying he liked to think of his paintings as being adopted by his customers, Lina told him Melina Kalivas and her husband Timothy McGee. His eyes lit up when he heard her name and he asked for her autograph, handing her a postcard. She personalized it with a little sketch and her signature and handed it back while Tim stood back, enjoying every second. She tugged on his arm as they continued their walk, "Next time I will introduce you as Thom E Gemcity!"

He chuckled, "No need sweetie, I love seeing you and your work being recognized."

They turned a corner and the Tower was in full view. Tim was in awe; he was actually here, really seeing this beautiful tower in person. As the line for the elevator was not long at this fairly early hour, they decided to take advantage and look around the park later. They looked around the 2nd level and then waited for the elevator to the 3rd level. From there the view was even more spectacular; Tim was so busy looking out not down that he had very few qualms about the height. Lina had her sketchpad and camera with her and made full use of both. She focused on the view of a magnificent church on a hill in the distance, took photos and then sketched a very rough outline. Tim wandered around the platform, looking out at the rooftops of Paris. He chuckled when he looked off to the side at one point and caught his wife sketching him as he leaned against the inner supports of the tower, looking out.

They stopped in at Poujauran, a boulangerie on the second level of the tower. They shared a freshly baked pastry and Lina had an herbal tea while Tim enjoyed a coffee. Afterward they descended to the ground and wandered around the park that surrounds the tower.

From there they travelled to the Champs de Elysees and strolled almost the entire length, stopping here and there in the shops along the way. They wandered down a side street and found a fairly reasonably priced tourist shop. They bought a onesie for the baby with "Paris, France 2015" embroidered on it and then added several t-shirts with various scenes of Paris for the NCIS crew and the family. They found a souvenir spoon for Sarah with the Eiffel Tower to add to her collection and bought several postcards.

By this time they were getting hungry again. Their side street had led them to a different neighborhood and they found a sidewalk café and relaxed over lunch and lemonades, enjoying their food and doing plenty of people watching. Their tickets for the Musee d' Orsay were for the following day so they decided to spend this afternoon on a 'hop on, hop off' tour of the city so that Tim would have a good overview of the city. They got off the bus at the small island that holds the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame and spent hours looking at it, the shops across the street and the lovely bridge connecting the Île de la Cité to the rest of Paris. After they caught another bus they stopped off at the Arc de Triomphe and then worked their way back to their hotel.

It was late afternoon by the time they reached their room; Lina kicked her shoes off as she declared that the baby needed a rest. Tim was a little tired but not sleepy so while Lina napped, he sat at the writing desk and wrote postcards, leaving room for Lina to add a note. Putting his shoes back on, he took the cards down to the front desk to ask where he could buy stamps and was relieved to find they had a good supply and would also mail the cards. They counted out the cards going to various places; he bought the appropriate stamps and affixed them. Then he took the cards back to their room so Lina could add her own messages if she wanted. She smiled as he walked into the room. "There you are! I wondered where you'd gone!" He told her about the cards and the stamps.

"How are you feeling as far as energy? Would you like to do the river cruise on the Seine tonight or wait until tomorrow night?" He chuckled as he added, "I've seen everything I wanted to see this trip – and more. We have the Orsay tomorrow, I thought we could just wander or do some shopping if you'd like and then maybe the cruise?"

"That sounds good, today was full but it didn't feel rushed, just a lot of walking. Yes, let's do the cruise tomorrow night; it will be a lovely way to end our first visit here."

Wednesday morning found them at the same café for breakfast and then they walked to the Musee d' Orsay, home of many Impressionist paintings, in particular the ones executed in the early years of the style. While Lina's style was not impressionism, she was influenced by the artists, both their work and their determination to continue and develop what at the time had been very controversial. Tim loved the style and he was nearly as fascinated as his wife with each treasured canvas.

Lina chuckled when she turned to Tim, ready to leave. He stood enthralled in front of one of his favorite paintings, drinking in the experience of seeing the real thing. She patted his arm, "Timothy, come, we can buy a print of this." He snapped out of the spell, "No, hon, I'd rather come back and visit the real one." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I like having my very own artist to give me the real thing." She blushed a little as he kissed her and continued whispering, "We need to come back here, my love."

"Perhaps for an anniversary? Our fourth?"

He nodded, "Or sixth!"

"That will be more difficult my love as we'll be living in the U.S. by then."

He laughed, "So I'll write a book and you'll create a magnificent work of art and that will pay for the trip. And either your parents or Poppy can take care of the kids for a week."

She loved the idea and tucked it away for future reference.

They spent the rest of the day strolling, again stopping for lunch at a sidewalk café, visiting the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxomburg Gardens) where they watched the children sailing toy boats, take pony rides and enjoy puppet shows. There were games of tennis and boules (similar to lawn bowling or bocce) to watch. Eventually they wandered over to the garden's northwestern entrance to the art exhibited on the fence there. Lina admired the work of one or two artists and wrote their names down. She'd told Tim that she liked to keep track of up and coming artists, she said it was fun and that she always came away with a new perspective.

From there they headed back to the area around their hotel and did some shopping at Le Bon Marché and then returned to the room for Lina's nap. After checking the prices, they had decided to skip a dinner cruise in favor of an evening cruise when much of Paris would be dramatically lit. They had their dinner at nearby Café de Flore which back in the day had been the favorite of writers such as Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and had the extra bonus of being next door to one of Paris' leading bookstores, La Hune. After their meal, which was wonderful, they made their way to the port de la Bourdonnais where they would set sail for their evening cruise with a company called Bateaux-Parisiens. The views from their boat were stunning. The dramatically lit monuments and bridges were amazing and very romantic. Lina and Tim found a somewhat private spot and spent the cruise with their arms wrapped around each other, enjoying the beauty and the intimacy.

The next morning they took an early flight to Carcassonne in the Languedoc region of France. They picked up a rental car at the airport and drove to the town below the walled city-castle. They strolled through the medieval village, the buildings giving them an idea of what life must have been like in the fortified city. Tim and Lina also found they were drawn to the walls, enjoying the views of the surrounding countryside.

Occupied since the Neolithic era, the site was conquered by the Romans who saw the strategic importance as did its many rulers and conquerors throughout the following centuries. Restored in the last century, the fortified city consists of two outer walls with 52 towers and barbicans (fortified outposts or gateways) to withstand sieges. There was a tower that was used to torture during the Inquisition and Tim noticed a sign for an "Inquisition" museum. "Hon, if you don't mind, I really don't want to go in there!"

She grimaced, "Good, I have no desire to see it either!"

When they had seen everything they wanted to see, Lina took out her sketch pad and camera and got busy. After she decided she was finished, they had lunch within the walls and then looked at their map for their next destination. They had reservations that evening at the same B&B outside Nimes where Lina had stayed in August. Taking their time, they drove through the French countryside, stopping here and there.

The Bed and Breakfast was charming and Tim enjoyed their two nights there. They spent some time in Nimes itself, seeing the Nîmes Arena and the Maison Carrée, a well preserved Roman temple. Tim was fascinated with the way the building had been preserved, the original outlines of the forum clearly shown. What he really enjoyed though was the unlikely placement of a modern art gallery at the far side of the square. The building provided a startling contrast to the Maison Carrée but rendered many of its features, such as the portico and columns, in steel and glass. The contrast of its modernity is muted by the physical resemblance between the two buildings, representing architectural styles 2000 years apart. Tim had learned a lot about architecture since he'd met Damian and he loved the contrasts and similarities with the two structures. Lina felt the same way; by the time they drove on she'd taken several photos and had a full sized sketch in the works.

The following day they saw the Pont du Gard, the Roman aqueduct, on their way out of town and Tim marveled at the engineering that kept the aqueduct standing for so long. He had Lina's sketches and a painting of the structure but seeing it in person was fascinating.

From there they wandered through Provence, stopping when they saw something interesting or whenever they felt the need to stretch. They reached Marseille Friday evening where they had dinner with Roger and Marla Martinez and stayed over at the same hotel they'd been in last August. Saturday morning they packed everything up, drove to the airport, turned the car in and flew home. They'd had a lovely time traveling and as always, were glad to get home.

Damian and Matt picked them up at the airport and Damian frowned as he looked at his sister. "Lina, you're gaining weight! You've never gained weight."

Bewildered he looked back and forth between Lina and Tim while beside him Matt grinned and tapped his lover on the shoulder. "Don't be rude, Damian." He leaned in and whispered, "She's not fat, idiot, she's pregnant."

Tim watched his usually unflappable brother-in-law as his jaw dropped open at whatever Matt had just said to him. The man spun around, glaring at Tim. "What have you done?"

Lina shook her head, "Oh for heaven's sake Damian, don't be so melodramatic."

"Melina…are you…is there a baby, I mean are you pregnant?"

Tim and Lina were standing next to each other by the car and Lina replied, "None of your business."

Tim made a face, "Guys, can we please get moving?"

As Matt helped him put their luggage in the back, Tim whispered, "She's not through her third month yet, we're not ready to make an announcement."

Matt patted him on the back, "Got it, I remember my sister's first one; I'll tell him and we'll both keep our mouths shut."

"Thanks Matt."

When they were alone in the house, Tim got out the calendar they'd made to chart Lina's pregnancy. "Hon, there's one more week until you're through your first trimester. Shall we plan the Skype call?"

"What do you mean plan?"

"When to have it. Obviously we're not going to send anything out yet, but just so we have it in our heads."

She looked at him and sighed. "Yes, that's fine, I shouldn't have snapped at him."

Tim chuckled, "Siblings."

She sighed again, "Yes, I'm glad you understand. I want Mama and Papa and Poppy and Rhea to be home."

"Great minds think alike! All right, they'll be home two weeks from today."

"We'd better have the call that day then, the day they get home. Our sprout is growing quickly, I'm sure Mama already knows, which means Papa does too and Poppy will know as soon as he sees me."

Tim snorted, "What makes you think he doesn't already know?"

She looked at him, "He does?"

"Wouldn't be surprised, he always seems to know things before anyone else."

Tim was going through their mail as they spoke and he held up an envelope. "Hey hon, look at this!"

She looked and frowned, "I hope…"

"Yeah, me too." They opened and read the note inside, talked about it and then made a phone call.

XXX

Gibbs and Ducky were enjoying watching and listening to Davos, Hélène and Rhea having a grand tour of NCIS Headquarters. The five of them had been welcomed at Security as if they were visiting royalty and they'd been ushered up to Vance's office where Ms. Cooke greeted them, smiling hello to Gibbs and Ducky. As they entered the inner office, Vance was winding up a phone call, "I understand Senator…yes, thank you." He hung up, looking at his visitors, "Hélène, Davos, Rhea, welcome aboard the Navy Yard and to NCIS Headquarters! Gibbs and Dr. Mallard, nice to have you both home for a few weeks!"

They talked for a few minutes and then Rick knocked and entered. "Hello and welcome, it's good to see you all again. If you're ready, come on and we'll show you all the fun stuff here."

Their first stop was the railing of the catwalk for a bird's eye view of the squad room. Rick pointed to the center of the room. "That's Gibbs' old bullpen; it's Maggie Barnes' now."

Ducky made a noise, "I haven't been here since your last day, Jethro; it is decidedly odd to see a different team there."

"There's Maggie and Wilson."

"Yes, but it's not your team."

Gibbs smiled, "That's ok, Duck, rather be with the kids."

"Indeed." They smiled at each other.

Davos insisted on seeing Tim and Jethro's former desks. Gibbs could see that Maggie and Wilson were amused while their new junior was puzzled and slightly annoyed. Gibbs pointed to the wall behind him, "The agent who put that 'Venetian Snares' sign up is their son-in-law." The kid nodded, now he understood there was some connection with the desk.

Gibbs glanced over at the desk next to Maggie's. A very young woman sat there watching them curiously. With a nod, Wilson introduced them, "Everyone, this is Luanne Medina, the newest addition to our team." She shook hands with them and Gibbs said, "Lot of history at that desk, Agent Medina."

She nodded, "Agents Todd and David, yes, I will do them proud."

He shook his head, "Just do your best."

Suddenly needing to get out of there, he walked toward the back elevator telling himself that Ziva was alive, he'd just seen Tony over the weekend, he was loving his new job and being back in "the motherland" as DiNozzo put it, and Tim was thriving in Greece. He smiled to himself as he thought of Tim, he was pretty sure Lina was pregnant but he'd have to wait to find out with everyone else.

XXX

Back at work on Monday, Tim brought presents for everyone. Pete snorted, "You just bring us presents so we'll let you go on vacation again."

Tim shrugged, "And it's working, right?"

Carla was playing with one of the toys for the triplets, "Presents, we never got presents before." She thought about that and started laughing, "Huh, my bad."

They caught a case that afternoon that took them the rest of the week to crack open and most of the following week to track down and capture the perpetrators. By the end of the second week they were starting their reports on the case, glad they weren't on call that weekend. Sunday would be April 26th, Lina's birthday and the one year anniversary of the bombing at Bagram was on Monday. Consulting with the McGees, the Russells had decided to have a party. Pete and Trina hoped that their friends would finally be ready to make an announcement and they really wanted to celebrate the team being whole and healthy after the past year.


	143. Chapter 143

Tim and Lina sent an e-mail out for a family Skype call Saturday night. Aboard the Baton Rouge, the Admiral grinned at the Captain, "So we were right, that was a baby bump! This is it, you're about to become a great-uncle!"

Jim laughed, "Does that make you a grand-godfather?"

"Huh, that's a mouthful; I think I'll go with great-uncle too."

Jim huffed, "It could be about something else. Maybe they're being transferred or something."

"Maybe but I don't think so, Great-Uncle Captain."

In the States, Claire and Maisie were on the phone with each other in minutes after seeing the e-mail. Ducky was excitedly thinking about his first great-grandchild and Gibbs, Rhea, Davos and Hélène just kept quiet. Hélène had known the first time she'd seen Lina after their return from Santorini. Eventually she'd told Davos and after seeing Lina in the UK insisted that they change their flight home to return to Athens rather than Thessaloniki. She wanted to be with Lina and Tim when they made their announcement. The crib and changing table/bureau were finished except for the stain; they had visited the house and retrieved the rocker from Gibbs' attic, taken it apart and had it shipped it to the big house, letting Penny know it might arrive before their return. It wasn't until they got the e-mails about the Skype call that the four of them admitted to each other that they suspected a baby was on the way. Gibbs told Rhea before Sarah's wedding and after observing her friend she'd agreed. When Gibbs speculated about Lina's due date being in November, Hélène shook her head, "The baby is due in December, Jethro."

Davos laughed, "Shall we start a pool?"

Hélène slapped at his arm, "After they've told us!"

XXX

When they heard that the Kalivas' were returning to Athens with Poppy and Rhea, Lina made a face at Tim, "They know."

"Yeah, seems like it, can't think of any other reason they'd come back here instead of Thessaloniki."

She made a little moue with her face, "Do you suppose anyone will be surprised?"

He laughed as he pulled her to him, "I'm sure some of them will be. They'll be so happy, I can't wait to see their faces on the call and then at the Russells' on Sunday. Which reminds me, Pete said that Eva and Caleb will be there, with the baby of course."

"Oh good, then we can give Eva her present."

XXX

Gibbs tapped Rhea on the shoulder, grinning and waving when he spotted Lina and Tim waiting for them at Customs. He figured there was a second car somewhere, maybe they'd driven separately. He was half right, there was a second car. Damian and Matt met Davos and Hélène with hugs as they arrived. "Mama, Papa, welcome home! We'll take you to the big house, Melina and Timotheos are bringing Gibbs and Rhea." It felt odd to be separated from their traveling companions but Damian's parents were tired and went along with their son and son-in-law.

Tim smiled at his dad in line at Customs. With their residence papers on them, it didn't take long for the two of them to get through and there were more hugs all around. Gibbs looked around, "Lina, where are your parents?"

"Damian and Matt picked them up; we'll all meet at the big house." Gibbs nodded as he and Tim wrangled the luggage.

The Kalivas' took the downstairs bedroom as they were only staying for a couple of days and Davos just didn't feel like lugging their baggage upstairs. They'd had a wonderful time but he was exhausted and hoped the call would be brief so he could sleep.

Tim and Lina certainly planned to be brief on their call. When Rob, Geordie and Bec arrived, they had drinks and meze and sat around the table with Tim and Lina in front of the laptop. Once everyone was on, with pop ups from Thessaloniki, London, Virginia and whichever body of water the Baton Rouge was currently in, the couple took a deep breath, looked at each other and then facing the camera, said, "We're pregnant!"

There was a lot of noise while the families seemingly exploded with congratulations and questions. When the chaos cleared a bit, they saw that not only Hélène but Penny, Aunty Liz, the Mallards and both the Uncles had tears running down their cheeks. Finally there was enough quiet for the couple to continue talking. "We've completed the first trimester; the baby is due in December. We don't know the gender yet." Tim leaned forward, "I think it's a girl!" Lina shook her head, "No, no Timotheos, it's a boy."

There were additional questions of course:

How was Lina feeling? _Well thank you._

Had she had morning sickness? _Yes only it was evening sickness._

Any strange food cravings? Lina said _not really_ but the look on Tim's face said _'oh yeah'_.

Had they picked names yet? That made Tim laugh, _"We've been calling the baby 'sprout'; we don't have names picked out; we haven't talked too much about it recently and no I don't think sprout will be one of the names under discussion!" _That got a laugh out of everyone.

Maisie chuckled, "How many bedrooms do we have in the big house? Davos, Hélène, it's a good thing you thought of those pull out sleeper couches; we're going to need every bed! I'm certain we'll all be there trying not to hover over you, Melina dear."

Claire looked through the Thessaloniki crowd and spotting Margaret, made eye contact. Both avid knitters, as was Maisie, they nodded at each other; between them they would coordinate who made baby blankets, sweaters, booties, etc. Davos and Jethro had discussed whether they should reveal the crib and changing table when the kids officially made an announcement; in the end they'd decided to wait.

Margaret quipped, "Dimitri will be happy he won't be the youngest anymore!"

Sarah was beaming, "I'm going to be an auntie, I'm so excited! Poppy, and whoever else will be there…can we have Christmas at the big house?" James was almost as excited as his bride and congratulated them.

Chloe and Peter looked around and wondered where Jimmy and Breena were. Never shy, Breena had guessed during their last Skype call and knowing they were just days away from the family call and because she and Jimmy would be tied up with Ethan's Scout troop on Saturday morning, Tim and Lina had confirmed the pregnancy.

Tim noticed Chloe and her husband looking around so he mentioned that the Palmers hadn't been able to make the call but knew about the baby and that Tony and Maggie hadn't been able to make the call either but they would speak with them tomorrow. That brought big smiles from the Mallards and Gibbs who had also been wondering.

The others at the big house that night held off until after the call but once they disconnected the brothers thumped Tim on the back and kissed Lina. Bec kissed Lina and Tim as did Gibbs and Rhea. Bec and Matt looked at each other and realized that there were more people that needed to be told. Tim saw the look and nodded, "We'll make another announcement at the party tomorrow. And yes, we'll be chatting with Tony and Maggie before we go to the Russells; they're moving to their new place today so couldn't make the call. I'll probably tell Director Vance Monday and the others at some point during the week."

They had talked online for nearly 30 minutes before they signed off. Penny had dinner all ready, she had two slow cookers going with a favorite recipe and the group ate heartily. No one stayed long as the returnees were obviously tired and they'd see each other at the Russells the next day anyway.

By the time they got to Pete and Trina's on Sunday, Tim had talked with Tony. Tony had been shocked, "Wow, that's almost a honeymoon baby!"

Tim laughed, "We went on our real honeymoon in March, Tony, that's when Lina figured out she's pregnant."

Tony just shook his head, "We're all grown up now. You, me and Jimmy."

Tim snorted, "Took us long enough – you and me, anyway. Hey, is there any chance of you giving me a virtual tour of your new place?"

"Uh…it's still a mess of boxes but yeah, sure." Tony moved the laptop around the townhome he and Maggie were now sharing. Tim smiled, "It's really nice, Tony, big enough so you'll each have your own space."

"Yeah…Tim, do you do that? I mean, have your own space?"

"Of course! You've been here; the downstairs bedroom doubles as my writing room and Lina has the studio. And yes, we use them DiNozzo; we both feel that it's healthy for couples to have their own interests and Lina's art is her career."

"Ok good, I thought so but you know I don't really have any experience with that and I sure can't ask Senior!"

Tim nodded, "I'm still a newbie at this too, Tony, you know my record before I met Lina. But Jimmy's right there and has been married for awhile now."

"Good idea."

They talked for nearly an hour before Tim had to disconnect to get ready for the party, promising to tell everyone hello from Tony.

The party was as much fun as always, full of laughter, friendship and family. When Tim tapped on a glass to get everyone's attention at the end of the meal Pete started to say something but Trina quickly put her hand over his mouth. The couple made their announcement and there were cheers from everyone, although they speculated afterward that only the kids were surprised. There were only nonalcoholic drinks, including sparkling cider, served that day as a bow to Lina's impending motherhood and Eva's breastfeeding of little Athos. Everyone had fun watching and playing with the triplets; at 18 months, they were very active toddlers. Tim put his hand on Lina's tummy as they watched Carla and Norm with the kids. Leaning down Tim said, "We'll be happy with whoever you are but please let there just be one of you!"

Gibbs looked at Hélène, "Do you have twins in your family – either side?"

She shook her head but Davos had a funny look on his face.

"What?"

"Ariston was originally a twin, but the twin miscarried when our mother was pregnant."

Lina and Tim looked at each other. "So there is a chance."

Carla huffed a little, "Take my advice and don't worry about it! You'll know soon enough and we have plenty of baby gear to pass along, trust me!"

Eva smiled, "We will too, Melina, Timotheos - by the time your baby is born Athos will have grown out of all his tiny baby things. We'll save them for you."

"Thanks to both of you!"

Sitting next to Pete, Penny gave a snort, "This child will need a walk-in closet by the time he or she is born!"

Trina laughed, "That happened with Phoebe! In between Stephan's birth and hers, Jackie Vance had Kayla and another friend had a baby, there was enough baby gear between us for septuplets!"

Tim visibly paled when he heard that word and it took Poppy and Norm to bring him out of his near-panic. Norm patted his shoulder, "Tim, between you and Lina, half of Greece will be on hand to help with the baby or babies if you have multiples!"

That got a laugh out of everyone including Tim. At game time, Lina played croquet with Eva, Carla and Gibbs while Tim played volleyball with the others. Rob and Geordie were the stars of the game although Penny did very well at serving and Evander and Stephan had a great time with their set ups. Caleb was watching Athos so Tea kept score and Adan refereed.

After the croquet game was finished, Carla, Eva, Trina and Lina started talking about pregnancy and comparing notes. Trina wanted to make sure that Lina was doing all right.

"You're feeling all right? Morning sickness?"

"It hits me more in the evening but it's getting better. And yes, I'm feeling well. I nap a lot but I was told to expect that."

"I was sick in the afternoons with Stephan and all day with Kyra. Phoebe and Lukas were mornings. And yes, absolutely nap now while you can because once the baby comes you'll be sleep deprived."

When Eva and Carla both groaned at that, Lina looked a little worried. Trina patted her arm, "You'll be all right, Tim will be there and I know he'll be a hands-on dad, your mother will be here as will Gibbs and I'm sure the Grands won't be too far away! I'll help too, help you get naps during the day or get out of the house for a few hours. Don't forget what Norm said!"

Eva nodded, "My mother has been a wonderful help and my sister too."

Lina looked at her, "Caleb says you're going back to work next month."

"Yes I am although I won't be working as many hours as I was; Carla and I will share the work."

"Is that a good thing?"

Carla and Eva looked at each other, smiled and together said "Yes!"

Pete finally called them in so dessert could be served. There was a large sheet cake that had been decorated for Lina's birthday and to commemorate the anniversary of Bagram. While they'd been outside playing, Trina had also added a stork carrying a baby while a tiny boy and three slightly larger children stood around a couple; they all waited with open arms. It was a sweet image of Tim and Lina with Athos and the triplets welcoming their future playmate. After photos had been taken and 'Happy Birthday' sung to Lina, the cake was sliced and served with vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

Rhea raised the topic of the nursery. "Have you decided what colors you want the baby's room or will you have a theme?" She added, "I'd love to do a mural if you'd like."

Tim and Lina looked at each other and smiled, remembering the conversation they'd had about the baby's room when they'd returned home from Santorini.

_Flashback: _

_They'd taken another pregnancy test and when it too showed positive, Tim wrapped his arms around Lina and pulled her to him for a passionate kiss. When they parted she asked, "How shall we decorate the nursery?" _

_"__Hmm, we have another few months until we know if our sprout is a girl or boy. I don't know about you, but I'm not big on painting the room blue or pink. If they want those colors when they're older, fine." _

_Lina nodded, "I'm thinking of something soothing yet playful. And I'd love to have Rhea do a mural for us." _

_"__Oh, that would be great! Too bad we won't be able to take it with us though." _

_"__We can if she does it on canvas instead of on the wall." _

_"__Good! But we don't know what we want." _

_"__Not yet. I thought we could start looking at designs for children." _

_"__Hmm, I know this has been done, but I really love the sea creatures at the Russells." _

_Lina's eye lit up. "Oh that would be so much fun! Perhaps not a mermaid or merman but something to do with the sea." _

_"__Feels right considering where we live." He thought. "I'd love for our child to see the faces of our family every time she looks at that mural. What if and this might be too weird, but what if there were sea creatures with our faces on the bodies? Then we could have our parents, siblings, the kids and the Grands on canvas, forever." _

_She looked at him, "You're worried about your grandparents?" _

_"__Not worried exactly, just…very aware of their ages." _

_"__I think that is a lovely idea and Rhea will make it sweet and fun, not scary or weird." _

_"__We could leave the painting with my parents if that's ok. I want our kids to always know our families; where they came from, how much they were loved even before they were born, how much we are loved and who came before them." _

_This time it was Lina's turn to pull him into her arms. Eventually they went upstairs, arms wrapped around each other. _

_End Flashback_

They told the group their ideas and then listened to the babble of ideas for sea creatures. Rhea was madly trying to write all of them down when Eva shyly handed over her phone which she'd set to record.

When there was finally silence, Gibbs looked at Davos and Hélène. A look of agreement passed and Gibbs spoke, "Lina, Tim, the three of us," he indicated the senior Kalivas, "have a surprise for you."

Davos nodded and continued, "When you told Jethro last year that you were planning to have your first child early in your marriage, we made a decision."

Hélène added, "They decided to make a crib for our first shared grandchild."

Poppy nodded, "We made it an international project; I'd work on my parts in Arlington while Davos would work on his in Thessaloniki. I figured I'd do the end pieces of the crib, you know like I'd made the headboards for the Palmer boys. But it would cost a fortune to ship - and then we bought the house. I decided to try to get the rough cuts done before the wedding and bring them on the charter; you'd already told me about the plan to convert the shed into Lina's studio and that was the perfect excuse to move my workbench to the big house." He chuckled, "Davos and I agreed on the type of wood we wanted, something available here and in the U.S. and when I went home I got busy, very busy. Tobias helped me and we got them done." He smiled at Damian, "The day we flew in for the wedding, Damian stayed behind to pick up his parents but first he went to the jet and picked up the two rough-cut pieces of crib although he may not have recognized them for what they were."

Damian shook his head, "I thought they were headboards, but I knew you three were up to something more than the big house that week Mama and Papa were here with you. And Papa, you kept insisting I not say anything to anyone that day."

Gibbs chuckled as he continued, "Thank you for that. I told Rob later as we had all the pieces stored in the garage and I knew he'd see them. Thanks to both of you for keeping the secret!"

It was Davos' turn, "I sent my work down in the company trucks and of course then Jethro decided to move here so that made things easier. Whenever we visited we worked on the crib together. It's done except for the finish and whatever decorative touches you want."

The two men smiled at each other, "We've also made a chest of drawers with a changing area on top. When you're done with diapers, that top can be removed and replaced; we've made the permanent top as well, it's an easy change out."

Tim and Lina were up and hugging and kissing their parents. "Thank you so much, please make sure to include your names and dates."

"Already done, son."

Penny cleared her throat. "Jethro?"

He looked over at her, "Huh? I nearly forgot, thanks Penny!"

She smiled and nodded at him. Gibbs cleared his throat, "We thought about making you a rocker but then I remembered I'd made one many years ago, for Shannon and Kelly. And I still had it. So while we were in the States, I made arrangements to visit the house with Davos and Hélène. My tenant ended up helping us, great guy by the way, and we muscled the rocker out of the attic. We took it back to Penny's house where we were staying, took it apart and shipped it to the big house, letting Penny know it was on its way."

Penny smiled, "It beat you home, got here Friday."

Gibbs nodded, "Thanks, I can't believe I forgot about it!"

Davos patted his arm, "Blame it on jet lag, my friend." He turned to their kids, "We will strip it and put whatever stain you want on the furniture on the rocker as well before we put it back together."

Tim shook his head, "Please don't strip it yet!" He looked at Lina who smiled and nodded at him. "We'd like to see it first; it might be just what we want!"

The two fathers nodded, grinning at each other while everyone broke into more excited babble. Athos put a stop to that when he woke and announced that he was quite hungry and needed a change, thank you very much. Eventually he was dry and sated; the group gathered their belongings and headed for their respective homes.


	144. Chapter 144

That Monday Tim told Vance about the baby in their weekly 'state of the office' call. His friend and boss beamed at him, "Congratulations Dad! How's Mom doing?" They talked for a little while before disconnecting and then Tim went off to do his stretches for their class.

When they got home that night, Lina was just about bursting with news. "I left work early and met Evander at his office before going to the studio. He says our offer is a good one, I signed it and he faxed it to them."

"So now we wait."

"He included a note telling a little about us. He believes that since they instigated this, they'll accept it."

"Hope so, wow, this is something, isn't it?"

"I remember you saying not to put anything in the garden that you couldn't take with you."

"I said that?"

"Yes, the first time I came over."

"Wow!" He pulled her into a hug, "Our first home purchase, this is awesome sweetie! Should we write the University in Argentina and thank them for extending the professors' contracts?"

She laughed, "Of course, why not! Let's wait until it is actually ours though."

"Mmm, good point."

Both were busy at work during the days following and it was the next week before Evander let them know their offer had been accepted. It was only then that Tim and Lina told their family and friends. It turned out that Norm knew what was going on, he'd kept in touch with his former colleague; however when the McGees hadn't mentioned it he'd kept the news to himself.

They'd decided this was worth an e-mail but not a Skype call. Before they sent the e-mail, they dropped by the big house and told Gibbs and Penny and then they called Davos and Hélène. Everyone else saw the news on their e-mail.

Tim was amused by the fact that the mortgage payment was less than the rent, mostly because the rent had included the cost of the pool guy and gardener. They kept the pool guy but when Gibbs offered to help with the little gardening that was needed, they went for it. One of the more amusing things that came from the sale was that the professors asked for their artwork. As by now all of it was in storage at the house that was not a problem. The cost of shipping it to Argentina along with the dining room chandelier that had been carefully wrapped and put in a box in a closet two years ago was deducted from the professors' proceeds from the sale of the house. Tim dusted his hands off as he delivered the stuff to Evander who would handle the shipping. "More storage room for us! Thanks my friend!"

Even though the professors had proposed they deal directly with each other, the McGees had quickly decided to have Evander handle the sale. Neither Tim nor Lina had the time, knowledge or inclination to handle an international home sale. Evander always did a good job and more than earned his commission.

They laughed themselves silly when Tony called them online. "Are you guys going to stop or what? We're three steps behind and can't keep up! Married, starting a family and now a house! Knock it off, will you?"

Lina said sweetly, knowing she could get away with it, "You missed the first step, Tony, getting engaged."

There was silence and Tim looked at his friend's face. "TONY! Really?" He was grinning at his friend.

Tony smiled and his eyes lit up, "Yeah. We decided last weekend, bought a ring, the whole thing. Don't know when we'll get around to getting married but we are engaged!"

"Wow, congratulations, I'm happy for both of you and I'm really proud of you man!"

"Thanks Tim. Once we got used to being together more and then moved in together, it didn't seem so scary."

"What did Gibbs have to say?"

"He smiled and said he was proud of me and happy for us; he _smiled_, Tim, and he might have been a little teary!"

When Lina giggled at that, Tim turned to her, "Hey you never met the old Gibbs, we never got more than a smirk, maybe a half smile and never teary, well when Kate died and maybe Director Shepard and Mike but sure not happy tears, huh Tony?"

"Yep and that half smile was like manna from heaven."

Lina shook her head, "That's so different from the Poppy I know."

The guys nodded and continued talking until Tony's cell buzzed, "Oops, gotta go, call out; love you both."

"Love you too Tony, stay safe."

They called Gibbs after disconnecting with Tony and found him in high spirits. "I'm so proud of you boys, so proud!"

They talked for several minutes before inviting Gibbs and Penny over for an evening swim. While May was still officially spring the weather was definitely heating up; however evenings could still be cool so the climate control dome was still over the pool. Penny and Gibbs were there so fast that Tim teased his grandmother that they hadn't even hung up with Gibbs yet. She knew she was welcome to swim anytime and she did; she had a key to the house and swam nearly every day but both she and Gibbs were loath to interrupt the couple's evenings. They had a nice swim followed by a late and very light dinner.

The rest of the month sped by. Eva returned to work; she and Carla worked two days a week each and alternated the 5th day from week to week. With Caleb off from the museum on one of Eva's work days, little Athos went to his aunt's one or two days a week.

By the first of June the dome over the pool was packed away until the return of cooler weather. Penny and Gibbs cleaned the big house, getting ready for the Mallards, the Hubbards and Liz Crane's arrival. They'd have a full house for a couple of weeks as the Kalivas' were also flying in for a visit.

The Mallards, etal arrived three days after Ainsley and Callum finished school. The kids were thrilled to be back in Greece and to have two months to bask in the sun, go to the beach, visit their friends, swim at Tim and Lina's or at the Russells. Claire was also thrilled to be here in Greece, it was just what she'd dreamed of. Now if only Jim were able to join them. Liz felt the same way, very happy to be there and wishing Dave were with her.

XXX

On the Baton Rouge, both men were strongly considering taking immediate retirement and spent several evenings plotting their getaway. "You're an Admiral, why can't we just sail over to Greece…or someplace close. See our wives, get some sun over there; we're always there in the winter!"

Dave huffed, "At least we're in Greece during the winter; we could be in the North Sea or the Bering Straits!"

"Yeah, I know…so what if we both retired? We pack up and send word to Secretary Porter that we're leaving our XO in command and fly to Athens."

"Hmm, yeah, I'm sure that would be fine."

"The girls could hide us."

Dave started laughing, "And NCIS would be called in to look for two lunatic UA Naval officers. Tim would love that and we'd never hear the end of it from Gibbs!"

"Hmm, ok, so how about a two month leave for both of us?"

"Two months, let me think…that might be worth a call to Madame Secretary."

Jim shook his head mournfully at the sarcasm, "You used to be fun, when did you go all Admiral on me?"

"I'm not done yet. We can't do two months, but what about a week, maybe 10 days?"

"Really? At the same time?"

"Nope, we're going to have to split up. I trust our XO implicitly but I'm sure…" his voice trailed off, "You know, she does owe us one for that extra work we took on last winter."

"Yeah…?"

"Ok, here's what I'll do. I'll see if I can get us 10 days leave, together. Schmidt is up for promotion, we'll call it a training exercise. And if we can leave the ship somewhere in Europe where we could get back in a few hours…maybe Marseille or even Naples…that might possibly stand a chance. And if she nixes that, I'll go for the same amount of time but separately."

"Won't be as much fun but it's better than not going at all!"

"All right, let me do some horse trading, see if I can get us into Europe before I approach her."

"Wait, Dave, don't forget we need to be somewhere in the vicinity in November or December."

The Admiral snorted, "Seriously? You really believe I have a magic wand, don't you? We'll be home for Christmas this year, Jim, if that means we all fly back over here to meet our great niece or nephew then so be it, but the Blush will be in Norfolk."

Jim nodded, that was still all right. He and Claire had figured they'd all be in Greece for Christmas this year anyway. They had the money for the airfare; the kids might have to miss a few extra days of school but they could prepare for that, maybe bring work with them.

XXX

By the second week of their stay Claire and Liz had decided they weren't leaving. Callum and Ainsley had decided that their first day of course but had no idea their mother and aunt felt the same way. They loved going to the beach or the pool every day, seeing the Russell kids and Ross nearly every day, seeing their cousins in the evenings and on weekends and getting to know them better, sightseeing in Athens and around the country. Lina had given them a personal tour of the Benaki and the Kalivas' had invited them all up to Thessaloniki for a few days in July. That would have to wait until after the Fourth though, as they'd be joining the NCIS crew on Aegina for the holiday celebration.

When Geordie was off duty, he drove the kids to the beaches. Her last few weeks there, Penny went with them and the four of them had wonderful times. When the Mallards and sometimes Gibbs went with them, they traded cars with Tim as they could all fit – barely - in the SUV and then only because the kids weren't fully grown. For Claire, used to being a single mom while Jim was afloat, this was a wonderful vacation. She and Liz explored the shops of Piraeus and Athens, spent days in either the McGees' pool or the Russells' and just thoroughly enjoyed themselves, all the while missing their husbands. Gibbs was working on another project in the garage and Callum started hanging out with him; discovering he wanted to learn how to do what Gibbs was doing. Gibbs was happy to have his help and talked him through what they were doing.

The cousins mostly saw each other on weekends and some evenings but that was better than once or twice a year for a few days or just hours. Toward the end of the month, Trina decided to take all the kids to Aegina for the day and inveigled the residents of the big house and Lina to come with them. Everyone agreed and packing chairs, towels, sunscreen and lunches, they piled on the ferry. Dani was a surprise last minute addition and Ross was thrilled that his mom was with them. Once again they rented a sun shelter and spent the day in the water, only getting out for lunch and sun breaks as dictated by Grandfa. He and Gibbs kept a close eye on Lina in the water; both a little overprotective, they were relieved when she decided to do some shopping. Dani went with her and they had a wonderful time exploring the shops they'd last seen the week before the wedding. They popped into the florist's shop and the woman was thrilled to see her favorite bride and even more excited to see that she was expecting. Lina found more treasures in the pottery shop and Dani bought a few things too. By the time they headed back to the beach, word had spread amongst the shop owners that their favorite couple, or at least the bride, and friends from that wonderfully profitable week last November were back and it had been overheard they'd be returning in July for the American holiday. When it was said that the bride was now pregnant, the owner of the children's store ordered extra baby items to have in stock for their next visit.

When Lina and Dani returned to the beach, Claire and Trina had their turn at the shops and came back with more treasures as well as a gallon of ice cream for the crowd. They took photos and sent them to Tim, Pete, Geordie and Rob.

At the office, Tim's phone buzzed and he looked at the photo of his wife, all the kids and most of the adults in his family at the beach on Aegina. He groaned, "Sometimes I hate cell phones!"

Matt looked up, puzzled, "Why?"

Pete's phone buzzed and he made a noise, "This is why."

They showed them the photos and there was a collective sigh. And then Kim, ever the practical one said, "But we'll be there in a few days and we'll have just as much fun. Plus we take evil off the streets."

That cheered them up as the agents went back to their cold case reviews. They finished the day with a new lead for one of the cold cases and dispersed for the evening thinking of breaking the case and finding justice for the long dead Marine.

XXX

Nearly to the end of June, Dave and Jim knew they weren't going to make the Fourth of July celebration with their families. They would however, be joining them two days later, a Monday. Once the Admiral had the deal locked up with the SecNav, they brought Gibbs in on their secret. He laughed when he saw their e-mail as he'd already been contacted by Sarah and James who would be surprise arrivals on the 3rd, flying back to London with Penny on the 7th. Big House was going to be very crowded! He e-mailed the Admiral and Captain that he'd be happy to see them and to let him know when their flight was due, he'd pick them up at the airport. Then he e-mailed Sarah telling her there were surprise guests arriving during their visit, to see if she wanted to let Tim and Lina know and maybe stay with them the whole weekend. Sarah replied that it sounded like the big house would be pretty crowded and that they would contact Tim and Lina directly.

Lina smiled when she saw Sarah's e-mail that evening. Tim was working late as they were finishing up a case. Lina decided Sarah and James should have the downstairs bedroom; that would give all of them more privacy. When Tim got home he grinned at her. "Yay, all the McGees in the same place! You know what that means!"

"Yes I do! Now, dinner here or at the big house?"

"Let's see, we could eat outside and move the dining table out there, that seats 10, plus the old table, that's another 4, and the big table with the leaves will seat 12. We can seat 26 that way. How many do we have...?" He counted to himself, "20. So if we use the dining table and the big picnic table, that'll be comfortable for everyone and we can put stuff on the old table or serve inside."

She smiled, "Or both."

He nodded, "Or both. That sound ok?"

"Yes, we can borrow the big house slow cooker and make a double recipe of something."

"Probably one of the chicken recipes or…" he stopped to think.

"What my love?"

"I was trying to think of something very American, LinaMelina. What would you think of using the grill for burgers and hot dogs instead of the slow cookers?"

She tilted her head in thought. "I see your point as it is the Fourth of July celebration. You don't think people will be disappointed if we don't serve one of our favorite Greek recipes?"

It was his turn to think. "Good point. And we'll have burgers and dogs on Saturday; Pete and Poppy are bringing those and the portable grill for the beach. There's no need to have them twice, so yes, you're right, let's go for Greek!"

They pinged Sarah and reached James. "Hey brother, what time does your flight get in on Friday?"

He looked bewildered, "Uh…I thought Jethro was picking us up?"

Lina started laughing. "Was Sarah talking with Poppy?"

James nodded, "Yeah, she was going to contact him about a ride in and staying at the big house."

"Hmm, you should probably ask her but the big house is pretty crowded right now. You're staying with us."

"Ok, that sounds good."

"So back to my original question, what time does your flight land, I had it but then it changed."

"Sorry…let's see, 6 PM."

"Perfect! One of us will be there to pick you up; it might be Lina or me, Geordie, Rob or Damian." He chuckled, "Someone familiar anyway."

"Oh, so…Friday night?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, seems right, don't you think? You two will be here, Geordie and Rob are off that evening."

"Great, I'll let Sarah know everything. Do we need to bring anything?"

"Your swim stuff and plenty of sunscreen. We'll rent a sun shelter for the day like we did in November and we have extra beach towels so you don't need to bring any."

"Great, we're both excited about everything! And spending some summertime with you is a great bonus!"

"For us too. Can't wait to see you."

They disconnected and then sent out an e-mail inviting the residents of the big house, their brothers and significant others for dinner on the 3rd. By the time they went upstairs that night, everyone had replied; dinner was a go.

Tim and Lina spent the last weekend in June cleaning house and making sure they were ready for house guests and for their dinner guests. They put the leaves in the big table, wiped it down, cleaned off the chairs and benches and did the same for the smaller table. They'd wait until the day of the dinner to move the dining table and chairs outside. In between cleaning and getting ready, the Hubbards, Liz and Penny came over for a swim on Saturday and Tim had fun playing with his cousins. He wasn't the least bit surprised when Rob, Poppy and Rhea wandered in toward the end of the afternoon, carrying enough takeout for all of them. Tim smiled to himself, glad to see Rob and their dad spending time together. One of the things that Tim loved about everyone being here was people dropping in for a visit or a swim and having an impromptu dinner party. Usually Gram and Grandfa joined in, but they were having dinner with Geordie and Bec tonight and Damian and Matt were out of town for the weekend.

After they'd eaten, Rob pulled Tim aside, "Timpa, I need to talk to you about something. It's nothing wrong…nothing between you and me, I just need to talk."

"Sure Robbie, what's up?"

"I…I've kind of made a discovery and I've been talking with Dr. Clark but I…I guess I need to know that you'll be okay with things."

"As long as you're happy and you're not hurting anyone else or being hurt by anyone, I'm fine with whatever it is."

"Uh…wow, this is hard to say. See, I liked Amelia and Sophia and others but…there's something missing and there's other uh people that I've liked too but I never did anything about it. Sophia and I aren't doing very well, I…well we've broken up and she told me what she thought about me, what I needed to explore."

"What's that?"

"I'm…" Rob took a deep breath, "I'm bisexual."

Tim pulled his kid in for a hug. "Ok and how do you feel about that?"

"Scared, relieved, wondering."

Tim nodded, "Since you said you wanted to make sure I would be okay with things, let's talk about that. You are my Rob, my kid. I want you to be happy and as long as the person you love loves you back and treats you well, I don't care what gender they are."

"Really?"

"Really, now and forever. Pinky swear." They linked their pinkies for a pinky swear.

Rob sighed, "I knew you'd say that but I just needed to hear it."

"And I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it."

"And the others?"

"Are you still planning on being Rob, son, brother, grandson, nephew, brother-in-law, cousin, future uncle and friend?"

"Yeah."

"Then you have no worries."

Rob sighed and held on for a few minutes. "Ok, this was my first step, talking with you. Now I need to figure out what to do."

"I know it's not the same thing but Matt only figured out he's gay when he moved here. He might be someone you could talk with. Do some research online, figure out whatever you need to. Maybe start slow, see how you're feeling, how to deal with things, then maybe safe places to meet guys. I would think that's something Matt and Damian could help you with."

Rob nodded. "That feels good, they're family."

"Yes, you know you can trust them."

"It's just…it's one more thing, you know? I'm so tall and have to eat all the time and well, you know and now this."

Tim nodded, "You feel like it makes you different?"

"Yeah."

"And it does, because we're all individuals, every person on this planet. No matter how much of a hive mind we have, trying to be like each other, we're not, each of us is unique. You are tall, but you're proportionately built. You're not stretched out, you are perfect for you. You are Rob. You have to eat all the time because of something that happened that was not in your control. You handle it well; you just eat when you need to. These are some of the things that make up Rob McGee, some are part of the original package and a few things got attached to you or learned along the way. Me…I blush, I hate that, but it's a condition of my genetics that I have very pale skin and it gets red even when I don't particularly feel embarrassed. And I have control issues, but I wasn't born with them, I learned them along the way. Every single one of us is different, Robbie. And frankly, people that can't accept each other's differences aren't worth your time, but yeah I know you'll still have to deal with some bigotry."

They talked for a while longer; Rob planned to continue counseling with Dr. Clark about his life issues and said he would do some research and talk with Matt. Then Poppy came looking for Rob as he'd ridden over with them. After the crowd had disappeared and Lina had gone upstairs, Tim took a few minutes to digest the news. He'd meant it, he didn't have and wouldn't have any issues but he'd never considered Rob as being anything but straight. In the end he shrugged, it was new and he was glad that Rob had figured it out; he'd help him any way he could.


	145. Chapter 145

CH 145

The rest of that weekend and the following work week passed uneventfully. The team handled a case that landed on them on Monday, they had it solved by Thursday and spent Friday doing reports. Geordie was off duty Friday so he drove to the airport to meet Sarah and James. He pulled them into a hug after they'd cleared Customs. "Welcome back! With everything going on, this is a really great idea to get you two here!"

James laughed, "Thanks, I'll take credit for it. I've wanted to experience an American holiday and Sarah says the Fourth of July is the best one." He chuckled, "I have to admit it is strange considering that it was your declaration of independence from my home country but it's been awhile now, I think the wound has healed."

The three of them laughed and Sarah added, "And it doesn't hurt that it's in the summer! Besides we're ready and it seemed like the perfect time."

The traffic was a little slow going to Piraeus but as Sarah remarked, it would be far worse if they were still in the DC metro area. When they went by the office they saw only the van, the agency sedans and Matt and Bec's vehicles, so they knew Tim was home and had probably given the others a ride up the hill. As they pulled into the driveway, they noticed an SUV parked on the street behind a low slung sports car and Gibbs' Ford Escape in the driveway. Geordie grinned, "Damian, Poppy, Rhea, Liz, the Hubbards and the Grands are here."

"Wow big house _is_ crowded if it takes two cars to transport them all!"

"Yep, it's been a fun summer, good thing you came over or you'd be jealous."

His sister just snorted as they climbed out and retrieved their luggage. Tim and Lina greeted them with hugs and kisses at the front door and showed them to their room. They quickly changed and headed for the pool, only to find Poppy and the Grands in the living room, waiting to greet them. Liz, the Hubbards and Rhea were in the pool and the Londoners were greeted with splashes when they joined them. Damian and Rob finally arrived and the pool party got serious.

Sarah couldn't help staring at Lina's baby bump, it was very pronounced now and she noticed that Lina frequently patted or rubbed her belly.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, but it does feel strange and there are little movements, like butterflies in my stomach – that's the baby." She laughed, "I think he knows there's a party!"

"He?"

"Ah, that's just my wish, we don't know yet. We finally have the ultrasound next week; we may or may not be able to tell the gender. You know it just depends on how the baby is positioned, how it moves and what it lets us see."

"Oh, I thought it was more specific than that."

"There are tests that are more definitive but they're generally used when there is a problem of some sort." She paused, "Do you know who Carla is?" Sarah nodded, she recognized the name. "She told me they didn't know the gender of one of the triplets until he was born, that was Jason. He was always turned the wrong way."

"Guess he was camera shy huh?" They laughed.

"I'll bet Tim is loving this."

"Oh yes; he reads to my tummy every night."

"As long as he doesn't sing to it!" They smiled at each other. "Do you have names picked out yet?"

"A few. If it's a boy, we might include Patrick - or Donald for Grandfa although I suppose we could go with Mallard - but we also want a Greek name."

"Oh, that's wonderful! I like the idea of using Patrick."

"Yes but if it's a first name, Tim wants to call him 'Rick' rather than Pat. Your grandmothers told us that your brother did not like being called Pat outside of the family, that at school he was Patrick."

"I didn't know that!"

"Tim didn't either, or didn't remember."

"And if it's a girl?"

"We're thinking Lily, Maisie or Penny or include Stirling or Langston, but we'll also give her a Greek name - or rather another one since the names Lily and Penelope are of Greek origin. As you can see we really haven't settled on anything yet!"

Sarah nodded, "But you have great ideas! There are so many beautiful Greek names and your child should know his or her heritage."

"You've looked at names?"

Her sister-in-law nodded again, smiling. "Yes, in my new book one of my characters is Greek and I wanted a Greek name for her."

"Oh your newest book, that's wonderful!"

"Yes, it's fun because I've made the characters international and I'm using the nationalities we have in our blood and in the family."

"What an interesting idea!"

"Thanks. It is interesting and a bit of a challenge, that's for sure."

"And your Gemcity book is almost done."

"Yeah, that's been a lot of fun too. A different way to work, but we found a place online that Tim says is secure enough and we write together there."

"He told me you four decided on the things or events that you wanted to cover and then mapped out the story."

"You haven't seen it?"

"I've only seen my parts and of course Rhea's. I decided to wait until it's done."

"Your illustrations – all of them – are just wonderful. I was a little puzzled at how they'd work into the story since none of Tim's books have had any illustrations but these really bring everything together and they've inspired us! We're almost there, we have two more chapters and one of them is the epilogue."

"Is that where you'll reveal that the story is true?"

"At first we planned to and we might go back to that but the plan right now is to put it an authors' note after the epilogue."

"Ah, I see. And I've heard how much fun you've had selecting your Gemcity names."

Sarah laughed, "There were a few times I thought either Tim or Rob was going to reach into the internet and headslap Geordie and me. Yes, we had fun, a little too much fun maybe, but it got us going in the right direction. I was afraid this was going to be a very painful journey but because we're doing it together and we've remembered to laugh along the way, it's been a joy."

They chatted a little while longer and then Lina disappeared into the house, quickly reappearing while Sarah gathered her brothers and husband. The siblings stood together as Rob called out, "Everyone, can we have your attention please? Poppy, we need you here with us."

Gibbs climbed out of the pool, wondering what his family was up to. He looked around and noticed the others were smiling at them and Ainsley and Callum were elbowing each other and giggling. Tim handed him a towel; he used it to dry off and then sat at the table with the siblings, Lina, James and Bec while the others also climbed out of the pool and gathered around. When everyone was settled, Sarah stood and began talking.

"We celebrate the Fourth of July as our country's birthday, the day we proclaimed our independence and separated ourselves from our 'family' in England. Today we McGees also have a proclamation to make; however it's one of inclusion rather than separation, of love, faith in the future and connection rather than anger and disillusionment." Now she spoke directly to Gibbs, "In this family, we hold to our commitments. When it was finally possible, Rob and Geordie legally became part of our family. Today the four McGee siblings and our spouses proclaim our wish to extend that commitment to you. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, we want to adopt you as our father. You are as we call you, our Poppy and Dad and now we want to make that legal."

Gibbs' throat seemed to have closed up and the tears were running freely down his face. Finally he just stood, nodded his acceptance and held his arms open. He heard a roar around him but he was too overwhelmed to take much notice, too busy hugging and kissing his kids. When he thought he could speak he opened his mouth and said, "Yes, I'm honored to be your father."

He stood in thought for a few seconds and then raising an eyebrow, asked, "So I'm adopting all of you then, right?"

The kids smiled and he gave each of them another kiss while Rob replied. "Either that or each of us will go through the process separately with you."

"Hmm, sounds easier to do it the other way around. Can we do that from here? Do I need to go to the States to do this?"

Tim smiled, "As it happens, your children are familiar with adoption procedures although in the years since Rob and Geordie's adoptions things have changed a bit. As an adult adopting other adults, there is no longer a need for a court appearance."

Lina handed Tim the envelope she'd brought from the house and Geordie handed Gibbs his glasses as he told him, "You just need to sign the forms; we'll all sign and send the originals to the State of Virginia since that is still your permanent address. However, the signatures need to be witnessed and notarized so we won't sign them tonight. Tim has arranged for us to meet Tea at the agency before we leave for the island tomorrow; Bec and Matt will witness and Tea will notarize the forms after we've signed and we'll get them in the mail on Monday."

Gibbs had a mischievous look in his eyes, "I'd better read these, make sure I'm adopting the right people. Don't want to accidentally make Ducky or Pete my children!"

They laughed at that and he looked at his big house co-residents. "You all knew about this?"

They grinned and nodded. He looked at Rhea who smiled. "I knew something was up Jethro, but I asked Lina and Tim not to tell me, I wanted to be surprised with you - and it is a wonderful surprise!"

Gibbs kissed her and then went back to reading the forms, stopping when he saw the names. "You're taking Gibbs as your middle name, each of you?" He'd noticed one other change but kept quiet about it.

James raised his hand, "Actually not me, Jethro. I already have a middle name, otherwise I would, you understand." They laughed and Lina nodded, the Gibbs middle name applied to the four siblings. Tim spoke for them, "Dad, we've already gone through the legal process of taking on middle names and yes, we each chose Gibbs. It was Claire's suggestion originally, when I was grousing about not having a middle name. She said that as an adult I could choose my own and have my name changed. When I mentioned it to the others, they wanted to do the same thing and then we decided to take the same one." He paused, turning to the youngest McGee, "Rob?"

His brother nodded at him with a smile and turned to their grandfather. "I said something about this when we found out that you're our grandfather, but it's taken me this long to get it done. I've adopted your name, Grandfa. From now on, I'll be Dr. Rob Mallard, middle name Gibbs."

That caused more uproar and it was Grandfa's turn for tears and happy hugs and kisses. When everyone settled down a bit, Gibbs turned to Sarah, "What was all that about making a surprise appearance?"

The group giggled and Tim snorted, "That was a red herring as I was sure you would have figured out something was going on."

Gibbs shook his head, "I must really be losing my touch! Until Rob asked me to get out of the pool and join you tonight I had no idea anything was going on."

Most of the crowd exclaimed at that and many of them gave each other high fives. Ainsley tapped Gibbs on the shoulder, "We only found out right before we got here, Mom told us in the car."

"Thanks Ains that makes me feel a little better." Gibbs was still grinning, he couldn't stop and he kept his arms full of his kids…now they were really his kids. He had a sudden thought about another of his kids and looked at Tim who had anticipated the question and answered. "That's the third part of this…who has the paperwork?"

Geordie raised his hand, pulled out more papers and facing their dad, told him, "When we decided to do this, we realized there is one member of the family who would probably not be able to be adopted by you and that's Tony. We did ask him but with his father still alive and with them having, as he put it, 'some sort of relationship', he didn't think he should do it. But we want him to be part of us, so we did this…"

Geo handed the papers to Gibbs who gave them a quick look. "You've adopted him as your brother?"

His kids nodded, "Yes, it's all done; he's one of us now, legally our brother."

Tim added, "And as our brother that gives you some claim to him so that he knows here," he touched his heart and then pointed to the paper, "and there that he is truly part of our family; it's not just lip service. Unfortunately, he and Maggie both got called out on cases this morning, their mornings, so they couldn't even be here online."

Gibbs huffed and sniffled a little, "That's wonderful, I can't believe you all! Thanks! This is the best surprise I've ever had; I'm honored, beyond honored. I'll do my best to be the father each of you deserves." He looked at Rob, "One of your fathers."

Rob smiled and flung one arm around Timpa and one around Poppy, letting go only when his grandfather wrapped him in his arms.

Eventually dinner was served and the celebration didn't break up until they noticed Callum had fallen asleep at the table. They had a full day ahead of them tomorrow so when the big house residents were ready to leave, Tim scooped his younger cousin up in his arms and carried him out to the car. Lina smiled, "You'll be doing that with our child soon enough!"

Tim chuckled, "It's a good thing I'm doing MMA because I don't think I could have done this before."

The siblings were at the NCIS office bright and early the next morning, meeting Poppy, Tea and the others. They quickly signed the adoption papers, Bec and Matt signed as witnesses and Tea notarized the forms. Tim locked the papers in the office safe for the weekend and then they were off to Aegina for their Fourth of July celebration.

It was a joyous group who boarded the ferry that morning, joining the rest of the NCIS crew. When Carla demanded to know if there was news they could share, the siblings grinned and pointed to Gibbs. "He's our dad." The others blinked, that wasn't news. Gibbs set them straight, "They're adopting me. When the paperwork goes through, I'll legally be their father! And they've adopted Tony as their brother."

The deckhands chuckled when they heard cheers from the upper deck; this group was always fun to have aboard. There was another cheer when Rob announced his news and Trina turned to Pete, "We need champagne and sparkling cider, we have to celebrate all this!" He nodded, after they docked and as soon as everyone and everything was situated on the beach, he'd take Norm and they'd head for the liquor store.

Once on the beach, he and Norm set off, returning with bottles of ice cold champagne and sparkling cider. They stored them in the coolers for consumption after they'd eaten lunch. They had a wonderful day playing in the water and in the sand. Cammy, Will and Jase were old enough now to play with little plastic shovels and buckets and had fun with their parents, Callum and Ainsley and the others teaching them how to build sand castles which the trio promptly tore down, chortling their sweet toddler laughs every time. Young Athos watched them closely. Now five months old he had figured out how to roll from his tummy to his back and loved to 'practice'; he was also starting to rock a little bit which Carla and Trina said meant he'd be scooting around and possibly crawling in a month or two. He alternated sitting in his stroller watching the triplets play, or rolling over and over on a large blanket under the sun shelter. When Caleb took him into the water and dipped his little toes in to see if he liked it, he squealed with happiness, reminding Tim of little Tad last year.

The triplets made a fuss when a break in the shade was mandated and they had to be carried to the sun shelter, although if the truth were told some of the adults were no happier about their own mandated breaks. As always, Grandfa's rule prevailed and was now also backed by young Dr. Mallard. Eventually the crowd got hungry for lunch and they sat on towels and chairs, contentedly munching on the culinary delights brought for the day. As they had last year, the NCIS group had organized the food so there was a variety and plenty of yummy things to eat.

Pete laughed as he sat next to Kim. "Look at this crowd!"

She grinned at him, "I know, I was just thinking that. It's great, I love having this huge family."

"Me too, it's gonna help when the kids go off to college."

"Last year of high school coming up, right?"

"Yep and all three of them are looking at colleges in the U.S."

Kim chuckled, "They'll be U.S. citizens who've never lived in the U.S., how weird is that?"

"Yeah, that's true."

"So where are they looking?"

"Stephan has already sent preliminary paperwork to Johns Hopkins as they have one of the top medical schools in the country – and Tim sent a reference letter to one of his contacts there. Phoebe is looking at Georgetown or Waverly and Ross is thinking George Washington U or Waverly."

"It sounds like they'll be relatively close to each other."

Pete nodded, "Yes and the Mallards, Penny, the Hubbards and the Cranes are close enough so they can spend holidays if they can't make it home...and Tony and Maggie." He sighed, "And help them if they need anything."

Kim patted his hand, "Hard to let them go, huh?"

"We've got nearly a year left but yeah, the clock is ticking."

"With the family you have, they'll always be close, even if they do live thousands of miles away."

He looked at her, "Were you close to home when you went to college?"

She made a tilting gesture with her hand, "About 3 hours. Close enough to get home every so often and for holidays but not close enough that anyone could expect me to be home every weekend."

Pete huffed, "Yeah, I'd forgotten about that, it's been so long for me. My parents actually moved to a different state right after I left the nest. My dad got transferred and off they went to the other side of the country. Now that hurt!" He perked up when Stephan plopped down in the sand next to him and joined the conversation.

When everyone had eaten, they broke out the bubbly and poured champagne and sparkling cider for everyone but the babies. Pete stood to toast the McGee group and paused, just looking at them all, "I know I've said this before, but it still boggles my mind that just about 21 months ago Tim arrived and his family consisted of three siblings. Then he met Lina and that was the start of it all, the Uncles, the Grands, Ducky's discovery and all of this, all of us. Kim and I were just saying how much we love being part of this family. We are blessed, all of us. And as much as the rest of us work to keep up, you McGees keep finding new ways to make things even better. Introducing Damian and Matt to each other, bringing Lina and James into the family and now we have another baby on the way, our fifth since your arrival Timothy, not that you had anything to do with the first four! Geordie's arrival last year when we needed him most, Jethro, your arrival when Tim was in dire need of you. You've incorporated the Kalivas family into the clan – and vice versa and we are the richer for knowing each other, for the connections. And now, Rob is taking your grandfather's name and all of you are legally adopting Jethro as your father and DiNozzo as your brother, it's wonderful, all of it and I for one am thankful to be part of it."

There were shouts of 'Here Here' as the group raised their drinks in celebration. All in all, they had a wonderful day, celebrating America's independence and the changes in the family. Aside from the breaks for shade, food or helping with the babies, most of them spent the day in the water. By mid afternoon Lina, Kim, Tea and the older women were out and drying off as they planned to spend some time in town. Carla and Eva joined them; leaving Norm and the others in charge of the triplets and Athos went with the women, asleep in his stroller.

They had a great time popping in and out of the shops, the Americans buying souvenirs and Penny and Maisie buying baby items for baby McGee and some cute things for Athos and the triplets. Lina found a tee shirt that said "I'm the Dad, that's why!" and bought it for Poppy, laughing as she said she'd probably be buying one for Tim next year. She also found tee shirts that said "Pappouli" (Παππούς - grandpa in Greek) and purchased two and one that said, "YaYa" (or Yayaka -Γιαγιά - grandma) for her mother but couldn't find any for Great Grandfa (or the more common Grandpa) or Great-Uncle or Great-Aunt. She decided to make those along with some Aunt and Uncle shirts and was grateful when Rhea and later Trina offered to help.

When they browsed the children's store, Rhea saw some items that gave her additional ideas for the sea creatures she would create for the baby's mural. When Lina looked at the knit things in the store, Maisie and Claire watched carefully, taking note of what she seemed to like the most. They stopped in at the pottery store and when Kim fell in love with a vase, Penny insisted on buying it for her, pointing out that as family, she was allowed to do that, saying it was a very late wedding gift. Eva laughed softly, gently nudging her friend who smiled back at her and then happily accepted the gift. When Lina spotted a kiln-fired, beautifully glazed mermaid, Maisie bought it, had it wrapped and later presented it to Tea whose birthday was the following week.

No one was especially surprised when the women returned with several shopping bags. Eventually the group got hungry again, Pete and Poppy fired up the grill and they ate their burgers and 'dogs, waiting for dusk so they could do their fireworks. By the time it was dark enough the triplets and Athos were sound asleep, which relieved their parents as they'd been worried the noise and smoke would scare the little ones. After ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the fireworks and once again giving many of the island residents a free fireworks show, the group cleaned up, packed and left on the last ferry, already planning to return the following year.


	146. Chapter 146

Lina and Tim slept late and then puttered around with Sarah and James Sunday morning. Eventually the rest of the siblings wandered in followed by the residents of the big house who brought lunch for all. They lazed around the pool all day, playing cards and generally enjoying the company. Tim worried about Lina being too tired but she was off on Monday so she could have a good rest then.

Back at work on Monday, the adoption papers were express mailed to Virginia. In the early afternoon, the four agents had just returned from the firing range and stowed their gear when Tim heard the front door open and Tea exclaim. He looked up to see his dad with two men trailing along behind him. He blinked a couple of times and finally realized his eyes were not deceiving him, the two men with Poppy were his godfather and uncle. He made a noise as he went forward to greet them. Pete looked up from the file he was reading to see his SFA in a three way hug with two naval officers. He grinned; Gibbs had called earlier to ask if he could bring them by for a few minutes. He had resisted the urge to call Trina with the news, especially knowing that Callum and Ainsley were over at their place, likely in the pool. Let them all be surprised together.

The trio only stayed for a few minutes, they'd just wanted to say a quick hello before going on to the big house to surprise Claire and Liz. They waved hello and goodbye to the group as they left, hoping they'd see them at the Flying Pig that evening. Tim had a smile on his face the rest of the day.

Liz was just transferring a load of towels from their weekend outing from the washer to the dryer when she heard the front door open. Figuring it was Jethro back from wherever he'd gone off to, she continued her task. It wasn't until a beloved voice spoke behind her, saying her name that she realized Gibbs hadn't returned alone. Spinning around, she saw Dave standing there with a big grin and she threw herself into his arms.

Claire was in the backyard cutting roses when she heard the back door squeaking open. Really, she should remember to ask Jethro to fix that. She looked up to see who was joining her, expecting to see Liz or one of the others and dropped the shears and the roses when she saw Jim standing there, meeting him halfway across the terrace.

Gibbs had already left again, driving back across town to Tim and Lina's. Lina was resting today but he was treating his daughter and son-in-law to a late lunch and some sightseeing. With the Mallards and Penny in Athens meeting Geordie and Rob for lunch and then some shopping, and the kids over at the Russells, his leaving meant the Admiral and Captain and their wives could have some privacy for the afternoon. He took Sarah and James for lunch at a small café he liked down near the harbor. Norm had introduced him to it and he'd been a few times on his own, the atmosphere reminded him a little of his favorite diner back home. After they ate, they hopped on the Metro for some sightseeing in Athens, returning to Piraeus just ahead of the afternoon commute. They were pulling into the driveway at Tim and Lina's when Jethro's phone buzzed. It was a text from Jim saying they'd be joining them at the MMA class and Flying Pig that night and aside from Tim and if they didn't yet know, it would be great to surprise the 'kids'. Counting heads, Gibbs made a quick call to the FP to make sure the back room was available. Listening in, Sarah and James were impressed with Poppy's command of the Greek language; he was speaking quickly, seemingly comfortable with the words. They told him so when he was done and he laughed, "Helps to be dating a woman who's lived here for more than 20 years! Rhea's been a great help."

They went into the house, finding Lina just getting ready. When they arrived at the studio, James and Sarah were mesmerized with the activity going on. Tim was working with Bec and the two were battling fiercely. Gibbs noted that the two were well matched and watched with interest. When the door opened behind them, Lina turned expecting to see Damian, Geordie or Evander. She smiled when Liz, Claire and the children walked in with Penny and the Mallards and then she stared in disbelief when her husband's godfather and uncle joined them. Sarah turned to see what Lina was looking at and squealed as she tackled her uncles. The fun continued as Lina and James welcomed the newcomers and then Geordie and Rob walked in. Geordie was particularly hard to surprise, understandably so given his occupation but James had his phone ready and snapped a photo of Geo's very surprised face when he spotted the Admiral and Captain. He snapped to attention and his arm was heading for a salute as the two men pulled their Lieutenant and Doctor nephews into their arms.

Dinner at the Flying Pig was as convivial as ever that evening although with Ainsley and Callum in attendance, the others were more conscious of their language and what stories were told. Tim demanded to know who'd been in on the secret and looked at his dad who just grinned. Dave and Jim had a good time relaying and embellishing their ideas to take time off and join the party but as it turned out the steps the Admiral had taken were pretty impressive. He'd managed to trade for a berthing in Marseille and called in the favor owed from the SecNav. While he and the Captain were here, their XO was in command and the Baton Rouge crew was enjoying liberty in France, a win-win situation for everyone.

After they left the pub, the evening continued back at the big house as Sarah and James, who were leaving with Penny in the morning, were reluctant to part with the family. The group made plans to return for the Christmas holiday and finally Tim stood. "This has been wonderful, but we need to get home; don't forget Lina's sleeping for two these days." James nearly had to drag his wife to the car but finally the four of them headed home.

After having said goodbye the night before, the Londoners joined Penny the next morning as they headed to the airport for their flight to the UK. Penny would stay for a couple of months in a rental flat before departing for a series of lectures in Northern Europe and then she'd head back to Greece to await the birth of her great grandchild.

XXX

The officers' vacation flew by as they explored Greece with their families. Claire and Jim melded beach and pool days with sightseeing and learning about ancient and modern Greece. They were occasionally joined by the others but the Cranes also slipped away for a romantic visit to Nafplion. Before the end of their liberty, Jim and Claire also took a few days away for some private time while Ainsley and Callum stayed with their grandparents. The McGee siblings spent time with them as their schedules allowed and to the officers' great delight, the Russells threw a party over the weekend to celebrate the Gibbs' adoption and their visit. All in all, the Admiral and the Captain thoroughly enjoyed their time in Greece.

After their departure, the Hubbards and Liz flew to Thessaloniki where they spent several days with the northern branch of the Kalivas family. They enjoyed the sites, loved the beaches and just exploring the area.

XXX

Lina's ultrasound was scheduled for the 17th of July, a Friday and Tim went to the appointment with her as he'd been doing throughout her pregnancy. They were excited and hopeful they'd be able to find out if the baby was a girl or boy but mostly they just wanted to see their child. After much discussion, starting that day on the beach on Santorini, they had come to a tentative conclusion that they wanted to know the gender and they would share with their family and friends.

The doctor laughed softly as the ultrasound proceeded. "Hmm, the sprout doesn't seem to want to play along here." She pointed to the screen, "There's the head and arms and feet, everything looks good, heart's doing well. But until Baby decides to move those legs or give us a full frontal we're not going to be able to tell." She worked for a few minutes and then shook her head. "Hope you like surprises!"

Tim and Lina smiled at each other as Lina replied, "We really wanted to see our child, now she or he is more real to us. We don't mind waiting to find out what gender it is!"

The doctor smiled at them, "That's refreshing to hear! It's become routine for expectant parents to find out and to want to know but I've also noticed a trend back to 'we don't mind a surprise'."

Tim chuckled, "We really don't care."

Lina nodded, "We tease each other, I want a boy like Tim and he wants a girl like me, but we hope to have more children and really, who can tell if a child will be like either parent?"

They left the doctor's in good spirits. Tim remarked, "That's weird, we thought we'd come to an agreement about that but I'm almost relieved."

Lina nodded, "Me too."

"What do you think of sending out a message to everyone that says we've decided not to be told the baby's gender?"

"Hmm, otherwise people will be asking us constantly?"

He nodded, "Asking you constantly, I would think."

"In that case, yes, that is a good idea. That will help!"

They were in the end, happy to receive supportive replies to their message once it went out. Gibbs called them to say "We didn't know if Kelly was going to be a boy or girl and it seems to me that was part of the fun of being expectant parents." He chuckled, "And these days, I don't think it matters as much; I'm buying a fishing pole and baseball bat for my grandchild whatever gender it is!"

The following week, the last Saturday in July, found Tim and Lina at the airport awaiting the arrival of the Palmers. They spotted Stevie first as he was riding on Jimmy's shoulders and squealed when he saw them. "Unca Tim, Aunty Weena! Daddy…look, they're waitin' for us!" As they stood in line at Customs, Ethan jumped up and down hoping to see them. Laughing, Jimmy put Stevie down and picked Ethan up so he could also wave to the McGees. Once through Customs, the boys raced to their aunt and uncle and were swept up in Uncle Tim's arms, making sure to keep Stevie's dancing feet away from Lina. Jimmy, Breena and baby Violet made their way over. Violet was asleep and Breena explained she'd had a dose of baby Benadryl to get her through the landing process. More hugs and kisses were exchanged and Breena grinned at Lina as she saw her baby bump. "Hi baby!" She leaned in, "I brought you a couple of things to wear."

"Oh thank you! I'm planning on making a couple of outfits but I haven't had time."

Breena just nodded, "Get used to that feeling."

Lina shrugged, "That's what Carla and Eva say too."

They loaded the luggage and the kids into the car and headed back to Piraeus and the McGees' home where the Palmers would be staying. Jimmy, Breena and Violet were to have the master suite while the boys would be in the room Sarah had stayed in and Lina and Tim had moved to the downstairs bedroom for the duration. That way they wouldn't disturb their visitors when they rose early for work and the baby wouldn't keep them awake. When Tim protested that they should get used to that, Jimmy gently told him to get all the sleep he could before their own child arrived. The triplets had recently moved to toddler beds and Violet would be sleeping in one of their cribs.

That first day they stayed close to home. Violet woke long enough to have a bottle and then fell back to sleep; after they all had a bite to eat Lina stayed with the baby while the others went for a walk. When they returned Jimmy, Breena and Stevie went upstairs for a nap while Ethan was of course, wide awake. He swam with Tim and Lina for awhile, finally tiring out. After drying him off, Tim took him upstairs to tuck him in for a nap despite the young man's protests that he wasn't sleepy.

That night the family gathered for dinner at the big house; the boys very happy to see their grandparents, aunties Claire and Liz, Uncle Gibbs and cousins Callum and Ainsley. Gram and Grandfa were overjoyed to see them and realized that for once they had all but one of their grandchildren together in one place, Sarah being the exception.

When Grandfa said that, Geordie chuckled, saying, "I miss Sarah, but I'm just glad it's not me that's still absent!"

Lina again had Monday off and spent it sightseeing with the Palmers; the first stop was the NCIS office. When Ethan wanted to ride a skateboard down the hill, Jimmy's eyes widened while Breena laughed and said, "You need to get on a skateboard first, Ethan!"

Lina added, "Unfortunately skateboards are not allowed on the public streets here, Ethan." He made a little face and then smiled; he got to swim every day here, either in a pool or ocean; who cared about an ol' skateboard! He poked his dad, "As long as we get to swim every day, huh Dad?!" Jimmy grinned and ruffled his son's hair.

Seeing the office was a big hit with both boys. They remembered everyone from the wedding and the fun before it, although Tim thought Stevie was just agreeing with and echoing his big brother in his memories. He figured his memories were probably pretty much anchored to the beach, playing with Tad, Dimitri and Zander. Ethan remembered about Eva's baby and asked about him, much to his parents' delight. Eva was off that day but had dropped in for lunch with Athos, specifically to see the Palmers. As it happened, both Violet and Athos were awake and they had a good time staring at each other, experimenting with noises and squirming around on a blanket placed in the shady garden while their families and friends ate lunch. Pete took photos claiming, "When they're dating 20 years from now, you'll want evidence that they actually met as babies at NCIS: Athens." Eva and Breena smiled at each other.

Ethan spotted the 'close board' in the kitchen and had to look at each one, giving Uncle Tim, Bec and Matt a fist bump for each of the closed cases. The boys had been aboard the Navy Yard; they'd seen the squad room and the lab, but not Autopsy. Ethan had recently visited his Slater grandparents' mortuary and knew his mom and dad both did something with dead people but the 'something' was left intentionally vague. Now as he watched his son read through the closed cases posted on the board, Jimmy wondered if Ethan would understand a little more about what he did. He knew that Uncle Tim and the others busted bad guys for doing bad things, like killing people, and didn't seem to have a problem with it. Was it such a stretch to tell his son that he was part of the team, that what he did also helped find the bad guys? He resolved to talk with Ducky, Gibbs and Tim about it. Maybe they were making too much of it, they should just show the boys, or at least Ethan, the Autopsy suite, empty of guests, and let him adjust to the idea.

After lunch, they went off to the Benaki where Athos' dad took them on a personal tour. The Palmers were still jet lagged so the museum was their sightseeing for the day although they did stop for ice cream on the way back. Once they were home, everyone went down for a nap, including Lina, and then for a quick swim after waking up. They got dressed again for their trip to the MMA studio and dinner at the Flying Pig. Ethan clearly remembered that from their visit last year and asked his Uncle Gibbs and Uncle Tim if they still had their beer lists.

Tim shook his head, "No, I'm not doing that anymore, Ethan. Aunty Lina can't have any beer until after the baby is born, so I'm not having any either." Ethan just nodded. Gibbs was relieved he didn't pursue the list with him as he didn't want to set a bad example. Apparently the others had the same idea as everyone ordered non-alcoholic beverages that evening.

Lina dropped Tim off at the office the next morning so that the Palmers could have the big car for the day. And that was the pattern they followed for their visit, swimming, sightseeing with the children, trips to the beach and on the weekend a trip to Aegina. They were joined by the Grands, uncles, aunts and cousins and as a special surprise, Tad with his parents and Alexis. They flew down from Thessaloniki for the weekend, much to everyone's delight. Trina couldn't make it, but Pete hopped on the ferry with his kids and most of the NCIS crew. Jimmy loved seeing that the friendship he'd seen between Tim and his team at the wedding was a full time thing; that this group did indeed work and play well together.

Much to everyone's dismay, time passed all too quickly and summer was drawing to an end for the Hubbard and Palmer children. School in the DC area would start in mid August and their enchanted time in Greece would come to an end the week before that. None of them wanted to leave but at least the visitors were traveling together. The Hubbards, Liz, Mallards and Palmers were all on the same flight from Athens. However, Gram and Grandfa were only flying as far as London where they'd stop off to spend more time with Sarah and James. They were excited about that as they'd be staying with Penny in her flat.

They had one last family dinner the night before the flight home. After tearful goodbyes, Tim pulled Gibbs aside, "You're not going anywhere."

"Huh?"

"You need to stay here, with me, with us. I can't lose you too."

Gibbs pulled his son's head down and kissed his forehead, "I know I was talking about going to the States for a few weeks, but I'm not. Not going anywhere kiddo. Not until our baby is on the outside, probably not even after that. Except for Athens, is that all right?"

Tim huffed, "Yeah, I guess."

"We'll do something for my birthday, how's that?"

Tim's face brightened, "Oh yeah!" He shook his head, chuckling, "Can't believe it's almost a year since you were here for your birthday. You walked off the plane using a cane. Now look at you!"

"Healthier than ever, happier than ever, got me the best passel of kids anyone's ever had and the sweetest woman I've ever met. And I'm gonna be a granddad soon!"

The two continued their farewells to the others, each considerably cheered after their chat. Most of them would be back for Christmas this year, although sadly not the Palmers. In the meantime, there was a big surprise ahead for Poppy's birthday and just thinking about it cheered Tim up again even though it was nearly three weeks away.


	147. Chapter 147

Note: See my profile for disclaimer.

Note2: Haven't said this is far too long but thanks to everyone who's hanging in there still reading this saga!

Note3: For those of you who are watching S12 or don't mind **spoilers** make sure you read the note at the end of the chapter.

* * *

><p>Lina had been afraid that she and Tim would find life awfully dull with the departure of the summer visitors; however once they'd gotten past the first couple of days, she noticed they were focusing on other things, mostly the baby. While Poppy and her father finished work on the baby furniture, Rhea was using the photos taken over the summer to create the family 'sea creature' painting. Jethro helped her plan the placement of the creatures and they had a lot of fun plotting it out. She'd sketched the creatures onto three large pieces of canvas and was currently painting in the bodies. The faces would go on last. She'd decided to use three separate canvases for two very practical reasons: one, they'd fit through a standard doorway and two, if more creatures needed to be added on later, a fourth canvas would be easier to deal with than finding space on a completed canvas.<p>

Over the summer Claire, Maisie and Margaret had spent hours on Skype and in person, coordinating the baby's layout. Lina was quite sure their child would be as well kitted out as any prince or princess. Knowing her father and father-in-law, the baby would sleep in the best made, most beautiful crib, have diapers changed on the best changing table and be rocked to sleep in the best rocker ever made. She and Tim had finally picked the color they wanted for the room, a soft green and their brothers and Matt would be painting the room in the next month or so, after Poppy's birthday. She grinned; she couldn't wait for his birthday! After last year's workbench surprise, they'd wondered what they could to top that but in the end, the idea presented itself.

In the meantime, her husband and his siblings were working on the finishing touches to their book before they sent it to the publisher. They'd finished the writing and were now painstakingly editing before they put their creation in the mail although it would be almost another year before the book was seen by the public. Tim told her he thought the hardest part was waiting for Sarah, Rob and Geordie to select their Gemcity names.

"Honestly sweetie, I thought I'd die of old age before they settled on their names. Geordie went through every Marine acronym in existence before he realized that not everyone is a Marine; too many people wouldn't get the joke. Then he went for silly, going for names like "Groucho" Gemcity…oh, that was an actor and comedian back in the early to mid 20th century, then he thought of PBJ, which typically means Peanut Butter and Jelly but decided that was too dumb. He finally settled on Mork Q Gemcity."

"Mork sounds familiar…but what does it mean?"

Tim smiled, "'Mork' is a TV character played by the late Robin Williams, it's a tribute to his brilliance and I think Geordie threw the 'Q' in as a tribute to the James Bond franchise or just to make the name sound stranger."

"And Rob?"

"Ah, my brotherly son…let's see, he started out with TJ for Thom Jr., then he moved on to Doc, but thought that was too plain. That changed to JustPlainDoc and he may still go with that one but right now he's going with DucDoc."

"Ducdoc? Duc for Ducky, meaning Mallard and Doc. It's odd but it's not too bad."

"No, although I like JPD or another one he came up with, JPTJ."

"That's a mouthful! I'm afraid to ask about Sarah."

"It's my favorite. She chose Sassmuth because when she was a kid, I used to call her sass mouth."

Lina laughed, "She's still a sass mouth, that's wonderful! Hmm, I like all of them."

"I know; I wish I could change from Thom to something more exciting."

"Would they allow it?"

He shook his head, "Nope, a sense of humor doesn't really do well in the publishing world."

"Ah well, you're stuck with your clever anagram then."

He smiled as he gathered her in his arms and kissed her deeply. They'd definitely been enjoying their time alone since all the visitors departed and that evening was no different. Tim scooped his bride into his arms, carrying her upstairs to show her just how much he loved and appreciated her. She loved that he was even more attentive to her than he had been the first time they made love and she thought she'd died and gone to heaven then! They knew each other so well now, inside and out and their lovemaking demonstrated that. Tonight they were upstairs but yesterday morning they'd been in the kitchen with her perched on the counter. He was very inventive, her lover, and she was happy to find that her pregnant body pleased him and was pleased by him in endless ways. He laughed when she told him that, "For me it's always been about the way you wear your skin, my love. You live in it, you're happy with your body, happy with your soul and it shows. You're the most complete person I've ever met and now that includes the way pregnancy is changing your body. How could I not find that sexy?"

She'd been reading the siblings' book before the Gemcity name conversation started and she laughed softly the next morning when she found it on the floor of the living room, the pages a bit crumpled. She straightened them out, glad it was a copy, and settled into her favorite chair to resume reading.

When Tim walked in the front door of the office that morning, the front desk was empty although he saw that Tea's personal belongings were there. That was not uncommon, they often gathered in the kitchen before the office officially opened for the day. He dumped his pack at his desk and kept on going. He grinned when he saw that both Eva and Carla were in today; that meant something good was up. Then he looked at Tea. Normally a happy person, today she was positively lit up. She held up her right hand and he saw a ring, a new ring. "Engaged, excuse me, betrothed?"

She nodded, smiling happily and Tim gave her a brotherly hug.

"Congratulations, this is wonderful news!"

"Thank you! The contractors finally got the funding they needed and Adan got the landscaping job on Aegina, it will last at least a year. It is only now that he's felt financially able for us to marry."

"Ooh, double congratulations then! Is he coming in for lunch today?"

"Not today, he has a meeting with the contractor. He will try for Friday."

"That's good, we can plan ahead."

Kim finally spoke, "When you came in we were asking her if they've set the date."

"We have an appointment at the church Thursday night and we'll set the date then. We don't want to wait, I want to be married as soon as possible, I'm hoping for September or early October. Adan will commute to the island unless the seas are bad then he will stay in the room they have for him there. We'll find a place here in Piraeus so both of us will be closer to work." She looked at Kim and then the others, "We called Evander last night to ask for his help in finding a place. We didn't tell him of our betrothal but Kim figured it out and asked Carla to come in."

They heard the front door opening and Pete's voice, "Hey, where are you all? No fair partying without me!"

They laughed as he joined them, "Ok, what's up?" When he saw Tea's ring, he beamed as he pulled her in for a hug. "Happy for you!"

She repeated what she'd told the others. While she was talking Tim and Eva got everyone's favorite beverages, napkins and forks while Bec and Matt got plates and put the pastries Kim brought in on a platter. The group sat around the table for a few minutes enjoying their treats and celebrating the news. With a nod from Tim, Carla opened the office at 8, bringing the phone to the table, allowing the team to have a few extra minutes together.

By the time Friday rolled around, Tea and Adan's lunch had moved to the Russells' over the weekend. They'd caught a case Monday afternoon that kept them on the run most of the week. By Thursday they'd known the who and the why and brought their suspect in for questioning. Although unable to obtain a confession, they had enough physical evidence for a solid case against him. JAG arrived early Friday afternoon and hauled him off to Naples. By the time the suspect was out of their hands, it was mid-afternoon. Tim looked at Pete and they smiled. Until Tim said, "You know if you're going to cede control then we need to roll the phone to my cell."

Pete disagreed and there was a rather intense discussion before Tim laughed, "All right, I give! I know, you're right, once I'm in there won't be any leeway but geez Pete! It's not like Vance doesn't know what you're up to!"

Pete shrugged, "Not worried about him, I just want you to enjoy your freedom while you can. Between children and the corner office, things are going to change drastically and keep changing. Handling a case is one thing…and…you know what? Let's get them on their way and then we have something else we need to talk about."

"All right."

The two of them walked out into the office, "Tea, please roll the phone over to Pete's cell. And then go - everyone! Great job this week, we've closed another one and this one has all our names on it, wonderful teamwork! Feds, you know the drill, no alcohol and stay within an hour's drive until 1700."

Waving as they went, Kim led the way out of the office. Tim and Pete returned to Pete's office. "So…"

"You've been lead on our cases, now it's time for the administrative stuff. You know part of it but it's time to add the rest of it. I think we should just swap desks."

Tim looked horrified, "No way!"

Pete wasn't horribly surprised and reverted to Plan B. "Ok, no swapping desks. But I want you to be the SAIC from now on. You'll take point on everything – cases, personnel, all the administrative things. I'm only here for a few more months Tim. At some point I'll make an announcement but my stop date is March 1st."

Tim sat down rather heavily.

"You didn't expect it?"

The younger man shook his head, "Expecting is one thing and yeah, I know you've told me. But hearing you say an actual date, what you're asking to do, that's another."

"You survived Gibbs' retirement."

"From the field and he was moving here…it's different…sorta."

"Tim."

Tim looked up to find his friend sitting across from him. "Do you have any doubts that you can do this job?"

"No, you've been teaching me since you met me at the airport two years ago."

"Then let me continue. Kim does a wonderful job of office manager but you will still need to be the ultimate authority, the SAIC."

Tim nodded, he knew that. He sat quietly and Pete sat back waiting. Finally Tim looked up, "So you want us to fully swap jobs?"

"Yep."

"Ok, but we're not swapping desks - that would just be too weird."

"All right. I really just wanted to get your attention with that and it worked."

Tim gave him a half smile for that. "And we tell the others, you need to let them in on it. Maybe it's too soon to let Vance know but our team needs to know."

"Tim."

Tim sighed, "Isn't this kind of presumptuous? It's the Director's job to appoint a new SAIC."

Pete shrugged, "Unless you leave the agency between now and March, the job is yours and that's not just me sayin' it."

Tim nodded his acceptance of that and despite his protests he wasn't horribly surprised. "Does this happen a lot?"

"Mentoring, pre-selection?" Tim nodded.

"Probably the second or third time I've seen it. Joel wanted Lydia to take over London but she changed her mind that last month, wanted to go home. And you've seen it before. Your new brother was the 'heir apparent' for years on your old team."

Tim nodded, "You're right, I hadn't thought about that."

Pete pursed his lips, "Morrow wanted Vance to succeed him in the Directorship."

"But Shepard…"

"From what I understand she pretty much forced her way in and as much of a mess as that ended up being, it still gave Leon an invaluable few more years of experience."

Tim nodded, "Gave him more family time too."

"Yep and that's a good thing considering what happened to Jackie later. So, what are your thoughts on your team once you do move in here?"

"I want Bec as my SFA and Matt as our senior."

"You'll be short one agent."

"Yeah. I've thought about the TADs we had or the other agents we interviewed two years ago, but that doesn't seem like it would be fair to Matt and besides, they'll have gone on. We'll make a new list; find someone coming off their probie year that is willing to move to Greece." He paused, "Bec probably won't stay more than another year or two though. She'll want a bigger office and move on to her own team."

"That ok?"

"Yes, we've known from the start that she's career oriented. So is Matt but he won't leave here unless Damian is ready to move too."

"And Geordie?"

"Don't know, just trusting that the two of them have it figured out. I'd hate for his heart to be broken."

"And how long do you think you'll be here?"

"Mm, three more years."

"I think it'll be less than that."

"Wha…?"

"This is my own conjecture; I haven't spoken with Leon about it so it truly is speculation. Joel wants to take early retirement, probably in another 3-4 years and he's about to swap offices with Blumquist so he'll be retiring from San Diego. However, he's not going to hand over the reins to just anyone, he wants you." Pete chuckled, "He tried to pull your orders for Greece - did you know that?"

Shocked, Tim just shook his head. "No and why is he swapping offices?"

"Long story, boils down to Blumquist being a former Marine and he's always wanted Pendleton and Vance – and Joel - agreed that it made more sense for him to take Pendleton. But Joel's predecessor at Pendleton needed to retire quickly, his wife was very ill and the San Diego team had a complex case that Blumquist didn't feel he could leave. So he and Joel worked it out, Joel would take Pendleton until the case was settled. It has been and they're about ready to do the swap."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, that's something, huh? So back to your orders - Joel really wanted you as his junior – and that's the real reason Lydia was bitchy to you that first time you met. Miller was just barely cutting it although until Italy they'd still hoped she might have some potential. Julian had done fine but he thought they were losing him and he told me he'd throw them both overboard for a chance to have you on his team. Lucky for me Vance refused. He wanted you here with me to give you a chance to prove yourself to…well to yourself really, the rest of us had no doubts. And he wanted you to have some fun; he knew how things had been for you on Gibbs' team. Wow, that's hard to think now…that your dad and that hardass Marine are the same guy." Tim smiled and Pete continued. "Vance wants you back in the States in a couple of years. And you can't go from Greece straight to one of the larger offices, there has to be something in between to prepare you. What I think will happen is that you'll be posted as Team Lead to a subordinate office of a larger office…like Lydia was. There are a couple that have their own satellite offices, so my guess is one of them, that will give you experience in managing multiple teams. A year or two at that, then Joel or Blumquist retires and the office is yours."

Tim's eyebrows were nearly at his hairline. "You've got it all figured out."

"There's more."

"No, please Pete, don't go there."

"It's not so different from what Leon did."

"After Greece…"

"They went to Great Lakes for a couple of years, then out to California to San Diego. After he stepped up as SAIC for the San Diego offices, he was made Assistant Director and you know the rest."

Tim blinked his eyes. "Wow."

"Yep. So start looking for your probie-almost- junior, if we need to transfer him or her in before March 1st, we'll need to do some fancy footwork with the boss." He mused, "But that would work well, he or she could be in place and functional while you're out on paternity leave."

"Ok, stop, I need to think about all this."

Pete snorted, "Yes, I know young Jedi Master; that's why I pulled you in here on a Friday afternoon."

They talked for a few more minutes before heading out. Tim kept thinking of all the changes that had happened to him in the last two years, he had a wonderful life here and yet he'd always known this wouldn't be forever. Then he shook it off, he'd set aside some time over the weekend, he and Lina would talk about things but right now he just wanted to get home to his bride.

The Russells' party on Saturday was a lot of fun as always and many toasts were drunk to the future of the newly betrothed couple. The wedding date was set for October 18th at the church Tea attended in Athens. Adan's sister would be her honor attendant and Tea's brother would be Adan's best man. At the couple's request, the 'dance troupe' would be resurrected and would perform at their wedding. Lina couldn't join them, but Eva could and this time around Matt could fully participate. Damian, Geordie, Tim, Caleb, Evander, Kim and the kids were all in and Pete, Trina and Rob wanted to join, so grabbing a calendar they scheduled several practices.

It wasn't until Sunday that Tim and Lina had time to sit down and talk about Pete's predictions. Lina agreed when she heard what he'd said, she felt this is what Vance had had in mind for her husband all along.

Tim shook his head, "I guess I just hadn't thought of it in specific terms like that. Sure, we'd be posted back to the States and probably have a couple more postings, and I know you've said all along that Vance has me picked as his successor, but that's down the road. Or it was. It seems like Pete's retirement is the first step on that road."

"It won't happen all at once, my love."

"You're right and that's what I've been thinking - that it's all coming at us at once." He took a deep breath, "You always help get my head straight my darling wife." She gave him a wicked smile as she pulled him closer for a kiss.

On his run Monday morning Tim thought about Ned Dorneget. They hadn't had a case with London all year and after seeing him at Sarah's wedding, they hadn't had a chance to speak again. He wondered. When he got to work, he went straight into Pete's office. "Uh oh, problem?"

"Nope, question or discussion."

"Shoot."

"Thinking of approaching one of Winters' team about making a lateral. That means we have to go through Winters."

"Yep. You thinking of Ned uh…?"

"Dorneget."

"Very nice, also Gibbs trained."

"He's had training from both of Gibbs' last two teams…me, DiNozzo, David, Barnes and Wilson…along with Boss of course."

Pete chuckled, "Haven't heard you call him that in a long time."

Tim grinned. "Seemed appropriate." He continued, "Two things. One, how Winters will react and two, Matt. Ned's been with the agency longer but Matt's been a field agent longer, including his probie year."

"Dorneget wasn't a field agent during his probie year?"

"Nope, he started in 2011 during the recession; most of the probies had to be cut, he was one of the few that were saved but he wasn't posted to a team until Gibbs' team re-formed."

"I vaguely remember discussing this when we were looking for Bec."

"Yeah, I didn't think it was fair to post him to another TAD."

"Oh right. So what do you have in mind?"

"Matt needs to know that he has field agent seniority. I don't want him thinking he's taken a step back if we bring Ned in. On the other hand, what incentive do we have for Ned to make a lateral move?"

"Better weather for one thing."

Tim laughed, "Believe it or not, I thought of that!"

"Cost of living is far less expensive here."

"Yeah, it's less and we're paid at the same grade." He realized something and gave himself a headslap.

"What the he…?"

"I'm an idiot! The first thing we need to know is how he's doing in London, whether he'd even be interested. And I'm the one with the brother-in-law in the same office – they're friends! I'll see if I can talk with James in the next few days, find out what's happening with Ned."

"James good at keeping his mouth shut?"

Tim snorted, "Oh yeah."

"Ok, so what do you want to do next?"

"Have a staff meeting; let them know what's happening but not about bringing in another junior. And let's not talk with Matt or Bec until you've told Vance. And then when we're ready, promote Matt to a senior. I know it's not done that often, but in this case I think it's warranted and necessary. In the meantime I'll talk with James and start looking for other candidates."

"Staff meeting today?"

"Phone's quiet."

"Good point, we'd better get to it!"

Tim called everyone to the big table and he and Pete told them what was going on, leaving out Pete's proposed retirement date. There was silence after they finished and the two men looked at their team and then at each other wondering what they'd missed.

Bec cleared her throat, "Pete, are you retiring or is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong! As I said, I want Tim to be as ready as possible. And yeah, sorry we didn't mention that I will be retiring. It's not official yet, I won't be notifying the Director for another few weeks but figure March 1st next year."

Now they smiled and Kim said, "Sorry guys, you scared us. We know you're grooming Tim for your job Pete, that's nothing new. Having a date, that's new."

Tim huffed, "He told me last year he wouldn't retire until after my first child was born and past the 'scary' stage!"

Eva nodded, "At three or four months then, when they're not quite as helpless."

Pete smiled at her, "Exactly!"

The rest of the day passed quietly. Toward the end of the afternoon Matt found a new lead in a five year old money laundering cold case originally handled by Rota. While he and Bec put their heads together on that, Tim slipped out to the garden to call James.

His brother-in-law answered almost immediately, "Tim, everything all right? You don't usually call during work hours!"

"Yes, sorry to startle you! Need to pick your brain about something."

"Sure."

Tim told him what they were thinking about and asked him how Ned was doing.

"Huh. If you'd asked me a few weeks ago I would have said he's doing great. But then his boyfriend dumped him for some rich guy and poor Ned's been miserable. He's stayed with us a few times, they were living together - did you know that?"

"No, I didn't. At your wedding he said he was dating someone, I hadn't realized it was serious."

"Serious to him at least, yeah. We men are pigs, aren't we?"

"I hope you and I aren't but yep, some of us sure are."

"To make it worse, he sees him every morning on the train in to work."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. So if you can help him, that'd be great. I know he's well thought of among the field team."

"That's good to know. All right, that tells me he might be willing to make a move here…but this has to stay between you and me, ok?"

"No Sarah?"

"Nah, she's ok, she's good with secrets, but no one else."

"Ok bro." They talked for a few minutes more before Pete opened the kitchen door and gestured to Tim, it was time for the Director's call; Matt and Bec were joining them this week.

Vance updated them on a case being handled in the Pacific Rim/Far East offices that might have a European connection, cautioning them to get up to speed on the case but that they likely wouldn't know until later in the week whether they'd be involved.

After the call, they did their stretches and headed off to class. It wasn't until Tuesday afternoon that Tim and Pete finally had time to talk about future agents again. In the meantime Tim had pulled together a short list of other candidates and was starting to do some research. By Thursday, DC let them know there was a European connection for the Pacific Rim case but they hadn't narrowed down the locations. In the meantime, all four European offices were carefully following the case notes online as quickly as the lead field agents input them. London was on call that weekend with Athens on backup so if the case got hot, they'd be in on it. Tim was torn, he wanted to take part in whatever was going to happen but he also hated the idea that he wouldn't get to see Gibbs' face when the surprise was presented to him. He wasn't sure what to think when he got a call Thursday. "Just wanted to confirm everything."

"No problems?"

"Nope, it's all good."

"Great!"

His next call was from his dad. "Special Agent McGee, I've got volunteers lined up if that case hits here. We've already got 3 of the Pacific Rim and Far East offices staffed, sending a couple more in there and holding the rest for Europe."

"That's good, I was just thinking about that."

"If it's a go, they'll transport on Monday."

"Commercial or Air Marine?"

His dad chuckled, "Like that…yeah, Air Marine. I've got three earmarked for you."

"Ok, we have two rooms at the office, so we'll need a room for the third person."

"Got extra rooms here."

"Good, thanks. Pete know?"

"I followed protocol but he just said to call you."

Tim snorted. "Of course."

They left work that Friday night feeling a little uneasy. Although they weren't officially on call, Tim asked that the field agents stay within an hour's drive of the office; make sure they had their go bags stocked for a multi-day operation and to generally behave as if they were on call, meaning keeping any alcoholic intake to a minimum or better yet, abstain altogether. The first and last caveats applied to Kim as well. They still had no idea where this case would take them, for all they knew it would be in their own jurisdiction.

Saturday morning Tim and Lina hopped in the SUV and drove to Athens, keeping their fingers crossed that the case wouldn't break today. They happily completed their task and returned to Piraeus bearing Gibbs' birthday surprise. They pulled into the driveway of the big house and Tim turned off the engine.

* * *

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** WARNING: SPOILER for Season 12, episode 1**

** SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER **

In the episode "Twenty Klicks", there is a scene close to the beginning set in the bullpen with Gibbs, Bishop, McGee and DiNozzo. Gibbs tells them he is taking one of them to Russia to retrieve Kevin Hussein. Bishop wants to go but Gibbs tells her the operation is rated for 'senior' agents only, so she is not eligible. McGee goes with Gibbs…which means that McGee is now ranked as a senior agent! NOT Senior Field Agent, that's still DiNozzo. Oh those clever writers, they have ways of dropping in pertinent information when we least expect it! YAY, Tim had a promotion at some point! We'll probably never know when, but I'm thinking it must have happened before he turned down the job in Okinawa in "Life Before His Eyes"; the position he declined seems like it would have been a huge jump for a junior agent! Obviously this happened too late for me to incorporate it into Finding Home for Tim, but I can certainly use it for Matt. Thanks to HarmonFreak who caught the comment and mentioned it to me so we could do our fangirl squealing together. And then I re-watched the episode so I could enjoy the moment (and all the other McGee and Gibbs moments) for myself.


	148. Chapter 148

Gibbs returned from his run, had a shower and was just finishing his breakfast smoothie when his phone rang. He frowned when he saw the caller id as it was way too early…or very late. Shrugging, he picked up the phone. "Hey DiNozzo, you're up late!"

"Yeah, late…early, weird. So what are you up to this beautiful morning?"

"Just finished breakfast, going over to Tim and Lina's later for a swim…huh how'd you know it's a beautiful mor…hang on, someone's at the front door." Gibbs looked through the peephole but he only saw the back of a head, although it seemed familiar and his hand gave a funny little twitch. Curious but cautious, he quietly opened a drawer in a table next to the door and slid a weapon into his pocket. Then he opened the door. His jaw dropped as the man moved and turned into Tony. DiNozzo was standing on his doorstep. Blinking, he looked at his phone and the phone in Tony's hand. Then he put his phone in his pocket and pulled him into his arms, welcoming his eldest son. As they embraced, he heard DiNozzo's muffled voice, "Surprise and Happy Birthday!"

When they finally separated, Gibbs saw Maggie also standing there. He pulled her in too and they stood there for a few minutes before a voice behind him said, "Poppy, don't you want to let them into the house?" It was Lina, she and Tim had come in through the garage.

Lina had a new pot of coffee going and Tim pulled a jar of hazelnut creamer out of a bag he'd brought in with the luggage. They'd found the powdered creamer in the kitchen at work and figured Tony had left it there 18 months ago when he TAD'd while the team was in Germany. It was still good; the expiration date hadn't passed yet.

Gibbs, Maggie and Tony finally appeared in the kitchen, no doubt following their noses and were handed full mugs of fresh coffee. Tony thanked Tim when he saw his creamer while the other two took their first sips of the dark tar-like substance. Gibbs took a second sip and then turned to the two couples. "I can't believe you kept this from me! I mean, I'm right here."

Tim chuckled, "You've been busy, Dad, with the baby furniture, helping Rhea with the painting, work, the summer visitors."

"Nooo, I'm losing my touch, you pulled the adoption on me and I didn't know anything was up and now Tony and Maggie appear out of nowhere!"

Lina laughed, "This was a lot easier to get by you than the adoption!"

Gibbs made a face, "Ouch!"

"I simply meant there were fewer people involved and no one else here in Greece. Well, Damian and Geordie in case Tim got called into work today so I'm sure Matt and Bec know too."

"Not Rob?"

"Nope he's been caught up in exams, the Grands aren't here and the Ks are in Macedonia visiting Ariston and Paolo, so really it's just been us."

Gibbs looked from Tim to Tony, "Whose idea?"

The two younger men looked at each other and started laughing, while Maggie explained. "What I heard was that it was one of their conversations where one of them said, 'We should…' and the other one agreed. They probably don't even know who started it."

Both men nodded at Maggie and Gibbs pulled them both to him. "I thought the workbench last year was the best but this is even better!"

He let them go when Tony's stomach growled. Lina laughed, "Welcome to jet lag! Poppy, Tim put their luggage in the downstairs bedroom. Why don't we make some breakfast while you two get settled in?"

She kissed her father-in-law. "And then we have to go. You're coming for dinner tonight and go over to swim whenever you want, Poppy has a key."

"You two have plans?"

"Yes, it's your birthday and they're here to spend time with you! I'm dropping Tim at Rob's place and then I'm having lunch with Rhea. We'll be home before 4 so be there by then please."

Tim turned to Tony and Maggie, "You remember how to handle jet lag? Just let yourselves sleep a little, do something for awhile, maybe go for a drive or a swim, then nap, etc."

They nodded, smiling and Gibbs led them to their room. Lina sat in the family room at the front of the house while Tim cooked eggs and ham. The smell of eggs cooking was currently nauseating her although eating them once cooked and on a plate was perfectly fine. At their house, Tim had been cooking them in the microwave and that helped but he hadn't brought the little plastic omelette dish with him.

After breakfast, they hugged everyone goodbye for the afternoon and headed off to Athens, Tim's cell blessedly free of any calls to work. Checking his e-mail, he found a message from the lead office that they hadn't yet been granted one of the warrants they needed and it looked like they wouldn't have anything for the European offices until at least Monday. Tim forwarded the e-mail to his team and his dad, wanting them to relax and enjoy their weekends. Lina sighed happily when he told her. "Good, maybe there will be nothing for you after all."

Tony heard Gibbs exclaim and wandered back out to the kitchen. Maggie was asleep but he was too restless to settle in for a nap.

"What's up?"

"Message from Tim, here you can read it."

He read the note about the case and smiled, "That's good; at least everyone can enjoy the weekend." He paused, "We have permission from Vance to join the troops if it goes down while we're here and they need more agents."

Gibbs nodded, "Doesn't surprise me at all. Don't know what to hope, that it doesn't go down here at all or not during your vacation or that we just get it over with."

"You going in?"

"If they need me, Tim can reactivate my status again."

"Tim, not Pete?"

"Pete's handed over the reins; he and Tim have effectively switched jobs. I expect in another month or so he'll officially announce his retirement date." Gibbs snorted, "I wouldn't be at all surprised if the man goes a step further and swaps with Bec so she can get used to being SFA."

"So what's the delay in his retirement? The stock market?"

"No, it's simpler than that. He was Vance's SFA here back in the day, did you know that?" Tony nodded and Gibbs continued telling him why Pete was sticking around for a few months after the McGee baby was born.

"Huh, that's above and beyond."

"Yeah, he's a great guy, glad they're staying around. Speaking of staying around, you're staying for 2 weeks, right?"

Tony smiled, "Yes, Dad, we're flying out two weeks from today."

"Great! So other than the beach and pool, have any plans, anything you want to do?"

"Taste the Athens nightlife, do some sightseeing, we're hoping maybe you'd be up for a road trip…at least a day trip."

"Sounds good to me. The others will be able to tell you about their favorite clubs, you just have to figure out whose style and taste is closest to yours."

Tony laughed, "I think we have that figured out already, it's Geordie."

"For you or for Maggie?"

"Both. He's a little closer to me in age and he and Maggie are the same age and you know…both Marines. He and Bec are a little more middle of the road than the others."

"Nice analysis son!" Gibbs shook his head and reached out to ruffle his hair before remembering that DiNozzo was the only one of his kids that did not like having his hair ruffled. He settled for a one armed hug instead. Eventually they ended up in the garage so that Tony could see all the baby furniture.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" He looked around, "Where's the rocker? Tim mentioned it."

"It's over at the house already, Lina wanted to try it out, see if she wants cushions on it or not." He smirked, "It's in their living room right now and the chair she usually snuggles up in is on loan to Bec – something about Bec asking to keep the chair when she took Lina's old room at Dani's. Anyway, that chair is pretty deep and kind of plushy, guessing it was getting tough to get out of."

"Yeah, I've seen her on Skype but in person is different; she's very pregnant!"

"Yup, she's 6 ½ months now, not too much longer."

"And looking healthy."

"Yes and there haven't been any worrying cases so she's been fairly stress free." Gibbs tilted his head, "That's a big reason why I hope this Asian case turns into nothing for the European offices."

Tony was still examining the crib, "You're going to sign and date this, right?"

Gibbs grinned at him as he carefully turned the crib on its side and pointed to the bottom. "Ah…I see, Davos Kalivas and Leroy Jethro Gibbs, June 2015. And what's this…your handprints?"

"Yes, Lina asked us to do that, said it added a personal touch. She wants to add their prints and then the baby's. That's why the bottom isn't stained. Her plan is to add the baby's name and print and then when the next baby comes along, add that one."

"Nice idea…how many kids they plannin' on?"

Gibbs' eyes twinkled, "Let's just say you're going to have lots of practice at being Uncle Tony and Aunt Maggie."

When Tony finally felt like he could sleep, he joined Maggie and Gibbs sat down in front of his laptop to check his company e-mail. He found the expected "stand by til Monday" message from Vance and forwarded it to the volunteers he'd had on alert. Then he sat back, thinking about his life and how lucky he was, still experiencing shock waves from Tony and Maggie's arrival. He was happier here and now than at any time since he'd lost Shannon and Kelly. He and Rhea had a great relationship, they had a good time together, they were physically well matched, they talked about anything and everything and they were in love with each other. Someday they might get around to marrying but neither was in a hurry or felt a particular need to marry. She was a strong person but an altogether different type of strong from his ex-wives. He thought the way Tim described Lina also matched Rhea perfectly, she was comfortable in her own skin. And living near most of his kids was beyond wonderful. He treasured the moments he spent with each of them, knowing it wasn't likely they'd always live so close. Geordie had a few more years in the Corps but he'd follow Bec wherever she went and if that meant finishing his 20 in the reserves, so be it. Rob still planned to return to Baltimore to work in the clinic there. He and Sophia had ended their relationship a while back and Gibbs thought there was something else happening now but Rob hadn't confided in him. He thought he'd talked with Tim and that was fine, he'd been read in on the whole Timpa vs. brother situation and both he and Ducky had learned some lessons from that. Now that he was truly father to all of them and having learned those lessons, he would tread very lightly in any conflicts between the siblings and he'd spoken to each one about that. In the meantime, Ducky left for the States satisfied with Rob's health and his studies were going very well. Now Sarah and James…he couldn't wait to hear how the couple enjoyed their delayed honeymoon trip to the States. He knew they'd be given the royal treatment at NCIS, including a visit to the IT center, Cybercrimes and Autopsy if Jimmy didn't have guests and if they even wanted to see it. They'd also planned a lot of sightseeing; Ducky's friends at the Smithsonian would look out for them as they had for Tim and Lina during their first visit and they'd stay at Penny's, visit the Mallard and Hubbard homes and had a lot of interesting things planned. He wondered if they'd ever move to the U.S. It would be hard on James' parents if they left the UK but Gibbs had a hunch that when Tim and Lina left Greece, presumably for the U.S., that everyone else would eventually follow. He chuckled to himself; they could sell this house and find another one wherever Tim and Lina were posted. Maybe lease a house next time, he knew the Kalivas' would be frequent visitors and he would live there and visit Greece while Geordie and Rob were still here. Although they were family, not technically his kids, he wondered about Damian and Matt, thinking they might be the first ones to make a move. Damian's reputation as an up and coming architect was growing and he was doing more long distance work now, he could see that growing into travel and a possible move. He had a hard time picturing Tim's team without Matt – or Bec - but at some point it could happen.

Finally his thoughts moved back to Tony and Maggie. He'd been happy for them when they'd become engaged and he was still happy. He knew that kind of commitment was a huge leap for Tony after having a ringside seat to Senior's many failed relationships all these years, not to mention the Wendy and Jeanne fiascos. He was very proud of the man who had become his eldest son and told him so. If they were happy together, committed to each other and their relationship but never married, that was ok as far as he was concerned.

Shaking his head at his ponderings, he went about the rest of his morning routine. His surprise visitors slept for a few hours and then had a snack and decided that swimming and lounging around the pool at Tim and Lina's sounded like a great way to spend the afternoon. Gibbs grinned when they drove by the office and saw Matt's car in the lot, "I bet someone's catching up on his paperwork!" The other two laughed, understanding the need. He parked in the driveway and ushered them in the front door.

Neither visitor had been to the house in over a year so they roamed around looking at the changes, admiring Lina's artwork, their wedding photos and of course the rocker. Tony took the "Family" plaque down to look at it and felt a surge of love and security when he saw that he and Maggie were included. Gibbs took them upstairs to see the nursery although it didn't yet look like much. The room had been prepped for painting but the guys hadn't wanted to get started while they were on alert. The drop cloths covered the floor and the cans of paint were there, waiting. Rhea and Gibbs had marked the wall where the series of sea creature murals would hang and the family portrait hadn't been moved yet. It was now surrounded by the photos that had given Lily the model for the painting and they'd been framed. Maggie spent some time looking at the portrait and finally looked at Tony, "I'll bet Senior has something like this with you and your mom."

Tony nodded, "Let's ask him when we get home. We might have to go up there and go through the house or wherever he's got stuff stored but I'd like to know."

Eventually they made their way out to the pool. Tony and Maggie worked out the hours of sitting on the plane by doing dozens of laps, changing their swim style to make sure each muscle group was put to work. Gibbs joined them although he stuck to his normal routine in the pool and then grabbed the boogie board. When the other two tired, they climbed out and laid out on the poolside loungers. Tony found bottles of lemonade in the refrigerator and brought them out. The lamb dish slowly cooking to perfection was giving off wonderful smells and piqued their appetites once again. This time it was Gibbs' turn to forage and when he found the makings for Tim's favorite gyro pitas with a note attached urging them to help themselves he put them together and brought them outside.

Tim and Lina arrived home shortly after 3:00 and joined the others for a swim. Lina told them the buoyancy of the water did wonders for her back, helping to relieve the weight of the baby. Within an hour the others arrived and after greeting their father, brothers and sisters-in-law, jumped in the pool. Dinner was delicious and Gibbs couldn't help remembering his last birthday. He'd only been in Greece for 24 hours, was walking with a cane and the kids had surprised him with the workbench, there were more presents and, huh, that was funny, he hadn't even met Rhea yet! Now here they were a few days shy of a year later with so many wonderful changes in their lives.

XXX

Monday morning Tim woke very early and lay there trying to convince himself that he was not having a hunch. Finally he got up and went through his morning routine although he skipped his run. Lina was still sleeping when he was ready to leave so he woke her up. "Sweetheart, I think we're going to get the call out for the case this morning. I have my go bag stocked with extra clothes and we'll be fine, all of us! Dad's here, he'll keep you as up to date as he can. My sneaking suspicion is that we'll be home by the end of the week."

"All right, I'll do my best not to worry. I love you and I trust you to come home safely…and bust the bad guys!" He kissed her and they cuddled for a few minutes before he headed out. He'd already contacted Kim and asked her to come in early, not surprised to find her awake already. It was only 05:30, very early for both of them. He was the first in the office, called the others in, had the coffee going and was checking his e-mail when Kim walked in and his phone buzzed with a call from Vance. He put it on speaker, "Director."

"Sorry if I've woken you McGee, but it's time."

"Kim and I are at the office sir; you're on speaker. Where are we headed?"

"Poland and you'll be working with London; I'm e-mailing the details to you now. Kim, my next call is Gibbs - he'll have your TADs to you by tomorrow morning."

"Understood Director, thank you."

"Any idea how soon you can get there? I know you have to call everyone in."

The e-mail had arrived and Kim was reading it now. As Vance spoke the front door opened and Matt, Pete and Bec trooped in with their go bags.

"Kim's reviewing the details now and the rest of our Field team just walked in, Director."

"I should have known! All right, London has the lead; coordinate with Winters and send me a text when you've joined them."

"Will do."

"Good hunting, get this done and we'll have cut off a major source of funds for several terrorist groups."

Tim acknowledged that and the Director ended the call with "Stay safe!"

When he turned to the others, he saw that Kim was on the phone, probably with her counterpart in London, and was also online looking for flights. There really wasn't any other new information yet, so the four of them left their go bags at their desks and trooped into the kitchen. Pete looked at Tim, "Vance call you at home?"

"No, I woke up at 04:30 and had a hunch. Got ready, texted Kim and found she was already awake so we both came in and then I called you guys in. I was just checking my e-mail when Vance called."

His phone buzzed, "That's Gibbs, excuse me." He took the call and heard his father's voice, "I've got your 3 on 'Air Marine' leaving Anacostia-Bolling in 90 minutes; they'll be in Greece by tomorrow morning."

"Ok, would you please update Kim with their ETA when you have it?"

"Yeah and I thought I'd pick them up at the airfield, bring them to the office if that's all right."

"I'll let you two figure that out, as long as there are three qualified field agents here tomorrow morning, I'm good. Any cases coming in today will go to Rota or Marseille for 'triage' and unless it's a kidnapping or murder will likely wait until the TADs arrive for handling."

"Be safe all of you. Love you son."

"Back at you Dad, I know you'll help Lina and we'll be fine; I'm thinking we'll be home by the end of the week."

"Good!"

They disconnected and Tim found that Kim had made the arrangements for them.

"You're flying into Kalisz, in central Poland, and Julian will meet you at Customs. He'll transport you to the hotel where you'll be staying – or at least your stuff will be – and you'll meet the rest of the team there. I've called ahead to Security at Athens airport so you're good for the 'special agent' check-through."

She looked at them, "You know my rules." They nodded, she'd made it clear after Bagram that in the future they were to do their jobs and return unharmed or be prepared to deal with her wrath.

"All right, I'll ride with you to the airport, no sense leaving one of the sedans there, our TADs can use them."

The four of them gathered their belongings and headed out. Once at the airport, they went through their security checks and then headed for their gate; they would board in about 30 minutes. As they sat in the waiting area Matt said, "I'm glad we're all going to the same place, I didn't want to be split up again."

Tim tilted his head, "We might be once we get there."

Matt made a face, he hadn't thought of that. Tim smiled, "We'll finally get a chance to work with the new team."

Pete smiled back at him, "And we'll see how Ned, formerly of Gibbs' team 2.0, does."

Tim chuckled, "I think Tony figured out Gibbs' last team was #7." He counted, "Stan & Gibbs were first, then Gibbs, Tony and Viv Blackadder followed by Tony & Gibbs alone, then Kate Todd came on board, that was #4, then I joined a year later, #5, we lost Kate and Ziva joined us so #6, then…huh, is that right? I suppose we should count Gibbs' margarita safari, we lost him for a few months, so that was #7 and then oops, we forgot Keating, Lee and Langer, Gibbs' temporary team, they were #8, then us again, that was #9, then Ziva left and it was the three of us, that happened twice but I'm only counting it once, that's #10 and then Gibbs, Maggie, Ned and Wilson, they're #11."

Matt looked at him, "Margarita safari? I don't think I've heard that one."

"Yeah, none of us talk about it much."

"Oh, sorry."

"Nobody on the team died, but a lot of sailors did; Gibbs got blown up, had amnesia and went to Mexico."

"On leave?"

"We were told he retired, DiNozzo was Team Lead and I was his very inexperienced SFA."

"Obviously he came back."

Tim huffed, "I really hope he and Tony have worked that out between them. Yeah, four months after he left we walked in one morning and Gibbs was sitting at his old desk with Tony's stuff piled on what was now my desk."

"Just like that?" Tim nodded just as their flight was called for boarding.

Matt shook his head, "Wow, he really has changed."

Tim grinned, "Oh yeah."

As early as it was, the flight wasn't full and the four agents were able to spread out in the middle row, leaving space between each of them. First Tim, then Bec and the others dozed off and slept for most of the flight. Once they landed, they headed for Customs and went through pretty quickly. Julian was waiting for them; he recognized Pete and Tim suddenly realized he'd never met the man. Introductions were swift and then they were in a rental heading for their hotel. Once there, they checked in and convened in Winters' room. She updated them and set out their tasks. She and Ned spoke Polish so Matt would move to her team and Ned would join the Athens group for the duration. There was a group chuckle when she explained that their first task would be to conduct stakeouts and electronic surveillance to confirm their suspects' whereabouts. Winters reminded them that this was a multinational operation. The Manila team, subordinate to the Singapore office, had the overall responsibility. Singapore had a team in on it as well as two other subordinate teams, one in Sydney Australia and the other in Bangkok Thailand; between them they'd bring down the entire money laundering operation. To avoid any of the suspects tipping off any of their fellow dirtbags, the timing of the busts would have to be close but the 7 hour time difference between Manila and Poland made it too unwieldy to be simultaneous. The agency now had all the warrants they needed so once they confirmed their suspects were indeed where they were thought to be, the mission would go forward.

Here in Kalisz they would be working with the local Police Dept., Interpol and Poland's ABW who had been called in because of the link to terrorist groups. The local police and Interpol would be assisting in the stakeouts and NCIS would be using Interpol's mobile communication vans.

XXX

Maggie and Tony set out to have a good time that week although both felt the pull of an operation going on without them. Once Gibbs knew his volunteers were in the air, he was able to relax for several hours and they headed over to Tim and Lina's for a swim. After some internal debate, Lina had gone in to work, deciding she wanted the distraction of museum visitors. Gibbs called Kim once during the day to see how they were faring; she reported that they'd had no case calls and she told Gibbs that she felt more secure having him around, knowing that he could jump in on anything that couldn't wait for the TADs. When the team landed in Poland, Tim sent texts to Lina, Kim and his dad that they were on the ground and were heading to the hotel.

After checking in with Lina and finding that Rhea was coming home with her and that she'd also invited Damian and Geordie over, Gibbs and Tony made a trip to the grocery store and bought food for dinner. Tony was enthralled with the grocery store, looking at each aisle and wondering what was what. Gibbs finally asked him when he had last been in any grocery store and the two of them laughed. Neither DiNozzo nor Maggie cooked all that much and with their schedules they were far more likely to get takeout or eat at their respective offices. After a reminder from Tony, Gibbs also bought some food for the office kitchen, figuring Kim would not have had time. When he sent her a text he got a text thanking him in capital letters. They stopped on the way home from the store and offloaded the office groceries, took keys for the front door and the rooms upstairs so the resident TADs could get in after hours and then headed back up the hill. They'd just finished putting the groceries away and getting the grill fired up when Gibbs' phone chimed with a call, the 'Air Marine' flight with his volunteers was 15 minutes out. Leaving Maggie in charge of the grill, he left for the airfield. He was interested to see a Customs agent on site; he hadn't been sure what to do about that so he'd called the Embassy and they made arrangements. Once the three agents were approved for entry, he greeted them, loading them and their luggage into the Escape. There were two women, Fuller and Briggs and one man, Murray. He told them about the room arrangements; the women said they'd stay at the office and Murray said he'd be happy to stay with him.

He invited them to dinner, first explaining who he was to the Athens team. When they got close to the office, he saw Kim's car was still there, so they stopped in to meet her, offload the women's luggage and see if Kim wanted to join them for dinner. They found her in the garden stretching; she welcomed her three temporary agents and graciously declined the dinner invitation as she was determined to go to class that night. That interested the others and Gibbs told them if they weren't on a case they could all go to the MMA class Thursday evening.

The three TADs were somewhat surprised to find a vacationing Team Leader and SFA at the house. They were amused to hear their hostess and her brother refer to Gibbs as 'Poppy' and the Marine Lt. and the SFA call him 'Dad'. They'd only known of the Gibbs they'd heard about, a hardnosed former Marine whose team basically lived at their desks and had the highest success rate in the agency for many years running.

* * *

><p>Note: Poland's ABW is the Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego , the country's domestic intelligence agency. Source: Wikipedia<p> 


	149. Chapter 149

In Poland, the teams dispersed once everything was in place. That was late Monday and the stakeouts and electronic surveillance ran through Tuesday night before they were able to confirm the intel. They held off raiding the two suspected offices until they opened for business on Wednesday. Each team had an Interpol officer, two ABW personnel and 2 local LEOs with them when they went in. Tim's team met with shocked, angry and terrified employees but no gunfire and very little resistance. The LEOs and the ABW personnel escorted the entire office staff, numbering just shy of 20, to lockup. There was no word from Winters and then suddenly they had reports of gunfire at the other location. Tim and Bec headed out, leaving Ned and Pete along with more of the LEOs and one of the Interpol guys to continue securing the office. The firefight was over by the time they got to the other office. Winters and Julian were hit; Winters had a through and through in her right arm and Julian had been grazed on his left side. Matt was not only unhurt, he'd brought down two of the four gunmen with MMA. Shooter #3 was down with a bullet in his chest, courtesy of Julian and the fourth shooter surrendered when #3 went down and he saw Matt take down two of his cronies with his moves. Medics and ambulances pulled up seconds after Tim and his contingent. What was left of the staff was taken to lockup while Winters, Julian and the downed dirtbags were taken to the hospital, escorted by Agents Childers and Dorneget, who'd joined them once the other scene was secured. Several LEOs and Interpol officers also accompanied them. Tim reported in to Manila and was told that the mission was a success, all teams met their objective and the multi-national operation and its ringleaders were busted. There were other injuries, several agents had sustained injuries, whether they were shot or otherwise hurt but in the end there were no fatalities or debilitating injuries to NCIS agents or their arrestees, making their Director very proud and relieved.

With the London Team Lead and her SFA temporarily out of commission, Tim took charge of the operation and the mop up. With permission from Winters he and Ned interrogated the chief suspects while the rest of his team worked with Interpol and ABW to determine who else on the two staffs had knowledge of what was going on. After that everyone but Pete got busy searching through the two computer networks to further determine culpability. Pete went to the hospital to spring Winters and Julian who, although ambulatory, were on painkillers and not able to do much more than sleep. He took them back to the hotel and made sure they had what they needed. It was nearly midnight by the time the rest of the joint team returned. They'd found more electronic evidence and after downloading the information to Manila, had removed the hard drives from the servers and bagged them for evidence. Finally Manila released them for the night although Tim heard there were at least two teams somewhere in the world still working on the electronic evidence. Tim was very glad to find that Pete had arranged for the hotel's kitchen and room service to remain open so they could have a meal. What with everything about to happen, none of them had eaten much breakfast that morning and that was the only real food they'd had all day.

Early Thursday, they escorted Winters and Julian back to the hospital for wound checks. The doctors reluctantly gave the injured agents permission to travel and Ned and Bec took charge of finding flights to their respective countries. With approval from Vance, the London team traveled home first class. Their flight was full and no one wanted their wounded warriors to be bumped, nudged or to feel any more uncomfortable than they already were. When the Athens team checked in for their flight, they were pleasantly surprised to find they'd also been bumped up to first class and the three men turned to look at Bec. She smiled, "The director said it was only fair." They smiled back at her and at each other. They'd done well, they were unharmed, none of them had fired a weapon so there'd be no "IA" interview or psych eval, they were on their way home and they had a long weekend. The TADs weren't leaving until Saturday and the regular team had Friday off. Tim frowned when he thought about that. They got the day off, but their support staff didn't. He mentioned the issue to Pete and the older man nodded, "Yeah, I know, there's really no way around that."

"Not all at once, no, but what if they took turns taking a day?"

"Kim filling in for Tea one day?"

"Yeah, but then nobody could fill in for Kim."

Tim's eyes lit up and he looked at Pete who looked a question and then smiled as they both said, "Carla!"

"Yes, she could be Kim for a day."

"And Eva, hmm, not much we can do for her."

"No, I suppose not. But she and Carla are managing their shifts well, she seems happy and she'll understand about Carla filling in for Kim."

Pete patted Tim on the shoulder, "Your first SAIC decision, my boy, nice going!"

The four of them slept the entire flight and had to be woken by the flight attendants to prepare for landing in Athens. The still groggy Special Agents stumbled into the terminal and blearily went through Customs. They cheered up when they saw their loved ones waiting for them.

Lina stayed home with Tim on Friday. They slept late and after breakfast Tim looked at his wife, "Hon…"

She smiled at him, "Hmm, let me guess…you want to go to the office and thank the volunteers? I have something for them." She gave him three sketches that detailed the top of the NCIS building with the American and Greek flags waving with some of the ancient monuments in the background and the date at the bottom along with her signature.

"Wow, sweetie, these are some lucky volunteers!"

"Yes, they are being replaced with the very healthy regular Field Agents who belong to this office!"

He laughed as he pulled her in for a hug and kiss. "Yeah, that too! I won't be long, I promise, or would you like to come with me?"

She started to shake her head and then smiled, "Yes, that way I can be sure you won't get involved in something!"

"Good idea! Want to go for a drive after? I was thinking we could head up the coast."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful, let's take our beach stuff with us."

While he got the chairs and beach umbrella out and put them in the car, Lina packed a picnic lunch and rounded up the sunscreen, towels, hats and swim stuff. At this stage in her pregnancy, she was wearing a pair of maternity shorts and a tank top for swimming as she refused to buy a maternity bathing suit. They left a note in case Poppy or anyone stopped by and then took off.

The TADs were pleased to meet him and they sang the praises of their office staff. They had had one case: chasing down a UA sailor who'd met a pretty girl on the Italian island of Capri and followed her to Athens rather than heading back to his ship docked in Naples. Murray said he'd had a wonderful week, having been privy to all the fun evenings Gibbs, Rhea, Maggie and Tony had been having. Fuller and Briggs said they'd also had fun; they'd eaten at the Flying Pig a few times and Kim had told them why there was a photo of a large group of people, including the agents from this office, hanging in the back room at the pub along with a banner very much like the one hanging on the wall here, for some dance troupe. Tim tensed at the reminder but Tea smiled and told him not to worry, "We went ahead and had our rehearsals, it was odd without the rest of you but there will be more…one tomorrow if you can make it."

Tim only realized they'd been speaking in Greek when the three TADs looked puzzled. Laughing, he apologized and Tea told them about the requested performance of the 'dance troupe' at her wedding the following month. And that reminded Tim to talk quietly with Tea and Kim about each taking a day off and was glad to see the news received with happy smiles from his teammates. Tim asked Kim whether Eva had ever trained on the phone and Kim shook her head, "When we hired her, she specifically asked not to deal with the public, she's very shy, Tim, and that extends to talking on the phone. But Carla can do it; she can sub for Tea and me, on separate days of course."

"All right, that's fine with me; I just wanted to make sure we didn't leave Eva out." Kim smiled her approval, giving him a pat on the arm.

The three TADs were thrilled with Lina's gifts, because they liked them and because they knew now that having personalized art from her was a big deal. Fuller had looked her up online after they'd seen her artwork at the house. Their praise both embarrassed and pleased Lina. What with one thing or another, the McGees were there for nearly 30 minutes before they made their exit and headed for the beach.

XXX

While Tim and Lina were enjoying their day together, Maggie and DiNozzo had decided to spend the day in Athens. Gibbs passed on going with them as he had reports he had to do for the volunteers but he did warn them the commute traffic would be bad that afternoon. Heeding his words, they took the Metro into the city. They did some sightseeing but mostly they shopped, in the stores and at everyone's favorite market. Tony had never been to an outdoor market quite like it and was amazed at the quality and variety of artisan items. Relaxed and happy, the couple bought gifts, including baby items for Baby McGee and a few decorative items for their home. Overall, they had a fun day and made it home on the train with no problems. They'd arranged to meet Rhea at the station in Athens and then rode the train together to Piraeus where Gibbs picked them up. Once home, they showered and changed as they were taking 'the Gibbses', Tony's private name for his dad and Rhea, out to dinner.

The following week went by far too quickly. Saturday was busy with the 'dance troupe' rehearsal and even those who weren't involved had a wonderful time watching. Maggie thought it was a little like watching the original 'Dance Lessons' as Tim, Matt, Bec and Pete were out of practice and stumbling a bit when Damian got them started. However by the end of the rehearsal they were all doing quite well and she could see that Adan and Tea were relieved. On Sunday Lina, Maggie, Bec, Dani and Rhea spent the day together playing in Athens while Tim, Rob, Tony and Geordie worked on painting the baby's room in the morning. The guys had planned to do it later in the month, but Tony really wanted to have a part in it, so they got it done. Gibbs was there with them, but he didn't paint. As the only one who'd really done any previous painting, he supervised and guided the younger men.

They finished in the early afternoon and Geordie and Rob took off as they had to work. Gibbs gathered Tony and Tim for several hours of fishing and the three men returned well satisfied with the hours they'd spent together. Maggie and Tony had fun going to Tim's MMA class and the Flying Pig on Monday and the rest of the week was given over to making sure the two of them did everything on their list. On Tuesday, they borrowed Gibbs' Ford and drove to Nafplion, spending the night. On their return they spent the rest of Wednesday with Gibbs at the McGees', in the pool and then making dinner for their family. Thursday morning they set out early with Gibbs and drove up to Delphi, managing to also see the picturesque mountain village of Arachova, which was fun. By the time they left for home that Saturday, Tony felt he'd spent quality time with his dad and brothers and both he and Maggie were happy with experiencing as many of Greece's attractions as they had.

The weeks between Tony and Maggie's departure and Tea and Adan's wedding melted away. The dance troupe rehearsed several more times and finally Damian was happy with their performance. On Oct. 1st, a Thursday, Pete made his official call to Leon. Wanting privacy, he waited until the others left for class and then picked up the phone, wondering where all the time had gone. Last year he'd told Tim to appreciate each moment because life just kept moving whether you were conscious of it or not. He laughed at himself, this is what he wanted and it was time for him to hand things over to Tim. As much as he loved his team, the agency and their work, it was time to step away.

When Leon answered, he had a funny sound in his voice and Pete thought maybe his old friend knew what he was about to say. "Pete Russell, I'm afraid to ask why you're calling."

"Now is that any way to greet your old Senior Field Agent?"

"Oh man, this is it, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, my friend. I'm officially advising you that I'm retiring effective 3/1."

"I don't suppose you mean March 1st of '17 or '18?"

"Nope, 'fraid not, Director."

Vance sighed. He'd dreaded this call from a personal standpoint but was resigned to the reality of it. "All right, Pete. I knew it was coming. Does Tim know?"

"Yes to the date but I didn't tell him I was calling you today."

"I heard a rumor that you two have swapped jobs."

"Yep and I'm about to do it again if he agrees; I'm gonna step down to junior and mentor Bec in the SFA position. Uh…I guess Tim should be telling you that."

Leon chuckled, "Yes he should. I'll look forward to hearing that for the very first time from him."

"Appreciate it, Leon." The two old friends and teammates chatted for a few minutes before Leon had to leave for a meeting. Pete gathered his gear to head home and then stopped, still in his office. He made a quick call to Trina who laughingly agreed to his suggestion. And so for one of the few times in the two years his agents had been taking MMA instructions from George Avramidis, their Team Leader and his wife joined them in the studio that evening to watch the last few minutes of their work. As they sat at the Flying Pig afterward, listening and watching the others, Gibbs lifted his beer in a silent toast to Pete somehow understanding why he was there, that for the Team Lead it marked the beginning of the official countdown to his retirement. He remembered his thoughts a year ago about Tim leading the group and how Pete was fine with it – and now here was the tangible evidence. Friday morning Pete told his team of his conversation with Vance the previous evening and they nodded, again saddened but not surprised.

Tea and Adan's wedding took place three weeks later and the dance troupe pulled off a performance that was every bit as good as their dancing at Tim and Lina's wedding. They certainly had a good time and the newlyweds were very happy with their friends.

The following Monday before they ended their weekly call Vance formally offered the Team Lead position to Tim effective 3/1/16 and he accepted. When asked, he mentioned promoting Bec to his Senior Field Agent and Vance gave him the go-ahead to talk with her. Tim also raised the subjects of promoting Matt to a senior agent and finding a fourth agent, a junior, to join them. Vance agreed to the promotion and then just looked at him, "Knowing you two, I'm sure you've already done your research."

"Yes sir, we have and I'd like to take a slightly different approach than we did two years ago."

"How so?"

"We thought of again looking for a probationary agent approaching the end of their probie year. But I'd rather have an agent who's already used to working in Europe and who'd be willing to take a lateral."

"Someone you know of or have worked with?"

"Actually both, Director."

"I'm listening, McGee."

"We'd like to offer the position to Ned Dorneget."

Vance nodded. "He certainly has the skill sets you're looking for."

"Yes sir and I've worked with him – and now the rest of the team has as well."

"You would be going through Winters."

"Of course."

"And how soon would you want him?"

Since their initial discussion, Tim and Pete had come up with sound reasons why they'd need Ned before the year was up, ideally in late October or early November. Now Tim relayed those reasons to their Director.

Vance mulled it over. London's probie was about two months from the end of her probationary year and Winters wanted to keep her. Even so, moving Ned would leave London short an experienced agent. However the agency was now fully staffed and he was confident there wouldn't be a problem finding a qualified agent who would want to move to the UK. He finally nodded. "Yes, go ahead and approach Winters with your request to speak with Ned. And I'm sure you have an alternate list of candidates. You know, in case the man doesn't want to move again."

The three of them chuckled at that as it was a distinct possibility, and Tim nodded, "Yes, we have a few other candidates."

They talked over those candidates before disconnecting. Tim looked at Pete, "I wasn't sure he was going to approve us talking with Winters."

Pete smiled, "I was feeling good about that, I wasn't feeling so strongly about him going for a move this year."

"Yeah and we got both," Tim chuckled, "Or we got approval to ask anyway."

"Yep, but that's progress! So, shall we call her now?"

"Which one of us?"

"Mmm, she's a stickler for the rules and doesn't know either of us well. And she's bound to be upset about this and you're not official yet so how about I take this one? I'd rather have her hold a grudge against me than you."

Tim first shook his head and then grinned, "It's always a pleasure to watch the Maestro at work!"

Grinning back at him, Pete picked up the headset for his desk phone and called London's SAIC. As expected, Winters was not thrilled to hear that another team was interested in one of her agents. However, she did her best to listen to Pete with an open mind, feeling that it was up to her teammate to make his own decisions and knowing what a rough time he'd been having recently. Pete disconnected and grinned at Tim. "We have her permission, although it was reluctantly given and I really hope we don't have to work with her again for a few months!"

Tim nodded. "Yeah, I can only imagine how I'd feel. But I would be worried if she wasn't reluctant. We should talk with Bec and Matt before we call Ned."

Pete reminded him: "Not 'we', Tim…_you_ will be talking with Bec, Matt and Ned."

When Tim just nodded, Pete offered to come in late the next day so Tim could use his office to speak with Bec and Matt and to call Ned.

Tim had a hard time focusing on class that night but managed to get through without George noticing anything was off with him. When Bec came in early the next morning, she found Tim already in the office and he asked her to join him in Pete's office. He asked her if she would be interested in serving as his Senior Field Agent and her eyes sparkled, "Yes, Tim, I'd like that!"

He told her the game plan: she would start shadowing him over the next few weeks so that when he left on paternity leave she'd be able to step right into the job. He also told her there were a couple of other changes pending but that he wasn't yet at liberty to divulge them to her. That was fine with her. She and Matt had been speculating since Pete had announced his retirement; Matt thought that she would be the new SFA while Bec thought it equally possible that Matt would be asked. They agreed that there was an even stronger possibility that another agent would be brought in as SFA just as Tim had been two years ago.

When Matt came in, Tim beckoned him into Pete's office and told him of the plan to promote him to a senior agent. Matt looked confused and Tim smiled, "It's a designation that hasn't been used as often as it should be, Matt. There's no reason qualified agents shouldn't be rated seniors even if we only have one senior field agent per team. We're rated as a 4 agent team, so we'll be moving another agent onto the team, hopefully before I go out on paternity leave. That agent will be a junior, you'll be senior and Bec has agreed to be our SFA." Matt took it all in and just grinned when Tim asked him if he had any questions. "Do you know who the new agent is yet?"

"No, I have a list and we'll start the interviews in the next few days but I wanted to bring you and Bec up to speed on what's about to happen."

"Thanks man. I'm a senior agent, that's awesome!"

"You've certainly earned it!"

When Matt left Pete's office, the man still hadn't arrived so Tim went ahead with the call to Ned. When his call was answered, Ned sounded shocked, "Tim?"

"Hey Ned, how are you?"

"I'm…blown away, man! I was just told someone might be calling me with a job offer…nah, that can't be, must be a coincidence, right?"

"Nope, it's us, better let me explain." Tim outlined the plan, finishing by saying, "I'd love for you to join us, Ned, your skill sets are a good fit, we've worked together and I certainly know what training you've had and most importantly what you'd be bringing to our team. You won't stay a junior forever; we don't work that way here. Although it's a lateral move, the same transfer package applies so there's no worry about that."

"Greece, wow!"

"Yeah, it's pretty wonderful here – and certainly warmer. And I know you speak Bulgarian and Bulgaria is in our jurisdiction so that will really help us out."

"My grandmother's second husband was Bulgarian and he taught me the language as well as Polish. Wow, I'm so surprised! Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Yes, of course! If you could get back to me with an answer by this time next week, that would be great. And please give me a call or drop me an e-mail if you have any questions. Tony and Maggie have both worked in the office, so they'd be good resources or Gibbs of course. He's worked with us on a couple of cases and being new to the country, he might be able to help you with any of those questions. Or our former SFA, Carla Hofstadler, the lady with the triplets, I know you met her at the wedding; if she's agreeable I'll happily forward her contact information."

"Thanks! I do have one question, really a confirmation - I'd be moving before the end of the year?"

"Yeah, whoever our new agent is, we'd like him or her in place before I go out on paternity leave. And the baby is due December 10th."

They talked for a few more minutes before ending with Ned promising to call with his answer by the following Tuesday. Tim sat deep in thought at Pete's desk after he hung up. He really hoped Ned would take the job, he knew he'd fit in with the team. In the meantime, he went back to their current list of candidates and did some more research on them.

When Ned called Tim the following day to accept the position, London's Team Lead and SFA got very busy looking for another experienced junior. Pete offered their candidate list and winced at Winters' reply but in the end she accepted their help. Years later when Tim saw her at a conference he found she was still irritated with Pete Russell for poaching her agent but had never thought to include Pete's SFA in that blame; she was astounded when he set her straight on the matter.


	150. Chapter 150

CH 150

Because his former Team Lead quickly found his replacement from Athens' list of candidates, Ned arrived in Athens the last week of October 2015. Standing in the airport that Friday morning, Tim watched his new teammate going through Customs and thought about his own arrival a little over two years ago. He remembered his astonishment at finding his new Team Leader waiting for him and the warm welcome at the office as well as the wonderful changes that had happened in the first few weeks at his new post. Meeting Lina, his Uncles and the rest of the family, finding out Ducky was their grandfather, starting to work things out with Gibbs, the wedding nearly a year ago and now the impending birth of his and Lina's child. He hoped that Ned's life here would bring him as much happiness.

As Ned finished with Customs and approached him Tim smiled at him, pulling him in for a quick hug. "Welcome to Athens and our team, Ned!"

"Hey, it's really great of you to meet me! I wasn't expecting that. It's nice though, I was going to call and ask if it was ok to come in and put my stuff away."

Tim chuckled, "The airport meeting is a tradition Pete started. C'mon, I've got an agency sedan out front; let's get your stuff loaded and yes, of course it's ok to get your stuff upstairs and meet everyone. How was the flight?"

"I saw the Alps!"

Tim laughed, "That's the only thing I remember about my first flight over from the UK, flying over the Alps. Beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yeah, I mean, I was here last year and I've been in London most of the year, I've done some traveling, been to The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Portugal and Spain, but flying over the Alps, wow! I took photos, haven't looked at them yet."

"Send them to your mom, she'll really be impressed!"

"Oh yeah, she can't wait to come visit."

"You know, as long as you let me or my dad know ahead of time, she's welcome to stay at the big house."

"Seriously?"

"Absolutely. Dad's already let everyone know there is going to be a new parent in town at some point. Bec and Matt's parents have already stayed there."

"Wow, that's great! And I am gonna have to get used to that, you calling Gibbs 'Dad' and seeing him here but not as an agent."

"You know we adopted him, right?"

"Yes, James and Sarah told me all about it and adopting Tony as your brother too. Of course, it's one thing hearing about it, going to be different seeing it in real life."

Tim grinned, "Dad tries to be cool about it but he's really excited about the baby and being a grandpa. He and my brother Geordie seem to have a competition going to see who can find more 'camo' and Marine clothing for the baby."

"So you're having a boy?"

"Don't know! We decided we wanted to be surprised, so we're doing it the old fashioned way, we'll find out when the baby's born and not before."

As they drove into Piraeus, Tim pointed out the Metro station and a few other landmarks on their way to the office. Once there, they parked and unloaded. "I can take my luggage; I hate to keep you from work!"

Tim chuckled, "Well I'm walking in anyway, I may as well carry something. I promise to let you carry it all upstairs, how's that?"

"Sure. It's ok that you've been away from the office?"

"Yes, I had my gear and go bag with me. I could have responded from the airport; most of our local cases are in Athens anyway, not here."

Ned nodded, "I can see there's going to be more differences here than just the weather."

"Mmm, I'm sure, but the work is the same."

They walked into the office and Ned smiled as Tea greeted him in Greek and English. He'd met everyone at the wedding and had seen Matt and Bec again at Sarah and James' wedding and of course in Poland along with Pete, now it was nice to reconnect with each of them. It was Eva's Friday and Tim grinned at her knowing she'd brought homemade pastries in for them. Tea handed Tim a couple of messages so Matt helped Ned upstairs with his luggage, showing him his quarters while the others got the kitchen ready.

When Ned came downstairs, he was surprised to see everyone gathered at the big table. Tim smiled at him, "This is your first official 'welcome to the team' gathering. Eva made pastries for us so if you'll let us know what you want to drink, we can start our feast."

"Wow! Coffee's fine, thanks, with cream if you have any."

Pete nodded, "Matt, Kim and I use cream in our coffee, so that's not a problem."

Pete got Ned's coffee while Eva and Kim plated the treats and brought them to the table. Ned grinned, "I remember the wonderful pastries we had on Aegina and the morning we left, I'll bet these are even better!" Eva smiled brightly at that and the others nodded.

Matt said, "Eva and Tea are our pastry chefs, they bring them in for special occasions."

Tea grinned, "And we have to hide them when we come in or some people…" they all looked at Pete and Matt, "will sneak out to the kitchen and eat them."

Tim cleared his throat. "This is a full kitchen, we'll show you the appliances later - you can eat in or out as you please. I ate breakfast here and kept snacks, had dinner quite a few times, I think."

Bec nodded, "I ate in a lot but it was colder when I got here than when Tim did."

They'd finished feasting on the pastries and were cleaning up when the phone rang and everyone but Tim and Ned returned to the bullpen. Ned and Tim grinned at each other, "I can't believe you're finally here, man!"

"Finally?"

"Yeah, you were on our list before you made Gibbs' team, but it was for a temp post and I didn't think that would be fair to you or good for your career."

"Huh, didn't know that, thanks! I really liked being on Gibbs' team and I would have worked for Maggie forever if London hadn't had an opening I couldn't resist."

"Yeah, I was pretty excited for you. I'm sure it was hard leaving."

"Mm, yeah, it was hard leaving the team, I liked them all right, but well, things didn't work out too well personally."

"We're family here, Ned, as well as friends and teammates. You have a problem, we're with you." He added, "I don't know how things were in London and I don't need to know, but you don't have to hide anything from anyone although on the flip side, we also work hard to respect each others' privacy."

"That's good; yeah I got that from Matt at the weddings."

Tim nodded, "Good and again, welcome! You're on your own today although we do have lunch coming in for all of us."

"Wow, do you do this for every new person?"

"Yes. And we usually eat lunch together anyway. But that's stuff for next week. Oh, if you want you can take one of the agency sedans and drive around or go up to my place, it's two minutes up the hill, and have a swim, or just hang out and relax. The only thing you can't do is work today!"

"Yeah? What if there's a case?"

Tim laughed, "We'll see. We had a case yesterday but we ended up passing it off to Rota so we're catching up on paperwork and reviewing cold cases today. But really, this is your travel day and you know how it is once things get rolling, I'd take advantage of the free time if I were you!"

Matt and Bec appeared, "Tim, got a new lead on a cold case."

"Yay, tell me." They sat at the table with the file and filled him in. Ned poured another cup of coffee and sat, just listening.

"How do you want to handle this?"

"She's a person of interest, so we should interview her."

Bec added, "We've both reviewed the file and the agent's notes. Before we go, we'll run a background on her and see if there's anything else that we should know. "

Matt nodded his agreement and had another thought, "We'll also contact the original agent, see if there's anything she didn't put in her notes."

"Good! Any gut feelings on this?" They both shook their heads, "Just hoping she can shed some light on what happened."

Tim nodded and sat in thought.

Matt looked at him, "You have a gut feeling?"

"No. I do think you need to do a deep background, check in with Ted or Jack."

"And the DCP?" The three of them chuckled and stopped to explain to Ned who Ted, Jack and the DCP of Athens were before Tim continued.

"Yeah, can't hurt. If you two get all that going, we can proceed after lunch."

The three agents went back to their desks while Ned went upstairs to unpack and get settled in. He was impressed with his quarters and was very glad to be here. The last couple of months had been painfully difficult and being a relative stranger in a foreign country hadn't helped at all. He'd been determined to keep his personal heartache to himself at work but if it hadn't been for James and Sarah, he might have tucked his tail between his legs and headed home.

Lunch arrived in early afternoon and then Ned found he really wanted a nap. He had not realized how tired he was and was grateful for the chance to rest. His phone buzzed about 1600 with a call from Bec. "Another of our traditions in this office is to show new teammates around town their first night here. Are you up for it?"

Ned smiled; oh yeah, he was in the right place. "I sure am!"

"Good, bring a warm jacket…huh, coming from London I guess that would be a light jacket - and comfortable walking shoes. We're off work at 1700, so we'll leave then."

"Great, I'll be ready!" He took a shower, put on clean clothes, grabbed a jacket and was downstairs at 1700. Pete beckoned him into his office, "Sorry, I got tied up with a call earlier. Hope you don't have plans for tomorrow?"

Ned shook his head. "I was going to do some sightseeing but I'm not in any rush."

"That's good, because my wife and I are having a get together tomorrow afternoon to welcome you to the team. Either Kim or Tim will bring you, both of them live right up the hill. Who's taking you out tonight?"

"I think Agent Childers and I don't know who else."

"Ok, great, they'll fill you in on all kinds of things. And, Ned, unless there's something formal going on or we're teasing, we use first names in the office. Now, go have a good time!"

"Yes sir!"

When he left Pete's office, he found Bec, Matt and Kim waiting for him. He grinned as they set out for their walk around the neighborhood. He thought later that he hadn't smiled so much in months. His companions kept up a lively banter but it wasn't until they reached Vosporos, the restaurant where they were to eat dinner that he realized just how tight this group was. Tim, Lina and Kim's husband Evander were waiting for them. Evander greeted him with a warm handshake and Lina gave him a kiss and a hug, "Welcome home, Ned." Bec and Matt explained that both their significant others were working late and that he'd see them tomorrow at Pete and Trina's. They were just ordering their appetizers, which Ned learned were called meze, when the hostess brought more people to join them. Ned looked up from the menu and his jaw dropped as his former boss and the woman he'd seen with him at the wedding arrived. "Gibbs! Wow, I didn't expect to see you so soon!"

Kim laughed, "He's not in the office on business often, Ned, but he's part of the team." Gibbs huffed, "An extended part!"

Tim beamed as Gibbs greeted his former agent with a hug and Rhea welcomed him. As his dad slid in next to Lina, he reached over and kissed both of them and Tim chuckled to himself as Ned tried to hide his surprise.

Matt laughed, "It's ok Ned; we got used to it, you will too!"

Gibbs looked at Matt and thought about ruffling the young man's hair but that felt too much like showing off so he smiled at him instead and then turned back to Ned. "Did you have your walking tour of the neighborhood?"

Ned nodded.

"Meet Archimedes?"

"Is that the tailor?" Everyone nodded and he continued, "Yes, and I'm told I'll need to order a tux from him."

The others nodded again as Bec explained, "We're invited to the American Embassy when they have parties – that's what the tux is for."

Tim grinned, "I ended up with a tux and suits from him."

"Wow, he must be good, huh?"

Lina smiled, "He's a wonderful tailor and a very kind person."

They told him a little more about their tailor and then George and Dimitri Avramidis. Gibbs chuckled, "In case you haven't noticed, Ned, you've joined a community here."

"Yeah, it sure seems like it. That's fine by me!" He had a great time at dinner, enjoying the food and the company. When he was dropped back at the office, he noticed that Kim and Evander waited until he was inside and the lights were on before they left. He had to admit he'd heard stories from Ducky about the team's hospitality; he remembered how happy the elderly man had been about the kindness with which Tim was greeted. Even so, he'd thought the stories had probably exaggerated. Now he was very happy to be proven wrong.

He was even happier after his Welcome party at the Russells the following day. He was warmly greeted and felt like he'd been folded right into the group. And everyone was there, not just the team and the Russell family. Carla, the former SFA, her husband and their kids, the husbands and baby of the office staff, Bec's housemate Dani and her son Ross who Ned had previously supposed belonged to the Russells, both of Tim's brothers, even Lina's brother although that wasn't so strange since he was Matt's partner just as Geordie was Bec's and of course Gibbs and Rhea. When he looked around the table, Tim smiled at him, "There are sometimes more people, Ned. Tony and Maggie and some of the others were here during their TADs, Director Vance and his kids, Bec's parents, Matt's parents, Lina and Damian's parents, Sarah and James, his parents, our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins as well as friends of the Russells who aren't connected to NCIS or the McGee family in any way." The others laughed at that.

In between dinner and dessert they played volleyball as it was warm enough. Ned was glad Rob was there, they'd gotten to know each other a little bit when they'd shared a room during the week before the wedding last year. He looked a little different though as his hair was cut shorter and he seemed more relaxed and didn't look so tired. Dessert was a huge sheet cake with writing that said, "Happy 2nd Birthday Cammy, Will and Jase!" in one corner, "Happy Birthday Tim!" in another corner and "Welcome to the Team, Ned!" scrawled across the middle of the cake. Trina said, "Except for your arrival, everything else is next month and we'll have Thanksgiving here but we thought we'd sneak the birthdays in today." He made sure to take a picture to send his mom and Rob took one of him holding the cake up.

XXX

Tim had to admit he was relieved and happy that Ned had been able to join them so quickly. He'd had this fear that the baby would come early and his team would be down one agent. But the baby wasn't making any different moves and Lina hadn't even had any Braxton Hicks contractions yet. They'd been told those could begin anytime now and that unless the contractions became painful and closer together, they were simply Lina's uterus having random contractions. The Saturday following Ned's first week with the team, Poppy, Matt and Norm brought the baby furniture over and helped Tim put it in the nursery. The rocker had already migrated upstairs from the living room; Rhea's mural was finished and hung and with everything finally put together the nursery looked great.

Lina and Tim were invited to lunch at the big house the next day and were very surprised at who they found there. Somehow Lina's parents had sneaked into town and while they were being greeted, Geordie came in with all three of the Grands. They were still reeling from those surprises when the rest of their local family and all of their friends suddenly appeared, ready for a surprise baby shower. Trina, Dani and Rhea had been planning the shower for months and when Penny and Maisie heard about it, they'd insisted they be here for it.

While Pete and Stephan recorded everything, the fun got started. As Lina said the baby was hungry, lunch was served first. When Lina and Tim were finished eating, the crowd insisted they start opening gifts.

Now, over the months as he'd been shopping here and there Gibbs had to admit he'd really had no idea how many cute things there were for babies these days. He'd held back the "My Child's First" fishing pole and baseball bat to give his grandchild for Christmas but he had wrapped plenty of other items. Some were 'Marine' or camo but other items were just cute and all very practical. The group ooh'd, aah'd and then laughed at each other. Trina had made a list of ideas for the uninitiated so that the baby received clothes to grow into and only age appropriate toys. There were plenty of onesies and bibs with cute sayings, crib sheets, lovely homemade sleep sacks and all kinds of clothes including little tiny booties from Margaret, Maisie and Claire. Gibbs grinned at the denim overalls with little tiny Chucks from Uncle Rob. And he was impressed with the practicality of the burp cloths with catch pockets so that anything that escaped would be caught before it hit Mom or Dad's shirt; he wished they'd had those when Kelly was a baby! He was puzzled by some CDs that apparently explained baby's first year to parents…in music. He laughed at the personalized shirt for the baby with Tim and Lina's likeness on it, only all stretched out and funny looking, supposedly how the baby would see them. There were sweatshirts and sweaters and even a little jacket. Sarah and James, attending via Skype, sent their gifts with Ned: an infant appropriate Winnie the Pooh, accompanied by his best pals Piglet and Rabbit. They also included a shirt, pants and socks outfit with all kinds of Pooh characters on it and of course the original storybook of Christopher Robin and Edward Bear, written by A. A. Milne. Several more books including "Goodnight Moon" and a few Dr. Seuss stories came from Ned who had of course known about the shower before he left London. One of the Russells' gifts was a mobile made by Trina that continued the nursery's 'sea creature' motif. There was also a tabletop lamp with a hand painted lampshade, that was from Rhea and the sea creatures on it bore a striking resemblance to the creatures on the mural. All the toys were rated for babies up to a year old and that made sense because, practically speaking, the next age group would likely appear at the baby's first birthday. Although they came from several people, most of the toys were from Uncles Damian and Matt who had gone a little crazy. Tim's team presented them with a car seat with three bases, one for Mom's car, one for Dad's and much to his delight, one for Poppy. The Mallards and Penny had, with help from Carla and Norm, shopped online for a high chair that also detached from the legs so that it could be used as a 'portable' chair, had also found a colorful bouncy seat they couldn't pass up and a top of the line stroller recommended by both Eva and Carla. The Kalivas' provided a portable playpen which would stay here at the big house and a 'kiddie' corral, smaller but otherwise similar to the one Carla and Norm had used for the triplets.

Lina's siblings had sent additional sleep sacks for chilly nights and a few more that were larger and lighter weight for an older baby in the warmer weather. A tummy play mat with all kinds of interesting things for baby to do along with more camo outfits came from Uncle Geordie; Aunty Chloe and Uncle Peter also sent a nursing pillow and a whole kit for nursing and feeding the little one, while Aunt Margaret and Uncle Nicolas included little footie pajamas, caps and leggings along with the items she'd made. Top of the line baby monitors with 2 receivers came from the Vance family and a very chic diaper bag from Bec, which made Lina laugh as she admitted to having admired it while out shopping recently; stacks of diapers, pacifiers and a little kit of all the things a new mom and newborn would need: tiny little nail clippers, baby oil, baby wipes, digital thermometer, a nasal bulb aspirator, all from Dani. Along with the items Claire made the Hubbards sent a baby book and had thoughtfully filled in much of the family information and provided recent photos of everyone. The Palmers sent 2 of the baby slings they liked best and some lullaby CDs along with some stretchy cotton pants for baby and a few things for Mom.

The last item came from the Cranes and Tim and Lina got tears in their eyes when they opened it. It was a christening gown with a note on top. "Dear Tim and Lina, we wanted to give you something very special for your little one. We know from Maisie and Penny that the christening outfit Tim, Patrick and Sarah wore was not in the storage boxes. We'd like you to have this one in its place. It was handed down to us from Dave's grandparents and our children wore it for their baptisms. It isn't the Langston, McGee, Stirling, Mallard or Hubbard christening gown, but it does come from family and we cherish the link this gives us to your child. All our love, Dave and Liz."

There was silence in the room as Tim finished reading it and then Sarah called out, "Hold it up please so we can see it!" With a smile, Lina got up and walked closer to the laptop with it.

In the meantime, Tim tucked the note away and then started to wonder how they were going to get everything in their SUV. His dad patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, son, we'll get it all over to the house somehow!"

After they'd finally finished opening everything they had cake and ice cream, although Lina passed on the ice cream as she currently couldn't stand anything frozen or extra cold. Ice had been put on the 'no fly' list several weeks ago because it gave her heartburn. The current ban of very cold or frozen items had to do with sheer dislike rather than physical discomfort. Luckily it wasn't the look or smell so the rest of them enjoyed their frozen treat without having to hide it from her.

Eventually the party wound to a close and most of the guests left, leaving behind the Kalivas and McGee family members. They pitched in to clean up and then to pack all the gifts before starting the process of loading the SUV. Gibbs shook his head, "Let's start filling my Ford too, Tim's going to need help unloading at their place."

Tim could see that Lina was very tired so when the Grands extended an invitation for dinner, he shook his head, "Thanks but not tonight. May we have a rain check?" He looked at their parents and the Grands. "How long is everyone staying?"

Hélène looked around and laughed, "Timotheos, we're here now - at least until the baby is born!" He blinked and then laughed at himself. "Uh duh, sorry, of course you are!" He looked at Lina, "Tuesday or Wednesday, love?"

She smiled at him, "Let's plan for Tuesday and hold Wednesday open just in case…"

They left soon after, followed by Gibbs and Davos in the Ford. While Tim helped Lina up the stairs, their fathers started bringing everything in. Once they had everything in the now very crowded nursery, Tim turned around, looking at everything. "My God, who knew one little person would need so much?"

They did a little bit of sorting, putting the crib sheets in the crib and separating the nursing items from the clothing. Tim looked at all the clothes, "Lina will want to put these away – and she'll want to organize the room."

His dad looked at him, "I have a question…are crib bumpers not used anymore?"

Tim nodded, "They're not recommended as they've been found to be a safety hazard and apparently they serve no real purpose. Maybe when babies are older but the way you two made the crib, the baby won't get his or her arms, head or legs caught between the slats, so there won't be a need even later. We won't use blankets, a pillow or allow stuffed animals in the crib either. We've researched safety issues and read some studies."

Davos frowned, "No blankets?"

"Right, not in the crib. That's what those sleep sacks are for and I'm really glad to see that Claire, Gram and Margaret made several of them, they're beautiful! They'll keep the baby as warm as a blanket, they're loose enough to allow movement but they can't strangle or suffocate the baby which blankets can do." Jethro and Davos looked at each other, horrified.

After they left, Tim made a light dinner, dished it onto plates and then carried it upstairs to Lina. They'd had breakfast in bed but never dinner; however she really was exhausted and didn't want to tackle the stairs again that night. After she ate a little dinner, she lay back and Tim gave her a foot rub and then she rolled onto her side and he rubbed her back as best he could. She laughingly groaned, "I used to wonder why pregnant women were grumpy, now I understand. We have another human being inside of us and toward the end it is almost too big for our bodies!" She groaned again when she realized she had to relieve her bladder…again. "I'm tired of this too. How many children did we want?"

Tim helped her up, saying, "Let's just get this one launched and worry about other children later." She nodded as she headed for the bathroom. He watched her, wishing he could do more for her. When she came back, she'd changed into her nightgown, something she'd only started wearing recently, claiming she didn't want him to see her stretch marks. She crawled under the covers and sighed as she found a comfortable position. "Thank God our child likes to sleep or at least hold still when I sleep, that's a good omen."

Tim nodded. He'd recently talked to Caleb and Eva about feeding the baby and sleep deprivation. They'd started out determined to have little Athos in his own room and crib but after a couple of weeks of dragging themselves to his room to get him, change him, bring him to their room to feed him, take him back to his room and get him back to sleep, they'd found a bassinet and moved him and the changing table into their room so they could at least eliminate the trips back and forth. Once he started sleeping through some of his feedings, they'd eased him back into the crib. Tim was thinking that wasn't a bad idea; he was also thinking they might be smart to move to the downstairs bedroom for the first month or so. However Lina wasn't yet convinced of the need for the bassinette and Tim certainly was not going to argue with her!

He thought they'd done pretty well so far, once he learned that not arguing also meant not trying to reason with his pregnant wife. His biggest problem had been not hovering as she hated that more than anything else and some days even a question as to whether she'd like a cup of tea was enough to make her accuse him of smothering her. While they'd had a few arguments pre-pregnancy, none had been serious and they'd always been quickly settled. Now he did his best to let things slide, believing that she was doing all the work and his job was to help her in any way he could. If he occasionally asked for an extra hug from his dad well, he seemed to understand. Mostly he and Lina did okay though, trying to keep their perspectives and maintaining a sense of humor about things.


	151. Chapter 151

Lina stayed home from work the day after the shower and had a wonderful time putting the gifts away and generally organizing the nursery. Everything was in place; now all they needed was the baby on the outside! That wasn't quite true, she and Tim still had not decided on names. They had a list, of course, and knew they wanted a Greek name along with whatever else they picked, but they'd made the list months ago and hadn't looked at it since. They saw it every day as it was taped to the front of the refrigerator, but seeing is different from looking, thinking or discussing.

Now she took the list down and read through the names. For boys, they had Patrick, Donald, Jorrin, Jackson (or Jack), Mikolas, Jairus, Daniel, Lysander, then her father's, uncles' and brothers' names…but Kalivas family tradition did not allow babies to be named for living relatives. Jorrin, Mikolas and Lysander had been her grandfathers' first and middle names, the fourth name was Alexander and the name was already in use within the Kalivas family with Alexis and Zander. She was partial to Donald, Jorrin, Jackson, Mikolas, but she could also see that they needed more selections. Poppy had told them under no circumstances should they use Leroy or Jethro, adding 'please' at the end of what had sounded like an order. Lina thought it a little funny when he said it but Tim told her later that had been his 'Boss' voice and no way was he going against his wishes. As honorable as the names were, he had no desire to saddle another child with the combination. He pointed out to Lina that their children would be attending American schools at some point, that bullying is a big problem in the U.S. and names are a particularly tricky thing. While he would love to honor Poppy by naming a child for him, he just would not do it by using his actual names. The names Jackson and Anne were fine, however. Thinking about the name Anne had Lina moving along to the girls' names: Alena, Alitta, Bryony, Zoe, Bryssa, Cailey, Eleni, Sonya, Damaris, Athena, Hallie, Helaine, Selina, which could be spelled with an S, Z or even C, Celia and of course Lily, Victoria and Penelope. Tim had researched these and she smiled as she saw that he'd included the meanings. While she quite liked the name "Bryssa" which had been the name of Achilles' beloved in Greek mythology, Tim didn't like the nickname that immediately came to mind: Bristle or Bristly. Cailey was one of his favorite names, it meant 'lark' or 'musical one' and they both liked Helaine, which meant 'bright one', because it was close to her mother's name without violating the Kalivas tradition. She tried Lily Helaine on her tongue, it rolled nicely. Cailey Penelope or Lily Cailey/Cailey Lily…no, she didn't like pairing Lily with Cailey. However Cailey Penelope was fine or Cailey Anne, even Cailey Margaret, the name Maisie was derived from. They both also liked "Hallie" but were resisting it as being too popular these days and again, the name Lily wouldn't work with it, the sounds were too similar. And of course all the names would have to match well with McGee. She brought the list with her to her laptop, determined to add to their choices.

Both of them were busy with work and home over the next week. The family celebrated Tim's birthday with a dinner at the big house and he said it was his best birthday ever, the first one with two of his brothers, father, grandparents and in-laws there in person, with Sarah, James, Tony and Maggie joining them via Skype for part of the evening.

With less than a month until the baby was expected to make an appearance, Lina had begun experiencing some Braxton-Hicks contractions and was learning not to react to them. They'd completed their birthing class, had had a tour of the rooms they'd use at the hospital and at Tim's insistence, Lina had her "Mommy" bag packed. The contractions made Lina's husband very nervous and he wished that she would start her leave, but she wanted to work until the first of December. Rhea and Caleb assured Tim they would keep an eagle eye on her.

They made it through the week after his birthday and the week after that and then it was November 28th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving and they were once again gathering at the Russells' for their celebration. They'd been on Aegina getting married on this day a year ago although their calendar anniversary was the 29th. Tim just shook his head when he stopped to think about it, it had certainly been a busy year!

Lina hummed as she buzzed around the kitchen; she'd made a sweet potato dish earlier and now she was putting the finishing touches on a mouth watering pan of moussaka. Tim had been covertly watching her all day; he'd noticed this morning that something was different but he hadn't figured it out yet. It was nice to see her happy and excited after she'd been so tired for the last few days. While she'd been starting her prep work, she sent him to the store for additional fresh tomatoes. When he returned, he immediately saw the difference he'd been trying to figure out; her baby bump looked different today - it was lower. He rinsed and stacked the dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen, wanting her to take it easy but she was off doing something else now. Finally he took a moment and looking at the notes he'd taken, figured they'd go ahead to the dinner and see what happened. He noticed she'd gotten quiet and peeked into the living room. She was sitting on one of the hard-backed chairs, the only ones she could get up from these days and she had her eyes closed. At first he thought she was asleep and then she made a face. "Sweetie, are you having a contraction?"

She opened her eyes and looked at him, "Oh I'm sure it's just more of the Braxton Hicks, my love. I've been having them all day. And something else I haven't figured out yet, but it's easier to breathe today. "

Tim tried not to be alarmed, "Do you still want to go to the dinner?"

"Of course;, it'll take my mind off whatever is going on."

Once they were dressed and ready, he packed the hot dishes on the floor of the back seat of the SUV; made sure they had everything and then carefully helped her into the car. They were just passing the office when she gave a little jump, "Oh!"

"What's the matter?"

She tilted her head, "I guess I had a little accident, I'm sorry, love."

Tim looked at her, "You know, hon, I was looking at my notes and there's something about energy and nesting and you've sure been doing that today. Let's just run by the hospital and see what they say. It won't take long and we're early anyway."

She looked at him, "That's a good idea because right before I felt the wet I heard a little pop and then a relief from pressure."

"So maybe those have been real contractions and now your water's broken?"

She nodded and they grinned at each other. When they got to the hospital she shook her head at him with a smile when he took her 'Mommy' bag from the back of the car. They were surprised to find their obstetrician already there, having been checking on another patient. She examined Lina, found her dilated to 5 centimeters and confirmed that their baby had dropped, the change that Tim had noticed - Lina was in labor. While Tim handled some of the paperwork they couldn't do ahead of time, Lina got changed and was made as comfortable as possible. Before he joined her, Tim called his dad. "Hey Dad."

"Hey Tim, what's up? Aren't I going to see you in a few minutes?"

"Yep…are the Ks and the Grands around and would you please put me on speaker?"

"Tim? All right, we're all, well almost all together."

"Great. To answer your question, yes you are going to see us in a few minutes, just not where we thought we'd see each other. We were on our way to the Russells but made a little detour."

Gibbs shook his head in confusion and then looked at Duck whose eyes had widened. "Timothy, where are you?"

"We're at the hospital Grandfa, Lina's in labor. The baby dropped overnight, she thought she was having Braxton Hicks contractions but her water broke in the car so here we are."

"And the doctor has seen her?"

"Yep, she's at 5 cm, so it's time."

Hélène grabbed the phone from Gibbs, "Is she all right, is everything going all right?"

"We just got here, Mama, but the doctor said yes."

Gibbs gently took the phone from Hélène and spoke again, "Give her our love, son. We're on our way to you and we'll call the Russells on the way."

Penny and Maisie were upstairs and hadn't heard but as they walked down the stairs they found their housemates in somewhat of a tizzy. They had four cars between them; they finally decided to take Gibbs' Ford and the Mallards' rental. Davos called Damian, Chloe and Nicolas while Penny called Geordie and Gibbs called Rob and the Russells. They decided to wait until they got to the hospital to call Sarah, Tony and the rest of the family in the States.

Geordie and Bec had just parked their car and were walking up the driveway to the Russells' house when Penny called. Geordie listened to what she said, said something unintelligible, grabbed Bec's hand and turned them back to the car. "Geordie! What's wrong? Where are we going?"

He put the car in gear and they drove off as he told her the news. Norm and Carla passed them and Carla frowned, "That's odd, that was Geordie and Bec…leaving!"

Norm shrugged, "They must have forgotten something." When they got inside, Trina had just told Pete and they were embracing, excited for their friends. As the triplets toddled off to the toy box they knew was in the living room, Carla looked at Trina with narrowed eyes. "Ok, what's going on? We just saw Geordie and Bec heading away from here."

Pete motioned everyone over and Trina nodded, "Jethro called, Tim just called to tell them that Lina's in labor, she's having the baby." She continued, "They just got to the hospital…Lina and Tim, not the others, they're on their way now. I guess Lina thought she was having Braxton Hicks contractions and then her water broke on the way over here so they went to the hospital instead."

Norm looked at Pete, "Who's got today?"

Pete pulled the list out of his work bag, looked at it and then laughed; "Beginners luck!" He gestured to Ned, "Ned has today, Maggie and Tony have tomorrow and Dani has Monday."

Ned grinned, rubbing his hands together and Trina laughed, "Babies take hours and hours to be born, my friend. You could lose that money to Tony and Maggie or even Dani."

Figuring it would be at least several hours before the baby was born, the group decided to have their dinner before they descended on the hospital. By that time everyone but the McGee-Kalivas clan was there, so they sat down to dinner. It was a strange meal for one of their Thanksgivings feasts as several of the missing guests had been bringing parts of their dinner or dessert. The kids put their heads together and made mashed potatoes, 'box' stuffing and a salad. All that along with the turkey was their Thanksgiving dinner and as they said, it was more than enough! Trina laughed, "We'll have a feast on Christmas, I wasn't sure how that was going to work, but the baby will be almost a month old then, so at least Lina will be more recovered than we figured."

Kim had brought an apple pie, so they had that and frozen yogurt for dessert, wondering if the pies and hot dishes were in cars sitting in the hospital parking lot. Evander just laughed when Pete asked him if he still had a key to the big house. Maisie had planned to bring a pumpkin pie and Gibbs had promised rolls and Pete wanted the rest of his dinner! Instead they enjoyed what they had and then cleaned up as the ones without young children wanted to go to the hospital.

XXX

When Gibbs and Ducky pulled into the hospital parking lot, they let their passengers off at the front door while they went looking for parking. Once they had spaces, they spotted Rob driving in so stopped to wait for him. They joined the others in the waiting room and were soon joined by Damian and Matt, Geordie and Bec. A nurse found them a few minutes later and when she finally understood they were all there for Lina and Tim, she shook her head, "It will be hours you know. The baby will probably not arrive until sometime tomorrow. You should go home."

When she met with a solid wall of resistance, she sighed, smiled at them and went back to work. The doctors Mallard went with her to see if they could get any news. Rob ran back to get them, "We can go in and see her for a little bit and Hélène she wants you in with them."

The crowd split up into smaller groups and just popped their heads in to say hello. Penny shook her head and said to Maisie, "Things sure have changed! I certainly would not have wanted my family wandering in and out of my room!"

Maisie laughed, "I had an advantage when Lily was born or at least it seems like one now! We had only lived in America for a few months and knew only a very few people so it was just me and Drew and he was in the 'father's waiting room' the entire time, not participating as they do now."

Penny nodded, "I'm sure Nelson would rather have had his tongue pulled out than watch me give birth!"

"But Tim seems all right with it, I guess because that's what happens now, the fathers are in with their wives."

Neither woman had been at the hospital when Lily gave birth to Tim; he came too early and too fast and was delivered via an emergency c-section. Patrick had also been born via c-section, although that one was scheduled and Maisie had been there with Lily but Penny had stayed home with big brother Tim. Dan had been at sea when Tim was born, but he was present for Patrick's birth and for Sarah's arrival years later.

After they'd all seen Lina and Tim, Gibbs and Davos went off to find coffee while the rest of them returned to the waiting room. Gibbs called them from the cafeteria saying they were serving Thanksgiving dinner and they might as well come eat. Most of them trooped down to the cafeteria to eat while Geordie and Penny stayed behind. She sighed, "I hate waiting and this will probably be a long night."

Geordie grinned, "I have a deck of cards in my car."

She snorted, "Got any poker chips? We have enough people here to have a tournament!"

He laughed as he walked out to his car for the cards. He and Penny played 'War' until the others got back, bringing them dinner.

While they waited, they played various card games, occasionally popping in to see how things were going, although that was mostly Penny, Maisie and the doctors. The others tried not to shudder and smilingly said they'd just wait.

XXX

Tim had heard some horror stories about wives in labor and he had tried to mentally prepare himself. In typical Tim fashion, he'd researched the hell out of the whole process and read everything he could find on the internet about it. He'd seen the posts where women had claimed to have had their babies in 2 minutes or 46 minutes but his attention had of course been drawn to the longest scenarios, women who spoke of three or four days of labor before their babies were born. Now with Lina's labor having started without her really knowing, he wasn't sure what to think. Did that mean things would move faster? He certainly hoped it would mean less pain for his sweetheart. He'd been assured by the nurses and doctor that Lina and the baby were doing fine but he hadn't been prepared for this sort of passive waiting. Not that he was complaining! When they realized Lina had fallen asleep, Hélène told him to take a break, to get something to eat. He finally agreed when his stomach started growling. He stopped in at the waiting room and laughed at his crazy family who'd found a second deck of cards somewhere and had divided into teams playing …something, he didn't know what. His dad walked down to the cafeteria with him and that felt good, he was so glad the man was here with him, with them. After he ate, he called Sarah and James to say hello. Poppy had called them earlier so they knew about Lina and were glad to hear from Tim. On the way back to the waiting room, one of the nurses stopped and told him there were more people that she thought 'belonged' to him in another waiting room. They walked down and found Pete, Trina, Kim, Evander, Ned, Dani, Tea and Adan. They greeted Tim and demanded an update. They all laughed when he told them that part of their dinner was in the backseat of his car and he offered the keys to Pete.

Back in the room Lina was still asleep so when Tim returned Hélène decided to take a break. She hadn't been gone more than five minutes when Lina woke up and things started happening again. And this time they happened fast! Before Tim had time to think, the doctor was helping him – or he was helping her – deliver their child and he was so busy and so terrified that he was going to do something wrong or worse, drop the tiny little thing that he forgot to be overwhelmed by everything. The doctor directed him to lay the baby on Lina's abdomen. Tim did so and watched as the infant was dried off, covered with a warm towel and given a cap. Tim smiled at his wife, "Honey, you did it! Our sprout is here!"


	152. Chapter 152

CH 152

Lina smiled tiredly as she reached down to touch their newborn, "Hello little one, welcome to the outside world! I'm Mama and he's Papa." Tim felt an overpowering love for his wife and child and felt tears of joy rolling down his cheeks. They counted fingers and toes and relaxed watching their baby. The nurse moved in to take the infant when it was time for Lina to deliver the placenta and their eyes followed her as she expertly cleaned and weighed their tiny child. Tim turned back to Lina, "You are wonderful, LinaMelina!"

She smiled again, "It helped that I didn't realize I was in labor most of the day." She looked at Tim, "It's a good thing you figured it out."

He snorted, "I didn't really, I just thought we should come get checked out." Then he grinned at her, "We have a son!"

"Yes, a little boy, and now my love we have to choose names."

"You know what you want?"

"I know the names, yes, I'm just not sure in which order."

"Ok, so what are they?"

"Jorrin and Donald, for two of our grandfathers."

"That's great and I like the combination. Whichever order we choose, I'd like to call him Jorrin if you agree."

"If you don't think it'll be too confusing with Geordie, yes and I like the sound of Donald Jorrin."

Tim smiled, watching the nurse with their child. "I don't think it'll be confusing, we usually call Geordie Geo anyway."

The nurse returned their son to them and urged Lina to put little Jorrin to her breast. She'd already taken a photo of the new mama and papa with the baby and Tim sent that to Sarah, Tony, Chloe and Nicolas. Then he walked out to the waiting room, unable to keep the huge smile off his face as his family nearly attacked him, "How's Lina? What's happening?"

"She's fine, she's feeding our son."

"A boy! He's healthy, all is well?"

"Yes Davos, a mop of dark hair, ten fingers and ten toes and everything else he should have."

Tim was congratulated, kissed and hugged and it took Bec to say, "How big is he? And do you have a name?"

"He's 7 lbs. 6 oz. and yes, we have a name." Tim pulled back and looked at Grandfa and Hélène. "We're calling him Donald Jorrin." He looked at the others, "Jorrin Mikolas was Hélène's father."

Grandfa had tears running down his cheeks and a big grin nearly splitting his face as Tim continued, "So yeah, you are now officially great grandparents, grandparents, aunties and uncles."

"Sarah and James…"

"I sent Sarah, Chloe, Nicolas and Tony a photo, so they know - here, you can see." He showed them the photo and then slipped back into the room with Lina, sending the photo to more of the family. Jorrin and his mother were still working on getting him fed and she asked that this first time their family wait until they were finished before they had visitors.

XXX

Gibbs, Matt and Bec went to find the others to tell them the good news; by that time the photo had arrived on Gibbs' phone so their friends were able to see that Lina was well and the baby had indeed arrived very quickly. They figured out Tim and Lina had arrived at the hospital a little over three hours ago. Trina smiled, "That's a short labor, she's so lucky!"

Pete wanted to know if they'd seen the baby yet and Gibbs shook his head, "No, Lina's doing or trying to do her first breastfeeding and Tim said she asked that we wait until he's done."

Trina nodded, "Easier on them both if there are no distractions, especially the first time." She continued, "Ducky must be over the top, sharing his name!"

Matt huffed, "He was smiling and crying at the same time."

"And who is or was Jorrin?"

Gibbs fielded that one, "Hélène's father; he died when she was a teenager."

"Oh, that's very special then."

Tea smiled, "Jorrin means 'farmer', the same as Geordie." They looked at her in surprise and Adan chuckled, "You didn't know that Geordie is a Greek name?"

They shook their heads; that was news to most of them. Bec just smiled, "I can't wait to tell him that the baby's name means the same thing as his. Does that mean they're derivatives of the same name?"

Adan nodded, "Yes, both come from the name George."

Bec grinned, "So Geordie might have a 'George' in his family tree."

After promising to let Eva, Caleb and the Hofstadlers know, the Russells and the others left, saying they'd come back on Sunday for a visit. Bec, Matt and Gibbs went back to the maternity ward. Ducky went to see how the breastfeeding was progressing and found that Jorrin had now been fed and the nurse had put drops in his eyes. There were other medical procedures to be done before Mama and baby left for home on Tuesday and others that would happen when Jorrin was older.

Lina and the baby were moved to a different room and Tim learned how to swaddle his son and lay him in the bassinet. The nurse explained that once Jorrin's temperature was stable for a few hours, she would return and bathe him. When Tim's face lit up, she offered to show him how to give the baby a bath.

In the meantime, Lina was wide awake so their family arrived in pairs for a visit and a very quiet look at their new baby. When he woke and had been fed again, he met his grandparents, great grandparents and some of his aunts and uncles. Tim and Lina weren't sure whether Rhea would be an aunty or eventually one of Jorrin's grandmothers, so they were side stepping that for now.

Rob had his tablet with him and they had brief video chats with Chloe, Nicolas and their families, followed by Sarah and James, followed in turn by the Hubbards, Cranes, Tony and Maggie and the Palmers, who by now had had time to gather at the Hubbards. Lina was worn out after that and everyone but Tim left the room.

Once in the hallway Gibbs pulled Rhea aside for a quick conversation; she smiled and gave him a kiss and he turned to the others. Hélène started to say something, stopped and then nodded approvingly when Jethro handed Davos his keys. "I'm going to stay for awhile, then I'll go home with Tim, make sure he eats something and gets some sleep." He grinned, "This part I can help with."

He went back in the room and sat quietly while Lina and the baby slept. Tim was dozing and when he finally woke he saw his dad and smiled, glad he'd stayed. Gibbs smiled back at him, whispering, "Come on, son, let's go home, get you something to eat and have you sleep in your own bed." Tim had to think about that as he wasn't sure he wanted to leave his little family. However his neck already hurt from sleeping in the chair the way he had been and he figured his wife and son would sleep better without him snoring, even if Lina said it was more of a snuffle. They left a note for Lina and told the nursing staff. Tim was more awake by the time they left and he had questions. "Dad, how long was Shannon in labor?"

"36 hours, felt like weeks, it was horrible for her. By the time Kelly was finally born, my poor Shannie was a mess and I'd decided I'd never put her through that again."

"I know we got lucky, I read a lot of horror stories online."

"Glad I didn't know any of those stories ahead of time, I'm not sure how I would have handled it."

"Did they do c-sections by request then?" Gibbs had to stop and think, "Yeah I think I heard about that happening, but Shan was adamant she wanted a natural birth, almost seemed like she was out to prove something."

Tim nodded, "I saw a lot of that online too." He grinned, "Lina's tired and sore but much better than I was afraid she'd be. And we have a little boy!"

His father reached over and ruffled his hair saying, "I hope that doesn't mean my own boy will ever be too old to have his hair ruffled by his old man."

Tim laughed, "Don't worry, it doesn't!"

Once they were home, Poppy cooked some bacon, scrambled some eggs and made toast and coffee for the two of them. Tim looked up while they ate, "Thanks for thinking of this, it's nice to have you here with me." He swallowed a bite and continued, "I haven't slept alone in the house since Lina moved in, not sure how I would have done."

Gibbs snorted, "I was miserable."

"Before Shannon and Kelly came home?"

"Yeah, I'd never slept in the house without Shannon – I was always the one who left. Made me really think about what I was asking of my wife. But when I talked with her about it she said she was used to it and that she could always take the baby and stay with her parents for a few days when I deployed again."

Tim nodded, "Must have been tough for you to leave after that."

"It was and it seemed like Kelly hit some milestone every time I was gone." He looked at his son and pulled him in for a warm hug, "I'm so proud of you, Tim! You're going to be a wonderful father, you and Lina will be awesome parents."

Tim tilted his head, "Thanks. You know we'll make mistakes, everyone does, just hope it's nothing huge or with serious consequences."

"Use your common sense and follow your instincts. You have an advantage having already raised two kids."

"Maybe, we'll see. This is a lot different; I won't have to worry about what Jorrin is going to eat every day or how I'm going to keep him warm, or how to buy new shoes for him."

"Different types of decisions but again between the two of you, you'll be fine."

Tim nodded, "Lina keeps reminding me that we're not raising our baby in one day - it takes years and we'll make decisions and change them all the time." He snorted, "It's not a book; I don't have to have all the answers by the end of a chapter!" He paused, "I've been meaning to ask you where Kelly slept when she came home. In her crib or did you have a bassinet or cradle in your room?"

Gibbs huffed and grimaced, "That was probably one of the worst fights we ever had. I had no clue, no siblings, never been around babies. I said she should go in her crib and that was that. Shannon wanted a cradle or bassinet in our room but I wanted my wife back so we argued about it after Kelly was home. By the end of our first week when I was dragging my ass down the hall to get Kelly, change her and bring her back to our room to feed her and then reverse the process ever couple of hours, I admitted Shannon was right. I wish I'd known earlier as I would have made her a cradle but we borrowed a bassinet from somebody and she slept in that in our room at night. During the day she slept in her crib and that seemed to work ok and Shannon sat in the rocker to feed her. By the time she was sleeping through more of her nighttime feedings, going back to the crib wasn't something totally new to her."

Tim nodded, "Been thinking about that. I talked with Caleb about it and they came up with pretty much the same solution, although putting the baby in the crib during the day is a really good idea."

"Are they still using a bassinet for Athos?"

Tim shook his head, "No." He smiled at his father, "I know they're not because it's all wrapped up and tucked away in Lina's studio."

He got another hair ruffling for that. He started to clean up the dishes and was waved off by his dad, "Go and get some sleep while you can! I'll be in the downstairs bedroom if you need anything." He kissed his son goodnight and gently shoved him toward the stairs.

By Tuesday afternoon, Tim, Lina and baby Jorrin were home. Although Tim had been at the hospital every day, he'd left after eating dinner with Lina and had been home each night. This morning he'd left the thermostat turned up so the house was nice and warm. He'd also put a sheet on the crib mattress and sorted through the sleep sacks to find the smaller ones for the baby. He left out a stack of diapers and tiny footed pajamas. That meant that once fed and changed Jorrin could be put in the smallest of the sleep sacks and carefully laid in the crib.

Mom, Dad and baby were napping Tuesday evening when Tim was woken by the smell of something delicious cooking. He quietly made his way downstairs to the kitchen where he found Gram and Grandfa putting dinner together for them. Once it was ready, they had a peek at their great grandson and then left, wanting to give the new family some privacy their first night at home. Lina was feeling nice and cozy upstairs so the new parents had their dinner in bed.

Gibbs e-mailed 'Grandson' birth announcements to just about everyone he knew but as many as he sent, he was still outnumbered by Ducky and Maisie's 'great grandson' announcements. After all, Ducky had the advantage of having all the e-mail addresses he'd gathered from old friends for their wedding. The Parents and Grands rotated helping Lina and Tim, doing their grocery shopping and cooking meals for them. Tim was on four weeks paternity leave but the first couple of weeks they wanted to help the family settle in, hoping they'd be able to establish a routine with Jorrin. Right now they couldn't do much to help with the baby but they could shop, cook, clean and do the laundry.

Getting their child into a routine wasn't as easy as it sounded. He was two weeks old before they figured out his sleep patterns. In the meantime, they were grateful for all the help they could get; it meant precious more minutes of sleep. They knew Jorrin would eventually start to sleep longer at night but for now this was their life. The baby spent as much time as possible with his parents who were overcome with joy at having their child with them, although at 2 AM and 4 AM that joy was tempered just a wee bit. By the end of the family's first week together the bassinet had moved from being hidden in Lina's studio to the master bedroom along with a changing mat that fit the top of one of the bureaus. Jorrin slept in their room at night and in his room during the day and that worked a little better. Tim didn't know how anyone could work at a job with a brand new baby in the house but parents had done it since the beginning of time.

Although he'd arrived nearly two weeks before his due date there was nothing about Jorrin that suggested he was premature. However Tim and Lina had prepared for a crazy December, and had done all the work for Christmas very early. Now they added family photos to the gifts. The celebration would be held at the big house and Sarah, James and the senior Powells would be there as well as Hélène and Davos. The trek to Thessaloniki for the January 6th Christmas would not include Lina and Tim this year.

XXX

At NCIS, the team was handling things without Tim. They had four fully trained and very capable agents; they could handle anything that came along although they certainly missed him. Bec easily stepped into her role as "SFA in training", much as Tim had when he'd first arrived two years ago. This year they were working on Christmas Day so the Russells' annual Christmas party would be on Saturday the 26th. They teased Pete about having to work on Christmas during his last months and he replied that he'd timed it all wrong but he'd rather work Christmas knowing it would be the last time he'd have to work on a holiday! The weather was warm the week before Christmas and Tim and Lina brought the baby in for his first office visit and of course lunch. Everyone had seen him at some point, whether at the hospital or at home but it was fun to have him here at the office. Tim smiled at Eva, remembering her bringing Athos in so she could be in on their interview with the President of the U.S. He hoped Jorrin would be as accommodating and he was. He slept peacefully in his baby carrier while his parents enjoyed their time with their friends and the tasty lunch.

The Powells, Hubbards and Cranes arrived a few days before Christmas, overflowing the big house but the residents had it all figured out. Gibbs moved to Tim and Lina's downstairs bedroom for the duration while Hélène and Davos stayed with Damian and Matt and those changes plus a pull out bed in the family room at the big house took care of the problem. On Christmas Day, Tim and Gibbs packed the SUV with all the McGees' gifts for the others and ran them over to the big house. Once delivered, Gibbs stayed while Tim returned home for Lina and the baby. It was not Jorrin's first visit to the big house, he'd been there a few times by now and sleeping in the portable crib was also not new to him. He did fine with the family he already knew and didn't raise much of a fuss when he met his aunts and uncles.

They'd hoped that Tony and Maggie would be able to join them this year but Tony's Team Lead had volunteered for on call duties Christmas Day and with a three man team that meant Christmas in Greece was out of the question. Despite missing them and the Palmers the McGee-Kalivas group had a wonderful family day together, waiting until after Bec, Matt and Ned were off work to open gifts and have dinner. Much to their delight, Lina had crafted gifts for the Parents and Grands and Penny, Jim and Dave had shopped for Christmas gifts in their travels around the world. Ned was surprised to be included in the gathering and touched when he found presents with his name on them. He and Rob had a good time catching up and made plans to get together over the weekend. With everything going on, Ned had not yet moved from his room at the agency and Tim and Pete had told him not to worry about it until after the holidays. His mother was planning a trip over in April so he had plenty of time to get settled somewhere.

XXX

An overflow at the big house meant a larger crowd than ever at the Russells the next day. However they were up to the challenge, clearing the living room furniture and using every leaf on their table and every leaf on their picnic table. Borrowing Tim and Lina's even larger picnic table and leaves, they managed to seat everyone in a sort of squared off 'U' shape with the food on separate tables. The Vance family had arrived on the same flight as the Hubbards and Cranes and everyone was happy to see them again. As Tim looked at the crowd once they were seated, he couldn't help feeling a little tug. With Pete retiring and Stephan, Phoebe and Ross headed across the Atlantic for college next year, he wondered if this was it for holiday celebrations here. He hoped not, it was always such a joyful time and he knew everyone looked forward to it as much as he and Lina did. But it would certainly be different.

While the festivities went on around them that first month of Jorrin's life, Tim and Lina were learning how to be parents to their infant son. They missed sleep, yes, and diaper changes and a crying baby weren't fun, but they treasured taking care of him. Tim loved sitting with his baby son cuddled in his arms or laid out on his legs, watching him. Having his little fingers curl over his daddy's was another treat as was bathing him and listening to the little sounds he made. They both loved to watch him sleep; Jorrin was a fairly quiet baby, certainly he cried, but he didn't fuss much. He kicked his legs and waved his arms, all good signs of a healthy active baby. As those first weeks rolled by, Tim was grateful that Pete had been so insistent that he stay home with his son for the full length of his leave.

The combined Kalivas-McGee family gathered again for one last holiday meal together on New Year's Day, once again including Ned. After dessert Ainsley and Callum were excused from the table while the others were enjoying their post meal beverages. Geordie cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. He smiled at Bec and then turned to the family, "Bec and I are moving in together."

The couple was treated to cheers and well wishes before Penny asked, "Have you found a place yet?"

Bec nodded, "Yes! Evander helped us find a nice apartment near the Embassy."

"So you'll be commuting from Athens?"

She grinned, "A reverse commute, yes. Maybe Matt and I could carpool!"

Matt nodded at that, "Sure, sounds good!"

Bec continued, "I gave Dani notice a few weeks ago and we're moving next weekend."

Tim looked at Matt, Damian, Ned and Rob. "Move crew!" They nodded, ready to help as Bec added, "I'll let the others know on Monday. I don't have much and Geordie really only has his clothes."

Hélène frowned, "Do you two have enough furniture?"

Geordie shrugged, "We'll pick it up along the way."

Bec smiled, "We have bedroom furniture and Lina's chair…for now."

Lina chuckled, "I'll make you a chair now, Bec, I hadn't forgotten! You can keep mine until I have yours ready."

Gibbs looked at the couple, "Be happy to make you a table and chairs. Maybe a coffee table or …well we can talk about it." He smiled when their faces lit up.

"That'd be wonderful Dad, thanks!"

"Great, if you have time this weekend, let's take a look at what you want and I'll get started."

Damian chuckled, "I'm happy to help with design."

Davos nodded, "And if you see a sofa or anything else you happen to like at the store, just let us know!"

Uncle Dave chuckled, "See, it really does pay to be part of an extended family!"

Lina was looking thoughtful, "Bec, do you know if Dani is going to rent the room again?"

"She said she might as long as the person didn't mind moving again in a year."

Lina nodded sadly, "She's thinking of moving back to the U.S. when Ross leaves for college. More and more of her business is there."

Maisie looked around the table, "Perhaps her next tenant could rent the entire house from her when she leaves. Does she rent or own?"

Tim huffed, "Both, sort of. Her uncle owns it and she leases it from him and part of her rent goes toward purchasing the house."

Lina nodded in agreement and then asked, "Ned, have you ever seen the place?"

He shook his head, "No, I don't think I have."

She smiled, "Well we can take care of that. Do you have plans tomorrow or Sunday? We'll take you over and you can see what you think about the room and talk with Dani and Ross…if you'd like."

"Oh, that'd be great." Ned liked the idea of having housemates and not being alone. He'd been dreading looking for a place to live without knowing what areas would be gay friendly. Damian and Matt had been helpful and Matt had reassured him that nobody they knew would have a problem. But he still had reservations and he didn't want to tell the rest of the team until they knew him better and "the rest of the team" included Kim and therefore Evander. He'd met Dani and Ross a few times and he was comfortable asking Tim or Matt about Dani's views. They made arrangements to meet the next morning when both Dani and Ross would be home.

As it happened, the next day was departure day for the big house visitors and the others were just as happy to have something else to focus on. Dani was amenable to having Ned look at the room; she and Ross remembered him from the wedding and Ned had had enough of a chat with Tim to relieve his qualms about how Dani would feel about a gay man as a housemate. Once at Dani's, he found he liked the room and the house very well. He had some questions about the rules of the house and asked if he could think about it overnight and give her an answer in the morning. She was happy with that, her finances were nowhere near as tight as they'd been when Lina had first moved in and she could afford a month without help with the rent. When it turned out that Ned just wanted to figure out what he'd sleep on while he waited for his belongings to arrive from London, Tim told him he could continue upstairs and move in to the house, if he decided on that, when his shipment was delivered. As Tim and Bec had done before him, Ned had originally only shipped his bedroom furniture and electronics from the States to London, although he had a little more now. That settled, he contacted Dani later that evening and asked her if she would mind waiting several days while his furniture was shipped from London. She agreed and the deal was done. When Ned met Rob on Sunday to see a new movie, he was full of news about moving and his belongings arriving from London. Ned had asked if he could paint the room before he moved in and Dani agreed, so he and Rob talked about what color to paint it. After the movie, they decided to have dinner and somewhere during the evening decided what color Ned wanted. They had a great time and Ned realized afterward that he hadn't been so relaxed in months.

In the meantime, Tim spent part of the weekend getting ready to return to work on Monday. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. He'd loved being home and able to be a full time dad for the first month of Jorrin's life. However, he also needed to support his family and to do that he had to return to work. Lina would be home for another six weeks before she went back to the museum and Hélène, Davos and Poppy would watch the baby for at least the first month, rotating baby minding. After the Kalivas' returned to Thessaloniki in the beginning of April, Poppy would step in for full-time baby care. By then it would be easier with warmer weather and a baby who was no longer a tiny infant. When Lina and Tim felt their little guy was old enough, they'd look into a possible part time day care situation so Poppy could have some of his life back although he objected to that; as far as he was concerned, he was fine with having nights and weekends off.

In the meantime, plans had changed and the entire Kalivas family was now gathering at the big house on January 6th for their Christmas celebration. Nicolas' family would stay with Damian and Matt while everyone else would squeeze into the big house. Gifts and dinner wouldn't start until after Tim, Matt and Bec were off work that night. The evening turned out to be a lot of fun; Zander, Dimitri and Tad were fascinated with Jorrin and each of them had a chance to hold him while sitting quietly on the couch with one of their parents. Gibbs got a kick out of watching the 3 young boys play together; he could imagine Jorrin playing with them when he was older and was glad Jorrin had young cousins. Locally, he'd have little Athos and Jase, Will and Cammy as playmates when he was older and once they were back in the U.S., Violet Palmer was less than a year older and if they didn't know each other well, at least each would have someone their own age to hang out with at family gatherings. He suspected there would be at least one more Palmer child joining them at some point.

Gibbs remembered being bored as a kid at family gatherings; he'd been the youngest by many years and so had no one to play or hang out with. Then he realized that in this family, Alexis was the odd one out. Luckily, she'd seen Ross and the Russell kids that afternoon so at least the whole day wasn't boring for her. And she'd had her own time with Jorrin, holding him carefully while he slept. Chloe later admitted to being relieved that Alexis wasn't over the top about the baby, she didn't want her to have any ideas about having her own child anytime soon. Chloe's siblings and husband called her out on that as she had already been planning her wedding when she was Alexis' age and had her daughter when she was 19.

As they hauled their son and all his new baby gear back to the house that night, Tim shook his head, "So much stuff for one little guy! We've had a baby shower, more gifts when he was born and now two Christmases." He looked at Lina, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful but there are so many children who have next to nothing."

"You're right. He's already growing out of his newborn things so why don't we find out where Eva and Caleb donated Athos' things and donate those? We can keep the sleep sacks that Claire and Margaret made but there are plenty of things that would benefit other children."

"You know, I wonder if Dad – and your dad – would be interested in building kid furniture for other kids?"

"Poor children?"

"Yeah. If their parents would accept a gift like that."

"Let's talk with Eva and then ask Poppy and Papa."

Tim nodded, feeling a little better about the sheer amount of stuff his son had been gifted in his very short life. "And maybe next year we can ask that instead of buying Jorrin something extravagant, to make it simple and also make a donation or buy a gift for a poor kid."

"We'll have to find a way to word that and we do have a large family, you know. His aunties and uncles want to make sure Jorrin knows he's loved by them. "

Tim laughed, "Spending time with him will let him know that better than gifts."

She nodded, "I know and if it's any consolation we went through the same thing with Zander."

"Not Tad and Dimitri?"

"No, they're only three months apart so the gifts were spread between them and they are spring babies, so by Christmas they were ready for new toys and clothes."

Tim nodded, "Timing is all, huh? That makes a big difference!" He grinned, "If we have another child, maybe she'll arrive in the spring, huh?"

"If? We are having another child at some point, Timothy! But yes, a spring baby would be nice."

They'd reached home and Tim pulled into the garage. "You know what? This stuff can wait until tomorrow! Let's get Jorrin in and then what would you think of some practice for that spring baby?"

Lina pulled him in for a kiss, giving that light laugh that sent bolts of lust and love through Tim. He was showing Lina just what that laugh did to him when the baby woke in the backseat and gave a squawk.


	153. Chapter 153

NOTE: Might want to check out the notes at the end of the chapter before reading.

* * *

><p>CH 153<p>

Back at work that same week, Tim had a day or two to settle in and then he was essentially given back the reins as Pete was determined to make the switch before he left the building. Bec was the acting SFA and Tim admitted that the training she'd received while he was away was well worth it. They started the second week of the year with a murdered Marine and that case took them nearly until the end of the month to bust open. The man had been Special Forces and it had finally taken a direct order from Secretary Porter to get the information they needed from the Corps. Once they had it, they were able to connect the dots and within days had their suspect in custody.

XXX

While the agents and their teammates worked their case, Carla and Lina started planning Pete's retirement party. There would be a fair amount of out of town guests including Leon of course, Joel and Carol Morris who were flying in from California, Stan Burley and his wife coming in from Spain and Roger and Marla Martinez from Marseille. London would be on call that weekend so no one from that office would be attending in person. As it happened the Baton Rouge would be in port the week of the party, so Tim's godfather and uncle would be there along with the Mallards and of course Gibbs. Penny had even changed her itinerary so that she would still be in Greece for the party, saying she hated to pass up any party. Once the guest list was drawn up, with assistance from Trina who asked that Pete's mother and brothers be invited, the two planners really got busy.

The NCIS group barely had time to start their reports on their last case when they were called in to work with the DC MCRT on a weapons deal gone bad. Two of the suspected terrorists had ties in Athens, so the team went on the hunt. With the help of the Athens PD, they performed physical and electronic surveillances and were able to bring their persons of interest down with minimum disruption, that is to say they once again made their MMA Master very proud. As the van carrying the suspects and JAG officers departed the office the next morning, Pete let out a loud cry, "WHOO HOOO! That's my last case, my friends! I am DONE!"

He hadn't told anyone but Tim but he was taking personal leave the last two weeks of February, so this truly had been his last case. The others nodded; they'd known something was up when both Eva and Carla came into work that morning; it hadn't taken long to figure out. Still, this was actually happening and, as Tim had told Pete months ago expecting was far different from the actuality.

Matt looked at him, "Do you remember your first case here?"

Pete stood in thought for a minute and then grinned, snapping his fingers at Matt, "Yes I do, Agent Watson! A Marine was murdered while on leave, turned out he'd spotted a known terrorist and was silenced as a result."

Bec grimaced, "I'm not sure whether to like or be dismayed by the symmetry, a terrorist case coming in and going out."

Tim huffed, "Do you remember the very first case you ever worked on – as a probie?"

Pete had to search farther back in his memories for that and finally said, "I think it was a UA squid. And I was so proud when we found him, because you know, I was Navy before I became a special agent."

He looked at Tim, "What was yours?"

Tim paused. The case had been re-classified three years ago; as long as he didn't mention the deadly gas in the body of the dead eco-terrorist he could legally talk about the case.

"I was a case agent in Norfolk when I was called in on body parts found in a vat of acid. That's the case where I met Gibbs and DiNozzo, on a dock at the Navy Yard in Norfolk." He chuckled, "Gibbs and Caitlin Todd, Ziva's predecessor, flew out to a sub while DiNozzo and I investigated on shore. It was eco-terrorists who planted an imposter aboard, luckily Gibbs figured it out and only the bad guy died."

"That was your first case?" Tim nodded. "But you were a case agent, so no fair. What was your first case as a field agent?"

Tim thought about it, "Well, technically I was a field agent while I worked it although I didn't know it yet, but it was a Navy Officer at the Pentagon whose wife and child were kidnapped and held for ransom. We rescued them and then found out the whole thing was a setup by the officer."

"How could you be a field agent and not know it?"

Tim laughed, "I was a case agent for nearly a year but Gibbs kept requesting me for TAD, so I spent about half my time in DC. I think I was already in DC when they got word on that case, so I stayed and worked it with them and after they busted the bad guys, Gibbs told me I was now a probationary field agent assigned to his team." He smiled, "He said I was his."

Pete nodded, "And so you are!"

Bec looked at Pete, "First impression of Vance as your Team Lead?"

"Hard ass, no sense of humor, smoked like a chimney because his wife wouldn't let him smoke at home." They all chuckled at that, having seen various sides of their Director.

Ned nodded, "He is still a hard ass, I've heard him ream someone out without raising his voice and everyone hates the toothpicks, I guess those replaced the smokes. Until Gibbs' retirement party, I'd never seen Vance openly smile in the office, much less laugh. I'd only seen him laugh on the recording of your conga line Christmas party and at the wedding of course." He looked at Tim, "But I know he's got a good heart."

Tim smiled back, "That he does, Ned; he's been good to me and good for the agency."

Pete grinned, "He's certainly been a good friend to me!" He paused, "All right, I need to get my reports done so I can relax at home before I come back on the 29th to turn in my stuff."

Tim nodded, failing to hide his smile. "See that you do, Special Agent Russell or I'll call you back in to complete them!"

They all laughed when Pete tilted his face and his palms toward the ceiling in an eloquent and melodramatic gesture of "Why is he picking on me?"

When they left the office that Friday night, Pete took the last box of his personal belongings with him, insisting that Tim move his things to the corner office. Tim resisted but when he got to work Monday, he found his name listed on the front directory as the Special Agent In Charge and his name had been stenciled onto the door of the SAIC's office, replacing Pete's. Kim came in right after him and stood watching him carrying items into the corner office. "He's not dead, Tim. He'll be around and you know if you ever need anything he'll be there for you, just like Gibbs."

Tim nodded, "I know Kim, it's just…" He looked at her, "The first time it happened that I remember was when Sarah was born and my father told me I was the big brother and responsible for being the man around the house when he was gone. I was 6. Next time was when I was 9 and Sarah and I were abandoned and I was suddenly in charge of keeping us alive. I'll be all right; it just takes time for me to adjust my thought process."

Kim nodded, she knew that and now understood a little more why he appeared to be reluctant. It was apparently a lifelong pattern that he was seemingly thrust into positions of responsibility before he necessarily felt ready – or even willing. She was glad he had Lina, his dad and grandparents.

Eva and Carla were both in again that Monday and Tim was grateful that Kim had realized he'd want them all in that first day. Tea brought pastries and they had their first breakfast gathering without Pete. Knowing he couldn't continue to show his reluctance, which was more akin to grief that he was losing a mentor from his daily life, Tim made a little show of sitting at the head of the table and talking about things to come. He announced Bec's promotion to Senior Field Agent and Matt's promotion to senior agent and then explained that designation. Pete had been the only one to finish his reports on their last two cases so that was the first order of business for the day. He reminded his team that the field agents needed time on the shooting range before the end of the month and they made tentative plans for Tuesday.

The day went well and by lunchtime Bec had Ned and Matt's first set of reports from their January case. She added her own and sent them on to Tim who had to resist making a comment about reports in general. From Pete it would sound funny but Tim thought he'd just sound snarky or worse, whiny. By the end of the day he was feeling better, felt like he was on solid ground again rather than quicksand and was glad Bec would be joining him for his weekly call with Vance. She'd been on several while he was out and of course she and Matt and now Ned had been included every so often, so it wasn't new to her.

While Bec and Matt were in the kitchen getting some tea, Ned came into the office and gently closed the door. "I have something I need to tell you."

Tim gestured to a chair saying, "Ok."

Dorneget sat. "Uh, I don't know if this is something you need to know but I figured I'd better let you know anyway." He took a deep breath. "Rob and I are seeing each other…dating." He squinted; looking at his new boss, reminding Tim of Tony approaching their boss with something that he was sure would earn him a headslap.

Tim nodded, "I appreciate your candor, but you didn't have to tell me." He grinned, "Bec never mentioned she and Geordie were dating and I introduced, that is Lina and I introduced Matt and Damian."

"So there's not a problem?"

Tim snorted, "I'm sure we're the most interconnected, some might even say incestuous, team in NCIS but as long as we keep the family connections out of our work and as much out of the office as possible, we're good." Then he grinned again, "I know it's early days but welcome to the McGee clan!"

Ned smiled back, "We're taking things slow but yeah, thanks!"

Tim had wondered if this might be the case as Rob was noticeably happier but he'd figured it wasn't really any of his business. Ned didn't linger after their chat and Tim took a few minutes to focus on the upcoming call.

Tim was happy when Bec got the same warm congratulations on her promotion as he'd had from the Director. Vance told them that Barnes' team had successfully closed their case and praised them for their help.

Tim smiled, "Special Agent Pete Russell's last case."

Vance nodded his understanding and Bec repeated the gist of their conversation last Friday. "His first and last cases here were terrorism based."

The director shook his head, "The good thing is we closed both of them."

The call was brief and Tim felt even better when his boss gave him one of his approving nods as they signed off. He was glad they had class that night, he needed to grab hold of his self confidence and quit letting it take a back seat as it had today. He was the Team Lead now and all these people seemed to think he was the right one for the job. He mentally shook himself again; he _was_ the right one for the job!

XXX

The rest of the month passed quickly. The party planners had everything in place and the out of town guests started arriving on the 25th. There was one bedroom available at the big house which went to Joel and Carol Morris. Vance was staying with the Russells as usual but this time Kayla and Jared had not accompanied him. The problem of where to have the party had been resolved when Trina insisted they have it at their house. As she pointed out, just about every team party had been held there during the past 16 years, she saw no reason to interrupt that cycle. She also said, with a twinkle in her eye, that she had kids to get the house clean and that was good for them, character building.

Lina and Carla caved, knowing their only other real option had been the backroom at the Flying Pig. As much fun as they had there, they knew Pete preferred private parties where the children could join in. The invitations had 2:00 PM as the start time and Gibbs moved his barbecue over to the Russells so that he and Norm could have two large grills going. It was February, too cold for volleyball, croquet or swimming as there was no dome at the Russells this year. Pete's kids mused over the exercises available and finally settled on everyone's Christmas favorite – a conga line with possible dancing after. They set up portable cribs in Kyra's room for Athos and Jorrin while the triplets would nap in Stephan's room. The two planners, being very smart moms who wanted to enjoy the party, circulated a signup sheet for baby and toddler minding. The triplets knew everyone and were now potty trained but Athos at just a year and Jorrin at just three months would need changing and feeding. Between the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and not forgetting the very capable Russell kids, all the children would be well cared for without any of their minders having to miss any big chunks of time from the party.

When Vance arrived on Thursday, he insisted on stopping into the office to say hello. He smiled as he noticed the workstations had been moved around and the agents were in different positions. That was good, he was happy to see Tim taking steps to really make this his office. He asked if the MMA class was on that night and saw five nods; he hadn't realized Ned had joined, he liked that too. When he, Pete and Trina arrived at the studio that evening, he greeted Evander, both of Tim's brothers, Tea from the office, Gibbs and Rhea, Lina's brother Damian and of course Lina with baby Jorrin. This was his first in person introduction to the baby and he chuckled as the little one made a noise that he interpreted as "Hello, I'm very happy to meet you!"

Lina looked at the man's face and seeing a familiar look removed Jorrin from the sling and passed him over to Leon. His face lit up as he cradled him in his arms. "Oh it's been a long time but yeah I recognize that sweet baby smell."

Gibbs gave him his best grandfatherly grin and Vance smiled back. Eventually the baby went back to his mother as the MMA class disbursed. Dinner at the Flying Pig was quieter than usual as no one wanted to be responsible for waking Jorrin and Eva and Caleb were there with Athos. Leon hadn't met him yet either and was pleased when the child gave him a shy smile before hiding his face in Caleb's shirt. He looked around the table as the group enjoyed their dinner. Tim's younger brother was sitting with Ned and Leon thought they looked more like a couple than friends. He didn't really know anything but he'd been there when Rick Carter heard of Ned's transfer to Greece and witnessed the man give a sigh of relief and a little cheer before realizing the Director was behind him. When questioned he'd just said it was nothing to do with the team, the work or the agency. So Leon didn't know what had happened but he did see that his agent looked happy and very much at home with this bunch. He caught his eye and gave him a nod, he was glad to see him doing well.

Other guests arrived on Friday and were picked up by whoever had time to make a run to the airport. Young Dr. Mallard met the Morrises and delivered them to the big house while his dad was on hand to greet the Burleys and Carla met the couple from Marseille, whom she knew, that evening. Both couples were staying at the same hotel and Gibbs or Tim would pick them up for the party. Norm picked up Pete's mother and brothers, having met all three at some point over the years, and delivered them. They were a surprise for Pete and Norm grinned at the look on his friend's face when he saw who was walking in his front door.

That set the tone for the party. Pete was touched that so many friends and colleagues had come to Piraeus to celebrate with him. As always it was a family event with lots of laughter, storytelling and conversation. The team, determined that the Russells should just enjoy their party took turns handling the bar and making sure the food table was kept full. At some point Leon spotted Tim handing over a bottle of something to Joel, while Jorrin watched from his sling on his daddy's chest. He also figured out that he had been correct in his supposition about Ned and Rob. He liked being right but other than that he just hoped the two were happy and they certainly looked like they were. He grinned later when he saw Joel and Tim talking seriously in a corner, Jorrin now asleep in his sling. He had a feeling he knew what that was about! He popped outside where it was, to him, a balmy 60 degrees and listened to Gibbs and Norm kibitzing about the kids. He hung out with them for awhile before Pete found him and beckoned him inside to talk with his mom. Later he ran into the brothers Avramidis and enjoyed his conversation with them about his team and their accomplishments. He teased the Deputy Chief of Police about his message to the President of the U.S. after the rescue of the students at the University and the man laughed, "I don't care what he thinks of me, I just wanted him to know that his people are well thought of here. I am sure he hears daily how rotten things are, I wanted to send a positive message."

Vance nodded, "And he understood that. He had me fill him in on what cases we've worked on with you, he's impressed with your work as well."

The DCP's eyes widened, "You know him? You've met with him?"

"Yes."

"What is he like?"

"He's very personable, very curious. He's a great politician in that he focuses on whoever is with him and that is a gift."

"Ah well, there is a new president now, you will have to start over!"

Vance just nodded again at that, it was certainly a fact of life in Washington. Along about 4, before it got dark, the delicious smell of chicken and lamb on the grill started to drift into the house as people realized that yeah they could definitely eat. Dinner was served buffet style and with chairs and small tables borrowed from everywhere there was enough room for most people to sit while they ate.

The team left the dessert table empty, knowing what needed to happen first. Sure enough as they finished their own dinners, Stephan stood up and announced they would have some exercise before dessert was served. This was the first Russells' party for several of the guests although they'd all heard stories and they weren't disappointed as the music started. Grinning, Damian started the dance and the others joined in for what looked like a performance of the "Piraeus Dance Troupe". However, the Greek dancing only lasted a few minutes before it morphed into a sort of hybrid handkerchief dance/conga line. That had been requested by Pete; he'd wanted to show his mother and brothers what the dance troupe could do and he also wanted everyone to feel comfortable enough to participate. Whatever the steps, the group had a lot of fun and laughter as they conga'd around the house. They kept going until Stephan signaled Damian, still in the lead, to stop. The party continued for several more hours until Tim and Lina knew they needed to get Jorrin home and Eva, Caleb and the Hofstadlers weren't far behind them.

Sunday found the McGees hosting brunch for the out of town guests, the Russells and the McGee-Kalivas family members. They had a good time and when the guests left, Grandfa insisted that he, Gram, Rhea and Gibbs handle the clean up so that Lina and Tim get some rest. Taking them up on the offer, which included baby care, the two grabbed their swim suits and towels. The dome had been over the pool since November but Lina hadn't been in since before Jorrin was born and Tim had only had a few swims. They spent a leisurely hour doing laps and then decided to retire upstairs for hot showers and a nap.

Monday and Tuesday passed quickly. Pete came in with Vance just before closing on Tuesday, February 29th to hand over his badge, id and weapon. He didn't stay long, giving everyone hugs before he and Leon showed Tim a little secret about the office. Tim stood and watched them walk out the front door together, realizing that although they hadn't adopted each other as brothers the two of them were as close as he and Tony.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** for anyone scratching their heads and wondering at Tim's use of the word incestuous during his conversation with Ned, he is most definitely not using it in the literal sense! In this case I simply meant that there are a lot of people on the Athens team who are involved with Tim's family in some fashion.

See the cast listing and relationships below (and let me know if I've forgotten someone important!

**Characters: **

**Canon characters:** Tim McGee, Ducky Mallard, Sarah McGee, Jimmy and Breena Palmer, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Dir. Leon Vance, Tony DiNozzo, Ziva David, Stan Burley, Agent Balboa, Agent Jane Melankovic, Malachi Ben-Gidon, Abby Sciuto, Luka Sciuto, Abby's brother Kyle, Penny Langston, Kayla & Jared Vance, Jackson Gibbs, "Senior" DiNozzo, LJ Moore, Cal Frazer, Tobias Fornell, Emily Fornell, Ron Sacks, Rachel Cranston, SecNav Porter, Sheriff Ed Gantry, Chuck Winslow, Ned Dorneget, Dwayne Wilson, Mossad Director Elbaz, Roger Cooke, Mentions: Anne Gibbs, Jackie Vance, Tom Morrow, J. Shepard, Kate Todd, Ari Haswari, Eli David, Joann Fielding, Mac Fielding

**Tim's Immediate family**: wife Lina (Melina) Kalivas, baby son Donald Jorrin (called Jorrin or Jorry);

**Tim's siblings, their spouses & partners: **

Sarah McGee (husband James Powell);

Dr. Rob Mallard (dating Ned Dorneget)

Lt. Geordie Perry (partner Agent Bec Childers)

Agent Tony DiNozzo (partner Agent Maggie Barnes)

Patrick McGee (deceased)

**Tim's Parents and Grandparents: **

Lily and Dan McGee (both deceased)

Adopted Dad, Poppy to Jorrin: Leroy Jethro Gibbs (partner Rhea, also see Benaki below)

Paternal grandmother Penny Langston

Maternal grandmother (Gram or Grammie) Maisie Stirling Hubbard Mallard

Maternal grandfather (Grandfa) Ducky/Donald Mallard

**Tim's Godparents:** Uncle Dave (Admiral) and Aunty Liz Crane (see also the Baton Rouge)

**Tim's Uncle and Aunt:** Uncle Jim (Captain) and Aunt Claire Hubbard, children Ainsley and Callum (see also the Baton Rouge)

**Other family:** Jimmy and Breena Palmer, children Ethan, Stevie, Violet

**Tim's in-laws**: 

Lina's parents: Davos Kalivas and Hélène Theodori, grandparent names: Pappouli and Yayaka (or Yaya);

Lina's siblings:

Damian (partner Special Agent Matt Watson)

Chloe Kalivas, husband Dr. Peter Rodino, children Alexis and Tad;

Nicolas Kalivas, wife Margaret Mitropolous, children Zander and Dimitri;

Lina's cousin: Sophia (dated Rob); various aunts, cousins and uncles

**NCIS: Athens staff: **

Office Manager Kim & husband Evander (real estate agent)

Tea & husband Adan (landscape designer)

Eva & husband Caleb (works at the Benaki) and son Athos

Carla Hofstadler (former SFA, current part-timer) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy

Agents:

Pete Russell, Team Lead and SAIC; wife Trina, kids: Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas)

Timothy McGee, SFA, wife Lina, son Jorrin

Bec Childers (partner of Geordie Perry)

Matt Watson (partner of Damian Kalivas)

Ned Dorneget (also see London #2)

Various TAD (temporarily assigned) agents: Rusty, Josh, Doug, Joely, Maggie, Tony, etc.

**NCIS: Other offices**

**DC:**

Director Leon Vance, children Kayla and Jared;

Executive Assistant Pamela Cooke;

Agents:

Rick Carter, Jim O'Brien, Maggie Barnes, Dwayne Wilson

Medical Examiner:

Jimmy Palmer

Also Tobias Fornell (FBI) and daughter Emily, Ron Sacks (FBI)

**London Team #1 (in earlier chapters): **

Agents:

Joel Morris (wife Carol)

Lydia Worden, SFA

Julian Bashon-Martin

Laurel Miller (fired after cartel takedown)

IT:

James Powell (see Sarah McGee)

**London Team #2 (in current chapters): **

Agents:

Winters, Team Lead

Julian Bashon-Martin, SFA

Ned Dorneget prior to his move to Athens

(unnamed rest of team);

IT:

James Powell (see London #1)

**Rota:**

Stan Burley, wife Patricia, unnamed team

**Marseille:**

Agents: Roger Martinez, wife Marla

Paul- SFA

Doug

Probie Sharra

Office Mgr. Margaret

**Seattle:**

Agent Jane Melankovic

**Bremerton: **

Agents:

Adam Cazal Team Lead

Ken, SFA

Anthony DiNozzo Jr. (prior to move to Pentagon)

**Pentagon: **

Anthony DiNozzo Jr. SFA

Unnamed agents

**Marine Corps West Field Office: **

Blumquist, Senior SAIC

Unnamed Agents and sub offices, except for:

** Sub office** **Yuma, AZ: **

Lydia Worden Team Leader

Unnamed Team

**Southwest Office (also known as the San Diego Office):**

Joel Morris, Senior SAIC

Unnamed Agents and sub offices

**At the Benaki Museum:**

Melina (Lina) Kalivas (wife of Tim McGee)

Caleb (husband of Eva)

Rhea Ortiz (deceased husband's surname Mallidias), artist, close friend of Lina, partner of Jethro Gibbs.

**Aboard the Baton Rouge:**

Admiral (Uncle Dave) Crane

Captain (Uncle Jim) Hubbard

Lt. Hadley

Mr. Parker

Agent Afloat Carol Gordon-Parks

**Other characters:**

Dani, business owner and single mom of son Ross – Lina's friends, originally her housemates, later Bec's housemates;

George and Edith Powell: Sarah McGee's mother and father in law; parents of James Powell. Also referred to as the "Senior Powells".

George Avramidis – Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Master/Instructor

Dimitri Avramidis – the "DCP" or the Deputy Chief of Police, Athens

Archimedes – everyone's favorite tailor in Piraeus

"Ted" Edwards and Jack Hughes – friendly and good (!) CIA agents based in Athens

Michaels and Tinker: Temporary (TAD) CIA agents in Athens

Dr. Agnos (Doc Agnos): Tim's psychologist; also facilitated team session.

Dr. Pappas: Tim's physician

Col. Martin: Commanding Officer of Marine detachment at US Embassy, Athens

Beth Donahue: Assistant to the US Ambassador, Athens

The Ambassador: U.S. Ambassador to Greece and good friend of Melina (Lina) Kalivas

Chief of Police, Piraeus

Taylor Ganier – art gallery owner in New Orleans

Baton Rouge - the ship on which Admiral Crane and Captain Hubbard (aka Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim) serve.

Lu, Mrs. Hoover – people in Baltimore who helped the McGee siblings when they were growing up there.

Aegina – a small island 17 miles from Athens; scene of Tim and Lina's wedding; the group's annual Fourth of July celebrations and a whole lot of fun. A real island!

The Flying Pig – also known as the FP. Pub frequented by many people in the story.

The big house: where Gibbs and Rhea, Lina's parents, Penny and the Mallards live when they're in Greece. Occasionally other people stay there. Penny's home in Virginia may sometimes be referred to as the 'big house'.


	154. Chapter 154

CH 154

Wednesday was March 1st 2016; Tim's first official day as SAIC. Although he'd told Kim he wanted a 'business as usual' day, he wasn't terribly surprised at the banner that covered the back wall of his office that morning or that Tea brought in pastries again. Overall he was pleased that his team kept things fairly low key.

The rest of the week passed without incident; they worked on cold cases and paperwork. The monthly conference call between the European SAICs occurred that Friday and Tim was congratulated by Winters on his 'new' position, never acknowledging that he'd been the de facto SAIC since the beginning of the year. Roger and Stan kept quiet about it but Tim saw the twinkle in Stan's eyes and Roger winked at him before they signed off the call.

At home, Jorrin kept his grandparents and great grandparents busy. Hélène and Davos had been taking care of him since Lina's return to work mid-February, rotating with Penny, Gibbs and the Mallards; at the end of March they returned to Thessaloniki, Penny left for Australia and New Zealand for a lecture tour and Gibbs assumed control. At four months, little Jorrin was old enough to accompany Gibbs to the coast for fishing on warm days and he spent many hours at the big house with his grandfather and great grandparents. Heartily wishing everyone could be in one place or at least on the same continent, Grandfa and Gram packed their bags and left in early April, heading to the States for several weeks. They were looking forward to seeing the Hubbards and Palmers and their stateside friends although they already missed little Jorrin and his parents and wondered what new skills he would learn before their return the first of June.

In London, Sarah's first novel hit the bestseller list the first week after its release and she was enjoying doing book tours around the UK. She called Tim and Lina from Edinburgh saying "there's a lot here we didn't get to see that one weekend. You two should plan to come back over here, maybe in the summer when it's so hot over there!"

They liked the idea and started planning a trip for late July. Sarah had a planned tour in the U.S. in May and James was going with her for her first few stops; they would be in the DC Metro area and this time would stay with Gram and Grandfa in Georgetown.

In the meantime, Davos and Hélène didn't stay home very long, just long enough to unpack, do laundry, see the family and pack again before leaving on a trip to France. They flew into Paris and spent several days there before joining a bus tour that would take them through the Burgundy region and included a visit to Giverny to see Monet's famous home and garden and an overnight stay in Normandy to view the D-Day beaches and the memorials before returning to Paris.

XXX

While his family members were off globetrotting, Tim and his team did some traveling of their own. When two Marines were found murdered in Bulgaria, the team did as much investigation as they could before flying to Sofia, the capital of the country. The days they spent investigating before they left gave Gibbs enough time to get three TADs to the office as Tim estimated they'd be gone for several days.

Once on the ground in Sofia, the team worked with local and national police to locate and arrest their suspects. Tim hadn't known much about Bulgaria but Ned passed along stories told him by his step grandfather so they all knew a little history of the country. They'd also done some research before they left Greece and Tim was satisfied that there would be a high level of cooperation with the law enforcement community. This had been a highly publicized case and there was no doubt in Tim's mind that JAG would extradite the murderers. Their last day in Sofia as they waited for the JAG officers to arrive, Tim was surprised to receive a call from Ziva. She was currently doing some work in the Israeli embassy in the city and had seen the news reports of the arrest by the American agency NCIS. He invited her to dinner with the team, she accepted and was surprised to find Ned with them; she'd forgotten he'd moved to Greece. She remembered the others from the wedding and their dinner was convivial, reminding Tim and the others of dinners at the Flying Pig. Afterward, the others went back to their rooms to get started on their reports while Tim and Ziva caught up on family matters. She was curious about the adoptions and Tim answered her questions; they also talked about Tony's engagement to Maggie.

She sighed, "I am pleased that he is happy, Tim, but I cannot help feeling some regret. We could have had something if I had not been so…unwilling to let myself be vulnerable I suppose. I am afraid I hurt him badly. But I also think he is better off with Maggie, she cares for him the way he should be and he seems a new person while still being Tony. Does that make sense?"

Tim nodded; he was very familiar with the thought and the person. "He's becoming who he wants to be, Ziva. He's grown up but he hasn't lost himself in the process, I think he was always afraid of that; that and that all he was capable of being was a cop, that he wasn't anything outside of his work. He doesn't hurt as much; he's worked through a lot of his anger and trust issues…" Tim laughed, "As it turned out we had a lot of the same issues, just dealt with them differently."

"And you must have worked through them together as you have made him your brother."

"Yeah, we did. It wasn't fun but once I left the team I gained a lot of different …perspectives I guess I'll say and well, you remember us telling you about Senior getting in trouble and me busting Saleem's man?" She nodded and Tim continued, "When I reached out to him it opened something between us that had never been there before and it never closed down again. He worked really hard to regain my trust and goodwill and I respected that and told him so. Then I saw him when he arrived for Jack's funeral and that was something - I really wanted to just throw myself into his arms, like I would with Geordie, Rob and Sarah. And that was news to me; I hadn't realized the depths of what he meant to me. It made things real for us, Zi. Not just losing Jack but Tony and I being able to talk face to face, sharing a common sorrow, helping Gibbs and maybe most of all seeing what an impact us being there together - and your phone call - had on Gibbs. It got a lot easier after that, sort of like we were pulling in the same direction. There have been bumps along the way but that's ok, we know now that we can work things out and it's not one sided. We figure things out and keep going." He paused, "And maybe all his hard work has helped him with his relationship with Maggie. He's not so much a different person as more of the real Tony and hardly any of the guy with the masks."

She nodded, that was a lot to think about; she changed the subject to Tim's son and he proudly showed her all the photos he had on his phone as he told her stories of Jorrin's growth and personality. "He's a very happy baby; he smiles and coos at us, loves his Poppy, Nonnie and Lina's parents and of course his great grandparents. You should see Gibbs with him, it's wonderful - he talks to him like Jorrin would understand what he's saying! And Grandfa and Grammie and Penny, they're so cute! We'll put a blanket on the floor for Jorrin and Grandfa will get down on it with him, plays with him, lays down flat and plops the baby on top of him and lets him squirm his way around, doesn't even mind the drool. Penny and Maisie are just as cute, they talk with him, Maisie holds him while she's buzzing around the house, gives him a running commentary. And Penny's going to have him thoroughly indoctrinated in her way of thinking by the time he's walking. Jorrin's only 4 months old, not crawling yet but he's sure working on it. He rolled over from front to back when he was 10 weeks old - that was a real surprise! It took him awhile before he could do it whenever he wanted but he's a roller now, front to back, back to front. And he's starting to figure out how to scoot; he gets his elbows out and feet and toes down and sort of pushes and pulls himself. He hasn't quite got it yet but he'll get there. I can't wait to see what happens when he figures out how much help his knees and arms can be. The other day I was watching him figure out how to get a toy. He reached out for it a few times but couldn't get it. He got a little frustrated I guess and made the cutest little noise, sounded just like his mama when she gets frustrated. Anyway, he rolled onto his side but it was the wrong side, that didn't help. So then he rolled back onto his tummy and rolled onto his other side and then squealed, very happy with himself. From there, he sort of squirmed over a couple of inches on the blanket but then he had one arm under him and one free and still couldn't reach his toy. He finally flopped back down on his belly again and then he could reach the toy. I was so proud of him! "

"Do you record things like that?"

Tim laughed, "We record everything! Here, I think that one is on my phone." He pulled up the video and passed his phone to Ziva to watch. She giggled as she watched the baby, calling out encouragement and grinning with him when he had his toy in his hands.

It was late when they parted and Ziva promised to contact him in a week or so, hoping she could get a few days off and come to Piraeus for a visit.

"That'd be great! You can stay at the big house if you like or in our downstairs bedroom, up to you."

"That sounds like fun; I will let you know when I get my time off approved. Are there any days that would be better?"

Tim nodded, "Hang on; let me see what weekends we're on call." He told her and she made a mental note to avoid those dates.

The next time Tim saw his dad he told him about seeing Ziva and her plans to come for a visit. Poppy was already a very happy guy these days but when he heard the news about Ziva his smile lit up the room. "That's great, Tim, can't wait to see her again!"

It was another week before they heard from her but finally she called to let them know her arrangements. She'd arrive on a Friday afternoon so she could take full advantage of Tim's weekend off and stay through Tuesday. Gibbs invited her to stay at the big house and she accepted, thinking that would be easier on the McGees. There was an extra car at the big house these days; the Kalivas', Penny and the Mallards had purchased a vehicle so that they wouldn't have to rely on Gibbs, the others or a rental for transport when they were in town. When Poppy mentioned to Tim the possibility of Ziva driving that car, he got an alarmed look and wide eyes. "Have you forgotten about her driving, Dad? She's craz…well you know actually she might fit right in with the drivers around here."

They snickered at that and Poppy shook his head, "You're right though, it's not my car and I'm not willing to let her drive mine so we'll let her decide if she wants a rental."

With that settled or at least thrown back to Ziva, Tim was further relieved that Lina was excited about her visit, saying she was looking forward to getting to know Ziva better.

"We hardly had a chance to talk at the wedding and I know she was an important part of your life on Gibbs' team."

Tim nodded, inwardly grinning at her words. She never referred to his dad and former boss as "Gibbs" unless she was talking about the old team. Otherwise he was Poppy and occasionally Jethro.

They planned a family party for the Saturday of Ziva's visit including an invitation to swim and they e-mailed Ziva to make sure she brought her swimsuit with her. Tim e-mailed Tony and asked if he and Maggie would like a Skype call with Ziva on Saturday or Sunday. He got a bunch of smiling and jumping emoticons in Tony's reply which said that Sunday would work better for them. Tim thought they might just chat from the big house, that way Poppy could join in and have his 'Three Musketeers' in one place. Monday Gibbs would bring her into the office for lunch and she'd join the others at the MMA studio and the Flying Pig that evening. Other than that, they'd let her set the pace, figuring she'd want to do some sightseeing. Lina was working on Monday so she could give her a tour of the museum and Gibbs said he and Rhea would be happy to take her to other sites.

Poppy and Jorrin met her outside Customs the Friday she arrived and she was touched when her former boss introduced her to the baby. "Jorrin, this is your Aunty Ziva. She works around the world like Penny so we don't get to see her very often, but she's part of our family."

The little boy had been riding in his stroller but Poppy was holding him for his introduction. When Ziva leaned forward to kiss his very kissable cheek, he squealed and patted her face. She grinned back at him, "Oh, very nice, my nephew, thank you!" He gave her a drool-y smile and she spotted two teeth. "Teeth already?"

Jorrin's proud grandfather nodded, "Yep and I think he'll be getting a few more in the next week or so. Poor little guy and poor Mama, teething really hurts."

She looked surprised, having never really thought about it, "At least we don't remember it."

He nodded as he put Jorrin back in his stroller and they left the airport terminal. They did some 'drive-by' sightseeing in Athens so Ziva could get an idea of what she might want to see later. She told Gibbs she'd been to Greece a few times with Mossad but had never had a chance to see any of the ancient sites. They were just leaving Athens when his phone chimed with a text from Tim. He said they were having a quiet day and would Ziva like to stop in and see the office or wait until Monday? She smiled and nodded when she heard that so to the office they went. They didn't bother bringing the stroller in because as Gibbs said, "Jorry's daddy, aunties and uncles will want to hold him, they'll pass him around."

The first thing Ziva noticed as they walked in was Tim's name as the SAIC and that gave her a thrill; she hadn't really considered how much he'd accomplished in less than three years. She also loved the office; for all that the building had been a house it was obviously now a professional establishment that still fit right into the neighborhood. She was warmly greeted by Tea, Kim and the others as they worked their way through the office. Another surprise: Tim had his own office, with a door. She'd only worked in the open-with-very-little-privacy NCIS headquarters and had not expected to find that her friend had a private office with his name stenciled on the door. Tim greeted her with a hug and cheek kiss and then smiling, took his son from his dad. "And there's my boy! Have you been good for Poppy and Aunty Ziva?"

He had him for all of two minutes when the others demanded time with the baby. He reluctantly handed him over to Uncle Matt while he took Ziva on a tour of the rest of the office. She smiled when she saw Observation and Interrogation, at least those rooms looked familiar! Back out into the main room and then to the kitchen. She thought about how handy that must be; she also liked the large conference table and the sliding doors that could be used to close off the kitchen. She took a peek at the garden where, she was told, they'd have lunch on Monday and then Tea had a call for Tim.

While he took that, Bec joined them and proudly showed Ziva their closed cases and their newest additions: copies of their award letters and photos of the past NCIS:Athens SAICs with their teams. There were a few prior to Vance but the only one of those that anyone recognized was the SAIC right before Leon and Gibbs was the one who knew him; he'd worked with him once during one of his European assignments. Next to that team photo was one with a young Vance and his staff, including an equally young Pete Russell. Pete's team photos were next with three different versions of the staff over the years; Tim, Matt, Bec, Ned, Kim, Tea and Eva were in the last one. Last was a new photo with Tim and the others, taken a couple of months earlier.

When Tim joined them again, he chuckled, "That was our favorite DCP, his funding has been increased, wanted to know if we mind if some of his officers join our class."

Gibbs nodded, "Be good for George, especially when you all are out of town."

"Yep, that's what I told him. Shame Piraeus can't send some too."

"Different municipality."

"Yeah, still…I have breakfast with the Chief every few weeks; I might just mention it to him."

"Dimitri ever schedule that talk?"

"No and I'm not going to remind him!" They stopped to explain who Dimitri Avramidis and his brother George were to them and how Dimitri wanted Tim to speak to the Athens PD about MMA and how he learned to shoot so…creatively. Ziva pretended to shudder; she would avoid that too! Tim's dad continued with the Dimitri stories, telling Ziva about his message to the American president after the student rescue the previous year.

They didn't stay long after that, removing Jorrin from his admirers and continuing on to the big house. After a quick tour, Ziva chose the downstairs bedroom for her stay, figuring that would give Gibbs and Rhea more privacy. She loved the house and spent some time looking at all the photos that had been taken there, starting with the video Evander had recorded when the 'conspirators' were house hunting. There were lots of candid shots and she laughed at Penny half asleep over her morning tea, Maisie and Hélène in the kitchen cooking something, Davos and Gibbs giving each other high fives over something on TV and Ducky snoozing in his favorite chair. Gibbs laughed, "We have a good time when the Kalivas', Penny and the Mallards are here. At first we thought we shouldn't all be here at the same time but that didn't last long and it's a lot more fun when they are all here. It gets lonely when they leave." He smiled at Ziva, "I'm glad Rhea takes pity on me and keeps me company."

She smiled at that and wondered for the thousandth time if she'd made the right decision in walking away. But from what Tim and Tony had said to her, her leaving had been the catalyst for much of the changes. She felt she was doing good work within the framework of the Diplomatic Corps but she had reservations about it. She was never in one place for more than a few months and after doing this for a couple of years now, she admitted that she missed living somewhere, having her own place with her things, having a favorite coffee shop, store, gym, knowing the shortcuts around town, having friends. She spent very little time in Israel and she missed her homeland even more than she had while she was living in the U.S.; the trouble was, she also now missed the United States! She was also beginning to realize that her current work, as useful as it was, might be just another convenient way to keep running from her past and living any kind of personal life.

She thought she'd kept her thoughts off her face but Gibbs knew her too well. After he'd taken care of Jorrin and put him down for a nap, he pointed to the sofa. "Talk to me, Zeever."

She started to deny that there was anything to talk about but stopped herself. This was something she'd learned while an active part of Gibbs' family: that it was ok to trust that whoever you were speaking with – and for her it had always been either Gibbs or Ducky – wouldn't betray her. So instead of the denial she told him what she'd been thinking. He just nodded. "Do you know what you want to do?"

She felt a lump in her throat. She'd nearly cried when she saw him waiting for her at the airport and again when she saw Tim. She missed her family and she hated that so many things were happening without her. She said all that and Gibbs nodded, "We miss you too, Zeever. You'll always be a part of this family."

She nodded, she believed that now.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want to go home."

"Where is home?"

"Where all of you are."

Gibbs huffed, "We're not all on the same continent these days. Ducky and Maisie spend winters and summers here, I thought I'd be here part-time but I haven't been to Virginia in over a year. Tim is obviously here full-time and Tony is obviously there full-time as is Jimmy." He paused, "You want to go back to NCIS?"

"I do not know if it is even possible."

"Not what I asked."

She huffed, "You have not changed all that much."

He raised an eyebrow and she shook her head at him before answering, "Yes, I would like that."

"You still a U.S. citizen?"

"Yes."

"Then call or e-mail Leon. The only thing that took you away from the agency was you, my daughter. See what he says. But…you'd have to make a commitment. You left the agency twice and both times were impulsive and emotional decisions; he'll take you to task for that. He has to, to protect the agency."

She nodded her understanding as he continued. "Works both ways; make sure returning isn't another impulsive decision made just for emotional - sentimental - reasons. Tim, Tony and I aren't in the bullpen anymore and all three of us have our own lives. Not saying you wouldn't be a welcome part of our lives, just want you to make damn sure before you make another change."

She sat quietly, "I have much to think about."

"Good and if you want to talk more, I'm here and Ducky's on Skype. Now what do you want to do while you're here?"

He told her what they had planned and she smiled happily and added a couple of ideas. Tim, Lina and Rhea were coming for dinner that evening so she unpacked and had a shower while Gibbs poked around in the kitchen. It was a little cool to eat outside this evening; it was supposed to be warmer tomorrow and he hoped they could eat outside Saturday night. He'd put together one of his favorite slow cooker recipes this morning and now he prepared some vegetables and slipped them in, setting the timer for an hour for the next infusion. Once he'd done that, he put Jorrin's toys away and took the garbage out to the bin. Then he grabbed a beer and headed out to the patio.

When Ziva joined him, he smiled, "I'm so glad you're here, Zeever!"

"I am too Gibbs."

"Jethro."

Startled, she just looked at him.

"Or Dad or Pa or Leroy, but you don't have to call me Gibbs." He paused, "The kids call me Dad, Lina calls me Poppy, sometimes Jethro, my sons-in-law call me Jethro, my other daughters-in-law call me Jethro and Matt and Damian and the rest of Lina's family call me that too. So take your pick."

She looked at him, trying to figure out all the in-laws. "I know Sarah is married now to…James?" He nodded. "Who is your other son-in-law?"

"Forgot you probably wouldn't know about that. Rob and Ned are a couple; I may be jumping the gun but I think of him as my son-in-law."

"Oh, I see. And your daughters-in-law?"

"Lina, Maggie and Bec. And Breena, but I think of the Palmers as belonging to Ducky."

"And Bec because she is dating Geordie."

"They're living together now."

She laughed, "You have a large family!"

He grinned, "I sure do!"

"Have you heard how Abby is doing?"

"Ducky keeps in touch with her brothers. She's doing better, she's responded to treatment. She still has another year in prison and then she'll be on supervised parole for…I don't know how long."

"Supervised parole? Is that different from a regular parole?"

"Yeah, because of her mental health issues, she'll have to be tested regularly to make sure she's taking her meds and that they're still working correctly."

"Oh, then she won't be returning to the agency."

"No. Vance wouldn't rehire her Ziva; she was terminated with prejudice. Ducky seems to think she may be able to get a job teaching forensics, but she'll never have government clearance again."

"Has she ever expressed remorse for what she planned to do to Tim?"

He shook his head, "No, not to Tim or any of us."

She shook her head, "I am thankful they arrested her before she was able to carry out her plan."

"She did though Ziva; she paid someone to track Tim down and kill him."

She went very still, absorbing that news. "I knew she sometimes acted unbalanced toward him, but…"

"Yeah. Turns out she acted unbalanced with just about everyone outside of our team…anyone not perceived to be a favorite of mine."

That opened up 'that' topic and they talked for over an hour about what had gone wrong. Ziva jumped when she heard a baby cry right next to her and Gibbs smiled, holding up the baby monitor. "Be right back, gonna get my grandson changed and then I'll bring him down."

"Can I do anything?"

"Get yourself another beer or lemonade or whatever you want to drink…and relax!"

He was just coming downstairs with Jorrin when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He stopped to listen and heard one car door closing, that was Rhea. Smiling he opened the front door and he and Jorrin greeted her with kisses. Ziva came in from the patio and the two women were greeting each other when Tim and Lina arrived. As she had back on Aegina nearly two years ago, Ziva smiled when she saw the familial affection between Gi…Jethro and Tim.

They had a pleasant evening, enjoying the meal and the company. Lina offered to pick Ziva up early the next day and show her around a bit more; then they could have the pool to themselves before everyone else arrived. Tim was very happy with that idea as it meant he would have Jorrin to himself for a few hours. The McGees didn't stay late as they liked to keep Jorrin to his nighttime routine. They kissed everyone goodnight, loaded their baby and his diaper bag into the SUV and took off.

Lina giggled as they drove, "Ziva is still not used to you and Poppy kissing each other."

"Did she flinch?"

"She was surprised but this time she smiled." Lina had been watching Ziva at dinner the night she arrived on Aegina and told Tim later she thought the woman was going to fall out of her chair when she saw Poppy kiss Tim. Tim told her then that her shock was indicative of how far he and Gibbs had come, that Ziva had never seen any sign of affection from 'Boss' to him during their years on the team.

"That's progress then. So other than a drive through Piraeus, where are you taking her tomorrow?" She looked at him and he chuckled, "Of course, the market!"

"You know I've wanted to go and haven't had time."

"Yep and now I want to go too." He pretended to weigh his options. "Flea market or our son to myself…hmm, that's a no brainer!"

She gave her light laugh, the one that still made him weak in the knees. When he pressed down on the accelerator she smiled to herself. He grabbed Jorrin and she grabbed the diaper bag and hurried into the house. They tried not to rush Jorrin in his bath or nightly story but the youngster was tired anyway and that made things easier. Then the couple made a mad dash for their bed, tearing off clothes as they went and made sweet passionate love.

Lina yawned the next morning as she turned down the street to the big house. They'd had a wonderful night of passion together; she was infinitely glad that Jorrin had slept all night! Ziva was ready and put a bag with her swim things in the trunk. When Lina told her what she had in mind, Ziva grinned, "Let us go to the market then! I will see Piraeus on Monday."

They left the car at the Metro station and rode into Athens and made the short walk to the market. Lina set an alarm on her phone so they wouldn't be late getting home. They stayed together, chatting as they walked and each was happy with the progress they were making in their friendship.

Lina went straight to a vendor she'd worked with before; he was expecting her and had everything ready. His specialty was screen printed tee shirts. While Lina took the shirts she'd selected- sky blue for Poppy and a light green for Grandfa - and laid out her project on them, Ziva had a shirt made for Jorrin that read "Aunty Ziva's favorite nephew". Once Lina had the layout the way she wanted, the vendor went to work and the two women moved on to other vendors. The project was Father's Day gifts for Gibbs and Grandfa, shirts with all of their progeny in a collage arrangement. She'd painted miniatures of each one of Gibbs' kids, including Jorrin and all of Poppy's daughters and sons-in-law, working from photos for each of them; Rhea had helped by doing Lina's miniature portrait. Grandfa would have the same along with the Hubbards and the Palmers. It was an incredible amount of work but she'd done it with a lot of love. Tim loved all the miniatures but when he saw her mockup, he grinned. "Dad's gonna say…" he lowered his tone and gave a fair imitation of his father's voice, "no matter what I do, Duck's always going to be ahead of me!" The truth of that made them laugh.

Ziva found several things she'd love to have but unless it was clothing or a small item, she passed it up. She did manage to leave with a new jacket, skirt and sandals. Lina watched her as she thought she'd detected some melancholy. With her own travels for her work, she thought maybe she missed having a home, but that was just a guess and she knew she was projecting her own feelings. From what Tim said, this woman had led a nomadic life for much of her adulthood. She resolved to make sure they took photos with Ziva together with Poppy and Tim, herself and Jorrin and send them to her, so she'd always remember they were her family. That gave her another idea and she sent a text to her husband so they could discuss it with Poppy. When Lina's project was finished, the vendor called her and they made their way back to him. She loved the results and she and the vendor signed each shirt. After that they headed for the Metro and returned to Piraeus.

They found Tim in the pool with Jorrin on his special baby mat, wearing a specialized infant life jacket that would keep his head out of the water. He loved being in the pool with them and Lina was looking forward to the "Mommy and Me" 'swim' classes she would take with him when he was 6 months old. For now, he liked to kick and splash but there wasn't anything organized about it, he was just having fun. Ziva changed into her swim suit while Lina jotted down her idea before she forgot it. Then she grabbed one of her suits, changed and joined Tim, their son and their friend in the water. They were hanging out on the edge of the pool chatting when they heard voices coming toward them…Geordie, Bec, Damian and Matt, who had carpooled from Athens. The four quickly changed and joined the others in the pool. Jorrin made happy noises and Ziva marveled aloud that a child so young could recognize people. Tim smiled at her, "We're not sure he really does. He knows Lina and me, of course and Poppy because he spends a lot of time with him. When Lina's parents return I hope he'll remember them but he hasn't seen them in person in over a month, so we'll see. But he does seem to know that these people are his!"

Damian grinned at that as he unstrapped Jorrin from his mat and played with him. The others joined him and soon all four of the newcomers were playing with Jorrin. A little noise let Mom and Dad know he was getting overwhelmed and/or tired and Dad took him in his arms. "It's ok, Jorrin, they just don't get to see you as often as we do."

He carried him out of the pool and sat with him on a chaise lounge, wrapped warmly in a towel. The next time Ziva looked over, she saw Jorrin lying on his daddy's chest, sound asleep. The party went on as Lina and Tim told everyone not to worry about noise, the little guy was used to it. Poppy and Rhea arrived followed shortly by Rob and Ned and the party was complete. They played in the water until Tim got up to start the grill, giving the still sleeping Jorrin to Uncle Geordie. Ziva spotted Gibbs watching Tim at the grill and her friend grinned at his dad.

"I really don't mind if you want to do this. I know you know I can do it but it's your thing, so feel free."

Gibbs…Jethro… grinned and vaulted out of the pool, grabbing a towel. Ziva was feeling a little more comfortable with calling him Jethro; she'd heard both Bec and Matt use his name, so it really was all right.

She had a great time at the party, enjoying the company, the fun, the laughter and the food. When she asked if they had this much fun all the time, Lina and Damian exchanged a look. Damian answered, "It is fun much of the time but Lina and I remember the times when it is not, when they are away from us, working or worse when they've been injured."

Lina nodded, "All four of them, Pete not Ned, were badly injured in Afghanistan and it was weeks before we could all gather together like this. Poppy didn't live here yet but he arrived soon after they came home from Israel and then came back in September when they were mostly all healed. I hope we never again experience that worry and pain again – or worse." She looked at her husband, "I know it is part of your job my love and I am so thankful you came home to me."

The others nodded and Matt, feeling that he could say this since he'd had the worst injury, piped up with, "Yeah, but you gotta admit our medals are pretty cool!"

That lightened the mood again and it was only Ziva who noticed Jethro and Tim raising a silent toast to each other.


	155. Chapter 155

CH 155

After joining the McGee-Gibbs households and the Russell family for brunch on Sunday, Ziva spent the rest of the day sightseeing with Jethro and Rhea with Tim joining them for a few hours before he headed back to Piraeus. She enjoyed her time with her surrogate father and getting to know Rhea better. They had dinner in Athens at one of the couple's favorite spots, before returning to the big house. Monday she went for a run with Poppy and was amazed how well he was doing with his knee replacement. Much to her amazement, he'd offered her a smoothie for breakfast and she had to hold back her shock when she saw kale going into the blender. This was so unlike the Gibbs she'd worked with for 8 years! His back turned to her, he laughed, "I can feel your shock you know."

"You have to admit, seeing you anywhere near a vegetable is a considerable shock."

He nodded. "Started when I was here for my birthday two years ago; I was still recovering from the knee replacement and watched Tim and Lina make this stuff every morning. I had a taste one day and I liked it and it kept me full longer than a big breakfast – even after I went back to work. Tim had the same reaction you did." He looked at her, clearly changing the subject. "Something I'd like you to consider."

Curious, she waited.

"You must have to use a permanent address for your work."

"Yes, I have been using my Aunt Nettie's address but she has now sold her home and moved into a senior facility."

"We'd like you to consider using this address or Tim and Lina's as your permanent address. This was Lina's idea and Tim and I are on board with it. We want you to know in your heart _and_ your brain that you have a home…with us, wherever we are. When they leave Greece, I'll be going with them and I imagine the others will eventually leave too. Your home will then move back to the States with us."

She bit her lip to hold her emotions back but he just shook his head, holding out his arms and she gladly went into them. "You're my daughter Ziva, that hasn't changed; you're part of our family, sister to Tim, Tony, Sarah, Rob, Geordie and Jimmy, sister-in-law to their partners, granddaughter to Ducky, aunty to Jorrin and all the other kids they'll have. We consider you part of us. The rest is up to you."

She nodded into his chest, unable to speak through her tears. "So that was a yes?" She nodded again. "Good…that doesn't require a return to NCIS. You're already a part of us; if you want to go back to work there, fine, work it out with Leon. Just know you've already got family, you don't have to go back to the agency for that reason, like I said, we're not in the bullpen anymore – Jimmy and Maggie are the only ones still in the building."

She nodded again and eventually found she could talk. "When I left, I was so confused, hurt and angered by the murders of Jackie and my father, what Bodnar had done and what Parsons tried to do to you. I felt like I could not breathe; I felt I brought trouble to you, to our family, to the agency and that my leaving might help. I do not mean to be difficult but since my sister and mother's death I have only been a soldier. I have buried my emotions, told myself they didn't matter, that they could not matter. When I came to NCIS, I was a killer, a trained assassin…you know that and I am not ashamed of what I have done for Israel, it was necessary. Working with you, becoming part of something that helps people, bringing justice to families – all that opened up possibilities for me. Still I was afraid and when Tony killed Michael I did not know what to do with the emotions I felt, they overwhelmed me. So I resorted to my Mossad training; that has always been my fall back. When I left again after Parsons, I thought I was just returning to Israel as a private person. But again the pull to return to Mossad was great. With Shmiel's help, I resisted but realized I had now left everything behind, good and bad. I did not think it would be healthy to go back, but I was thinking of the work, not our family. And I believe I am doing good work now, I am helping, but I am so alone and lonely. And that is on me, I am the one who has not communicated with any of you. What you suggest, to use your address, I understand that you are telling me my home is with you, wherever I am, wherever you are. And yes, I would like very much to do that. I believe it will ground me, all I will need to do is look at the address and be reassured again that I belong."

"Good and you know, now that we're in the 21st century, you can communicate without telling us anything you shouldn't. You can mask your location on Skype, send us e-mails…use a burn phone, you know, keep in touch without compromising your job."

She huffed, "I cannot believe that you of all people are the one who has to tell me this. Yes, I will do better, I promise."

"That's good. You made it to the wedding, you contacted Tim in Bulgaria and you're here. But Ziva, in both cases it was because of something from the outside. You saw Tim and the others dancing on YouTube and you saw the news on TV about NCIS making the bust in Bulgaria. You need to step that up to just contacting one of us. Say hello once in a while, answer our e-mails. Try "hello, I am alive and well, I will be able to visit in about 10 years when they quit sending me all over the damn globe." He paused, "Let us know that you, Ziva, our daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, are alive and thinking of us. You have a right to be an individual. I can't begin to understand the pressures Israel is subjected to, constantly under fire, surrounded by enemies who wish her wiped clean from the earth, but if her people aren't allowed to live their lives, to be individuals, then what's the point in all of it?" He paused before continuing, "You know, when Tim and I were working things out, he told me he believed that I saw him only as a tool. Not an agent and certainly not an individual, just a tool. And that's how I believe your father came to see you and the others in Mossad. Useful tools, absolutely necessary tools, weapons really. I do know he came to regret that and see how wrong he was; I'm just sorry he didn't live long enough to prove that to you. What I'm saying is that you are far more than a tool for Israel, the U.S., NCIS or any job for that matter. You're a person, an individual and you have a right to live your own life. Otherwise, as I said, what's the point?"

She gave him a lopsided little smile and he kissed the top of her head. "Now come on, go wash your face and let's go see Jorrin. He always sets me straight. His needs are simple, food, sleep, cuddles, a clean diaper and drooly kisses."

"He is at home?"

"Yeah, Lina works part-time at the museum and she's home this morning. Once we pick up Jorrin, she'll head to work. Then after lunch at the agency, we'll head over to Athens and she'll give us the tour and if there's anything else you want to see – _and_ if Master Jorrin is agreeable – we'll do that too. We don't show up at Tim's class until nearly the end and then we have dinner at the Flying Pig, so we don't have to return to Piraeus until after the evening commute."

"What if they work late?"

"Unless they're working an active case, the office closes at 1700. If they're on a case, the agents don't go to class, only Kim and I guess now some of the officers from Athens PD go."

"The office closes?"

"Yep. It's a different and very effective way to run a team and an office. You can't keep your support team there all hours when you're doing reports or working cold cases, they're paid hourly so that would be a colossal waste of resources. If a call comes in after hours it goes to Tim's cell; there's no night shift team here, it's all the same people. And the agents are much healthier than we were; they don't sleep at the office and they eat real food, not vending machine crap. If they eat takeout that's on them, not because they're stuck at the office."

"So if there is no case, Tim is home on time."

"He has conference calls after hours. He meets with Vance every week and the directors of Mossad and Interpol once a month-ish. Every month he also meets with his counterparts in the other European offices, more often if there's something going on. He keeps in close touch with both Athens and Piraeus PDs and he also joins in on some other calls Vance has assigned to him. And he's the SAIC, not just the Team Leader, so he's got all the administrative stuff to do too. Kim is the de facto office manager and handles most of it but he still has to approve things, make decisions. So 'on time', yes but that's something different each night."

Her eyes were wide, "That is a lot of responsibility!"

He nodded, "Yeah, more than I had as Team Lead. He handles it very well though, both Pete and Vance say it's like he was born to do the job; it's not just my bias speaking! I think it's because of his upbringing. He was an older brother before he was two and took responsibility for his brother Patrick…you know about Patrick?" She nodded and he continued, "And Sarah. Then when he was still a kid, he had to scramble to keep Sarah and him alive and then added Robbie into the family. So he's been managing all his life."

She blinked, taking it all in and then let herself be steered to the garage. On the way over to pick up Jorrin, she looked at him. "Dad." "Yeah?" "Maybe Poppy." "Either is fine or both. Tim started out calling me Poppy; he still calls me that sometimes." "I will work on it. I think Poppy will be easier." He grinned at her. "Vance likes to tease me about giving up being 'Special Agent' to be 'Poppy'. But I like it just as well, even better. Told him I'm not wasting any more time, I have a family, never expected that to happen again and you all are my priority now."

"And Rhea."

He grinned again, "Yes."

"So…"

He huffed, "Don't know…probably. Tell you the truth, it scares me. I've failed three times and I will not hurt Rhea…I just won't. We're not in any particular hurry, she's happy in her career and work and neither of us feels a pressing need to get married. Not like we're going to have kids!"

"Is she Aunt to Jorrin or Grandmother?"

His grin got even bigger, "Told Tim and Lina recently that we'd like her to be grandmother – Nonnie - to Jorrin."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, we're pretty excited, that's a big step for us."

"And does he have…godparents, I believe they're called?"

"Oh yeah, he was baptized when he was about 6 weeks old. Lina's brother Damian is his godfather and Sarah is his godmother. I'm sure Tim and Lina would be thrown out of the church if the priest found out, but the whole thing is recorded, I have it on a DVD if you want to see it."

"How?"

Gibbs chuckled, "One of Jorrin's uncles borrowed a helmet camera, adapted it for his suit jacket and recorded it."

"Sounds like Tim!"

"No, it was an uncle. Tim swears he had nothing to do with it, but they're very happy to have the recording."

"Helmet…hmm, Geordie?"

"Or Matt, he's an agent; they know plenty of the local LEOs and NCIS has helmets as part of their combat gear. Or Pete, he'd be totally capable of doing that. And he has five other uncles! "

"Five?"

"Rob, James, Damian, Nicolas and Peter, Lina's brother-in-law. And those are only the ones who are related. Oops, I forgot Tony, Ned, Jim and Jimmy."

"Tim's uncle and our Jimmy?"

"Yeah although neither were able to be here for the baptism. Jim had already scheduled days off for his daughter's graduation so he couldn't take any more days. And Jimmy, well they're doing well, but two trips to Greece for two adults and three kids in one year, that's a lot of money. And Tony and Maggie couldn't make it, but the Admiral and Liz, Tim's godparents, were here."

"That is the woman who was Tim's mother for the wedding?"

Gibbs nodded. "And she did the same for Sarah at her wedding."

"That is sweet."

Gibbs nodded and gestured, "Now, over there on your left, that's my favorite grocery store. Even when I could only speak to them through the phone translator they were friendly."

She chuckled, "Got it, so it will remain a family secret."

He tilted his head in approval and continued the drive. Shortly they pulled into the driveway at the McGees and headed for the front door. Lina opened it, smiling, "Good morning! Jorrin is almost ready to spend the day with his Aunty and Poppy!"

They walked in and Gibbs sniffed. "Ah, daughter, I smell a wonderful brew!"

"It's just finishing, help yourself! Ziva, there's hot water if you prefer tea; I left a tin with tea on the counter for you."

There was a chorus of "Thank you Lina." from Poppy and their visitor as she went to get her son. The day was unusually cool for this time of year, so she had dressed him in his denim overalls with a long sleeve shirt underneath. Over that he wore a little hoodie that she now zipped up and then put his feet into socks and the Chucks his Uncle Rob gave him before he was born. Jorrin was a kicker and his parents had learned very quickly to leave putting shoes on him until the very last. Every time Tim said something about it, Lina pointed him to the family portrait with his mother and father and his kicking feet being held away from his mother's pregnant tummy by his dad.

Poppy took custody of his grandson and the fully stocked diaper bag, which also held an insulated bag with bottles of breast milk for the youngster. He allowed Ziva to carry Jorrin to the Ford and then he took over as getting him correctly fastened into his car seat took some practice. Once that was done, they rolled down the hill to the office for lunch and reversed the process. As she'd already seen on Friday, the entire staff of professionals at NCIS: Athens turned into silly sounding piles of goo when Jorrin entered the building. When she saw her expression, Eva smiled, "If it's any consolation, they are the same with my son Athos who is nearly 10 months older than Jorrin."

Even with what Poppy said about the office closing on time every night, Ziva was surprised to see everyone stop work for lunch, although she noticed the phone came with them into the kitchen. Their meal was delicious; someone made gyro pitas and there were plenty of interesting salads and side dishes. Tim grinned at her when he saw her eyes widen at the amount of food. "Those of us in the MMA class aren't allowed to eat before class, so we pig out at lunch on Mondays and Thursdays."

Tea swallowed a bite and added, "And the rest of us take advantage of all the good food!"

Matt looked at her, "You coming tonight?"

"Yes Adan has a late meeting so he is staying on Aegina tonight."

She explained Adan's work to Ziva who smiled, "That must be lovely, do you join him on the weekends?"

Tea nodded, "Yes, even if he has to work, I can still enjoy life on the island. His room over there is comfortable enough for a night or two, but unless he has a meeting or the sea is rough, he comes home every night."

After they finished lunch, they left for Athens, driving in as that was much easier with Jorrin and his gear. Ziva had not yet had a chance to see the Acropolis and Parthenon, so the three of them, Jorrin in his stroller, walked up the hill and she explored every inch of it. She had questions about what she was seeing and was not surprised when Poppy was able to answer. He laughed, "The first time I was up here, I was in a wheelchair Tim and Lina borrowed from Matt and rode up in the elevator reserved for the disabled. I walked around once I got up here but no way I could have made that climb. Today I didn't even think about it! I've been up here several times now and yeah, I know what the views are. Pretty cool, huh?"

They made sure to take pictures with the three of them and afterward sent them to Tony, Ducky and Tim. Later Gibbs also sent one to Vance.

When they joined Tim's class at the studio that evening, George nodded at her. "I remember from the wedding, you are Tim and Jethro's ninja partner."

She grinned, "I suppose I am and now Tim is a ninja too."

"He is, yes."

She and Poppy had arrived a little early so she could see Tim and the others in action and was very impressed with their work. George beamed when she said so and the others were pretty happy to hear it too. Dinner at the Flying Pig was as rowdy as ever and Ziva thoroughly enjoyed herself, dishing out some gentle teases and listening to Tim and the others.

Having heard of Tim's 'no last minute' goodbyes, she said her farewells as they left the pub that evening. Tim took her hand, "Please keep in touch, Ziva, you're a part of this bunch now…" He swept his hand around the room, "And we don't let people go."

She smiled, "I have promised our Poppy and I will make that same promise to you, my brother, I will keep in touch!"

He grinned at that and kissing her on the cheek, pulled her in for a hug. "Stay well and happy, little sister. Hope to see you again soon!" Lina also gave her a warm farewell as did the others as she and Poppy walked out to his car. She wiped her eyes, "It is difficult to leave."

"Too bad you can't get a posting to the Israeli embassy here. I believe we'll be here for another year, maybe two."

"I can try. I was told I would have to float at first, but I have been doing that for over a year now. Perhaps it is time to request a permanent posting."

"And then you can transfer to the U.S.!"

She shook her head, "I will never be allowed to do that. Canada or Mexico or one of the Caribbean countries perhaps, but not the U.S., I am enough of an enigma to both the Israeli and American Diplomatic Corps as it is." Poppy patted her hand as they headed for home.

He saw her off the next morning, feeling both better and worse. It had been wonderful to see her but now it was even harder to let her go again. It was one thing when they'd been caught up in the wedding and he had gotten used to her not being involved in their lives. Now she'd been welcomed and accepted…well, he hoped they'd gotten through to her and that she would stay in touch. Vance had sent him a text thanking him for the photo, asking why he'd sent it. Gibbs had to think about that but finally answered that he'd just wanted his friend to see that their girl was all right, that she'd allowed herself to have some fun and that maybe all was not lost. Vance's reply was to ask if she wanted to come back to NCIS and Gibbs replied to that with an e-mail basically repeating what he'd told her about needing to rebuild trust and to make a commitment to the agency. Vance sent a big happy face in return, thanking him for doing the groundwork for him if she did want to come back.


	156. Chapter 156

CH 156

The day Ziva left the team was called in to investigate the disappearance of an arms shipment in the Mediterranean. That one split the team with Bec and Matt headed off to Cyprus and Tim and Ned to Naples. Tim almost immediately called for another full team, this time it was Rota and once again Poppy, er that is Agent Gibbs had TADs in both offices without missing more than overnight coverage of their jurisdictions. By this time, they'd revised some of the rules as Vance now saw the advantage of having the same volunteers return if they were available. It was more productive and less stressful for the volunteers and the office staff. The TAD team that had been deployed the previous month while Tim and the others were in Bulgaria joked that they should have just stayed as they'd only been home for three weeks.

With the teams deployed to the two locations, they were able to locate the shipment before it was delivered to the illegal buyers and while they continued to investigate they managed to cause multiple delays so the buyers couldn't take delivery, all without tipping their hand. After nearly a month of hard work, they finally busted the thieves and the buyers, the latter done with undercover work. That was the longest they'd ever been away and Tim wanted to kiss the ground when he and Ned disembarked from their Marine flight at the Piraeus airfield. They'd only seen their teammates via secured video chats during that time so they were almost as glad to be reunited with them as with their loved ones.

Tim swore Jorrin had grown a foot and he had three more teeth. He was relieved when his son greeted him happily with extra slobbery kisses. He nearly cried when he took him in his arms, he couldn't believe how much it had hurt to be away so long from his wife and baby son and he wondered how military parents did it.

Lina's parents had returned from their trip while Tim was away and had hurried to Piraeus to help Lina and Gibbs with their grandson. They stayed once Tim got home although they all gave the little family much needed personal space and time to themselves. The TADs stayed for another week before the team reported back to work and the mountain of reports.

Once home, Tim realized that there were important events coming up for his family. The siblings' Gemcity book "Deep Six: McGregor on the Street" was due to be released in June but equally exciting was Rob's upcoming graduation from medical school. His big day was the first Saturday in June and most of the family would be there. Unfortunately the Admiral couldn't pull a rabbit out of a hat to get the Captain and him to Greece as he had the previous summer. Those two would be missing from the festivities and Callum's classes wouldn't be finished until after Rob's graduation, so the entire Crane-Hubbard branch of the family would be missing. Sadly, Tony and Maggie would also be missing as they had other commitments that couldn't be changed.

Timing was all; for a few days earlier in the year, the Hubbard-Mallard branch had held its collective breath when it looked like Ainsley's graduation from middle school would be the same weekend as Rob's graduation but the gods smiled kindly on them. The middle school graduation took place the last weekend in May, Memorial Day weekend in the States. As it happened, it was a big year for graduations for their friends. Jared Vance and Lukas Russell also graduated from middle school and Stephan, Phoebe and Ross graduated from high school. Tim and Lina sorted through all the announcements, sending cards and gifts and attending the family parties for the local graduates.

In Virginia, Ainsley was happy when the Palmers attended her big day along with her grandparents and Aunty Liz. Her graduation was held outdoors and viewed on Skype by her family in Greece via strategically held tablets. And the timing was perfect as it meant her grandparents could celebrate with her and with Rob the following weekend. Even more important to Ainsley, her father flew in for her big day and was at home for a few days before he had to leave again. Later in the month, she, her mom, brother and Aunty Liz would leave to spend another summer in Piraeus!

The Mallards arrived in Greece the Monday after Ainsley's graduation and took the rest of the week to relax and shake off their jet lag. Penny arrived from Jordan on Wednesday, Sarah and James joined the big house residents on Friday and the Kalivas' had stayed on after Tim got home from Italy. Gibbs was glad for the company; he'd missed his fellow grandparents and the Great-Grands the last couple of months, he liked having a full house and he was always glad to see his daughter and son-in-law! On Saturday they gathered everyone and drove into Athens for Rob's big day. As it was also held outdoors, there was enough seating for the entire family. Poppy was just thankful that Tim's case had been wrapped up before the graduation, he couldn't imagine how Rob would have felt if his partner, brother and friends had still been away. When he said something to Tim, his son nodded, "Yeah, that would have been bad, but we had it figured out. Ned and I would fly in Saturday morning, go to the graduation and fly out again that night. And if only one of us could be spared, Ned would be here."

Poppy shook his head, "Damn glad you're both here, Rob needs you _and_ Ned today!"

"I know Dad, but we're both here now, we don't have to worry about it." He got pulled into a warm hug for that. Sarah sat next to Tim and they held onto each other, crying a little when Rob walked across the stage, remembering the Christmas when a 5 year old, gap toothed Robbie had gotten a play Doctor's Kit from the Toys for Tots program. Tim took photos and made a mental note to make sure their friend Lu got one to post on the wall at the shelter in Baltimore. It was good for the kids there now to see that kids who'd lived there before had successful lives, that it could be done. After the ceremony, more photos were taken with each member of the family and then different groups of them. Rob's grin never wavered the entire time. "I made it!"

"You sure did, Robbie!"

The young man was enveloped in a group hug by his siblings.

"No tickling! Ahhh, now for the really hard part, actually working as a doctor!"

Rob would be doing at least the first year of his pediatric residency at the University Hospital. It was a multiple year program, it was 3 years mandatory and then he could choose to continue. He wasn't sure if he'd stay here in Athens for all the years of his residency or return to the U.S for years 2 and 3 or beyond. He thought his employment options would be better if he did at least his 3rd year in the U.S., but for now he was staying put. He and Ned were serious and he knew his lover wasn't ready to move again, he hadn't been on Tim's team a full year yet.

Young Dr. Mallard had the next month off as his residency wouldn't start until July. Ned was also taking time off and they were going to travel around Europe, taking nearly three weeks to see as much as they could. Ned's car was in better shape than Rob's so they'd drive it north to Macedonia, stay overnight with Ariston and Paolo and then cut over to Bulgaria to visit the hometown of Ned's grandfather. From there they'd drive through either Serbia or Romania (although from what they'd seen online about driving in Romania, they'd probably go through Serbia) to Hungary, from there to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, then to Austria and over to Italy, at least as far as Venice. From there, they hadn't decided whether they'd go south to Rome, west to Milan and Tuscany, northwest to Switzerland, Germany or France, or just stay in Venice.

Tim privately thought he wouldn't want to drive at all in Romania as he wasn't that much of a daredevil, but driving to Tuscany sounded like it would be beautiful, they'd be able to see some of the Italian Alps. After his month away on business, he and Lina had dropped their summer travel plans in favor of something later in the year. He hoped they would be able to get away for their anniversary this year, although it would probably be just for a long weekend. They'd celebrate the weekend before or after their actual anniversary to avoid cutting into Jorrin's first birthday celebration. With regional airfares fairly inexpensive, they could fly to Venice, for instance, and be there in a couple of hours. He made a mental note to ask Lina what she'd like to do. Having a child meant a surprise trip was probably impossible. He was sure Jorrin's grandparents would leap at the chance to stay with him, he just wasn't sure Jorrin's parents were all that willing to leave him for a whole weekend. Still, they needed a break and he would love the chance to spend a weekend with his bride. They'd been so busy being new parents this year and pregnant for most of their first year of marriage that they hadn't spent as much time just being a couple as they probably should have. His dad, Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim had advised him to make sure he and Lina spent time together as a couple, as lovers and best friends, not just as parents. All three warned Tim that it was an easy trap to fall into. They'd kept up with their date nights as often as they could but with everything going on, sometimes it was more like a date 'hour'.

Rob had asked for a relaxing graduation party, he didn't want anything expensive or crowded; after much discussion the group decided an island party sounded just right. From Athens they headed to the ferry for Aegina where they spent a long afternoon and evening playing in the water, first having a leisurely lunch on the terrace of one of the restaurants nearest the beach. After, they walked to their favorite part of the beach and Rob was surprised to find most of their extended family there, including the Russells, the Hofstadlers, Dani, Ross, the folks from NCIS along with some of his former roommates. He was soundly congratulated by one and all and the group had a wonderful time. Jorrin had his first dip in the ocean courtesy of Uncle Rob with his daddy standing close by, trying not to hover. Like Athos the previous summer, the littlest McGee loved the waves, squealing and kicking his feet merrily as each one tickled his little toes.

Tim and unbeknownst to him, his father and grandparents, were relieved when Jorrin showed no sign of the seasickness that had plagued his dad all his life. He'd brought extra supplies, just in case but the little one did fine on the ferry. He slept all the way home, never stirring when he was carried onto solid ground and fastened carefully into his car seat. Lina smiled at Tim, "We are so lucky with our child, he's so easy!"

Tim grinned back at her, "Let's not take it for granted, the next one might be a hell raiser!"

She laughed, "Really?"

He rolled his eyes, "Remember sassy Sarah!"

On the way home they talked a little about their second anniversary which was a few months away. She thought they should go a month early so that the weather would be warmer; she also agreed that Jorrin would be old enough by then to be away from them for a few days. She'd been planning to start adding formula to his routine once he hit 6 months, so by the time their trip came around he'd be used to formula as well as breast milk. She liked the idea of Venice and also suggested Florence and Rome. Over the weeks that followed, they talked about all three possibilities. Tim felt Venice would be better for a weekend, not that there was less to see but that everything would be closer together, they could walk or boat everywhere. He figured Florence would need extra time so they could see more of Tuscany and there was so much to see and do in Rome that it would need far more than a weekend. When Lina admitted that Venice was on her list of top 10 places to experience as an artist, the decision was made. They thought they'd fly out on a Thursday night and return home late Monday. Tim checked the on-call schedule for September and October before they started looking for flights and hotels. In the meantime, Poppy jumped at the chance to take care of Jorrin for those days.

While Lina and Tim started researching and planning their weekend getaway, Rob and Ned took off on their road trip, Liz Crane and the Hubbards arrived for the summer, the family surprised Ainsley with another graduation party and the last Gemcity book, "McGregor: Life on the Streets" was released in the U.S. and UK. In the end, the siblings had published it without the planned authors' note. Instead, they'd expanded their original note into another book, a non-fiction companion to the McGregor book, telling the unabridged stories. They worried that two books with the same topic would be confusing so they'd titled their non-fiction piece, "The Real Stories behind McGregor: Life on the Streets". When the two books were released the same week, it proved to be a smart move. Sales started out well and skyrocketed in the second week when more readers caught on. The siblings were jubilant when they hit the best seller lists for the New York Times and in the UK, the Sunday Times and The Times Literary Supplement. Sarah managed to combine a book signing for her book in London with one for the siblings' books and their publisher begged the others to do some as well. Geordie and Rob said a flat out no as neither had time to spare but Tim said if they could get him spots in Greece on specific dates (i.e., when he was not on call), he would agree to a few. He was hoping for something in Thessaloniki so they could see the family up there but what he got were dates in Athens. That was fun though as his friends and family came out to see what a book signing was all about and Rob and Geordie each managed to show up for one and sign a few books before they disappeared again. He also insisted that Lina and Rhea be involved for the McGregor book signings as their wonderful illustrations were a big hit.

In the meantime, the summer visitors had settled in and were having another fabulous summer. For the third year, the island of Aegina was the setting for the expats' July 4th celebration. The outing was bittersweet for some as Stephan, Phoebe and Ross prepared to move to the U.S. to attend college. As planned, Stephan would be going to Johns Hopkins, Ross to Waverly and Phoebe had been accepted at George Washington. They would be close enough to see each other on weekends and they already had the East Coast family contact information on their cell phones. They planned to spend holidays with the Mallard-Hubbard branch of the family, although Dani, Pete and Trina hoped they'd be able to come home for Christmas and their term breaks. Still, this was the last planned holiday for the entire group. The kids didn't seem to think anything of it but their parents and friends were certainly aware of it.

Another concern was Norm's contract. It was up at the end of the year and once again he didn't know whether he'd have a job. This time there would be no help from Mr. Ladas as the elderly man had had a stroke the previous winter and was forced to give up many of his activities. Norm was already sending out feelers and resumes to colleges and universities in the U.S. as he and Carla were tired of the guessing game and had decided to move home. Carla was still working part-time at the agency and she hoped to continue that in the States if Norm was hired by a school anywhere near an NCIS office. Tim reminded her that the FBI would also be a viable option as Fornell had not yet retired and with a recommendation from the Director of NCIS and whatever strings Tobias might be able to pull, that could work. They would be sad to see them go but understood that with the Greek economy still rocky, it didn't look like things would improve for Norm anytime soon.

With all that, the day was still a rousing success. They rented the sun shelter, barbecued burgers and hot dogs, ate the delicious side dishes the group brought with them, purchased gallons of ice cream for dessert and set off fireworks after dark. They also had a lot of fun watching the little ones. The triplets, nearly three, had no fear of anything and had to be watched very closely. However the preschoolers loved 'their' babies, Athos and Jorrin. At nearly 18 months, Athos was enthralled with the waves, the food and the fireworks and a little overwhelmed by the triplets. Jorrin did a lot of staring at Athos, who was of course closer to his size than anyone else and he didn't seem to know what to think of Jase, Will and Cammy. He'd spent time with them during his young life but seeing them here with everyone else seemed to confuse him. He stuck with his people, Mom, Dad, Poppy and Nonnie, Rhea's 'grandma' name, and his great grandparents. He didn't know his great grandparents quite as well but he was perfectly comfortable with them. He liked Ainsley and Callum too, she had long hair that he liked to play with and Callum made excellent funny faces that made him laugh. He was, his Aunty Liz, Penny and Grammie said, very much like his father had been as a baby.

Gibbs' chat with Ziva about his relationship with Rhea had made him think. And thinking led to talking with Rhea. One evening he arrived to pick her up at the Benaki after she got off work. She smiled as she walked out the staff entrance and saw him, leaning against the Ford. The sight of him made her warm all over, as it always did. "Hi sweetie, this is a wonderful surprise!"

He kissed her and smiled back. "If you're not too tired, would you please have dinner with me?"

She grinned, "I'm never too tired to see you, Jethro!" He opened the car door for her and they headed off to a restaurant they hadn't been to together. It was fairly casual which she appreciated as she was still wearing her work clothes. They were led to a quiet booth where they sat, catching up with each other. Finally Jethro looked at her, "Got something I'd like to talk about with you."

She nodded, noticing he was relaxed. "When Ziva was here she asked if we would marry and I explained what we've discussed. Afterward I realized that I'm not afraid of hurting you anymore, because I won't hurt you Rhea. We already know we want to spend the rest of our lives together, we've already committed to that. My biggest fear, as you know was that I'd hurt you and lose you, but we've been able to work through the few arguments we've had and I know now that I'm not the same angry bitter guy I was years ago. And I love you for you; you're my lover, my partner, grandmother to my grandson and my best friend. I'm blindsiding you with this tonight, so I'll stop in a minute in case you want to think or talk about things some more, but I'd like us to consider marrying."

She was smiling happily and leaned into him, kissing him passionately. "Yes, Jethro, I agree, we're ready and yes my love I will marry you."

They ordered a bottle of champagne to have with their meze and spent their time at the restaurant talking about their future, interspersed with many kisses and embraces. By the next morning they'd decided on a civil wedding, necessary with Jethro's history, and a wedding limited to their families. Rhea laughed, "Of course 'just' our families will mean a crowd of close to 100, my love. But we'll make it simple."

And so it was on a weekend in late July, just after Rob and Ned's return, that Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Rhea Ortiz Mallidias exchanged their wedding vows in a lovely secluded and most importantly heavily shaded park outside Piraeus. As planned they were joined by their combined families which included Rhea's deceased husband's family as well as Jethro's immediate and extended family. Between the two of them, the guest list was slightly under Rhea's estimation at 87, including all of the children. Jethro was very proud that even with short notice his 'long distance' children, Sarah and James, Tony and Maggie, the Palmers and yes, Ziva, were in attendance. The couple delayed their honeymoon for a few days so they could spend some time with the travelers but eventually slipped off for a week in Paris. Jethro was glad he'd remembered his wish to explore the city with Rhea and had been relieved and happy to find she'd never been there. Afterward he and Tim compared notes about their artist wives in Paris and for years thought warmly of the artwork done by both women as a result of their trips there.

The weeks after the wedding sped by and all too soon it was mid-August and time for the new college students and their parents to depart for the U.S. There was one last party at the Russells with all the kids present and Stephan and Phoebe ceremoniously turned over the 'exercise' responsibilities to their siblings. The Hubbards were in attendance and Ainsley and Callum made all sorts of holiday plans with the older kids. The adults made a fuss over the departing collegians, making sure they had all the latest gadgets and toys for their dorm rooms and studies.

When Tim walked into work the following Monday, the day that Pete and his family were departing for the States, he found a gloomy team. He looked at Kim and winking, said to them all, "They're not dead you know! They'll be home for summer vacations and maybe even Christmas. And Dani, Pete, Trina, Kyra and Lukas will be here!"

Kim belatedly remembered her remarks about Pete after his retirement and perked up and the others followed. Lina stopped in on her way to work, dropping off fresh pastries still warm from their oven.

Matt looked at Tim as he chewed on his favorite, "How did you know?"

"Because we always have pastries, Matt; they make us feel better and help us remember good times and realize that not everything has changed."

The others nodded, that was certainly true. While they were gathered at the table, Ned told them another story of his and Rob's trip around Europe. The pair had had a wonderful time and Ned entertained them by telling a story now and then rather than revealing the whole trip all at once. That got them through their melancholy and their work day got started.

The Hubbards and Mallards left a week later and it was Tim's turn to need cheering up. He always missed his grandparents when they left even while he understood he had to share them with the rest of the family. It was one of the consequences of living on different continents. Penny was already in London; she'd left Greece shortly after their Independence Day celebration, returning with Sarah, James and the senior Powells for Jethro and Rhea's wedding. She would head to Virginia in September and would return here for Jorrin's first birthday and likely stay through the winter.

Work was busy and Tim didn't have much time to think about the comings and goings of his family as his team worked back to back cases through the better part of August and through September. And then he was distracted by Jorrin starting to crawl, something he'd been working on for awhile. One day he was still trying to scoot and the next day he was on all fours and moving quickly around the house, very proud of his new skill. Luckily they already had baby gates up and everything was child-proofed but they were astounded at how fast their son could move!

They were off work long enough to celebrate Poppy's birthday with a pool party and barbecue in early September although the man would just as soon they all forget about it as it was a milestone birthday. But he was relishing being married and was willing to celebrate even 'that' birthday. The team finally came up for air again at the end of September and hoped for a breather so they could catch up on all the paperwork that waited for them.

Tim and Lina's long weekend in Venice was coming up the third weekend in October and he couldn't wait! They'd decided to stay at a family run hotel called Hotel Flora, close to Piazza San Marco, also known simply as 'the piazza', but reportedly far enough away to be quiet and restful. They thought it would be easy to reach by water taxi from the airport and heard that the staff was very friendly and helpful. They debated about the hotel as the Flora did not have a water view but finally decided that a quiet view of the hotel's interior courtyard would be better anyway. And it was close to just about everything without being on top of anything. Ned and Rob had seen it during their trip but hadn't stayed there as it was outside of their price range. No matter, Tim's and the siblings' books were still selling well and Lina's artwork was becoming well known and more popular throughout the world, they could afford a treat.

The Thursday they were leaving on their trip, Tim left the office at noon. He had every confidence in Bec leading the team for the few days he'd be gone and knew it would be good experience for her. He was only a phone call away and only 4 hours away by air. The travel time calculated mathematically was 2 hours but there were no nonstop flights between Athens and Venice. They booked a one-stop flight and that was four hours which seemed to be the best they could do. They were careful to pack light as there was a lot of walking with luggage in Venice.

As Tim reached his car, he sent a text to his dad who would be on his way to the house. They'd debated whether Jorrin should stay at the big house or at home and finally settled on 'at home' as he would be in his most familiar surroundings. At 11 months, the youngster was walking and beginning to utter sounds that somewhat resembled words. They'd heard Mama and DaDa so far and something that might have been Poppy but mostly sounded like Pp. There was also a sound that they thought would eventually be Nonnie, however right now it was Na'ee.

When Tim got home, he left the SUV in the driveway, not sure if his dad would want to park the Ford in the garage; Geordie would take them to the airport in his car. Lina and Jorrin were waiting for him in the kitchen and Tim swooped them both into his arms. "Hello my loves, have you had a good morning?"

"Yes, I explained where we were going and Jorrin was very accepting."

Jorrin had had enough hugging for now; he was squirming to get down so he could show his dad his newest skill! When he had both feet on the floor, he took off at a speed that Tim thought was quite remarkable. "Sweetie, he's running!"

"Yes, now we just need to teach him how to stop without crashing into something!"

"Yikes!"

They'd been following their son and Tim had grabbed him right before he hit the sofa. Tim looked at Lina, his eyes wide. She chuckled, "I've warned Poppy and he remembers Kelly doing this so he and Rhea will be on guard."

"Wow! You know I'm really glad they're staying here with him as there are more hard objects for him to hit at the big house."

She nodded, "Yes, I thought of that too."

Tim was still holding Jorrin and now he tucked him under his arm like a football, one of Jorrin's favorite carry positions. He squealed with glee as they walked upstairs to finish packing. His eyes lit up when he heard the doorbell ring. "Who's that, Jorrin?" He grinned and his dad continued, "I bet it's Poppy and Nonnie!"

"Pop, Na'ee!"

Tim looked at Lina, "Did you hear that, he clearly said Pop!"

"Yes he did!" She swooped in on her son and gave him belly kisses while Tim called out to his dad. "We're upstairs, c'mon up!"

* * *

><p>Note: anyone interested in reading about Tim, Sarah and Rob's Christmas the year Rob got the doctor kit, it's in my story "Oh Brother!" which can be found on my profile. The Christmas part is in Chapter 1, under "Rob". It's adorable if I do say so myself and you'll understand a little more about Rob, his Timpa and sassy Sarah.<p>

Also, in an earlier chapter Jethro mentioned that he and Rhea had said they wanted her to be grandmother to Tim and Lina's child. Her 'grandmother' name is 'Nonnie' (right now it's Na'ee), so when you see the name, that's Rhea; Poppy and Nonnie equal Jethro and Rhea.


	157. Chapter 157

The trip to Venice was wonderful and the couple was invigorated by their stay. The hotel was as great as the reviews had claimed, the staff as friendly and helpful, the courtyard quiet and restful. They thoroughly enjoyed the generous breakfasts and found the staff's restaurant recommendations to be superb. Their room was small as expected, but very comfortable and quiet. They closed the window to the courtyard at night so they wouldn't disturb the other guests. They had 3 wonderfully long days where they saw the sights, did some shopping and then set up Lina's easel so she could sketch and paint, returning to the hotel in the late afternoons to express their passion and love for each other. The days were followed by late dinners; they loved seeing the magic of Venice after dark when most of their fellow tourists were gone from the areas around their hotel. A nightcap at the small bar in the hotel and then they returned to their room to once again renew their love. By the time they packed to leave on Monday, they felt like they'd had far more than a weekend to themselves.

Tim kissed Lina soundly before they left their room for the last time, "We should come back here the years we don't go to Aegina."

She nodded, "Yes, but next year we will be very busy."

He pulled back and looked at her, "How so?"

"We will have two children by then, my love."

He looked at her and smiled, "You were right last time, LinaMelina. Are you saying you think we've made a baby this weekend?"

She smiled happily, "I'm not sure yet, but we will have another child next year, I am certain of that."

Tim chuckled as he pulled her close again. "That's good, my psychic wife!"

"It might be twins."

"This baby that we aren't sure we've made yet might turn out to be twins?"

"Yes, I've been dreaming of little girls, but there are always two of them, sometimes three."

"Triplets, uh…wow."

"I don't know, my dreams aren't clear enough, I can't really tell except to be certain there are more children ahead for us."

"Mmm, we'll have to practice a lot more, you know, to make sure we get it right."

She laughed and he nearly threw caution and their schedule to the wind, but they had a flight to catch and a child to return to. They made their flight and got home without incident. Jorrin was happy to see them and Poppy and Rhea reported that he'd been a very busy and very good little boy.

Tim went into work early on Tuesday, hoping to at least catch up with a few days of e-mails before everyone else got in. He was surprised to see Carla's car in the lot when he came down the hill. Resolutely telling himself not to read anything into that, he walked into the office and found her waiting for him at the desk she shared with Eva. She smiled at him and he had to resist the urge to grab her and tell her…what? She saw the look in his eyes and patted his face as he came closer to her. "Come on, I've got coffee brewing."

"Carla…"

"It's good, Tim. Come into the kitchen."

He followed her and sat down with the mug of coffee she poured him, absently thanking her. She sat across from him and stretched one hand across the table. "Yes, you've guessed why I'm here so early. Norm has accepted a position at Cal Tech, to start in January."

Tim opened his mouth, shut it again and then managed, "Wow! That's great…except…" He looked up at her, "I don't suppose he can handle it online?"

She shook her head. "No, well yes, for one class but not for all of them and they want him there."

Tim nodded and grabbed her hand, "I'm happy that he finally has a position to match his talents. But oh man am I going to miss you, all of you!"

"I know, sweetie, and I know or think I know how hard it is for you to say goodbye to people."

He gave a glimmer of a smile, "But you're not dead, you're moving home and we'll stay in touch. Eventually we'll all…most of us anyway…be back there, at least on the same continent. "

"Yes, we're just the first ones."

Tim's eyes brightened a little bit. "Actually Stephan, Phoebe and Ross were the first ones."

She laughed, "I suppose, but I feel like we're the first to break up our extended family."

"Stretching, not breaking."

"Beg pardon?"

"Our extended family will stretch from Greece to California. It won't be broken, the world is too small these days for that to happen."

He rose from the table, went to her side and gave her a heartfelt hug. "You leaving before Christmas or after?"

"After. I want one last Christmas here."

"Called Evander yet?"

"No, Norm will call him after I text him that everyone knows."

"Pete, Trina?"

"We told them last night."

"Matt…"

"I know; I thought he and I could do a pastry run this morning if that's all right with you. Then I'll tell the others when we get back."

"Yeah, sure. Is Eva coming in and did we have any new cases?"

Carla smirked at him, "You know I can't just call Eva and order her to come in! I did ask her to join us for lunch; she agreed and will bring Athos…hope that's all right." Tim nodded; family was always welcome as long as they didn't have an active case.

"And no, there were no new cases and I think Bec was a little disappointed."

Tim smiled. "I'm not! I know she'd be fine but that was one of my worries." He sighed, "Wow, this will take some getting used to."

"Yes but at least you're not the one having to pack a decade's worth of belongings for shipment."

"Ouch, yeah. They paying for the move?"

"They're paying us what it would cost to move from the easternmost point of the U.S. by travel, which is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, to Los Angeles." She paused, "Do you know the easternmost point of the U.S. by longitude is in Alaska? And so is the westernmost point!"

Tim shook his head, "I did not know that, but Alaska has a lot of islands, obviously at least one is over the international dateline." He continued, "You'll ship your stuff?"

She nodded, "Yes and we think we can ship it all the way from here to the Port of Los Angeles. We've had a moving fund set up for years, since the first time Norm got laid off, so that will help some."

"Carla, I'd like to help."

She looked at him, "Only if it's a loan."

"As long as it's interest free, I can live with that. Lina's work is selling like crazy, my books – and our family books – are selling like crazy, let us put some of that money to good use to help you."

"Thank you, if we do need help, we'll take you up on it. Oops, I mean I'll discuss it with Norm and then all that."

They laughed and Tim said, "And I meant that I'll discuss it with Lina and then I'm sure _we'd_ like to help."

Rolling their eyes at each other, they talked a little longer and then got to work before the others came in. When Matt arrived, Carla grabbed him, "C'mon, Boss wants pastries this morning, we're on the run."

Tim looked at his senior agent and nodded so Matt went back out the door. Kim looked at him a little strangely; he wasn't sure if it was because Carla called him "Boss' which was a first or if it was the pastry run when he'd just returned from Venice where he'd probably had his fill of all kinds of delicacies. He just gave her a smile and went into his office. When Bec arrived she put her gear down and joined him to give him a sitrep. Although they hadn't had any new cases, she gleefully reported they had two new leads on cold cases and were working those.

Tea was in and Ned had just reached his desk when Carla and Matt reappeared with a box of pastries. Tim stood in his doorway, "Treat time! Tea, how about you bring the phone to the table? The coffee's brewing and water near boiling."

Kim looked at him, "Should Eva be here?"

"She and Athos are joining us for lunch today."

She nodded, that answered a question. Whatever this was didn't involve Tim as he would have asked Eva to come in this morning. That was a relief; she didn't think Vance would move him anywhere so soon but she also didn't pay all that much attention to agency politics and movement, except when it impacted the European offices. She'd been worried when Joel Morris had been transferred back to the U.S. but Pete had assured her that Tim had turned down the SAIC post in London.

Once everyone had his or her favorite beverage and a pastry in front of them, Tim cleared his throat and Kim tried not to panic, _had she been wrong, was it Tim after all? _She must have had a look on her face because he gave her a discreet head shake and she quietly exhaled.

Carla spoke up, "It's us - Norm, the kids and me. Norm's accepted a position at the California Institute of Technology, which is in Pasadena, in the greater Los Angeles area of California. We'll be moving back to the States after Christmas."

Kim blinked away tears while Tea didn't bother to hide hers and Tim thought this might be harder on the ones whose permanent homes were here. Carla and Norm had been part of the NCIS: Athens extended family for just over a decade. Carla had been here when Tea, Eva and Kim started and of course she'd personally selected Matt and had played a big part in Tim's life here. For all that Vance had selected him to replace her, he knew Carla had put her 'stamp of approval' on him that first day and that had set the tone for his future. Not that his teammates were anything like his previous team but having her approval and friendship meant the world to him. He, Bec, Matt, Ned and Kim would likely see them again in the U.S. but unless Norm and Carla returned for a visit or Eva and Caleb or Tea and Adan visited the States, it was unlikely they'd see the Hofstadlers again.

He gave them a little extra time to absorb the news before their day started, knowing if a call came in, they'd jump on it without any hesitation. It seemed an unnaturally quiet morning and Tim let it be, knowing his work family needed time to adjust to the situation. It was a relief when Eva and Athos arrived, even though it meant letting Eva know the news. Athos made the rounds, collecting hugs from his aunties and uncles and having the little guy there helped dispel the gloom. Eva just nodded when she heard the news and eventually said, "We will visit you, Carla. Caleb and I have been saving to visit the U.S. in the next few years. We figure by the time we get there, we will have several people and places to visit."

Tea brightened at that thought, she and Adan could do that too. Kim nodded, "We're planning on visiting my folks in the next couple of years Carla; now we'll come see you too."

Tim smiled to himself, they were a resilient bunch! They got through the rest of the day and that evening after class and dinner, Tim and Lina discussed loaning their friends money to move if it was needed. Lina liked the idea of helping where they could.

They had no sooner unpacked from their Venetian trip then they started preparations for Jorrin's first birthday celebration. Unwilling to miss any of their great grandchild's milestones, Penny and the Mallards returned in time for Tim's birthday, although he, like Gibbs, would just as soon have skipped his birthday this year. Although it was not a milestone year, he would be hitting the big "40" the following year and he was not terribly excited about that. However, he was very happy to have his dad, in-laws, grandparents and two of his brothers around for his birthday party. Everyone was glad for an excuse to have a party, to have Carla, Norm and the kids with them still.

Jorrin's first birthday was a couple of weeks later and his party was held at the big house. The same crowd was there although the party was decidedly lower key than Tim's had been. At just 12 months, Jorrin wouldn't understand much and would remember nothing. So they had a good time and he played happily with Athos and the triplets while the adults enjoyed watching the little ones play. Wanting to see if there was any recognition or reaction, Damian played the 'Dance Lessons' video on his laptop with Jorrin sitting watching from his lap. Uncle was not disappointed; his nephew squealed 'Dada' and 'Mama' when he spotted his parents in the video. He bounced around in time to the music and his uncle finally put him down so he and the other kids could dance.

Bec and Geordie watched the little ones dancing to the Greek tunes. She shook her head as she turned to Lina, "We need a girl or two! Poor Cammy is outnumbered and when they leave we'll just have the two boys."

Lina smiled, "Yes, we've noticed that. Don't worry, we'll have girls in the family soon enough!"

Bec's eyes grew wide while Geordie opened his mouth to ask but Lina smiled again, "I have been dreaming of little girls and I believe we will have a little one who'll be with us by this time next year."

Geordie tilted his head, "Did you dream about Jorrin before?"

Lina shrugged, "I didn't dream but I felt very strongly that we would have a son during our first year of marriage."

Tim joined them, handing Lina a glass of lemonade. "Ah, sharing your psychic abilities?"

Bec looked at him, "You don't believe her?"

"On the contrary, I fervently believe her. She was right about us, right about Jorrin, and I believe she is right that we will have daughters joining us."

"That's the second time you've used the plural - 'girls, 'daughters'."

Lina nodded, "Yes."

"Twins?"

She twisted her lips and shrugged, "I am not certain, my dreams are not that specific."

It was time for cake so the conversation ended but Bec and Geordie talked about it later, finally deciding they'd just wait and see.

From Jorrin's birthday to Christmas was the better part of a month although it felt more like three days with most of them dreading the departure of their friends after the holiday. The extended family helped Norm and Carla sort through the belongings they'd accumulated over the course of their lives here and once they had it all fairly well winnowed down, started the packing process. A moving company representative visited to give an estimate and left many boxes for them, ranging from wardrobes to dish boxes.

During all that Lina and Tim made a discreet purchase and confirmed that they had indeed conceived in Venice; they figured the newest McGee would arrive in late July. They decided to take a chance and let the family and extended family know at Christmas rather than wait until the end of the first trimester. It might help take some of the sting out of the departure of their friends that was looming over all of them and they wanted to tell Carla and Norm in person.

Ross and the two Russell siblings flew in on December 23rd, much to their parents' relief and pleasure. As it happened, Sarah, James and his parents got on the same flight at Heathrow; when they boarded Sarah was surprised to see three familiar faces looking back at her in astonishment. They had a good time catching up and laughed when they got through Customs in Athens and found Poppy and Pete staring at each other, puzzled.

Lina and Tim told the family at Christmas Eve dinner. There were congratulations, hugs for the couple and thumps on Tim's back from his father, father-in-law and brothers. Jorrin seemed puzzled by all the hoopla as his great grandfa picked him up and danced around the room with him, "My dearest boy, you're going to be a big brother!" Hélène and Maisie both cried and then laughed at themselves until they saw that Jethro also had tears in his eyes. Sarah bent down to Lina's abdomen and said, "Listen baby, we'll be happy with whatever and whoever you are, but we need more girls in this family." Penny followed her, bending down and whispering, "What your Aunty Sarah said, sweet pea."

James' parents tried to just be happy for the family and ignore the little twinges of envy each felt. James had explained that Sarah wanted to firmly establish her writing career before they had children. They'd been very happy and hopeful when her first novel had done so well and even more hopeful when the family books had also struck gold. There was still plenty of time although when Edith thought about it, Tim was nearly forty; she really hoped that her own grandchild or grandchildren would not be delayed that long as she and George wanted to enjoy them while they were still relatively young.

They told the extended family the next day at the Russells. Carla actually thanked them for sharing their good news; she said it…"kept today from being more like a funeral than a celebration."

Except for their Christmas decorations, the Hofstadlers were packed and physically ready to leave. Emotionally, no, they were not ready but were trying to be stoic and practical about it. They'd been thankful to be as busy as they'd been and to spend extra time with their friends helping them sort and pack. But their actual leave-taking was now just a little more than a week away and everyone was dreading it. The couple had talked with Tim, Lina and Gibbs about their 'no saying goodbye at the last minute' rule and decided to follow it. They'd see everyone on New Year's Day and that would be it, their farewell. Their flight would leave Athens a little after 8 AM on January 2nd; they'd fly to London and have a 5 hour layover before the second leg of the flight which would take them nonstop to Los Angeles. They'd deliberately picked the 5 hour layover as that would give the kids a chance to run around, be fed and changed. While it would make the day longer, it eliminated the stress of trying to move quickly through Heathrow from gate to gate with three young children and their paraphernalia.

The London contingent left for home two days later and Tim and the others went back to the office alternately hoping they'd have a quiet remainder of the week and that they'd be busy. Pete, Eva and Carla joined them at the office for lunch the Friday after Christmas. Vance called in the afternoon to wish them Happy New Year and to let Carla know that one of the Los Angeles' area NCIS offices had an opening she might be interested in. The possibility of keeping that NCIS connection made them all feel a little better and Tim gave Leon a discreet nod of appreciation before he signed off. As not everyone would see Carla and her family on New Year's Day, there were heartfelt goodbyes and tears shed when she walked out the door at the end of the day.

With New Year's Eve falling on a Sunday, the team was not on the hook to work but had opted to be on call for the weekend, just as Rota had done the weekend before. Tim and Lina invited their siblings, parents and Grands over for New Year's Eve and the three siblings and their loved ones decided to stay with the McGees that night.

They had a great time, playing cards, Pictionary and watching a movie. No one took particular notice when Gibbs went to the head at about 10:30. However, when Tim's cell phone buzzed there were several groans followed by catcalls when Tim hit the speaker button and they heard their dad chuckling from the other room at his successful tease. Rob and Ned were the only ones who stayed up until midnight but that was mostly because they were sleeping on the pullout sofa in the living room.

New Year's Day passed quietly. Dinner was at the big house with the usual gang. Norm and Carla didn't stay late, giving everyone one final hug or kiss and with the kids in their arms, slipped out the door.

Damian had volunteered to drive them to the airport the next day while Pete would stay at the Hofstadlers' house until the moving company was done. Their belongings, including their cars, would be loaded into a shipping container and hopefully end up in Los Angeles.

The office was quieter than ever the rest of the week. With Carla gone, Eva would resume coming in every day. It was just past 1400 when Tim's cell buzzed with a text from Sarah asking if they were available for a Skype call that night. She'd sent the text to all the siblings, their dad and the Grands. Knowing that he and Lina didn't have anything planned, Tim responded with a yes and then chuckled when he saw first Ned, then Bec and finally Matt receive texts or calls.

Poppy called later and asked them all to dinner at the big house, figuring it was easier to all be in the same place for the call. Gathering at the big house, there was a fair amount of speculation about the call. Tim had asked Lina if it could be baby news and she stopped to think about it and then shook her head, "I don't think so, my love. I think they would have said something last week." He nodded, that's what he'd thought but Lina always seemed to know.

The reason for the call surprised and pleased them. James had been offered an assistant manager position at the NCIS IT Center at the Navy Yard in DC; the offer had been made after Christmas and he and Sarah had discussed it, consulted with his parents and Poppy and in the end James accepted the position. He would report the first of February so the pair had a month to pack their belongings and move to the DC metro area. James reported that his parents were excited about visiting; they planned to retire in the spring and now they knew where their first post-retirement trip would take them.

Tim had mixed feelings. He was proud of James and happy for his promotion but felt like his family and friends were slowly slipping farther away from him and he hated that. When they returned home that evening, Lina consoled him, "I don't think we will be here that much longer, Timotheos. A year, maybe a little longer."

"And then we'll have to leave Greece, leave home."

She smiled, "My love, home is wherever we are together. It's not just a place."

He looked at her and nodded. "I'm sorry, sweetie, it's just that this is where I've had the happiest years of my life. I met you, found my family, our wedding, our son and now our new baby, Dad, the job, so many things."

She laughed, "We're not done yet, Tim, we're just getting started! And this place will always hold special memories for us, yes. But there are more happy memories to be made." He nodded knowing change was inevitable.

Tim, Lina, Poppy and Rhea flew to London for a weekend before Sarah and James' departure for the U.S. The property management company handling Poppy's home in Arlington had reported that his tenants were being transferred out of the area in late February so they would start the process of finding new tenants. Not sure if his daughter and son-in-law would be interested Poppy mentioned it to them anyway. They were very interested and took the contact information for the property management people. James was subject to the usual transfer package which meant he had 30 days to find a place to live; in the meantime the agency would pay for temporary housing. Sarah told them Tony was texting them almost daily with vacancies he'd heard of in prime locations. He and Maggie were very excited that the couple was moving to the U.S., Tim thought the two of them and the Palmers were probably the only ones who hadn't had any mixed feelings the night of the call and that had been a good thing. Tony's obvious glee at having their sister and brother-in-law close by had very effectively covered everyone else's shock and given them time to recoup.

While the Powells flew to DC at the end of January, Tim and the team took on a case that took three weeks to bust open and then successfully close. Before they knew it, the date was March 1st, marking the 1st anniversary of Tim's position as Team Lead and SAIC. Lina's baby bump was gaining definition and she was again battling 'evening' morning sickness. March morphed into April and the weather started to warm up nicely.

One Friday night, Tim was giving Jorrin his bath after dinner when he heard Lina's cell ring. She answered and he heard her say "Ariston". That piqued his interest as he knew her uncle Ariston and his partner Paolo were currently in a country called Bokas that neighbored Macedonia, doing the legwork to expand their business into the capital city.

Note: FYI: Gottahaveharmonfreak (that's me and Harmonfreak1 writing together) are posting a new story called "An Eternal Love". The story id on fanfiction is 11083700. Love to have you take a look!


	158. Chapter 158

When Jorrin splashed him with his favorite bath toy Tim stopped listening and played with his son. It wasn't until he had Jorrin out and was drying him off that Lina came closer to the open bathroom door, still talking. Obviously this was something she thought he should hear so he quietly listened while putting a clean diaper and jammies on their toddler and then picked him up for a piggyback ride to his crib. Lina followed and Tim realized she now had the speaker on; he could hear Ariston.

"They don't know whether the bus being hit was deliberate or accidental; I'm not even sure it's really being investigated. The survivors were all in the front of the bus; it could very well have been a deliberate hit on the family that was killed. Think of it, my niece, only four children were left alive of the entire family – there were several adults dead on the scene: the children's parents and grandparents, an uncle and great grandmother. And no one will take them, they have tried to find other relatives but none have been found or will come forward. The newscasts don't even bother mentioning the family's surname, that's how outcast they were."

"Why were they outcast?"

"All we have been able to find out is that the great grandparents were 'Giajars' and that the children are of mixed nationality. I have no idea what that means, when we asked our contact what Giajar is and what the children are, he spit on the floor and walked out; we looked online but found nothing."

"So these poor children are held responsible for their great grandparents and whoever their parents were? That's horrible! How old are they, Uncle?"

"The two older ones are siblings 10 and 7, a girl and boy. Their cousins, the two younger ones, are also siblings, sisters ages 5 and 3."

"Do you know what language they speak?"

"We have been to see them twice now and their words sound very close to Italian."

"So Paolo was able to speak with them?"

"Yes."

"That's good, Tim speaks Italian and I know a little."

"Will you come then?"

"I don't know; we need to talk and do some of our own research. Will the Bokasian authorities allow these children to leave the country?"

"We've talked to two government officials and both say they will be very happy to allow adoption by foreigners. Our impression is they want these kids out of their hair. Most orphans would be taken in by family members or neighbors but obviously that's not the case here."

"Would we be required to stay any length of time to make the adoption legal?"

"No, if you're here and say you want them, we were told they will sign the papers then and there and probably give you a ride to the airport."

"Oh those poor children! Are you sure they're getting good care at the hospital?"

"Luckily, yes. Their attending physician is English and he's made sure the children are safe and tended by non-Bokasian staff. And before you ask, he doesn't know any more than we do, he's only been here for a few months."

"What is their outlook, the children? Do they know their parents and grandparents are dead?"

"Yes, they were told their first day in the hospital. The older ones are trying to be strong for their cousins, but obviously they're all having a difficult time. They seemed happy to have visitors and when we went back the second time they greeted us by name and allowed us to hug them."

"What about their education?"

"We wondered about that too but the records for the school in their hometown show that the older two were doing well in school. The 5 year old had just started in something like our kindergarten and the little one wasn't on any records so I guess she wasn't in day care."

"Uncle, what are their names?"

"Besiana and Jak are the two older children; the younger girls are Anna and Gemma. Their surname is Tsimagoj."

"My word, that's a mouthful! It sounds…I don't know what it sounds like!"

Tim was rapidly reviewing name etymology in his head and also came up empty. The first part almost sounded Russian but the rest was unknown to him.

Lina jotted down the name of the hotel Ariston and Paolo were staying in before she hung up. They completed their nightly ritual with Jorrin, kissing him goodnight, turning the lights off and the baby monitor on as they left the room. Lina was caressing her baby bump, "I cannot believe the cruelty shown to those children!"

Tim nodded as he led her to his laptop. "Come on let's learn everything we can about Bokas."

They spent the next few minutes searching for any information about Bokas, Giajar and Tsimagoj, finding very little and that was only about Bokas. One thing they did learn that made sense was that the inhabitants of the country were said to be extremely superstitious. Tim did every search he could think of for Giajar and came up empty handed, and the same held true for the children's surname. They printed out what they had for the small, emerging country and put that aside, focusing instead on their ability to bring two young orphans into their home and family. As practical as they tried to be, they knew it was a foregone conclusion the minute they'd heard of the children's plight.

"Lina, this is a huge undertaking, especially with SusieQ on the way!"

"Poppy and Rhea will be here to help us and we can ask my parents to come and help. And the Grands and Hubbards will be here this summer."

Tim nodded, "We can put the girls across the hall from Jorrin, but what will we do when the baby arrives?"

She shook her head and then grinned, "Trade houses with our parents?"

Tim huffed and then laughed, "That's not a bad idea, looks like we could really use another bedroom up here. What would you think of us moving downstairs?"

"No, we need to be on the same floor as the children while they're so young."

He nodded. "Ok, so SusieQ will sleep in the bassinet with us at night like we did with Jorry. I guess he can share his room with her for a few years."

"Tim."

He sighed, "We're insane - you know that, right?"

"But we have a large loving family that we know will help us!"

"Yes I know; you're right. All right, next question, do we take Jorrin with us or ask Dad to stay with him?"

She thought about it. "I don't like this place we're going to and I don't want to expose our son to it for even a few days."

"All right, I'll call Dad."

"And I will look up flights."

"It's a good thing NCIS is closed for the holiday on Monday! I can't see us getting up there, meeting the kids, getting papers signed, flying us home Sunday and then going off to work on Monday!"

"You're right; the girls will need some time with us."

"I could take the week off, be on call if they need me."

Lina nodded, "That's probably a good idea."

"Oh, I just realized there's probably some sort of paternity leave for adoptions, didn't Jimmy have time off when they adopted Ethan and Stevie?"

Lina didn't remember so Tim tucked that in the back of his mind for now. He had no qualms about staying home and leaving the team in Bec's capable hands. She'd do fine and he would be two minutes up the hill if needed. Maybe that was a better idea; he could go in for a couple of hours a day. He put that aside as he called his dad. "Hey son!"

"Hi Dad, are you busy? Have a few minutes?"

"Not busy and Rhea's working on a project so I'm by myself this weekend. What's up?"

"Would you mind taking care of Jorrin tomorrow and Sunday?"

"Of course not! Here or there?"

"Probably here and let me tell you why."

Tim filled him in on Ariston's call and their decision to fly to Bokas.

"Tim, I know you two; I know you've thought everything through."

"We have and we're going through with it anyway."

"No, kiddo that's not what I meant. What would you think of me going with you?"

From the instant relief he felt flooding him Tim knew this was what had been bothering him; that this was some sort of sting or illegal setup. "I'd like that."

"Good! Way I see it, you two will be involved with the children and the legal stuff; I'm going to be your 'hired gun' so to speak. Make sure our BS meters are working."

"Protection then."

"Yep, for you two _and_ Ariston and Paolo. This sounds too easy."

"Dad…yeah, that'd be good."

"Jorrin…"

"Geordie & Bec and Damian and Matt have taken care of him before and Bec and Matt both have young nieces and nephews, so we'll see which ones get to stay with Jorrin."

"Have fun with that. Call me back when you book the flights?"

"Yeah, I will. Thanks Dad."

Thinking through their conversation, Tim made one more phone call, to Lina's friend the Ambassador and was happily surprised when their call was put right through to her. He had his phone on speaker as the woman told them what she knew of Bokas. As an emerging nation, they would likely be very happy that an American was adopting their orphans. She heard what Ariston and Paolo had uncovered and recommended not bringing that up with the authorities, they were not likely to get any more answers and it might slow the process down. She offered to contact her fellow ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia, who was also responsible for Bokas. When she heard Gibbs wanted to go, she chuckled. She knew Agent McGee was more than capable of protecting his wife and her relatives but in this situation both couples would indeed be involved with the children and she agreed there should be another party keeping an eye over all of them. She mentioned sending a Marine along with them and then talked herself out of it saying the situation could get dicey if the Bokasian authorities thought the Americans were bringing in their military. Although Gibbs' hair was a little longer and he was far more relaxed in his demeanor, Tim knew he could bring his Gunnery Sergeant persona to the fore in seconds. On the flip side, he was plainly not an active Marine.

Decision made and feeling they had done as much research as they could, Lina made their flight reservations and sent them to Poppy. The Ambassador or Ms. Donahue would call them back with any additional information gleaned from the other embassy, but for now they were a go.

They flipped for which uncle to call first and Lina won, so they called Damian and Matt to ask if they could take care of their nephew over the weekend. It turned out they could handle Saturday and stay over but not Sunday so Geordie and Bec were contacted and they readily agreed to stay with Jorrin on Sunday. Both couples were shocked at the reason and offered to get the room ready for the little girls. Lina spelled their names out for Damian who thought they could do something with their names in their room. Bec wondered about clothes and said if Lina or Tim would text her with the girls' height and weight, she could at least buy some basics: underwear, pajamas and slippers, a couple of outfits to wear and shoes. Luckily the spring weather in Piraeus was warm but not yet hot. She also said she'd put the word out to their extended family about the two young girls. The next call was to Lina's parents who had already heard from Ariston and were not surprised to hear they were about to have two more grandchildren. They promised to come down in a week or so to help get the girls settled in.

Because they'd booked one of the first flights early Saturday morning, Poppy ended up spending the night to save them the few minutes it would take to pick him up in the morning. They'd had word from the Ambassador that as far as the U.S. Embassy in Macedonia knew the promise of an easy adoption was on the up and up, the Bokasian government wished the survivors no ill but they also wished them to leave as soon as possible. They were also asked if Gibbs was still going and Tim understood that to be a subtle warning. One of the last things Tim did before they left was to hunt down examples of adoption papers online so they'd know if what they were signing was anywhere close to valid. He printed out two sets of the forms.

Jorrin was still asleep when they were ready to leave for the airport so they kissed him softly before they left. They'd been away from him before but it had been difficult and he was now 6 months older than he'd been when they had their long weekend in Venice.

Damian hugged all three of them, "I promise he will be here, whole and happy, when you come back with his two new sisters."

Matt added, "Just remember it's for a good cause!" They nodded as Gibbs held his hand out for the car keys. There was little traffic at that hour and they were at the airport with time to spare. Their flight was less than two hours and they spent the time going through the forms Tim had downloaded from the internet. Then they were in Bokas going through Customs. Tim saw Paolo, the taller of the two men, first and nodded to him with a smile. They went first to the hospital to meet the children.

Tim's heart was thumping in his chest, all he could think was what his own reaction would have been at age 9, for strangers wanting to adopt him, Sarah and Rob. If they had been plain speaking, that would have been fine, but if those strangers had come on too strong or tried to be cute or funny, he would have grabbed the kids and made a run for it. He told Lina and Gibbs that and after thinking about it, they agreed. They would be truthful with the girls, tell them who they were and that they would like them to come live with them and their little boy. They'd brought recent pictures of Jorrin.

They would be truthful but they wouldn't overwhelm them. Paolo said the littlest one, Gemma, didn't understand what 'dead' meant and she constantly asked for her mama. Her older sister Anna seemed to have more of an idea of what had happened and was sad and scared. Tim was almost relieved to hear that as it was a normal reaction. He hoped that meant the children had been well cared for by their parents and that the two younger ones at least hadn't been subjected to the ostracism their family had suffered or at least not as much. Both girls were still asleep when they arrived so they went across the hall to meet Besiana and Jak who were sharing a room. Tim took one look at them and saw that they knew that they were 'untouchables' and that their parents may have been murdered. He made a point of shaking hands with both children, treating them with respect and gave them the little gifts they'd purchased for the children at the Athens airport before they left. They were grateful to find that the medical staff also treated the children with respect and affection. They were happy to meet the English doctor and two of the nurses, one Macedonian and one Croatian.

When the little girls woke up, they greeted Tim and Lina shyly. The couple sat quietly with them, asking them some questions and telling them about their lives and their home, showing them the photos they'd brought. When Tim introduced Gibbs as his papa, they both giggled. Eventually they asked them if they'd like to come home with them to live. Anna's eyes filled with tears even as she nodded yes and little Gemma said yes, following her sister's lead. Lina comforted both girls while Tim watched quietly waiting for a sign that he would be welcome as well. It wasn't long before Gemma crawled in his lap and then Anna reached out for him.

Gibbs smiled as he watched his new granddaughters bond with his son and daughter-in-law. They were going to be all right. Sure, things would be tight at the house and the girls would likely take awhile to get settled in, to really feel comfortable but he knew it would happen.

That afternoon a government official, one of the ones Ariston and Paolo had spoken with earlier, arrived with adoption papers for all four children. The papers were in English and Bokasian. When the doctor offered to help with the process they scanned the documents onto his office computer and then ran them through a translation app. They were relieved to see the translation to English was good and there was nothing out of the ordinary. They ran them through a second time, translating from English to Macedonian for Ariston and Paolo. The four of them took their time comparing the Bokasian papers to the online forms and were relieved to find them much the same; in fact Tim wondered if the Bokasian government hadn't downloaded and used the same forms he had. Both couples signed the appropriate pages, the official signed and the nurses signed as witnesses. That was it; that was all that was required. They were surprised when the official handed over suitcases full of clothes for the children as well as a brand new stuffed animal for each and they suddenly understood that the man was embarrassed by the attitude of his fellow citizens. He told them he was relieved that the children were going to good homes, that they would be raised with love and respect. That made Tim feel better about the whole thing, apparently not everyone in this country was primitive.

After the man left, they returned to the children. The doctor joined them and after examining each child said he could release them earlier than he'd expected. They checked the airline and found that the government had cleared the way for them to change their flights if necessary. Tim and Lina looked at each other; for all that the adoption official wasn't as tainted as they'd thought his government still clearly wanted the children to be gone as soon as possible. Ariston and Paolo were ready; they'd decided against growing their business here, they didn't want to deal with these people after they left with the kids.

While the staff prepared their discharge papers the children were given their clothes and got dressed, with Lina helping little Gemma. They gathered the children and everything else, cramming into Ariston's rental vehicle. Driving to the hotel, they waited in the car while Paolo ran in and grabbed their bags and then headed for the airport. Before they went their separate ways, they made plans to meet in Thessaloniki in two months; in the meantime the kids could meet and talk on Skype as much as they wanted to. Tim sent texts to Damian and Geordie while they were waiting for Paolo at the hotel; he knew that they'd all be relieved to have them home. When they got to the airport in Athens, Tim's tummy was rumbling and both girls giggled at him.

Gibbs again took the car keys and went to the parking area to bring the car around. When he got in he was startled by what he saw: two car seats had magically appeared in the back seat and the base for Jorrin's car seat had been neatly placed in the back, leaving room for one adult to sit between the girls. He knew Tim or Lina had sent texts with the girls' height and weight and that both girls were quite a bit shorter and weighed less than the average; it seemed some clever person had done some research on the need for car seats, purchased them and then brought them to the airport and installed them in the car - that was very thoughtful! He chuckled, envisioning the backseat with all three children strapped into their seats.

Once everyone was in the car, with raised eyebrows from both Tim and Lina at the car seats with a shrug in return, they stopped at a restaurant close by and had a meal, ordering simple sandwiches and soup for the girls. Tim helped Gemma while Anna did fine, although she did allow Poppy to cut her sandwich into quarters. From there they continued home and the girls' eyes grew big as they drove through Piraeus to the house. When they drove by the office, Gibbs slowed down nearly to a stop and Tim pointed to the agency building, "Girls, that's where I work."

Anna looked and squinted in surprise, "You work in a house?"

"It's really an office but yes."

"What's an office?"

"Was there a place at your school where someone answered the phone and the head of the school worked?" At her nod, he continued, "That was an office. I don't run a school, but I do other work in an office." She smiled at him, happy with his explanation and then her eyes got big again when they pulled into their driveway and a big door in front of them opened all by itself. She looked at Lina's car, "Is that your car?"

"Both are our cars."

"Oh, I thought this was Poppy's car."

Gibbs pointed to his Ford, parked in the driveway, "That's my car."

"Oh."

Again she nodded and her new parents saw that their eldest daughter was very bright, taking everything in. Still, they thought they would try their best not to overwhelm either child.

"All right, are you ready to meet your little brother? And probably some uncles and an aunt?"

They'd spotted Matt and Geordie's cars parked in the street.

"Are they nice like you?"

"Yes, they're very nice."

Gemma whispered, "Do they pinch?"

"No, no one will pinch you, we promise." Tim got out first and took Gemma out of her car seat and held her on his hip as he helped Lina navigate her way to the door. Poppy was helping Anna down and she clung to him when he moved to set her on her feet. He gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head and thought he felt her smile into his shoulder, reminding him of Tim in recent years. They walked up the few steps into the house and headed for the voices they heard coming from the living room. Anna had transferred to Tim and Lina had Gemma in her arms so that both girls felt protected when they saw the new people. There was a baby with them and he grinned saying "Mama, DaDa."

The girls were introduced to their Aunt Bec and their Uncles Damian, Matt and Geordie. Damian had Jorrin in his arms and he brought him over to meet the girls. With a smile, Jorrin reached up and patted Anna's face and then did the same with Gemma who reached out and patted him back. He babbled happily at her and they all laughed.

They were under strict medical orders to put the girls to bed once they got home. While their uncles and grandfather fetched their luggage from the car, the weary little ones were carried upstairs to their new room. Anna woke up enough to see their names on a big board above one of the beds and she smiled. Both girls had quick baths and then were tucked gently and lovingly into bed. They wanted to sleep together and that was not a problem; Tim figured that had probably been how they'd slept at home. He remembered the comfort of his young self snuggling with toddlers Sarah and Rob and wishing there would be a dad to tuck them in, kiss them goodnight and best of all, still be there in the morning. Now he would do it for his own children.


	159. Chapter 159

While the girls slept, their parents were shown the new clothes that Bec had purchased with Trina's help. They hadn't washed them yet, wanting the girls to try things on first. Eventually everyone left after being thanked profusely. When Tim saw Lina contemplating the suitcase full of the girls' clothes, he shook his head, "Come on sweetie, we'll have a quiet day tomorrow and I'll do the washing. Let's get some rest; I'm sure SusieQ wants you to lie down!"

She smiled at that, rubbing her baby bump as Tim carried Jorrin upstairs for his nightly routine. After they'd stripped Jorrin and popped him in the tub, Tim looked at Lina in astonishment, "I just realized that this time last night we had one child, we were just hearing about the girls!"

She nodded, "And now we are a three child family."

He reached out and patted her tummy, "Three and a half!"

When they brought Jorrin to his room, Tim looked at the crib. "How old should he be before he moves to a bed?"

Lina shrugged, "I don't know, but if we could do that before the baby arrives, that will help the space problem in here."

"Yeah, two cribs are going to be tight but a toddler or twin bed at least gives the appearance of being smaller."

Lina laughed, "We'll need to figure that out soon, I'm sure our fathers are about to start working on a second crib." She paused, "I think moving him to a toddler bed will be based more on his abilities rather than his age. I remember my niece and all three of my nephews learning to climb out of the crib."

"Yikes!"

She laughed, "I'm sure you did too!"

"Good point, I'll ask Gram." He frowned, "We should call the stateside family."

Lina nodded, "Yes and we can do that tonight, I think I have enough energy left."

While Lina read to Jorrin, Tim went to the kitchen and set the laptop up on the island. He sent a text to their family in the U.S. asking if they were available for a short Skype call. The Mallards, Powells, Palmers and Tony and Maggie were available but Claire replied that Liz was with her and the children and they wouldn't be home until late that evening.

As soon as Tim heard Lina on the stairs, he opened a Skype session with Gram and Grandfa and then brought in the others. Penny was off on a lecture tour, they'd have to catch up with her another time. When Tim told them he had a surprise for them, his grandparents turned and smiled at each other, his sister and brother-in-law and the Palmers just looked curious and Tony's face lit up, he loved surprises. Tim laughed, "We're not having twins or anything like that."

Lina smiled at them, "However, we do have two new daughters!"

They gave them an abbreviated version of the bus crash story and the call from Ariston. "We flew up there this morning, Dad went with us, and met the girls in the hospital. The government had the adoption forms ready for us so we signed them. Then the doctor decided the kids could leave the hospital today instead of Sunday, so we brought them home."

"All four children?"

"Oh, no, Ariston and Paolo adopted the older two, who are cousins of the girls."

"And how old are our girls?"

They told them their ages and names and showed them the photos they'd taken on their phones.

Grandfa smiled, "They're beautiful although they're both a little too thin."

Gram patted his arm, "That's all right, Donnie, they're home now; their parents will make sure they eat right and get lots of love and attention."

James asked, "What language do they speak? I don't know much about Bokas."

"It seems that nobody does! The official language of Bokas is called Bokasian; it's similar to Italian and that's how we've been conversing with them."

"I wonder how that happened when Bokas is landlocked and Italy is across the Adriatic Sea?"

"Don't know Sarah. It's strange but I find the inhabitants' cruel superstitions and prejudices to be even stranger."

"Yeah, you're right about that Bro."

Tony looked at them, "Ducky's right, they are children, what could they have possibly done to offend anyone? And they're beautiful kids, not like they have horns growing out of their heads. Now you're going to be a mixed family with two blondes and Jorrin's dark hair." They nodded at that and Tim pointed to his own hair, "Mine was lighter than theirs when I was Anna's age."

Gram chuckled, "You were a towhead, just like your mother when she was little. Patrick and Sarah were both dark haired like your father."

Lina added, "Anna also knows a little English; she says there was an American teacher at her school."

"So you'll be teaching them English and Greek."

She nodded, "We'll concentrate on the English so that Anna can go to school – we plan to send her to the International school here. We'll teach them Greek at home but they need English first."

At Grandfa's questioning look, Tim just shrugged. Lina was convinced their time in Greece was growing short although he had not heard anything from Vance on the subject. He'd been the SAIC for over a year now and he hoped to hold that position here for another couple of years. He'd been in Greece for nearly three and half years though so he supposed anything could happen. Part of him wanted to stay forever, to really follow in Pete's footsteps and just stay. The years here had been wonderful, he was happier than at any other time in his life. On the other hand, he knew he had a job to do and that his happiness was in his family and they would still be together wherever they went. He would miss having Geordie, Rob and Damian, Bec, Ned and Matt and the rest of their friends so close though.

He mentally shook himself and returned his attention to the conversation with his grandparents and siblings. They outlined their plans to ease the girls into their new lives and Gram nodded approvingly as did Grandfa. Tim quipped to Lina later that he thought that gave them both a mother's and a profiler's approval.

The girls slept late on Sunday and Uncle Dr. Rob told them not to worry, that their young bodies and emotions were in a healing sleep. Gemma woke first and was a little bewildered by her surroundings and her new parents. However, she saw her sister beside her in the bed and felt safe. When Jorrin greeted her with a smoochy kiss, she giggled and her parents relaxed a little. Anna woke as Tim was cooking a late breakfast and she came downstairs holding onto Lina's hand. She too was greeted with a smoochy kiss from her new little brother and she gave him a shy smile as she kissed him back. When he gave a happy squeal, she giggled.

After breakfast the girls shared a bath and this time they were awake enough to enjoy the experience with plenty of bubbles. Due to the girls' injuries, slight as they were, the family would stay home today and allow Anna and Gemma time to get used to their new family and home. If Lina felt they were comfortable enough later in the day she thought they might try on their new clothes, but they wanted the girls to feel safe. Not only had they been moved to a new country and new home but they had just lost their entire family, with the exception of their two cousins.

Last night Tim and Lina had had a brief chat with Ariston and Paolo and decided to have Skype calls between the cousins every day for the next few weeks so that the four children would keep up their important connection. They'd found a photo of the cousins with Gemma's clothes and Tim offered to make copies for the cousins. Both sets of parents decided to frame the photos and hang them in the children's bedrooms. They only wished they had photos of the family they'd lost. Tim knew the pain of losing people and memories and they were afraid that as the children grew older they'd lose their memories of their lost family. Ariston had the idea to contact the government employee who'd handled the adoption and ask if there were any photos of the family.

As Tim showed the girls around the house, he was encouraged by Anna wanting to know what each thing was called in English and Greek, repeating the words as he said them. She asked a lot of questions, also a good sign, and wanted to know if she would be going to school here. Tim told her that she would be starting school in another week or so and she grinned, telling him that she loved school. After they'd seen everything, they wanted to try on their new clothes so they did that and Lina was relieved to find that everything fit well enough; a few things were a little big but she thought as the girls healed and their health improved, that would change. With that, Tim started the laundry and was amused to find that it fascinated the girls as they'd never seen a washing machine or dryer. Anna explained that her grandmother had heated water on the fire which Tim mentally translated to a wood stove…he hoped…and washed their clothes on a board with bumps on it. He was familiar with old fashioned washboards and figured that was what she meant. Drying was done outside as much of the world still did. The McGees often did that in warm weather but when they were in a hurry or the weather was wet or windy, they used the dryer and were thankful for it.

Poppy and Nonnie arrived in the afternoon to spend time with each of their grandchildren. Poppy would stay with them on Monday while Tim and Lina met with the administrators at the International School. Before dinner they had their first Skype call with their cousins and that went very well, all four children were excited to see each other and tell of their new homes and parents. Anna insisted on introducing her little brother to her cousins and Jorrin gave one of his 1000 watt smiles to Jak and Besiana, reaching out to pat their faces on the screen. The two older kids giggled, thinking that was cute and funny.

Ariston reported after the call that Jak asked if they could have a baby brother too. Lina spoke with the two older children to find out a little more about what the girls liked. She was not surprised to find they'd lived in the same house and that Besiana and Jak had shared a room and a bed with the two younger girls. She made notes as Jak and his sister told her what they typically ate each day, their favorite dishes and generally tried to get some idea of what their home life had entailed. Her hope was that they could incorporate some of that routine into their lives here. However, the Tsimagoj family had been very poor and she wasn't yet sure what pieces of their previous lives should be kept. Not their eating habits, that was for sure! The English doctor had told them the number of calories the girls should be eating every day and Rob gave them the contact information for a nutritionist he knew.

They noticed that Anna watched closely while they prepared their dinner and Lina wondered if she'd ever seen a freezer or a modern oven and she was certain they'd never seen a microwave. They'd have to teach them how to use everything. Washing their hands and faces before sitting down for dinner was also fun; although the girls had already had baths they apparently weren't used to using a faucet to get warm water. They also didn't seem familiar with a high chair but Lina could understand that being a luxury. Poppy helped Jorrin eat his dinner before they started their own. At 17 months, he was learning to feed himself but was still willing to accept help, especially from his grandparents. After he'd eaten most of his food, the rest of them sat down at the dining table and both girls held their hands out to be held which Lina interpreted as the signal to say grace.

Tim asked Anna to say grace - thanks for their meal - and their oldest daughter bowed her head and said words that were utterly incomprehensible to any of the adults. When Tim peeked, he saw Jorrin's head bent too although he was looking around to see what was happening.

When Anna seemed to be done, they answered 'amen'. She smiled at them shyly and then looked at the platter of meat and bowls of food on the table. Tim remembered times when he and the kids had been offered food like this and knew if the girls ate too much, they'd get sick and be miserable. Rob and Grandfa had advocated having the girls eat small amounts of healthy food 5 or 6 times a day so their systems could adjust with the least amount of problems. They'd tried that today but the girls had said they weren't hungry. Lina thought they were being polite or careful with the food but Tim said that their stomachs were probably still full. Now as they sat at the table, he gave them a serving spoonful of each item and two pieces of meat. He laughed to himself as he'd noticed Anna's eyes widening almost comically when he'd put the second piece of meat on her plate – and it was a small piece. They typically didn't serve bread with their meals but noticed both girls looking around for something and Tim guessed that was it. He asked them to eat what they had on their plates and if they still wanted the bread, they could have some. That satisfied them and they started eating. Tim, Lina, Nonnie and Poppy had figured that the girls might eat quickly, too quickly, so they deliberately slowed their own pace and sure enough the girls followed their example. There were fresh berries for dessert and the girls' eyes lit up at the treat. Jorrin had been fussy about eating the berries, but now he watched his sisters eating them and copied them, picking them up in his hands and eating one at a time. His parents and grandparents smirked at each other, this was a good thing. Both girls had eaten their vegetables without any hesitation and they hoped that Jorrin would copy them on that as well. He generally did all right with vegetables but once in a while he got stubborn and didn't want to eat any, no matter what they were. They'd learned to hide them in brown rice, whole wheat pasta or grated into various food items so that he managed to eat the vegetables he needed whether he knew it or not.

As Tim and Lina had cooked, Jethro and Rhea did the cleanup and Anna helped them clear the table, carefully carrying a plate or glass to the kitchen. Then she again watched with wide eyes as her grandfather and grandmother loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and then hit the start button. Not knowing any Italian, Poppy pointed to the machine and said in English, "That's a bath for the dishes." She giggled at him and said, "Do they get bubbles?" He chuckled; glad she'd understood him and shook his head, "No bubbles."

The girls were visibly fading by this time so their dad and Poppy carried them upstairs while Mama and Nonnie followed with Jorrin who would be up for another hour or so. He was a morning person and they'd learned that keeping him up a little later meant that he would not be calling for them at the crack of dawn. The girls changed into their pajamas, this time their dad helped Gemma, brushed their teeth and then climbed into bed. Their parents stayed with them for awhile. Bec had included some children's books in English and tonight Tim picked the shortest one, read it, quickly translated it to Italian and told the girls the story rather than reading it to them, then he told it to them a second time, this time in English.

In the meantime, Jorrin was playing in his room with Poppy and Nonnie. He came in to kiss his sisters goodnight and then headed for his bath. This was all a bit backwards from what would become their nightly routine and was necessary to accommodate the girls' needs as they settled into their new home and family.

Tim and Lina's appointment at the International School was for early afternoon on Monday; Poppy arrived at the house just before lunch. Anna gave him a funny look, "Where do you live Poppy? Why don't you stay here with us?"

He chuckled softly to himself. "Someday I may live with you Anna, but for now I share a house with your grandmother plus your other grandparents and great grandparents."

"When will we meet them all?"

"Soon. Your Papa and Mama want you to get used to your new home." Poppy spoke English and was using his phone language app for the words his eldest grandchild didn't understand. He looked at her, "Do you know how to swim?"

She nodded sadly, "My grandfather…my first grandfather…taught us to swim in the river."

"Gemma too?"

"No, me, Besiana and Jak. Gemma is too little." He just nodded. "Can we see your house?"

He winked at her and pointed to her new parents and she understood he was going to ask them. She saw them nod and smile so she knew they could go to Poppy's house while her Papa and Mama were gone. Her little brother called their papa something else though…oh yes, Daddy. And she'd heard Daddy call Poppy 'Dad'. That must be the English word for Papa. While they ate lunch, she taught the word to Gemma, who giggled at the sound of it.

Once they'd all eaten, Poppy changed Jorrin and then put him in his kiddie corral for a few minutes while he wrestled the car seat base back into place in Tim's SUV. He somehow got all three kids strapped into their car seats and then realized he'd forgotten the diaper bag. He made a funny noise that made the girls giggle. He liked the sound of that! He ran back into the house, grabbed the diaper bag and this time they were ready to go. Once they were at the house, he showed the kids each room. Jorrin wasn't quite up to walking up the stairs yet, he mostly crawled up them and then Gemma took his hand to help him. He said something in his toddler babble and she replied. Gibbs shook his head, if he didn't know any better he would have said the two were having a conversation even though Jorrin had a limited vocabulary and Gemma only understood her native language.

The kids loved the house and once downstairs again, Jorrin led the way to show them the kitchen, his portable playpen and his toys, including his favorite stuffed dog and that's when Poppy heard his newest word 'doggy'. When the little guy got too tired and plopped himself on the floor, his face scrunched up while he cried his grandfather had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from smiling. It wasn't the crying but the face scrunching that made him smile; that was all his Tim when he was too upset to hide his feelings or thinking too hard to watch his expressions. He swooped Jorrin up into his arms and telling the girls to follow him, they headed out to the car and then home.

In the meantime, Tim and Lina had had a productive meeting at the International School where they met with an admissions counselor and the kindergarten teacher. Anna would be admitted and would start school the following week. The teacher asked them to bring her by on Friday so that she could meet the other children in the kindergarten class before her first official day. The school records from Bokas showed that Anna was a good student, even in kindergarten, and both the counselor and teacher said that although she was young, with some help with her language skills she would be able to advance to first grade in September. There was also a preschool on site and they thought they might bring Gemma with them on Friday. She and Tim could visit the preschool and then join Lina and Anna in the kindergarten class. When Lina asked if she could bring treats, the teacher grinned, "You can always bring treats!"

Knowing it was easier to go into work later than to leave early, Tim did a half day on Tuesday and Thursday, taking all day Wednesday and Friday off to spend with the girls. As an adoptive parent, he had paternity leave coming but he preferred to take it in half days. Besides, he would be off again when 'SusieQ' arrived and he would need whole days then, as well as the help of his father, Rhea and in-laws.

He and Lina talked a lot about childcare when baby #2 was born. They'd had it easy with Jorrin, but now they had a toddler, a pre-schooler and a school age child who would all need their attention. Luckily for them, Hélène had experienced pretty much the same thing when Lina and then Damian were born and she assured them they would all get through it.

In the meantime, the little girls were settling in well although they obviously missed their parents and the rest of their lost family. Both of them cried at night and were comforted by their new parents. The Skype calls with their cousins helped immensely and the two sets of parents decided they'd continue with the nightly calls for the foreseeable future. Ariston and Paolo had decided to bring Besiana and Jak to Piraeus for a visit in June, before Lina had the baby.

Anna started school and loved it; they noticed an almost immediate increase in her English vocabulary. Gemma hadn't liked her visit to the preschool one bit; she'd clung to Tim, crying, so she stayed at home with Jorrin, learning English from her sister, Mom, Dad, Poppy and Nonnie. They thought they'd try again the next school term and were reassured when Trina Russell told them Kyra had refused to go until she was four. Gemma had turned three shortly before the bus crash so they weren't particularly worried. She met Athos and although they weren't the same age, she played happily with him and Jorrin and that was enough for now.

Tim did his usual research on toddler beds and they ended up buying a single bed instead. Poppy made side rails so Jorrin wouldn't fall out but the bed and rails stayed in the garage until one morning in late May when Jorrin suddenly appeared in his parents' room, quite proud of himself. Not only had he climbed out of his crib, he'd first managed to climb out of his sleep sack. He slept in his big boy bed for the first time that night.

With the climate control dome removed from the pool for the summer, the McGees found a childproof pool cover they had installed. Once it covered the pool, it became a solid surface so no one would be in danger of falling into the water and drowning. Both Tim and Lina were still nervous about it though so they also had a portable fence installed around the pool, with a locked gate. They taught both girls how to hold their breath under water and then how to float on their backs and finally how to swim. They also made it very clear to them that they were not to go anywhere near the pool without a grownup.

Lina had told their friends that she didn't want another baby shower but wasn't surprised when they threw the couple a shower for their new daughters. Anna came in long enough to say hello, but little Gemma was too frightened so she, Jorrin and their older sister went to stay with Poppy for the afternoon.

The girls didn't attend their first party at the Russells until June, when the college students came home for the summer. The McGees had been for a few visits with the girls so they knew Pete, Trina and the kids and were familiar with the house. During the party, they stuck to their parents like glue but they handled it well and by the end of the day were laughing and playing happily. The following week their cousins arrived with Uncles Ariston and Paolo and they had a wonderful time together. Jorrin followed them everywhere, to their delight and Jak and Besiana kept eagle eyes on him and little Gemma. Everyone but Jorrin knew how to swim so they spent hours in the pool and at the beach jumping waves. Tim managed time off to go with them one day and had a wonderful time showing Jorrin how to build sand castles and holding his son over the waves so his little toes would be tickled by the water.

By now the girls had met their Kalivas grandparents who arrived during their third week in their new home and would stay for several months. Both girls now knew enough English to be understood by Davos and Hélène as well as Poppy and Nonnie and their language lessons continued with both English and Greek.

Note: Since some of you have asked…I used creative license for Bokas and Giajar. There is no country called Bokas, I know because I checked very thoroughly, nor is there a group of anything called Giajar or Giajars…also checked that thoroughly and if there is something out there that I missed, it's not related to this story. As for the reason for the ostracism - it could be as simple as the family having light colored hair and blue eyes when the rest of the Bokasians had dark eyes and hair. Or perhaps there were rumors that the great grandfather was a cannibal, a witch, responsible for miracles or practiced satanic rituals. Or it could be something more substantial, perhaps the great grandfather was a collaborator, or thought to be a collaborator, with the enemy during a war. We'll probably never know.


	160. Chapter 160

By the end of June, the Mallards, Hubbards and Liz Crane had arrived and Anna and Gemma met the rest of the clan, either in person or on Skype. They were excited to meet everyone, especially their new cousins.

With the McGees' baby due in less than a month, Trina suggested that they forego their annual Fourth of July trek to Aegina this year; however Lina refused, "No, we need to go, Trina, please. It's important to me and we'll have two doctors with us – and there's a clinic on the island. "

Trina thought she was crazy but finally agreed and they made their plans.

What Lina wasn't telling her friend was that another part of their family was considering a move away from Greece. She and Tim heard about it the previous Saturday when Damian called and asked if he and Matt could come over. When they arrived, Tim looked back and forth between them and then at Lina. They sat down and Damian took a deep breath. "I've been offered my dream job at Bowkert, Esparza and Conday. It's a company that is becoming well known for their innovative designs for both commercial and residential customers. They contacted me after my design for the Harmony complex won the best future award at the World Architecture Festival in 2013. That was a letter of congratulations and I had it framed, remember? Now they've offered me a partnership! The only problem is…" he sighed and Matt took his hand and finished his sentence for him. "The problem is they're based in southern California, so we'd have to move."

Damian nodded and looked at his sister and brother-in-law. Lina managed to get words out first and was proud of the steadiness of her voice.

"But that's wonderful, Damian, I've heard you talk about that firm, it was on the list of places you wanted to work!"

Tim managed to speak and was a little proud too, "It's a great opportunity, you can't be thinking of passing it up? And Matt, there are NCIS offices on the West Coast, I'm sure there'll be a spot for you."

Matt looked at him, not even bothering hiding the tears in his eyes. Tim swallowed hard; he and Lina had to be the strong ones today, they could have a meltdown later. Lina took his hand and he gave her a squeeze, they'd get through this. "Carla and Norm are in the area so you have family there already. And who knows Matt, you could end up working with Carla! Your folks will be thrilled to have you home or at least on the same continent. Come on, you two, this is wonderful news! We knew we weren't all going to be together like this forever and who knows where Lina and I will end up? More fun places to visit!"

That seemed to bolster the other couple and they talked for quite a while, finally getting excited about the possibilities. It wasn't until late that night, after the kids were asleep that Lina and Tim turned to each other for comfort.

Tim muttered, "If this keeps up, we'll be the last ones here, LinaMelina!" He sighed, "And that would be even worse, having to say goodbye to your family."

She shook her head, "We won't say goodbye for long. Mama and Papa will split their time between Thessaloniki and wherever Damian and Matt, you and I are in the States. And Chloe and Peter have enough money to visit, as do Nicolas and Margaret. Peter gets offers all the time from hospitals in other countries and Margaret wants Nicolas to take the business international, open a store somewhere outside of Greece."

He nodded into her shoulder. "And Dad and Rhea will come with us. We'll come home every summer."

She laughed, "At least for our 5th anniversary!"

He thought about it, "You know, that's only a little over two years away."

She turned to him, "And we want everyone to join us, at least the family."

"Oh yeah." He snorted, "Of course just about everyone _is_ family, one way or another!"

The day after Lina spoke with Trina about their holiday trip to Aegina, Damian let them know he'd accepted the position. He would start at the firm the first week in September which gave Matt a little time to find a job, hopefully with NCIS, and get their house packed up and on the market. Evander was given the listing and he told Kim that night, "It's not that I don't appreciate the business but it is difficult to be enthusiastic about selling the homes of our friends as they leave Greece."

Kim agreed; she was a little teary. She'd held up at work but losing Matt would be very difficult. She tried to remember what she'd said to Tim all those months ago when he was upset about Pete retiring…something about him not being dead. She'd have to keep that in the forefront of her mind. She huffed, "It sounds like they'll be geographically close to Carla and Norm, so when we go to visit it won't be difficult to see them all." Evander nodded, gathering her into his arms.

Vance knew something was up when his phone lit up with a call from Tim McGee. "Sir, do you have a few minutes?"

"I do, McGee. Everything all right?"

"Yes and no, Director. Family's fine, Lina's about ready to pop, the kids are doing great. But…" he told his boss about Damian's opportunity and what he hoped could happen for Matt. Vance nodded, "I don't know of any openings right now, Timothy, but that doesn't mean something won't open up tomorrow or next week. Watson's an excellent agent and trained by you, Carla and Pete…he won't have a problem. When will they be moving?" Tim told him and Vance made a note. "That gives us a few weeks anyway. You think he'd take a lateral?"

"Think so, as long as he understood there was a promotion coming at some point."

"All right, we'll stay in touch; see what we can come up with." Tim felt marginally better when he hung up, glad he could do something to help his teammate and brother-in-law.

While all this was developing, the group had their fourth July 4th trek to Aegina. Tim was glad all the kids were with them, their laughter and delight helped get them all through the day. He noticed that Damian and Matt spent a lot of time with his children and thought maybe they were storing up some memories. He also spent the day concentrating on his family, reveling in Anna and Gemma's first Fourth of July outing and their happy surprise at the fireworks that night.

After the holiday, things settled down for awhile. With no one left to visit in London and the baby due that month, Penny stayed on at the big house and spent as much time as possible with her great grandchildren. She had been very surprised when she arrived in Greece to find that she had two new great granddaughters! She hadn't made any stops between her last lecture stop and her arrival in Athens and just hadn't had time to catch up. She, Ducky and Maisie spent days with the three young McGees, Callum and Ainsley.

One sunny hot July morning two weeks after the Aegina outing, Lina called Gibbs, "Poppy, can you take Jorrin for a few hours? The Grands are taking the girls and the Hubbards to the beach but Jorrin's a little sniffly and I have many things I need to accomplish today."

"Sure Lina, happy to have him with me. You going to be home or running errands?"

"Both, I'm afraid. I have a project I need to wrap for mailing. And I have some shopping to do."

Gibbs frowned at the phone, "Lina, are you feeling up to that? Is there anything I can do…I can shop, run errands for you. The baby's due in two days!"

She laughed, "I know, but I'm full of energy today and I must get these things done."

"All right daughter, I'll be over in 15 minutes." Gibbs disconnected, still frowning before making another call. "Hey son. Have you talked with Lina since you got in?"

Tim huffed, "Yeah and I'm leaving here in a couple of minutes, Dad. I know she's full of energy and the baby dropped last night. I've already alerted the doctor and given Jorrin's quick delivery, she wants us to come in."

"Has she been having contractions?"

Tim made a noise, "Braxton Hicks this morning and she swears that's it. But I'm not taking any chances! I've already called Hélène and Davos - they were flying down today anyway."

"Smart move son. I'll see you at the house; I'm going to pick up Jorrin."

"Dad, do me a favor, get the Greats to bring the girls to the hospital, will you? They'll never forgive us if they miss the birth of their baby sister!"

"Good point, yeah I'll call Duck."

Tim found Lina in the kitchen, breathing through a contraction while she wrapped a painting that had been commissioned by a new client. Tim gently helped her into a chair and then looked at her, "Sweetie, if we don't go now I'm afraid the baby will be born here!"

She shook her head, "No no, they are…oh! Oh Tim, I've done it again?"

He chuckled, "Maybe, let's get you to the hospital and see; Dad's on his way to pick up Jorry. Is he asleep?" She tapped the baby monitor, "Yes, I gave him some baby aspirin."

"All right, I'll get your bag and check on him." He was upstairs kissing his drowsy son when he heard his dad come in, say hello to Lina and then run up the stairs. "Tim, she's…"

"Yeah, I know, wait…she's what?"

"She's ready to pop!"

"Ok, yeah, I hope we have another short labor, that'd be good for her." Jorrin opened his green eyes all the way then and grinned when he saw Daddy and Poppy. They gave him kisses and hugs and then Poppy said, "Jorry, we're going to my house for awhile. Nonnie will be there later too and the big kids."

Jorry nodded, 'K Pop'y. Daddy come?"

Tim chuckled and ruffled his son's dark hair. "Your mama is going to have your little sister very soon, sweetie pie. Poppy and Nonnie will bring you to meet her and then we'll all come home."

Jorry stopped to think about that and as always Gibbs had to hide a smile as the boy's 'thinking' look was a very close replica of his father's. Finally the toddler gave them a smile, "K! Ish Mama happy?"

"Yes, Jorry, she's very happy."

Jorry nodded, "Good!"

His poppy lifted him up and placed him on the changing table, all the while telling him what they were going to do together. As he was talking, he was using his hand to shoo his son downstairs, he did not want his newest granddaughter born in the SUV! Tim gave his little boy one last kiss, grabbed Lina's bag and ran downstairs. Lina was still trying to finish wrapping the painting and Tim shook his head, "Honey, Rhea or Trina can finish that for you, I promise! We need to get to the hospital; I've never delivered a baby before."

She looked at him and then grimaced in pain. "Owww!" She panted through it, moaning a little, "That's a real contraction, Timotheos. Poppy has the baby?"

"Yes, he's just getting him dressed." He checked his watch, dug out of his sock drawer for just this occasion and noted the time. He could hear his son and father carrying on a conversation while Jorrin got dressed. And Lina was still trying to get back to her half finished mailing project. When her breathing increased, he checked his watch again, 6 minutes, they needed to move!

"Tim, I want to...oh!"

He adjusted his breathing to what would help her and worked to remain calm as he said, "It's time to go, sweetheart. Come on, breathe through it - copy me!" She made a face at him and then copied his breathing. They made it to the hospital in 7 minutes and through another contraction. When an aide met them with a wheelchair, Tim wondered if his dad had called ahead. He'd have to remember to thank him.

By the time they got Lina settled, she was dilated to 7 cm and Tim hoped she would give birth as quickly as she had with Jorrin. He got his wish as their daughter, Zoe Langston McGee, was born 2 hours later. This time he knew the drill and as their baby was weighed, he sent a text to Hélène and his dad. Once again, one of the attending staff took a photo of Mom and Dad holding their baby girl and he sent that off to the Greats, Sarah, Tony, Chloe, Nicolas, Pete, Carla and the Palmers. He thought Pete was probably in the waiting room but wherever he was, Tim knew he'd understand that he wanted him to share the photo with their extended family.

Things were a bit different this time. They'd known the baby's gender since the ultrasound and they'd asked Penny to make the choice of Penelope or Langston for the baby's middle name. She'd chosen Langston, glad her family's name would be carried on for at least one more generation. Tim liked that Jorrin and Zoe would carry family names with them, although he worried that they should have included Kalivas. When he'd mentioned that to Lina, she laughed, "The next one can have Kalivas and the one after that will have Stirling." He grinned, "That works but Lina, two more?"

"You want more than that?"

He gave a surprised bark. "Sweetie, we'll have four children soon, two more will make six. I know we said eight but do you think that's too many?"

"No! And if we are very lucky we will find two other children to join us."

"Eight kids then."

She grinned at him, "We have parents, grandparents, plenty of siblings and friends to help care for them and give them plenty of love." He'd smiled at her as he leaned in for a kiss.

Now he kissed his youngest daughter as she was put to her mother's breast. He stayed for awhile and then wandered out to the family waiting room, finding some very excited people, including his daughters and son. Anna and Gemma rushed into his arms and Jorrin held his arms out to go from Grandfa to Daddy. Anna spoke in a rush, "Daddy, how's Mama? Is the baby pretty, does she look like Mama or you?"

"Your mother is fine; she's feeding your baby sister right now. We four will go in to see them in a little bit, how's that? And you can decide who Zoe looks like!"

Anna smiled, she liked that. Gemma was still trying to pronounce Zoe and finally came up with something close. She looked at her father who smiled at her, "Good job, sweetheart!" He bent his head when his grandparents gestured, wanting to kiss him. His dad also gave him a kiss and Tim was just straightening up when he spotted his in-laws coming in with Rhea and grinned at them. "You're just in time, our Melina is fine and little Zoe is working with her to get some food."

Hélène reached up on her tiptoes, over the three children, to kiss him. "Congratulations my son, to all of you. Now, it is a mother's prerogative, so I'm going in." Tim nodded; he knew Lina would want her mother with her. Davos wanted to hug him, but he couldn't fit his arms around Tim and the three children, so he reached up and gave him a kiss. Claire and Liz also found ways to give him a kiss while Callum looked at him a little wild eyed and Ainsley giggled. Tim winked at them and managed to find an arm for a hug with his cousins.

They were just disentangling when Geordie and Rob nearly skidded into the room, both still in work mode, Geordie in fatigues and Rob in scrubs. "Sorry, I…we…couldn't get off work, had to wait …!"

That was from Geordie while Rob, still trying to catch his breath just nodded and gestured to their older brother. Tim laughed at them, "Guys, catch your breaths, the baby's here already, she and Lina are fine; Hélène is in with them while Zoe is feeding."

Anna, Gemma and the Hubbard kids were laughing at them and when the two men collapsed into chairs, they were quickly surrounded by their nieces and cousins. Tim happened to look at Grandfa and saw the merriment in his eyes. "Boys, I'm glad you made it here without incident! Unfortunately, little Zoe doesn't yet know she should have waited until you were here."

They chuckled again and Tim updated his brothers with the baby's vital statistics. He decided to take advantage of the time Hélène would be in with Lina and asked the girls if they wanted to help him tell Uncle Pete and Aunt Trina about the baby. Gemma wanted to stay with the family and Jorrin wanted to visit his Pappouli, the Greek name for his grandpa Davos, so Tim took Anna to find the Russells. With everyone else at work, there wasn't a crowd waiting which meant there was no longer a reason their friends couldn't join them in the family area.

Anna saw them and ran to them. "Aunt Trina, Uncle Pete, the baby is here!" She stopped as she saw a third person with them, someone she knew she'd met but she couldn't remember her name. The woman smiled at her, "It's all right Anna; I know there have been a lot of new people. I'm Dani."

Anna corrected her, "Aunt Dani." as she reached for a hug.

Tim and Lina had been very happy that their oldest daughter was so open with her new family and friends. Gemma was a little shy but generally followed her sister's lead. Ariston and Paolo reported that Besiana and Jak were not as open and they suspected that their former status as outcasts was the reason. Their new fathers were working carefully with them and reported that their family bond was strong, but the kids had had problems making friends. They were making progress during the summer break and hoped that would continue with the new school term. For one thing, they would no longer be the 'new kids' and for another, they would be much more proficient in speaking Macedonian and Greek.

Once Anna had finished telling her aunts and uncle about baby Zoe, she looked at her dad. "They can come back with us, yes, Daddy?"

He smiled at her, "Yes, Anna, that's a great idea!" He looked at his friends, "Please come join the rest of the family!"

The five of them walked back together and were warmly greeted by the McGee-Kalivas' gathered in the family waiting area.

Later that night, Tim's dad teased him as they drove home. "I remember doing this almost two years ago, Timothy. And you said you hadn't slept alone in the house since Lina moved in, weren't sure how it was going to be by yourself. You sure don't have to worry about that anymore! Not quite three years of marriage and four kids, that's something kiddo!"

Tim laughed, "Yeah, I guess it sounds like it, but we don't worry too much – well Lina doesn't – because we know we have lots of support!"

"Just remember to romance her, Tim. She's not just the mother of your children, she's your wife."

Tim grinned, "My lover, my partner. Yes, and once Zoe is old enough, we'll be asking you all to do some days of babysitting. My wife and I will be away…somewhere, reconnecting."

His dad nodded, satisfied with his answer. He knew the two worked at their marriage, heaven knows there were certainly enough people around to let either of them know if they were headed for trouble.

Tim continued, "Today's a perfect example. The kids are already home, have had their dinners, baths and stories and hopefully will be sound asleep, thanks to the Greats and the Grands."

"And your aunts."

Tim grinned, "It's so cool they could be here for Zoe's birth!"

Despite his words of confidence, he was relieved to find that all three of the children were indeed in bed asleep when they arrived at the house.

Claire smiled at him, "I'm the tough one! Your daughters have Maisie and Don twisted right around their cute little pinky fingers. Liz backed me up and we got them to sleep with only one extra story."

Tim nodded, "Thanks Claire, I was a little afraid they'd be too wound up to settle down. And Jorry?"

"Fell asleep on Don's lap during his story time."

"Great! I think I'll go give them a kiss goodnight, hate missing that."

Claire nodded and then unexpectedly gave him a hug. "You're a good man, Timothy, I'm so proud of you and Lina!"

Embarrassed, he just hugged her back, gave his dad a look and headed quietly upstairs to leave kisses for Anna, Gemma and Jorrin. As he walked, he reflected that he'd never really believed he'd have four children of his very own. The truth was he'd come to doubt that any woman would love him enough to have one child with him, much less 4. He could barely remember the misery of feeling alone and unloved now, surrounded as he was by this wonderful family of theirs.

They brought Zoe home on Thursday and she settled right into the household. Her first afternoon in her crib, Jorrin sat in the little rocker his grandfathers made for him and stared at the baby in his old crib. He didn't seem to mind, he was very quiet and they thought he was just curious. He finally consented to go downstairs when his grandparents arrived to bring the girls home from their outing and to make dinner for the family. When Poppy made a noise, 20 month old Jorrin put his finger up to his lips and whispered, "Pop'y, you got ta be quiyet coz my baby's asweep."

Behind him, Tim and Lina's eyes widened, "his" baby? They could see where he got that, Zoe was sleeping in his old crib and in his room. Nonnie remembered her nieces and nephews being fascinated by babies when they were toddlers and pointed that out to the others. Luckily the girls were outside in the pool with Davos and Hélène and didn't hear their brother claim ownership of their new baby sister.

Although life was certainly livelier with a new baby and three children under the age of 6, it didn't faze Lina or Tim. The family understood how much they were needed and that there was a delicate balance, especially for Anna and Gemma, between spending time with the Grands, the Greats, Uncles, Aunties and cousins and being home with Mama, Daddy and Zoe. Tim remarked that Zoe had arrived at a perfect time as the summer visitors had nearly a month before they had to leave for home. Whoever wasn't minding the girls and Jorrin often slipped over to the house to spend some time with Tim or Lina, whichever one of them were awake. For once, Tim wasn't torn between work and family…right now his job was to be with his family.

The only thing he was doing for work was helping Bec find another agent for their team. It didn't take them long, they were happy to find that Rusty Mayhew, the very first candidate they'd interviewed during the search for Bec, still wanted to move to Greece. He'd never forgotten his TAD with Tony and Maggie three years ago and when he'd seen the opening, had called the office and talked with Bec. She'd put him on her short list, they'd re-interviewed him and made him an offer on the same call. He accepted and everyone gave a sigh of relief. He would arrive on the 15th of August, the day after Matt and Damian's planned departure.

Damian and Matt visited the McGees as often as possible as their time in Greece grew shorter and shorter. They'd sold their home; to no one's surprise it had sold the first few days it was on the market and had set up the contract so that they would not have to vacate right away. They'd booked the same flight the same day as Liz and the Hubbards and would continue from DC to Los Angeles. Damian's new firm had put them in touch with a relocation expert and she'd met with them on Skype already and knew what they'd be looking for in a home.

A week after Zoe's birth, Matt got a call late Thursday afternoon. He was still doing some paperwork, just getting ready to start his stretches before class. He looked at the number and felt his stomach tighten. "Agent Watson."

"Agent Watson, this is Tamara Middleton, I'm the Team Lead of the El Segundo office in California. I understand you're looking for a transfer position and will consider a lateral?"

"Yes, my partner and I are moving from Athens to the Los Angeles area and I'd like to stay with the agency."

"I see, well let me tell you a little about us. We're a three agent team in a small office; our SAIC is Joel Morris at the Southwest Office in San Diego. My junior agent just gave notice and I remembered our part timer, Carla Hofstadler, mentioning you." She chuckled, "I understand she plucked you right out of FLETC."

"Yes, she did and I enjoyed working with her."

"Good! Now my agent and her partner are moving to Japan, they're on a rather tight schedule, will be leaving here the first week of September."

Despite his nervousness or maybe because of it, Matt had to restrain a chuckle. "We'll be in California by then as my partner starts his new position on September 5th, after the holiday."

"Do you know where you'll be living yet?"

"No, we're working with a relocation agent, so if this turns into a yes, I'll need to give her the agency criteria."

"No more than an hour's drive."

"Yes, it's the same here although an hour's drive in southern California probably means a very different thing than it does in Athens!"

"I'm sure it does and I can fax you a map showing you the communities that are within that border. Now as far as the lateral, I understand you're a senior agent and that's fine, I appreciate that you've done the work for that rating. I haven't looked at the overseas salary ranges yet so I don't know whether that will be the same but we can work with HR on that. As far as the move, you'll be transferring in, so you'll be eligible for the move package." She made a little noise Matt thought might be a sigh, "It is a lateral position, Agent Watson; as I said we're a small office and I can't promise you a promotion to SFA anytime soon, not on this particular team. However the Southwest territory is quite large with several subordinate offices and SAIC Morris is very good about promoting from within his staff."

"Yes ma'am, my SAIC and his brother-in-law have both worked for Special Agent Morris and have only good things to say about him."

"Your SAIC is Timothy McGee?"

"Yes."

"I've heard great things about him, through the agency grapevine and through Carla of course."

"She picked him to replace her as SFA."

"Ah, now I did not know that! Well, Agent Watson, what do you think?"

"I'm very interested Agent Middleton and would like to talk it over with my partner. Will you be talking with HR about the salary range or is that something I should pursue?"

"Oh no, I'll take care of that and I'm sure we'll be able to at least match what you're making now."

"All right, that's good to know. We have a family dinner this evening so we won't probably won't have a chance to talk until Friday. Do you mind waiting until Monday?"

"I don't mind, but let's do this: I'll give you my cell number and if you come to a decision before Monday or have any questions, feel free to call me. I hope it's a yes, from everything I hear and see you'd be a wonderful match for the team."

"Thank you, that's also good to know." They exchanged contact information and Matt hung up, feeling better and worse. When he looked up, everyone was carefully not looking at him. Everyone but Kim, she gave him a look and he smiled, "It's a small office, a 3 agent team, probably will work as far as the distance from Los Angeles, a lateral which is fine, and Joel Morris is the SAIC."

When he said Joel's name, Bec, Kim and Ned relaxed. Eva and Tea, who had scooted around the corner in her desk chair, looked puzzled and Matt explained, "Joel and Carol from London…we met them at Tim and Lina's wedding. Tim worked for Joel on that special project before he came here."

Eva smiled, "I remember him; he was quiet and is friends with Pete, Tim and Tim's brother-in-law James."

Matt nodded, "Yes, that's him."

Tea looked at him quizzically, "So this is good, yes?"

"Hope so and Damian needs to hear this first, right?"

They nodded, understanding that their partners shouldn't be told until Matt let them know that it was all right. Bec sighed, "Don't forget Tim and Pete."

"Won't, promise."

"Is Damian at work today or is he finished? I don't remember what day you said."

"He was going to work through this week, but he finished faster than he thought he would, so he's done, out of there. He was talking about going to the beach with the kids, there was a crowd going I think."

Bec looked at him, "Call him and see if he's anywhere nearby, then take your gear and go bag with you. Ned and I will be fine and you can meet us if we get a call out, otherwise we'll see you at George's. I can't stand waiting and Geordie will worm it right out of me."

The others laughed, feeling the same way. Matt called Damian and found him poolside at his sister's house so he gathered his gear and headed up the hill. His lover looked at the big clock and then at him when he joined him on the patio. "Matthew, it's not yet 1700!"

"Nope, Bec told me to come find you."

"Because?"

Matt told him about the call and the details of the offer and Damian watched his face carefully. They were both sad about leaving their family and friends but Matt was full steam ahead in his support of Damian and his partner wanted to give him that same level of support. When Matt mentioned it was the office where Carla worked part-time, Damian relaxed. That would help both of them immensely. They decided to call the relocation agent right away to make sure she understood the new limitations. Tim and Lina were asleep but Claire was there making dinner and she pointed to Tim's laptop on the kitchen island. They took it into the downstairs bedroom so they wouldn't wake anyone and called their agent. She was surprised to hear about the new parameters and not quite sure what to think when Matt told her he had a list of communities that his new boss said were the outermost he could live in. The list had arrived before he left and he'd e-mailed it on to the relo agent. She had it before they disconnected and took a quick look. "Mr. Kalivas, will you need to be at your office early each morning?"

"No, probably not every morning. I'll be doing some traveling and I also anticipate working from home. I'll probably need to be in early say one or two mornings a week."

"All right, that will help with the opposite commutes you two will have." She looked up with a smile, "I must say, this is going to be a fun challenge! And yes, it is of course workable."

Matt gave a sigh of relief as they disconnected. "So it looks like a go, my love."

"Yes!" Leaning over, Damian gave Matt a kiss. "I'm glad this has worked out, I know it was worrying you."

"I talked to the FBI last week, Daim! I really don't want to work for them but it made sense if I couldn't get a job at NCIS. And I know that financially we'd be fine for months, but I don't know what I'd do with my time if I didn't have work to go to. I'm not like you or Lina or Tim, I don't have a creative thing I can do at home."

Damian laughed softly, "Oh, I would argue very strongly with that my love."

Matt smiled and relaxed into his partner's arms. He'd call Agent Middleton tomorrow; he didn't want to seem too eager. In the meantime, Tim and Lina had wandered downstairs, surprised to find Matt there. They told them the news and then Matt called Bec and told her to 'let it rip'. She laughed and congratulated him. After that he called Pete and told him. Pete was relieved and happy for him, glad he'd be working with Carla, somehow that was easier to take, knowing that two of his family would be working together again. He also promised he wouldn't call Leon or Joel until Matt had officially accepted the position, instead saying he'd call Tim to talk as he already knew.

Class was a little subdued that evening as Matt's new job seemed to make the whole thing more of a reality than it had been. George understood the mood, he felt much the same. While he was thankful that the Athens and Piraeus police departments had him instructing their officers in MMA, they weren't his proud warriors. This group was special to him; for almost three years now he'd spent two evenings a week with Tim, Matt, Kim and Bec, adding Ned when he arrived, losing all but Kim for those weeks back in 2014 after they'd been on their mystery mission and gotten hurt so badly. They were not only his students, they were his friends. He was so proud of what they'd accomplished in their professional lives and yes, he still bragged about every bad guy they'd taken down with moves he'd taught them; they told him he remembered more details than they did. He'd seen them all grow up in some ways, Tim and Lina marrying and having children, Matt happy with his life and Bec and Kim with theirs. Ned had arrived with what George thought was a broken heart but it had mended now, he was as happy with his life as the others. He knew their partners and friends and had met all of their parents at some point. Losing Matt would be very difficult. Then he straightened, he would visit them in America. Kim had talked about it, she and Evander were already planning a trip; yes, he would talk with them after their return. With that thought, he smiled as he saw the studio door open and the others walk in. Tim was in class tonight but Lina would not be joining them until the baby was a little older. George's smile grew brighter when he saw that the summer family was here along with his father and his wife and Timotheos' oldest daughter.

As the students bowed to the Master, Matt requested a moment and asked George to join them for dinner. He beamed at the invitation and Matt was glad he'd followed his instincts.

Two weeks later Matt bowed to George for the last time at the end of his last class, the first of George's 'Dancing Warriors' to leave the group. George once again joined them at the Flying Pig and there was a full house with Lina, the summer visitors, the Kalivas', the Russells and George's brother Dimitri, the Deputy Chief of Police, joining the regulars. The children were all at the McGees' home, under the watchful eye of trusted friends of the Russells. It was a night the FP would not soon forget as their favorite customers said a heartfelt goodbye to two of their own.

There was one last gathering that Sunday, at the Russells of course. Matt hadn't been sure it was a good idea, having felt like they'd said their goodbyes already, but the Russells insisted and Damian pointed out that Pete had to be hurting more than any of them. So they swam and ate, played one last game of volleyball, had dessert, played with the babies and then Matt grabbed Damian, "We need to go, now." Damian understood and they left shortly after. Tim thought his heart would break; it was nearly as bad as all the times Geo had left them after his all too short leaves.

Monday morning, Tim slipped into the office and was there when the others arrived. He needed to be there, no doubt about it. He hugged each one of them as they came in and directed them to the kitchen. He had the coffee and tea water going and the plates and mugs and glasses out. "Sit" he told them as he opened the box of pastries he'd brought, plated them and set them on the table. "We're going to be all right. I'm sad, I already miss them and their plane hasn't even left yet! But I know they'll be all right. They'll be with Carla and Norm and that's a good thing. We can visit them online anytime and this will always be home for Damian so you know they'll be back to visit. In the meantime, we can be sad, we can miss them, but we can't let our hearts break. As a very wise woman once told me, 'they're not dead'. And they're not unreachable; we can talk with them on Skype. All of us. Because yes, we're family. Wherever we go in life, we're family, we always will be. We're the kind of family that might not see each other for months or maybe years but once we do, the time will fall away and we'll still be us." He looked around at his team, "I'll have more kids, my wife has informed me that we're probably going to have four more."

Kim laughed through her tears, "So you'll never let us go because we'll be the ones who remember who you were before kids."

He laughed at that but Eva shook her head, "No, he had kids before us, Kim - Rob and Sarah."

Ned made a little face as he nodded, "He's still Rob's dad."

Tim sat back and looked at the ceiling, trying not to roll his eyes. He had not meant for this to be about him, not at all. Bec patted his arm. "It's ok Tim. We'll get through this."

He nodded, "Thanks Special Agent Childers!" He paused, "I have an idea. Kim, do you still have that configuration chart for the office?" She nodded. "Ok, why don't you all change it up today, swap desks again, get a new perspective. That way Rusty will be sitting at his own desk when he gets here and not the one that belonged to someone who's left."

Ned tilted his head, "You thinking of Ziva's desk?"

Tea exclaimed, "I remember the story about that desk, you told us the day Carla went on bed rest and you were made SFA but wouldn't move to her desk."

Tim smiled, "Yeah and my dad said there's another young female agent sitting there now, or there was when he last visited. I'd like it if our desks didn't have the same sort of baggage."

Kim nodded, "Got it Boss." He looked at her, eyes wide and she winked at him. He stayed for another hour or so, just making sure they were on an even keel. He knew if a call came in they'd be professionals, he was not worried about that, but he'd wanted to reassure them – and himself – that they'd be all right. He left after telling Bec he would respond with them if they got a case and that he'd be meeting Rusty at the airport in the morning and would stay for their morning treat.

* * *

><p>Rusty was first introduced in Chapter 28 in the very last paragraph as the 'early bird interviewee' and then he popped up again in Chapters 77 and 78 as the TAD who worked with Tony and Maggie while Tim's team was in Germany…I know, that was months and months ago…and 3 years ago in the story! He finally gained a name at the end of CH 78, right before Tim says goodbye to Tony: "so their third, already departed TAD, Rusty the 'early bird'…" and now I've given him a last name too. Who knew he'd come back to Greece dozens of chapters later!<p> 


	161. Chapter 161

Of course Zoe picked that night to fully display her awesome lung power and suspend all sleep in the household. In the end, Lina insisted that Poppy drive Tim to the airport to meet Rusty while Davos and Hélène helped with the kids. They didn't want anyone to sleep all day so Trina swooped up the girls and took them home with her to entertain while Jorrin had a long nap downstairs and then a somewhat bleary day playing a bit but mostly cuddling with his grandparents. Zoe was finally through her upset so once she was fed she slept peacefully in her bassinette. Using the breast pump, Lina expressed enough milk so that she could get some much needed sleep without having to wake up to feed the baby.

As his dad drove to the airport, Tim worked to stay awake. The trip was too short for a meaningful nap and if he dozed off he'd be even groggier when he woke. He found a radio station that played music he recognized and then exclaimed when the announcer called 'his' music golden oldies. When had that happened? He must have said it aloud as his father laughed so hard Tim was afraid he might have an accident. "Welcome to middle age, Tim, the age at which advertising agencies and the young will start to ignore you and call you sir. Wait until you hit 55 and are called 'elderly', that one's a real kick in the teeth!"

"I'm not middle aged, I'm only 39!"

"Almost 40, son."

"But that's not old; I mean…it's not!"

"No, it's not, not by any stretch but the world or at least the U.S., doesn't see it that way and the world moves fast these days, kiddo, very fast! Blink and you fall behind."

Tim grumbled and then grinned at his dad, "That woke me up!"

Poppy reached over and ruffled his hair and then Tim remembered they were going to pick up his new agent. He should at least attempt to look professional, like someone this young man would want to work for. _Ergh, young man, where did that come from, sounded more like Grandfa!_ He made a face and Poppy said, "Now what?"

Tim told him and his dad patted him on the shoulder, "It's a rough week, Timothy, always is when our summer visitors leave and this time is much tougher with the guys leaving too."

Tim nodded. "I'm so glad Rusty still wanted to move here. We don't know him all that well but at least he's a semi-familiar face and Tony and Maggie really liked his work – and him."

"Yeah, that was a stroke of luck. And looks like it'll work for Matt on the other end."

"Yes, good thing, I was about to have to send a reference to the FBI."

"Heard about his chat, Tobias said they were impressed."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, I talked with Ron Sacks, he said the same thing." He sighed and then pulled his head up, "All right, I'll stop, I can feel a breeze at the back of my head-I know that's your hand ready to slap!"

That set off another round of laughter and Tim joined his dad. They were still chuckling when they pulled into the airport and Tim hopped out to meet Rusty. His new agent had just pulled his luggage from Baggage Claim and was getting in line for Customs when Tim walked in. They spotted each other and Rusty's face lit up. That made Tim glad he'd made the effort this morning. He knew Bec would have been happy to handle the meeting but he felt just as Pete had before him, it was his team, his office, his responsibility and a happy one at that.

By the time Rusty got through Customs, Gibbs had quit driving the loop around the airport and idled out front, hoping he wouldn't be shooed away. Tim helped Rusty with his bags, explaining that they had a chauffeur this morning. He laughed at the look on his agent's face. "It's just my dad. We have a new daughter at home, she's three weeks old and she decided to keep us awake all night last night. My dad's a retired NCIS agent, lives nearby so he got drafted to drive me."

"A new baby, does that mean you're on paternity leave?"

"Yes, more or less. I live just up the hill from the office, so I pop in every now and then. Bec's doing a great job, but I need a reminder every once in a while that I'm more than a baby wrangler."

The other man laughed, "I remember meeting your girlfriend before you guys came home from Germany in 2014."

"Lina, yes, she's now my wife and we have four children." He waited a beat, saw the eyes widening and continued, "We have a son who's almost two and then last spring we adopted two little girls when their whole family was wiped out; now with our new baby we have 4 children."

"Here, in Greece…I mean the little girls' family?"

"No, up in Bokas, a little country…" They'd reached the car and Gibbs helped with the bags.

"Near Macedonia, yeah, I remember when they went independent." Rusty turned to Gibbs, "You enjoy living here, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs just nodded at him. Rusty stopped, frowning and then turned to Tim, "Didn't you and Tony used to work for him…and Maggie was his SFA, right?"

Tim and Poppy laughed, "Yes to all that."

"I didn't know you were related."

Tim shrugged, "We weren't then."

"Okay…"

Poppy took pity on him, "We made it legal last year; Tim, his sister and brothers are legally my children. Oh, except for Tony."

"Tony's not?"

Tim explained Tony's situation and then mentioned that he and Maggie were now engaged. Rusty grinned, "Wow, that's great and I got to see it start to happen!"

They were nearly to Piraeus now so Tim changed the topic to the team and their work. Gibbs dropped them off and told Tim to call him when he was ready to go home. The two men got Rusty's luggage inside where Tea welcomed their new teammate back to Greece. The others also welcomed him and Tim remembered to introduce him to Ned, who then helped him get his luggage upstairs. They had their morning treat and had decided to postpone their lunch treat until the next day so Tim could get home now. As he was walking out the door, he suddenly realized that Matt would not be here to show Rusty around town this evening; that Rusty was here to replace Matt, his friend and brother. He mentally shook off his melancholy as he turned back to look at Kim glad she seemed to know his question. "Don't worry; Ned, Bec, Geordie and I are doing the honors." Tim nodded, whispering "Thanks." as he continued to Poppy's car. He was quiet again in the car and his dad knew he was thinking about Matt. He knew more now about this man, his son and realized that losing people from his daily life was probably something he'd never be able to handle easily, not after losing his mother, having a father in and out of his life until finally losing everyone but Sarah at such a young age. With a jolt he realized just how difficult it must have been for him to lose Ziva both times she'd left them. And Kate. He sighed, he wished he'd known. Tim looked at him, "I'm ok, I just need to get used to Matt and Damian not being around. It takes me longer."

His dad nodded and as he parked and shut off the engine, he pulled his kid into his arms. "I've never seen it in you before."

Tim nodded into his shoulder. "Never let any of you see it…with Kate or Ziva. Couldn't risk it."

His dad knew that meant he couldn't risk being seen as vulnerable and held him tighter. "Want you to remember something. You are loved, you've never been forgotten even when they thought you were dead they still loved you, never forgot about you. You'll always be loved, always. And the people you love know they're loved and they love you back. Gah, words!"

Tim chuckled softly, "Yeah, I got it Dad. Thanks. It's just these big empty holes that used to be Matt's face every day or Damian teasing Lina and others for Carla and Norm and holidays for Sarah and James. Sometimes…sometimes it just feels like too much. But I'll get used to it, the holes glaze over after awhile, kind of scab over I guess and then it won't be so bad." Poppy knew exactly what that meant, it was a good description of how he'd felt, still felt on occasion, after losing Kelly and Shannon. He wondered if Lina could paint that, people walking around with holes in them where loved ones used to be attached. Except Matt and Damian were still attached, they were alive. He must have said that aloud as Tim nodded again. "I know they're alive but they're not here, with me, with us, in one place, all of us, all the people I love. I want everyone together and they were for awhile but now they're slipping away again. Sarah and James, Carla and Norm, now the guys…Dad…" He shook his head and they held onto each other for a few minutes longer. Tim finally wiped his eyes, blew his nose and took a deep breath. "Time to go be a grownup…thanks Daddy." He took a few more deep breaths as he got out of the Ford, walked around to the driver's side and gave his father a kiss on the cheek. "You're the best, you know that? Now I'm gonna get some sleep so I can climb out of this quagmire. I'll be all right, I promise."

"All right, I'm going to hold you to it, Timomine. I'll see you tonight; we're coming over to make you dinner."

Tim's facial expression had lightened with the affectionate nickname and again when he heard his father would be back later. As he walked into the house he wondered how he could possibly be a husband or a parent or a federal agent when he was really such a baby inside. And then he remembered many of the conversations he'd had with Dr. Agnos and he felt better, knowing this was ok, it was how he processed tough changes and everyone had things that were hard to deal with for them.

He was happy to see his in-laws, kissing each of them before he gathered Jorrin to him. Hélène made him a snack which he shared with his son and then he tiptoed upstairs for a much needed nap with his wife and baby Zoe. He stood looking at her sleeping in her bassinette, admiring her features and inwardly chuckling at her coloring. While her features looked like she was going to closely resemble her mother, she had downy blond hair on her head. Tim knew now that he had been a towhead until he was in grade school and he wondered if Zoe would be that too. They were going to be an interesting family, the McGees, 3 blond girls, one dark haired boy. There was something in that thought that wanted his attention; he stood quietly trying to get at it. Finally he shrugged it off knowing it would come to him eventually. He resisted the urge to kiss his littlest child as he moved away toward the bed and his wife. No way was he risking waking those lungs up until they'd all had some sleep!

When he woke, he found Zoe asleep in her crib in her room and Lina downstairs setting up the laptop saying Damian had sent Hélène a text wanting to chat. Poppy was there again, working on getting their dinner together. Trina or Pete must have been by because Anna and Gemma were happily playing with their ever expanding collection of dolls, many of them courtesy of Kyra Russell who at 13 was purging her room of childhood toys. Thankfully Jorrin was playing with some of his quieter toys. Tim remembered the story of the drum set Uncle Jim had given him and couldn't imagine putting up with that for more than a day. Tim made a mental note to call Pete later to touch base, he'd gotten used to not seeing him every day but it helped to hear his voice.

They put the laptop on the dining room table so they could see and be seen when the guys called them. As they waited, Tim decided he'd call Tony tonight or maybe tomorrow night, he'd probably be at work by the time they had this call and had dinner. Tomorrow night for sure, he'd send him a text now just to say hello and see if tomorrow morning would work for him. And maybe the Uncles, he could send them a text too, and Grammie, Grandfa, Aunty Liz and Claire. He was thinking about all of them when his phone buzzed with a text from Rob, "Just thinking about you, know you miss M & D, it'll be ok. Love you Timpa." He smiled and replied. When he got another text shortly after they'd started their chat, he put his phone on mute and put it in his pocket, giving his dad a little look and getting a little smile in return.

Damian and Matt missed their family and friends as much as they were missed but were also quite excited about being in California. The relocation agent was giving them a tour later that day; from their hotel, she'd drive to Damian's new office and then drive out to the NCIS office Matt would be working in. She'd then drive them around some of the communities they'd look at later so that they would have a better idea of what they'd be looking at. They were excited about seeing everything; Matt said when they'd landed yesterday all he could see as they were descending were rooftops, buildings, roadways and cars everywhere. They'd seen the 'Hollywood' sign and thought that was pretty cool; they thought this weekend they'd rent a car and practice driving around places. Matt said it terrified him but he thought Damian should be fine as he was an Athenian driver after all. They'd sold their cars in Greece so would start car shopping pretty quickly. They'd slipped into speaking Greek when they checked into the hotel last night, in their exhaustion forgetting where they were, and gotten some strange looks until Matt explained they'd just arrived from Athens. Then they wanted to know how everyone was and insisted on speaking with each of them. Matt shook his head when he saw Tim. "We're fine, Tim. You'll come see us in a few months and we'll show you all around Southern California, we'll be experts by then. Hey, did you pick up the new guy today?"

Tim smiled as he told them about their sleepless night and Poppy playing chauffeur, Trina taking the girls and Mama and Papa staying with Lina and the babies all day. Matt's next question was who was showing Rusty around that night and Tim told him. When the timer rang meaning dinner was ready, Gibbs saw the pained looks on the faces in California and remembered how homesick hearing that damn thing had made him when he was in London with Sarah and James – and that was only two days before he flew to Greece. He nodded at them, "We're here, guys, we'll be on the other side of the screen whenever you need us and I know about the timer, I think it was actually one of the factors in my decision to move here!"

They laughed at that and parted on a lighter note. After the others left, Tim checked his phone and saw that he had texts from every single one of his family. Touched and appreciative, he sent his dad a loving note and then replied to each text.

After a good night's sleep, Tim felt much more together in the morning. Kim called their order into the deli and he picked it up on his way to the office and then made 'to order' pitas for his crew. Rusty and Ned talked about the walking tour, comparing notes while the others commented. Tim realized he hadn't even noticed yesterday how the desks had been rearranged and after everyone went back to work after lunch he looked and nodded approvingly. "Kim, Bec, nice job with the workstations!"

"Thanks Tim; Geordie and Evander came by to help us move them."

"Good thinking!"

He stayed long enough to get a sitrep from Bec and to check his e-mail before heading back up the hill. He called Pete when he got home and they had a long chat that left both feeling better. When it was late enough on the US East Coast, Tim pinged Tony on Skype and felt even better after spending a few minutes with his big brother.

By Thursday he was over most of his collywobbles. He still missed Matt and Damian but he wasn't feeling so…devastated anymore. Then Zoe did something new and he focused his attention on his very clever baby girl, her brother and sisters and of course his wonderful wife.

He had another week of half days at home and office before returning to work full time. He made sure he spent some serious time with each of his children and with Lina. At just 4 weeks, Zoe was doing very well but she was still much too young for them to leave her for a night or two. Instead he and Lina planned a weekend away in late October, much as they had last year, only they wouldn't go as far, probably to Nafplion or Aegina. She was leery of Nafplion because of its association with the bombing of Bagram and he was leery about having to rely on a ferry to reach the kids if anything happened. So they started looking for someplace else. In the meantime, with school starting soon he and Lina took Anna and Gemma clothes and shoes shopping, amazed at how much they'd grown in the months since they'd come to live with them. Both girls were now at normal weights and the pediatrician was also happy with their overall growth and development. Anna was no longer chewing on her hair and Gemma was beginning to shed some of her shyness. Anna would be in first grade this year while Gemma would start pre-school. They talked about Jorrin going to a day care center run by their church but neither could fathom the idea that their baby boy was old enough for that. After discussing it with Eva and Caleb and then Skyping with Carla and Norm (how good that felt!), they decided that Jorrin might benefit from interacting with kids his own age. There were various sessions; they picked one that was just two mornings a week. That would give him a chance to settle in without it being too overwhelming and would also give Lina a break. And still leave plenty of Poppy time for Jorrin.

XXX

In California, Damian and Matt were still having fun seeing and experiencing new things. They were both starting work on September 5th and their goal was to have a place to live and be moved in by then. Their belongings were already here, stored at a local moving company until there was someplace to put them. They'd found several places they liked but they couldn't decide whether to go with a townhome or a detached house. Damian loved his townhouse in Athens and wanted to go the same route while Matt wanted the space and full privacy of a detached house with plenty of room for visitors and with any luck a pool. Those last two items made the decision simpler and they finally leased a detached home in one of the communities within the approved distance from the NCIS office. It was three bedrooms, three and a half baths, with a separate den that Damian could use for his design work, a recently renovated kitchen, living room, dining room, media room and a nice sized pool. The backside of the house was mostly windows and the master bedroom had French doors that opened onto a private patio which in turn had a gate leading to the pool. The rest of the fenced backyard had a small garden in the back, mostly low maintenance shade trees and shrubs, and plenty of room for a grill, table and chairs closer to the house, with the pool in between. Damian told Lina and Tim that he wished his father would come build them a table like the one he'd built them. Lina of course told her father who nodded thoughtfully. He and Hélène were already planning a visit in February; a surprise for Damian, and Matt was helping them with their plans. The senior Kalivas' had worried about Christmas but Matt reported that they'd spend it with the Hofstadlers so that was fine. When they'd first learned that Damian and Matt were moving, Chloe and Peter had scrambled trying to find room in Peter's schedule for a Christmas visit to California but it hadn't worked out.

While Matt and Damian were settling into their new lives in the U.S., baby Zoe continued to amaze her parents and grandparents while her brother and sisters started their new adventures at day care and school. Tim went back to work fulltime, knowing he could be home in minutes if needed and Zoe made another visit to the office much to everyone's delight.

Crimes were committed and cases landed on the team. During the last week of August, they were called in on a multiple homicide in Athens because the chief suspect, still at large, was a UA Marine Sergeant. Eventually the evidence showed them that their Marine was more likely a potential victim than the perpetrator and Tim began to think the man was hiding to save his life; they had some evidence that told them he might already have been a victim of attempted murder but that same evidence told them he was still alive. Realizing that looking for him might help lead the still unknown killer straight to him; Tim pulled his team off the hunt for the Marine and instead worked intensely to find the murderer. As they put more facts and threads together they realized this was a serial killer with an as yet unknown trigger. There was very little in the PD reports tying the victims together. By this time there were six victims of both genders, varying ages and nationalities, all stabbed, mortally wounded and left to bleed to death. Tim pulled his team off the files one morning and gathered his agents at the big table.

"All right, let's stop looking at the details for now and talk serial killers. What do we know about them…in general?" He got various answers and nodded, "Right. Every documented case I've ever seen has revealed a pattern. Sometimes it's obvious, more often it's not. Why not?"

Bec answered that one, "Because usually a serial killer lives normally or quietly in society, so the pattern would have to be hidden, extremely subtle or very personal. It can't be noticed, or the killer would be caught the first time."

"Right."

He told the story of the substitute teacher killing female doppelgangers and cutting off their big toe. Rusty was puzzled, "Why?"

"Why did she kill them, why the big toe?"

He nodded.

"Don't know; could be something as simple as her feeling deformed by the loss of her own toe and taking it out on women who looked like her…they should all suffer the same fate? Armchair psychology, I really have no idea. But it made some sort of twisted sense to her, so she cut off the toe and included it with the body."

Ned looked at him, "So we're missing something, some detail."

"Some trigger, something these victims were doing or saying or wearing…" he frowned. "Photos of their feet."

Ned grabbed one of the files and pulled out the photos. "Full body shots."

"The feet are bare in this one." Bec had grabbed the pile of files and was passing out photos.

"One shoe on, one off in this one."

"Ok, hang on." Tim was again trying to clarify a wisp of a thought.

When Rusty opened his mouth to ask a question, Ned put his finger to his lips to keep quiet; they recognized the look of Tim's thought processes. Finally he sighed, "All right, it's not coming right at me, so maybe if I spill it out we can pull it together. It's something with the feet. Look at the full body shots; are any of the victims' clothes disturbed?" They looked at the photos for all of them, "No."

"Tim, there's no holes in the clothes."

"Ok, so perp undresses his victim; stabs him or her and then after death redresses them. And we know the stab locations are consistent with major arteries, femoral, carotid, arterial." They nodded. "Ok, so the killer is meticulous about that…although there's plenty of blood on the clothing so not all that meticulous. Now, go back and look at the feet, victim by victim. Rusty, make a list of our findings."

Tim smiled inwardly when his newest agent pulled out his tablet.

"Ok, Victim #1, state of her feet?"

"Barefoot."

"Clothing?"

"Runner's clothes."

"Ok, so caught out running but probably not barefoot."

"She usually ran early mornings on the loop in Athens so yeah, probably not barefoot."

"Ok, put that as a question for her family and friends, maybe she ran with someone occasionally."

"Got it."

Bec noticed something, "Red polish."

"Hmm?"

"Her toenails have a fresh red polish. Fresh. As in just done. Any of you ever had a pedicure?" She didn't wait for an answer, "You don't put socks and running shoes on over fresh polish like that; it takes awhile to dry and would smear and chip if you did. When you get a pedicure, many women wear sandals to and from so their toes won't brush up against anything."

"So the polish was likely applied by the killer?" Bec nodded and Tim looked at Rusty, "Another question…can Dr. Costas or the lab tell us whether the polish was pre-or-post mortem? And…let's look at the other victims. Like I said, I'm getting this is something to do with the feet…or maybe what they were wearing on their feet."

"What they were wearing?"

"Yeah. Let's look." They found victims with shoes on but no socks, with socks but no shoes. One victim had one shoe and sock but only a sock on the other foot. And when they put the photos up on the plasma and could zero in on the feet and toes, they discovered that each bare foot had at least one red mark. Whenever both feet were bare, the toes were colored bright red. If one foot was bare, there was at least a red mark somewhere on the foot, a mark that looked like red polish. The victims that were shoeless but wearing socks each had red marks on the socks. "Ok, now we're getting somewhere. The trigger is likely their footgear, whether it's socks or shoes."

"But what? The shoes left on are not the same brand or type."

"I don't think it's the shoes, laces or socks per se that will give us the answer, I think it's the polish applied."

"It's red. In every single photo, there's red polish, either on the toes, socks, or feet."

"So you think it's red polish that's the killer's thing?"

"Or red footgear!" Tim hooked an eyebrow at Ned and motioned him with his hands to continue. "You know, red shoes, red laces, red socks."

"That would make sense with the differences we see. The people with red shoes lost their shoes but kept their socks. Those with red socks are now sockless but wearing shoes."

"Then why paint red polish on after if red shoes or socks are the trigger?"

Tim shook his head, "I'm almost happy to say I have no idea."

Bec twisted her lips, "Maybe the killer did something with red polish to a shoe or sock at some point and was punished for it. So anyone wearing a red shoe or sock requires punishment but then the killer relents and lets the dead body have a spot of red polish…to make amends?" The others looked at her and she shrugged, "It's creepy but this is a serial killer, they're all creepy."

"Ok, so we're looking at someone who is out and about and grabbing people wearing red shoes, shoes with red laces or socks with red on them. Who is the killer?"

"Male."

"Ok. Why?"

Ned shrugged, "Little boys shouldn't be painting shoes or socks with their mother's nail polish?"

"Little girls shouldn't be either."

Tim tilted his head. "Statistically most serial killers are male."

Rusty chimed in, "As a boy I'd have been punished but if my sister had done it, she might have been shown how polish is supposed to be applied and just scolded."

Ned rolled his eyes, "Girls wear polish, boys aren't allowed."

Tim tilted his head back and forth, "Hope I'm not that narrow minded a parent but I can see people doing that, yeah. Ok, aside from the fact that no one we know will be wearing red shoes, laces, socks or I suppose any red decorations…" he paled, "We need to get this information to Athens PD now! Bec, pull our evidence together, including Rusty's notes and let's get this to them."

He pulled out his cell and called Deputy Chief of Police Avramidis. When the older man heard their theory of the commonality that had eluded them, he sucked in a breath. "We must get word to the public! Let me get working on that and you, Timotheos, you must let your loved ones know. Then we will find the killer."

"Dimitri, don't forget social media…Facebook, Twitter, Athensnet."

"Yes yes, thank you, I'll have my assistant do that." They disconnected and Tim was relieved to see his agents on their phones. He called Lina to tell her, having realized that their daughter Anna had red hearts they'd helped her paint on a pair of sneakers. While speaking with her, he heard his dad in the background, and had Lina put him on speaker. His dad was on the phone to Rhea before he and Lina disconnected. Tim's next call was to Pete who reported that Trina and Kyra were in Athens shopping.


	162. Chapter 162

Hey, thanks to all my readers and reviewers out there!

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><p>Lina glanced at her father-in-law and saw a stony expression she'd rarely seen. He was thinking about Rhea's shoes. Not running shoes but her favorite 'painting' shoes were a pair of elderly sneakers with multiple paint spatters, some of it inevitably red. He looked at Lina, "You have any red shoes or shoes with red laces, red decorations, red paint spills or socks, hose with any red on them?"<p>

"I do have red shoes but they're tight right now, I won't be able to wear them until winter probably. And yes, I suppose some of my older sneakers might have red on them. Red socks…well I have those silly striped socks Tim gave me for fun last year, there's red in them."

"And Jorrin?"

"Some, yes."

"Ok, this might be overdoing it, but you need to make sure none of you wear any footwear of any kind with any red."

He sighed as she went to sort through the closets. This could be a double edged sword. Yes, the killer would have fewer, hopefully no potential victims to go after but on the other hand, the dirtbag would likely fade into the background and it was possible his method of operation would morph into something else…red on any clothing, for instance, or anyone with any red polish. This was the good and bad of being law enforcement, knowing enough to protect one's loved ones but not being able to help the general public without running the risk of causing more harm.

Sighing again, he called Rhea.

"Hi Jethro! Good timing, I'm just taking a break, getting a cup of coffee."

"That's great, sweetie. So what are you wearing today, I was still asleep when you left this morning."

She giggled and he smiled, wishing he was making a sexy call. She told him but didn't mention her shoes. "What about your feet?"

"Oh, I'm wearing my new red flats. This is my first time wearing them so I brought another pair of shoes with me, in case these end up hurting my feet."

"Rhea, is anyone else in the break room with you?"

"Yes, Caleb is here."

"Good, ask him to stay for a minute. Are your other shoes in your cubby or in the car?" Each staffer had a locked cubby where they kept their personal belongings during their shift.

"I brought them in, Jethro."

"Ok, can you please change into your other shoes, wrap up the red ones and leave them in the cubby, make sure they can't be seen."

"Really, hon, is this a game?"

"No and it's very important that you not wear red shoes right now."

She chuckled, "So today is anti-red day? I'd better tell Caleb, he has red socks on!"

"Yeah, he needs to take those off."

"But they're the ones with the Benaki logo on them, he loves them."

"And he can wear them again sometime, just not right now."

"Now you're scaring me."

"Sorry sweetie, but please just do as I ask."

He heard Rhea say something to Caleb and then the younger man was on the phone with him, "Jethro, you want me to remove my socks?"

"Your red socks, yes, Caleb. Is there any red on your shoes…laces, soles, logo?"

"No, just the socks. Eva's calling on my phone, I will do that, yes, Jethro."

Gibbs waited until Rhea confirmed both she and Caleb had removed the red items from their feet and then he hung up thinking about everyone else.

By this time, Tim knew that his dad had talked with Rhea because Eva and Kim had overheard the parts about the red shoes and come in to find out more. In the meantime, they'd built a profile of the killer and left a message for Avramidis who he knew to be on his way to a meeting. Pete called his cell, sounding breathless. "I can't find Trina or Kyra; they're not answering their cells."

"Ok, hang on…" Tim called out, "need to trace two cell numbers…" he put Pete on speaker and their friend gave both numbers. "Ok, Pete, gonna hang up and get to work finding them. They're probably someplace crowded they didn't hear the phones but we'll figure it out." He tried very hard to believe his own words as he disconnected.

"Tim, DCP is on 2 for you. I told him about Trina and Kyra."

"Thanks Kim."

"Dimitri…" Tim shut up as his friend and colleague updated him…"Yes, that matches Trina's description. Where…" He listened, "We're rolling with you on this. And where is Kyra, has he stashed her someplace already?" He was giving orders as he disconnected, "Rusty, you're with me. Bec, you and Ned are on the search for Kyra. Two cars, we're meeting Dimitri's teams at Constitution Square. Kim, call Pete and tell him we have leads. Then call my dad and tell him the truth. He can be a resource for you here, I'll authorize it or he can help keep Pete from going off the deep end." He looked around, "I want both the 'Kates' with us. If we need to I might call Gibbs in for that; might as well have them with us. Come on people, full gear!"

Rusty was puzzled until he saw Kim go to the storage room with Tim and come back with two rifles. Ned told him while they were hurrying to their respective vehicles, "Kate is a nickname for a Marine sniper rifle, we learned that from Gibbs."

Tim had Rusty drive while he impatiently waited for the cell trace. Kim called just as they were pulling into Constitution Square. "Got traces on both of them." She gave him the location for Trina's phone and then disconnected to get Kyra's phone's location to Bec. The phones were nearly a mile apart.

Rusty parked and Tim jumped out already in full gear and texting Trina's cell phone location to Avramidis. Rusty quickly threw his gear on, grabbed the rifle cases and ran after him. They climbed in a squad car and took off.

Bec and Ned were right behind them. Ned exclaimed when he saw Kyra's cell location on Bec's phone. "That's an alley behind a club Rob and I go to."

Bec just nodded, "Let's go then, you lead the way and I'll let our LEOs know."

They were there in a matter of minutes and they spotted movement under a large garbage bag. Bec gave an order for medics while Ned carefully moved the bag. One of the LEOs took it from him as the NCIS agent knelt down next to Kyra. She was breathing, he could see that but he knew not to touch her. He gestured to Bec as the young teen knew her better. Bec sank to her knees, "Kyra, it's Bec and Ned, can you hear me, sweetie?"

Kyra nodded, "Yes, Bec, I'm glad you're here. Is my mom okay?"

"Tim and the others are going after her now." She paused and then continued, "We've got EMTs coming to take a look at you, all right?" Kyra nodded again. "Does anything hurt?"

"My head, I think he hit my head."

"Ok, then no more moving until the EMTs get here. Kyra, did you see the man who took your mom?"

"Yes and I remembered what Daddy always said about details." She described the attacker as well as she could and Ned stepped away to call his colleagues. Then with Bec's permission he sent a text to Pete letting him know they had Kyra, she was alive and talking and had done a great job with her description. He got a reply from Gibbs thanking them so he guessed his former boss was with…huh, his other former boss. Shaking his head, he heard a siren approaching and decided he'd better take some photos of the crime scene before the medics arrived. He did that and pulling out a sketch pad, sketched the area and then as discreetly as possible took some measurements. He knew what his feet measured and used them to measure the area hoping Kyra wouldn't notice.

The medics swooped in, put a cervical collar on Kyra and took her out on a backboard to the University hospital, with Ned riding with her. He'd sent a text to Rob when the EMTs told him where they were going and wasn't the least bit surprised to find his partner part of Kyra's medical team.

In the meantime, Tim, Rusty and the LEOs in the squad car had arrived at the location of Trina's cell phone. It was an old rundown vacant apartment building with empty carports underneath the dwelling. Tim had explained that Trina was the wife of a retired law enforcement officer and that she would have tried to leave some clue along the way, any little thing. He, Rusty and the two LEOs assigned to them walked quietly and slowly around the area, looking for the cell phone and some other sign that Trina and her captor had been here. It was still light until nearly 9 PM so they tried to stay out of sight of the windows. But then Tim figured to do all the work on his victims, the killer's lair was probably as far away from the street as possible. That's what they believed now, that the nutjob took each of his victims to the same place, did his dirty work and once they were dead and re-dressed, he took them to whatever dumping spot he'd found.

Rusty took a deep breath as he spotted a small rectangular object on the ground. Motioning to Tim, he walked closer to it and then took a photo of it and the surrounding terrain. The guy was getting careless, thank the universe, he hadn't tossed Trina's cell phone until he reached his kill zone. Tim stopped and looked at where it had landed, imagining the toss. He gestured to Rusty who kept moving until Tim thought he was in the right spot. He had Rusty stay put until he and the LEOs reached him and then they searched for any additional clue, still expecting to find something from Trina. Now they saw drag marks; it looked like maybe Trina had been conscious and maybe faking being unconscious; digging in her heels as she was dragged along. Finally Tim spotted something else from Trina. It was an earring back, the kind with the metal piece that fit on the earring stud set into the middle of a small plastic disk. It was lying on top of the dirt and didn't appear to have any dust, a common phenomena in the fiery heat of an Athens' summer, on the top of it so it had landed there recently. The LEOs called for more backup but they weren't going to wait, they couldn't afford to. They found two sets of stairs on the back of the building and split up so that one agent and one LEO were on each staircase. They climbed as quietly as they could to the second floor where there was a row of four apartments. Each staircase led to the balcony that ran the length of the building. Luckily the windows on this side of the building were not large full size windows; they could conceivably crawl across the balcony and under the windows without being seen. Their backups had arrived and more LEOs were moving stealthily to surround the building. Tim spotted Bec and was relieved when she gave him a thumbs up. Kyra was ok, thank God! They were at each end of the building, slowly moving across when they heard a muted scream from the second apartment from the left, on Tim's side of the building. As he kicked the door in, he had a stray thought that it had not been a scream of fear but one of anger and Tim hoped Trina's feistiness would buy her the seconds they needed to reach her. No one was inside the first room they entered but they heard voices. Trina's was angry, he had hurt her child and then forced her to leave, now she was telling this guy just exactly what she thought of him while the killer continued to move around her, ordering her to shut up. The LEOs announced themselves and ordered the man to drop his knife and step away from the woman while Tim and Rusty edged around to her. When the man moved to slash Trina with the knife, Tim lashed out with some of George's best moves and laid the miserable son of a bitch out on his belly, on the floor. Winded, he lay there while he was cuffed. Tim ignored him while he tended to Trina. She was fully dressed except for her red shoes and those had been slashed to shreds. One toenail had been painted red but Tim could see it was smeared and her other toes were already painted a different color. He was later to find out that had caused the killer a great deal of confusion as he couldn't decide whether to paint over the other color or strip it and then do the red. That and Trina's fierceness had probably saved her from being victim number 7. She told Tim the creep had told her she sounded too much like his mother and figuring he was probably scared of his mother, she put that to good use. She did everything she could to buy time and to leave as many clues as possible. It had started when the man had tried to take Kyra, not Trina but Trina spotted him and threw herself at him. He managed to knock Kyra out and subdue Trina; she'd also been knocked unconscious for a few minutes. She said she came to as she was being dragged around the building. He'd just found her cell phone, threw it and while he was doing that, she got her earring back off and dropped it.

Once she heard Kyra was all right, all her feistiness drained from her, Tim identified it as an adrenalin crash and probably shock; she spent the four minutes until the ambulance got there in Tim's arms, shaking. Tim rode with her to the hospital where they found Pete waiting, driven there by Gibbs. The four agents made sure their officemates knew the good news and then they collapsed into the waiting room chairs. Gibbs appeared and solemnly patted the shoulder of each agent. "You four did great today, awesome job. Now here…" He handed a hot beverage to each agent, having made sure that Bec got tea, Ned had cream in his coffee and Rusty got hot chocolate. Then he sat on the other side of his son and pulled his head down to give him a kiss. Tim chuckled quietly, trying to imagine Boss Gibbs doing that all those years ago. When he heard an echoing chuckle, he turned to see that Ned must have had a similar thought.

Pete eventually emerged to tell them that Kyra had a concussion and would stay overnight and the doctors were pleased that Trina insisted on staying with her. She was all right; she had a bump on the back of her skull, some bruising and scrapes that were going to be painful for a few days, but no concussion and no other injuries. Pete was obviously torn about staying or going home but then Lukas arrived with Dani and he relaxed with his younger son in his arms. After a while he said something to Lukas, got up and approached the agents. He hugged each of them fiercely, holding on to Tim for long moments. When the others realized Pete was crying they took themselves off to the cafeteria to give the two men some privacy.

Tim gave his friend Pete the support he needed, holding onto him and thanked every deity whose name he knew for sparing Trina and Kyra, for allowing them to find both of them in time. He thought he would need to have some extra time with his dad who obviously had stepped up to help Pete. He couldn't imagine the worry Pete had been through or the pain his dad had been through all those years ago. He thought about his own precious wife, he'd taken the time to send her a text telling her that Trina and Kyra were alive and would be fine and that he loved her and their children beyond measure. Right now he was full of love, relief and a sort of retroactive panic at what had happened. When Pete's breathing started to even out Tim quietly uttered a prayer of thanksgiving he remembered from church and Pete joined in.

Eventually, the team bestirred themselves and headed back to the office. They were amazed to find Kim, Tea and Eva still there and then realized that it was only 1500; Tim felt it should be closer to midnight. Shortly after the news broke a man hobbled into the office. It was their missing Marine, the one who had brought them onto the case. As they'd conjectured, he had been caught by the "Red Shoe" Killer as the criminal, real name Adonis Kokinos, was tagged. His 'sin' was a pair of red socks which, he told Tim, had been the only clean ones he'd had in his kit; he'd only expected to be away from his post for his 48 hour leave. He'd regained consciousness after Kokinos had removed his trousers and was about to stab him. He'd managed to move enough so that the knife missed the femoral artery and then he knocked Kokinos out. He staggered out, having no idea where he was, his cell phone was gone- destroyed, and woke up later in an alleyway. He'd hidden in the area, finding water to cleanse his wound and enough food and drinking water to stay alive. His work to find the water and food wore him out and he'd slept for what he thought was another day. He was surprised when Tim told him he'd been missing for 5 days. When he'd woken today, he'd found he could walk without his wound bleeding and stumbled into a taverna. The good hearted owner helped him get to a clinic where his wound was treated and he'd then been driven here to NCIS. They notified his CO immediately and Tim was heartened by the Lieutenant's relief. He asked that JAG not be involved, he would adjust the Marine's records so that it would show he'd been on medical leave and in the meantime would send transport for him. The sergeant's kit was at the office having been retrieved from his hotel when he was reported missing. They made him a meal and then helped him upstairs so he could shower and get a little rest while he waited for his ride.

Realizing that this would likely make ZNN news, Tim sent an e-mail to the Director and followed up with another one to Matt, Tony, and the rest of his family in the U.S. A car arrived from the airfield about 16:30 for their escaped victim/missing Marine and he was whisked off to his duty post, probably hoping he'd never have to step foot in Greece again!

Tim kept the team until 1700, mostly so they could decompress before they left for the weekend. He'd found that Kim, Eva and Tea needed to decompress with them, even just a few minutes together seemed to help. They were on call this weekend and Tim fervently hoped it would be quiet. He sat at the kitchen table, deep in thought. Tim loved the camaraderie amongst his staff. It wasn't exactly understated, that was for sure, but still very professional, even if his father had kissed him at the hospital. Tim knew that had been pure reaction; his dad knew that Tim and the team had saved their friends and that he, Gibbs, had not lost another child, nor had their friend Pete lost his wife or child and his children's partners, Bec and Ned, had also returned unharmed.

What mattered is that they had been successful today. He stretched and then grinned when he saw that the others had migrated into the kitchen at some point. He looked at the time, close enough. "All right, everyone doing ok?" He looked closely at each of them, walking around the table as he spoke. "Rusty, you did great for your first dance with us – especially considering the circumstances. Bec, Ned, great job finding Kyra and helping her, the doctor's preliminary report says her trauma appears less than would be typical, considering the circumstances and a big part of it is that you two were there with her and handled it perfectly when she regained consciousness. Kim, Eva, Tea, our inside team, can't say enough, we know you're here doing the impossible to bring more information to us. We know your rules, Kim and that keeps our heads straight too. Today all three teams, inside and field did what we're trained to do without letting our personal feelings take over. One of the things that makes me proud is that I never have to worry – nor did Pete before me – about who is doing what. We are a team. Proud of you all, thank you and I know the Russell family and their loved ones feel the same. Oh wait, that's us!"

They laughed a little at that and he let them go. Rusty hung back, "We don't need to do our reports before we go?"

"Not tonight. We need perspective, our emotions are still running high and the reports need to be factual. Something I learned from Pete - we all need to decompress after a tough case. It won't always be this way; most times we get right to the paperwork." He paused and then changed the subject, "Meant to ask you this morning but got sidetracked, if you don't have plans this evening, how about coming up the hill for a swim and dinner? You can follow me home in one of the agency sedans, and just relax, have a swim and eat with us. Seeing my tribe in action will chase the blues away, that's for sure!"

"You sure?"

"Absolutely! As I said, I was planning on asking you this morning but got sidetracked with the case."

"Can I bring anything?"

"No, well yeah, a swim suit but other than that, no."

"Great, thanks!"

"Hey Rusty."

"Yeah Tim?"

"We don't know each other well yet, but we will. Just want you to know that when I first got here, Pete did this for me and for Matt before me and Bec and Ned after. Made sure I knew I was welcome, had me over to swim and eat. Took me in when I was hurt. It's part of what we do here, along with really excellent work."

"Copy that Boss!"

They drove up the hill, Rusty following Tim, and they were greeted like the returning warriors they were. Tim was happy to find Rhea had left work early to be with her husband; he figured Dad would need his whole family with him tonight. Rusty knew everyone who showed up that night from his Welcome party here after his arrival but he hadn't quite sorted out who was related and who were friends. He found out that Friday night as every member of the family dropped by or called. First Bec and Geordie arrived and he figured out that Geordie was Tim's brother. Then Ned showed up with his partner Rob and he was a brother too. Rusty finally asked how many brothers Tim had and he smiled softly, "Four, but we lost Patrick when he was a kid, so three living: Tony's the eldest, then Geordie and Rob's the youngest of all of us."

An older couple was already there. They were Lina's parents but seemed just as parental to Tim as Gibbs was. And strangely, Gibbs seemed to be the focal point, at least for his kids and wife. She never left his side and all three brothers and Lina seemed to be attached to him. There were cell calls from Lina's siblings in northern Greece, her uncle in Macedonia and Skype calls from Rusty's predecessor Matt who to his surprise was with another Kalivas sibling, from Gibbs' daughter Sarah and her husband, an older couple and another woman that were apparently the McGee siblings' grandparents. They were all at Tim's aunt's home and reported that Stephan, Phoebe and Ross were also there and had been on Skype with their family for over an hour. Rusty finally remembered that Stephan and Phoebe were the two oldest Russell children, he'd met them during his TAD and Ross was pretty much a part of the Russell family. Then Rusty remembered Lina's friend Dani talking about her son Ross. He shook his head, wondering who he should ask. He must have looked confused because Ned tapped him on the shoulder, "I'll fill you in later, how's that?"

"Thanks man! I think I have the siblings here, but there are so many other people!"

Ned laughed, "There are, but it's not too hard to learn. I'll tell you the whole story later. Maybe make some diagrams." He winked as he said that so his teammate knew he was probably kidding about the diagrams.

Lina, Tim and Gibbs' cell phones kept chirping and buzzing until father and son exchanged glances and Gibbs shook his head. "Ok, I get the message, thank you everyone and yeah, I'll send something out. I'm all right, I'm surrounded by all of you, I know I'm loved and I'm certainly not alone, truth is I never was..." He looked at Tim. "Neither were you. We thought we were but you had Sarah, Rob and Geordie and I had Jack, he was there and would have been there for me if we hadn't both been so stubborn." He took a breath and continued, "_We're_ all right; we did not lose anyone today nor were they seriously hurt and that is at least partially due to the training Kyra and Trina have had from Pete over the years. We'll be here when they need us and they will have help to deal with the aftereffects. So let's put the past aside and be thankful for the present. And tomorrow we can mush all over the Russells."

There was a chuckle at that as they gathered for dinner. They were outside at the patio table that Davos had built to accommodate their family and friends, tonight also including Kim and Evander who had felt the need to be part of the group and walked down the hill to join them.

Tim cleared his throat and looked at his father-in-law. "Davos, will you please say grace for us tonight?" Davos nodded his head and turned to his daughter when she added, "As we are a family with much to be thankful for, let's all join hands." They did so and a few heads bowed while Davos, who loved to embellish the standard prayer before a meal, gave heartfelt thanks. They relaxed over dinner, cleared the table and then just about everyone dispersed to their own homes. Tim could see his dad was still a bit unsettled and figured hugs from the little ones should help and then he needed to go home for some much needed alone time with Rhea. Tim knew that because he was feeling the need to be alone with Lina. He whispered to his daughters and son and they gave their grandparents smoochy kisses and hugs and then walked upstairs, the girls helping their brother. With a knowing smile, Hélène and Davos took their leave and then it was just Tim, Dad, Rhea and Lina. Lina gave Poppy and Rhea a kiss and a hug and then walked upstairs. Tim gave Rhea a kiss and then grabbed his dad and held him in a fierce embrace for a minute or two. Then he kissed him and with a wink, headed for the stairs. Gibbs tilted his head with a smile, took his wife's hand and left, locking the front door behind them.

Kyra and Trina were home the next day and asked to see the team, the entire team. So they gathered, spouses, partners and kids and were thanked by their friends. Pete had hugs with them all and Tim nodded, acknowledging that all but Rusty would always be Pete's team as well as his own, and then their rescued friends gave each of them a hug.

Sunday was another beautiful day. Feeling restless and needing some time with each other and their kids Tim and Lina packed a lunch, towels, swimsuits, more towels and blankets, chairs for them, hats, sunscreen, lifejackets and enough baby gear for at least two days, remembered Lina's easel, canvas and sketchbook and finally got the children into the car. Three beautiful smiling faces and one sleeping infant in the four car seats securely fastened across the back seat were entertaining enough for photos and they thought they might use one for their Christmas card this year. Once everyone was buckled or strapped in, they took off for the closest beach, Tim joking about getting a roof rack or a trailer to tow any additional 'stuff'. They'd had the SUV for a couple of years now and they realized they were going to have to get an even bigger one. Or as Tim teased, maybe they should buy a bus!

They had a wonderful day in the sun and water. Tim and Lina took turns with the girls in the water and Jorrin was happy to stay at the edge of the water, giggling as the wavelets tickled his toes and screaming with glee when the water destroyed whatever structure he'd built. Gemma didn't like the water knocking everything down and with some help built a castle a little farther in from the water. She was highly incensed when a large wave slapped it down. She didn't cry though. She gave the ocean a thorough scolding for ruining her sculpture and then arms crossed and chin held high marched back to the chairs and towels and sat in her daddy's chair, scowling at the naughty ocean. From the water's edge where he was playing with Anna and Jorrin, Tim wished he'd thought to record it; the whole scene was both hysterical and precious and he'd had to work to restrain his laughter. Then he saw something in Lina's hands and knew she'd taken photos. He could envision a series of paintings in this, Gemma beaming proudly at her castle, the wave destroying it, the ocean being scolded and her retreat to their chairs, still mad. He turned to Anna and Jorrin, "Shall we see if Gemma wants our help in building a wave-proof castle?" Anna nodded with a grin while Jorrin jabbered something that mentioned Gemma and water. Anna giggled, "Daddy, Jorrin says he wants to help Gemma too." The three of them linked hands and walked up to the ruined castle. Gemma watched her father circle around and then taking a big stick, he made a little ditch around the ruins. He called to her and she decided to humor him as he was a really good daddy. She walked over to the castle and he pointed to the little ditch. "Gemmalove, what do you think will happen next time water comes near your castle?" She looked at it, not sure and shrugged. Tim nodded, "Why don't you get your bucket and put some water in it, about halfway full and then we can see what happens. That way we'll know how to protect your castle."

Nodding, she ran and got her bucket and then holding her mama's hand, walked down to the water and scooped some up in the bucket. They brought it back, Gemma determined not to spill any, her tongue between her lips, focused on her bucket. When they got to the ruin, her daddy got down on the sand with her. "Ok, that's the perfect amount! Now, let's pour it into the ditch and see what happens." Having figured it out, Anna clapped a hand over her mouth when Mama shook her head with a smile. They poured the water into the ditch, quickly enlarged while Gemma was getting the water and of course the water flowed around the ditch rather than over onto the ruins of the castle.

Gemma's eyes lit up, "You saved my castle!"

"Not yet, why don't you rebuild it and then we can make the ditch bigger, ok?"

She nodded and they watched as she pulled her castle back together. As they were working on the ditch, Tim told his daughters that the ditch around the castle was really called a moat. All three of the children practiced saying the word while they worked on it. The tide was coming in so they waited for another wave to hit and sure enough the water ran around the castle but not over it. They took photos of the girls working on the moat with Jorrin "helping" and then Tim realized they had very little time before the castle would be inundated, moat or not. They took the kids to a fresh water spigot, rinsed them off and dried them, quickly putting them in their car seats while he loaded the car. He was just taking the last load, chairs and their cooler, to the car when the expected wave crashed down and flooded the whole castle area. He was glad the kids didn't see the final destruction. They'd learn that soon enough and he'd hoped not to ruin their perfect day.


	163. Chapter 163

They had just tucked the kids in Sunday night when Tim's laptop chimed with a Skype call. It was the Director. "Special Agent McGee, I apologize for once again interrupting your personal time. I left this until today thinking you and your team would need some time to process and decompress."

Tim nodded, "Yes sir. We saw Trina and Kyra yesterday when they got home, so that helped. The searches themselves…it was surreal but we kept our heads together, used all our training and found them in time, thank God."

"Yes you did, I keep thinking I'm as proud of you as I can possibly be and then you pull off something even more impossible."

Tim titled his head, "We had help, sir. Kyra remembered her father telling them to get details and she did that. Trina remembered to leave any mark or clue she could and to fight back. She dragged her heels in the dust, we saw that. When the killer was distracted by turning to throw her cell phone, she managed to leave us another clue, her earring back. She fought back, she yelled at the killer after he complained she was too much like his mother. She was yelling at him when we got to them. She not only helped us find her, she bought herself time. And if they hadn't heard Pete saying those things they might not have known."

Vance chuckled, "You still got there in time, McGee."

Tim nodded; he'd been trying very hard not to think of the consequences of not arriving in time. Then he stopped, knowing that was a path he didn't want to go down. "Sir, this was so personal and so close. I'd like to schedule team sessions with Dr. Agnos."

"Good idea. Plural sessions?"

"We did that after Bagram. One session for the field agents and another for the entire team. Back to back and it really helped."

"Pete tells me you kept everyone together at the office after you got back Friday."

Tim looked at him and shook his head, "That's something I learned from him! Out here…well you know…it's not just the field team. It's our inside team too and we need time together, I've found it really helps. And we went together to see Trina and Kyra on Saturday when they got home from the hospital – have you talked with them?"

"Yes, just before I called you."

Tim nodded. "They're alive, not badly injured, both were handling things well but I hope they get some help."

"I believe they will, I talked with them about it and Trina said you'd talked with both of them about it."

"Yes sir, I just know how much it can help and this isn't going to go away. I didn't kill the guy so now there's going to be a trial, which means they'll have to testify."

"Due process, even for scumbags." Vance paused, "Tell me how you came up with the red shoes."

Tim walked him through their thought processes and Vance shook his head. "Timothy McGee, I can guarantee you most investigators wouldn't have gotten that far. Maybe with the shoes, but not with the red polish."

Tim smiled, "That was Bec. She jumped on that and then Ned got the next bit and after that it seemed to all come together."

"So in the days before women were field agents…"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, scary although I suppose a guy who watched his wife, girlfriend or sister apply polish might realize."

Vance nodded. "Nevertheless, it was your team that did realize it, not Athens PD! Do they have any women on the force?"

Tim chuckled, "Not in the field, not as of last Friday but check back with me tomorrow!"

Vance snorted, "I'll expect another thank you letter from them and another letter of commendation for NCIS from the Greek government. Going to have to give you your own section of wall here!" Tim laughed at that. "Are you and Lina planning on bringing the kids over any time soon?"

"We thought about Christmas but decided we'd wait until Anna's Easter vacation. Zoe will be older and the flight won't be as jam packed. We need to get the girls over there though to get their naturalizations going."

"How long do you have to be in country?"

Tim huffed, "Bureaucracy, you think anyone would give me a firm answer? I'm guessing between 7 to 10 days should do it. So if we land on a Friday and leave a week or so after, say on a Monday, that'll give us 10 days. Means Anna will have to miss a couple of days of school but we can work around that."

"So Easter is…"

Tim laughed, "Orthodox Easter, Leon. Even for the International School, they schedule around their host country holidays."

"Oh yeah, forgot about that!"

"Actually that will help with the flights too, it's April 8th next year."

"Always later than ours." Tim nodded. "All right, well, we'll plan on seeing you all then. I assume you'll be stopping in Virginia for a few days before heading out to visit your brothers-in-law and the Hofstadlers?"

Tim laughed, "You know us too well! Yes, of course! And I wouldn't be surprised if we have company, at least Dad and Rhea and my in-laws will probably be in California already."

"Last question – for now – about the case. Any run-ins with the media?"

"Not so far, but then we were gone all day today, took the kids to the beach."

"I have a sneaking suspicion you'll see them tomorrow."

"Luckily there will be a trial so I can't say anything other than no comment."

Vance chuckled, "Yes, although I'm sure there will be photos plastered on the 'net of each of you saying your bits!"

"If the agency PR people have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them."

"If things get weird because of the Russell connection, they'll step in, otherwise I think your "no comments" will be fine and maybe ask the Avramidis brothers to keep their pride in all of you to themselves this time."

Tim snorted. "George isn't the problem. It's Dimitri; I really think he'd love to be an NCIS agent."

"As soon as he becomes a U.S. citizen, I'd love to talk with him."

They chuckled at that and then talked about their kids for awhile, finally disconnecting.

Monday when Tim turned into the parking lot, he sighed as he saw a media truck there. As he got out, his cell buzzed with a text from Dimitri Avramidis, "I'm sorry if the media is after you…us too. Let me know what we can do to help." Tim replied and then sent texts to his team that the media had found the office and to come in, head down, saying only 'no comment' or better yet, nothing at all. He gathered his gear and headed in, following his own instructions. When he said "no comment" in Greek, that caused a stir and the reporter tried to block his way. He shook his head at him and when he wouldn't allow him passage said very clearly, "Someone else may be out there at risk and right now you may be cutting their life short. Want that on your conscience?"

As he'd hoped, the man moved out of his way. Tim sent new texts to everyone to come in the back gate if they wanted to avoid the news people. He and Rusty headed out there and pried the gate open, it hadn't been opened in the years Tim had been in Greece, and then helped Eva, Tea and Ned in. Kim parked, gave the news people one of her looks and sailed into the office. Bec was last in right after Kim; she'd thought to do the same as Kim but chose the back gate once she got there.

Rusty laughed once they were there, "I went grocery shopping yesterday, so we have enough food for lunch."

Tim muttered under his breath and marched back outside, telling the media to get off the property. When they resisted he decided to give them one more chance. "See that flag waving above the building? You are trespassing on the property of the United States Government and the Greek government does not take kindly to anyone hindering their allies. Furthermore, as I said earlier, your presence here may hinder our response to someone who needs help. You…" Now he pointed at each individual, "would be personally responsible if that happens. Now move." He never raised his voice and that was what caught their attention, his voice sounded deadly serious, even a little scary without being raised a bit. The cameramen backed off first and Tim nodded to them, glad to see they were decent human beings. When they all finally retreated off the property, they were met by the Piraeus police who offered to arrest them for loitering on public streets.

Tim knew that his confrontation had been filmed but he'd kept his game face on and never raised his voice, so they should be ok. The Piraeus Chief of Police called him to congratulate him on getting them off the property. "I'm sure you were about ready to call your Marines in!"

Tim laughed, "No, that would have been overkill and I really didn't want to cause an international incident! But you know, your guys were wonderful, as soon as the media got off our property, they were accused of loitering. I had to get inside so they wouldn't see me laughing!"

After that things settled down for awhile, until Ned noticed a light flashing off the far wall. "Tim, they're taking shots of the inside of the office!" They'd closed most of the sun shades but had left one open, now that was closed and they hunkered down to work on their reports. By evening, the media had been warned off by one of the leading clerics, using the same reasoning Tim had given and he snickered when he heard about it, sometimes it paid to live in a country where church and state were not exactly separate.

It took them a couple of days to plow through all the reports, combine them with what they needed from Athens PD and submit them to HQ. By the time they were done, the media had wandered off to some other newsmaker and they resumed their normal operations.

Thursday night they were in class when Tim's cell buzzed. He'd just finished defending with Ned and was taking a quick break when he heard it. George nodded at him and when he looked at the ID he blinked. It was Dimitri who knew very well where the team was on Thursday nights. "Dimitri?"

"Timothy, I don't…Konokis is dead."

"What? How, when?"

"He was found in his cell, hanging from the bars."

"With what?"

Dimitri sighed, "A piece of rope, red rope."

"How did he get that, or did he? Sorry, I shouldn't have suggested…"

"He was visited this afternoon by his mother."

"Oh my God."

"I fear God had very little to do with it."

"Do you have surveillance footage?"

"Yes, we are reviewing it now. There is no audio so we have requested someone who reads lips to view the footage."

"You think she told him to kill himself."

"Something along those lines."

Tim looked up and saw his team gathered around him while George worked with the Athens PD officers who had class with them now.

Tim turned, "Dimitri, you have people here in our class. May they know?"

"No, we have not yet cleared all the guards on duty today."

"All right then, no Flying Pig tonight then."

"A good idea."

Tim disconnected and gave a discreet shake of his head to the others and to George. He quickly sent a text to Lina and his dad, to get the word out to meet at their house or the big house rather than coming to the studio or the FP. He got replies from his dad who said they should meet at the big house; the media hadn't found it yet. Lina eventually replied saying she'd reached everyone and they were all meeting at the big house.

When no one showed up at the studio, Tim's classmates knew something had happened, yet their SAIC had not pulled them from class nor did he seem to be in a hurry. He pulled them aside in the parking lot and just told them they were gathering at the big house for dinner, that he had an errand to run first. He had to tell the Russells.

When he knocked on Pete and Trina's front door, Pete answered and looked at him. "Tim? Come in, what's going on?"

"Need to speak with Trina and you. Kyra too, but I'll leave that up to you."

"Tim…"

"No one is in danger Pete."

"Then…" Tim patted him on the shoulder, knowing where the man was going with that and they continued into the living room. Trina was there and she gave Tim a small smile when she saw him. He nodded at her and she asked, "Do you need Kyra?"

"I'm going to leave that up to you."

"Is he dead?" Tim looked at her and she shrugged, "You're not in a hurry, you're not all that upset, there's no armed guards suddenly appearing, so it's a logical question."

Tim gestured to Pete and he sat down next to his wife. Tim sat on the coffee table and took Trina's hand. "He was found dead in his cell a few minutes ago, hanging from a red rope." She looked at him, her eyes wide but said nothing and then closed her eyes and knowing her, Tim thought she was probably saying a prayer. Pete sighed, "No trial, no testifying."

Tim nodded, "But more media attention and there will be an inquiry, because he had no rope of any kind at the last check and I did not just tell you that. Don't know if you want to get out of here for a few days…"

Trina shook her head, "No, I will not let the media chase me from my home."

"Then will you let me help?"

"How?"

"If you want to prepare a statement, I can give it to the media."

Pete started to shake his head, but Tim put his hand out. "Hear me out, please. We make a deal with the local stations. You tell them you'll give them a statement but only on condition that they leave all of you, especially your young daughter, alone – in perpetuity. Make them sign an agreement, have it published in the local papers and on social media. Then and only then, make the statement." He paused, "The local stations are affiliates of the European broadcast networks, so the agreement will include them. Another option is to tell everyone to get lost except for ZNN and then make the same agreement. Whichever you pick, I'll broker the agreements and then I'll read the statement. All you'll have to do is write something and I can help with that if you'd like. I don't see any other way of doing this so that Kyra can go back to school and you to your life without a constant media circus."

Trina sighed, "How much time do we have to make a decision?"

Tim shook his head, "Maybe an hour - two if we're lucky."

"I hate that you have to do this."

"I'm offering as a friend, part of your family and a parent. I want Kyra to be able to go to school without people attacking her with cameras. Explaining to her friends and classmates will be tough enough but I would expect the school to handle that. I had to face the media down in the parking lot at the office on Monday. That was daunting enough and I'm an adult…mostly." They smiled at that, looked at each other and Trina gave Pete a smile. He turned to Tim, "Boy-o, do you know what you're asking for?"

Tim smiled, "I'm not afraid of them; I told them if anyone needing help was injured or worse because they were in our way I would hold them personally responsible. Did you know that I threw them off the property Monday and then when they were on the street the Piraeus PD threatened to arrest them for loitering?"

They chuckled at that and Tim relaxed. Trina leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "You are the sweetest man and I thank God you came into our lives."

Tim blushed a little as he smiled back, "And you all into mine."

"I know what I want to say if you want to wait."

"Sure." Trina found a sheet of printer paper and wrote several lines on it. Then she signed it, gave it to Pete who also signed it, folded it up and gave it to Tim. "We'll tell Kyra and thank you for giving us the option."

Tim nodded. "You should be getting a call from the Athenian District Attorney to tell you the news."

"We'll be surprised then."

"Avramidis gave me clearance to tell you. Dimitri I mean, not George." That brought more smiles and with that, he hugged them both and left. He gave Avramidis a call to see if the news had been released yet and was told it had not, that they were going to hold onto it overnight as they still had parts of both guard shifts to question. That helped immensely and he entered the big house feeling more optimistic. He was greeted by his kids, his wife, his dad and then everyone else. He hugged them all and then eyed the kids. Rhea stood, "Anna, Gemma, Jorry, why don't we go pick a story to read tonight?"

"But we don't sleep here Nonnie!"

"That's all right, I'm sure you can borrow the book for a few days."

Tim bent down to Anna, "I've got to do some grownup work stuff with everyone for a few minutes sweetie. Then we'll sit down and have dinner and you can take the book you choose home with you, all right?"

She nodded, happy that her daddy was letting her know what was going on. He thanked Rhea as the group went upstairs.

The others gathered around him and he looked at them. His father knew and he'd bet the others had figured it out too. He nodded, "Kokinos is dead. He was found…" he looked at his phone, "a little over an hour ago in his cell. This is classified information; it does not leave this room. You may not talk about it with anyone until the news is released." Davos opened his mouth to ask a question and Tim continued, "The news will not be released until tomorrow morning. Because he did not die of natural causes, the guards who were on duty earlier in the day and those on duty when he was found must be questioned. Other people must be questioned. This in effect opens a whole new case, but it does not involve NCIS. The Police Chief wants the autopsy done before they have a press conference."

Gibbs looked at his son. "You told the Russells."

Tim nodded, "Yes, that's where I went. They needed to know and I wanted them to put together a plan to deal with the media circus that is about to descend upon them."

"And have they?"

"We have a plan, yes. Once the news is released we can start implementing it."

"We?"

"I offered to help."

Gibbs looked at his son and gave him a look Tim hadn't seen in at least 4 years. He followed the man into the downstairs bedroom. "Tell me."

Tim outlined the plan. "It's a great plan but you can't do it."

Tim opened his mouth but his dad reached out and gently closed his jaw. "Listen to me, Timothy. You're not a private citizen here. You are NCIS. NCIS is not involved in this. You cannot give the statement and you certainly can't broker the deal." He paused and then a wicked smile appeared, "But I can!"

"Dad!"

"I don't work with these people, I'm an NCIS employee working online at my job with the agency, I have no connection with any of this, other than through my family. Yes, I've worked a case or two with you but I've never had to fire a shot here or arrest anyone, nor is my name in the news…unless they use your full name. I can do this."

Tim paced and then turned. "Will you let me help you?"

His dad snorted, "Uh yeah! I've done this with individual reporters but not with whole networks!"

"Ok, then we'll put together a list and a script to follow and I'll be with you when you contact them."

"I'll have to see them in person you know, to get the agreements signed."

"Yeah, you'll be fine."

"You don't seem to mind too much."

"It's a pain in the butt, but someone needed to step in for Trina and Kyra."

"Yep, now let's see Trina's note."

Tim took it out and unfolded it saying, "I haven't even seen it yet." He took one look, started laughing and gave it to his dad. He read what Trina had written…some nice words and then, _'Tim, you can't do this, get Jethro to handle it. We love you!'_ She and Pete had signed it and Pete had added, '_What she said!'_

Tim shook his head. "Politics!"

Poppy grinned at him, "Who knew I'd be better at it than you?! I'm pretty jazzed about that!"

Tim groaned, "I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"

"Nope."

"I can just imagine what Leon is going to say when he sees you reading a statement on ZNN."

"He's going to say good thing it wasn't your son!"

They walked down the hall and found everyone sitting down to dinner including the kids. At the questioning looks, Tim grinned, "I just offloaded some work to my dad!"

The others smiled back, assuming that meant that Gibbs was going to handle things with the press and that was that.

Tim called Vance when they got home and told him what had happened and what would be happening. The man was silent for half a minute and then said he liked Tim's plan, as long as he wasn't the one executing it.

The Athens Chief of Police called a press conference the next morning at 9:00 AM and announced that while in custody for the murders of 6 human beings and the attempted murders of a child and her mother, Adonis Kokinos, the 'red shoe' killer had been found dead – hanging from a red rope that had not been on his person or in his cell at the check three hours before his death. He said they had a suspect in custody and then gave the name, Zelina Papadakis, mother of Adonis Kokinos. What he didn't say was that she had provided the red rope and according to their evidence, ordered her son to use it on himself.

By the time the press conference was finished, Gibbs was on the phone with one of the news stations, offering a statement from the Russell family. With the script he and Tim had prepared the night before and with his son listening in as much as possible, he made the deal with all three of the local stations. Gibbs met with each network representative and once the agreements were signed, witnessed and notarized, they were placed on Twitter, Facebook and a popular Athens site as well as several popular European social sites. By 1600, just in time for the early evening news, Gibbs appeared in his best suit, made by Archimedes, and gave the very brief statement from the Russell family. Photos were taken of him, which he found amusing as he had nothing to do with the case and then everyone moved on. By that time the media was far more interested in the twisted tale of mother and son Kokinos and their red shoes.

* * *

><p>Time for an update, changes in bold italics. I've also removed some characters who were in earlier chapters and won't be mentioned again. I haven't done a thorough clean up so don't read anything into still seeing a name here! See the end of <strong>CH 153<strong> for the original list.

**Tim's Immediate family**: wife Lina (Melina) Kalivas, children (in order of appearance) son Donald Jorrin (called Jorrin or Jorry), **_daughter Anna, daughter Gemma, baby daughter Zoe _**

**Tim's siblings, their spouses & partners: **

Sarah McGee, husband James Powell;

Dr. Rob Mallard, dating Ned Dorneget;

Lt. Geordie Perry, partner Agent Bec Childers;

Agent Tony DiNozzo, fiancée Agent Maggie Barnes

Patrick McGee (deceased)

**Tim's Parents and Grandparents: **

Biological Parents: Lily and Dan McGee (both deceased pre-story)

Dad: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, **_Poppy to Tim and Lina's children;_** **_wife Rhea_** (also see Benaki below)

**_Stepmother: Rhea Ortiz Gibbs, Nonnie to Tim and Lina's children_**

Paternal grandmother Penny Langston

Maternal grandmother (Gram or Grammie) Maisie Stirling Hubbard Mallard

Maternal grandfather (Grandfa) Ducky/Donald Mallard

**Tim's Godparents:** Uncle Dave (Admiral) and Aunty Liz Crane

**Tim's Uncle, Aunt and cousins:** Uncle Jim (Captain) and Aunt Claire Hubbard, children Ainsley and Callum

**Other family:** Jimmy and Breena Palmer, children Ethan, Stevie, Violet

**Tim's in-laws**:

Lina's parents: Davos Kalivas and Hélène Theodori, grandparent names: Pappouli and Yayaka (or Yaya);

**Lina's siblings: **

Damian, nickname Daim, pronounced Dame. Partner Special Agent Matt Watson;

Chloe Kalivas, husband Dr. Peter Rodino, children Alexis and Tad;

Nicolas Kalivas, wife Margaret Mitropolous, children Zander and Dimitri;

**NCIS: Athens staff: **

Office Manager Kim & husband Evander (real estate agent)

Tea & husband Adan (landscape designer)

Eva & husband Caleb (works at the Benaki) and son Athos

Agents:

**_Timothy McGee (wife, Melina Kalivas, see list of children above), *Team Lead and SAIC*_**

Bec Childers, partner of Geordie Perry;

Ned Dorneget, dating Dr. Rob Mallard;

**_Rusty Mayhew_**

**_Also attached to the office: Volunteer Coordinator Jethro Gibbs_**

**NCIS: Other offices**

DC: 

Director Leon Vance, children Kayla and Jared;

Executive Assistant Pamela Cooke;

Agents:

Rick Carter, Jim O'Brien, Maggie Barnes (see also Tim's siblings above), Dwayne Wilson;

**_IT:  
>James Powell, Assistant Mgr.<em>** (see also Sarah McGee)

Also in DC: Tobias Fornell (FBI) and daughter Emily, Ron Sacks (FBI)

**London2: **

Agents:

Winters

Julian Bashon-Martin (SFA),

(unnamed rest of team);

**Rota:**

Stan Burley, wife Patricia, unnamed team

**Marseille:**

Agents: Roger Martinez (wife Marla)

**Seattle:**

Agent Jane Melankovic

**Pentagon: **

Anthony DiNozzo Jr., SFA

Unnamed agents

**Marine Corps West Field Office: **

Blumquist, Senior SAIC

**Sub office** **Yuma, AZ: **

Lydia Worden Team Leader

Unnamed Team

**Southwest Office (also known as San Diego Office):**

Joel Morris, Senior SAIC

Unnamed Teams and sub offices other than El Segundo

**_Subordinate Office:_** **_El Segundo, CA_**

**_Agents: _**

**_Tamara Middleton, Team Lead_**

**_Matt Watson, senior agent, partner Damian Kalivas_**

**_Staff: _**

**_Carla Hofstadler (former SFA and current part-timer), husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy;_**

Retired Agent: 

Pete Russell: wife Trina, kids Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas;

**At the Benaki Museum:**

Melina (Lina) Kalivas

Caleb (husband of Eva)

Rhea Ortiz, artist, close friend of Lina, **_wife of Jethro Gibbs_**.

**Other characters:**

Dani, business owner and single mom of son Ross – Lina's friends, originally her housemates, later Bec and the Ned's housemates;

George and Edith Powell: Sarah McGee's mother and father in law; parents of James Powell.

George Avramidis – Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Master/Instructor

Dimitri Avramidis – the "DCP" or the Deputy Chief of Police, Athens;

Archimedes – everyone's favorite tailor in Piraeus

"Ted" Edwards and Jack Hughes – good CIA agents based in Athens

Dr. Agnos (Doc Agnos): Tim's psychologist; also facilitated team session

Dr. Pappas: Tim's physician

Col. Martin: Commanding Officer of Marine detachment at US Embassy, Athens

Beth Donahue: Assistant to the US Ambassador, Athens

The Ambassador: U.S. Ambassador to Greece and good friend of Melina (Lina) Kalivas

Chief of Police, Piraeus

Taylor Ganier – art gallery owner in New Orleans

Lu - in Baltimore, shelter manager who helped the McGee siblings when they were growing up there.

Aegina – a small island 17 miles from Athens; scene of Tim and Lina's wedding; the group's annual Fourth of July celebrations and a whole lot of fun. A real island!

The Flying Pig – also known as the FP. Pub frequented by many people in the story. Real pub in Piraeus!

The big house: where Gibbs, Lina's parents, Penny and the Mallards live when they're in Greece. Occasionally other people stay there. Also Penny's home in Virginia may sometimes be referred to as the 'big house'.


	164. Chapter 164

I delayed posting this chapter last week due to the holidays and spring break here in the U.S. - this is a pivotal chapter, very important to the story! Hope you all had wonderful weekends and for those of you that were on vacation last week, hope you had fun!

* * *

><p>The bizarre twist in the Red Shoe Killer case stayed in the news for a week or so before something else bumped it off TV, live news streaming, social media and the front pages of local newspapers. Tim was grateful for that and he was sure Trina and Kyra were as well. The team, after finally finishing their reports on the case, dove back into cold case reviews and were able to order re-examination of evidence by the lab on two cases. Technology had progressed enough for both cases to have some of their mysteries finally resolved. It took a few weeks but finally they were able to close both cases and bring the dirtbags to justice. One was the murder of a Marine Lance Corporal after a drunken brawl and the second was a brutal attack that left a young naval officer in a coma for months. While she'd eventually wakened, she'd never been able to return to her duties. They were well satisfied to bring those cases to a close.<p>

As Zoe was now nearly past what Pete had nicknamed the "scary" stage of her infancy, Tim and Lina decided to take the getaway they'd been talking about for months. They'd originally planned to stay in Greece, but Lina wanted to go back to Italy and suggested either Florence or Rome. She'd been to both places and wanted Tim to experience at least one of them, so she asked him to pick. He picked Florence. It was a smaller city, they could see more in a long weekend and yes, perhaps not much of the rest of Tuscany but enough to get a flavor. And really, as far as Tim was concerned, any place was fine as long as he could have time with his wife. They made their reservations, asked their parents to care for the kids and left on a Friday morning. The shortest flight they'd found took them to Rome where they changed planes and headed north to Florence or Firenze as it's known in Italian. Tim chuckled, telling Lina he could at least say he'd been to the airport in Roma. They'd had enough of a layover that he'd visited a gift shop, buying a few postcards. Once in Florence, they made their way to their hotel, a favorite of Lina's, called home to let them know they had arrived and then spent the rest of the afternoon breathing in the atmosphere. They walked everywhere and Lina enjoyed watching her husband's growing enchantment with the city.

He made note of the things Lina found particularly pleasing, a specific gelato shop, a particular restaurant and a few stores. They agreed they'd just wander tonight and then visit the historical sites in the morning. They had reservations to see Michelangelo's David early Saturday morning, when Lina said most people would still be breakfasting. They would grab whatever their hotel served before they went and have a snack after. Tim really liked the works of a couple of the street artists and bought 2 small watercolors. Lina had continued to encourage him to develop his own eye for what he liked, giving him subtle instruction in what to look for and she was pleased that he found work that he liked and was bold enough to buy the paintings rather than prints. She was further pleased to find an artist whose work she had admired her last trip here, shortly before she'd met Tim, and was happy to see the woman's progress. The woman's work was now featured in the local galleries and she was happy to reconnect with the fellow artist who had been so encouraging. Tim wandered while they chatted, knowing they might be awhile. As soon as he was around the corner, he went back to a store they'd been in a few minutes before and looked for the handbag Lina had been admiring. The clerk remembered and Tim took a good look at it. It was a good quality and made locally; he purchased it and arranged to have it shipped home. He'd surprise Lina with it later, maybe for Christmas. The clerk seemed surprised when he gave an address in Greece but didn't say anything. Eventually Tim made his way back to the gallery where he'd left Lina and found the two women winding up their conversation. She introduced him and he greeted the other woman in Italian which seemed to please her. They took their leave and when Tim's stomach growled, headed for a restaurant Lina wanted them to try. Thoroughly enjoying their meal, Tim also learned more about the region. Florentine food, he was told, grew out of a tradition of peasant eating rather than 'rarified high' cooking. Tummies sated, they strolled back to their hotel, tired from the long day. They'd already said goodnight to their children so they were free to be Tim and Lina, lovers and friends.

They had a wonderfully passionate night and then rose early for their appointment at the Galleria dell' Accademia where Michelangelo's David is located. They had coffee and toast in the breakfast room of their hotel and then left for the walk to the Galleria. Tim read a great deal of the history of Florence before the trip and in particular about the _David_. It was a huge sculpture for its time and when he saw it in person it still seemed larger than life. He wanted to touch it but didn't, not wanting to add to the deterioration of the marble.

He'd read that in June 1504, the _David_ was installed next to the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio and there it stood until it was moved into the Galleria in 1873 to protect it from damage. He'd been astounded to find that the original move from Michelangelo's studio one half mile away had taken four days. Originally commissioned for the top of the cathedral, at some point the city fathers had admitted it was too big and at 6 tons, much too heavy. When Tim examined it, he saw the determination in David's eyes as he prepared for battle with the giant Goliath. His body was slightly twisted and he frowned in concentration, ready to go. Michelangelo was in his 20's when he created his statue of David and it showed in the youth and strength of the young man's body.

Because they had the earliest appointment, they were able to study it for longer as the crowds hadn't gathered yet. Tim wandered to other treasures but returned to the statue more than once and each time he saw something he hadn't seen before. Finally they left the Galleria and found a café nearby for more breakfast. Afterward they visited the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti) and then strolled through the streets again. They saw the Duomo, the domed cathedral of the city and the nearby Baptistery. They stopped for a gelato before heading to the Ponte Vecchio, the centuries old bridge that crosses the River Arno. Originally constructed by the Etruscans, whose civilization thrived between 700 and 400 BC, the current bridge was rebuilt in the 14th century and spared, at the expense of other historical areas, by the Germans in World War II as they departed the city after a yearlong occupation. Tim had never seen or walked on a bridge that had shops built onto it or that was so old and he was fascinated. The shops themselves were said to be passed from generation to generation, kept in the same families for centuries.

What Tim was enjoying the most, aside from spending time with his wife, was just walking and experiencing the beautiful city. The art galleries and historical buildings were lovely and interesting, but the street vendors and the people were of even more interest. Lina smiled, happy to see that her husband had the same reaction to Firenze as she always did. It was full of life, contemporary and ancient and the two blended seemingly without effort. They left the main tourist-y areas and walked across the other bridges into the residential neighborhoods and marveled at the buildings, an open doorway with views down a corridor into a courtyard full of flowers and fountains, a corner ice cream parlor with school kids giggling in their uniforms. They sat on a bench and watched people walking their dogs, little boys kicking a ball around, men of all ages having passionate discussions about their sports teams, in other words, living their lives in this beautiful place. They stood on a bridge and watched the River Arno flow peacefully; they'd seen the markers from the floods, the latest one in 2014, the year they were married and they understood that the river could indeed turn on the city, show its wrath.

While planning the trip, they'd talked about taking the train south to Pisa to see the "Leaning Tower" on Saturday afternoon but once Tim was in Florence, he didn't want to leave and he was relieved to find Lina felt the same way. They continued their ramble through the city, stopping at cafes or in one of the city's many parks when they needed a rest. In the late afternoon they returned to their hotel for a nap, emerging later in the evening for another sumptuous dinner. The bells of the churches woke them the next morning and they decided to attend a service at the small church down the block from their hotel. After church and lunch, they did some shopping and strolled around again making sure they'd seen and done as much as they could. Then they returned to the hotel for their bags and headed for the airport. With the help of a very short layover in Rome, they were home in time to have dinner with their children and tuck them into bed. It had been a wonderful weekend and Tim told Lina that Florence was on the re-visit list with Paris; they'd thoroughly enjoyed their time alone and it was good to be home. They went back to work Monday, both invigorated and ready to resume their lives.

The week went quickly. Lina's package arrived at the office and Tim tucked it into his go bag and then asked his dad to hang onto it until Christmas, making a note on his phone. The team worked on cold cases on Monday. Tuesday they caught a case that took them to the island of Crete and Tim remembered Matt's story of rescuing their person of interest after the local LEOs had bungled the arrest and he'd tried to flee on a sailboat he didn't know how to handle. They were there for three nights and although Tim missed his family, he enjoyed the little bits of island life they managed to experience. They came back with their suspect who'd confessed although they had enough physical evidence on him to make the case without that confession. They'd already contacted JAG who would meet them at the office to transfer custody. However their flight from Crete was a little late getting in Friday morning and Tim was amused to see two JAG officers waiting at the entrance to Baggage Claim/Customs. Tim found one of the security officers they'd worked with previously and arranged to use their office to transfer custody from NCIS to JAG. Their dirtbag and the evidence signed over, they grabbed their bags and headed to Customs. Kim was there to pick them up, looking puzzled to see just the four of them. "What happened to our suspect?"

"The JAG officers had our flight number, they saw it was late so they waited and we transferred custody in the security office. We're all done!"

Tim made a motion with his hands, as if wiping them clean. Kim laughed, "Wish they could all be that easy!"

They headed back to the office and this time, as Tim told Rusty, "We're working on our reports!" He closed the office at the usual time that evening telling the field agents "We'll finish the paperwork next week."

Rusty grinned at him. He loved working here and with these people. He'd managed to get the McGee family story and some of Gibbs' background from Ned so now he had a deeper appreciation for the family's reaction after the Russells' kidnapping. He'd known before his transfer here that Timothy McGee was a rising star in the agency, well thought of by Director Vance and the Secretary of the Navy. He'd helped put NCIS on the map and no other NCIS team had had a televised interview with the President of the U.S., not to mention one that was aired worldwide.

Rusty could see that Bec was also a 'rising star'; Tim was obviously training her to take a Team Lead position in the not too distant future and he thought Ned was being subtly trained to be SFA. He was already a senior agent and Rusty liked that Tim did that for his agents. He figured his turn would come soon enough, he wasn't in any hurry. With Evander's help, he'd found an apartment in Piraeus that faced the ocean and he loved the place. He'd also reconnected with a couple of the girls he'd met while he was here on TAD back in 2014 and was dating one of them. He'd noticed that nobody that came to Greece single seemed to stay that way for long.

XXX

Tim loved coming in from work and having his family welcome him home; it never failed to put a smile on his face. Lina wasn't always with the kids, she was back to work at the museum and frequently busy with her own work in her studio so when he got home that night and his wife ran down the steps into the garage to greet him with a passionate kiss, he was a very happy man. In time the kids discovered them and pulled him into the house where he picked them up, hugging and kissing each of them. Oh yeah, he was glad to be home!

He was still reveling in being home and having the weekend off when his laptop chirped at him the next morning. Lina and the girls had taken off early with Bec, Rhea and Trina for an outing that had been planned for months. Zoe and Jorrin were home with their daddy and would be joined by uncles Geo, Rob and Ned and of course Poppy later in the morning. Tim wasn't sure what the guys had planned but he trusted them to make sure it was something Jorrin would enjoy and was stroller-friendly.

The three of them were in the living room, Zoe in her baby swing cooing and playing with her toes while Jorrin played with his Thomas and Friends trains. Tim was on the floor with the little ones so when he realized someone was calling him for a Skype session he hopped up and put the laptop on the coffee table. To his surprise, it was Director Vance.

"Good Morning sir, you're up early – or is it late?"

"Little of both, actually. I was going to wait to call you at a civilized hour for me but I couldn't sleep and then realized after being away all week you might be home. Do you have a few minutes and yes I know I'm calling during your personal time…again."

Tim relaxed as the man's demeanor indicated nothing was wrong. He chuckled, "I'm playing with Jorrin and Zoe right now; Lina, Anna and Gemma are off on an adventure with Rhea, Bec and Trina. Want to say hello to Jorrin and Zoe?"

Vance gave the smile few people ever saw, "Sure!"

Tim turned the laptop around and caught Jorrin's attention. "Hey Jorry, look who's here, Uncle Leon!"

Jorry smiled and waved, "Hi Unca Leon! I playin' wi' Thomas."

"Ah, so I see Jorrin - that looks like fun. And what's your baby sister doing?"

Jorrin giggled, "Swingin' an' tryin' ta eat her toesies."

"Mmm, I remember you doing that too!"

Jorry's eyes grew wide, "I did? Eww!" Leon laughed as Tim panned the laptop over to Zoe who was cooing away to herself. She stopped when she saw Daddy and squealed happily. He gave each of them a kiss and then returned to the coffee table setting.

"Sir?"

"I have news for you and it is good news but I thought you might want to have the weekend to discuss it with Lina."

Tim swallowed; the feeling he'd had twitching at him for weeks now – and months for Lina – was growing stronger.

"What's that Director?"

"It's the next step of your career, Agent McGee. And of course it's up to you to accept or not." Tim nodded, ready to hear what was coming at them. "You're doing a stellar job in Athens but I need to move you home for a couple of reasons. First of all, the Athens PD is complaining that you're showing them up time after time…" he chuckled to show he was teasing, "ok, the real reason is that I can't bump you from SAIC Athens to one of the biggest offices in the agency without an intermediate move. I want to move you in as Team Lead and SAIC to the Preston office. It's subordinate to the Southwest office but has two satellite offices of its own. So you'll be SAIC and Team Lead for the Preston, Petrero and Button Willow offices with the TLs from Petrero and Button Willow also reporting to you. So…three offices, three teams. Petrero and BW have teams of three agents and they're some distance from the Preston office; you'll have some travel now and then. Preston is a four agent team…and your support staff there also supports the two auxiliary offices. I'll send you an official offer with the titles, names and responsibilities."

Tim swallowed, "So I'm the local Team Lead – in Preston and the other two offices have their own TLs who report to me but they handle their own cases?"

Leon gave him a half smile, "Yes, your title will officially be Supervising Team Leader and SAIC."

Tim nodded, "All right. And when's the report date?"

"Wanted to give you plenty of time, need to get things changed there too and I know international moves aren't easy, especially with children involved. Your report date is March 1st 2018."

Tim nodded, trying to take it all in and Vance kept talking, knowing he was still listening while he processed the information. "Preston is a small town, off I-5, north of San Diego, between Del Mar and Encinitas. It's on the coast and you'll have access to Lake Miramar from the 5. When you look on the map you'll see there are a few secondary routes that will take you to the interior of the state. As for your subordinate offices, Petrero is right outside Monterey, so you'll be flying up there and Button Willow is outside of Bakersfield, north of LA on the 5."

"And the teams?"

"They're currently led by Joaquin Davis who has put in for early retirement. His SFA is new in the position, just transferred in two months ago from Seattle and to tell you the truth, she might be gone by the time you get there. No reflection on her; her husband works for a global engineering firm and he's finishing up a long term project so he's likely to be up for posting somewhere. As for your other teams, I'll let Joel fill you in once you've made your decision."

"Of course."

"I know you, I know that mind of yours is racing at warp speed, Timothy. I have utmost faith in you, I understand it will be hard to leave Greece, believe me, but Joel wants only you for the position and I feel the same way."

Tim had long ago given up trying to hide anything from this man; once they'd gotten past the whole breakup of Gibbs' team after Director Shepard's death, he'd learned to trust him and he had certainly done well by him!

"Have to tell you Lina and Pete have been talking to me about this for awhile. And yeah, I know it's been four years this month, I knew it was coming. I do need to talk with my wife however. Is Monday all right for our answer?"

Leon smiled, "Yes, that's fine." He winked, "That's why I called you on a Saturday morning."

Tim huffed, "Understood." They chatted for a few minutes before disconnecting when Zoe gave a warning cry, letting her dad know she was done with her toes and wanted some real food. He gathered his babies and took them upstairs to get diapers changed and then back down to feed them both. He was in the living room feeding Zoe her bottle, Jorrin happily munching on a carrot stick when he heard a knock and then a key turning in the front door. Jorry's face lit up, "Poppy!"

"Yes that's our Poppy, son. Finish your carrot first, no running while you're eating!" Jorrin nodded and set about finishing his carrot, keeping an eye out for his grandfather. He swallowed his last bite and showed his dad that he had no carrot left, opening his hands and mouth and then raced to the kitchen where Poppy was just finishing pouring two mugs of coffee. Poppy had learned to leave everything on the counter until he was sure small bodies wouldn't be tackling him while there was hot liquid around. Jorrin was being trained to slow down and observe before he tackled anyone, but at 23 months that might take him a while to learn.

"Ok, Jorry, I'm ready now, how about a hug?"

"Sure!" Jorry hugged his Poppy's legs and then giggled when he was picked up and tickled.

"Poppy, I was playin' wi' Thomas an' Unca Leon called my daddy."

"Uncle Leon called, huh? Hey Daddy, got some news?"

Tim chuffed, "Need to tell Lina first."

"Oh, big news then, ok, I'll try to be patient." He took one look at his son's face and knew at least what the news had been, if not the where and when. He put Tim's mug on the end table next to the sofa where he was feeding Zoe. "Mug's on the table."

"Thanks Dad."

Gibbs opened his mouth to ask another question when Geordie knocked and then came in. Jorrin was nearly vibrating with excitement now, Daddy, Poppy and Unca Geo all to himself; that was a big treat!

Geordie took one look at Tim, stole his coffee and sat down on the couch. "I know that look. It's the "I've been transferred and I don't wanna go" look we see in the Corps all the time, right Dad?"

Gibbs nodded, "Lina doesn't know yet so we can't talk about it."

"Oh, ok." He looked at his brother again, "Well then, we'll just work on getting you into a good mood then Bro, thinking happy thoughts!"

Tim snorted and said, "Zoe finally got her entire foot into her mouth."

"Cool! I remember when Jorry did that, did you take a picture?"

Tim handed his cell to his brother who laughed at the photo before showing their dad who also laughed. Geo looked at his nephew who was making a face. "Bet your daddy did it too and your mama!"

"Weally?"

"Oh yeah, I believe almost all babies do that."

"Eat der feets?"

"Try to, yeah."

"Eww."

"Well they're not dirty from walking yet, are they?"

Jorrin thought about that before agreeing, "Dat's wight." The two of them carried on their silly conversation until Zoe finished eating, had been burped and was on her tummy mat in the kiddie corral. Tim looked at the others, "So, what are we doing today?"

His dad looked at him and said in his drollest voice, "Not talking about 'things'!"

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, bad timing! Of course I could call Lina and tell her but I don't want to disturb their day – or tell her over the phone."

Another knock and Rob and Ned walked in. Rob headed for the coffee pot while Ned continued into the living room. "Hey guys and gal."

"Hey Ned, hey Rob!" Rob stopped in the kitchen to guzzle a cup of coffee and waved at them. Jorrin got hugs from Ned who then swung him up onto his shoulders and gave him a piggyback ride to the kitchen where he leaned over to give Unca Rob a kiss.

Tim looked at them, "You guys staying for dinner?"

Geo snorted, "No man, you know the rules; you been gone all week, you belong to your wife and kids tonight and Sunday - and Rob and I belong to your agents, well two of them anyway."

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, too bad for Rusty that we've run out of siblings!" He looked at all of them, almost ready to swear them to secrecy.

His dad shook his head and said softly, "We can wait, Timothy."

Tim was thinking that when they told them they needed to have one of their 'all hands' Skype calls. He decided to think about all that later and enjoy his day with his kids, dad and brothers.

"Ok, so what have you guys got planned for us today? I trust that it's both kid and stroller friendly?"

By the time they got home from the petting zoo, Tim was exhausted. He was used to keeping classified information secret from people and he kept quiet on cases that weren't classified but were too strange or gory. But this...he needed to talk with someone about it, he had so many things going on in his mind! He was very glad his father had taken charge of his children because he'd been distracted the entire day. He felt like asking for a 'do over' so he could really enjoy their day together.

Lina and the girls were home so after helping him carry Zoe and Jorrin and their assorted gear in from the car, his dad and brothers took off. When he greeted his wife and daughters, Lina took one look at him and frowned. He shook his head to let her know nothing was wrong…not exactly…and she finished setting up the art project the girls wanted to work on. He carried Jorrin and Zoe upstairs, put them down for naps and then went back downstairs. The girls were working at the kitchen island and Lina was waiting for him in the living room. He sat next to her on the couch and sighed. She took his hand and looked at him, "Timotheos, you're exhausted."

"Leon called after you left. The others got here and I couldn't say anything, not until I told you, not until we talked about it."

"And the 'it' is?"

"We're being transferred to Southern California, a small town north of San Diego. The office I'll lead has two sub offices which will give me the experience Vance wants me to have."

Lina swallowed. She'd known this was coming since shortly after meeting Tim and she'd thought she was prepared. "When my love?"

"My report date is March 1st."

She exhaled a sigh of relief. "So we have some time. We can have one last Christmas here."

He nodded, "Birthdays, mine and Jorrin's, our anniversary and both Christmases, here and in Thessaloniki." He looked at her, "Your parents…"

"They'll spend half the year in California and half in Thessaloniki. Your father…"

"They'll move with us or at least be close by." He took a breath, "If she wants it Bec will step up here, so Geordie will stay. And Ned could end up with the SFA spot, so unless or until Rob finally decides what to do with the rest of his residency, they'll stay here."

"The big house…"

"I don't know. Your folks might sell their portion to the others but Dad and the Grands will probably want to keep it as long as Geordie and Rob are still here."

She whispered, "Our house."

"Yes. Honey we don't have to do this. We can stay; I can keep my post here. We have so much here, our family, and friends."

"No, Tim. We've always known we wouldn't be here forever. I don't know how to say this just right but I think this is going to be very difficult for you, leaving this place, this home. It's brought you back to your birth family and given us each other and our children and your dad. Your siblings have found love here as well – and your father. I understand this place means a very great deal to you – and it does to me too but more to you because it is the first place you've been truly happy since…"

"Since before my father brought the woman into our home who ultimately murdered him."

"Yes." She took a breath. "But your family will be with you. All of them, all of us. Yes, we'll have to come back here to see our friends, we will miss them dearly. But we can do that. In two years we will have our 5th wedding anniversary on Aegina, we're going to have everyone there, remember? As many of our friends as can make it. And we'll keep in touch; we can video chat whenever we want."

"And it'll be easier on the Grands to travel 5 hours from East to West rather than 11 hours."

"Yes and we can see Sarah and James, Tony and Maggie and the Palmers more often."

He huffed, "Glad Claire, Liz and the kids did summer here again this year."

"Yes, me too. And perhaps we'll come back during the summers."

Tim smiled, "Maybe we'll buy your parents' portion of the big house."

Lina laughed, "That's an idea, but I think we need a 'big house' of our own - just for us."

He frowned, "I'd love to see the Uncles here one more time."

"Are they ever in the Pacific?"

"Don't think so but you know the Admiral, once he hears no telling what he'll get up to."

"So how long will we be there?"

"Leon told me but asked me – us – to keep it to ourselves. Joel wants to retire in a year or two. He's apparently been nudging Leon because he wants me to take his spot and I can't just go from this office to his position, I need to have experience leading multiple teams. Vance said I've already done that with Athens PD, the CIA and some of the ops I've led but I need to have responsibility for NCIS multiple teams on my record. He says two years maximum in Preston and he's thinking more like a year and a half."

"And then we would go to San Diego?"

Tim nodded and the two of them sat in silence, both thinking of the Herculean tasks they had ahead of them.

"They'll ship our belongings, like Damian and Matt?"

"Yes. We'll have to decide if there's anything we don't want to take…like our cars."

"Oh. Will it be easier to sell them here and then buy others over there?"

"Not sure, thought we could ask Norm and the guys, but I think yes, that will probably be easier. California has tougher emission standards than Greece so we might have to have a bunch of work done if we take these cars."

"We'll take the children's furniture and our bed and…she chuckled, "the patio table, chairs and benches."

"I thought about leaving the living room stuff here but then we'd have to buy something right away. What if we just take everything and then replace it there if we want?"

"That's a good idea." She made a face, "I wish we could take my studio!"

Tim laughed, "I wish we could too. I suppose we could take the heating and air conditioning system out and take it with us; the outlets are different in the States but I can handle that and any wiring changes. On the other hand, we could look for a place that already has a studio."

"How long until we'd get all our belongings?"

He shook his head, "Don't know."

"What if we went over before we moved and found a place?"

He twisted his lips in thought. "Maybe, let's think about that. The agency will pay to put us up somewhere until we find a place."

Lina smiled, "Damian and Matt!"

"Damian and…oh great idea! Have them look for a house for us, maybe have Carla join them to make sure it's kid friendly?"

"Yes!"

"Ok, so just to be clear, you're saying we should go, leave our paradise and move to California?"

She nodded, "Yes, we will be fine. And as we've said before, I think Bec will also move up and back to the U.S. with Geordie and Rob and Ned will follow along at some point."

Tim nodded. "All right, so we'll do this." He shook his head. "I think I could be as happy as Pete, just staying here."

"No, you couldn't…not professionally. Admit it, one of the reasons you left Gibbs' team was that you saw no room for advancement – as well as all the other reasons."

He smiled, "You're right. Took me awhile to figure out but yeah." He felt immeasurably better now that he'd discussed it with his partner. He'd miss his brothers, his team, extended family and friends like crazy but it felt right. Painful as hell, but it was the right thing to do.

"Lina, let's see if Ariston and Paolo can bring Besiana and Jak down here for Christmas."

"Yes, although I think the children would be more comfortable with the Kalivas' Christmas. They've met just about everyone."

"All right, then let's make sure we have more than one day to spend with them."

"We're in luck as next year January 6th is on a Saturday."

"Perfect. I have another question…what about schools?"

"Oh, that is a good question. I wonder if the International School has schools in the States?"

"That'd be great for Anna if they did. If they're run the same way it would be an easier change for her to make."

"We can check here and see what they say."

"That's a good place to start." He grimaced, "We'll have to have a Skype call with the entire family to tell them."

"Yes. Do you want to do that tomorrow?"

"If we can reach everyone. I suppose I'd better let Leon know first!"

"Yes, we could call him now."

He looked at her a bit wild-eyed and she pulled him to her. "We'll be all right, I promise." Then she laughed because he was tickling her.

"Timotheos, the girls are right there and it is a lovely distraction but I still think we should call Leon."

He sat up, "Fine. You're right and then once we do we can start working with the relocation people."

She nodded, "Tell the kids in the morning?"

"Anna might understand, not sure about Gemma."

"Jorrin won't understand until we leave and Zoe…"

"Won't remember living here."

"Then we must record even more than we have been."

He nodded, grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to the Director. Vance was at home and near his laptop so within a few minutes they were chatting softly, having set the girls up with one of their favorite movies. Leon was very happy to have their answer so quickly and promised to start the process on Monday, understanding that housing and schools were a top priority.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

1. Hope you enjoyed the brief visit to Florence, Italy, one of my favorite places on the planet. It's fun, it's interesting, beautiful and livable. While I've enjoyed visiting London and Paris, I'd live in Florence if I could. I'd live in Greece too but I'm afraid I'd be horribly disappointed not to find any of our friends there :(.

2. Just so you know, most of the small NCIS offices I've named here are fictitious as far as the real world agency goes. The Southwest office (AKA San Diego) is real and does have several subordinate offices but as far as I could find, none of the subordinates have satellite offices. Matt and Carla are in El Segundo, a real town but there's no real NCIS office; Tim will take the 'Preston' office, which is entirely fictional as are the town of Preston and the two satellite offices, Petrero and Button Willow. Button Willow is a real world small town close to Bakersfield in California. I placed fictional Petrero close to the real city of Monterey because although there's a real world NCIS office in Monterey I wanted to make it a bit different.


	165. Chapter 165

The e-mail from the McGees caused varying reactions among their family and friends although most of them viewed it with a sinking feeling.

When Trina saw the invitation to join their friends for dinner on Sunday she called Pete over and he looked at it, frowning. "Can you see who else is invited?"

"No."

He sighed. "A family dinner Hon, I think this is probably it. I had a weird e-mail from Joel yesterday, implying he had a secret he couldn't tell me. I'm guessing at some point while we're there there'll be a massive Skype call with the rest of the family and we'll hear the details."

"Oh Pete! I know this has been the plan all along, but I'm going to miss them so much."

He hugged her, "Me too sweetie, me too." They finally replied saying they'd be there with Kyra and Lukas.

Kim had a similar reaction and it was some time before she could stand to send a reply. When Evander got home from a late showing he found his wife had been crying which scared him; the last time Kim had cried was when Matt and Damian left.

Eva and Caleb, Tea and Adan were puzzled but happy to accept the dinner invitation. Rusty didn't see his e-mail until Sunday morning and then sighed, hoping he was wrong about the reason.

Gibbs and Geordie nodded when they saw the e-mail, they'd been right. Bec went for a run by herself. She didn't know how she felt, aside from sad. She didn't want Tim to leave, she liked Rusty, he fit right in and was a great agent, but she also still missed Matt something fierce and couldn't imagine the team, the office without both of her friends. She had a feeling she'd be offered the Team Lead position and she had no clue whether she was ready for that but she decided if she was offered the job, she'd accept it and she wanted Ned as her SFA.

Rob had no idea why there would suddenly be a family dinner and why the invitation was on e-mail instead of a phone call. But Ned had an idea and told his partner what he thought it was all about. Rob looked at him wildly, "They're leaving? Greece? Europe?"

"I don't know where Tim's being posted, Rob, but my guess would be somewhere in the U.S."

"Why?"

"Because they need him there."

"Tim? Why?"

Ned was nonplussed at that. He hadn't realized how little Rob paid attention to his brother's career and that he apparently didn't seem to think much of his work, despite having been rescued from terrorists by the man. Rob knew Tim was in charge here and had been involved in high profile cases, that he'd done well enough to have been interviewed by the President of the United States and saved their friends from a serial killer, but evidently he didn't get that his brother-father was well thought of in the U.S. as well as by the Athens PD.

Ned worked hard not to roll his eyes and just shook his head. He was proud of the work he'd done on Tim's team and he would be very sad to see him go. Right now he just didn't feel like explaining it to his clueless lover.

XXX

Before Tim and Lina told the kids on Sunday morning, Tim called his dad to update him. He wanted to be able to tell his children that Poppy and Nonnie would be with them; he was counting on it, his dad had said it before, he just wanted to make sure. When he told his dad where they were going and when, he was relieved that there was no hesitation.

"We're going with you, son. Rhea and I have talked about it several times and yeah, we're in. You tell the kids yet?"

"No, we're about to but I wanted to tell them you two will be with us and thought I'd better get that confirmed."

"We'll split our time between here and the U.S. as Rhea wants to be around her grand nieces and nephews as well as Rob, Geordie, Tony and Sarah, but our home will be wherever you, Lina and the kids are."

XXX

Anna cried when her parents told her the family would be moving across the ocean in a few months. She calmed down a bit when she heard they'd get to see her Uncles Damian and Matt. And came up with a little smile when she was told Poppy and Nonnie would be there too. Gemma understood things were changing but at 3 ½ she wasn't sure what that meant. When she heard Mama and Daddy, Anna, Jorry and Zoe, Poppy and Nonnie and Uncle Damian and Matt would all be there, she thought that was probably all right and Anna was smiling again so she smiled too.

Tim wanted to let his team and everyone at the house know before the Skype call and Lina agreed. Both of them had already spoken with their parents so the big news wouldn't be 'news' to them and Lina wasn't sure whether Chloe and Nicolas would know by the call or not. One thing was certain: the U.S. based family would likely view the transfer differently than the Greece based folks.

They waited until everyone was at the house and then told them. There were tears and hugs and eventually tentative smiles and laughter. Eva and Caleb had talked about it more after they'd seen the e-mail and had realized what was probably going to happen. As always, shy Eva provided some balance, "We will miss you and the children but now we will have more people to visit! And you'll come for visits here, won't you?"

Tim nodded and clearing his throat, replied, "Yes, we're planning to come every year and you know we want everyone here in November 2019 for our 5th anniversary." He turned to Evander, "Guess we'll have to see about rentals for our visits, yes my friend?"

Evander nodded, "Yes, I'll start gathering information as you'll need many rooms!" There were chuckles over that which helped lighten the somber mood. They ate and drank and had the Skype call; the folks in the U.S. tried not to get too wild in their glee; everyone in Piraeus tried to at least not look like they were attending a funeral and the pragmatic family in northern Greece tried to figure out when they could visit.

By the end of the evening, Tim and Lina were exhausted and they headed to bed as soon as the children were asleep. While they slept, the rest of the family reaffirmed the plans they' been working on for months now: to have as many of the McGee extended clan gather in Piraeus for Christmas. The plan included the Grands, the Hubbards and Cranes as well as Tony and Maggie, the Palmers, Sarah, James and his parents. Davos and Hélène would also be there although the rest of the Thessaloniki crowd would not be; they'd see Lina, Tim and the children at their January celebration. The Russells were hosting the Vances and once again all three college students would be home. The only ones unable to attend were the Hofstadlers, Damian and Matt.

Evander had been working with Jethro and Rhea for overflow accommodations; he'd found a large house that had been on the market for months now and whose owners were willing to rent it out on a short term agreement. It had enough rooms to house everyone unable to squeeze into the big house. Gibbs was relieved to hear that news as they'd been trying to keep Tim and Lina's place off the list of available beds. They were crowded enough already and there would be enough chaos with all the Christmas doings, not to mention getting ready for a transatlantic move; they didn't need to worry about guests, no matter how welcome they were.

Tim walked into the office the next morning with a more pleasant task in mind. It wasn't 100% his call, although it was close, but he knew more about how this worked now after his own experience. When Bec came in early as usual, he asked her to join him in his office. As they sat down with their coffees, he looked over at her and smiled, "It's been wonderful working with you and I wish I could take you all with me."

She smiled back, "I'm pretty sure we all wish that too."

"Yeah, unfortunately it doesn't work quite that way. But there is one thing I can do, want to run it by you first. I'd love to see you take the Team Lead here, if you want it."

She nodded, "When we got the e-mail Saturday night, I had a feeling. I've done a lot of thinking and talking with Geordie last night…yes, if you believe I can do the job, then yes, I'd like that and then I want Ned as my SFA."

Tim grinned at her, "Your SFA is your business although I agree with your choice. As far as me believing, I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't and the real question is - do _you_ believe you're ready? I'm not leaving tomorrow, I'm figuring if you want this we can start prepping like Pete did with me. You've already got the Team Lead part down so we'll work on the SAIC stuff." He paused, "I know you're career minded and that's great, apparently I am too, although it took me a few years to figure that out!" They both laughed at that. "I want you to remember that what we've accomplished here with Pete, with me, also has your name – and Matt, Ned and now Rusty's – all over it. You won't be here forever; Pete's long tenure was an anomaly and his choice. You've been here as long as I have, so I'd guess and this is just my conjecture, that you'd have just about a year here before being transferred, probably not much more than that. You're good and Vance needs good agents leading teams at home too. With four years in Greece, it's time to move you home but I'm betting he can spare you for one more year. Having said all that, you know it's your choice. You can say no now or no when the call comes to post to your next spot."

"So if I say yes to you, what happens next?"

Tim smiled, "I had a pretty strong feeling the answer would be yes so I took the liberty of already making a recommendation to the Director. I imagine at some point soon, you'll be hearing from him. You can then tell him your choice for SFA and we can spend the next couple of months getting the two of you comfortable with your new positions. For me, it's always been a comfort to know that Pete's here. He's always good for a chat; he'll only offer advice if you ask but just to talk an issue out with him really helps. With all those years in the position, he's experienced just about everything."

She smiled, "It's always good to have backup! And I'm so glad you started including us on the weekly calls with the Director, even before I became your SFA. I hadn't realized that not every SFA is included in that until you went to Marseille!"

Tim nodded, "I hadn't either, I only had Pete's example, never even thought about it. So, I'm glad you want the job, I feel much better about leaving our team in your very capable hands."

"Is it…uh…"

Tim chuckled, "I remember asking Pete a very awkward question at about this same point in the conversation he and I had. I asked him if that was all that was needed, my saying yes and his word to Vance and was team succession always pre-selected. His answer was yes to the first and not often but sometimes to the second. Don't know about every Team Lead, but with us, the answer is yes. But no announcements yet, we'll wait until it's official."

She nodded; her eyes wide. Tim did indeed feel better, he'd told Vance he wanted her to take the Team Lead position and the Director had agreed, but there was always the chance that she would say no. The others arrived and the team dove into their paperwork from the case that had taken them to Crete. After the events of the weekend their days away and the case itself seemed like it had happened in the distant past rather than the previous week.

Tim went on the lunch run with Kim, wanting to spend some time with her. "I'll tell you what I told Bec this morning, if I could I'd take all of you with me."

She smiled at that, "And I think Evander and I would go, don't know about the others."

"You ever think about moving back?"

She sighed, "We've talked about it but my career path at NCIS stateside would be very different. I'd have to be strictly clerical or maybe an Intel analyst but that would mean working in one of the larger offices. The position I have here isn't even the same in all the offshore offices much less in the States. When Stan took Rota, he asked Pete what I did and then he tweaked the post there so the duties are similar. And Roger did pretty much the same thing in Marseille with Margaret although he actually had her come spend a week with me before her predecessor retired. But London and the Australasian offices don't have the same setup. And the real estate business is tricky to get into when you're new to the country and have an accent. Oh, don't frown, we're all used to each other but yes Evander has an accent. I think it's adorable but I'm afraid it would hold him back in the U.S. Plus he's worked so hard here to get where he is."

Tim nodded. "Still, I wish he could come help us out! We're meeting the relocation expert on Skype tomorrow night and I'm dreading working with someone who is not Evander." He sighed, "At least he'll have two houses to sell this time."

"The big house too?"

Tim nodded, "I think so. All the details aren't worked out yet but yes, my parents are going with us when we leave. Hélène and Davos have offered to finish up whatever we can't get done on both houses and work with Evander on the sales."

"I know they seemed okay yesterday but…"

"Yeah…in a way this will make things a little easier for the Kalivas'; just as they visited Damian and Lina here, we'll be close enough - we're hoping at most a 3 hour drive between us - for them to do the same thing in California."

"Will they buy another house there?"

"Don't know; I heard a rumor that there's a meeting of the Parents and Grands later this week. You know…it's too bad there's not an international real estate broker's license, then Evander could be in on that."

Kim looked thoughtful, "Don't know but hurry up, let's get back so I can Google that!"

By the end of their lunch break, Kim had the answer- yes, there was a way to be licensed internationally. She'd bookmarked the site and sent a text to her husband, knowing he'd be excited about it. It didn't look like becoming an international agent was all that hard, it might be possible for Evander to be licensed by the time Tim and Lina left for the U.S. She wasn't quite sure how that would all work, but her husband was a smart man, he'd figure it out!

The afternoon crawled as the agents continued their paperwork. Finally it was time for the Director's call and Bec joined Tim in his office. After giving their status, the Director talked about what was going on in DC, mostly for Tim's sake, and then mentioned that Agent Davis, the Team Lead that Tim would be replacing, was pleased that Tim had accepted the job and would like to speak with him when it was convenient. As Tim had been thinking the same thing, he was also pleased and was given the agent's contact information.

Before they ended the call, Vance asked to speak with Bec and Tim stepped out to the kitchen where Ned and Rusty were doing some warm-ups.

"You done already?"

"Yeah, short call tonight, after all I just talked with him on Saturday."

Ned nodded and then noticed Bec was still in the office. He turned away, they'd know soon enough. He hadn't said anything to Rob but he hoped that if Bec was made Team Lead he'd have a chance at being her Senior Field Agent. He figured that if it did happen, he'd sit Rob down and explain everything to him, including how important his brother-father was to the agency. He loved his partner but until the other night he hadn't realized how disengaged Rob was from Tim and maybe the others too. He thought that Rob's brain was so busy with his medical training that he couldn't keep up with anything else.

When Bec walked out of the office, she looked a little dazed and for a moment Tim worried but then she saw him and smiled, a great big "I got the job" smile and he smiled back, his team…their team…was going to be all right. She held up a finger and headed through the room; Tim figured she was going into Observation to call Geordie and maybe her parents. Relieved, he continued his stretches, remembering that they'd missed their Thursday night class. As he worked he wondered if he'd have time to continue MMA classes in the U.S. With his additional teams came new responsibilities and he was also sure to have a longer commute. He had a passing thought that maybe he could continue with George via Skype and then wondered how on earth he'd defend with anyone; somehow he didn't think that cyber-defending would do any good in a real life situation! Finding a way to continue his MMA training was one of the many details of his new life he'd have to figure out.

When Bec joined them for stretches she had recovered her composure. Tim hung back when it was time for them to leave for class and she joined him. "Thought I'd talk with Ned tonight or early in the morning."

"First of all, congratulations, that's wonderful news! Secondly, that's a good plan and then we can announce it to the whole team over pastries, how's that?"

George knew them well enough that he could tell when something was up, so when Tim got to the studio he pulled him aside and told him he'd be leaving for the U.S. in 3 months. The MMA Master looked at him for a long moment and then pulled him in for a hug. "I will miss you Timotheos."

"And I you, Master."

"Will you return for visits?"

"Yes, we're planning on once a year."

"I will see you then and perhaps I will be able to visit you when Dimitri does."

Tim pulled back, "The two of you visiting? Now that will be fun, George, I look forward to that and you'll see Matt and Damian too."

"Good, that will be good! And who is to take your place?"

Tim thought frantically as it wasn't his place to tell their friend. He settled on the truth: "My boss hasn't told me yet."

"Ah well, I hope it is someone I know and if not, I will trust it is a good person."

Tim just smiled and the two of them walked back to the others to begin their work for the evening.

Tuesday morning Tim took his time getting into the office so that Bec could speak with Ned. With so many people around after class last night, it had been too awkward so she'd made other arrangements. When he got down the hill, he was glad to see only Bec and Ned's cars. He walked into the office and found both of them at their desks. He smiled at them and detoured into the kitchen where he put the bakery box with the fresh pastries down and set the coffeemaker up, filled the kettle and turned it on for tea water. He turned around to find both his colleagues there, with huge smiles on their faces. He hooked an eyebrow and Ned beamed at him. Grinning back at him, Tim shook his hand, feeling even more relief. They'd need to find another agent, but that shouldn't be a problem, hadn't been so far. No, Bec would need to find another agent. It would be her team, her call.

Eva, Tea, Rusty and Kim arrived all at once. Tim made the announcement about Bec taking the position as Team Lead and after everyone congratulated her, not trying to hide their relief, Bec announced Ned's agreement to serve as her SFA. That made everyone happy again; eventually they quieted down enough to have their treats and beverages and finally got to work.

They were kept busy over the next couple of weeks. Three cases with pieces for them came from Marseille, Rota and the NCIS Hawaiian office. As always, Tim enjoyed working with the other European teams and was happy to help with the Hawaiian case.

As Tim's 40th birthday grew closer, he found himself wishing he could just skip it this year. It wasn't so much the milestone as that he didn't want to see everything as 'the last' … in this case his last birthday in Greece. He was far more excited about Jorrin's 2nd birthday. His son would have two parties, one at his day care and one at home. Both sets of grandparents would be there as well as all of their friends and many family members. Margaret and Chloe were bringing Zander, Dimitri and Tad and of course Athos would be there. Tim was happy to find out all three of his grandparents would be there for Jorrin's party and he was pretty sure they'd stay through Christmas.

His birthday fell on a Wednesday, the week following was Thanksgiving and Tim really hoped that the two would be combined. The group still celebrated Thanksgiving with the Russells at Pete and Trina's insistence and that felt right, especially this year.

His birthday did not escape notice. He wasn't surprised to find his team had a cake for him at the office and when he got home that evening, he found his tux laid out for him and one of their favorite non-family babysitters in the house. Lina wore a new dress for the occasion and while he thought that an evening alone would be wonderful, he wasn't surprised when Dad and Rhea picked them up and took them to the restaurant Vassilenas, where they were met by Geordie, Bec, Rob, Ned, Davos, Hélène and wonder of wonders, all three of his grandparents. The dinner was sumptuous and Tim, remembering this was the place where he and Lina had had their first 'official' date, thoroughly enjoyed the grown up party.

Ten days later the Russells held their Thanksgiving celebration and also celebrated Tim's birthday. When Tim and Lina got home that evening, there was a request for a Skype call from Tony and Maggie. They accepted and found Poppy, the Grands, Geordie, Rob and Sarah on screen as well, waiting. Finally Tim saw their eldest brother and Maggie and heard Lina gasp at something. He started to turn toward her and then it caught him, a flash from a ring on Maggie's finger. His father had seen it at the same time and was fighting a grin. "All right you two, what's going on?"


	166. Chapter 166

Tony grinned, "Remember I told you Tim, that we'd get around to it eventually?"

Tim grinned back at him, "Yeah I remember…so…?"

Maggie laughed "So we decided to get out of town for Thanksgiving; friends of ours have a condo, a time share, in Vegas, so we flew out here on Thursday."

Tim was looking back and forth at both of them. "And?"

Tony and Maggie held up their left hands showing their new wedding bands, "We got married!"

Poppy was beaming, he thought he'd burst he was so proud. "Congratulations!"

Grandfa was also beaming, "Anthony, Maggie, that's wonderful news! Tell us about it…"

Tony started, "We'd kind of been joking about it, you know, we're going to Vegas, now's the time, it'd be so easy. And then when we got here, we decided it _was_ time! We checked into the condo and before we did anything else, we put on our best clothes, went to a wedding chapel and got married."

Maggie added, "Our friends are here too, so they were our witnesses."

Grandfa nodded, "Good, so you weren't surrounded by strangers!"

"No, it was actually pretty nice and we had pictures taken too." Tony added, "I'll send them after we get off the call." The happy family chatted for several minutes before signing off. Tim looked at Lina, "Can't believe Tony got married! I'm so proud of him!"

"You think he'll be all right?"

"Yes I do. They've taken their time and Maggie is a very smart woman, they'll be fine."

"Hmm, I'd love to make them something for a wedding present."

Tim laughed, "That's a great idea, sweetie. Let me know how you're going to work that in anytime soon!" She made a face at him but knew he was right; the Barnes-DiNozzo wedding gift would have to wait.

The following day they celebrated Jorrin's 2nd birthday with a party at the big house. Jorrin had already had his party at his day care and had a great time. He had a good time at his family party too, playing with Athos whom he knew well and getting to know his Thessaloniki cousins a little better. They'd been down visiting during the summer so they were not exactly new to him and his older sisters were also excited to see the cousins again.

Tired from the double party weekend the team dragged themselves to work on Monday, hoping they would have no new cases that day. Their hopes were met and they had a relatively peaceful week, only spending time in the field to track down a couple of UA sailors. The 29th was the McGees' third wedding anniversary and they donned their dress clothes again, this time for an evening and overnight in Athens while Poppy and Nonnie stayed with the kids. Tim chuckled as he dropped Lina at the Benaki the next morning on his way to work, he felt rejuvenated and both of them felt like they'd somehow played 'hooky'.

And just like that it was December. They put their Christmas decorations up on the 6th, the start of the Christmas season in Greece while they continued packing up the house. The moving company representative had come by to look at their belongings, gave them an estimate and left boxes behind. While it wasn't strictly necessary, the man had advised them to pack up their smaller decorative items. Lina and Rhea were methodically preparing all of the artwork for shipment while Tim and the kids were sorting through toys to take with them and toys that could be shipped. He had Anna and Gemma put aside everything they wanted to take and then told them they could select four items apiece, everything else would have to be shipped. When Gemma could not decide which four dolls should go with her, her parents took pity on her and shipped some of the youngster's favorite 'babies' to Uncles Damian and Matt, so that they'd be waiting when Gemma arrived.

In the meantime, Anna and Gemma were enjoying their first Christmas as McGees. Their parents took the three older children to the Christmas village in Syntagma Square where they were mesmerized by the elves and the activity at the Christmas village. Their grandparents had many wonderful Christmas treats for them, from a special Christmas tea for the young ladies to a special visit to the 'petting zoo' to meet Santa's reindeer. They were just learning about Santa so that was especially exciting. Gemma and Jorrin were a little too young still but Anna had a great time going with Gram, Grandfa and Penny to see "The Nutcracker" ballet. Perhaps best of all, both Anna and Gemma were part of the school's Christmas play. Tim and Lina felt a thrill the night of the event as they sat in the audience watching their children; remembering their meeting at a school play just 4 years ago.

While all this was going on, Tim finally had time to speak with the outgoing Team Leader/SAIC of the Preston office. They'd had some challenges finding a time when both were available, but finally met face to face on a video chat. Agent Joaquin Davis was impressed when he met the other man; he had good questions about the offices, things that were useful and not BS. He'd been heartened to find that McGee was the adopted son of Jethro Gibbs, an agent he'd worked with a couple of times, admired and trusted. Tim smiled when Davis mentioned Gibbs and told him, "I worked for him for several years; he hired me as a probie field agent."

"Oh, so you weren't his kid then."

"No, that happened after I left his team in '13. My siblings and I decided we wanted to make him our legal father."

"How many of you?"

Tim laughed, "There's one girl and 4 of us boys. And now spouses and grandchildren."

"That's great! Tell you the truth, that's why I'm retiring now. I'm a former Marine like your dad and spent too much of my own kids' childhoods away from home. Now I've got two grandchildren, I want to spend as much time with them as possible."

Tim nodded, "My dad feels the same way, he retired from the field to move here and they're moving to California with us, says he's not passing up any chance to be with his grandchildren."

"How many?"

"Four."

"Nice! And how many of those are yours?"

Tim grinned, "They're all mine! My brothers are too busy spoiling my kids to have their own but my sister and her husband are about to become foster parents, so there will be more kids soon."

They steered the topic back to the office and Davis repeated the warning about the SFA. "She estimates her husband will be reassigned within the next three months."

"I see. Would you have any recommendations for a SFA, any of the current agents?"

"They're all too new, Tim. I'm hoping you'll know someone and Joel told me not to worry about it."

Tim nodded, "Good advice for me too. Joaquin, we're making the move to the U.S. in late February. That way my oldest daughter, who's in first grade, won't miss as much school. I'd like to come into the office before you leave - I won't stay long just want to meet you and everyone else."

"Great idea, I was hoping we could do that but of course with your move didn't know if it would be possible."

"Good, all right. We're arriving the Friday before the President's Day holiday and Anna starts school the week after, so any day the week of the 18th." He made a noise, "Oh, are you off on President's Day?"

"We rotate being on call for national holidays with the El Segundo office. We worked Martin Luther King Day, so yes, we're off on President's Day and they're on call."

Tim laughed, "Ok, the offices are much closer in California but that's what happens in Europe too. The four offices rotate holidays. Do you rotate on call weekends with them too?"

"Yes, along with two of the other offices that report to Southwest, so each office has one on-call weekend a month."

"Wonderful! Now, my planning a specific day to visit is of course dependent on your case load!"

"Of course, well you can always work a case with us." He laughed, "And leave your wife with the four kids in a new country, I'm sure she would not be too pleased!"

They talked for nearly 30 minutes before disconnecting. Davis felt better about leaving his teams in good hands and Tim was happy to hear more about the staff and to meet the current leader. He chuckled to himself about Davis retiring at age 55 to play with his grandkids. If he and Lina stuck to their plans for more children, they might still have young ones when he was 55; Anna would be 20 and Gemma 18, the only ones old enough to have possibly left the nest.

They'd decided that the children could open one present apiece on Christmas Eve and then the rest Christmas morning before they went to the big house. They felt they pretty much had everything under control.

Poppy and Rhea were on hand to help however they could. They packed boxes, helped sort toys and even offered to mail Christmas packages to the stateside family. When Lina tried to give them money for the packages, Poppy waved her away. "We'll keep track and let you know one sum, how's that? That's easier than a few Euros here and there."

Distracted, she was just as happy to not have to worry about it right then. Tim noticed that something was up with his family but figured it was Christmas surprises for the kids or maybe something for the whole family. He was working with Bec and Ned to get them more comfortable with their future positions and was busier than ever. With Bec's agreement, he'd promoted Rusty to a senior and they were still pulling together their list of candidates for the next new agent. The newbie would be on Bec's team, not Tim's but with everything going on, Tim and the rest of them, including Kim, were working on the list. Bec wanted someone she could train as she and Matt had been trained, so they were looking for a fairly new junior. They had compiled a list of twelve and between Christmas and New Years would whittle that down to their short list and then dive into the interviewing process.

At their last class before Christmas, Tim was busy practicing a new move with Rusty when he heard the door creak open. He didn't think anything of it until they were done and there was applause, a lot of it. Startled, he looked first at George who had a huge grin on his face. His gaze moved to the front of the studio where he expected to see the regulars and maybe Adan, Pete and Trina. He saw all those people and a whole lot more and his eyes widened as a grin threatened to split his face in half. Crowded into the front of the studio were his little sister, James, his uncles, aunts, cousins, Tony and Maggie, Jimmy, Breena and the kids, Leon, Kayla and Jared and in the back Ned's mother and James' parents. He just stood there, feasting his eyes. Then he remembered where he was and turning, bowed to Master George and his fellow students, glad to see they were as surprised as he was. George dismissed them and Tim went forward to say hello. He looked at the crowd, shaking his head. "Ok, Dad, is this finally payback for you not figuring out the adoption or Tony and Maggie surprising you on your birthday?"

That made several people laugh and his father-in-law shook his finger, laughing. "We have had so much fun sneaking around, Timotheos! And you never knew, neither of you – none of you!"

Kim was eyeing Evander, "This is the crowd, the client you've been working with?" He nodded. "Yes, I confess, I've been working to find housing for them all."

Tim and the others, including George, were busy greeting everyone when Tim stopped, realizing Rusty didn't know most of these folks. He turned to introduce him and saw a look on his agent's face; he'd just realized their Director was in the crowd. Tim chuckled, "Everyone, welcome back to Greece! Wow this is a huge surprise! This is Rusty Mayhew - he's new to the team since most of you were here last."

Rusty's eyes widened when the entire crowd said, "Hi Rusty."

Tim and his classmates quickly changed and joined the crowd, "So where are we headed?"

Pete snorted, "You're kidding, right?"

Bec laughed, "I hope the back room at the FP is large enough!"

Poppy answered that, "We checked - we're good." With that, they headed out, taking George with them. He wasn't quite sure he should be joining them but relaxed when he saw his brother at the pub, waiting. As they walked in Tim, Lina, Rob and Geordie managed to get in ahead of the crowd and stood there once again greeting each of their family and friends as they entered. Tim looked at his wife and she shook her head, "I didn't know! Poppy called to say they were on their way to pick me up and then the babysitter showed up. When I heard Poppy's car, I went out the front door and ran into Tony on the front steps!"

Geordie was laughing at them and Tim gave him a suspicious look, "Don't look at me, I didn't know either!"

"Doc?"

Rob snorted, "I barely know where I am most days, Timpa, someone could have told me the secret but I wouldn't remember unless it came with a medical condition!"

Their sister had joined them by then and the brothers hung onto her. She squealed happily and Lina laughed, "Sarah, you sound just like Zoe!"

She grinned, "You mean she sounds just like me! I can't wait to meet all three of my nieces – and see Jorrin too!"

Tony and Maggie reached them then and their siblings grabbed them, demanding to see the rings. Geordie wanted to see their marriage certificate and laughing, Tony pulled out his wallet. "I knew one of you would ask! Maggie made laminated copies for us because so many people think we're teasing."

He displayed a miniature copy of their certificate and Geordie made a show of examining it. "Hmm, looks real enough."

Maggie laughed, "Believe me, it's very real!"

Tony elbowed Geo, "So…?"

"Hey! We'll get there." Tim shook his head at them and then his face lit up when Eva and Caleb walked in with Athos and his three oldest children. His girls were holding Jorry's hand and they hurried to their parents. "Mama, Daddy, Aunty Eva and Uncle Caleb came to get us! Zoe's still asleep at home though." Tim kissed each of them, including Athos, and then swooped Jorrin up into his arms as Geo reached for Anna and Gemma headed for shy Uncle Rob. Sarah, James, Tony and Maggie stood quietly, trying not to look too anxious while their nieces were introduced to them and Jorry was given some time to get reacquainted with them. They'd seen them many times on Skype calls so they weren't brand new, but seeing them in person was different and much more fun.

By the time the party at the Flying Pig was over, almost all the kids had given up being shy or hesitant. Gemma, Athos and Violet bonded almost instantly. Anna and Gemma both chattered away to their aunties and uncles. Anna had captured Tony; she accepted no hesitation, just took his hand, his heart and made him her willing slave. Jorrin was the only one who was still a little shy which was unusual for him but Tim and Lina later decided he was just overwhelmed with all the people. He was perfectly willing to say hello as long as he was safely in the arms of his Dad, Mom or a grandparent.

With all this going on, Tim shoved his mixed feelings about the transfer to the outermost portions of his brain and just enjoyed the company. Friday was their last day of work before Christmas and the team would be on call for New Year's Day this year as they had been Tim's first year here. As they'd done the last three years, they exchanged Secret Santa gifts. They had a low spending limit so that it wouldn't seriously impact anyone's budget, the gifts were usually fun, homemade or edible and sometimes all three. This year Tim was Santa to Tea and he also had little gifts for each of them. With the help of his dad, he'd made a picture frame for Tea and stained it, inserting a team photo he knew was a favorite of hers. His dad insisted that he sign the frame and the back of the photo and now he was glad he had.

They had a tree up in the office and the gifts had found their way into the office during the week. They had a special lunch and passed out gifts that day. As always, they had a lot of fun with the Secret Santa gifts. Then Tim handed out more, his gifts for them – for Kim and Evander, Tea and Adan, Rusty and Eva and Caleb and a little something for Bec and Geordie and Ned and Rob.

He'd see Rusty, Bec and Ned over the holiday but the others would go to their families and wouldn't be at the traditional Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinners. Over the years, that had evolved into Christmas Eve at the Russells and Christmas Day at the McGees or the big house. He had no idea how they were going to handle the crowd this year but decided not to worry about it.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Tim went home Friday night and spent the weekend wrapped in the Christmas spirit and his family – all 34 of them.

On Saturday, the McGee siblings, including the Palmers, and their partners met for lunch at Vosporos. Tony said it was the first time since his TAD that he'd eaten with the group anywhere other than at the Flying Pig, the Russells, the big house or the McGees, but Lina pointed out they'd eaten together on Aegina during their wedding week. The 12 of them had a lot of fun together and Saturday night, the whole group gathered at the big house for a buffet dinner.

As he relaxed with his wife after the kids were in bed Saturday night, the eve of Christmas Eve, Tim shook his head, "Hard to believe this is only my fifth Christmas here. That first year you and I had just met and that's when the whole family thing started, when we'd just found out that Ducky was our grandfather and Rob and Sarah had just moved to the UK. We'd never been apart as long before and I was so happy to see them when they came for the holidays! And you made all the Christmas ornaments for me – for us as it turned out! We had that party the day after the kids got here, that was so much fun!"

She smiled, "And we will have fun in our new place too, Tim. By next Christmas we'll have additional friends to ask for a party."

He nodded, "And Damian, Matt and the Hofstadlers will be there too."

She leaned into him, "And our parents, I am sure of that!" He kissed her slowly and deeply, drinking in her love and giving it back to her.

Sunday morning, the entire crowd went to church with them, causing a major stir when 25 adults and 9 children entered and walked down the aisle together. The Russells and Vances had arrived early so, as Pete said later, they could see the spectacle. The Cranes and Hubbards came over for a light lunch afterward and then more of them started showing up with Sarah explaining they wanted to go Christmas caroling. The entire group went for a walk, singing Christmas carols much as they'd done 5 years ago. People came out of their houses and joined them or just listened, some walked with them as they continued around the neighborhoods. Finally they wound their way back to the house, breathless from their singing and the laughter. Late that afternoon they somehow managed to squeeze everyone in at the Russells, borrowing tables and chairs and using the same 'T' shape they'd used before. Despite the crowd, they missed Carla, Norm, the triplets, Matt and Damian.

Home again, Anna, Emma and Jorry each picked a gift from under the tree to open. That was fun for all of them as this was Tim and Lina's first Christmas as the parents of more than one child and the first "Santa" Christmas for Anna and Gemma. Christmas morning, the Gibbses, Kalivas', Mallards and Penny arrived to watch the little ones open gifts. That was even more fun and they laughed until their sides ached. Then everyone but the McGees went back to the big house; the family cleaned up and Jorrin and Zoe had naps before they descended upon the big house.

The girls hadn't realized there would be more presents and it was almost too much for them. Weeks ago Rhea had sent out a reminder to take it easy with the gifts and a suggestion that people might want to donate or buy a gift for a kid who had nothing in lieu of spending a lot of money on their own well provided for kids. Mindful of the Palmer boys' and the McGees' pasts, the family took that to heart. Still, all of the children had plenty of packages to unwrap.

Tim was pleased to open a card addressed to him and Lina that simply said warm coats, jackets, hats, boots, socks, gloves, scarves and blankets, as well as toys had been donated to the 59th Street Mission Shelter and also directly distributed to the 'Camp Residents'. That was from the Cranes and Tim and Lina kissed both of them, loving their generosity.

It got quiet as Poppy picked up an envelope addressed to him and pulled out a card that had him teary eyed. It was from all of his children and the card told him that they'd established the Gibbs - McGee Family Foundation. They'd used some of the Navy death benefits money to set up the foundation which would be used primarily to help needy kids, families and, as a tribute to Jackson and the shop owners who'd helped the McGee siblings, small business owners. They'd asked Tobias Fornell to serve on the first board of directors and had more board members to find. The charter required that there would always be a family member on the board besides Poppy who would be a permanent member. At the startup Sarah and Maisie would serve, with Penny helping them from the sidelines.

One of their first projects was to reach out to Cal Frazer, the new owner of Jackson Gibbs' store. While business was good, the building needed some work and he had been close to applying for an expensive bank loan when the Foundation contacted him. Another project was to boost funding for the free clinic run by Dr. Chesney and Doc Palmer. However, the biggest project would be the establishment of the McGee Home in Virginia.

In the past year Sarah and James had worked to become certified foster parents and they expected to take in their first foster child when they returned from Greece. They were still living in Poppy's Arlington house and would remain there until Penny's property was refurbished. Damian was working with them in his spare time and recently had recommended a local architect whose work he liked and trusted. While Damian would still have the first look at any plans, he felt he couldn't presently devote the time to the project that they needed. He'd privately told Sarah that the local architect was one he hoped to bring into the firm; he wanted to work closely with him to see if he'd be a good fit.

Ethan had been hearing bits and pieces of all this but now he wanted to know more as did the Hubbard kids. Sarah explained the goal they'd had as children, that when they grew up they'd have a big white house in a park and take care of children who had no one to take care of them and no place to go. Dr. Rob would take care of the sick ones and the others would work to help the kids however they could. Now that they were grown up and had some money, they were putting their plan into action and part of that was setting up a foundation so that there would be money for the kids to have plenty of food, clothing, education and most importantly people to love and care for them.

As a whole, the adults knew the plan but the children hadn't heard it and were excited. Ainsley, Callum and Ethan wanted to help and their respective parents promised to let them when the time came. Stevie and Anna looked at each other, as determined as the others. Anna looked at her parents, "I'll be old enough to help when it's time, won't I?"

Lina swallowed a smile and answered the question as seriously as it had been asked and nodded, "Yes Anna, when the home is up and running you'll be old enough to help."

Stevie's parents told him the same thing and the two sat back, glad they could be involved.

At nearly 6 years old Anna was old enough to understand quite a bit. When Ethan made a remark about being lucky that he and Stevie had had that kind of help, her forehead furrowed and she asked Ethan what he meant. After Ethan told her that he and Stevie had lived in a tent, she gave him a kiss and then looking down told him their story. "Gemma and I used to live in an old falling down barn with our first family. There were walls but they were made of box stuff…"

She looked at her dad, who asked, "Do you mean cardboard?"

She nodded and went on. "We shared a prickly mattress with our cousins Besiana and Jak, but he had to sleep at the bottom because he's a boy."

Ethan looked puzzled, "What's a prickly mattress?"

"Oh it had straw and hay in it, not soft stuff like we have now, so it stuck us when we moved around and sometimes we had to throw it all out and put more stuff in. We didn't have a kitchen; our mama and grandmama cooked on a wood fire, kind of like the grill on the fire at the beach last summer. We had some chickens and goats so we ate the eggs and drank the nanny goat's milk every day and my father caught fish sometimes. Mama got old clothes from people or the garbage and she'd sew them into clothes for us. Sometimes people would come and chase us out of the barn and we'd hide in the woods for a few days before we could go back. I didn't like that, mostly we only had berries and fish to eat then and it was cold at night."

Ethan nodded and the others realized the two were really having a private conversation as the 12 year old spoke again. "I never met my father and my mom told me Stevie and I had different ones. We lived in a house with a bunch of other people when Stevie was a baby and then my mom stopped going to work and we had to leave. We stayed at the shelter but then she wouldn't come back at night so we'd have to sleep at the camp, then she'd show up again and she was sick a lot, really bad sick. Finally, she had to go to the hospital and then she died, so Stevie and I had to move to the camp; we didn't want to go into foster care, I was afraid we'd be separated. We stayed with Juanita who looks really bad but turned out to be nice and she helped us."

"When did you find Uncle Jimmy and Aunty Breena?"

"Three years ago. They came to visit the camp and met us. Then Uncle Tim and Aunt Lina came, well they weren't our aunt and uncle yet. But they came and we met them and then our new mom and dad came to see us again and took us home with them. And now we have Violet and we're going to have another ba…oops!" Ethan looked at his parents, "Sorry!"

Breena patted his back, "It's all right Ethan; we were going to tell at dinner."

Jimmy looked at their smiling family, "Yes, we're having another baby; he or she is due in April!" That created a big happy hoopla!

Eventually all the presents were opened and Tim and Lina were shocked to find that none of the gift boxes they'd given Poppy to mail to the U.S. had been mailed but were tucked away here.

Tim realized that made sense and huffed at his father, "No wonder you didn't want any money!"

"Didn't make sense to mail them to the U.S. and then have to bring them back here to open. So we just put them in the closet in our room."

Tim opened his mouth and his father added, "I did mail the things addressed to people who wouldn't be here."

Geordie was frowning, looking around and his grandfather held up a card. "Is this what you're wondering about, my boy?" He nodded, relieved. He and Bec had sent Amazon gift cards to everyone in their Christmas cards. Jimmy laughed, "We've already spent ours Geo, thanks!"

Breena's eyes twinkled as she got up and left the group for a minute. When she came back, she handed Geo a card. When he and Bec opened it they laughed as it was a thank you note. "I was going to mail it but like Jethro decided to save the postage and give it to you personally!"

Dinner was a continuation of all the conversations and everyone had a wonderful time catching up with one another. There were lots of photos taken on various cell phones and Lina and Rhea used their cameras to make sure they took plenty of photos, especially of all the grandkids with Penny and the Mallards, then Davos and Hélène with them and finally a series with Poppy and Nonnie and the grandkids. The one that was the most difficult to organize because some of them wouldn't stop clowning around was with Poppy and his kids: Tony, Geo, Tim, Sarah and Rob. The next shots were with the kids and their partners, that bunch plus the little kids and then including the Palmers. Penny and Maisie helped with the photography on the shots where Lina and Rhea were included. And finally, Tim helped set up a wide angle shot with the camera nearly hung from the ceiling, a timed shot of the entire group. They joked afterward that they'd have to set up a separate album on Photobucket just for Christmas Day.

The group finally broke up well into the evening when Tim, Bec, Ned and Rob realized they had to rejoin the work world the next day. The overseas visitors were staying for a few more days and that made saying goodnight a little easier. The McGees had plenty of help carrying the four children, their gear and all their presents to the car. Tim shook his head, "One more thing added and we'll have to buy a bus!"

Tony, who was carrying Anna, laughed softly. "Hey, then you can be the Partridge Family!"

Tim snorted, "Then I'd have to be the one family member who never ever sang." As it was, they had to leave some of the larger and/or breakable items to pick up another day.

Unbeknownst to most of them, the news of the foundation and the stories told by Sarah, Anna and Ethan had an impact on one of the adults driving home to his busy life that night. Rob was reeling as he realized how involved he'd been in his own work and in his own head; he hadn't realized the Foundation was this far along and with a sick feeling, knew he hadn't participated in any of the decisions. He glanced at Ned, who was driving and taking a deep breath, started talking to his lover who he was sure had been as neglected as the rest of his family.


	167. Chapter 167

By Wednesday, everyone was back at work and Tim and Bec were busy with year-end paperwork when his cell buzzed just before their lunch break. It was Vance who wanted to know how their day was going, if they had any active cases. Tim replied that they were working on reports and cold cases and as Vance said something in return, the front door opened. When Tim heard his boss in stereo, on the phone and in person, he disconnected and walked out into the main office. Vance stood there with a half smile, "Surprise! I brought lunch."

Rusty had spent Christmas day with the Russells and the Vance family and his eyes had been opened as to the warmth and personality of his Director, but he hadn't really yet experienced the man's friendship with Tim. When Vance showed up in the office, Rusty could see Tim was happy, not nervous, and he was further surprised to see that when Tim held his hand out for a shake, Vance instead gave him a hand on each shoulder pat, one step from a hug. Further, he greeted the rest of the staff warmly. Oh sure he didn't make the same gesture as he had to Tim but Kim, Tea and even shy Eva gave him quick hugs. Lunch was from Vosporos because, Vance said, even though there was no class, he was fairly certain they'd all end up at the FP Thursday night anyway. Tim nodded, they'd already asked for the backroom tomorrow night and as far as he knew everyone was going.

The staff adjourned to the conference table and Vance relaxed, always feeling at home here. He made a new pot of coffee, put water in the electric kettle and switched it on. Opening the refrigerator, he found some of what he knew was Tim's favorite lemonade and a few assorted sodas. "I didn't bring drinks, figured you'd have your favorites here already." Eva paused as she pulled cutlery out of the drawers, "That's fine, we do."

Rusty blinked as he stacked the plates to bring to the table, he couldn't believe Eva was so comfortable with Director Vance. Then he realized that with Pete as Team Lead and former SFA to Vance, his teammates must know plenty of stories about the man before he became Director of NCIS. He decided to just relax and enjoy their lunch treat.

Vance smiled to himself as the newest agent's shoulders finally 'stood down'. He was used to people being nervous around him but he enjoyed doing things like this and was so rarely able to that he'd decided to just let Rusty be nervous. He sighed inwardly, with Pete and Tim gone from the team, he wasn't sure he could pull something like this off in the future. Although Bec…but she'd only be SAIC here for a short while, he had plans for her too.

The team enjoyed the unexpected company and their lunch. They had the phone with them at the table and they were all thankful it never rang. Vance told them some more Pete and Leon stories: there were two cases that had recently been declassified so he regaled them with sanitized versions of those.

When prodded by Ned who'd heard the story at some point, Tim put his storyteller's hat on and told the tale of one of the strangest cases they'd handled on Gibbs' team, the case of the Naval officer killed by a big cat, a hybrid of a lion and tiger. As he'd been at HQ working leads with Gibbs, the story centered more on Tony and Ziva's escapades while stuck in a blizzard on a ranch outside a very small town in Virginia – with a barn full of illegal and very hungry big cats and another dead body that had to be retrieved before the cats got to it. Ziva had told Tim many of the details that hadn't made it into the report and he told them with delight and some sympathy for the very bad day of the teammate who was now his oldest brother. After all, everyone has bad days, just not usually surrounded by man-killing cats, mysterious dead bodies, blizzards and a pissed off Ninja. When he heard about the Bates' motel and why Ziva was so angry with Tony, Vance laughed so hard he had to be patted on the back and given a cup of water to stop coughing and Tim thought he'd better warn his brother that he'd be in for some teasing tomorrow night. Like most people, Tony did not like to be blindsided.

Lunch also included dessert and while some of them saved their fresh baklava for an afternoon treat, Tim, Rusty and Vance ate theirs with gusto. Tim groaned, "I'll be on my cell if you need me the rest of the week – I'll be out running off all the delicious food I've eaten over the holidays!"

Vance snorted, "You don't need to run - just chasing your kids around should do it!"

That gave them more laughs and then the phone rang. It was a quick call, just Dimitri Avramidis calling to confirm their weekly meeting in the morning but it broke up the lunch. Vance insisted on helping to clean up, then he and Bec spent some time in the kitchen chatting while the others discreetly returned to their desks. Tim was back in his office with the door opened when his boss slipped in and quietly shut the door. "She'll do fine."

Tim was puzzled, "Of course she will, Leon, tell me you did not have doubts?"

"No, not at all, just wanted to make sure she didn't have any that she was keeping to herself. You know, like _other_ people do." He gave Tim a telling look and Tim chuckled, "Yes Dad."

Leon snorted at him, "Not old enough thank you very much and would never dare to step on your father's toes in that regard, but seriously, where is your head on this?"

Tim shook his head, "Right where it should be, Leon. I'm packing up the family, working with Bec, talking with the outgoing guy, asking Matt and Damian to do a lot of our leg work for us and working to look forward, not back."

"Tough to do sometimes."

"Yeah. Lot of good memories here and guess what, Greece is not vanishing from the world; it'll still be here for vacations and holidays."

"Helps that Pete and Trina are still here, will still be here."

Tim nodded, "That helps anchor me – and I think it has you too in the past few years."

Leon nodded, "Yes, being able to come back here with the kids to people who knew me and Jackie as people, a couple and not the Director and his wife…that's helped us immensely."

Tim smiled, "It's helped the people who care about you all too."

Vance pointed his finger, "Just don't post that conga line recording on YouTube!"

Tim laughed, "Uh, I've got a family to support and I like being employed, thank you very much! Your kids and the Russells are the ones you need to worry about and it's ancient history now…or is there a new one?"

Vance rolled his eyes, "Yeah, Ethan Palmer caught me Christmas Eve."

"Oh I see, so there's a whole new batch of kids to keep quiet!"

They talked for a few more minutes before Vance took off, telling everyone he'd see them Thursday night. Eva looked at Tim with a worried face and he smiled at her and then turned so that he could see everyone.

"Thursday night is a team dinner, the Director is buying."

"But he bought lunch!"

"Yeah, he really enjoys coming in here and seeing his best team at work and play. Nice that he's so generous, he says it's because all of us do such a good job and he wants each of us to know how much he appreciates it. He's not allowed to buy us gifts but meals are allowed."

That seemed to pacify everyone and Tim went back to work. Bec came in later with a question and added, "Is the Director really paying, or are you?"

Tim laughed, "It's the Director and yes, he really is that generous. He can't do much at HQ because there are so many employees, but before Jackie died…well she used to send dozens of cookies in with him during the December holidays. Everyone, from the Marines at the front gate to Fred the mail guy got a little thank you of some sort. He has to be careful during the year, doesn't want to look like he has favorites, but at Christmas he loves to go all out and of course this office will always have a special place in his heart."

"Like it will with you and me."

They smiled at each other as Tim nodded, "Exactly. And not just because of our first Team Lead positions. Also because we were Pete's last team, you were part of my first one and now I get to hand over the office to you. Lot of good feels in there."

Bec had something else on her mind: "I know we don't talk about this but knowing Geordie he won't ever say anything. Just so you know, whoever gets transferred first, we'll go together."

Tim nodded, "Thank you for sharing that. I trust you both, wasn't going to worry."

She sighed, "Tim…no never mind, we're at work."

"Something wrong?"

"Family stuff."

"Childers or the McGee clan?"

"McGee and one person in particular."

Tim huffed, "Yeah, not the place but thanks for your concern, I know it's a strain sometimes, feel bad for Ned, seems like he's more into the family than…ok, enough of that."

Bec nodded and patting his arm went back to her desk and Rob and his ongoing problems were, figuratively speaking, consigned to the back burner.

By Thursday close of business, Tim felt they had a better handle on their paperwork. It wasn't just the year end reports that concerned him. He wanted all the paperwork for anything done while he was Team Lead completed before he left them in February.

As he'd told Leon, he and Lina were handling the transfer, both emotionally and physically. Realizing that they had an advantage with Damian, Matt and the Hofstadlers not too awfully far from Tim's new office, they'd asked the two guys to help them find a house. The two had pulled Carla in with them and now the three of them were working with the relocation agent to find a home suitable for a large family with four active children under the age of 6 that also provided private spaces for Lina's art studio and Tim's writing. The couple discussed buying vs. renting at great length; however with what Vance told Tim about taking Joel's spot in a couple of years, they'd decided to rent for now. It just seemed like it would be less of a headache. They hoped.

Most of the Christmas visitors left before New Year's as they needed to have some time at home to be rid of the worst of their jet lag before returning to work. Penny and the Mallards stayed behind, determined to help and spend as much time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren as possible. Most of them flew to Thessaloniki for the January 6th Kalivas Christmas celebration; however Tim was the only McGee sibling in the group. The girls were overjoyed to spend time with Besiana and Jak and to see their Uncles Ariston and Paolo again. Zander, Dimitri and Tad were always glad to have more kids around and had a great time playing with all their cousins. Alexis, now approaching college age, spent time with Tim and Lina and was thrilled when they asked her to come for a visit. She'd started to seriously look at colleges and universities and there were a few in the United States that interested her. Chloe and Peter noticed and mentioned it to Tim and Lina. It seemed their daughter was interested in schools on the East Coast and the West Coast. The McGees were excited for either possibility although they tried to keep their enthusiasm contained as they were sure Alexis' parents weren't overly thrilled.

Chloe was pragmatic about their daughter leaving the nest; she'd seen this coming ever since Uncle Damian had introduced Alexis to the Russell children who in turn had led her to the Vances and the Hubbards. Alexis wanted to experience life in a different country and all in all, the U.S. wouldn't be a bad choice. There was plenty of family on the East Coast and of course Damian and Lina in the West. Peter was in denial, he wanted Alexis to attend a Greek university or at least one somewhere in Europe. It wasn't nationalism; he just didn't want his baby girl to be more than a couple of hours plane ride away from home.

The group from Piraeus spent more time than usual in Thessaloniki and while it had been worth it for the family, both Tim and Lina felt they were now in a race to finish everything before their departure in a little less than 5 weeks. Poppy and Nonnie would travel with them to the U.S., they'd already made arrangements with NCIS to pay a portion of the shipping costs so that their belongings would travel with the family's. With the move happening just when Davos and Hélène had planned to surprise Damian, they'd rescheduled that trip for later in the year.

The McGee-Gibbs flight over was all set. Back in November, when Tim looked into the price of airfare for the 8 of them, he grimaced. The agency would pay for the 6 of them and he knew his dad and Rhea could afford the prices. He was just imagining the kids stuffed into a commercial airliner for the hellishly long trip. Not to mention his own long legs and his dad's and the baggage restrictions. He and Lina talked about it, discussed their idea with Poppy and Rhea and then went to Grandfa with it. They wondered how much a charter would cost for the 8 of them flying from Athens to DC with a few days layover before continuing on to San Diego. Grandfa contacted the fellow who'd handled the charter for the wedding three years ago and they worked out a deal which Tim then presented to the relocation folks at NCIS. They had to go through channels to get approval but as the charter company had an excellent credit and safety record and NCIS would not be paying any more than they would for a commercial flight, the deal was approved. Tim sighed in relief when they were given the go-ahead. The cost was more but it was less than the difference between coach and first class for the 8 of them and Mr. Gemcity's account would handle it. There were some arguments about that but ultimately Mr. Gemcity was triumphant.

While they were no longer concerned about their flight, everything else was starting to close in on them. Luckily, Penny and the Mallards had been waiting to jump in and now they did - either helping to pack or taking over child care duties while Poppy worked around the house fixing a few things here and there. They hadn't been sure about the studio, whether to turn it back into storage or what to do. Evander did some research and ultimately the decision was to remove the studio features and turn it into a shop as it had been for Poppy. His workbench was going with him, so they fashioned another one and attached it to the building with a sink at one end so it could be used as a potting bench as well. Two of Tim's metal shelving units from his bachelor days were installed in the shed and fastened securely to the building framework. The heating and air conditioning system stayed; Evander said he thought the shed's former life as a studio for a famous Greek artist would be a great selling point. Lina was embarrassed by that while Tim was proud of his talented mate. In the meantime, the children were again sorting toys and treasures to take with them on the plane, have shipped or donate to a children's charity.

They'd been more or less done with that until their double Christmas hit them. With Zoe and Jorrin growing quickly, a lot of baby and toddler gear was no longer needed. As there was no one they knew who needed it or would need it anytime soon, it was donated to one of their favorite charities. Indeed, one of the things Tim and Lina did before they left was to attend a fundraiser for the charity in which Thom E. Gemcity and Melina Kalivas each donated a work of art for raffle prizes. They were amazed and humbled at how much money was raised through the raffle and were glad they'd gone through with it. They'd almost said no when first approached as they knew they'd be in a major time crunch, but in the end they managed and it had been well worth it.

Work at the agency continued as always. They worked a case with Marseille and London and Tim finally admitted to Lina that he did not like Special Agent Winters. They caught the bad guys and Tim said goodbye to Roger but Winters just got on a plane to London without saying anything. Even Gibbs at his worst had been more gracious to other team leaders than that; he would have managed a grunt or a nod of the head or something. Tim really wanted to ask Ned about her but he'd have to wait until he was no longer his friend's boss.

The day after they got back, Tim found a paper notebook on his desk. Inside was a printed list of rules and regulations for Winters' team. He spent several minutes with his eyebrows raised to his hairline and then just started laughing, he couldn't help it. Included in the notebook was Winters' team list for the past three years and Tim noticed that she'd had almost a constant turnover in those years. Nobody stayed long, including Julian her original SFA and the former junior agent who'd long ago lost his spot in Bremerton to Tony. Tim shook his head, she got her cases handled so she must be a good investigator but it seemed her leadership skills needed some redirection at the very least. She was far too concerned with the times each person arrived at work or how long each person took for lunch, complete with a sign-in and out sheet. She was apparently less interested in their development of additional skills as a memo was included stating how ridiculous she found MMA classes.

He thought about how he would handle a Team Leader like this if he ever had the opportunity. He thought she was about his age, so she'd still be around…if…or when…whatever. He didn't think she was suited for a larger office for one thing, he couldn't imagine sending out these petty and opinionated rules to one team much less to multiple teams with their own Team Leads! He imagined it would be sheer hell for her to work at HQ and be unable to maintain total control over her team amongst other teams. Maybe she'd be interested in an interagency transfer. He'd have to remember to ask Dad and Maggie if they'd ever worked with her. He knew Dad would just grunt if he had worked with her and didn't like something, otherwise he'd make a comment about her being a good investigator or whatever he'd found that he'd liked. And he'd wait to ask Maggie and Tony the next time he saw them in person.

There was one other case after the shared case and this one came their way from Rota. It was a UA sailor who, reminding them all of the serial killer last year, was suspected of several deaths between Spain and Greece. The Athens and Rota teams worked in their own jurisdictions but kept in close contact with the investigative work. They breathed a sigh of relief when they were able to clear their man and handed over the name of the chief suspect to Interpol who was delighted that they'd done most of their work for them.

That Friday night, Tim got home to find his best suit hanging in the bathroom and his dress shoes polished. He went looking for Lina, finding her downstairs. "Honey, are we going out? I don't remember…"

"That's because it's a surprise, Timotheos! We're leaving here at 7, so you have a few minutes to relax before you shower and change."

He teased her a little, trying to find out where they were going and if anyone was joining them, but she wouldn't budge and the kids didn't know anything. Anna could keep a secret but neither Gemma nor Jorrin had mastered that. When he picked up Zoe and asked her, his baby daughter squealed happily at him and reached for his nose, her favorite target these days. He played with the kids for a few minutes until Lina told him he had 20 minutes to get ready. It had been a paperwork day, he wasn't sweaty or dirty so a rinse off shower did the trick and then he took his time with his suit, thinking that this time it was his suit and not his tux, so probably not as formal as his birthday last year.

He was ready when the doorbell rang and heard his grandparents' voices. They smiled as they informed him they'd be staying with the children. He turned to say something to Lina, whom he hadn't seen since he'd gone upstairs and his legs nearly turned to rubber. She had another new dress on that made his mouth water and other parts of him come to attention. It wasn't particularly revealing but it was definitely sensual and that was one of the beauties of her designs. She was carrying her wrap, a long-sleeved coat that melded perfectly with the dress. Tim helped her put it on as Penny announced that their ride was there. Still in somewhat of a daze, Tim escorted his unbelievably sexy wife out the front door while his grandparents waited a few beats before making any comments. Maisie finally couldn't stand it and burst into laughter, "Oh that dress! We'll have another baby in our arms 9 months from tonight!" Her husband and Penny laughed with her. "Oh my, that certainly distracted him from the surprise!"

Several minutes later, Tim finally realized he was riding in his dad's Ford with Lina and Rhea and his dad was driving. He took a deep breath and decided to just relax and enjoy the surprise, whatever or whoever it was. They crossed into Athens proper and wound through surface streets until they came to a parking lot. Dad pulled in and Tim looked around, finally noticing the restaurant on one side of the lot. He and Lina had eaten there a couple of times before they had children and had loved it but it was very popular and difficult to get reservations. The four of them walked in and Poppy muttered something to the host who smiled at them and took them in right away. Ok, so they were probably meeting someone who was already here, Tim just couldn't think who. They walked around tables through the restaurant until the host finally stopped and gestured to the table. Tim's jaw dropped when he saw who was there. He wasn't terribly surprised to see Pete and Trina but Roger and Marla Martinez and Stan and Patricia Burley were a big surprise! He greeted them happily and the four of them sat.

"When did…how…?"

Stan snorted, "Boss, I know you trained him better than that!"

"I did but you know he was under Russell's influence after he left DC, so I can't be held totally responsible."

Pete responded with a good natured, "Hey!" while Roger took pity on their friend and colleague. "We couldn't just let you fly off to California without saying goodbye, Tim. We've run some rough cases, some great ones together - our three teams and we wanted to let you know that you'll be missed by all of us here in Europe."

Stan looked at him, "London has the on call this weekend so we bribed all the usual suspects to behave themselves until tomorrow."

They all laughed, "Ok, no bribes because, you know, the bad guys have more money than we do, but we worked things out with Kim and Lina to plan for tonight and then prayed and anything else we could think of so that none of our offices would have any cases today. We flew in this afternoon and we'll head home tomorrow. Roger's right, we've worked some tough cases together and it's been a real joy working with you." He paused and then winked, "And you know us, we don't say that about just anybody!"

Tim huffed, "Tough crowd, I know that!"

A large bottle of champagne appeared and toasts were given for Tim and Lina's future success. His friends were toasted in return and it was quite a while before they got around to looking at the menus. Tim knew what he wanted, a favorite Greek dish and he, Lina, Pete and Trina recommended several dishes to the others. Dad and Rhea hadn't been here before either so they listened carefully before making their selections. It was a lively group with the 10 of them; they thoroughly enjoyed the company and the meal. About halfway through, Lina asked what time they were leaving on Saturday and then asked them all over for brunch, telling them they hadn't packed the kitchen equipment yet. When Tim asked if they had swim stuff with them, the travelers looked at them nonplussed. Laughing, he explained about the climate control dome over their pool. Stan made a face, "How sure are you that Childers wants your job? Maybe she'd rather take Rota and we could come here?"

Tim snorted at him and told him to go find his own pool. Patricia chuckled, "We have a pool, Tim, but we don't have a climate controlled dome over it." She winked, "Check back with us in a month, I'll bet we have one by then!"

At some point when they were telling stories, Tim mentioned telling Vance about the missing details of a case they'd had on Gibbs' team and his dad looked at him, puzzled. Tim laughed, "Oh so maybe you don't know this! Ziva told me most of it." He proceeded to tell the group the same story he'd told Leon. His dad remembered the case very well and his eyes just got wider and wider as the story progressed. Finally he couldn't stand it any longer and burst into laughter. Tim didn't think too much of it, other than he loved seeing his dad laugh and of course Rhea, Lina, Pete and Trina were used to the man laughing. Roger and Marla didn't know otherwise although Roger remembered stories of Stan's stone-faced, dour former boss. But Stan sat in total shock, his mouth open until Patricia reached over and gently closed it. He'd never seen Gibbs laugh, not like this. Oh sure, sarcastically or cynically maybe but not an "I'm so amused I can't keep it in anymore" type of laugh. Tim just grinned at the former Gibblet (which he supposed was only technically true as Stan had left the team long before Abby coined the nickname) and continued with the story. Gibbs could scarcely control the urge to call his eldest kid/former SFA when Tim finally came back to parts of the story he recognized, just so he could laugh some more. But he did resist as Tony would be at work now and that just wouldn't be fair. When Tim finished, his dad patted his shoulder, "Does your brother know you know?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, I told him."

"And he didn't swear you to secrecy or anything?" That was from Pete.

Tim grinned, "No but he might have had his mind on something else at the time." His father shook his head at him while the others laughed and Pete commented, "Brothers, have to take every little advantage when it opens up for you, right?" Tim just nodded.

The party finally broke up, everyone promising to find their way to the McGees the next day and as their designated driver of the evening, Rhea drove her group home while Trina took the wheel of Pete's car. The others were staying at the same hotel and took a cab.

By the time everyone arrived the next day, Tim and Lina had subdued their hangover headaches. They'd had an already cooked Greek dish in the freezer so got that thawed and heated and combined with Tim's favorite garlic potatoes, which by now he could make in his sleep, and a salad, they had brunch all ready along with lots of coffee and tea.


	168. Chapter 168

Thanks to all my readers and especially to those who review -you all make my day!

Also a big shout out of THANKS to my awesome beta, harmonfreak1 for all of her hard work! She leads a very busy, hectic life, working two full-time professional jobs, handles family responsibilities, volunteers for a animal rescue foundation that is near and dear to her heart (and yes, she is one of the rescuers) and always squeezes in time to work on her wonderful story: Ages & Stages. For all of you who write or have written, you know it's not easy to do in the best of times and with a schedule like that can you even imagine? Amazing! So kudos to her and shame, shame on the reviewer who recently trashed her because she doesn't update fast enough.

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><p>The weeks raced by and February arrived. The week before their departure, the team and their partners surprised Tim and Lina after work one night with a potluck dinner at the office and served all of Tim's favorite Greek dishes. When he finally stood to thank them, he had to fight back tears as he told them what they already knew, had always known, how much he cared about them and how much his life here, his time with them meant to him, would always mean to him.<p>

That was an emotional night and Tim was almost glad it was nearly time for them to leave. By now Bec and Ned were handling their new positions, the new agent had arrived and Tim was 'acting' junior agent McGee, much to everyone's amusement. One day he was summoned to the embassy where he had lunch with Ted and Jack and the Ambassador and Colonel Martin came by to say their farewells and wish him luck. He survived his last class with George and had drinks with Dimitri after work one night. He'd had two new suits made by Archimedes since hearing of the transfer and everybody's favorite tailor told him any time he wanted a new suit or any article of clothing, to just let him know and he'd get it made, wherever Tim and Lina were in the world.

Everything was about as ready as it could be. The international school for Anna had turned out to be too far away from Preston; they'd been in touch with the local elementary school there and had an appointment to meet with the principal a few days after their arrival. Anna was excited about a new school but very sad to leave her friends at her old school. When her teacher suggested asking her new teacher if the two classes could be pen pals, the young girl was excited and gave the letter from her teacher to her Mama to hold onto until they got to California. Her 6th birthday was celebrated the first week in February and she thoroughly enjoyed her very first birthday party with all her friends and then her second one with her family. She lost one of her baby teeth that night and cried but recovered quickly when she found money from the Tooth Fairy under her pillow the next morning.

Gemma on the other hand, had decided she wasn't going back to school when they got to "Cafornya", her version of the word. She was done, she told her parents one night. They said that was too bad because in California she would be old enough after her birthday to go to a pre-kindergarten class which was a lot of fun, but if she didn't want to learn how to make things or read, have friends, have stories read to her or play games then they guessed she wouldn't go. That caught her interest and she said she might just think about it. Jorrin knew they were leaving but he was really too young to understand. He did understand that his Poppy and Nonnie were going with them and all three kids cried when they were told that Pappouli and Yayaka, that is Davos and Hélène, weren't flying with them but would be visiting later.

One night Rob showed up at their front door and asked to speak with Tim. His brother took him into the downstairs bedroom so they could speak privately and Rob told him of his revelation at Christmas. Since then he'd been working on repairing his relationship with Ned and now he hoped he wasn't too late to once again fix things with Tim. He said this time there was no rebellion or anger, he'd been so caught up in his medical work and studies that he'd almost totally blocked everything else out.

The brothers had a long talk and Tim was relieved that this time Rob had realized the problem on his own. He hoped that meant his brother was finally maturing into the man Tim had always known he could be and he told Rob that. Rob spoke with Lina too and she was tougher with him than Tim had been; she knew her husband was a soft touch when it came to his baby brother but this had gone on too long and she said so and Rob gave his word that he would do better by his family and friends. He told both of them that he hoped to take his last year of residency in the U.S. Tim was almost ashamed that his first thought was to worry about Ned having to transfer again. He'd hoped that his friend might be Bec's successor at some point next year but that didn't look likely if the two men stayed together. That had been another emotional evening and Tim had to drag himself into the office the next day. When Ned gave him an apologetic look, Tim shook his head, no need to apologize or worry about it.

There was one last party at the Russells the weekend before the Big Move. There were fun moments and good food because it was, after all,the Russells but it was difficult and the McGees, Gibbses and probably everyone else spent the afternoon with big lumps in their throats. The next day, their last Sunday, the McGees moved the children and everything that was going with them on the plane over to the big house. The moving company arrived on Monday and packed up the rest of their worldly goods. When it was time to climb on the charter jet later that week, their belongings would already be in a container on a ship at sea, bound for the port of San Diego where the moving company would pick them up and store them until the McGees had an address to delivery them to.

Pete came in for Tim's last day in the office and Tim was so glad to see him that he hugged him. Somehow they all got through it, he and Pete showed Bec the secret in the SAIC's office. Tim tried his best to ignore his breaking heart as he walked out the door for the last time as their SAIC and part of the NCIS: Athens team.

The McGees and the Gibbses had sold their cars and planned to take taxis to the airport but Grandfa surprised them with one last limo ride from Piraeus to the airport. He, Maisie and Penny were along for the ride to DC which helped ease some of Tim and Lina's heartache. Tim's brothers had been over to the big house for dinner the night before and said their goodbyes then. Tim didn't know which was worse: saying goodbye to his teammates and friends or his brothers. On later reflection, he decided the worst had been leaving his team and his friends. As hard as it was to leave his brothers behind, he knew he'd see them again and he didn't know that with a certainty about his friends.

When the oversized limo arrived the morning of their flight, they got the kids situated, the luggage loaded and finally the rest of them got in. When they pulled out, the driver turned left toward the office instead of right to take them to the airport. Tim started to call out but the driver explained, "I've been asked to make a slight detour."

He drove to the office and as instructed slowed nearly to a stop in front of the office where Tim saw a banner that said simply, "We love you, you'll always be a part of us, don't forget to come home. Godspeed."

Tim shut his eyes and Lina pressed his hand, "Fifteen years, love and we'll be back many times in between."

He nodded. They'd decided Tim would retire at age 55 and they'd move back here with however many kids they still had at home. They'd buy a house and hang out with the Russells, Kim and Evander, Dani and all their friends. In the meantime, they were already planning their first vacation back here, after school was out for the summer. The driver turned the limo around and this time headed for the airport.

They were driven onto the tarmac directly to their charter jet and the group joked about being mystery celebrities as their luggage was moved from the vehicle to the jet. They went through the ID check and then carrying baby Zoe, they helped Jorrin, Anna and Gemma climb the steps into the jet where they met the rest of their flight crew. The flight attendants helped them get the kids seated and their seat belts fastened. The others settled in around Tim and Lina, everyone buckled up, the jet engines revved up and they moved forward on the tarmac, ready for their journey.


	169. Chapter 169

Remembering their journey four years before when they'd been on the way to New Orleans for Abby's trial, Tim and Lina talked quietly as their children played, watched movies, moved around the jet with one of the adults, had stories read to them or slept. Once they'd made altitude, the flight attendants helped them spread a blanket out for the kids to sit on to play. Zoe practiced her rolling and scooting skills and chortled happily whenever one of her people picked her up to return her to the center of the blanket. Jorrin was determined to teach her to crawl and would get on his hands and knees to show her just how to do it. Zoe was her own person however and she'd crawl on her own time no matter how helpful big brother was being. Tim would just shake his head when she was stubborn, "I knew Jorrin was too easy! This one is Sarah all over again!" Lina would always chuckle and say "Well, since you raised her and she's a lovely person, I won't worry!"

The kids were thrilled when one or more of their great/grandparents joined them on the blanket and Tim took several photos of Penny on her hands and knees with Jorrin, trying to convince Zoe to try it just once.

Eventually they got hungry and found one of the joys of being on a charter is that they could eat on their schedule. They'd put some thought into the food they'd asked to be included and now they enjoyed one of their favorite dishes. The flight attendants were very baby and child friendly and assured them that if all the adults wanted to sleep they'd keep an eye on the kids. Tim wasn't at all certain about that but as exhausted as he was, he was the first one to doze off with Lina following close behind him.

Maisie was the one who stayed awake the longest and she kept one eye on the children while they watched movies. She had been happy in Greece and was fond of the friends they'd made there but was relieved that her precious grandson and his family would soon be back in the U.S. When she'd heard the news of the transfer her first thought had been, "Three down, two to go", counting Tony's move from Washington State back to the DC area. While she, Donald and Penny were exceptionally healthy for their ages, she knew they wouldn't be able to make these long flights across the Atlantic forever. Davos and Hélène, Jethro and Rhea were younger and would be able to handle the long flights for many years to come. She smiled to herself thinking that Damian's new job had certainly helped!

Since the news of the transfer, the parents and grands had decided to look for a suitable house to rent or lease. They'd done so well with the big house they were willing to find another big place they could share and wouldn't worry about everyone being there at the same time. There was the possibility of Jethro and Rhea finding their own place but Maisie thought they might just stay with Tim and Lina until the next 'big house' was found. She knew the couple would still spend time in Greece, as long as Rhea's family and their own Geordie and Rob were there.

Being comfortable, well fed and exhausted meant that most of the adults slept the entire flight. Penny woke a few times and she stayed up while Maisie grabbed a nap. Lina woke up just long enough to check on the children who were back in their seats, buckled up and also sound asleep. Tim also woke once, saw the kids were still in their seats and zonked back out again. Jethro read for awhile before he fell asleep and Rhea had fun sketching everyone in their various poses. Grandfa fell asleep after they'd eaten and didn't wake until they started their descent into Dulles.

Once they landed, they found the limo Grandfa had hired for this part of the trip, thanked their crew and told them to rest up, that they'd see them in a few days for the final leg. Their luggage was offloaded, Lina, Anna and Gemma's paperwork was inspected by a Customs agent, the kids were buckled in with the rest of them and off they went. The McGees and Gibbses were staying at Penny's so they were dropped off first with most of the luggage and then the Mallards departed for their own home where they found Claire and the kids waiting for them.

Tim sent a text to Geordie that they'd arrived safely and then realized he'd already forgotten the time difference! No matter, his night owl brother was still awake and replied that they'd let everyone else know later in the morning.

They got settled in their rooms and took the kids on a tour of the house. Anna remembered that this was the house that Aunty Sarah had talked about at Christmas and she looked around dreamily. "There will be lots of kids here, Daddy. Playing in this room, eating a snack in the kitchen."

A voice spoke up behind her, "Show me where Anna, please?"

It was Sarah, come to welcome her family home and after hugs and kisses, Anna took her hand and led her through the house. Sarah nodded as they completed the tour. "Yes, sweetie, that's just about what we have planned!"

They bundled up and walked outside, Tim gritting his teeth at the damp cold, and walked into the building with the pool and tennis court. Anna pointed at the tennis court, "That could be a play area. What is that?" Tim told her about tennis and she nodded, "It needs to go outside. This is a good place for the kids to play when it's too cold out but the mamas don't want them in the house."

"When they need to run off steam?"

Anna smiled and nodded, "Yes, Daddy!" She thought the pool was perfect of course. There was one room they didn't go into and Tim grinned when he found the door was locked. Sarah knew the secret and grinned back at him silently agreeing that Lina and Rhea should be the first ones to see it. She left shortly after to pick up her new foster child from school and bring him back. His name was Adam and he was 6 years old, about the same age as Anna and Stevie Palmer. His parents had been killed in a car accident when he was four and the guardian named in his parents' wills had died in Afghanistan shortly after his parents' death so little Adam became a ward of the state of Virginia. He was a quiet little boy and stayed very close to Sarah the whole time they were at Penny's. His eyes followed the children though and Anna and Stevie invited them to play with him. He shook his head but Tim, remembering Rob's shyness, thought he might play the next time he saw them.

James, Tony and Maggie came by after work, thrilling the kids who immediately grabbed them to play. They got a few minutes out of the tired trio before Penny announced dinner; the pizza had arrived.

They all crashed early that night. Tim and Lina were still asleep when Anna came and woke them up before dawn. "Mama, we can't sleep any more. We tried but we're all waked up!" She added, "And Jorry's hungry."

Tim grabbed the robe he'd left next to the bed and climbed out, "Come on, sweetie, how about you help me get breakfast ready?" Then he stopped, wondering what Penny would have after months away. From her cozy nest, Lina laughed, "She has frozen waffles in the freezer and Claire brought some food over when they brought the crib and turned up the heat. There's powdered milk in our stuff if there isn't any in the refrigerator."

Tim nodded, "Thank you my darling, now see if you can sleep a little longer, hmm?" She nodded and closed her eyes while Tim and Anna tiptoed out of the room. The kids were all in one room at their request, saying it would be more fun that way. Gemma was up and combing the hair of one of her babies. Jorrin was playing with a nice quiet stuffed Thomas engine and Zoe was in the crib set up by the Hubbards, experimenting with her moves which was hard to do in her sleep sack! She squawked when her daddy lifted her out but was just as happy to have her wet diaper changed. Jorrin got the same treatment and then the five of them walked or were carried quietly downstairs. He got the two youngest settled into the high chair and booster seat and then dove into the freezer. He found coffee, butter, frozen waffles and orange juice. Putting it all out on the counter, he found the toaster and moved it onto the counter too, plugging it in and then inserting the first batch of waffles to heat up. He found an unopened bottle of maple syrup in a cabinet and brought that out and then popped the frozen butter into the microwave for a few seconds. Next he found milk, eggs and bacon in the refrigerator and gave the big girls glasses of milk to get them started and took one of Jorrin's sippy cups out for him. He had Zoe's bottle of formula ready for her in no time and she grinned toothlessly at him. He'd just cut the two waffles into four pieces and put two more in the toaster when his dad walked in. He waved to the kids and immediately got the coffee going. Once he'd done that, he turned and kissed each one of them, including his own kid. "Mmm, waffles smell good!"

"I'm gonna make some eggs too."

"How about you sit and eat with the kids and I'll make the eggs?"

That was a treat as Tim almost always made breakfast and he gladly sat after he was given a mug of coffee. Soon the kitchen smelled of frying bacon while the waffles continued to pop in and out of the toaster. By the time everything was cooked and the kids had eaten their fill, Penny and Rhea had drifted downstairs. When they looked for Lina, Anna told them, "Daddy likes Mama to sleep in when she can. He says she does all the work most of the time so he likes to do things when he's home."

Tim felt his ears turn red, he'd had no idea Anna knew that. It was no surprise to anyone else though and they just went on with the meal. Leaving a full plate in the oven for Lina, Penny and Rhea cleaned up the kitchen while Tim got the kids cleaned up and dressed. Today they were going to visit NCIS and would meet Uncle James and hopefully Aunt Maggie and Uncle Jimmy for lunch there. Penny wasn't going, she said she'd been a few times now and unless the orange walls had changed color she really didn't need to go back. After NCIS, they'd come home for naps and then go to the Hubbards for an early dinner. Tomorrow they were going to see some of the monuments and Tim had been teased by nearly everyone about stopping by the White House to see his buddy the president. Of course the president who'd interviewed them in 2015 was no longer in office so that wouldn't happen. They were, however, going to take a tour of the White House and the Gibbses and all three of the Grands would join them. That would happen in the morning and then they'd see some of the monuments. Tim had told the girls about President Lincoln so they were excited to see the big statue of him. They were also excited about the big pointy building they'd seen, the Washington Monument, and they'd see that the next day.

So off they went to NCIS. Tim was happy to find Henry, his favorite security guard still there. The man greeted Tim and Poppy warmly and Lina was reminded of the "hail the conquering hero returns" atmosphere that she and Tim had found on their visit four years ago. Henry welcomed each of the children by name, wrote out their name tags and laughed when Zoe tried to grab his nose. He called James for them and the girls had to be restrained from jumping into his arms.

"We're at Uncle James' work, girls, we need to behave as we do in church."

Gemma looked at her dad, "We have to kneel?"

"No, we need to use our indoor voices and be polite. No running or yelling."

Gemma nodded, "Ok Daddy." and then turned to her little brother and told him. He nodded solemnly and then tugged on his dad's arm to be lifted up. Poppy lifted him instead as Daddy had Zoe in his arms and Jorrin grinned, "Hi Poppy, I'm big now I can see more!"

"That's right, kiddo! So let's go see where Uncle James works."

James held Gemma and Anna's hands as they proceeded to the IT center. Tim was surprised to find he still recognized a couple of people and wondered why they were still there; they'd been cutting edge when he'd left and he would have expected them to be long gone, swept up into the higher salaried tech world by now. He waved at them and Zoe copied him. James explained that Maggie was in a meeting in MTAC but would be out in 10 minutes; in the meantime they were going to see Daddy and Poppy's old work area.

Anna looked startled, "Daddy, you worked here?"

"I did, Anna, I worked here for 10 years! And you know who my boss was?" She shook her head and he continued, "Poppy!"

"But Poppy's your daddy, how could he be your boss too?"

Realizing he was backing himself into a corner he didn't want to be in right now, Tim just smiled at her and said, "That was before he adopted me, honey."

Anna nodded and her grandfather gave her daddy one of his little smiles that meant he was happy. They got off the elevator on the second floor and were relieved that their old bullpen was empty just then. Taking the girls by the hand and still carrying Jorrin and Zoe, they walked quietly through the area. Poppy pointed out desks. "Your daddy sat there, see that thing on the back wall? Your daddy put that there a long time ago!"

Unbelievably, the old "Venetian Snares" banner was still there. Tim took up the narrative, "And you know who sat at that desk after me?" They shook their heads, "Uncle Ned!"

Anna was very surprised, "Our Uncle Ned worked here too?"

"Yep, Poppy was his boss too and Uncle Tony's."

"Wow, that's a lot of uncles, Poppy!"

Poppy nodded, "Yeah, there sure were!"

Tim turned and directed them to Maggie's desk, "That's your Aunt Maggie's desk."

Gemma pointed, "Look, she has a picture of us!"

Tim smiled, that was nice to see. "And before it was Aunt Maggie's desk, do you know who sat there?" They shook their heads. "Poppy!"

Anna hit her forehead, "Oh yeah, because he was boss and now Aunt Maggie is."

"That's right."

"And over here," Poppy was pointing to the desk on the far end "that was Uncle Tony's desk." Anna smirked and ran around the bullpen touching each desk, Gemma and Jorrin following and copying her. Tim and Poppy heard a noise and looked up reflexively at the catwalk where Vance was standing, looking amused. Jorrin immediately forgot the 'church manners' rule and yelled, "Unca Leon!" Of course that had to be a quiet moment so no one was on the phones or away from their desks, Tim was pretty sure Jimmy probably heard it down in Autopsy. Vance just motioned them up and they climbed the stairs. He hugged and kissed each of the kids and took Jorrin and Gemma by the hand, "Come on, let's go see my office. We might find some cookies in there!"

Anna followed them and Tim and Lina followed her while Zoe brought along her part of the procession. They stopped to say hello to Pam Cooke and then walked into the inner chamber where they found Jorrin and Gemma jumping on the couch. Tim frowned at them and spoke in his strictest daddy voice, "Jorrin, Gemma, stop and get down." Both kids stopped immediately and got down. Tim took each of them by the hand and took them off to the corner by the window to have a little chat. Anna was relieved that she'd remembered to be good and her mother gave her a pat. When her brother and sister turned around, Daddy was still holding their hands and they said "I'm sorry" to Uncle Leon. He solemnly accepted their apologies and then after getting a nod from Tim offered everyone homemade cookies that he and Jared had made. They all sat at the big table and had cookies and juice boxes and then hugged Uncle Leon goodbye so they could go see Aunty Maggie and Uncle Jimmy, who were now available. When they got back downstairs to the bullpen, they found people at the desks, which was confusing until they saw their aunt. The three kids hurried to her and said hello so quietly that Maggie looked a little worried until Lina explained they were using their church manners. While they were talking to her, Rick Carter and Jim O'Brien came over to say hello to all of them.

Lina knew Rick but she didn't remember Jim nor did she know if she'd actually met him before so she just went with the flow. Both men were introduced to the McGee children and were suitably impressed. Gibbs could see that Jim was looking at Anna and counting the years since Tim left, but Rick nudged him and he stopped, looking a bit chagrined. Gibbs rolled his eyes at him and remembering that O'Brien knew ASL, signed to him that the girls were adopted. Much to Poppy's satisfaction, that seemed to make the man feel even worse. Poppy started to sign something else but Tim saw him and he stopped, smiling at his son. Happily both Uncle James and Uncle Jimmy came along then and the group left for lunch. After they ate, they returned to NCIS and walked down the hallway where all the thank you notes and commendations were displayed. Lina showed the children the letters about their dad's team, Aunt Maggie's and Uncle Tony's teams and then showed them those that were still displayed for Poppy's old team. Photos of some of the teams had been added and they giggled when they saw the one with Poppy, their Daddy who looked like he was a kid and Uncle Tony. Anna looked at her dad, "How old were you?"

Behind her, her grandfather snorted while her dad told her he'd been 23. That seemed pretty old to her but his picture sure looked like he was a kid. Then she spotted photos of other familiar faces, "Grandfa! And Uncle Jimmy!"

"Yes Anna, Grandfa worked here for many years and Uncle Jimmy worked with him for several years before he retired."

The kids especially liked the letters with the big palm trees and Tim found the one from Uncles Dave and Jim and showed it to them, spotting one he hadn't seen before.

"Wow, Dad, you have your own palm tree letter!"

"We both do, son!"

He and Poppy carefully steered them back up the hall, not wanting to explain the photos of "The Fallen" and except for some additional greetings from old friends and colleagues that was the end of their visit.

By the time they got back to Penny's, Tim thought he might be more in need of a nap than anyone. He was tired and felt a headache creeping up on him. Lina looked at him. "Timotheos, do you have a headache?"

He started to nod and winced. His dad turned to Lina, speaking softly. "Why don't you two go on upstairs and get some rest, we'll get the kids changed and down for naps too." He looked at Tim, "Are you coming down with something?"

Tim thought about it, "No Dad, I think I'm just tired."

Lina murmured, "You're exhausted, love. Come with me." She knew he was emotionally and physically exhausted and wanted him to relax until it was time to go to the Hubbards later that afternoon. Penny dug her bottle of Ibuprofen out from her still packed carry on bag and he took two of those with a little food so they wouldn't bother his stomach. He lay down with Lina in their room and was asleep in minutes.

When he woke, he found Lina next to him reading and he pulled her into his arms. "Oh, feeling better, I see!"

"Mmm, much better. Where are the kids?"

"Asleep and Poppy, Nonnie and Penny are on kid duty the rest of the day, my love."

"Wow, hmm, what shall we do to celebrate?"

She gave her little laugh and that led to some very private moments.

When Tim woke again, Lina was just coming in from the en suite bathroom. She was wearing her swim suit and tossed his onto their bed. "There's a whole big heated indoor pool down there and there will be nobody but us in it!" Tim hurriedly slipped into his swim suit and grabbed warm robes, towels and winter boots from the closet to cross the yard. He murmured to her as they thudded in their boots across the property from the back of the house to the building that housed the pool. "The first thing we build is an enclosed breezeway to connect the pool building to the back of the house!"

"With locked doors at either end."

"Yep."

"And even then, the same kind of pool cover we had at ho…in Piraeus."

"Oh yeah and an alarm for the door."

They'd reached the pool by that time and after hanging their robes up and pulling the incongruous but warm boots off, slid into the nicely heated water. They took their time swimming laps and generally settling into a nice relaxed pace. Tim sighed after completing the number of laps he'd assigned himself. "Ah, that feels so good! You know, hon, I'm so glad we stopped over here, I think this is the most relaxed either of us has been since the day Vance called."

Lina pulled up next to him, "I agree, love." She paused, "What would you think of us taking the afternoon off from parenting tomorrow as well?" He raised an eyebrow and she smiled, "Penny told me that she, Grandfa and Grammie want to spend the afternoon with the children tomorrow. That will give your dad and Rhea some time to themselves too. And really, once we leave here it will be the four of us adults for child care until my parents arrive."

Tim nodded ruefully, "And I go to work. Lina…"

"Yes if you're going to suggest preschool for Gemma and at least part-time daycare for Jorrin and Zoe. No if you're going to suggest a nanny."

"I don't want a nanny either, sweetheart, but I do think we need you to have time to be Melina and not Mama. This is a two career family so let's make those arrangements as soon as possible."

"We did fine at home, Tim, I mean in Greece. It's just been the past year with the girls and then Zoe's birth and then…well you know."

"The complete and utter chaos of our lives?"

She laughed, "I wouldn't change a thing!"

"No, me neither and we can't say we weren't warned!" He paused, "But LinaMelina, we need to be us too. I know we've slipped a little in that regard, so let's start our weekly date night again."

"And ask Poppy and Rhea to babysit?"

"And we'll find some trustworthy sitters. We'll arrive on Friday; we can go to church on Sunday and see what social services they offer. We may find schools and sitters through them."

"That won't be the place we live though, Tim."

"Right, well it's a start."

She nodded and he pulled her to him as she asked "What did you tell the terrible twins their punishment would be?"

He laughed at the nickname. As Jorrin got older he and Gemma seemed to get in trouble together more often and he'd dredged up the nickname he had called Sarah and Rob when they were roughly the same age and naughty.

"I saw the cookies when we walked into Leon's office, knew they were homemade and didn't want to punish Leon too so I told them no dessert tonight."

She nodded, "Good. I'll send Claire a text so she'll be prepared. You know, they've never jumped on their beds or couches before."

"So…they must have seen it somewhere."

"Hmm, they watched a few movies on the flight over, but I thought they were all rated for Jorrin's age. I'll look on the receipt and see what they were."

"Good and then we can research online, find out what's in them. Might let us know what else we can expect if that's where they got the idea."

"That's a lesson, that's for sure! I saw the name "Disney" and the age group and thought they'd be fine."

"Might have been others too."

"I suppose we could ask the kids."

Tim laughed, "Oh, right, take the direct approach! That's the best idea, isn't it? And it'll remind them they still haven't had their punishment. And if they don't remember, Anna might."

Lina nodded, saying "The more I think about it, the more I think it's an excellent idea that Jorrin go to daycare and Gemma to pre-school. They'll make friends and maybe we can stop the 'terrible twins' syndrome."

"Good and in the meantime right now we're just Lina and Tim."

She got the hint and the two of them spent some more time just being together. Tim spotted a storage box with pool toys in it and they got them out to play. They had mock battles with the noodles, played pool Frisbee and then got distracted playing pirate and tavern maid. Eventually Poppy pounded on the door and told them it was time to get ready for the Hubbards. When Lina wondered how he'd known they were in there, Tim laughed. "He always knows, Melina! Everything!"

"No he doesn't. He didn't know about the adoptions or Tony and Maggie's visit."

"The only exceptions in all the years I've known him."

"That's not right either Tim, you said he didn't know about Abby's attitude toward you – or Tony bullying you."

"Huh, you're right. Wow, so he is human! I guess that means I need to stop thinking of him as my own personal Superdad."

She smiled, "Well, I'm pretty sure he's still that!"

They'd dried off and were working their feet into the boots by now. Finally shod for the cold weather, they put the robes on and ran across the yard to the back of the house. There they found that Poppy had left them plenty of time to get ready for the Hubbards. They took a joint shower and then dressed in the warmest clothes they had with them. Lina sent a text about dessert to Claire who replied saying she understood. Tim went to the kids' room and found all four of them dressed and ready to go. They still had a few minutes so he pulled the three older kids onto his lap and kissed them. "How are my babies? Were you nice to Nonnie and Poppy?" They nodded their heads. "Good, thank you! They're very special people to me too, you know." They nodded. "I have a question to ask you and Anna, if you know the answer please let me know, ok?" All three nodded again. "Jorrin, Gemma, do you remember where you got the idea to jump on Uncle Leon's couch?"

Jorrin's lower lip trembled and Tim patted him, "Mama and I just want to know where you got the idea."

Gemma said, "TV."

"You saw it on TV?" She nodded. "At home, before we left?"

"No on the plane, we saw a show."

"Do you remember what show?"

She shook her head and then nodded, "It wasn't a cartoon."

"It looked like real people?"

She nodded and Anna nodded. "Oh yeah, it came on after one of the movies was over, it was called…"she scrunched her face in thought. "Oh, Laberne and something. Two big girls who acted silly."

Tim thought about Laberne…"Was the name something like Laberne? Laverne maybe?"

"Yes Daddy that's it, Laverne and something. It was grown up girls doing silly things."

"Ok, thanks, sweetie, that's a big help! Now, how about you play with Zoe while I talk to your sister and brother?"

"Ok Daddy."

He pulled Gemma and Jorrin closer. "Did you think that jumping on the couch was a good thing?"

Gemma shook her head, "No but it looked like so much fun."

"So you had an idea it might not be a good thing to do." She nodded. "It wasn't a good thing to do, Gemma. Jumping on beds or couches or tables or anything is not a good thing to do and jumping on someone else's couch was even worse. Have you ever seen Mama or me jump on a bed or couch?"

"No Daddy."

"Ok, now what could you have done instead of jumping?"

"Ask you or Mama?"

"Yes, that's a very good idea; you could also have asked Uncle Leon since it was his couch."

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

"I'm glad to hear that, Gemmalove. Now, one more thing. There are a lot of things that happen on TV that should not happen in real life; TV is all pretend, honey and not all pretend is good. That was a mistake that you even saw that show yesterday. It's a grownup show that isn't meant for kids to watch, but seeing it was not your fault, one of your grownups should have been watching you and we weren't, so that makes us wrong too and I apologize to you and Jorrin."

Gemma and Jorrin looked at him with wide eyes, "You were bad, Daddy?"

"Yes, I'm your daddy and it is my job to watch out for you and I didn't do it on the plane. I am sorry."

"It's ok, Daddy, we 'cept your 'pology."

"Thank you. Now, back to the jumping, I understand how it might have looked fun but you knew it might be bad, Gemma. When you think something might be bad, I want you to stop to think more about it and if you really can't decide ask a grownup, someone you know, before you do it. It's very important."

"All right Daddy, I promise."

"Good sweetie! Now I said no dessert for you two tonight but since I messed up too, I won't have any dessert either. Is that all right for my punishment?"

The two of them nodded, struggling with the idea of Daddy having a punishment. Tim gave Gemma a kiss and sent her to play with Zoe and Anna while he had a chat with Jorrin who needed to learn his lesson too. He was old enough now to start thinking on his own and not blindly follow his sisters or worse, someone he didn't know. He put it into words he thought his little boy would understand and Jorrin nodded, "Ok, Daddy, I will think whether you or Mama would be happy with me."

Tim guessed it was pretty close to "right or wrong" for his age. That was enough and he retrieved Zoe from her precious tummy mat and then told the kids to hang onto him going down the stairs. He heard a cell phone camera click as they reached the last steps and thought the kids probably looked cute holding onto him.

Before they left for the Hubbards, he let his dad know that he needed a private moment with Lina so Poppy distracted the kids for a few minutes.

"Tim, what is it?"

Tim sighed, "The kids remembered where they saw the jumping; it was on the plane and it wasn't in one of the movies. After the last movie ran out, a TV show started and they watched that, apparently nobody checked on them for a few minutes. That's where they saw two big girls jumping on a couch or bed."

"Oh dear!"

"Yeah, our flight attendants must have been busy and I guess we were all asleep. But it's our job to watch them, Lina, and I told them that; I messed up, I should have been watching over them. I apologized and they accepted and my punishment is also no dessert tonight."

"Tim, that's…we were all there, it wasn't just you!"

"I know, but we're their parents."

"So I will not have dessert either."

"Thought of that but I don't want to turn this into a joke or get too carried away. And I don't want to make a big deal of this with the family. This concerns our children and us."

She nodded, "All right, I see your point."

"I'll send a quick text to Claire and ask them not to make a big deal out of it…for any of us."

She gave him a quick kiss and they returned to their waiting family.

They had a wonderful time at the Hubbards. Aunty Liz was there too of course as well as the Mallards, the Powells, the Palmers and Tobias and Emily Fornell. Tony and Maggie came straight from work, arriving just as they were sitting down at the table. After dinner was served, Lina leaned forward to the latecomers. "I have a question to ask you two."

They nodded at her to continue. "Maggie, I know you're keeping the name Barnes for work, but what about outside work? Are you the DiNozzos or DiNozzo-Barnes or Barnes-DiNozzo or DiNozzo and Barnes?"

They chuckled and Maggie answered. "We've had a lot of discussion about that! What we're doing is pretty informal. We're 'the DiNozzos' when it's more convenient – sending an invitation, addressing an envelope, those sort of things and I'll be Maggie Barnes otherwise." She leaned forward, "But don't tell Senior that! He's all over us with Mr. and Mrs. Anthony DiNozzo, Jr.!"

Penny visibly shuddered and Lina nodded, understanding her feelings. She was thankful for the centuries old custom of Greek women maintaining their names. While they were the McGee family and the children had McGee as their surname, she would always be Melina Kalivas. She'd been proud of Sarah for choosing to do the same thing, she was Sarah McGee and she was happy to hear Maggie was doing that as well.

Tim made sure that he sat between Gemma and Jorrin and when dessert was offered, the three were not the only ones to pass it up. Penny begged off. "It looks delicious Claire but honestly I am too full to eat another bite!"

Tony also demurred, "Thanks but we had birthday cake at work today and I'm still trying to lose the weight I gained in Greece!"

They all laughed at that as they had all certainly had their share of homemade pastries and other delicious baked goods over the holidays.

Penny pointed her tea cup at Tony, "Let me know if you want to swim after work – or I suppose even before work. It does wonders."

"Thanks Penny, I might take you up on that!"

The children were excused to play, with Ethan, Callum and Ainsley directed to keep their eyes on them. Tim was glad to see that Adam played with Stevie and Anna without much hesitation. Sarah noticed him watching and they grinned at each other. Their past was not something they thought about every day but they were proud that they were implementing their childhood plans to help other children in need.

Claire asked how the plans were coming along for the property and Sarah updated them. The local architect had been thrilled to be recommended by internationally rising star architect Damian Kalivas and had signed onto the project. He would study Damian's partial design, meet with him and then get working on his own design which would involve the outbuildings. While Damian liked what he'd done at his family home well enough, he, Sarah and Penny agreed to a less formal appearance overall here in Virginia so the buildings needn't be hidden behind the house as they were in Thessaloniki. The new designer would also plan additional homes on the property and a grandparents' wing that would be added to the first floor of the main house. Penny reported the possibility of an additional acre coming up for sale along the back of the acreage and Sarah replied that they had a call planned the next day to discuss a possible purchase. They wanted to make sure they had enough land to expand but they didn't want to overreach themselves at this point.

Tim listened with interest and suddenly realized this was going to be all right, this living on the same continent, getting to see everyone more than once a year, being able to participate in the development of the McGee Home, watching his children play with their cousins, this was good, would be good. He'd moved next to Lina when the kids left the table and seeing the subtle change in his demeanor, the slight straightening of his shoulders, she quietly took his hand. She'd known this move would be very difficult for him; that past he no longer thought much about had left an indelible mark on all four of them. Now she thought he was beginning to let go a little and to see the positive. Leaving here to continue on to California wouldn't be nearly as heart wrenching as the departure from Greece. She thought the visit to NCIS had helped, reminding him of his goals and his accomplishments. As difficult as the past few months had been, she was proud of the way he'd handled things. She was also proud of her father-in-law who had been at Tim's side every step of the way while somehow also providing plenty of support for Geordie and Rob. Of the two, she thought this leave taking had been hardest on Geordie. He and Tim were very close and she thought her brother-in-law was still recovering…healing…she wasn't sure what the right word was, maybe adjusting, to life in the open and as part of the family after so many years away. She was glad for his sake when Tim told her his thoughts about Bec's future. She noticed Poppy had seen the change in Tim and also relaxed a little. Smiling at him, she reached for the carafe of coffee and poured him some before offering it around the table.

Tim's father had indeed noticed the change in his son and was relieved to see it. Like Lina, as soon as he'd realized that Tim had been given transfer information, he'd stepped up his support. He'd worried about his children, that is the three living in Greece and while he was nearly glued to Tim's side, he also stayed close to Geordie and kept an eye on Rob who luckily was caught up in his own crazy busy life. Gibbs thought he'd probably been more successful reaching out to Ned than to Rob but his youngest frequently didn't seem to notice what was going on around him.

The travelers didn't stay late at the Hubbards, they were back at Penny's by 7:00 PM, just in time to get all four of the children to bed. The adults soon followed, still feeling the pull of a distant time zone. They were up fractionally later the next morning; at least the night sky was starting to lighten up. Today was their sightseeing day in the nation's capitol. They'd stick together during the morning and then Tim and Lina had the afternoon to themselves. They planned to spend a few hours in the various areas of the Smithsonian and the remaining personal time would be private time. Penny and the children would be in Georgetown at the Mallards and the Gibbses had plans of their own, so Tim and Lina would have the house to themselves.


	170. Chapter 170

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CH 170

Among the first visitors to arrive at the Washington Monument that morning, they enjoyed the ride up and the views of the capitol although Tim determinedly stuck to looking straight out and never looked down. Next was the tour of the White House and the children once again used their 'church manners', more successfully this time.

They'd applied for the tour shortly after hearing about their transfer and with Tim's employment status in a foreign country he had no idea which member of Congress to go through. Since his arrival in Greece he'd been using the Mallard address in Georgetown when he needed to cite a U.S. address but that wasn't going to help him much in this situation. He'd called their friend the Ambassador and her assistant hand delivered the forms needed. Tim approved of the security measures: he'd had to list everyone in their group by their full name with their ages, addresses and occupations. It was several days before the Embassy let them know they had been approved for their tour and were given the date and time. He thought that was a sad but necessary commentary on the current environment: that the country's citizens had to apply and be vetted before being allowed to visit their house.

Mindful that there were no restrooms available to them while on the tour and that no diaper bag could be carried in, Zoe and Jorrin were taken to the Mallards' where they would spend time with Aunties Claire and Liz. Tim and Lina felt bad for Jorrin but they'd delayed starting potty training when they'd heard they were moving soon and now they didn't want to take the risk.

Grandfa's eyebrows rose in surprise when they arrived for their tour and found that the receptionist had been instructed to contact Secret Service Agent Baer on their arrival. He was Kate Todd's former boss and had recognized Gibbs' name on the list of approved tour goers. He welcomed them to the White House and congratulated Gibbs on his family. He narrowed his eyes at Tim, "Special Agent McGee."

"Yes sir?"

"Are you the same McGee that rescued those students from the University in Athens 3 years ago?"

"Yes sir, I am and my dad," he nodded at Gibbs, "was with us on the rescue."

"Ah, I do remember, you did that interview with the previous President."

"Yes sir."

"That's wonderful, I'm doubly glad you're here then! If you'll come with me."

Tim looked at his family and then back at Baer, "All of us, sir?"

"Yes, son, of course!"

What happened next was almost surreal. Agent Baer took them to a room; asked them to wait for him and then left. They examined the room, wondering what was up. They'd expected a professional tour guide to show them around, tell them the history and maybe some amusing stories. Baer eventually returned and gesturing to them with a smile had them follow him through the hallways; Tim could see they were in the West Wing. Later he told his father he'd known that from watching the TV show of the same name years ago and then wondered at the amused smile from his dad, as if he knew some inside secret or something!

The people they saw were obviously working but most looked up, smiled and nodded. Tim almost swallowed his tongue when he recognized what on the show had been the work area of the President's executive assistant. He looked at the closest door and knew it was one of the doors into the Oval Office. He assumed the posture he'd learned from both his fathers and saw former Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs snap into a straight line as well. Grandfa also seemed to gather himself together a bit before he squared his shoulders and stood a little straighter. Penny looked around, feeling a sense of déjà vu. She supposed she'd seen pictures and she'd seen episodes of that show about the White House a few years ago and liked it, it had seemed so real somehow. She shook herself a little; while she usually didn't care for the trappings of bureaucracy, she admitted she was a little excited about the possibility of meeting the first female president of the United States. About damn time, too! Lina, Rhea and Maisie noticed the changes in their companions and thought they were probably about to see an important part of the White House. Lina had been admiring the art work and had been woolgathering about having one of her works on display here. Rhea was thinking along the same lines and realizing that she really was back in the U.S. to live after 20+ years in Greece! Maisie was amused by all of this, especially by the men's postures and Penny's excitement. This would have been the last thing Maisie would have thought her friend and fellow grandmother would be excited about but she was enjoying watching them all.

Baer knocked on the door and was told to enter. He went in first, gesturing to the others to follow. Tim had Anna by the hand as he walked in, Lina behind him holding Gemma's hand. Poppy, Rhea and Penny entered next, followed by the Mallards. Tim managed a smile as the President rose from her chair and walked around her desk to greet them. "Please come in! It's a pleasure to meet you all." She shook hands with each of them, repeating their names and asking the girls their ages. Tim had a fleeting hope that Anna would remember this moment. Photos were taken of all of them with the President and then she spoke with them, "Special Agent Baer was kind enough to remind me of the rescue of 114 college students from all over the world three years ago. I remember the interview with my predecessor; he was very excited about meeting all of you on a video chat and am I remembering correctly that some of the students hadn't even been home yet?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, ma'am, Athens was still on lockdown so some of the American students spent the night at the Embassy."

"But your team was able to get home all right?"

Tim tilted his head, "Two of my staff, that is my former staff, lived in Athens so they stayed in Piraeus with us. My wife and stepmother," he indicated Lina and Rhea, "worked at the Benaki Museum in Athens which had to close down, but they were able to get to Rhea's home and then Lina's brother eventually brought them home."

"A harrowing day, I'm sure."

Gibbs finally spoke, "Yes ma'am, my youngest son was one of the ones we rescued."

She nodded, "I remember that too, the whole family seemed to be involved, isn't one of them a Marine?"

They nodded. She asked them more questions and then gave them an amused smile. "I don't know whether you know this, but the first daughters looked up your 'Dance Troupe' on YouTube and watching your videos thoroughly entertained their father."

Tim knew his ears were red but he ignored them. "Yes ma'am, that was a group my brother-in-law put together to teach me traditional Greek dances before our wedding. After the President saw the video, his Chief of Staff called our Director and told him and he called us at home the night the interview was aired so that we all heard about it."

"That's good to hear and kudos to Director Vance for sharing the information! I know there are other operations that we can't discuss here but I do want you to know that your work, Agents McGee and Gibbs and yours Dr. Mallard, is known and appreciated."

Tim was pleased and got even more excited at the President's expression when she heard both Lina's and Rhea's names. "Melina Kalivas and Rhea Ortiz, right here in my office? Oh my…and you two are married to these exceptional agents? Oh, I can't wait to tell my husband and daughter! All three of us are big fans of both of you and my son-in-law too! In fact, Ms. Ortiz, we're doing some revamping of the artwork here and I believe one of your paintings is to be added. I'm not sure which as there were three being considered, but I'll have my assistant let you know. And Ms. Kalivas, I have three of your paintings in our private quarters. The first one was a gift from a friend and then I wanted more!" Both artists were nearly overwhelmed with the news and seeing that, the President went on to speak with Penny and Maisie and then finally came back to the girls. "Well, girls what do you think of my office?"

Anna looked around and nodded, "It's nice, ma'am. My daddy worked in a house too, in Greece."

"That's right; I remember hearing that once when I visited the Embassy in Athens." She asked about school and Anna shrugged, "I'm in first grade but I had to change schools because we're moving to California."

"Ah, I see, so are you on your way to California now?"

Anna nodded, "Yes, we got off the plane to stay at Penny's and see everything and then we're flying to San Diego to see our uncles."

"Wonderful! Do your uncles live in San Diego or is that going to be your new home?"

Anna looked at her dad for help and he stepped in. "Lina's brother and his partner live in Los Angeles, ma'am, Damian is an architect and Matt is an NCIS agent. They will meet us at the airport and help us get to the small town north of there where I'm posted."

"Hmm, NCIS…up around Encinitas?"

"Yes ma'am, Preston."

"It's lovely there; I hope you'll enjoy it! Now Miss Gemma, are you going to school too?" Gemma told her about what she expected from school and they could see the woman was fighting a smile. And then Gemma told her about Jorrin and baby Zoe who couldn't come today. The President looked at Tim and Lina, "You have four children?"

"Yes ma'am. Jorrin's two and Zoe is 7 months."

"It's a good thing you have lots of family!" There was a knock on the door and the executive assistant poked her head in, "Ma'am, Prime Minister Cameron is ready for your meeting."

"Thank you Mrs. Randall."

With quick goodbyes, the group left the Oval Office only to find Agent Baer waiting for them with a young woman who looked nervous. "Now you can have your official tour! I'll turn you over to your tour guide, Kathleen, and say goodbye. It was a pleasure meeting you and Gibbs, great to see you again."

They thanked him and smiled at Kathleen who was still looking at them with wide eyes before she seemed to snap out of her trance. "I'm sorry, I've never been near the Oval Office and…did you just meet the President?"

Anna nodded proudly and Maisie reached out to the young woman. "Please don't be nervous, we were just as surprised as you are and we would like to see the place."

They enjoyed their tour and left, still a little dazed. Later Tim and Lina waved goodbye as they headed to the Smithsonian; he laughed, "We spent nearly 20 minutes with the President of the United States, the first woman president, and the girls – and you – aren't even citizens here!"

"Maybe not, but we're clearly smart, we found our way to you, didn't we?'

They spent a wonderful afternoon alone, returning to the quiet house before anyone else got home. After taking advantage of the privacy, they headed out for a swim. Tonight they'd have one last dinner at Penny's with whoever was available and pack up as they were flying out to California early Friday morning. Lina sighed happily as she slid into the warm water, "Oh that's so nice! I hope we can have a pool at our new home, Timotheos and maybe a dome again? It would be nice to still swim year 'round."

He chuckled, "I'm getting excited to see the houses our house hunters have for us. Just think - it'll be our first mansion!"

She splashed him, "No mansion unless it comes with a housekeeper!"

"Sounds good to me, we just need to keep painting, designing and writing!"

She nodded, that was certainly the truth, their combined salaries had supported them in Greece but both were worried about higher expenses here. They had savings and investments but didn't want to touch any of it if they didn't have to. For the first time in several years, Tim didn't have a book in the works. He was still working on his Ducky tales but that was a long term project and he hadn't had time to do more than that. So they would spend smartly until they'd figured it out. Once they were settled somewhere and the children were in school or daycare at least part-time, Lina hoped to begin design work on a new line of children's clothing she'd started planning when she was pregnant with Jorrin.

After they decided they'd had enough of the water, they dried off and then hurried back into the house. They'd just emerged from lovely hot showers when they heard the children downstairs. Quickly dressing, they joined them in the kitchen where Penny was making hot chocolate for all of them. She had her back turned to the rest of the kitchen so Tim said, in a little boy's voice, "Penny, may we have some hot chocolate too, please?"

Penny, never one to miss a beat, replied, "Who's 'we', Timothy?"

"My friend Lina and me."

"Oh all right, I like her very much." She winked as she turned around and the children giggled at their silly daddy and Penny. The 7 of them enjoyed their hot treat and then went upstairs to put their outdoor clothes away and change Zoe's diaper. When Lina asked Jorrin, he shook his head, "I'm not ready yet, Mama." Knowing that meant his diaper was still dry, they were hoping that potty training would commence once they got to California.

The Gibbses got home a few minutes before the Mallards, Powells, Liz and the Hubbards arrived. Breena called to let them know that Stevie was coming down with a cold that she hoped the McGee kids wouldn't get and that Jimmy was working late. She added that his guest was part of a case for Maggie, so they figured she wouldn't be available. Then Tony called to say his team had been called in as backup for another team, so that left the Palmers and DiNozzos out of the night's meal. Tim had put together a slow cooker recipe before they left this morning and Penny was gleeful that there would be plenty leftover that she could freeze for herself. She almost made a remark about not having to share but stopped in time.

Before they sat down to dinner, Penny told everyone to put their jackets, hats and gloves back on and then took Lina and Rhea's gloved hands and walked them outside. Each woman looked a question at her spouse but got only a grin in return. As they hurried toward the 'pool' building, Penny took a sharp right and Tim and Jethro hurried ahead. They opened the door of the storage room and flicked the overhead light on. The two women looked at each other as they walked in and saw that this was no longer a storage room. It was a studio, designed so that both artists could work at the same time. There was a skylight to provide more natural light and Lina nudged Rhea when she saw the thermostat, they would have heat and air conditioning too. The flooring was done in cork, easy to stand on and clean and the walls had been painted a soft off white. Jethro cleared his throat, "The paint color is a primer; we'll let you two decide what color you want or I guess you can paint it yourselves." Lina was moving around the enlarged room and gasped in delight when she found the equipment she'd need for glass blowing and all kinds of things for her sculpture work. Jethro turned to the two women, "We know you'll also use your laptops for your photography, you have wi-fi out here and a wireless printer. We thought we'd wait until one of you is ready to work here before we move those out from the house." They nodded, grinning at each other and then kissing their husbands and Penny. Lina laughed, "Of course, you found a storage room and turned it into a wonderful studio - again!"

They turned everything off and carefully locked up before hurrying back to the house for their dinner. Wise Aunt Claire brought dessert and winked at Tim when he saw she'd made more of the apple crisp that he, Gemma and Jorrin hadn't gotten to eat the night before. It was one of his favorite desserts which made him very happy. Last night they'd had it with whipped cream on top, tonight each serving had a generous scoop of Greek yogurt and there wasn't one word said about it being the same dessert.

No one stayed long after they finished eating. The McGees and Gibbses said goodbye to everyone, planning to return to spend Easter with them, depending of course, on Tim's work. By 8 PM, the children's clothes and toys were packed for the next leg of the trip and the girls and Jorrin were tucked in by their Penny. Poppy and Rhea said their goodnights and went upstairs to bed. Once Tim and Lina were packed and more or less ready to turn in, they wandered back downstairs to have a nightcap with Penny. They found her staring at the portrait of her family that hung above the fireplace. She turned to them, "Love them every second; it goes so fast and you don't know how long you'll have them!"

They held her closely and asked her once again to come west with them. She hung on and when she could talk, she nodded. "Yes, I'll split my time as I did before, but I'm retiring from my lecture tours. Oh, maybe not completely, but I always seem to miss something whenever I'm gone. Last time it was the girls, before that it was…you and Sarah. Now I'll do East, West and Greece until the boys move home."

Lina left her still wrapped in Tim's arms while she found the brandy and glasses she'd seen earlier. She brought it all out on a tray to the living room and set it down in front of the couch where Tim and Penny were sitting.

Penny shook her head, "I'm an old fool; forgive me for being so maudlin."

Tim still had an arm around her and he leaned in and kissed her head. "You're neither old nor a fool and you have a right to mourn your husband and children." He paused, "Just please know that they're here, in us. Grandpa Nelson, my dad and Uncle Mark live on in our hearts and in our genes – Sarah's, mine, Jorrin and Zoe's and any future biological children we may have and the children they'll have."

"More, you're having more?"

Lina laughed, "Probably. I want two more of our own and however many we can support through fostering or adoption."

Penny looked at her and then shook her head, smiling. "And you have choices, isn't that wonderful?" She patted Lina, "But don't get lost in the children's lives, Melina. You keep going with your wonderful talent."

"I will, Penny, I'm ready to start my next project as soon as I have a studio to work in."

They sipped their brandy and talked about their plans for their lives.

Inevitably, Tim's phone alarm chimed early the next morning and they dragged themselves out of bed. They showered, dressed and packed their last minute items and then went to get the kids up and ready. Most of the luggage was already downstairs so there wasn't much to carry. When Poppy and Rhea emerged from their room, they grabbed Jorrin and Zoe and some of the bags while Tim and Lina helped the girls down and carried the few items that were left. Tim made a run upstairs after breakfast to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. After eating and brushing their teeth, making sure everyone had a potty break/clean diaper, they kissed Penny goodbye, told her they expected her to visit soon and climbed in the limo.

XXX

As the jet landed at the airport outside San Diego, Anna nearly vibrated with excitement, they were going to see their Uncles and get a new house, see Mickey Mouse, dolphins and whales! Gemma was just waking up and didn't like the way this plane made her ears hurt. She rubbed them as she tried to crawl into her daddy's lap. "In a minute, sweetie, when the plane is down on the ground, then you can take your seat belt off." She made a face and he frowned, "What's wrong, Gemma? Do your ears hurt?"

She nodded and he reached into his pocket for a piece of gum. "Try chewing this, might help." He showed her that he was chewing a piece. The kids didn't usually chew gum, in fact Tim couldn't remember them ever chewing any, but this was a special occasion. He helped his daughter unwrap the gum and put it in her mouth. She started chewing and then her eyes opened wide. "Daddy, my ears made a noise…they popped!"

"Have they stopped hurting?"

She nodded and he smiled. They were on the ground now, so he helped her unlatch her belt and pulled her onto his lap. "That's good honey, I'm glad." They taxied to a full stop and the family started moving around, stretching. Tim thought it was odd that it was just the 8 of them, he missed his grandparents already. He and Poppy gathered their bags and the stroller and then the four adults helped the children. Zoe was in her baby carrier, making noises that indicated she really wanted to get down on the floor and move around some more. She'd spent the flight on a blanket and tummy mat on the deck of the plane with her brother and sisters, much as they'd done flying across the Atlantic. This time Tim and Lina kept eagle eyes on what the children watched and turned the TV off when the movies they'd approved ended. Jorrin had fallen asleep halfway through the movie and slept the rest of the way across country. He was still pretty bleary, looking around and seeing Nonnie, held his arms out to be picked up. While Tim and Poppy shouldered the bags, they took the girls' hands, Lina took baby Zoe and Rhea carried Jorrin. When they reached the tarmac, the adults laughed as yet another limo pulled up to the jet. The driver hopped out and started sorting the luggage. He grabbed the four children's seats and got those secured in the limo first and then went back to sorting and loading the luggage. In the meantime, they were greeting Damian and Matt. Lina's brother chuckled as he hugged Gemma, "We thought about renting a van for all of us, but with the booster seat for Anna and car seats for Gemma, Jorrin and Zoe and 6 adults, we couldn't make it work. It's not an especially long drive but we didn't want to have two cars. So we have a limo complete with driver instead!"

Rhea made a pleased noise, "We're like visiting royalty!"

Damian bowed and kissed her hand, "Yes, my queen!"

She laughed and pointed to Lina, "Oh no, your sister is the queen!"

Tim gave her a hug, "Then you are the queen mum."

Laughing again, she agreed to that, making one adjustment, "The queen stepmum if you don't mind, I'm not old enough to be your mum!" That had become an ongoing joke between the two of them as Rhea was only 14 years older than Tim.

The driver finished with the luggage and then helped them get the children securely fastened into their various seats. Once they were in and on their way, Matt asked if anyone was hungry. There was a beat and then Tim's stomach growled and they laughed. Matt opened a box that was on the floor and passed out fresh deli sandwiches along with juice boxes and sodas for everyone but Gibbs who grinned at the coffee cup he was handed.

The three younger kids fell back to sleep after being fed and Anna contented herself with watching out the window. Her parents, uncles and grandparents talked softly, catching up with everything and hearing the plan for the rest of the day. They would be taken to their hotel in Encinitas where Tim, Lina and the children would have a three bedroom suite with a kitchen and living room in a separate building that Matt said was more like a cottage. Poppy and Nonnie would have their own smaller suite just across the sidewalk from them. They were staying north of Preston because there wasn't a hotel in their new hometown that had a big enough suite for the family. Once everyone was settled, if Tim and Lina were up to it, they could go with Damian and Matt to see the houses they'd found for them or they could wait until the next day. Tim frowned when he heard that, "How long a drive is it from Encinitas to your place?"

Matt chuckled, "Depends on the traffic; it took us about an hour forty five minutes on the way down. But don't worry - we're staying at the hotel tonight."

Damian nodded, "I have a business trip next week so we wanted to spend as much time with you this weekend, even if you are jet lagged."

Rhea shook her head, "I'm so glad we stopped in DC for a few days!"

Lina smiled, "Yes, although as I remember, flying from the East coast to the West coast involves more jet lag."

Poppy nodded, "Oh yeah, I remember that when I was sent to Pendleton for training."

Tim snorted, "I'm sure you slept the whole way, you always do!"

"Hadn't learned to do that yet."

Tim huffed and then looking at Lina, who smiled, turned back to his brothers-in-law. "Let's see how we all feel once we're there."

The drive north took about a forty minutes, not bad considering that it was Friday, a high traffic day, and the distance was 25 miles on Interstate Highway 5, commonly referred to as 'the 5' or 'I-5'. Soon enough, Tim and his dad were at the front desk checking in while their driver, Damian and Matt unloaded the luggage onto hotel carts. By the time the luggage was in the hotel, the kids were awake and Lina and Rhea brought them in. The check-in wasn't quite done so they took the children to see the play area and let them stretch for a little bit. Zoe was still confined and was starting to get pretty annoyed when her father arrived to take them to their temporary home. Even though they'd seen the suites online, taken virtual tours, they were very pleased when they unlocked the door and stepped inside. The suite really was like a 3 bedroom cottage. It had a full kitchen, small living room and family room and 2 full bathrooms. There was a small side yard with a 6 foot privacy fence and a locked gate that led to the sidewalk separating their suite from Poppy and Nonnie's.

Anna took in everything, "Mama, Daddy, is this our new house?"

"No Anna, this is where we're going to stay until we find a new house that we like."

"Oh, this is big! We could just stay here."

Gemma nodded, "Has a pool, I saw it."

Jorry grinned, "Swings an' slides!"

Tim and Lina looked at each other and then at their children and Tim said in his strict dad voice, although not the one that said 'you are in trouble' that he'd resurrected from Sarah and Rob's childhoods, "Yes, there is a pool and a play area with swings and slides. We will take you there. You can play or swim when you're with one of us and _only_ when you're with one of us. Do you understand?" All three of them nodded, understanding from his very firm voice that this was a rule. Zoe was on the floor scooting around, she just wanted to move! Tim looked at her and then at Lina who turned to the guys, "We need baby gates. I just know Zoe will be the escape artist!"

Matt laughed, "I called my sister and asked if she could think of anything you'd need for the kids here and she suggested baby gates. So we stopped on the way down and bought you some." He looked at Gibbs, "Enough for your place too, Jethro."

Tim grabbed his former colleague and friend into a hug, "Thanks man - that was above and beyond!"

Once they had the luggage sorted out, they started unpacking. With the kids 'helping', they got it done and everyone flopped down in the family room for cold drinks and coffee. Zoe finally wore herself out and went down for a nap while Anna, Gemma and Jorrin changed into play clothes. Rhea looked at her family, "If you four want to go look at houses, Jethro and I will stay with the kids. Maybe he can take them to the p-l-ay a-r-e-a while I'll s-t-a-y with Zoe."

Anna laughed, "Nonnie, I'm in first grade now, I know what you spelled!"

She laughed back and tweaked her eldest grandchild's nose, "You do, missy?"

"Yes, you spelled play area and then said you would stay with Zoe."

Rhea chuckled, "Very good, Annalanna I'm proud of your spelling!"

Tim and Lina nodded, "If that's all right with you and Dad, yeah, we'd like to look at the houses today."

Matt nodded and sent a text. When he got a reply, he grinned, "If you two want to go change into house hunting clothes, your realtor will meet us at the first house in 30 minutes."

Damian nodded, "That's good! Then you can pick up your rental car on the way back." He grinned at Tim and leaned toward him, whispering, "It's a minivan."

Tim shook his head as he softly answered, "It's either that or the biggest SUV on the market, there's no way around it!" He looked at his brother-in-law, "It seems important to tell you that I used to drive a Porsche Boxter."

Damian patted him on the shoulder as Tim continued, "But if I had to make a choice between a cool car and the love of my life and children, I'd choose my love and the kids every single time, no contest!"

He joined Lina in their bedroom to change and sent a text to everyone to let them they'd arrived safely, were at the hotel, and about to go look at houses. In Greece, Macedonia and the U.S., there were sighs of relief that the journey was done for now.

Once changed, Tim again explained to the kids what was happening and then left with his wife, Damian and Matt. Jorrin and the girls were used to staying with their grandparents, aunts and uncles so seeing their parents leave wasn't upsetting to them. Gibbs figured they hadn't really realized yet how far away they were from the rest of the family; when that sunk in there might be some problems but so far they'd been all right. They'd loved staying at Penny's large house and playing with everyone. It helped that they'd just seen them all at Christmas so those memories were still fresh in their minds.

XXX

At the Russells' house, Trina turned to Pete after reading the McGees' text, "We're going to have to spend part of the year over there, Pete; this hurts and too much of our family is over there now."

He nodded, "Not summers, our kids will be home and Tim and Lina are serious about spending time over here."

"Autumn then or spring."

"Or winter, we can go over after the holidays."

"But that's not good to see our mothers. Texas would be all right but I really don't want to brave all that snow in Buffalo."

Pete nodded, "Yeah, good point. We'll figure it out."

Trina huffed, "Dani'll be next."

"Yeah, I know. And then Bec and Geordie."

"Oh geez. That'll only leave Ned and Rob."

"And Kim, Eva and Tea, sweetie. And we know Rusty pretty well."

"Yes, of course, I was thinking of your agents; it's just so…final."

He laughed, "We've had a long run over here, but you know as well as I do that nothing but death is final."

She quirked her lips, "And even then…"

He smiled at her as he moved in for a kiss, "And even then…"

* * *

><p>For those of you not familiar with the TV show "The West Wing" (1999-2006) Mark Harmon (our Gibbs) was in several memorable episodes and Lily Tomlin (our Penny) was a recurring character. I'm a big fan of the show but I'd forgotten about their connections until I started writing about their visit to the White House and then of course I couldn't resist adding some reaction from both of them. There are many other crossover actors between the two shows: Rocky Carroll (Leon Vance), Melinda McGraw (Diane Gibbs Fornell Sterling), Kathleen York (Stephanie Flynn, Gibbs' #3 ex-wife), Richard Schiff (the infamous Harper Dearing), Michael O'Neill (the infamous Riley McAlister who tried to kill Leon Vance more than once), Danica McKellar (who played the hapless Erin in the episode Witness), Terry O'Quinn (who played Gibb's former CO Colonel Ryan in Enigma), Alan Dale (former NCIS Director Tom Morrow) and as I said, many more.<p> 


	171. Chapter 171

At the big house in Piraeus, Davos and Hélène were also feeling the strain of being away from their daughter, son-in-law and their children. They were just about ready to put this house on the market and then they'd get started on Tim and Lina's place. Neither house needed much but they'd wanted to stage both places so prospective buyers would see a home rather than an empty house and Evander had encouraged their creativity. Tim and Lina had briefly considered buying the big house from their parents but ultimately decided they'd take their chances with rentals when they returned for vacations. Now Hélène looked around the house. "Do you remember how much fun it was, our little conspiracy?"

Davos laughed, "I do! We had those wonderful days sneaking around with Jethro and a lot of good times in this house." He gathered his wife to him. "We will be home with our family in a week, my wife. While we are here we will try to help Geordie and Rob feel a little less alone. And when Melina and Timotheos are ready, we will go visit and we'll see all four of our children. I miss the boys as much as you do and it will be good to see Jethro and Rhea. And perhaps we'll be there for the children's first visit to Disneyland!"

"Oh, I'd like that!"

"And we'll see the Pacific Ocean."

"We'll stay for awhile?"

"We'll stay as long as we can stand to be away from Alexis, Tad, Zander, Dimitri and their parents!"

She chuckled, "I can't wait to see them!"

He asked "Which ones?" as he pulled her close.

Her answer was muffled in his chest, "All of them, of course!"

XXX

Tim knew about Damian's new car, a Mustang and as cool as he thought it was, he had to admit he was relieved to find that his brothers-in-law had driven to Encinitas in Matt's four door sedan. That meant nobody had to climb in or out of backseats and he wouldn't have his knees in his face or his head scraping the ceiling. He could and did appreciate that Damian had wanted a Mustang all his life, but he didn't really want to ride in the backseat of one.

Preston was only a few miles south of the hotel and Matt took a road that ran along the coast. Lina looked out, "I am so glad we'll be near the ocean again!"

Damian nodded, "Yes, I wish we could live closer to it, but we're not that far away. There's even an island to go to – Catalina – but it's not as convenient as Aegina."

Tim wrapped his arms around his wife, "It sounds good but you know nothing will ever beat Aegina, not for us!"

They pulled into the driveway of the first house just as their realtor/relocation agent got out of her car. She greeted the McGees, happy to finally meet them in person and still a bit puzzled as to why they were choosing to rent rather than buy. In truth, they'd made the decision after thinking about buying and then selling again in the space of two years, with no Evander to make it painless.

She told them the facts about the house, it was 6 bedrooms with 4 and a half bathrooms and nearly 3300 square feet, with a pool and plenty of fenced yard in back for the kids. It was 3 blocks from the elementary school, a mile from the nearest grocery store and four miles to Tim's office. He liked that; it was almost as close to the office as their place in Piraeus. She added that their friend Carla had seen and approved of it as kid friendly and that it was a 5 minute walk to the beach.

After asking about the monthly rent, Tim and Lina entered. They walked in to a foyer that opened onto the living room on one side. There was a step down into that room, what Damian called a 'sunken' living room. The other side had stairs going up to the second floor and a family room that opened in the back to the kitchen and a large dining room. The half bath was small and built into the back of the staircase. The kitchen was large, bright and airy with plenty of room for both of them to cook together while the dining room was painted a dark green with dark wood wainscoting. There were French doors leading to the back yard with a covered patio right outside. The entire yard was surrounded by a wooden fence that Tim thought was redwood and there was plenty of room for their big patio table and a grill of some sort. The pool was small, Tim thought he'd heard the size referred to as a splash or dip pool but it would be fine for the kids. It had its own fence and locked gate. Beyond the pool there was a decent sized play area for the kids and a storage shed, with a minimal garden around the play area and shed. Lina laughed when she saw it and looked at Tim. He shrugged, "Sure, why not!"

Damian and Matt joined them and laughed, "No - no studio in the shed is necessary here! Come, there's a room you haven't seen yet!"

They went back into the house and through a door in the kitchen that they hadn't noticed before. That door led them to a bright room that the realtor explained was a modified sun porch. Lina nodded, this would do for a studio. Back at the front of the house, they found a hallway from the living room to the dining room and off of that there was a bedroom with its own bathroom. From the size, it was clearly meant to be a guest bedroom. After viewing that, they went up the stairs to view the other 5 bedrooms. The second floor was configured much like their home in Greece with 2 bedrooms on each side of the hallway and a bathroom in between each set of bedrooms. The master bedroom was at the end of the hall, in the center. It was quite large with a sitting area, a fire place and a huge en suite bathroom. Tim squinted in thought, "I didn't notice a fire place downstairs."

The realtor shook her head, "It's my understanding there was one in the family room but it was removed to enlarge the room." Tim nodded.

When they walked out front again they stopped to chat about the house. Lina liked the room she'd use for a studio and they both liked the kitchen; however neither liked the dining room or the step down into the living room, explaining that they had young children and elderly family members. Tim privately thought it would be his big feet that would trip him up but he kept that to himself. He didn't like having French doors out to the backyard; they preferred a heavier sliding door with locks to make it more difficult for little people to get outside by themselves. They liked the master bedroom well enough but Tim was unhappy that there was not a fireplace downstairs. They had a young family and would undoubtedly have very little time to spend in the 'sitting area' in the master bedroom. While they liked the concept of having a guest bedroom downstairs, Lina said that had been a problem, once they had kids, with their old house. They needed at least 6 bedrooms on the same floor for the family and Lina had hoped for an additional bathroom upstairs. The square footage was good, the backyard was fine and both liked the proximity to schools, stores and Tim's work. The house would remain on the short list.

They were surprised when the next house was only a block away. It was a quasi-Spanish style, also two stories but with 7 bedrooms with 5 full bathrooms, one half bath and 3500 square feet. It had a double front door which reminded them of Pete and Trina's home. They glanced at Matt and Damian and saw they'd had the same thoughts. There was a window far above the door which Lina supposed had been designed to provide natural light to the front of the house and perhaps part of the second floor? Her thought was confirmed when they walked into a bright, open foyer with a tiled floor. From the foyer, they could see the living room, the staircase and a wide hallway that Lina noted also had plenty of natural light from the window. They followed it, stopping to view the spacious guest bedroom with a window out to a landscaped side yard, with shade trees lining a walkway so there was plenty of privacy from the neighboring house, which was a good distance away anyway. There was a door from the bedroom into a full bathroom and they saw another door in the bathroom that led back into the hall. Lina liked that, it would be much easier to maintain one bathroom down here for casual visitors as well as overnight guests. Another few steps and they looked into a family room that was large enough for nearly the entire combined McGee-Kalivas family and Tim noted it had a fireplace. That room opened up to a large kitchen and another sun porch which Lina felt would make a good studio for her. The half bath was built onto the side of the sun porch, easily accessible from the backyard and she wasn't sure about that, she didn't like the idea of the kids going through her studio to reach the pool or the kitchen. There was also a sliding patio door to the left of the kitchen island. Opposite the kitchen was a generously sized dining area and Damian smiled, "We measured and there is enough room for the combined family. You'll just have to have a couple of tables to fit us all in though!" The realtor asked how many people that would be and they had to stop and think. Finally Tim said, "There are a couple of answers. The first is 40, that's including all of my side of the family, these guys," he gestured to Damian and Matt, "Lina and Damian's parents plus Carla and her family, but not including Lina and Damian's other siblings and their families who live in Greece. When we include all of them it's 48. The good thing is that not everyone is a grown up. There are 15 kids in the 40 and another 4 in the 48."

The realtor's eyes had widened, "I know Matt and Damian said you had a large family, but I hadn't realized!"

Tim nodded and Lina frowned, "Tim, did you add James' parents?"

"Oops, no, I forgot George and Edith! My brother-in-law is an only child from England so his parents should be added in too."

"That's extraordinary! Have you ever been all in one place?"

Lina nodded, "It was before we had the children, but we had everyone but James' parents at our wedding and almost everyone at my sister-in-law's wedding in England."

Matt laughed, "James' hometown is a small village and I'm pretty sure they felt like they'd been invaded when we all arrived!"

Tim snorted, "Pretty sure Piraeus felt that way at Christmas!" He explained to the realtor, "Most of our Stateside family decided to surprise us this past Christmas; they planned it before we found out we were being transferred, and showed up a few days before Christmas!" He continued, "I guess we'll have to stop referring to them as our stateside family since we're here now."

The realtor noticed that the four of them had moved closer together while they'd been talking about family and remembering how homesick Damian and Matt had been when they arrived, changed the subject. "I know you'd thought to get your children into one of the International Schools here. It's too bad that didn't work out."

Lina nodded, "It might have been an easier transition for our oldest child, who's in first grade, but in the long run it'll probably be better, she'll make friends who live nearby."

"It's good that you were able to make your move during the local school's winter break!"

"Yes, that worked out nicely! I was afraid Tim would have to use all of his vacation but with international travel, his transfer package is generous with time off."

They went outside and found a larger pool than house #1, big enough to swim laps, again with its own fence and gate. The yard was larger and again completely fenced; there was a play area and a well established garden with raised beds for vegetables or whatever they might want to grow, Lina said she wanted a cutting garden. Once again there was a patio, this time with flagstone decking, rather than textured concrete, a large awning that could be raised or lowered as needed and a built-in barbecue pit. Lina laughed, "Oh Poppy will like that!"

Tim snorted, "Oh yeah!" He looked, "Think there's room for the table?"

Damian stepped in, "Yes, if we move a few things." There were a few large planters on the patio and he gestured, showing them how they could move the planters and angle the table so that the diners would still be in the shade if the awning was up. Tim also noticed that there were electrical outlets outside, so they could have lights poolside and possibly even an outdoor heater during the cooler months. Beyond the pool fence on one end there was a generously sized grassy area, big enough for the kids to play on and they both liked that. "Zoe can crawl on that easily enough!"

"What about water for the lawn? I'm always reading about drought in California."

The realtor nodded, "That's a good question and you're right, we do often have drought conditions. This is not the typical lawn grass; those are now banned in California. The whole yard is xeric landscaping; that is it needs very little moisture, think a sprinkle from the hose maybe once a month, possibly longer with the close proximity to the ocean; it's well within the new state guidelines." Tim nodded, satisfied and appreciating the woman's knowledge.

Back in the house, one of the things that surprised them was a back stairway that led to the kitchen area. They took that up to the second floor and toured the other 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The bedrooms were decent sized and Lina was happy that there were three bathrooms to be shared, rather than just two. The master bedroom was on the other side of the staircases. It was large with an en suite bathroom, 2 walk in closets, plenty of room for their king bed and furniture. As they walked out of the master, the realtor stopped them and showed them an extra room, one Tim could see was meant to be a private office. That was good, in the first house his writing nook would have to be in the oversized master suite.

Overall, they had positive things to say about this house. Both of them liked that it had an actual architectural look to it. While it wasn't an authentic Spanish home, it had more character than the first house or other homes they'd driven by. It was the same distance to schools, stores and office as the first house with the advantage of the extra bedroom and bathrooms and the half bath in close proximity to the backyard. Lina wasn't crazy about the idea of people walking through her studio to go to and from the backyard, but Tim thought they could work around that. He mentioned that coming in through the kitchen meant the kids would be closer to food and she laughed, that was a good point! They'd liked the look of both neighborhoods, a positive point for both houses.

The drive to the third house took a few minutes and they found the house was across the street from a bluff that looked out over the ocean. There were lots for sale and they saw partially constructed buildings. The house they'd look at had been built for a couple who had been transferred before they could move in and now they planned to rent it out until they could retire in a few years. The house itself was huge and took up most of the property. Their realtor told them it was 10,000 square feet with 10 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. As the house had been empty for some time, the monthly rent had been lowered to more or less match the other houses they'd seen. When they walked in, Tim felt like he'd walked into an airport terminal or maybe even an airport hanger! There was a huge open foyer with an even larger – and more sterile – living room. The whole place was like that. The layout wasn't that different from house #2 but with more space. Lots more space. They stood in the living room, looking around, and Lina shook her head, "Timotheos, we would have to buy more furniture!"

He tilted his head, "We could have Mama and Papa ship us the furniture from the big house – and the kids' toys would probably take care of the rest."

That got a laugh from Damian and Matt while the realtor looked puzzled and then Tim realized they'd been speaking in Greek and repeated their remarks in English. The kitchen had been nicely laid out but it was so big that it made a mockery of the layout and Lina wondered if the owners were giants. The backyard had been landscaped but there was no pool, the realtor explained that the owners hadn't wanted one. The yard itself was quite small as the footprint of the house left very little room for a garden or much of a patio.

There was one more house, something that had come on the rental market that week and their three house hunters hadn't had a chance to see it. While it was a nice house and might have been fine for the McGees, it was clear that the current tenants weren't anywhere near ready to leave and it looked like they'd been there for awhile.

The two couples had drinks on the terrace of a restaurant overlooking the ocean while Lina and Tim made their decision. It wasn't a hard one to reach as they'd already eliminated the Giant House and the not-ready-for-new-tenants house. That left house #1 and #2 and really there was no contest there either, both of them loved the second house. They called the realtor, who hadn't gone far and she met them at the house with her tablet so they could get the paperwork done. As she'd already done a background check on the McGees, once the forms were filled out, she took a deposit from them and promised to be in touch within the next 48 hours. With the owners living out of state her agency had the authority to rent the place, she just needed to make sure the deposit was good and process the paperwork. While Tim was working on the various forms, Lina and Damian wandered through the house taking pictures. He smiled as they went back to her studio. "I'm pleased you liked this house best, it was our favorite."

"Yours and Matt's?"

He nodded, "And Carla's. We could envision you living here, all 6 of you."

Lina grinned at him, "You did wonderfully well for us, brother, thank you!"

Tim seconded that as he and Matt joined them, "You three did a wonderful job finding us a home, we can't thank you enough!"

Matt's phone buzzed and he looked at it and then up at the others. "Rental car place. They're closing in an hour."

They were back in the kitchen now, with the realtor. "We're done here. I've e-mailed you a copy of the papers; legally I have to provide you with a paper copy, so don't bother printing it yourself, I'll get the paper copy to you with the keys." She congratulated them as they walked out and she locked up. She smiled, "Next time, it'll be you locking up! Thank you for allowing me to work with your brothers, this has been the easiest re-lo I've ever had!"

Matt chuckled, "That's to make up for ours being so challenging." They thanked her for her hard work and determination to meet all their needs.

They made it to the rental car office in plenty of time and Matt rode back to the hotel with Tim in the minivan. Tim sighed, "Next big things, school for Anna and buying cars!"

"Don't forget moving!"

"Thank God the shipping company will deliver everything!"

They found their family in the play area, where, as Poppy said, "They're letting off steam. I figure another couple hours of swings, slides and running around and they might actually sleep tonight!"

They'd brought a large blanket out for Zoe and put her tummy mat down on that. She was having fun rolling over and scooting around, occasionally having to be picked up and relocated from the edge back to the center.

Lina and Tim huffed, "Jet lag might work in our favor tonight!" The kids stopped long enough to hear about their new house and look at pictures. They were of course excited about the pool and play area and the stairs. Gemma said, "Two stairs, we only had one in the old house!"

Nonnie said under her breath, "Four baby gates!" and the adults laughed. When they looked at the photos of the rooms, Jorrin pointed to one and said, "That's my room!" As it had a Thomas the Tank Engine mobile still hanging from the ceiling, his parents agreed with him, glad he liked it. But Jorrin wasn't done. "What about Zoe? She doesn't know Thomas!"

"Zoe will have her own room, Jorry."

"Oh." He stopped to think as he wasn't sure he liked that. "Does she have to? Gemma gets to share a room with Anna."

The girls nodded, agreeing. "All right, we'll think about that, son."

Lina was mentally re-imaging Zoe's room into a playroom, at least for the time being. Tim looked at his wife, saw she had an idea and decided not to worry about the rooms and who went where.

After they returned to the cottage, the Gibbses realized that they hadn't yet unpacked, so they headed to their own suite to take care of that. Damian and Matt disappeared to check in to their room and bring back the baby gates. Tim lay down on the living room floor to play with the kids while Lina puttered. When Lina next looked out, she saw that all four kids were lying on top of Tim and the five of them were sound asleep. She grabbed her phone for several quick photos. Then she grabbed her sketchbook and sketched the scene, tucking it away, looking forward to doing something more with the images. Their Christmas card photo, of the four kids strapped into the various car seats across the back of their SUV, had been a huge hit. But this photo, well it could go on a change of address announcement but she thought she'd also do a drawing for Tim's dad, her folks and the Grands. She'd managed to get several photos at Christmas of Jethro with all of his kids, grandkids included, and she wanted to do something with that for him. She put that thought aside in favor of thinking about Jorrin and Zoe's room. She thought of several gender neutral design themes they could use and jotted down her ideas. They'd stay here until their belongings arrived, currently estimated for the end of the week and the realtor had assured her they could paint or do whatever they wanted to redecorate the rooms. She decided the murals that Rhea had made before Jorry was born could go in the playroom so that all four children could enjoy them. She had a good idea of what Anna and Gemma would like for their room and thought it would be fun for them to pick things out. She and Rhea could take them shopping, maybe the day Tim was visiting his new office, she'd heard him asking his dad if he wanted to go with him. Rather than rent two additional cars, the two couples thought they'd try for one more and see if that worked and then start looking for cars to buy. Poppy had briefly considered taking his car out of storage at Tobias' and driving it across country but realized the middle of winter was not the best time to do that. In the meantime, Lina had forgotten that her in-laws would want to look for their own place to live, although she had a sneaking suspicion they'd stay in the downstairs bedroom until everyone was settled.

Damian and Matt's knock on the door woke Tim and he carefully started to extricate himself from his kids, only to find that Lina already had the door open. The two men laughed quietly when they saw the tangle of nephew and nieces on the floor. Tim scooped Zoe up as she was beginning to stir. They installed the baby gates at the front door, the door to Zoe and Jorrin's room, the kids' bathroom door and at the door leading to the fenced yard. That would have to do for now. The Gibbses came back across the sidewalk shortly thereafter and Matt and Jethro took off to bring back dinner for them all as no one felt like going out to eat. The two men stopped for a few groceries on the way, figuring it would be easier for the family to have breakfast at home in the mornings before their days got started. The front desk had recommended a Chinese restaurant so they drove to it and placed an order, then walked around the strip mall while they waited. Matt pointed out a large hardware/home center store at one end which made Jethro smile and they noticed a car dealership just beyond the parking lot. A children's clothing store and what looked like a home goods store were also spotted. When Matt pointed out that all the stores were occupied, there wasn't a single "Space Available" sign in the entire place Jethro grinned. Yep, the U.S. economy had definitely improved while they'd been in Greece. Laden with Chinese food, everyone's favorite takeout, they hurried back to the hotel.

Saturday they relaxed. Lina, Rhea and Poppy went to the home center to buy the paint for the kids' rooms while Tim, Damian and Matt stayed with the children. There was a park with a kids' play area within a comfortable walking distance so they packed snacks and headed over to it, with Zoe and Jorry in the double stroller. There was a carousel with horses and the uncles helped their older nieces while Jorry and Zoe rode in a sleigh with their dad. The play area was split into an area for the younger kids and then swings, slides and a jungle gym for the older ones. They all had a good time playing on those and then enjoyed their cheese and crackers before walking back to the hotel.

The next day was Sunday and Tim and Lina wanted to start getting the children into some sort of routine. They'd found a Greek Orthodox church in town so everyone put their church clothes on and headed off to the service. They were warmly welcomed after the service although the priest was disappointed to hear they'd be living in Preston. "Ah, it's a good town and yes, they have an Orthodox church there." He laughed and leaned forward, "My brother is the priest there!"

That surprised them and Rhea said, "Your parents must be very proud!" The priest laughed again, "Our mother is happy with me as I'm married with children. However, my brother is a monastic clergyman, he chose not to marry before taking his vows and she's never quite forgiven him for that."

Tim grinned, "I think I understand. My grandmothers love all their grandchildren and great-grandchildren but Zoe wasn't even four months old when they started hinting around that more babies are better!"

"Exactly, greedy grandparents!"

They all laughed at that as they got back in the cars, they'd brought both, and headed back to the hotel. Once back, Tim packed lunches for them while Lina got the kids changed into beach clothes; they gathered towels and blankets, sunscreen and sweaters, bundled everyone into the van and Matt's car and headed off to the beach. While the weather wasn't exactly cold, it wasn't warm either and Anna, Gemma and Matt were the only ones who got their feet wet. The rest of them strolled along, gathering shells and interesting bits of this and that. Zoe was riding on her dad's back in a backpack made for older babies. It rode high so that she was sitting comfortably and looking over her dad's shoulders, her little legs and feet dangling. Occasionally she'd babble something at them and Jorrin would report that she wanted them to look at something or other. They took turns racing Jorry and the girls down the beach so that, as Lina said, "We'll all get some exercise!" When they spotted surfers in wet suits, they stopped to watch the intrepid souls ride the waves. Eventually they turned around and walked back down the beach; by the time they'd reached their starting point, everyone was tired. Zoe and her backpack had transferred to her grandfather while her dad carried big sister Anna. Jorry was carried by Uncle Damian and Uncle Matt had Gemma. Lina and Rhea joked about carrying each other and they did lean into each other. They'd walked a little too far today but they'd all needed exercise and fresh air.

They returned to the hotel and woke the kids up long enough to say goodbye to their uncles who needed to head home to get ready for their week. Matt made no promises but he told Tim if they didn't get called out on a case, he'd return the following weekend while Damian was away.

By Thursday, the day Tim would visit his new office, most of the work had been done on the new house. They'd had the keys for a few days; Tim and his dad started painting Tuesday afternoon, got the girls' room done and the prep work done for Jorry and Zoe's room, which they painted on Wednesday. The playroom didn't need painting; it was already a color that would go well with the sea creature murals. They'd had confirmation that the ship with their stuff would dock in LA on Friday and the moving van would deliver everything to their new house on Saturday. Tim was glad they'd arranged it the way they had; moving to the big house in Piraeus and having their stuff moved a few days early had enabled the movers to ship it a week earlier. That meant they'd only had to wait a week for everything to arrive, crucial when you have four young children living in a hotel. Yes, the cottage was much nicer and more spacious than they'd hoped but it was still not their place and it was smaller than any of them were used to.

Lina and Tim met with Anna's school principal on Tuesday morning and with the preschool people and the daycare people in the afternoon. Wednesday morning they took Anna to meet her teacher, impressed that she'd given up precious hours of her week off to meet the youngster. Anna would start class on Monday when everyone returned from their winter break. Knowing how difficult this might be for their daughter, Lina had decided to bake treats for Anna's new class and her teacher, Ms. Austen, agreed. "That will really help ease her in. I know it seems like bribery but think of it as creating a pleasant memory of Anna's arrival."

Used to a uniform for school wear, Lina had asked what the children here wore and was relieved to find that Anna would fit right in with her clothing. Gemma would also attend pre-school, not quite pre-kindergarten as they'd thought, but wouldn't start for a few more days. In the meantime, they'd filed all the paperwork to make Anna and Gemma naturalized U.S. citizens.

So here it was Thursday and time for Tim to meet his new team. They'd rented a smaller car for the rest of the week and would start looking for cars very soon. Today his dad would stay at the house and complete the work on the house that Lina asked him to do. Tim dressed in office casual for his visit and remembered to call first to make sure they hadn't had any call outs. They hadn't, so he headed over. He'd already scouted out the office so he knew just where it was and where to park. In downtown Preston, it was a few blocks from the town center and from what he'd seen, had easy access to I-5 and local routes. The office was near a corner with an insurance agency on one side and a shared parking lot on the other that stretched along the back too; an ambulance company had the corner spot. He parked in an "Employees Only" spot and walked to the front door of the office where he was buzzed in. The staff was waiting to greet him and Tim felt a little silly – like a new principal perhaps or, having just seen "The Sound of Music" the night before, like Captain Von Trapp walking into a room of his minions. That made him think of one of his favorite movies, "Despicable Me" and he had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from a nervous laugh. Joaquin introduced him around and Tim repeated everyone's name. They had just completed a case, a double homicide, which of course piqued his interest. While he was there, his subordinate teams called in for a meet and greet and they had a brief video chat together. He was invited to stay for lunch and did, noticing that the support staff didn't join in. He'd watch and see if it would be appropriate to change that, he'd always thought Athens had an extra layer of cohesiveness because of their tendency to socialize together. After lunch, Joaquin invited him into his office and told him that the probability of promotion and relocation was getting stronger for their SFA's husband; however she'd promised to stay through Tim's first month to ease the transition. Tim knew who he wanted for his SFA and he'd checked the regs; as there was no direct blood or legal relationship to him, the way was clear from that direction. The distance from home to office was going to be a problem however. When Joel had asked him who he had in mind for his SFA if the current one left, Tim answered him straight out, admitting that he couldn't figure out how they'd make it work but that he'd decided if the agent wanted the position, he'd find a way. Joel laughed and nodded at him, approving his choice.

On Friday he received a call from Joaquin; the SFA's husband's employer had given him the rumored promotion and a dream transfer, one he couldn't pass up. The SFA had given notice, as promised she'd stay 30 days, even a little longer and would leave NCIS March 31st.

As Tim wouldn't officially be the SAIC for another week, he contacted Joel for permission to go ahead with his plan. When Joel gave his approval, Tim and Joaquin made the offer together. They first contacted the Team Leader who would be impacted and with her permission, made a verbal offer to the agent.

On the other end of the phone line, Matt grinned from ear to ear. He hadn't expected this but he wasn't terribly surprised either. Truth was, it had been Carla who'd put the bug in his ear. She, Norm and the kids had spent Monday with the McGees and Tim might have let slip something about his SFA probably leaving. Matt had thought about it all week and had a chance to discuss it with Damian before he left for his trip. Neither had mentioned it the previous weekend, but Damian's firm now had several key clients in the San Diego area and the senior partner had recently proposed that they open an office in the city. As some of those key clients were Damian's, he was the logical choice to relocate to the new office. The proposal had not yet been voted on by the board but Damian was certain that would happen as soon as he'd completed this business trip. An international firm was opening an office in San Diego and had approached Damian, who had done work for them at his previous firm, about designing the renovations for the building they'd already purchased. This trip was to present the preliminary design and get the contract for the actual work signed. Then everything could start happening.

After speaking with Damian, Matt contacted Joaquin Friday afternoon and accepted the position, sending a text to Tim. They arranged for him to arrive the week before the current SFA left so that he could shadow her. Carla had also offered, privately, to help prepare Matt and Tim shook his head in wonder at that, loving the continuity. Now if he could find spots for Bec, Ned, Kim, Tea and Eva, he'd be overjoyed. He gave himself a shake, he should be happy with what had been handed to him. They'd sworn Carla and Norm to secrecy so when he and Matt took a break from moving stuff from the hotel early Saturday morning and pinged Pete with a Skype call, their friend was unprepared. He grinned at the two of them. "I can't even begin to tell you how good it is to see you two together! How's it going?"

Tim started off, telling Pete a little about his visit to his new office and some of his concerns. Then Matt took his turn, telling their friend a little bit about what was going on with Damian, although not naming where the new office would be. By the time he wound down, Pete was giving them both the fish eye.

Tim chuckled, "Ok, you still got it Retired Special Agent Russell! The SFA at my new office gave 30 days notice yesterday because her husband's employer is transferring him out of the country."

Pete's face lit up as he figured it out…"So, am I going to have to say it or are you two going to confirm?"

Tim put his hand on Matt's shoulder, "Pete, you're looking at my new SFA!"

The two grinned at each other and it was all Pete could do to maintain his composure. Their team was still intact…or parts of it anyway. When he heard that Carla would be working with Matt after hours to make sure he was ready, the retired agent shook his head, these people were the best! They talked for a few more minutes before signing off when they heard a large truck outside and knew the moving van had arrived.

Tim thought afterward that he never again wanted to move without professional movers. It took awhile to get everything out and into the right room but because they'd marked the boxes and the movers paid attention to what they were told, the truck was empty and their belongings were in the right places in just a few hours. Carla and Norm helped by driving down with the triplets and taking the three older McGee children with them to the latest Disney movie. When they returned it was to find the house fully operational with dinner just a few minutes away from being served. They'd bought a larger slow cooker and put it to good use today so that all of them, including the Hofstadlers, could enjoy a simple meal together. Tim had insisted on making one of his favorite Greek recipes and Norm smiled happily, "Ah, I miss Greek food, Tim. We've found a couple of delis and one restaurant up our way, but it's just not the same."

Lina laughed, "Then whenever we cook Greek, you are invited!" She paused and then added, "And any other time too, of course!" They laughed at that.

They'd checked out of the hotel so after the Hofstadlers left, Poppy, Tim and Matt made sure each bed was set up properly while Lina and Rhea followed behind, making up the beds. Then Tim and Lina worked on their own bed, as did Poppy and Nonnie. Damian wouldn't be home for several days, so Matt had been invited to stay overnight, as long as he didn't mind sleeping on the sofa. They were all so tired that Gibbs thought he could have slept on the floor and not noticed.

Tim woke to the smell of bacon cooking and smiled, someone was an early bird. He turned to Lina who was also waking up, "Mmm, that smells wonderful. Poppy, Rhea or Matt?"

"Or all three?"

She burrowed back into Tim's arms. They finally bestirred themselves and dressed, finding their family impatiently waiting for them. Gemma gave them a cross look, "You sleeped too long! Nonnie made bacon!"

They slipped into their chairs and passed the platters of bacon, eggs, toast and fresh orange slices around. When Tim looked at the clock, he realized they'd missed the church service, but Lina just shrugged, "That's going to happen sometimes! We needed rest, all of us and I'm sure the good Lord understands."

Matt cracked, "You'll make a better impression next Sunday with your bright, shiny faces."

He left shortly after breakfast. Tim sighed in satisfaction as he loaded the last dish into the dishwasher, put the soap in and turned it on. It was good to be home!


	172. Chapter 172

Tim had three more days before he would report to work so the next order of business was to acquire vehicles. He and Lina would each have a vehicle; his would be a sedan that they could squeeze the kids into if they had to and hers would be a minivan. They'd already done the research and knew what they wanted. Tim hoped to find a newer model used one but the rentals cost too much money, so when there were no used models to be found anywhere, they bought a new one, paying cash which earned them a nice discount. They were luckier with Tim's car, finding a used one with a spotless history per the CarFax® report and low mileage. They paid cash for that one too. The third car would be the Gibbses and they'd decided to stick with one vehicle until they found their own place. Both of them had loved the Ford Escape and when they found a late model with a clean history, they snapped it up. By the time Tim left for work Thursday morning, they had all the wheels they needed for now.

In the meantime, Anna started school on Monday and as promised, she and her mama arrived with homemade cookies. She had a great time and the rest of the week had gone well too. She had no trouble adapting to the work, her teacher reported that she was ahead in math and reading, and matched in other subjects. By Wednesday night she was chattering about her new friends and her parents relaxed a bit. Gemma's pre-school and Jorrin's daycare would start the following week and Lina was getting her studio ready to start her design work.

Once the kids were in school, Poppy and Rhea would start looking for a place of their own but nobody was in any hurry for them to leave. The couples rotated child care in the evenings so each could have some private time and that had worked well.

Tim arrived at work early on Thursday. He'd thought to bring treats but he'd decided to wait until Friday, wanting to first check out the vibe in the office. He was glad to see Megan, his new Kim, arrive shortly after he got in. He was still sorting and unpacking the stuff from his desk in Piraeus when she walked in. "Special Agent McGee, welcome! I thought you might be here early this morning."

"Thank you…and do we go by titles, last names or first names here?"

"Special Agent Davis preferred we use titles."

Tim nodded, "The sub offices too?" She nodded and he continued, "Hmm. Do you think everyone on all three teams – and I mean all of us, not just the field agents – would be comfortable being called by first name?"

She thought about it, "I think there are a couple of people who would prefer to have their last name used."

"Ok. I would like to drop the use of our titles when we're here at the office. I'm sure you know we're field agents and I certainly hope the field agents know it, no need to say the words all day long. And Megan, I consider everyone who works here to be 'my team'. The field agents are the outside team and you four are the inside team; I already know the work you do to keep us pointed in the right direction is invaluable."

She grinned at him and he relaxed a tiny bit. "Before the others get here, can you give me a quick walk through of your responsibilities? In Greece, your counterpart was the de facto office manager, but I'm told things don't work that way here."

She smiled, "We're working on that…uh…"

"Tim."

"Tim, right. That's changing, slowly but it is changing. Word has it that another SAIC transferred back to the U.S. from Europe and made some changes which are migrating to other offices now."

Tim looked at her, "Let me guess, Joel?"

She nodded and he grinned, "How do you feel about it?"

"Happy, relieved, makes the job easier for both of us if I don't have to run to you for everything."

"Great, have at it then and let me know if I'm missing something, please!"

"Will do."

"Ok, next question. I noticed last week that everyone went off on their own at lunch." She looked puzzled and he continued, "Do you ever have lunch together?"

She was still puzzled, "With the office staff, sure, sometimes. With the field agents? Not in a few years no."

"Was that an SAIC decision?"

"It was never stated but it was discouraged."

Tim nodded. "Won't happen overnight but I'd like to see that change. In my opinion it helps establish a more cohesive team. Next question, does the support team ever travel to the sub offices?" That shocked her and she just shook her head. "All right, that's a stretch for Petrero anyway but I could see a day trip to Button Willow." He smiled at her, "It's just an idea."

She answered several other questions and then left him to his unpacking. He'd noticed there was no coffeemaker or electric kettle, nothing for cold drinks and asked about it; she told him the SAIC before Agent Davis had gotten rid of those and told the staff they should supply their own. He made a face at that and she laughed, she already liked this man.

"What if we put together a kitty to buy coffee and whatever else we want?"

"Like a monthly amount?"

"Yes. I'll find the funds for a coffeemaker, maybe an electric kettle and a little refrigerator."

"Wow, that'd be great, then we could bring things for lunch other than peanut butter sandwiches."

"Microwave?"

"Sure, they're not expensive."

"All right, would you please make a list of what you think we need and I'll see about acquiring the equipment. My parents moved with us from Greece and I know my dad's going to need a project very soon!"

"They lived with you in Greece?"

"They had their own place. He's a retired field agent, moved to Greece to be closer to me and my brothers and met his wife there. She's an American who hasn't lived in the States - huh have to quit saying that - in the U.S. for over 20 years."

"Wow, your dad was an NCIS agent too?"

"Yep and you'll meet him at some point. He's actually still an agent, just retired from the field. You know the Volunteer Pool?" She nodded, "He runs that."

"For all the offices?"

"Most of them, yeah; he's got an assistant based in Okinawa who handles volunteer assignments for the Southern Hemisphere and the Pacific Rim offices."

"Wow, that's pretty cool!"

He smiled and looked up as the door was electronically unlocked with the keypad. That was one of the field agents and the others came in shortly after. He sent out e-mails scheduling a meeting with his local staff at 09:00, one with Petrero at 10:00 and Button Willow, just wrapping up a case, at 14:00.

He was happy to see that at least one of the field agents wasn't afraid to be friendly and that his SFA was still focused on her job. She'd called him on Monday and asked if Matt's shadow week could be moved up a week as she'd discovered she was expected to attend a conference with her husband the week before she left. He wasn't sure he understood, she'd be gone a week and then come back for her last week? Yes, that was it. He asked her gently if she wouldn't rather leave for good when she left for the conference. He told her he'd be fine either way; that he appreciated her sticking around as long she was but it wasn't set in stone and they'd be fine. Sounding relieved, she agreed to that, so now Matt was coming to shadow her during her last week, about 10 days away and then he'd step right into the position.

The meetings met Tim's expectations. Megan reminded him that the junior agents were fairly new and that made him relax even more. He told his staff he was more comfortable using names without titles and that his name was Tim – to everyone. He told them about being trained by a Marine who called the guys by their last names and the women mostly by their first. He grinned then and said that even that old Marine had changed his ways and that if anyone preferred their first, last name or a reasonable nickname to please let him know and that in the field when they were with other agencies, they would use titles. He announced the SFA's early departure, no surprise there and the early arrival of Special Agent Matt Watson, their new Senior Field Agent. He told them a little more about himself and noticed wide eyes when he mentioned his four children. He smiled at that. "It's not something we feel needs to be broadcast, but our two eldest are adopted. My siblings and I grew up orphans and my wife and I are determined to help as many kids have a family as possible. And yes, at some point the clan will come visit but not for awhile. Also, I'm used to speaking Greek so if you hear me slip up just give me a nudge."

"You spoke Greek in the office?"

"Yes. Not always, everyone spoke – speaks- excellent English, but yes, we did, and certainly with the local police departments." He looked around, "Even that old Marine, who's my adopted father by the way, learned to speak the language."

He didn't take much longer than that, not wanting to focus on trivia when they had work to do. He knew they'd wrapped a case yesterday so they'd be working on reports today. When he said that, the field agents looked at him strangely. "What?"

The SFA shook her head, "We did our reports last night."

"What time did you bust the dirtbag?"

"About1600."

"And booking?"

One of the agents stirred, "If it's too late for the lockup transport we have an agreement with the Preston PD to stash our suspects with them overnight. They had our dirtbag by 1800."

"And what time did you get out of here?"

The SFA blinked, "I was the last one out at 2300."

"All right, thanks for the information. So, if all your reports for every case are done, then we're working cold cases until we get a call out."

He saw some relief; this team had had a heavy caseload since the beginning of the year. He'd reviewed several of the case files and while he was for the most part satisfied he saw a few gaps and on one case there had been a link to another case that had been missed for far too long. He knew that was easy for him to say, hindsight is always easier but he would do some discreet observation and probably some 'in house' training. He had one more comment, "Just one thing about cold cases, I used to think they were fillers. But remember I said I grew up an orphan? Happens that a team finally closed my family's murders 27 years after the fact and I haven't seen cold cases in the same light since."

"27 years?"

"Yeah; they caught the killer and solved 6 other cold cases."

"Was that NCIS, I mean the team that solved your case?"

He nodded, "Yes, led by that old Marine who right about now is walking my eldest to school."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, as I said, it changed my perspective!" He looked at them. "I'm going to be a less formal Team Lead than you've been used to and that's fine, we all have different styles. Just know the work is the same; when we're on a case, whether in the office or in the field, I expect you to do your jobs whether you're called Special Agent, Dispatch or Megan."

They nodded and he thought they might actually feel better for that. He also made a mental note to look at the previous junior agents, see where they'd landed. In his experience, it was a little odd to have 2 new juniors and a new SFA in one office – not to mention the new-ish Team Leads in Petrero and Button Willow.

His meetings with the sub offices were quick, he said basically the same thing with an added comment that he'd be visiting soon so he could meet them face to face. He thought about that, he'd probably stay overnight in Monterey and decided he'd make that trip quickly, before his dad and Rhea moved to their own place. Lina was perfectly capable of handling everything but he'd rather she not have to and he knew his folks loved being with the kids. Then he smiled to himself, wondering if Lina could sneak away with him. He gave himself a mental headslap, he'd had too many days off - he was at work!

He spent some time making introductory calls to the Preston, Encinitas and Del Mar Police Departments and the local Medical Examiner. He shouldn't have been surprised that the M.E. knew his grandfather. As soon as he identified himself as an NCIS agent, the woman asked if he knew Dr. Mallard. It seemed they'd worked together at some point in his grandfather's long life and she was amazed that Tim was his grandson. The Preston Chief asked him for coffee Friday morning and Tim agreed to meet him at the man's favorite coffee shop, a block from the office. The Encinitas Chief asked him to join him for a luncheon the following week but Tim asked for a rain check. The Del Mar PD Deputy Chief he spoke with seemed a little puzzled as to why he'd called but was cordial enough.

Joel called and they spoke briefly; he approved Tim's planned trips to Petrero and BW for a meet and greet. Around the calls, he reviewed more case files and cold cases. He'd taken a small stack from the drawer and saw his field agents watching, seemingly waiting. He nodded at them, "These are for me, feel free to select your own."

Elena, his SFA, cleared her throat, "You'll…the drawer will be unlocked then?"

He had to fight his surprise at that. "Yes, during the day; locked up like everything else when we're closed."

They all nodded and Elena shot him a smile, the first he'd seen from her. He went back in his office, deliberately leaving his door open and sent an IM with a question to Megan. Her answer: "Tight rein on all."

He nodded, had another thought and sent an IM to Elena, "What time does the office normally close?"

Her answer: "No active case, 18:30-ish, active case, agents stay till midnight; staffers released 10."

He shook his head; he didn't like that at all. With everyone in by 7:30, the late close time was not necessary and now he would need to check the overtime funds for the support staff who were paid hourly. He thought about it for a few minutes. He'd had a "Welcome" e-mail from Lydia down in Yuma and she'd offered to answer questions, give advice if he needed it. And she had reported to Joel for years in London and several months here. He sent her a quick e-mail to see if she had time for a couple of questions and then made a run to the men's room, closing his office door on his return.

She'd replied with "Now is good, unless…" so he called her and picked her brain about how she handled overtime wages. She laughed, "You really mean how Joel handles them?"

"That too but if you do something differently and I like it, I'd argue for it."

"Good! So…" He felt better when he got off the phone and wrote a couple of e-mails. The first one went to his subordinate Leads and while he waited for their replies, he drafted another for his local team:

"Subject: Changes!

I'll be adding to this over the next while, but here's our first change:

New policy:

- Start time: the same: 0730

- Closing time: when we have no active cases assigned to this team, field agents and dispatch are off duty at 1700.

- If Petrero and/or Button Willow have active cases their support, Chuck, Maria and possibly Megan, will stay until released by Team Leads Brown and Maradona or at 2200, whichever comes first. If anyone is asked to stay later by anyone but me, call my cell immediately.

- If Petrero and/or Button Willow have no active cases their support and Megan are off duty at 1700.

Also, from now on Button Willow will be referred to as 'BW', at least in e-mails."

While he worked on that, he had replies from Will and Maya his sub leads, agreeing to the change. Both added that they usually didn't need their support staff much past 1900 in case he wanted to give an earlier release time. He liked that and modified the hour to 2000 before he sent it out. He sent notes that were stripped down to 'field agents' to the two team leads and asked them to implement.

He saw smiles as people read his e-mail and he quietly exhaled a sigh of relief. He'd been a little afraid of his hourly wage earners being upset about loss of overtime but Lydia said that in her experience, they hadn't lost much; when there were cases, they were busy. And she told Tim confidentially that Joel had expressed concern about the amount of overtime wages paid out by the Preston office as they didn't seem to consistently correlate with active cases. Tim took a few thoughts away from the conversation, along with what to do about the unwarranted overtime: 1) that Davis' desire to retire and 'spend time with the grandchildren' might have had a nudge from Joel, 2) Joel confided in Lydia at least about Preston which led him to 3) Joel hoped that Tim would contact Lydia, if not him, with questions and concerns. He liked that although he hoped Joel wouldn't have occasion to continue his concerns about Preston – or if he did, that he'd come directly to him.

Before he left for the day he sent out another e-mail, subject Team Building, inviting the entire team to have lunch together on Friday - his treat. They'd roll the office phone to his cell and have a local restaurant provide takeout. At 1700, he shut down his computer, locked his desk, put his cold case files in a 'pending' file drawer and turned to find his agents with their own cold case folders waiting to put them away. Rae, Tea's counterpart, rolled the phone to his cell and giving him a grin walked out the door with the others. Megan stayed, made sure the machines were off and everything was locked up and then they left together. They'd made it through his first day!

After checking with Lina, he stopped on the way home to buy a microwave, price small refrigerators and also found an electric kettle, which he purchased along with the microwave. He knew the Gibbses had ended up with two coffeemakers so would offer to buy one from them for the office. Next he headed to the supermarket where he spotted Anna's teacher in the produce area and nodded to her, and then had trouble finding the bread. With everything finally marked off Lina's list, he headed home with a light heart, excited to hear about everyone's day.

Dinner was almost ready but he had a few minutes to play with his kids and hear what they'd done that day. As he came in the door he gathered them into his arms for kisses and hugs. Then they sat on the couch while they told him about their days. Anna talked about school and Gemma reported that she, Jorrin and Zoe had gone for a walk with Poppy. Jorrin grinned at him, "We fed duckies, Daddy!"

"Oh, you found a pond or lake?"

Gemma nodded wisely, "Yep, Nonnie founded it online and we took Poppy there."

"Very nice, I'm sure Poppy enjoyed it! And how was Miss Zoe, did she enjoy it too?"

She'd greeted him with a slobbery kiss and he'd given her a tummy raspberry that made her giggle. She was currently sitting up on the couch, looking at her minions; life was good when you were the youngest. Jorrin crawled up Tim's torso and wrapped his arms as far as he could around him. They cuddled while Jorrin told him about feeding the duckies and holding hands with Poppy when crossing the street. Then he frowned, "There was a big mean ducky, Daddy; he comed after me and I ran, but Poppy blowed his whistle and he stopped chasing me."

"Maybe he wanted some bread."

Jorrin shook his head, "No, he already ated his bread."

"Hmm, did he look like the other ducks?"

Jorrin stopped to think, "No, he was big, as big as me and all white with mean eyes."

"It sounds like he was a goose."

"What's a goose?"

Tim told him and Gemma and Jorrin nodded. "I'm glad Poppy had his whistle to scare him away!"

"Can we have whistles too?"

"Mm, I think one whistle will be enough for the park."

They were called to dinner then and Tim scooped Zoe up to put her in her high chair where she serenaded them with a chorus of hand slaps and spoon thumping. The spoon quickly moved to Daddy's pocket and the young empress was given her favorite round cereal bits to play with. As they ate, Tim answered questions about his first day and smiled when he got a nod of approval from Dad. He laughed when he told them about meeting the Preston Chief of Police for coffee the next morning and Lina looked puzzled, "I don't understand."

"Maybe it's just me, honey, but it seems like that's something people about to retire would do. It's so…"

Gibbs prompted, "Mayberry."

"Yeah, that's it!"

Rhea nodded, "It is very small town America, Tim. So in that sense it's not an age thing."

"You're right, I hadn't thought about the small town aspect. I'm used to thinking of Piraeus as the outskirts of Athens, with its own personality."

Now Lina understood. "Oh, I see; that probably wouldn't happen in a bigger town or city and we're not as close to either of those as we were in Greece."

Tim nodded. "Have to change my mindset!" He huffed, "I've never lived in a small town - this will really be a new experience. Hey, speaking of small towns I saw Anna's teacher in the grocery store, I just nodded at her, hope that's ok, Miss Anna."

She laughed at his tease. "That's fine Daddy, I like Ms. Austen."

After dinner Poppy and Rhea cleaned up while Tim looked at Anna's homework. While the kids watched a cartoon, he went for a quick swim. He'd run this morning but swimming in the evening really helped. He was already missing his MMA classes and finding a new instructor was on the list of things he needed to do. Finally, all the kids were in bed and Tim and Lina retreated to their bedroom, ceding the downstairs to the Gibbses.

He enjoyed his coffee with the Police Chief the next morning, chuckling when he saw the man was close to his own age. He asked a few questions and answered a few of the Chief's and went on to the office glad he'd made the call. The morning was quiet and cold case reviews were again the name of the game. Lunch arrived and they gathered in the conference room to eat. Tim had e-mailed everyone asking that they have something to reveal about themselves that the others didn't know. He gave an example of having worn a kilt at his grandparents' wedding in Edinburgh and followed up with "I'm sure you can each think of many things less embarrassing than that, although it was my choice and my brothers also wore them! Maybe you were a hall monitor in school or babysat triplets, you sing/sang in the church/school choir, maybe once wore two different color socks or shoes to work/school. Or make something up!"

His request went over well; apparently the wearing of the kilts convinced them. He started the ball rolling, "I have something else to share, if you don't mind two things?" They encouraged him to continue, "I wore the costume of our school mascot at MIT." They liked that. Megan went next, "I wore thick glasses starting when I was 18 months old until I had Lasik surgery at age 18."

Chuck was a member of 'Boys State' in high school; Maria took college courses online and Rae sang in her temple's choir. Elena loved to cook, Terrell worked with Habitat for Humanity and Joanna was taking surfing lessons. They all sat smiling at each other when they were done, proud to have shared. Chuck leaned forward, "I could look this up, but I'll ask instead, what is the school mascot for MIT?"

With a perfectly straight face, Tim replied, "A beaver." Then he smiled. "I wanted to be involved in the sports programs but I have no talent for football or basketball. I'm a decent fielder in baseball but didn't have the time to be on the team, even if I had made it through try-outs. So I went for the mascot instead, got into all the games for free." He smiled, "My brother Tony was a star quarterback at Ohio State, would have gone pro but his leg was broken by the school's rival at one of their last games. The guy that broke his leg became a Navy doctor and saved Tony's life when he had the plague a few years ago."

Rae shook her head, not sure she'd heard correctly, "The plague, the real plague?"

Tim nodded.

"And the same guy?"

"Yes, they're good friends now."

"How'd he get the plague?"

The phone rang and Tim shook his head at them with a smile. He'd already asked everybody to participate in the clean up, so he didn't look back as he walked to his office to take the call. It was Joel. "Hey Tim, just thought I'd see how it's going."

"Hi Joel! We're doing fine, just finished lunch together and I had coffee with the Preston Chief of Police this morning. I've made a couple of small changes, I thought I'd just put them in one e-mail to you."

"Do I need to know?"

"The first one, doubt it: we don't need to use titles in the office." He smirked as he heard a derisive noise from his boss. "The second one, yes. If there are no active cases that anyone is needed for, our office closes at 1700. Sub support will stay if needed but 2000 is the latest for them; Brown and Mardona have agreed to that."

"Thank God! Timothy, I cannot begin to tell you how much that will help our budget!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Joel. I heard through Lydia that you'd expressed concerns about the overtime here. I have no problems with that but I would ask you to come to me if you have questions, concerns or you see potential problems. As for the overtime…you know… "

"Yes, of course, cases, but then we have a reason for overtime."

"To tell you the truth, Joel, I rarely had reason to keep all of my inside

team late even when we did have cases; office manager, yes, but not dispatch or files. Different here with support for the others, but as you say, that's legitimate overtime."

"How'd your staff take it?"

"So far so good, I talked with my office manager about it first. Oh, that's another thing, Joel. I want her to start assuming more responsibilities, more of the administrative side of things; it worked out well in Athens and Megan is certainly willing."

"That's fine, I'm trying to ease all our offices into that but some Team Leads are happier about it than others."

"I'm sure. Speaking of Team Leads I'm going to try to visit both sub offices next week, I'll fly up to Monterey and then I was thinking I'd rent a car and drive over to Button Willow and then home."

"You can do that if you like, but it's nearly 250 miles from Petrero to Button Willow and not the most interesting drive. You might want to fly up to Monterey and back, your choice to stay over and then drive up to Button Willow another day. It's about 3.5 hours to drive it but it's all freeway, you'll just have to watch the weather over the Grapevine."

"Right, I noticed the elevation is pretty high, I imagine they get some exciting weather conditions up there."

"Oh yeah." Joel chuckled. "If you have backup care for the kids, this would be a perfect opportunity to take Lina with you to Monterey. I'm sure you two need some time away after the past few months!"

Tim agreed, "I was thinking about that. She can take her collapsible easel and she'll be so engrossed she won't even notice I'm at work!"

"I'll send you the names of the places we've stayed, both hotels and B&Bs. Just a word of caution, it's chillier up there than it is here."

"Right – thanks!" They hung up soon after and Tim sent Lina an e-mail asking her if she'd like to go. Then he got back to work.

When Lina replied yes Tim asked his SFA to step into his office. He asked if she'd feel comfortable taking the team while he visited Petrero and Button Willow the following week. She smiled, "That's fine, I handled the team for Agent Davis on his golf days."

Tim shook his head as if to clear his ears, surely he'd heard wrong. "Say again please…on his what days?"

The woman assumed a blank face, "His golf days, he played golf on Fridays."

"So he left early or came in late?"

"Uh, came in late, after lunch."

"Every Friday?"

She looked at him, "I've only been here a few months, but yes all the Fridays since I've been here."

"Right, sorry Elena, didn't mean to direct that at you! So he pretty much worked half days on Fridays." She nodded. "And did he respond with you when you had a case?"

"Sometimes, but sometimes he'd tell me to run with it."

"With two baby juniors." She nodded again. "And did the reports reflect that you were the lead on those cases?"

She shrugged, "I wrote mine that way but I never saw the final versions that went to Joel."

Tim exhaled, "All right, wow, that's a lot to take in and just so you know, that's not acceptable behavior for a Team Lead! Ok, here's the deal. I'm planning on heading up to Monterey next week and Button Willow probably the week after. I'd like to go now as my folks are living with us until they find a place; they can take care of the kids."

She laughed at that, "I'm from a family of 6, so I have an idea what you mean."

"Thank you. Now, as to what you've already been through, as I indicted, no, that should not have happened and I'll take a look at those cases to see who's listed as lead. That's important to have on your records and on our juniors' records: that they were working with you. I'm assuming you worked many of them successfully."

She nodded, "Of the 7 that we worked like that, only one is still open and it was a petty theft that really should have been handled by the MPs. I recommended it be bumped back to them but I don't know what Special Agent Davis did with it. I was told not to worry about it."

"We'll check on that one too. Excellent, great job!"

Tim hoped that he wouldn't run into his predecessor anywhere and remembered he was moving to New Mexico to be closer to his grandchildren. Then he wondered how much Joel knew, although on second thought Davis was gone, so he likely knew everything. He mentally put that on the list of items to discuss with Joel.

Again they closed up shop at 1700 and Tim saw even more smiles. He was home in 5 minutes and playing with the kids in 6 minutes. When his dad poked his head into the family room, Tim whispered to the kids and got up off the floor, taking Zoe with him. "Dad, I have a chance to take Lina to Monterey next week, for an overnight. Would you and Rhea mind the kids, please?"

His father smiled and ruffled his hair. "We've already talked about it and we're ready, willing and able! Glad you're going before we find a place."

"Yeah, I thought about that. That and you'll be visiting Sarah, Tony, Geordie and Rob at some point."

His father nodded, "Don't know if you've heard but this morning we had a meeting of big house owners and we've decided to hang onto the place for now. I figure Geordie is there for another year and Rob probably through the summer, although it might be for another year or two."

Tim's face lit up, "Yes, that's great! We're planning to go over when school's out; maybe we could nab a couple of rooms?"

"Sure, but I think 3 is more realistic." Gibbs chuckled at the look on Tim's face. "Yeah, we've talked about it. If Liz and the Hubbards want to go over too, then Liz and Claire can share, the four girls can share a room and Callum and Jorrin can share…or something like that. And there's always the chance that Sarah and James will bring Adam over for a visit. He can share with the boys and his parents can sleep on one of the pull out sofas. Pete and Trina have offered their downstairs bedroom for overflow. Or if we're too crowded, Evander will work some magic again. I know you and James will only be there a couple of weeks at most so we'll work around that."

Tim shook his head, as always amazed at the thoughtfulness of his family. "I'm glad you're not selling the big house right away, although if something bigger comes along…"

His dad chuckled, "Then you can buy it but I'd think you'd want to do that here."

Tim looked at his father, "We need to see how long it takes to drive from this house to Joel's office, in traffic."

He got a grin in return. "That's a great idea; maybe this could be home for longer than you thought."

Tim had already run the two addresses on a directional site and it looked possible but he wouldn't know until he drove it on his own, on a weekday – preferably Monday – during commute traffic. It would be really great not to have to move again for a few years.

The weekend flew by. The weather was warmer so the McGees took the kids to the beach to put their toes in the water and run around while Poppy and Nonnie went off on their own. Tim took his shoes off, rolled up his jeans and let Zoe experience the ocean on her toes. She squealed happily and of course wanted more. They'd learned their lesson with last weekend's long walk and took it easy this time so that nobody but Zoe had to be carried back. Tim loved being so close to the beach, less than a 3 minute drive.

Sunday they all went to church and the priest welcomed them after the service. He laughed when they told him they'd met his brother in Encinitas. "Yes, he told me about the new family we would soon have! Welcome to St. Nicholas' and Preston!"

Lina was amused that the name of the church here was the same as in their church in Piraeus and told the man who smiled, "Maybe we should see about being 'sister parishes'." He greeted each one of the children individually and then shook hands with the rest of them.

* * *

><p>Note: CarFax® is a web-based service that supplies vehicle history reports to individuals and businesses on previously owned cars and light trucks for the U.S. and Canadian marketplaces. (Source: Wikipedia) I figure that Tim and Gibbs, being the thorough investigators they are, would certainly ask about the history of the cars they're considering buying.<p> 


	173. Chapter 173

Back at work on Monday, Tim was amused by the restlessness starting to grow among the field agents. After lunch he gathered them and took them to the nearest shooting range. He worked with the two juniors for nearly an hour before he was satisfied with their progress. When they returned to the office, he had them bring their cold case files to the conference room and they went through a few of them together. He'd realized that his short-term SFA wasn't training his just-past probationary agents. He spent the afternoon with them and left instructions with Osnaya for additional training while he was away. She seemed startled, "Is that something I should have been doing all along?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, in my experience the SFA handles much of the training of the less experienced agents. The Team Lead teaches in broader strokes, how to anticipate for example, while the SFA trains in specifics - how to look for physical evidence at a crime scene, taking photos, getting every angle possible. So now I'm curious, who trained you?"

She tried to stop the grimace that appeared, "As a junior, I just followed my team until I figured things out. As a SFA, well, I haven't done any training - the SFA on my previous team didn't train us and the Team Lead well, he did to some extent. I was told to watch and observe, learn on my own."

"That's discouraging but from what I've read in the files, you've done a good job of picking up things on your own. That doesn't always happen though. I was trained by both my Team Lead and SFA but again, more concepts by my TL and specifics by the SFA. I had to do every crap job imaginable, but I learned a lot. As SFA, I worked closely with my juniors on details because so many times it's some tiny detail that breaks a case. For example…" he told her about Bec and the red polish in the serial killer case and Matt finding the half brother in their CIA case. He chuckled when he stopped talking, "Here I am telling you this when you're leaving the agency!"

She gave a twisted smile, "Well, you never know, I could end up somewhere there's an NCIS office and perhaps go back to work."

Smiling, he agreed as they left his office. In the meantime she would continue the training he'd started.

Tuesday morning, he and Lina kissed the children goodbye and drove to the San Diego airport. Tim watched the time closely as the office wasn't all that far from the airport and was pleased with the results. Of course he'd need more than one drive to prove it was within an hour of the Southwest office. Their flight to Monterey was about 90 minutes; they picked up a rental car at the airport and as they were early, found a café and stopped for breakfast. Afterward, Lina drove the few miles out to Petrero and dropped Tim at the office. Then she headed back into Monterey and the hotel where they'd booked a room for the night. It was far too early to check in but she'd made arrangements to leave their luggage.

Once that was settled, she hopped back in the car with her rolling bag, camera and sketchbook. This morning she was going to just wander with her sketchbook and camera, figuring by afternoon she'd have more of an idea of what scenes she really wanted to capture. She found a parking space on a street near the Monterey Bay Aquarium and was glad she didn't have to pay for this parking spot; it wasn't even metered, as she wasn't sure if she'd stay in one spot. She wandered the streets there, taking photos and stopping to do some sketching and then went back to the car and drove on.

While Lina was enjoying being Melina Kalivas, Tim was at the office with his subordinate team. He'd had strong first impressions of both his subordinate Team Leads and was glad to see that extended to the Petrero field agents. He chuckled to himself when he saw the coffeepot, microwave and small refrigerator and when Will Brown, the Team Lead, noticed, Tim explained, "As I'm sure you know, Preston didn't have anything like this."

Will nodded, "I know the staff brought their beverages with them every day. When I was there I noticed a case of bottled water behind Rae's desk. It was gone the next time I looked, so there must have been a closet or cupboard somewhere."

"Yeah, I'm not that formal and I'd rather people be comfortable at work – and be AT work, not out buying coffee." He laughed, "My first Team Lead was – and still is – a coffee addict. That was aboard the Navy Yard and yeah we had a break room but he hated the coffee there, so he'd be gone for coffee a fair amount. But he was the Lead, that wasn't something the rest of us could necessarily do. Anyway, long story…Preston now has a coffeemaker and microwave and we'll have a little refrigerator soon."

Will nodded. "I also heard about the titles."

Tim smiled, "Different styles."

"Have to confess, we've been closing at 1700 but my guys are instructed to have their gear with them until 1900 and no alcohol until then."

"And let me guess, Davis didn't know."

"Right."

"I understand why you did that and while I admire your leadership, I prefer you let me know if you want to make a change like that. I'm a halfway decent listener and I've been through some tough times in my career which I hope means I keep an open mind. On the other hand, I'm not a micro-manager unless the situation calls for it. You've been handling your team, got a great record, I have no problems with that."

Will gave him his word and Tim was satisfied, wondering again just how Agent Davis had run his teams. He met with the team in their conference/interrogation room going over some of the case reports he'd reviewed and getting their personal opinions on things. Then he took them all out to lunch which he surmised Davis had never done. Petrero was a small enough town that they could walk everywhere, which he enjoyed.

After lunch he holed up in the conference room with his phone, making sure he kept on top of everything. Maya in Button Willow had had a question this morning but knowing he was in Petrero had sent an e-mail instead of calling. He sent her a quick answer. By 1400 he was working cold cases with the team and they had a lively debate about some of the aspects of one case. He liked that these people accepted him as a fellow agent as well as the Supervising Team Lead. When Lina arrived shortly before 1700 to pick him up, she came in and met everyone.

Back at the hotel in Monterey, they retrieved their bags, got their room keys, had a swim in the indoor pool and relaxed together before their dinner with Agent Brown and his wife Mia. They met the Browns at a wonderful seafood restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed the company and the meal, although Tim took some teasing when he ordered a chicken entrée. During the evening Mia revealed that she wrote children's books under a pseudonym. When she said that, Tim leaned forward and whispered, "So do I!" Both were thrilled when they exchanged pennames as each was a fan of the other. Mia had a trilogy of books for adopted children and their new families. Lina grinned at Tim when she heard that. "We have those! We adopted our two oldest, Anna and Gemma, last spring and ordered the books online. They were a great help for all of us!"

Mia smiled at that, "I'm so glad to hear that!"

Will had been covertly observing Tim, or so he thought, while they'd been chatting about books. Now he opened his mouth to ask and Tim nodded at him, "Yes."

"Yeah? Wow!"

"That was before children."

"Oh yeah, I could see that, and the change."

"I might have one more of the older ones in me. Would be sort of a peel off of characters but there could be a few cases where a couple of the characters have worked together."

"Not all four?"

"No, it'll never be all four again." Tim snorted and continued, "Never say never, so I'll amend that to it is highly unlikely! I'm really enjoying the change."

Will nodded and turned to Lina, "And did you do the illustrations in the last book, the family one?"

"We split them between my friend – and now my mother-in-law – Rhea Ortiz and I."

"She's…?" Mia turned to Tim who was laughing.

"She hates being called Lina's mother-in-law or my mother. She's only a few years older than I am and she was Lina's friend for several years before we all met. But yes, she is married to my father and 'Nonnie' to our kids. However, he's only been my father for a few years."

Mia shook her head, "Complicated!"

"I suppose it is. He was my boss, we had problems, eventually I moved on from his team and we worked on the problems. I hadn't had parents since I was a kid and still wanted a dad. He stepped up and eventually my siblings discovered they also liked having him as a dad. So he adopted us and later he and Rhea married."

Will returned to the previous topic, asking about the illustrations in the McGregor book and Lina told them a little more about them.

As it was a weeknight they didn't stay out late. When they were relaxing in their room, Lina remembered she hadn't shown Tim her photos and sketches yet, in fact she hadn't even looked at them all. She'd taken dozens of photos in town and had just been snapping away without stopping to look at them. "Come, look at my photos and sketches with me. You pick which one you'd like to see as a painting."

She was curious to see as Tim's tastes were evolving to a more sophisticated palette. She downloaded the photos onto her laptop and Tim sat with her on the loveseat in their room, going through them. She was going too quickly so he had her slow down. He kept going back to one photo, an odd one she'd snapped just for fun. "That's different."

"You like it?"

"I don't know. It's just…different."

"Your choice for a painting?"

"Mm, if I can have more than one choice."

"You may!"

They went forward again and he frowned, "I like too many of these! Thinking of doing a series?"

"Yes, but I don't want the same old same old; Monterey has been photographed, sketched and painted by the best."

He laughed at that, "Well they soon will be!" He pointed to another photo and she smiled to herself and flipped to her sketchbook where she'd fleshed out the scene.

He grinned, "Yeah, that's my top choice, just as you've sketched it." He leaned in to congratulate her on her wonderful work and she met him in the kiss. They spent the rest of the evening in each other's arms, making love and Tim finally fell asleep holding his lover in his arms.

Their flight left on time Wednesday morning and he slept nearly the entire flight which pleased Lina. They were out of the airport, in the car on the way back to Preston just minutes after landing. He went home with Lina, deciding to take an early lunch break. He'd forgotten that Gemma and Jorrin had started pre-school and daycare this week so he gave Zoe extra kisses and played with her for a little bit before having breakfast for lunch and heading to the office.

All was calm there, no new case had come in so Tim spent some time writing up his reports from his trip and then grabbed the cold cases he'd been working on Monday. During the afternoon, he had an IM from Elena asking to speak privately with him. He motioned her in and she sat, taking a deep breath. "I…I don't think this is going to work. I'm sorry, I didn't understand how much pressure my husband would be under to make the move now. They gave him a date range and we opted to go later but his boss has been making noises that they want him there now, not later. First the conference and now…" she sighed, "he's being 'advised' go as soon as possible and he doesn't want to go without me."

Tim wondered what mess the poor man would be walking into but just nodded as it wasn't any of his business, thank God. "That's all right; you need to do what's best for you, Elena. When's your last day?"

She looked him in the eye. "Tomorrow and I am so sorry!"

He smiled, "It really is all right, Elena; I'm grateful you've been able to stay while I was getting acclimated."

"I wanted to do the best job I could."

"I appreciate that."

She looked down, "I spent most of the time you were gone on the phone with my husband, trying to figure out what to do. I was too distracted to do the training I promised to do."

He nodded, keeping his thoughts about being distracted to himself and was relieved there hadn't been a call out. Glad he'd postponed his trip to Button Willow, he headed out with the others at 1700. Megan had organizing a potluck day for their SFA on Thursday, they'd have breakfast, lunch and snack foods throughout the day.

Thursday morning he'd just finished a serving of a tasty quiche and was contemplating a third cup of coffee when Rae transferred a call to him. It was the Del Mar PD, informing him that they had a drug case with Navy connections. He tried not to sound happy as he responded to the caller, but there might have been a certain lilt in his voice as he called out, "We have a case." He walked into the bullpen. "In Del Mar, a drug case and the LEOs have found a link to a Petty Officer. They're sending us the details, we'll background first before we roll."

Considering his SFA's confession about her distraction the other day, Tim decided to exclude her from the case. That meant he was doing double duty but he could handle it. When the information arrived, he watched as his two juniors got right to it but he knew they'd noticed she had no assignments. He had work to do and at this point he'd rather work directly with his juniors. Calling her into the office, he gave her the choice of helping if she felt she could concentrate or taking the rest of the day off, saying goodbye and leaving now. She asked to help and he nodded and gave her an assignment. She left his office and he saw her get to work on her computer. Ten minutes later he rose with what information he'd found, ready for a sitrep from the others when he noticed she was now on her cell phone. He hoped it was a case related call but his gut told him it wasn't. He stood in the middle of the room and seeing no one else was on the phone, loudly demanded a sitrep. When she ignored him, he resisted the urge to take the phone from her and instead, turned to his juniors. "All right, Jo, Terrell, what have you got?"

They gave him their sitreps and he shared what he had and then asked Chuck to do the lookups he'd assigned to Osnaya. The man just nodded and got to it. Tim walked back to his office and went back to work. When he spotted Osnaya disconnecting, he called her into his office and quietly spoke. "That's enough; you're too distracted to stay the day. Thank you for your service; I'll need your weapon, badge, ids and keys." She just nodded, returned to her desk for her weapon, turning to go back into the office only to find Tim standing there. She handed him the weapon, badge, id and keys and then grabbing her pack, quietly said goodbye to the others and left the office.

Tim turned to the others. "Tough to be a short-timer, can't afford any distractions while we're on a case, could be deadly! All right, field team, listen up! Terrell, Jo, we three are it until Monday when our new SFA arrives. Chuck, keep going with your background on the Petty Office, I want a sitrep in 5 minutes. The warrant's been revised to include us, so we'll be searching her place and bringing her in."

Joanna looked up, "Should we be contacting her CO?"

"Good question. Find her duty shifts first; I don't want to tip our hand. At this point we're not even sure she's the only one involved."

They nodded and Terrell looked up, "Financials are just coming up."

"Ok, let's see them." While he waited, he walked over to Megan and handed her a form authorizing Osnaya's personal leave from now until her quit date. He put the weapon in their small arms locker while Megan took the other items.

The Petty Officer's financials showed she had a very healthy bank balance, far more than warranted by her rank and length of service. She'd been clever about it, splitting it into several different accounts, but Tim taught his juniors how to hunt and they found the accounts. Once they had enough to bring her in and had a good idea where she'd be, they grabbed their gear and headed for Del Mar.

Tim had Jo drive while he sent a text to the Del Mar PD that they were on their way to pick up their Petty Officer and had a reply that they'd have a couple of squads on site as backup. Tim huffed to himself about not needing backup but calmed down. This was Del Mar's case, he was glad they'd called them in when they did and if politics got in the way, well his team would prove their worth as they always did and do their part. That's all he needed to worry about, they didn't need any accolades. He'd gotten spoiled by Athens' Deputy Chief of Police Avramidis!

When they saw the squad cars a full block away, Tim smiled, that was great positioning! He knew Terrell had less experience than Jo at busting suspects and planned to keep him in the front with him and have Joanna take the back. Now he changed the plan. He had Jo roll to a stop behind one of the squad cars and he got out to speak to the officers. In the end, one rode with the NCIS agents and would provide backup for Jo at the back door to the apartment. The Petty Officer's unit was third from the end, so they parked the sedan behind her car in the complex parking lot and waited until Jo and the officer were in place behind the patio gate that would lead to the apartment's back door. He and Terrell headed up front and knocked on the front door, identifying themselves as NCIS and having a warrant. There was no answer but Tim's experienced ears told him their PO had just attempted to leave the place by her back door. Within a minute, Jo was speaking over their mics, "We have her in custody."

They called up one of the squads and their PO was placed in the backseat while Tim and his team searched her place, removing evidence. They found a firearm taped under the lid of the toilet as well as bags of drugs at the back of her bedroom closet, Tim supposed for her next delivery at the Navy base. She wasn't due back on duty for 24 hours so they had a little time before they had to notify her CO and Tim admitted to having a feeling that there might be more naval personnel involved.

Hours later Tim followed his agents out the door as they headed home, their job done for the moment, reports could wait until tomorrow. The Petty Officer was a pragmatic woman and in looking for a deal of some sort, gave up her fellow miscreants at the base; they'd been arrested on base by the SPs who delivered them to NCIS. Their CO was notified and Tim knew the commanding officer would be in for a rough time of his own as it was never good to discover that people in your command were dealing drugs on base, operating right under your nose. In the meantime, Del Mar busted the dealers who'd been working with the Petty Officer and they tied everything together with one big bow.

The kids were in bed by the time he got home so he went in to kiss them goodnight. Anna was reading and he sat with her for a few minutes while she told him about the spelling bee her school was having in the spring. She was very excited about it and Tim was proud, thinking that this wonderful child had only learned English in the past year. He told her how proud he was of her and promised to help her prepare before giving her a kiss and watching her put her book away. Gemma was asleep so he leaned in and kissed her gently. She smiled in her sleep, murmuring "Daddy."

"Love you sweetie."

Jorrin and Zoe were both sound asleep so he kissed them both, adjusted Jorrin's blankets and slipped back out of their room. Zoe was still in sleep sacks; she'd graduate to blankets at some point after her first birthday or when she transitioned to a bed.

Back downstairs he found Lina dishing up dinner. "Thanks sweetie, I hadn't even realized how hungry I am!" She sat with him while he ate and then his dad drifted in for coffee. "Get it done, Tim?"

"Yep, Dad; ended up busting 3 of the Navy's worst and the LEOs did the rest. Glad I'm not that CO!"

His dad snorted, "You'd never let that happen on your watch!" Rhea came in and sat with them, nursing a cup of hot tea.

"We looked at him very closely, but if he's involved he's done a stellar job of hiding the proceeds. Doesn't show online anywhere, not banking, real estate, cars, not even shopping."

"So he's probably not or he's got a big bag of money somewhere."

Tim snorted, "We'll keep tabs on him for awhile but my gut is saying unobservant - not involved."

"Almost as bad!"

"Maybe, but no criminal intent."

"Yeah, point there." Tim nodded and the four of them sat quietly for a few minutes. Eventually Tim spoke again, "I'm thankful it wasn't a murder or a kidnapping but I was happy to land a case today. And I let my SFA go."

"The one who was quitting anyway?"

"Yes, I had a talk with her on Monday about her duties as she didn't seem to be acting anything like the SFAs I've known. She agreed and was excited about training the juniors. They're just past their probationary years and I don't have a good handle yet on what they've been taught. Not much here, I can tell you that." He paused and drank some water. "Anyway when I got back from Monterey, I noticed that the juniors had made some progress in their cold case reviews, using some tips I'd given them…" He told them what had transpired with Osnaya the day before and today.

Rhea looked shocked, "You threw her out?"

"Yes, I did, although not literally! I've got a young office staff and two young field agents. I can't have them believing that allowing yourself to be distracted is an acceptable way to work as a field agent. That endangers everyone involved! I'd rather be short-staffed than have one putting the rest of us at risk."

Lina nodded and added, "You spoke to her the other day, so she knew."

"Yes, knew and agreed!"

Gibbs was looking at him and Tim knew he was trying not to smile. "It's fine Dad, I know I learned a lot of good things from you, I've told you that!"

"I'm sorry you got saddled with her but she was going anyway, proud of you for handling it quickly. Someone like that can cause real problems on a team."

"Up until she told me how distracted she'd been while I was in Petrero, I thought she'd probably been a decent agent. Davis…well I need to talk to Joel about him and now I need to do an audit of all the cases Osnaya handled on her own."

Lina rubbed his arm, "Will that take long?"

He grinned, "Not too long and Matt will be here next week so he and I will do that when we have time. I'll let him know that he's stepping right into the job, not doing any shadowing."

Gibbs frowned, trying to remember something and realized he didn't know. "How much shadowing did you do with Carla?"

"None in the field, she was on desk duty when I got there and then she was only there for two weeks I think, before she had the triplets. We'd gone over case files and she had a list of what training she'd done with Matt and Kyle." At their questioning looks he chuckled, "I forgot you don't know that name and I never met Kyle either. He was a junior who apparently came to Greece to have fun. He came to work drunk one day, Carla sent him home and soon after that he announced a family emergency in the States, left and never came back."

Lina looked astounded, "Is he still with the agency?"

Tim shook his head. "No, he was on probation when he left so that was it and Pete told me they were only hanging onto him until they could get another junior for the team."

"And that was you?"

"Mm, sorta kinda. I was transferred in as a junior, I was told it was a lateral move but I was told later that the plan had always been to promote me to at least a senior agent, if not the Senior Field Agent. We brought Bec in as our junior less than two months after I got there." He gave Lina's knee a nudge, asking a question about Anna and the spelling bee and the four of them happily changed the subject.

When he later checked his personal e-mail, there was a note from Tobias about Abby Sciuto. She'd been released on probation a year ago and had lasted a month before electronically disabling her ankle bracelet. Within hours they'd found her in a bar and she'd been sent back to prison for an additional eighteen months for violating her probation. Tim had just rolled his eyes at the time; he'd been told she had no knowledge of his whereabouts. Now she was apparently trying some sort of appeal. Fornell said it didn't look good for her but with Tim back in the U.S., he thought he should know. He put that aside for later thought; he'd ultimately passed on the civil suit as he had already recovered what funds he'd been out and he didn't want to testify or have anything further to do with her.

On Friday they worked on their reports and once finished, he went to the cold case drawer and took out a file they hadn't yet reviewed. He headed for the copy machine but Megan intercepted him, "Three?"

"Yeah, thanks."

He sat at Osnaya's desk, which had been cleared off and cleaned. He looked around, "Thanks, whoever did this!"

Rae peeked around the corner, "Welcome!" Megan returned with the copies sorted into three folders and he handed them out.

He opened the file, "Ok, let's go through these together and see what we can dig up. Terrell, you start." Terrell read the case summary aloud and the three of them went through it, Tim asking leading questions, using the same methods to train them as he'd used for Bec and Matt years ago. They updated the case with what new information they found online and by making a few phone calls. Tim told them about the case where a contact had casually mentioned an insurance claim so now they knew to listen for any little tidbits and to ask probing questions. He was encouraged by their progress this week; he was afraid to find out what they'd been doing since their arrival three and four months ago but he knew now that they had the makings of good agents, maybe even great agents. He thought at some point he'd like to pick Joel's brain about Davis and Osnaya and how anything had gotten done but he wasn't going to ask anytime soon.

That evening, with nearly 20 minutes to go before they shut down for the weekend, Tim stood in the bullpen. "Good work this week, all of you. I know having Agent Osnaya leave early was a surprise but sometimes that happens, she'd already moved on in her head and we can't afford that. We rely on each other, for us Field Agents our lives can literally depend on what your partner does or doesn't do. Jo, Terrell, I'm very pleased with your progress and I hope you are too. We'll continue your training every day. Some of it will be by example, or observation, some the way we did it today and some on the job but you will be trained! Something for everyone: I would like each one of you to be comfortable enough to let me know when you have an idea, questions or problems. And yes, we'll have a mini-fridge in here soon. Chuck - thanks for your help with the case! Maria, I know it was a quiet week for you, can't wait to see you in action, I've heard great things about both of you! Rae, Megan, great week, thanks for holding down the fort, I appreciate what you all do. Now on Monday, Matt Watson will join us and, Field Agents, he'll be handling the bulk of your training. Any questions about him?"

Megan raised her hand, "Is it true you trained him?"

"Partially. Have you heard of Carla Hofstadler in the El Segundo office?"

Maria nodded, "I think she's their part-time file person."

"Yes, that's her current position. She was my predecessor as SFA in Athens and she hired Matt. The Athens office was looking for a probationary agent; she saw what he was doing at FLETC and when he graduated, offered him a position with them. She worked with him for about three months before they brought me in. She was having a difficult pregnancy, was on desk duty by the time I got there and had triplets two weeks after my arrival. It was an interesting experience as there was no junior, they'd fired one before Matt arrived. So we had our Team Leader, Pete Russell, me as a brand new SFA and Matt as a four month probie. And believe me, in Europe there's no other NCIS office 50 miles up the road. There are only four offices, hundreds of miles apart."

"So backup…?"

"Pete's a very smart man, he'd made friends with the local police departments and they sometimes provided backup. But when we needed additional agents, we went to a sister agency."

The others looked puzzled and Tim smiled. "FBI handles things inside the U.S. What agency handles things only outside the U.S.?"

His agents' eyes widened and he nodded, "Yep, the CIA. There were – are – two agents at the American Embassy in Athens and they were our backup for several weeks, until our junior arrived."

"Wow!"

"Yeah wow! Ok, let's get out of here, have a great weekend, be safe, we're on call next weekend so enjoy your freedom now."

They were talking in a group as they left and Tim smiled at that, they were pulling together already. Megan hung back and looked at him, "I'm not supposed to say anything."

"About?"

"Your friend Kim called to see how you're doing. She said they didn't want to bother you and everything was fine but that they missed you and…she told me some things."

"About the whole team being injured?"

She nodded, "And her rules."

He chuckled. "We're all right. We're not likely to be sent to Afghanistan or a war zone and Terrell and Jo are good agents."

"She asked if we'd met Gibbs yet. I know that's your old boss, I looked it up."

"He's also my dad, the one who adopted me and my siblings."

"Oh!"

"He moved to Greece a couple of years ago to be closer to us – two of my brothers live there too – and he joined us for a few cases. When our team was out of town, either out of the country or away from Athens, Kim always said she felt better because she knew Gibbs was around, he would come in if they needed him."

"Oh and now he's here!?"

"Yes. He and his wife will be splitting their time between Athens, Virginia and here as she has family in Greece and as I said, two of my brothers are still there."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"I have four brothers, including one who's deceased, and one sister."

"And you were all orphans?"

"No, and that's a story for another time as I really need to get going."

"Geez I'm sorry!"

"That's all right. I'm sure more personal stuff will leak out once Matt gets here!"

"I'm looking forward to that!"

He smiled as he left thinking he'd ask Lina to come in for lunch next week and his dad at some point.


	174. Chapter 174

Damian called that evening, excited. He'd brought back a signed contract for the renovation work for his clients and the board of directors of his firm had voted to open an office in San Diego as soon as possible, making him the resident architect. He and Matt were going to look for housing within an hour's drive of Preston on Saturday, then they'd come over Sunday for a swim and dinner. When they got off the phone, Tim laughed, "Nice of the guys to do our scouting work for us!"

"Do you mean finding the hour's drive?"

"Yes, although that's from here, not the other way around. I think I'll put a bug in Matt's ear."

He sent his friend a text asking him to watch for an hour's drive from the NCIS office in San Diego and Matt said he'd do it but only if Tim explained why later.

They had a busy Saturday. Tim took Jorrin with him to run errands. First they went to the barber's to have their hair cut, then to the dry cleaners to drop off Mama's pretty dress, Daddy's suit and Poppy's dress pants and finally made it to the grocery store. Tim decided that while having one of the kids with him was a great way to meet people it was not the fastest way to grocery shop! Still, he loved spending time with his little guy. Back home again, they found the girls and grandparents gone, so they put the groceries away and had lunch. Afterward they worked in the front yard for awhile and met the neighbors on each side of them, although it turned out he already knew one of them – Preston's Chief of Police! Tim laughed as he shook the man's hand, "Nick, good to see you so close to home! Sorry, I've had my head at work, had no idea you lived right here!"

"That's all right Tim. And is this young man your son?"

"Yes, this is Jorrin. Jorrin, this is Chief Hardister."

Jorrin smiled at the Chief, "Hi! We're cleaning the yard."

"I see that, want to come do mine after?"

Jorrin shook his head sadly, "No, have to get ready for Unca Matt."

"Oh, company coming?"

"Yes, it's a long story but one of my previous team is joining my current team on Monday, he's staying with us, at least Sunday night."

"Thought your previous team was in Greece?"

"It was; he transferred over here when his partner got a dream job in LA and then my second in command here left…see, long story."

The Chief laughed, "I do see what you mean! Well, you're cleaning up your yard so I'd better go do some of that too or my wife's going to be telling me all about it!" He paused, "I hear you did a great job on that drug case with Del Mar this week. They're tough to impress but you did, congrats!"

"Thanks, you know how it is - we were just doing our jobs!"

"Oh yeah, I know all about that!"

Jorrin said something in Greek and Tim answered him, "Call of nature, we're just starting to potty train him."

"Go! I'll catch up with you later." Tim picked Jorrin up and they hurried into the house, making it in time.

Eventually Lina and the girls came home from their clothes shopping and Poppy and Nonnie returned from wherever they'd gone off to. They all had a swim and then Tim made dinner. Relaxing over their meal, he listened to Anna and Gemma talking about their shopping day with Mama and Zoe. Jorrin announced he'd gone shopping with Daddy and he'd made it to the potty on time. That got praise from his parents and then Tim moved swiftly to a mention of their neighbors the Hardisters. His dad laughed when he disclosed the neighbor was also the Chief of Police he'd had coffee with last week. After the children had been excused, helping each other to take their dishes carefully to the kitchen counter and then heading up to the play room, Poppy looked at them. "We drove down to San Diego, to NCIS and back. Took us 25 minutes and there was plenty of traffic. How long do you two think you're going to be in this house?"

Tim huffed, "I finally just asked Joel and he said Preston is within the parameters for the Southwest office. So," he looked at Lina, "we can stay here if we want!" She gave a little cheer as he looked at his dad, "If we do stay here, about 3 years, maybe a little more."

"Ok, thought so." His dad leaned back and picked up his coffee. Rhea started laughing and Tim rolled his eyes, "You don't play fair!"

"What? You didn't ask us anything!"

"So I'm asking!"

"Oh all right then."

Rhea couldn't stand it any longer and spilled the news: "We found a house, a big house, a half block from the beach and it's only three blocks from here! It's big enough for everyone, even bigger than the big house in Piraeus!"

"Wow!"

"Yes, 8 bedrooms with 8.5 baths. Two of the bedrooms and 2 baths are downstairs along with the half bath, the rest are upstairs. It has a monster family room, bigger than this one - we can use it as the dining room and a big patio with a grill and a pool."

"And?"

She giggled at her husband and Tim didn't think he'd ever heard Rhea giggle before. "Oh, geez I almost forgot! A studio for me and a workshop for Jethro!"

"That sounds great! So are you buying, renting, leasing?"

"We'll lease it and then whoever isn't in Greece or Virginia can stay in it. It'll be our home but you know we'll also be away visiting your sister, brothers and my bunch."

They nodded. "Have you told the group yet?"

"Parents and Grands? Yeah, we gave them a virtual tour this morning and we've all agreed to a 3 year lease with an option for a fourth year. We'll follow the same set up as we did before."

"Except furniture."

"Yeah, that's going to be the tricky part. Davos is working with Damian to see if they can find someone to sell us a house full of furniture for wholesale prices."

Tim and Lina looked at each other and smiled; Poppy caught them. "What?"

"We've decided to buy a new dining table and chairs and living room furniture so you can have ours. It'll at least get you started."

His dad frowned, "Thought you were worried about expenses."

Lina smiled, "My Languedoc series sold for almost triple what the gallery was asking; apparently there were two collectors interested and they had a bidding war."

Tim grinned, "I haven't heard from Sarah yet, but I got a check from a life insurance company with a letter saying it's what should have been paid to us when the Commander died; I'm assuming she got a check and a letter too. Yay Penny!"

Jethro shook his head, "And that only took what…31 years? Wow!"

Tim huffed, "Nah, well, yeah, you're right but it's only four years since Penny started working on it. Gram figured out what the figures should be for both the Navy and the Life Insurance Company." He paused, "So we can buy new furniture and we can buy you new furniture!"

"Nope, that money's for you and your family. Buy new furniture, bump up the kids' college funds. Put some away for the trip this summer. We'll take your old stuff but we'll figure it out. Each of us can buy our own bedroom furniture, then we'll pool for the extra rooms and the common areas. Aside from us and Damian and Matt, who's the next to arrive?"

Lina smiled, "My parents, probably for the Orthodox Easter."

"Thought you were going to Virginia for Easter?"

Tim grinned, "Hope so. We'll fly in the day before the western Easter, spend a week there and then the Kalivas' will fly from Athens to DC and we'll join them on the flight out here for Orthodox Easter."

"Oh, clever, so you'll have help with the kids."

Tim smiled brightly. "Yes, and from grandparents who haven't seen their grandchildren in months!" When his father opened his mouth, Tim looked at him, "It was their idea."

"Okay okay! Makes sense anyway. Huh!" He looked at Rhea who laughed. "Sure, that's a great idea!"

"All right, how about this, we've been talking about flying to Athens for Easter. How about we fly out the same time as you, drop you off in DC and then fly on to Athens? That way you'll have help both ways."

Tim and Lina looked at each other, "You don't have to, that makes your flight longer."

"Eh, not that much longer really and if we stay over a couple of days it gives us a chance to see the Powells and DiNozzos, not to mention your grandparents."

"All right, if you really don't mind doing that?"

Rhea shook her head, "I loved splitting the flight up when we came over from Athens, makes it easier to deal with. Of course, we won't have a charter flight again." Laughing, they all agreed on that.

**When Tim and Lina finally had some time together that evening, she pounced on him, "What?" **

**"****Huh? What what?" **

**"****You have a thought that's been on your face since you mentioned the life insurance money!" **

**He smiled, "I was thinking that we should put it away for our vacations. Trips to Greece are going to be pretty expensive!" He threw his shirt in the dirty clothes hamper, "I know we laughed at the idea of another charter flight, but if we had more than our brood, it might be worth it. Maybe we fly commercial from here to DC, then switch to a charter there if Sarah, Adam, James, the Grands, Liz and the Hubbards are going over too. Then James and I can fly home commercial and you can do the return trip with the others in August." **

**She looked at him in horror. "Timothy Gibbs McGee, we are not staying until August!" **

**He looked at her, dumbfounded as he'd thought all along she wanted to spend the summer there. She continued, "For one thing, our daughter's first birthday is the 22****nd**** and you can't expect her to have her birthday without you!" He just stood still, listening. "And for another, I don't want to be away from you that long, nor will our children!" **

**"****I'm sorry honey, I must have misunderstood somewhere along the way." **

**She huffed, "No, that was me, I was prattling about staying the summer. But we're not, my love. We'll fly into Athens and stay at the big house. We'll have to decide where we want Zoe's birthday and plan accordingly but we will leave when you do." **

**He swallowed and nodded, he'd not been looking forward to the separation at all. "Ok, that's good LinaMelina. Have another idea…what if we have two parties for Zoe, one in Greece and one here? She's still a baby; she's not going to know we're celebrating early or late." **

**"****Yes, that's a good idea but we're still going home with you." **

**"****This might sound crazy because you and the kids should experience your first one in the U.S., but what if we flew over for the Fourth of July celebration, hang out on Aegina, and then head up to Thessaloniki for a few days, come back down, spend more time with the Piraeus bunch before we fly home?"**

**"****Yes, that could work!" She laughed, "I wondered how you'd feel about the Fourth here." **

**He shrugged, "A few years we had barbeques at Gibbs' house but other than that, I don't remember anything that was as much fun as going to Aegina with everyone." **

**She had a thoughtful look in her eyes, "What if we stayed here for the Fourth and then flew over after? That way we get to do both!" **

**He smiled at her, "Let's think about that later." She wrapped her arms around him and he turned his head, kissing her jaw. She murmured something but he was busy kissing her all over and that was the end of that discussion. **

They woke up the next morning to an unusual quiet in the house. Tim threw on sweat pants and a robe and nearly ran down the hall to the kids' rooms. None of the kids were there but there was evidence they'd gotten up and dressed this morning. Their beds were made in their own individual styles and he could see Gemma had had her usual problem deciding which favorite dress to wear to church. He checked the closet, yep her 'church shoes' were missing. He ran downstairs and found a note. "Took the kids to church, relax and enjoy the morning by yourselves! Love D & R." Smiling he ran back upstairs and jumped back in bed, "Parents took kids to church. C'mere!" She laughed lightly and he groaned as he pulled her into his arms. They finally rousted themselves out of bed, had a bite to eat and then took advantage of having their very own pool. After they swam, they made coffee and spent the rest of the morning together.

Eventually their brood came home and devoured the lunch Mama and Daddy made for them. Daddy and Poppy got on the floor and played with all of them, tickling and playing horsey. Poppy took turns putting each of the big girls on his feet and then danced around with them while Daddy danced with Jorrin and then Zoe in his arms. Jorrin wasn't quite big enough for the foot dance, it wouldn't be long though.

They were lying on the floor catching their breaths when the doorbell rang. To everyone's delight it was Uncle Damian and Uncle Matt and they had news! They'd found a house they liked in Del Mar and were considering putting in an offer to buy it. That was a decent 'split the difference' location for Damian's drive to San Diego and Matt's to Preston. They had photos to show and then took them on a virtual tour. Lina pointed out several things, mostly that they had plenty of rooms for guests and a fenced pool. Matt laughed, "Yes, that's what we had in mind too, Lina."

Once they'd talked about their find, they heard about Jethro and Rhea's find and when the realtor agreed to meet them over there, the family walked the three blocks, with Jorrin and Zoe in the double stroller, to the new California 'big house'. Damian knew Jethro would have already approved the quality of the construction and he knew he could fix anything that needed doing. He didn't see anything that really needed work; the roof was a couple of years old and everything else looked like it was in good condition.

The house was about 30 years old; the realtor said it had been built for a large family with rooms downstairs for the grandparents. The family was grown now, the grandparents were gone and the parents had downsized to a retirement community near some of their grown children and grandchildren. She noticed the quiet when she stopped talking and then looked at the group. The children were the only ones making any noise, playing in the family room and one of the men, she thought he was the father of the children had edged close to her client, the older man. Oh dear, he was the grandparent, she'd certainly put her foot into it. She opened her mouth but her other client put her hand on her arm. "It's life, there's nothing we can do but enjoy everyone while we're together. Please don't feel bad!"

Jethro saw the look in his son's eyes and knew he wasn't just thinking of his grandparents but of him and his godparents and Lina's parents. He reached up and rubbed Tim's shoulder, "Come on, kiddo, I'll show you the upstairs."

They went upstairs and Tim pulled himself together enough to see the house. When they came back downstairs, Lina handed Zoe to him, "Here, she'll make you feel better!" He smiled as he gave his baby girl a kiss and she squealed, babbling at him. He looked over and saw that his son and daughters were playing with their uncles and he smiled; a full happy smile. He looked at the realtor, "I feel like this house is a happy one. People loved here, that's good; I can feel the warmth."

She beamed at him and Rhea gave him a kiss on the cheek. Zoe cooed and reached for Nonnie, giving her a kiss. Jorrin attached himself to his leg and he grinned, "Hey son!"

"Hi Daddy. Can we swim in this pool?"

"Not today. We can swim in our pool though."

"Ok."

Anna arrived, "Daddy, this house needs people in it!"

"I know honey."

"Is this another new house for us?"

"No, we're not moving again, sweetie. This house is for Pappouli and Yayaka, Gram and Grandfa, Penny and Poppy and Nonnie."

"Oh, like the big house at our old place?"

"Yes, so they can come here to see us and have lots of room for all of them and for you to play!"

"Aunty Liz and Aunty Claire too? And Callum and Ainsley?"

"Yes and Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim." Anne went through the list of their family and Tim nodded at each one, realizing how important it was to Anna. He sat on one of the steps and she climbed into his lap as she continued the names. It was important in much the same way all those people were important to Tim. Like him, she'd lost nearly everyone but her sister and cousins and needed to make sure these new people whom she loved and who loved her were really going to be around. He realized something else, along with Gemma's birthday they were coming up on the first anniversary of the deaths of the girls' first family and their adoption. He'd talk to Lina about that; they should commemorate the Tsimagoj family and make sure they always remembered, all of them. They had photos of them in their room, provided to their government contact by the church in the town the Tsimagojs had lived in. They had been lovingly framed along with photos of Besiana and Jak with Ariston and Paolo. Anna finished with the names and they cuddled a little bit before Gemma joined them and then Jorrin wanted to climb on them and Zoe started fussing, the tender moments were over!

While Poppy and Nonnie continued talking with the realtor, the rest of them headed home, figuring the others would catch up. By the time his dad and Rhea came in, the girls had changed and were in the pool with their uncles while Jorrin got ready and Zoe fussed until she was put in her current favorite method of transportation, a contraption Tim called her 'Dino go cart' because it reminded him of something from the "Flintstones". Her feet touched the floor so she could get the feel of walking but she was sitting and rolling along on wheels. It had a pole in the back of it that could be folded down or raised so a parent could steer the thing but mostly Ms. Zoe preferred the 'parents-free' method.

She finally tired of rolling around in that so Tim changed her diaper again and carried her into the pool. She loved the pool and riding around on her baby mat. First her daddy got her feet wet and she had fun kicking the water around. Once a little more of her had been dipped in the warm water, she surfed around the shallow water on her baby mat, enjoying being towed by one of her grownup minions. Eventually she tired of that too and went inside to eat, be changed and have a nap. Once she'd conked out, Nonnie brought the baby monitor out to the pool and turned the volume up as loud as it would go. Zoe hadn't tried to climb out of her crib yet but Lina was sure that would happen before the girl could walk.

After a wonderful time in the pool, they ran inside to get warm. Once everyone was changed they had drinks and meze, which Damian and Matt brought from a bakery in Del Mar. While they enjoyed their treats, the guys talked about what to offer on the house and Tim came up with the figure. "Take what you want to pay, subtract 15% and that's your offer." The house had been on the market for a few months so they decided to knock 20% off of their offer.

They were both staying here overnight and then Damian would drive to LA for work in the morning while Matt would head for the agency. With the board's vote in his favor, Damian figured he'd be allowed to start working in San Diego immediately. He had meetings in LA on Monday but planned to meet with the contractor for the refurbish project on Tuesday and he said he'd find other legitimate reasons to be in San Diego other days.

Laughing, Matt said they'd already packed up their house and figured they'd stay at a residence hotel or rent a short-term furnished apartment in Del Mar until the house closed. In the meantime, tonight they'd stay in the guest room next to Jorrin and Zoe's room.

Tim was awakened by his cell phone at 0300 Monday morning. He listened, asked the caller to secure the scene, saying they'd be there in 20 minutes. Then he made his calls, rousing his team, including his new SFA just down the hall. Thankful for his organized wife, he and Matt had a bite of the hot cereal she'd set up in the slow cooker and grabbed pieces of toast to eat on the way to the office. They took Tim's car and he handed Matt the keys to the NCIS van when they got to the office. Jo climbed in with Matt and Terrell with Tim as they continued on their way. They were on site in 19 minutes.

It was a hit and run right outside the gates of the Navy base and the victim was just being loaded into an ambulance when they arrived. Matt went with the man, understanding he was on protection detail and would ask questions when he regained consciousness. When the other three realized who the victim was, they hunkered down to find any and every piece of physical evidence. The base commander arrived and Tim spoke quietly with her; she eventually left for the hospital to see her unfortunate Lieutenant, the CO of the Petty Officer arrested in the drug ring bust. Tim shook his head, wondering what they'd missed. Once they had everything from the scene, they entered the base. The base commander's second in command was handling things in her absence and roused the Lieutenant's co-workers and subordinates. They stashed them in various secure places around the base with SPs guarding them until each person could be questioned.

Tim brought in the Del Mar PD and they took a look at the scene, looking for anything that would give them a clue. Like Tim and Gibbs the Chief did not believe in coincidences. It took them three days but by the time the Lieutenant regained full consciousness they had it figured out.

The link between the drug ring and the Navy wasn't the Lieutenant himself but his younger brother. He was so low on the totem pole of the drug ring he didn't show on anyone's radar. He'd apparently gone into hiding after the bust with whatever monies he could stuff into his pockets and the run at his brother was a warning from his bosses – or former bosses. A task force of two of Tim's team, Matt and Terrell and two Del Mar detectives found him with nearly a half a million dollars on him and told him he was lucky they were the ones who'd found him.

In the meantime Tim and Jo had been helping to provide protection detail for the hapless Lieutenant and in figuring out the links to the previous case. The driver of the hit and run vehicle had been hired by the upper echelon of the drug ring; once he was arrested they had a lead to the rest of the ring. They found no evidence of any other Navy involvement so once the driver of the hit and run vehicle, the rest of the drug ring and the Lieutenant's brother were arrested and the money placed in evidence, NCIS' involvement was finished.

When they finally gathered in the office Thursday morning, Tim patted Matt on the shoulder, "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Matt Watson, our new SFA. "

They all laughed and welcomed Matt who grinned tiredly. "You people sure know how to make a guy feel welcome!"

The others were puzzled but happy when Lina came in with homemade Greek pastries. Most of them had never tried any but Matt and Tim smiled at each other and picked their favorites, giving each other a subtle toast. Over lunch with everyone around the conference table, Matt told them about his first adventure with Tim – the inept kidnapping of the sailor in Larissa. He turned to Terrell and Jo. "And do you know the next day he remembered to ask me my observations about that house? He never lets up!"

Tim grinned, "Please wait until after we all finish eating to tell them what your first task was."

"Protection detail, with Ted and Jack."

"Noo, that wasn't the first thing I had you do."

"Oh, yeah…I forgot about that, blocked it apparently."

They waited until everyone finished and then told them about looking for evidence of drugs in P.O. Kirk's vomit. Matt huffed, "Ask him how he knew to do that!"

Tim grimaced and then told them about his baby sister having been a murder suspect while a college student.

Terrell laughed, "Man your family sounds like they're wild!"

Matt just smiled but that evening Terrell and Jo each had an e-mail with a link to videos on YouTube, photos taken of the team being carried from the plane on their return from the hospital in Israel, Tim landing at the hospital in a helo, in full combat gear with the sniper rifle and a bleeding sailor, and photos of Tim with Marines as they rescued the university students. Both juniors laughed themselves silly at the Dance videos and then gasped at the images of Tim in action and what looked like a whole team on stretchers. Jo thought she understood what Matt wanted them to know. This man knew how to play but when he was serious he was deadly serious and damn good at his job. She already knew she was glad he was their Team Leader after months of feeling like she'd somehow left the real NCIS she'd known as a probie. Terrell understood too, he got the same message as Jo and realized his new Team Lead was for real and he'd now have the best training and experience available.

Thursday afternoon Petrero picked up a case and Maria hit the ground running to provide the support they needed. Tim thought he'd stay a little late but Megan warned him that would make Maria nervous so he left with the others. He drove back by the office at 20:05, saw the lights were off and went home, satisfied. That case ran over the weekend, the weekend Preston was on call. Tim was glad there weren't any call outs as he knew that he and Matt at least were still tired from the hit and run case. However Button Willow picked up a case Saturday and it was Chuck's turn to dive into work. Tim dropped by to pick up a file he'd forgotten and found the man hard at work doing traces, completely oblivious to Tim's presence. Knowing someone in the zone when he saw him, Tim grabbed the file and left without saying a word.

Dad and Rhea were packing to move to the California big house early the following week. The lease was signed; they had the keys and were nearly ready. Tim and Lina purchased most of the new furniture they wanted and the delivery people agreed to bring the new things and then move the old furniture to the new big house along with the rest of the Gibbses stuff. For a fee, of course but it was far more convenient than renting a U-Haul and doing it themselves. Gibbs was happy about it and told his son it paid to deal with local businesses. He certainly agreed!

They'd had to sit the girls and Jorry down and make some strict rules about Poppy and Nonnie's house. No one was allowed to walk or ride over there without having one of their adults with them…ever! And once they were there, the same rules for their home applied at Poppy and Nonnie's. No yelling, biting or hitting and they were not allowed inside the pool fence unless a wide awake adult was with them. That bit had been added after Gemma had been caught with one hand on the gate and pointed inside the dome where Matt was sound asleep on a lounger next to the pool. She had been punished as once again, she 'sort of knew' it was wrong and this time the punishment was more than a missed dessert. Along with the punishment, Gemma found herself in swim classes by the following weekend along with her brother and older sister. She and Jorrin learned enough to dog paddle; hold their breath under water and even better, keep their heads out of the water while Anna mastered the crawl. Once all three of them demonstrated their new skills, their parents canceled the contractor they'd hired to fill the pool in. They also made sure the pool cover was on all the time, even if someone got out for a few minutes, _especially_ if someone got out for a few minutes, and that the button to the motor that moved the pool cover was unreachable by their children. Having done all that, they dreaded the day Zoe would be big enough to have a run at it.

While all this was going on, Gemma had her fourth birthday and her very first birthday party. Although the pool was off limits, all her friends from pre-school were invited and had a wonderful time playing games, eating cake and chasing each other around the yard.

Shortly after Gemma's birthday, the family commemorated the anniversary of the deaths of the girls' first family. They had a Skype call with Besiana and Jak and the four children talked for nearly an hour, quite a feat considering all the time zones between California and Macedonia. Gemma no longer remembered their previous life but Anna did and they talked about how much nicer things were for them now. All four children had been reassured by their parents that their first parents would be very happy for them in their new lives. Anna took the tablet and showed her cousins their room, with the photos of their family and the ones of the cousins together. Besiana liked that the two little ones were still sharing a room and Jak liked that they had the same photos as he and his sister did. They made plans to visit each other in Greece during the summer and then moved on to talk about school. A few days later, a Sunday, they celebrated the first anniversary of their adoption as McGees.

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><p>"The Flintstones" was an American animated show (1960-1966) set in prehistoric times with modern day conveniences incongruously used, modified to match the 'caveman' theme. For example, Fred Flintstone drove a vehicle which he started with his feet and Dino was their pet dinosaur.<p> 


	175. Chapter 175

Note: Hey, glad to see you here! Sorry that there are reviews I haven't answered, I start and then get interrupted...I will try to do better! Just know that your reviews are read and appreciated!

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><p>Time seemed to fly with everything going on. Damian was working nearly full time in San Diego; he and Matt were staying at a short-term rental apartment in Del Mar while they waited for the house to be legally theirs. It was their first house purchase together and Matt's first home purchase ever; they were excited and eager to move in.<p>

As the training of the junior agents progressed, Tim's curiosity finally got the better of him and during a routine conversation with Joel he told his boss that he had a few questions about the office. Joel made a noise, "So ask away."

"All right, first – this isn't a question but Matt and I are planning to do an audit of everything Osnaya handled. From what she told me she had lead on a few cases when Davis was "not available" and I am using air quotes around those two words, Joel."

"First things first, the audit's already in progress, you can take that off your 'to do' list. And now I'm assuming you heard about the golf."

"Yes, Osnaya mentioned it when I asked if she'd take the team while I was out of the office; it nearly floored me. I cannot believe any Team Lead would be so irresponsible!"

"Yeah, I was flummoxed when I found out and that was only when Blumquist said something. He'd been playing golf with Davis for years on weekends. A few months ago Blumquist took a Friday off to play and ran into Davis. He told me he didn't think much of it then, figuring his old buddy had just taken a day off as he had, but then his golf partner, a retired dentist, casually mentioned seeing Davis there every Friday. I did a little investigating and yep, the man was not taking personal time but he did have tee times booked every Friday. I was already bugging Leon to get you back over here, that turned to begging. I wanted Davis out of my territory!"

"Wow! Did he say anything about it?"

"When I confronted him he said he was taking all the "unrecorded comp time" he'd accrued over the years."

"Unrecorded time for which he felt he should be compensated? Working late or on a weekend?"

"Yes."

"Did he start here as a field agent?"

"Yes."

"So he's been on salary for his entire NCIS career. What a…buzzard, cheating the agency like that."

"He's not getting away with it, we didn't get everything done until after he retired but I worked with Legal and HR and his pension is being docked accordingly. We can just thank the Almighty that his SFAs were strong enough agents to solve those cases and keep the team safe."

"Osnaya knew, of course, but she would have no way of knowing if he was taking personal days."

"Right, she didn't and no one currently in your office did."

"No one currently…"

"I split up the team once I found out, I could not be sure who knew and who didn't but I didn't want them working together. However, I was certain enough that the SFA knew so after I had a chat with him he went to Bremerton as a junior."

"So that's why I have – had - three agents who'd only been here a couple of months."

"Yes, Day and Okoro had excellent training during their probie years and Osnaya had a great record. And I'd heard rumors about her husband's probable transfer, figured if they were true it would give you a chance to bring in your own SFA and if not then you'd be good with Osnaya."

"Except from what she told me she never really had any training and she wasn't training my juniors. Can we do something about that?"

Joel sighed, "Yeah, I'll look into it, thanks for letting me know that."

Tim was thinking, "We really need to standardize training agency wide."

"Yeah we do; if you've got ideas, put a proposal together."

"I do and I will. I do have one more question – were the previous team leads for Button Willow and Petrero involved in the Davis situation?"

Joel sighed, "Brown's predecessor knew what Davis was up to and didn't say anything; I gave him a choice of a bust to SFA or 60 days to find a job outside of the agency – he's gone. Button Willow was just timing; we promoted Maradona's predecessor and brought Maya in a month before all the Davis crap hit the fan."

"Wow, what a mess!"

"Yeah, it was. When I told Leon about it he advised me to proceed cautiously and work closely with Legal and HR. When we finally started making our moves, we had everything in place, had all the evidence we could find."

They talked for a few more minutes about the idiocy of Davis doing what he had and the team in general. When Tim finally hung up he sat there for a few minutes before shaking his head and muttering to himself as he picked up a cold case file, "You just had to know…holy crap what a mess!"

XXX

While they were getting settled in as teammates again, Tim and Matt found a MMA class. They missed George and their group however this Master was also very knowledgeable and after taking them through their paces, started teaching them some new moves. When their two junior agents saw them practicing out in the back of the building one evening before class, they asked if they could join. Tim smiled, "That would be great. Do either of you have any experience?"

Terrell had taken classes as a child but Jo had no experience. "Let me check with our master before you come in, not sure what levels he handles. Matt and I have been working at this for a few years so there will be a difference."

Jo wanted to know if they had used MMA on any cases and Matt told about Tim's first use, with the drug dealer in Italy, while Tim talked about Matt's takedown of "a bad guy", not mentioning it was one of the Bagram terrorists. Both young agents were impressed enough to contact the Master for permission to join. He put them in beginning classes where they occasionally saw Tim and Matt as the Master would have them demonstrate a move new to the beginners or sometimes show them the consequences of not doing a move correctly.

The Sunday before escrow closed on the house, Damian, Matt and the Hofstadlers gathered at the McGees for a barbecue. Tim and Matt were currently being held captive by the triplets while the McGee children tried to free them. When the doorbell rang, Will and Jase were distracted and the two men freed themselves from Cammy. The visitors were Poppy and Nonnie and they'd brought grownup food – marinated ribs - while the kids would feast on their favorite kosher hot dogs.

While the weather had warmed up, this weekend had been cool and for once nobody felt like swimming. The children played outside while the men hung out at the grill. Norm smiled watching Gemma tag Will as 'it'. "It's great to have you guys here, I know I keep saying that but since Damian and Matt arrived and now all of you, this place…I mean California, feels more like home."

Tim knocked beer bottles with him, replying, "Thanks for making the sacrifice – being the first ones and all."

They all chuckled at that and Matt nodded, "It's true though. I would have moved with Daim anyway, but it was less painful because I knew you guys were here."

Tim agreed, "I had a rough time saying goodbye but saying hello again has been awesome."

Jethro huffed, "Small world, we're just the western part of the extended family."

Norm grinned, "So who's next?"

Matt and Tim both chorused, "Bec and Geordie."

"Oh yeah?"

Matt nodded. "She's loving everything still but says Vance has hinted around she won't be there long."

Tim shrugged, "A year tops."

He looked at Matt, "I'm not going to be able to keep you as my SFA for long either."

"Hey, I just got here!"

"Yeah, but you and Bec, you're too good, Vance needs strong young agents in Team Lead positions. There are a lot of retirements coming up in the next couple of years."

Jethro nodded, "The ones I trained with at FLETC and right after. When NIS became NCIS they expanded, opened offices, hired a lot of agents and those are the ones who are reaching the age and a lot more are retiring at 55 now that the economy is better." He nudged Tim and Matt, "Agency kind of got lost in the shuffle after 9/11, at least as far as the general public knowing anything about us. But you two – and Pete, Bec and Ned – helped put it back on the map!"

Tim nudged him back, "Thanks! Yeah, recruitment's way up the last few years but as we know, it takes time to train newbies and see who has the potential for leadership." He looked at Matt, "I'm grateful Carla spotted you at FLETC and grabbed you when she did!"

"You ever do that - watch a class progress through training?"

Tim shrugged, "Yeah sure, especially after meeting Matt but I haven't made a bold move like Carla did."

Somehow the conversation moved on to agents who were promoted beyond their abilities and Jethro told the story of a former SecNav's insistence on giving his niece the lead on one of the most convoluted cases ever. The assignment ultimately led to several deaths including Mike Franks' and put their own Jimmy in danger; the Secretary resigned when the relationship was revealed.

When he finished the story Tim nodded. "Yeah, I know our family is pretty inter-connected at the agency, but there are a lot of agents related to other agents at the agency and Davenport, oops, did I say that out loud, was not the only one to show favoritism to a relative who couldn't live up to it. Luckily most of them haven't had the extreme consequences of that case."

As their Easter vacation was coming up the following weekend, Tim kept his fingers crossed all week that they wouldn't be clobbered with a case that would bite into their time away and apparently that worked.

Escrow closed on Matt and Damian's house during the week; however Damian and Matt planned to take a few weeks to work on the place before they moved in and they promised to allow the others to help. Along with new paint, they were getting new flooring, doing some work in the kitchen, dining room and in the master bath. They'd move after the McGees were home and as Damian said with a wink, "My father is here to help as well!"

One thing they planned was to have the kids, even Zoe, help paint what would be the children's guest room. Tim and Lina decided not to tell the children about that until they were on the way home from their Easter vacation.

The flight to DC left Friday night with the 6 McGees and the two Gibbses. Jethro and Rhea would stay through Monday and then continue on to Athens where they'd stay at the big house, returning in a month. Davos and Hélène were flying in to DC on Wednesday and would join the McGees on their flight home on Friday in time to celebrate the Orthodox Easter in sunny California. The Kalivas' and the Gibbses had tried to coordinate their DC arrival and departure for the same day, thinking that would mean just one trip to the airport for their family, but it hadn't worked out.

The group arriving from California wasn't sure who would be picking them up at the airport, just figuring there would be at least two cars if not three. Tim and Lina had originally planned to rent a car but his grandparents had talked them out of it saying that between everyone there they'd have plenty of transportation. When they appeared in Baggage Claim, they smiled at the vision in front of them: Claire and Tony standing next to each other wearing chauffeur caps. After greeting their drivers, Tim and Gibbs pulled the luggage from the carousel and off they went to their rides. Tim was glad the Hubbards had kept their minivan; the McGees had arranged to borrow it for the week and in the meantime Claire would drive Jim's car, an old and much beloved clunker.

They headed for Penny's and found everyone waiting there for them. As he held both grandmothers in his arms, Tim reflected that this was worth the move. While he missed his brothers, former team and friends, being able to bring the kids to see the Greats for a few days was what he'd hoped to be able to do once they were living on the same continent. Now that there was a big house in California too, the Greats (formerly the Grands) would plan their visits to the West. The Palmers joined them for lunch on Saturday and the children enjoyed getting reacquainted. The baby Ethan told them about at Christmas was due in another two weeks and Lina sympathized with Breena who said she felt she'd been pregnant for a year this time. They were having a boy but didn't know his name yet – or weren't telling. Ethan handed the family plaque over to Uncle Gibbs, telling him he'd e-mail him what name to put on once their new brother was born. Uncle Gibbs promised that if the baby hadn't arrived by the time he and Aunty Rhea left Greece, provoking a moan of "Please God No" from Breena, he would leave it with Geordie to take to the flea market for the new name. That was acceptable to Ethan and they shook on it while Jimmy beamed proudly at his eldest child.

With the Greats staying behind with the children, the McGees, Gibbses, Powells and DiNozzos dined out together Saturday night and the adult kids enjoyed their time with their dad and Rhea. Tony and Maggie had recently visited Senior and his wife and said that the octogenarian's health was not as robust as it had been but that his wife was taking good care of him. Maggie told them that they'd finally found a photo portrait of baby Tony with his mother and another with both parents. She had both on her phone and showed them, promising to add them to the online family albums. They'd recently purchased the condo they'd shared for the past few years and had done some renovation and showed pictures of that too.

The Powells were enjoying their fostering of Adam and were making progress toward his adoption. In addition they were excited to tell the others that Child Protection Services had contacted them the day before with the news that they had two siblings who needed fostering, a 6 year old girl and her 9 year old brother, and they'd be bringing them home the following week. They were looking to Tim and Lina for advice on parenting multiple children. The McGees just looked at each other and laughed, not quite hysterically but close enough to worry the others. When Tim stopped and caught his breath he pointed out that they were very new at multi-child parenting and that the Powells should also be asking the Palmers, Claire and Liz and especially Liz because her three were all grown. They could also contact Norm and Carla who had four years of multi-child parenting under their belts and Pete and Trina who had made it as far as having two kids in college. Sarah wanted to know if he and Lina had asked advice of the others and both nodded vigorously. They also advised having the aunts, the greats and Ainsley and Callum involved right off the bat so that Sarah, James and the children would be comfortable with the extended family handling childcare.

"Ainsley is old enough to babysit, she's taken the classes and is certified and she's got a good level head on her. Callum is taking the classes; it'll only be another few months until he's old enough to be certified."

Lina added, "Believe me, having Jethro and Rhea with us has been a godsend. Not only because they provide relief for us with the kids but also to provide a different perspective; sometimes to remain sane. And certainly in giving us the freedom to go be a couple every now and then or time alone to write and do artist-y stuff."

Tim nodded, "Until the 20th century, it's pretty much how families operated, with the elders providing backup…," he waited until Tony and Maggie's laughter trailed off, "I mean support and an additional layer of parenting."

James sighed in relief, "Thanks, we've had a struggle with the idea. It's a bit frightening!"

The conversation wandered around to the work on Penny's house that was now scheduled to begin the first of the following month. The first phase would be to bring the house up to code and to make the changes necessary to bring multiple foster children in. Jethro wrote the dates down; he wanted to meet the general contractor before the work was started. He'd call the man on Monday and set up a meeting during the Gibbses' layover on the way back from Athens. Tim remarked that this had been a renovating spring what with Tony and Maggie's condo, what Damian and Matt had planned and now Penny's place. When Tony asked if they had anything planned, Tim held up his hands, "We're renting so no changes."

"Are you going to keep renting?"

"Don't know- we haven't really talked about it yet."

Lina smiled, "We like the area a lot but it's taken some adjustment to get used to life in a small town."

Their dad snorted, "It's an updated Mayberry."

"Oh, so everyone knows everyone else's business?"

Rhea nodded, "Yes, but it's also very friendly, I think we've already met everyone that lives between their house and ours!"

Lina agreed, "The children love it and of course Tim has a nice short commute."

He grinned, "5 minutes!"

"Wow! So if uh…"

Tim just blinked at his brother while Dad changed the subject. Lina noticed Tim didn't even rub his eyebrow so he truly wasn't saying anything about his job future.

They had a wonderful Easter with the children experiencing their first western style, that is non-Orthodox, Easter complete with baskets of candy and chocolate eggs left by the Easter bunny and multi-colored hard boiled eggs that were hidden around the house as it was too cold to have their hunt outside. Those customs were unknown in Greece where Easter is a religious celebration. As neither Tim nor Sarah remembered any Easter celebrations from their childhood, it was a first for all of the McGees and James and the DiNozzos had to more or less show them what to do. The candy was soon set aside and divided up to be doled out by the kids' parents as Tim and Lina were not big on their children having easy access to candy. When Penny told the children a story of their father and Uncle Patrick trying to stretch their Easter candy to last until Halloween, Tim had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Of course that led to questions about Halloween as in Greece it was mainly celebrated by expats and the McGees hadn't bothered. Tony, Maggie and James told childhood stories of Easter to the children and everyone enjoyed hearing their tales and getting to know more about the storytellers.

On Monday, the children again stayed with their great grandparents while Sarah, Rhea and Lina went off together and Tim and Poppy took Penny's car to visit the Navy Yard. They were just early enough for Tim to join in to Leon's weekly call with Athens and say hello. Leon had forewarned Bec so everyone was still in the office. He'd had many video chats with Bec and Ned and his brothers since he'd left but only a couple with the others. It was wonderful to see Tea, Kim, Rusty and Eva, to see the new junior agent and he couldn't wait until he saw them in person in just a few months. Even Gibbs popped in to wave hello to everyone and before they left the call, Tim asked his friends to say hello to the Russells, Evander, Caleb, Adan and George. After that the two men walked down the stairs, said quick hellos to Rick Carter, Jim O'Brien and other old friends and then ducked down the 'hall of fame'. They met Maggie, Wilson, James and Jimmy for coffee and were just getting ready to leave when Maggie took a call. They watched as the MCRT rolled on a case, Tim's hand on Gibbs' shoulder.

Gibbs was meeting Tony for lunch so he dropped Tim off at the Smithsonian where he would meet Sarah. He was in Air and Space when he had a text from his sister that she would be at their meeting place in about 5 minutes. He hurried over and arrived just as she did. They hugged and he looked at her empty hands. "I thought you were going to do some shopping?"

"Oh we did, I did. Lina and Rhea took it back to Penny's for me. I'll pick it up later."

They had a great time at lunch and ended up spending most of the afternoon together. At some point he said, "I can't remember the last time you and I spent any time alone together. This is great!"

She smirked, "It was 3 years ago at our wedding – when you walked me down the aisle!"

They laughed at that because it was pretty much the truth. They talked about the children and Tim asked her how she liked parenthood.

"It's good, you know I always said I didn't want to be a parent but now I realize it was the whole pregnancy and childbirth thing I didn't want to do and maybe I had it kind of tied up with being homeless because you had to be our parent while we were homeless. Anyway, I like being Adam's mom and I think we'll be good parents to the new kids too."

She asked him the same question and he chuckled, "It's a lot different the second time around. For one thing I'm an adult! But I think in some ways it was clearer with you and Rob because we needed the basics: food, clothing and shelter, period, those were my decisions and my worries every day, could I find enough food for you, would the cardboard hold up in your shoes another day, would our tent still be ours when we came home from school…and to love you both, of course. Now, I have to balance time with each one, make decisions about schools, guardians, how many toys are enough, what they're eating, seeing or hearing when they're not with us, I suppose all the stuff parents who aren't living in desperate circumstances deal with. Some things are the same: teaching each one right from wrong, worrying about them and trying to protect them while still allowing them to live their lives."

She nodded and sighed, "Actually that is one thing I'm worried about, finding a balance with each one. Especially when Adam's been an 'only' with us and Audrey and Evan are going to need some special attention for awhile. How do you do it?"

Tim shook his head, "We're sort of finding our way as we go along. We spend time with each of them and when we're all together we make sure nobody gets lost in the crowd. When we brought Anna and Gemma home Jorrin was still pretty young, so spending extra time with the girls was easier, he was just there with us. Now it's different. Anna and I usually talk for a few minutes when I get home from work or she'll help me cook or clean up and we'll talk after the others are asleep. She always reads for a little bit so I'll go in to tell her it's time to put her book away and we talk for a few minutes. Gemma is usually after dinner, she'll tell me what she's done at preschool and what her babies – her dolls – are up to. Zoe cuddles with me and I feed her, change her diaper; give her a bath. Jorrin has almost been the hardest because he's my boy. I take him with me on weekends when I run errands, although I've been trying to rotate that. We get our hair cut at the barbers, he 'helps' me clean up around the yard and we cuddle at night. He'll tell me what's going on in day care and that's good. He likes to hang out with me, I love that. But yeah, it's tough and it's a constant balancing act. I don't think I have any favorites. Anna and I have the best conversations, Gemma is my princess although she can be a handful and we have to watch her closely. Jorrin is easy going and happy with anything so we have to be careful he's not lost in the shuffle and Zoe…Zoe is a kick. She's so much like you it's scary sometimes!"

"Stubborn?"

"Not sure I'd call it that. It's more that she's very bold and sure of herself. Like Jorrin she's very happy and never afraid to let everyone know. She does like her own way, so yeah stubborn in that sense. Pretty much knows she has us all wrapped around her sweet little pinkie."

"Are the kids artistic at all?"

"Jorrin is; he creates these drawings that are really something. Don't know about Zoe yet, except that she is picky about colors so maybe she will be. Lina thinks that Gemma will be artistic, she's very creative and my Anna loves to read and is starting to write little stories."

Sarah laughed, "So as far as personality goes, Jorrin is a combination of you and Lina and Zoe is like me, Anna sounds like she's close to both of you in personality and Gemma is going to be the star, along with Zoe. It sounds to me like you have a pretty good handle in balancing things."

Tim huffed, "It's a day by day thing Sarah. Depends what's happening with each one of them. You'll learn - parenthood is a learning process you know. And you two are smart people, you'll figure it out!"

"James is a little nervous, having been an only child."

"Then I guess he hasn't been around all of us enough – or is that why he's nervous?" They laughed. "Are Audrey and Evan long term fosters - any chance of adopting them?"

"We're not sure yet. If we can, we'll adopt them. If not, they'll foster with us long term, hopefully until they're grown. There are some legal issues with relatives but they're out of state so we'll just have to trust CPS to figure it out. Their mother is dead and CPS says they've never been able to find the father. They don't even really know if they have the same father. The same man is listed on both birth certificates but…well, we'll see. They're talking about doing a DNA test on the kids to see if they are full siblings but I don't know what good that would do as far as fostering. Although I suppose it would be good for the kids to know when they're old enough."

"And the relatives don't know?"

She shrugged, "Apparently there were a lot of things they didn't know about the mother."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

They were over an hour chatting after lunch, not in any hurry. They spent some time in the National Art Gallery and strolled along the Mall a bit before deciding to head back to Penny's. They found the right bus and then called for a ride from the bus stop. They laughed when Penny arrived with Adam and Anna in the car with her. "Hello kids, helping Penny drive?" They nodded cheerfully and Tim squeezed into the back seat next to Adam while Sarah sat in the front.

The Powells stayed for dinner but Maggie and Tony both had call outs so there were no DiNozzos present. It was quiet as everyone was tired. The kids had spent the day outside running around and once their parents got home, they all went for a swim. Sarah, James and Adam left soon after dinner. Poppy and Nonnie were leaving very early the next morning for their flight to Athens so there were lots of hugs and kisses before everyone turned in.

Tim heard the front door snick closed the next morning and was glad they'd planned a busy day today. There was a trip to the zoo and then to some of the places they hadn't seen in February when they were here. Gram and Grandfa came with them and Tim loved seeing his grandparents laughing right along with the children. He and Gram spent some time together and then his grandfather co-opted him. He shook his head, "Who would have imagined all this, Timothy, 5 years ago when I told you I was your grandfather!"

Tim grinned at him, "Happiest 5 years of my life. Of course you had a lot to do with my happiness for years before that too."

"Likewise my boy, likewise. Tell me, are you still planning to travel to Greece this summer?"

"Yes, we thought about going for the Fourth of July but we really want the kids – and us - to experience it at home. And we can still have a party on Aegina when we go, it doesn't have to be a holiday!"

"Excellent! We would like to fly with you when you go. We thought we'd come out West next month after Breena's had the baby and possibly stay until we all go to Greece. Liz, Claire and the children want to go again but not for the entire summer. It's possible they'll want to go when we do and that led us to talking once again about a charter flight."

"From DC."

"If you'd like although we were thinking from San Diego with a stop in DC."

"Penny too?"

"Absolutely. However, I don't think your sister and family will be along this year. I know they'd hoped to but that seems rather soon after Evan and Audrey come to live with them."

"Yeah, that would probably be too confusing for them." Tim thought. "I don't know when Hélène and Davos are planning on returning to Greece. It's possible they'll stay until then too, so that's two more. It would sure be a lot easier than a commercial flight. We did ok on the way out, Dad and Rhea were along but, well you know."

"Yes dear boy."

Tim shook his head, "We're only going to stay for two weeks. Won't you and the others want to stay longer?"

"Actually that sounds about the length of time Claire was mentioning. And since we'll have spent time with you before that, we can concentrate, so to speak, on Geordie and Rob."

Tim laughed at that. "So we'll have three greats, possibly four grands, six McGees, 3 Hubbards and 1 Crane – unless the Uncles can join us. Am I missing anyone?"

"I don't think so dear boy, unless the DiNozzos want to come along."

"That's a good idea, I'll ask Tony."

"I believe our break-even point was 12 passengers."

Tim nodded, "Yes, you're right. Too bad baby Palmer will be too young!"

"Yes, perhaps next year, eh?"

"Hmm."

"Timothy?"

"Sorry, I was just wondering if Stephan, Phoebe and Ross will be going home for any part of the summer. I'll check with Pete and Dani."

"I thought that Dani was going to move over here?"

Tim grinned, "She was but her business is doing so well in Europe that she hired a manager for the U.S. business instead – and Ross wants to move home after college."

"I can't say as I blame him."

Tim smiled, "15 years, we'll be back there to live."

His grandfather laughed, "Oh my, well I'm afraid if I'm still with you I'll be too decrepit to travel that far!"

Tim put his arm around him, "You'll still be with us, you'll never be decrepit and we'll find a way. You can be the first 100 year old American expat living in Greece!"

All in all the day was fun and for once Tim didn't dwell on the loved ones flying away from him. They had a swim when they got back to Penny's and before they had dinner, Tim sent e-mails to Dani and the Russells about the collegians' possible return to Greece during the summer. He eventually had replies from Pete with his kids' contact numbers and another from Dani saying Ross hadn't decided but she thought a flight with friends might be the tipping point. Wednesday morning he and Lina and all four of the kids took the minivan to meet Lina's parents at Dulles. They were all in place when Davos and Hélène came through Customs. When Tim spotted his in-laws and told his family, the kids started jumping up and down calling "Pappouli" and "Yaya". Hélène later told them that Davos told everyone in line for Customs and the Customs agent that those were his grandchildren calling for them. It was a very happy reunion and it was some time before Tim reached for Hélène's suitcase. She held onto it, "I will only let you have it if I may carry one of my grandchildren."

Zoe was in his arms so he passed her over and took the suitcase. Davos had Anna and Jorrin in his arms and Tim swept Gemma off her feet. "Want a ride, Gemma?"

She giggled, "Yes please Daddy!"

They walked out of the terminal and then Tim left them while he brought the van around. He loaded the luggage, got the little ones into their car seats, everyone else got in and off they went.

The couple was tired after the flight so the family stuck around home that day, playing games inside and out and spending more time in the pool. The Powells were picking up their new fosters that day, so they didn't come to dinner, the Palmers begged off as Breena was exhausted while the DiNozzos were still working cases. Diners that night were the current residents, the Mallards, Liz and the Hubbards. Tim made enchiladas, a recipe he'd acquired in California, and served them over rice with sides of sliced fresh tomatoes, sliced black olives, avocados and sour cream. Davos had discovered Mexican food while in the US on their first trip and his mouth watered when he smelled the dish as Tim pulled it from the oven.

They were just finishing dinner when Jimmy called. "We need someone to stay with the kids; Breena's water broke, we're on our way to the hospital."


	176. Chapter 176

He was on speaker and agreed when Penny called out that they'd bring the kids to her place. Tim grabbed the keys to the minivan and he and Grandfa took off to pick up Ethan, Stevie and Violet. All three kids were excited about the new baby's imminent arrival and Ethan was adamant that he be allowed to go to the hospital to wait. "I know you're going, Grandfa and I want to go with you. She's my mom, having my brother!"

Tim looked at his grandfather and gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Some of the adults would go to the hospital, taking multiple vehicles so they could come and go. Grandfa still thought of Ethan as a little boy but in Tim's opinion at age 13 he was old enough to go to the hospital for a few hours.

Back at the house, they encouraged the kids to let off steam until they figured they'd sleep and then tucked Violet in with Gemma and Anna. Stevie slept with Jorry and when Ethan returned he'd crawl into a cot set up for him in Jorrin and Zoe's room. Davos and Hélène were too jet lagged to stay awake long so Liz, Callum and Ainsley would stay with the kids while the rest of them went to the hospital for awhile. They took three cars and piled into the family waiting room at the hospital; Tim texted Jimmy that Ethan was there with them.

Jimmy stopped in to see them a couple of times, spending time with Ethan and taking him to see his mom and Tim figured that meant Breena wasn't yet in hard labor. He was amused to be in the waiting room, it was a first for him and he mentioned it to Lina. She smiled, "It is nice to not being the one doing the work."

He chuckled, "So now you know what everyone else is doing. You remember how you kept asking me that –with both Jorrin and Zoe?"

She nodded, "Vaguely. I hope Breena will have as easy a time as I did with our babies."

She got a thoughtful look on her face and Tim took her hand, "No, sweetie, remember our agreement? No more new babies until Zoe is at least 2 and we agreed that letting Zoe turn 3 before another baby would be even better."

She nodded, "Yes, I remember. And you're right."

"_We're_ right; it was a mutual agreement love. OH!"

"What?"

"Should we call Tony and Maggie, Sarah and James?"

He looked at his grandfather who looked at his watch. "Breena was in labor for 16 hours with Violet. I know that doesn't really mean anything now but with Anthony and Maggie finishing cases, and Sarah and James becoming new parents themselves today, they will be tired. I think waiting until morning is fine."

Tim nodded, "You're right…I was thinking, well…I guess I'm just not used to being in the same time zone with the Palmers, Powells or DiNozzos! And I'll wait until then to let Dad and Rhea and the others know too."

His grandfather observed him, adding, "You're not used to being in the waiting room!"

Tim chuckled, "Busted!"

They walked to and from the cafeteria which had a beverage station and snack bar open 24/7 and then around the lobby. Ethan had his homework and finished that, asking Uncle Tim to check it for him. Tim was happy to do that and impressed with Ethan's work, told him so. They waited some more. Ethan swallowed yawn after yawn but nobody said anything. When he slumped back in the chair, Claire whispered "Now it's time." They woke him up and Penny took him home. Tim could see his grandparents were exhausted; they'd already had a very full day.

He and Claire did a stare down and she finally shrugged. "All right. I'll get some sleep and be back later." Gram was too tired to argue but Grandfa was something else. Lina finally convinced him that Maisie wouldn't go unless he did and he gave in. Once the three of them were gone, that left Tim and Lina. He was wishing Lina had gone with Claire, after all their children would need at least one parent in the morning.

She looked at him, "I'm younger than you are and we can't leave them alone!"

He sighed, "I know."

Jimmy came in about an hour and was relieved to see that Tim and Lina were the only ones there. "You guys should go too; you'll have your kids and my kids tomorrow!"

"Claire and Liz are staying over, they'll help."

Jimmy shook his head, "She's not even to 7 centimeters yet; this looks like it's going to be a long labor. Go home, get some sleep, please! I really don't want to have to worry about you – or all of our kids tomorrow."

They finally agreed and hugging him, gathered their things and drove back to Penny's where they found the house quiet with one light on downstairs. They tiptoed upstairs and collapsed into bed at a few minutes past 0200.

Tim woke to a slobbery kiss and smiled as he opened his eyes to see Zoe perched on his chest, leaning over to kiss her mama. As Lina woke up, the other kids came in, Violet also with them, and Gemma laughed at them, "Mama, Daddy, you sleeped through breakfast!"

Tim looked at the clock; it was nearly 10:30. He sat up and held out his arms and everyone climbed on the bed. "Where are Steve and Ethan?"

Violet answered him, "Downs'airs Unca Tim."

"Thanks sweetie."

"All right, has everyone seen Pappouli and Yayaka this morning?"

He got a chorus of "Yes Daddy's".

"How about Aunty Liz and Aunty Claire?"

Anna giggled, "Aunty Liz told us to wake you up!"

"She did? Well…she's right, us lazybones need to get up! How about you all…oh, who brought Zoe in?"

"Aunty Liz brought her upstairs."

"Ok, Gemma, how about you go ask Aunty Liz to come get Zoe so your mother and I can get up and get dressed?"

"Can Violet go with me?"

"If you walk very carefully and slowly on the stairs and hold her hand."

Anna giggled, "I'll go Daddy."

"Thanks sweet pea."

Anna left the room and returned very quickly with Liz who laughed, "Sorry, I was waiting in the hall for Zoe. C'mon kids, let's go back downstairs. Violet, hold Anna's hand, Jorry, hold mine."

Lina pulled the sheet up over her head and Tim pounced, tickling her. They had a joint shower and then dressed, wondering how Breena was doing.

When they descended the stairs they found Ethan on the couch with Steve and Violet, talking on Grandfa's cell phone, big smiles on their faces. "Can we talk to Mom?" There was a pause and the kids listened and then Stevie answered, "We're fine Mom, we're at Grandma Penny's with everybody, we had a sleepover! What's our baby's name?"

Whatever Breena said, Ethan and Stevie grinned and gave each other fist bumps and Violet clapped her hands as Ethan announced, "David Victor!"

Stevie pumped his chest out proudly, "That was my suggestion!"

Ethan nodded, "One for each of us Stevie."

"You gonna call Uncle Gibbs?"

Ethan nodded. "Yep, later though." They said goodbye to their parents and gave the phone back to their very proud grandfather. Tim and Lina joined the celebration and someone thought to have glasses of juice so that everyone could toast the baby. "To David Victor Palmer, welcome!"

David had just been born so he and his very tired mother needed some time before his sister and brothers would visit. Ethan looked at the clock, "Dad said we should come after 3:00. I could go to school til then."

Tim nodded, "We'll call the school first and make sure that's all right."

"Ok, thanks Uncle Tim."

Steve made a face, "I don't wanna go."

Ethan tugged at him, "But you can tell everyone about the baby and how you picked his name!"

"Oh yeah. Ok!" The brothers attended the same school so Grandfa, who was on file with the administrators, called and asked if the boys could attend afternoon classes. That was approved so they dashed back upstairs to get dressed and then back down with their school bags. Tim drove while Grandfa and the boys rode with him. He walked in with them and Grandfa but Ethan turned to them at the door. "I'll walk Steve to class; you don't need to see us in. Thanks!" He nudged his brother and off they went.

Tim chuckled, "Thirteen, yep, doesn't want to be seen with parental types." He shook his head, "That'll be a sad day when my girls hit that stage."

"Maybe they won't!"

Tim smiled, "That's a good thought, hang onto it, please!"

They took it easy that day, once again letting the kids play on the property and swimming with them later in the day. Davos and Hélène joined in the fun, occasionally disappearing for a nap. Tim, Lina, Grammie and Grandfa went back to the school to pick up the boys and then took them to the hospital to see the baby. Jimmy had been asleep in the chair most of the day, he said he was going to take the boys home and let Breena and baby David get some rest. After cooing over the baby for a bit, the Mallards and the McGees headed back to Penny's. Gram and Grandfa soon left for a night in their own beds, promising to meet them all for breakfast before their flight the next day. They'd agreed they could break their 'no last minute goodbyes' rule this once because the McGees would see the Mallards in just a few weeks.

Claire, Liz and the kids came over for dinner and to say goodbye but even that wasn't too bad as they'd see them in less than three months for the trip to Greece. They didn't stay late as everyone was still a bit tired from all the excitement about the baby. Grandfa had spoken with Jethro and Rhea that morning and they'd promised to let everyone else know the good news. Tim contacted Tony who promised they'd visit the Palmers when they could see straight and was intrigued by the idea of vacationing in Greece again; he said he'd talk with Maggie.

Tim also spoke with Sarah and James about all three of the new children. They were happy for Breena's safe delivery and reported that Evan and Audrey were doing well; they'd been bounced around a bit in foster care and seemed happy to know they were staying with the Powells. Sarah hoped to join the group for breakfast the next morning after taking the children to school and they talked about visiting the McGees in California, they thought August would be good as the kids would have had more time with them. Once his calls were done, Tim and Lina packed the kids' stuff, leaving out only their pajamas and what they'd wear on the plane going home. They were especially careful to make sure Gemma's babies were in the bag and visible to their young mother. They'd only allowed her to bring two babies from home and only two outfits each so now they double checked. Then they did the same with their own clothes and finally went back downstairs to have a nightcap with Penny, Hélène and Davos. Penny smiled at them all, "I love you all dearly and I can't wait to see you in May but I will enjoy the peace and quiet! For a few days anyway and then I'll start to miss you."

Lina grinned at her, "You can always video chat with us, Penny, anytime you feel the need to hear the children at full volume!"

Davos laughed, "That is why we have our big houses, yes Penny? So we can experience the young lives of our grandchildren and then retreat for some peace and quiet." They all laughed at that.

Breakfast was at a restaurant close to the airport. Penny, the Mallards, Liz, Claire and Sarah joined them and Maggie even slipped in for a couple cups of coffee before kissing them goodbye and promising to let them know about Greece. Tim was glad to see the Mallards had recovered from their exhaustion and had been to see Breena and the baby. Grandfa had already spoken to their favorite charter company and reserved a jet to fly from San Diego with a stopover in DC and then on to Athens, reversing the process two weeks later. Because they were return customers, they were allowed to give a range of dates for departure, with the condition that they provide a firm date as soon as possible.

The flight home was thankfully uneventful. Jorrin and Zoe slept most of the way while Gemma played with one of her babies and Anna read. Their parents chatted with the Kalivas', feeling they hadn't had much of a chance to really talk before now. When they landed in San Diego they found Damian waiting there. "Timotheos, do you mind if I drive my parents? And I'd like us all to stop at our new house so you can see our progress."

They agreed so Hélène and Davos disappeared into Matt's sedan, which Lina thought amusing and thoughtful of her brother. Tim took Zoe to get the minivan from the parking lot and drove around to pick up his family. They were enthusiastic when they saw the house and finally told the kids about painting 'their' room. "We get to paint it however we want?"

Damian tilted his head, "Yes, Anna. We will all decide on the colors ahead of time, then I'll buy the paint and you come paint it for us, how's that?"

Lina quickly stepped in, "And we'll do that another weekend, my brother, right?"

"Oh yes, of course, not this weekend! This is Easter weekend with your grandparents, very important!"

Gemma pouted, "I want to do it now!"

Tim felt it was his turn, "But you need to decide what you want to do, Gemma. You know how you like to pick out what stickers you want and what color crayons you want to use? You can do the same thing with this, plan everything out."

"Oooh, I like that Daddy." Daddy was relieved, not wanting to deal with hours of pouting. Anna wanted to know if they could make it an aquarium and Damian said yes, impressed with the thought. Gemma said she wanted to add mermaids and Jorrin piped in with fishies. Still talking, the three older children were maneuvered back into the minivan while Damian and his parents waited in Matt's car. The Kalivas' were taken directly to their new big house while the McGees went home and offloaded the children and the luggage. Tim called to let Matt know they were home and found they'd had a UA case during the week that was now closed. Everyone changed out of their flight clothes, for once Tim didn't want to burn what he'd worn on the plane, and had a bite to eat. The kids had a table of their own in the family room where they could draw or play games; they were sitting there talking about more ideas for their room when the doorbell rang. They yelled Pappouli and Yayaka until Tim reminded them to use their indoor voices. Still, they were crowded behind him when he opened the door to his beaming in-laws. They'd gotten settled in at their new place and couldn't wait to see the children's new house. After they'd eventually detached themselves from the swarm of grandchildren, they went on a tour. Lina was in her studio and showed them what she'd been working on. They loved her indoor studio as well as the rest of the house.

By Sunday everyone was rested and ready for the Orthodox Easter. They attended an early church service and were pleased to introduce Davos and Hélène to their friends. Once home, they concentrated on the traditional Greek Easter feast. The main dish would be succulent lamb, which Tim and Davos would grill on the barbecue. While it was cooking, they'd enjoy Matt's favorite meze Tiropetes, or as he called them, cheese puffs, along with several other meze. They'd hardboiled eggs and dyed them red in the Greek tradition and would also serve those with the lamb. The meal itself would be a combination of all the different meze, the lamb, eggs, roasted potatoes, various vegetables and salads. For dessert they'd have sweet Easter bread or lambropsomo, topped with big dollops of Greek Yogurt and fresh fruit.

They ate too much. It was a given before anyone ever took the first bite. With all the delicious food, how could it be helped? Remembering Stephan Russell's insistence on exercise between the meal and dessert, they decided they'd all go for a walk on the beach. They took two cars and the double stroller in case Jorrin wanted a ride at some point and then they walked in the sand. The children walked and then ran. The adults walked but Tim and Lina kept an eye out for landmarks, still remembering their first long walk in California. It wasn't long before Davos took his shoes and socks off, leaving them on the rack under the stroller and put his feet into the Pacific for the first time. Jorrin and the girls thought that was a great idea and played 'chicken' with the waves. Lina was congratulating herself for the towel she'd learned to bring with them to the beach because really, what child of any age can resist getting his or her feet wet when there are waves crashing on a beach? By the time they headed back to the house, they'd had plenty of fresh air and exercise and Tim made a mental note to let Stephan know.

He was glad to start back at work not feeling like he'd eaten the contents of the dining table all by himself. The fresh air had done them all good; he'd slept like a rock and now he was ready to dive back into work! He spent some time checking in with Brown and Maradona as well as getting a more in depth sitrep from Matt and was confident that his teams had done well without him, they were the best. Both Petrero and Button Willow had had cases last week and both were skillfully handled. Button Willow had resolved their case and was working on reports while Petrero was closing in on their perpetrators and was currently waiting for warrants.

By Wednesday Preston had its own case and the team was on the hunt. The case involved embezzlement of millions of dollars from the Navy and the team had to do several deep searches to find the links that gave them the clues and the evidence they needed. The embezzlers had either done shoddy work or were arrogant, leaving electronic trails, and the NCIS team was able to pull all of the pieces together by the end of the day Saturday. And then they had to wait for Monday for the warrants they needed but once they were in hand, they arrested the bad guys. Tim was proud of his team and let them know it.

At Lina's urging, he invited the team over for a barbecue-swim party two weeks later. Everyone had met Lina and the children by this time as they'd dropped by the office, mostly to bring treats. They had not yet met Damian and Tim knew Matt was nervous about that. Tim and Lina talked about it and ultimately figured out how to handle it.

As everyone arrived at work one morning, a few days before the party, Tim said nonchalantly, "Hey, before we get to work today, I'm hoping to get an approximate head count for Saturday. I know I'll be there along with my wife, kids and in-laws, but I'm not sure about everyone else. So…Matt, Damian will be there, right?"

Matt nodded with a smile; trust Tim to make sure he and Damian would be comfortable.

"All right, Rae, how about you; are you bringing anyone?" He went through the group and found that some were bringing a spouse or significant other while some weren't. That was perfect, just what they'd hoped for, it was done casually.

The day of the party was warm but not as hot as it would get in the summer. Tim marinated and then partially cooked chicken thighs and breasts and had them stashed in the refrigerator ready for the grill along with vegetable kabobs. He made a large batch of his favorite garlic potatoes and Lina and Hélène made several different types of meze. There were coolers full of lemonade, sodas and bottled water. Dessert would be simple: strawberry shortcake.

Matt and Damian, Hélène and Davos had been there most of the day, helping with the cooking and the set up. The kids had been coached on their party behavior and were excited about 'having company'. Finally they were ready and the doorbell rang. Tim answered and found Chuck there with his girlfriend while Rae and her partner Marinka walked up the driveway. Everyone arrived nearly all at once, which made introductions easier. Lina gave those who asked a tour of the main floor of the house. Terrell had googled her after her first time in the office; when Tim introduced her as Melina Kalivas the agent had been curious. He'd kept what he found to himself, already feeling badly that he'd snooped and now he was relieved when Maria asked about her studio and the various pieces of art around the house. One of them that intrigued Terrell was a pen and ink drawing of Tim working at an old typewriter. There was a painting of a group of people, Matt and Tim among them, at what looked like a wedding; however the men were all in kilts. Terrell laughed at that one and directed his co-workers' attention to it. "Look, here's the wedding Tim told us about; remember his wearing the kilt?"

Lina smiled, "Yes, Gram and Grandfa's wedding in Edinburgh. Tim was still using a cane and Matt was on crutches but they insisted on wearing the kilts. Matt and Damian are wearing the Watson tartan while Tim's is the Buchanan, his grandfather's original Scottish ancestress. James…here…" she pointed to James Powell, "is now our brother-in-law but at the time he and Sarah, Tim's sister, were dating..." she pointed to Sarah, "so he wore the tartan of the clan Stirling which is Tim's grandmother's clan. That was a fun weekend!"

"No children?"

Lina shook her head, "No, well Maisie has two older grandchildren who are," she pointed to Uncle Jim, "his, but they weren't in Scotland. And we weren't even married yet. Ducky, Tim's grandfather, was determined that he and Maisie marry before we did."

"You have an interesting family, Ms Kalivas."

"Please, call me Lina! And yes we do. But do you know when I met Tim he only had 3 siblings and no other family?"

They shook their heads and she smiled, "He'll probably tell you the story at some point."

Jo looked at her and smiled, "Or we can read about it!"

The others looked at her, puzzled. "Oh please, don't any of you do crosswords or anagrams?"

They shook their heads and Lina laughed as she moved them toward the patio door. She heard Zoe squawk and excused herself. Tim had their youngest in his arms and he'd stopped her in the act of pinching him, giving her hand a little tap and a firm "no" and that had caused the squawk. Lina moved up close to Tim, "Joanna has figured out Gemcity and Terrell had Melina the artist figured out."

"Had?"

"One of them, Maria I think, asked questions and he seemed relieved."

Tim nodded, "Probably googled you and felt guilty." He chuckled, "Glad to hear it was the field agents, they need to be nosy on the job."

Lina had warned Tim that the women might be a little shy about being in bathing suits around their co-workers so the two of them changed first, Tim wearing a t-shirt and hat to avoid sunburn and then Hélène, Matt, Damian, Davos and the children joined them. Soon enough everyone was in their swim wear and either in or around the pool. Zoe enjoyed her cruise on her baby mat and allowed the new people a chance to pull her through the water. When Tim started to get out of the pool, Davos waved him back. "You stay in Timotheos, I'll handle the grill!"

When he got out, Tim grinned and said in Greek, "You're the best, Papa!"

The others looked at Tim and he translated, embellishing a bit. "I said I have the best fathers anyone could have."

Rae looked at him, "Did you know how to speak Greek before you went over there?"

Tim grinned, "Yeah, I dated a Greek girl at MIT and she taught me, but my boss didn't realize that when he offered me the position."

"Wasn't your boss a Team Leader, how could he offer you…?"

Tim pursed his lips, oh well. "At the time I was reporting to the Director."

That caused a stir but knowing Tim wouldn't want to talk about his last days on Gibbs' team, Matt changed the subject.

Joanna had been looking at Damian off and on and finally she said to him, "You're the one leading the dance!"

He laughed, "Oh, so you've seen the video?" The others nodded. "Videos, we saw the original Dance Lessons and then the one from the wedding and some others after that. One looked like it was a full dress ball."

Matt barked out a laugh, "It was, we were at a dress ball at the Embassy."

"The Embassy?"

Tim chuckled, "The American Embassy in Athens. Every so often they have a fancy dress ball and many of the local American professionals and expats are invited along with rising young Greek professionals…" he gestured to Damian, "and rising young Greek artists." He gestured to Lina.

"Is that where you two met? And you did Greek dancing there?"

Matt shook his head, "They didn't meet there - that's another story. And we only had the traditional dances at the Embassy a couple of times. The Ambassador was a guest at Lina and Tim's wedding and of course saw the video beforehand. She'd invited more local – Greek – professionals, our police liaison for instance – and had the orchestra play some traditional music. We didn't know about it ahead of time but Damian stepped right up."

"Wow, you guys have lots of stories!"

Damian rolled his eyes, "They have even more stories that they cannot tell!"

By now their meal was cooking and smelling delicious, so most of them were out of the pool to dry off a bit. When Megan asked if they had a photo of Kim and the others in the Athens office, Davos volunteered to get it from Tim's study upstairs. He brought two back. One was taken right after Tim's arrival and the second one three years later; it included Ned and everyone's partners, Athos and Jorrin and was taken before Pete's retirement. Davos explained each photo and when someone said Tim looked happier in the second photo, he chuckled, "That is because in the first one he hadn't yet met any of the Kalivas'!"

When Anna saw the second photo she shook her head, "Look, Gemma and me aren't there. That was before, huh Daddy?" He nodded and pulled her in for a hug, "Yes sweetie; that was when you were still with your first family."

She surprised him then, "Do we really get to see Besiana and Jak this summer?"

"Yes, Annalanna."

"Good, we have lots to tell them." She looked at the visitors. "Gemma and I are going to see our cousins; they're from our first family too. They live with Uncle Ariston and Uncle Paolo in Mace…Macedo…"

Davos helped her, "Macedonia, little one." She thanked him in Greek and he beamed at her. Tim looked at his team and thought they were probably trying to picture European geography; he left them to it.

The party was a big success, not only did it provide more cohesiveness to the office, it gave them a glimpse of their boss and his family at home. Tim knew they were curious and hoped the afternoon had satisfied their curiosity. He had been thinking about moving Trina's portrait of Gibbs, DiNozzo and him from his writing room to the office but ultimately decided to keep it at home.

The weekend following the party saw the McGee-Kalivas-Watson family heading to Disneyland. Matt had been to Disney World in Florida as a child, the McGee siblings had had their ill fated trip years ago, Damian had been to Disneyland Paris and Lina to Disneyland Tokyo, but this was indeed the first time to the original park for all of them. Wanting to get an early start Saturday morning, the McGees and Kalivas' drove to Anaheim Friday evening and checked into a hotel with family suites. Damian and Matt drove up later that night and checked into their own room at the hotel. By the time the park opened the next morning, the children were in line with their entourage. Anna had studied the map of the park in great detail, talked with her friends who had been and knew just where to go when allowed in the gate and which rides she and her siblings could experience. The adults had an agreement between them that they would rotate so that the children would always have four adults with them but each pair would then have a chance to experience some of the adult rides. Lina had mapped those out for them and passed a brochure with map to her parents and brother.

By 3:00 PM, it was clear that they all needed some downtime and they'd already spent an hour on Tom Sawyer's island just hanging out. They headed back to the hotel for naps, had dinner and then went back to the park to watch the 'Soundsational' parade and loved the floats and the music. On Sunday they went to the California Adventure Park and had another wonderful time there, although they didn't stay for the parade. They left for home late Sunday afternoon, after Tim and Lina promised the children (and themselves) that there would be return trips in the future.


	177. Chapter 177

As Friday is for many the start of a 3 day weekend here in the U.S, thought I'd post this on Thursday. It is un-beta'd so all errors are mine. I'll be away over the weekend so the next chapter will be up Tuesday. Have a great weekend, have fun but stay safe. Happy Memorial Day!

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><p>CH 177<p>

After the trek to Disneyland, the family settled in to enjoy the spring. Anna was preparing for the spelling bee she'd told Tim about when she started school. She would be competing in the first to third grade group and her parents were helping her prepare. They gave her words to spell and use in a sentence every chance they got. When the Gibbses arrived home, Tim took Anna and Zoe to pick them up at the airport and drilled his eldest daughter all the way down. When Poppy and Nonnie heard about her practice, they helped drill her all the way home.

Finally the day arrived and Anna led her parents, both sets of grandparents and Uncle Damian into the auditorium. Uncle Matt was at work, handling the team for Anna's father and her siblings were at home with Mrs. Hardister, who'd volunteered to stay with the younger children so that all of Anna's grandparents could go.

As her parents watched proudly, Anna joined her peers on stage. The competition began and Anna made it through her grade level with ease. There was a short break and then they began the next round. This wasn't quite as easy but Anna remained calm and made it through to the third and most difficult level. She again remained calm and caught herself when about to make a mistake, corrected it in time and won the level and that was it - she'd won the first to third grade portion of the Bee! When the moderator announced that she was the only first grader to ever win the level, she was treated to a standing ovation and given a bouquet of flowers. Her eyes sparkling, she smiled at her family, calling out, "I won, Mama, Daddy!" Tim and Lina joined her on stage as she was given a blue ribbon and a trophy which would later be inscribed with her name. Her teacher joined them and the audience gasped in surprise when Ms. Austen told them that Anna had only been speaking English for a year. That embarrassed and distressed Anna and she hid in her mother's arms. Tim knew this was one of Anna's fears: that people would find out about the bad times, the hatred her first family had been subjected to and would stop liking her. He and Lina spoke softly to her and she eventually emerged, holding on to both of them. Ms. Austen looked like she wanted to drop down a hole and from the body language of the McGees she thought they might be feeling like they wanted to help her with that drop. With her parents' hands gently resting on her shoulders, Anna took her flowers, ribbon and trophy and walked with dignity, head held high to the safety of her grandparents and uncle. The audience of parents and grandparents seemed to understand that she'd been upset by her teacher's words and tried to reassure her by giving her another standing ovation, not only for her win but for the dignity she was displaying. Anna didn't really understand it but her parents did and they smiled as they led their daughter out of the hall.

Once outside, Tim steered them to a bench and he and Lina sat down with their young daughter. "We are so proud of you, Anna. You handled that so well, sweet girl."

"I did?"

Lina nodded, "Oh yes, Anna, you did splendidly!"

Hélène added, "Anna, you behaved wonderfully. You were so calm during the competition and afterward you did absolutely fine with Ms. Austen."

They talked softly with her for awhile and she started to perk up. Poppy looked at her and then at her parents, "That was a very special win, Anna. I think we should have a celebration!"

Nonnie smiled, she'd already sent a text to Matt asking him to pick up balloons and streamers after work.

Davos bent over, "What kind of cake do you want?"

"Cake? With ice cream?"

Tim and Lina smiled, "Of course!" They'd brought two cars so Damian, Poppy and Nonnie went off to get the cake and ice cream while Tim, Lina, Hélène and Davos talked a little more with Anna. She looked at her parents, "Why did Ms. Austen say that?"

"Because she's proud of what you've accomplished, Anna. She probably wasn't thinking about the bad times you went through, she was thinking that here is this wonderful young girl who's moved here from Greece, just learned English and look how smart she is, she won the spelling bee!"

"Oh. I thought she meant…"

"That's all right, honey, we understand and that was a very personal thing for her to say about you."

"Personal…like being nosy?"

"Sort of. That was something she should have asked us about first. She made a mistake, Anna, probably because she was so excited about you winning."

"Oh. Do you think she still likes me?"

Tim thought his heart would break but he remembered the prejudice he and his siblings had dealt with for being homeless and understood his daughter's defensiveness and uncertainty. "Yes, we're sure she still likes you and is very proud of you, just as we are! Anna, sweetheart, look at me." She looked at her dad. "You won the spelling bee! You worked really hard to prepare for it, you remained calm, spoke slowly and distinctly, did everything right and you won! That's what we'd like you to remember about today, the good things. What happened after upset you and your mom and me but we're also very happy and proud of you and not just for the spelling bee, but for the way you handled it."

"Oh! So I should think of the good things?"

"Yes, sweet pea. And we'll talk some more about the upsetting things later, we'll help you find ways to deal with that."

She smiled at them, "All right."

She giggled as her grandfather reached down and picked her up off the bench. "Did you hear everyone rubbing their hands raw clapping for you, my granddaughter? As you walked out with your parents, they were applauding for you, for your win and for the way you've learned English so well."

Davos was holding her in his arms now and she put her head down on his shoulder. "I heard that, Pappouli, I wasn't sure what it was for."

Hélène exclaimed, "That was for you, Anna, all for you!"

They took their time getting home, giving Matt enough time to decorate the house. He'd just been leaving the office with the others when he got Rhea's text and exclaimed when he read about Anna's win. Everyone stopped to hear and Maria went with him to the store to help him pick out balloons and a big banner that read "Congratulations!" They also bought the biggest card they could find and signed it with the names of everyone in the office. Then Matt took it to the McGees where he and Mrs. Hardister quickly put the banner up on the living room wall. He'd also found a big blue ribbon at the store and put that on the front door so Anna would see it as they came in.

When Damian and the others arrived with the cake and ice cream, they approved of the decorating and invited Mrs. Hardister to stay and celebrate with them. She said she'd stay long enough to congratulate Anna but then she had to get home as the Chief would be hungry. Jethro invited them both to dinner and after making sure her husband was available, she accepted. Tim and Lina had the slow cooker going with a family favorite recipe and the delicious smell had been enticing Mrs. H all afternoon. Matt found Tim's stash of little potatoes and made his favorite dish, also a favorite of Anna's.

By the time Anna got home with her parents and grandparents, the house was decorated, the table was set and the family was ready to celebrate. She spotted the blue ribbon on the door as they drove up and was grinning as she ran into the house. Gemma and Jorrin were happy she'd won the prize and did all the spelling right and gave her big hugs. Zoe was always glad to see her big sister and gave her one of her special kisses. Uncle Matt swept her up into her arms, "So proud of you!" Mrs. Hardister smiled and shook her hand, congratulating her and then gave her a quick hug. Anna was all smiles now, safe at home with her family and accepting what her parents and grandparents had told her. Poppy put her on his shoulders and gave her a ride around the house proclaiming her the queen of spelling! Once she was standing on her own two feet again, Anna solemnly thanked her siblings and her parents and grandparents for helping her. One of the side effects of all her practice was that Gemma and Jorrin knew how to spell most of the words too. They didn't know what they meant but they could spell and pronounce most of them.

While they waited for dinner, the phone rang with calls from the Greats and the children's aunts and uncles in Virginia, happy to hear the news. When the Chief arrived, he also made a fuss and then the group sat down to enjoy their feast. The next morning, a Saturday, Anna's dad woke her, "There's a call on Skype for you, Anna!" It was Besiana and Jak who had been told of the contest by their fathers and wanted to congratulate their cousin. That was followed by calls from Uncles Geo, Rob, Ned and Aunty Bec and later Anna received a card mailed all the way from Greece by Uncle Pete and Aunt Trina. Lina helped her add the photos, the blue ribbon from the door and the cards she'd received to her scrapbook.

The following week Penny and the Mallards arrived and for the first time since they'd left Greece, all the Grands and Greats were with them, all in one place. They had a wonderful time together and with the family, spending a lot of time on the beach and in the pool. With the exception of Zoe, the children now knew how to swim and had a lot of fun showing off to their grand and great grandparents. There was no shortage of family and Tim and Lina took advantage of that, slipping away for a whole weekend and spending time on their various pursuits.

Their plans for Greece were all set. Ross, Stephan and Phoebe were excited about being able to get home for a couple of weeks and to travel with their friends. Because they had more than 12 passengers, the overall cost was now less for each than a commercial flight would be. That wasn't the only good news: with the reduction in airfare, the Hofstadlers had decided to join them and would stay with the Russells. Tony and Maggie had also decided to go and put in for the time off. Maggie's personal time had been approved while Tony had not yet had an answer. Sarah and James also talked about going and were working on getting all the approvals they needed from CPS/Social Services as well as passports for the three foster children. Sarah told Tim they thought it would be a close call to have everything they needed in time.

The charter would leave San Diego early on July 5th, flying to DC where they'd stop only long enough to pick up the rest of their passengers. Then they'd continue to Athens, joining the NCIS crew for their annual Fourth of July trek to Aegina the day after their arrival. On Monday the McGees would fly to Thessaloniki with Davos and Hélène and they would have the first of Zoe's 1st birthday parties with the Kalivas family, including Besiana, Jak and their fathers. On Friday the McGees would say goodbye to the Kalivas', fly back to Athens and spend several days with family and friends before departing for home on the 20th. Their itinerary sounded very busy but really was just divided into two parts: Piraeus and Thessaloniki. Other than the trip to Aegina, a 2nd party for Zoe, this time at the big house and a visit to George's studio with dinner following at the Flying Pig and Tim wanting to spend as much time as possible with Geordie and Rob, they didn't have any specific events planned. Tim remarked that it was too bad their house had finally sold as they could have at least used the pool there. However there were plenty of beaches and they knew they were always welcome to use the pool at Pete and Trina's.

By the second week of June, Anna and Gemma's schools were out until August. That's when the Grands and Greats really kicked in. They took the children to Sea World where they all had a wonderful time getting splashed, petting the dolphins and visiting all the animals. The adults were thankful there were a lot of them so they could rotate breaks between them.

Their next outing was to the San Diego Zoo and that was just as much fun. There was so much to see and do there that the Greats bought annual passes for the children and promised to bring them back. The older three children each had a favorite area and all of them loved the Koalafornia Adventure, which boasts an Australian adventure.

Another trip was to Knott's Berry Farm where the children thoroughly enjoyed Camp Snoopy. Following that was a trip to Legoland where they particularly enjoyed the Volvo Driving Schools for each child's age group and of course Miniland where they spotted models of many places they'd visited around Washington D.C. One last trip took them back to San Diego to Safari Park Adventure. By this time it was getting very close to their departure for Greece, so the rest of their adventures in California were put on hold for another time.

A lot has happened since the McGees left Greece, time for an update! The original list of characters is on CH 153. The newest changes are again in bold italics.

Tim's immediate family:

Wife Lina (Melina) Kalivas,

Children (in order of appearance):

Son Donald Jorrin (called Jorrin or Jorry),

Daughter Anna,

Daughter Gemma,

Baby daughter Zoe

Tim's siblings, their spouses & partners:

Sarah McGee (husband James Powell); _**foster/adopted**_ _**children: Adam, Audrey and Evan**_

Dr. Rob Mallard (dating Agent Ned Dorneget)

Lt. Geordie Perry (partner Agent Bec Childers)

Agent Tony DiNozzo _**(wife Agent Maggie Barnes)**_

Patrick McGee (deceased)

Tim's Parents and Grandparents:

Biological Parents: Lily and Dan McGee (both deceased pre-story)

Dad: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, _**Poppy to his grandchildren**_; wife Rhea

Stepmother: Rhea Ortiz Gibbs, _**Nonnie to**_ _**Gibbs' grandchildren**_

Paternal grandmother: Penny Langston

Maternal grandmother: Maisie Stirling Hubbard Mallard, known as Gram or Grammie

Maternal grandfather: Ducky/Donald Mallard, known as Grandfa

Tim's Godparents: Uncle Dave (Admiral) and Aunty Liz Crane

Tim's Uncle and Aunt: Uncle Jim (Captain) and Aunt Claire Hubbard, children Ainsley and Callum

Other family: Jimmy and Breena Palmer, children Ethan, Stevie, Violet _**and David**_ _**Victor **_

Tim's in-laws:

Lina's parents: Davos Kalivas and Hélène Theodori, grandparent names: Pappouli and Yayaka (or Yaya);

Lina's siblings:

Damian, partner Special Agent Matt Watson

Chloe Kalivas, husband Dr. Peter Rodino, children Alexis and Tad;

Nicolas Kalivas, wife Margaret Mitropolous, children Zander and Dimitri;

NCIS: Athens staff:

Office Manager Kim & husband Evander (real estate agent)

Tea & husband Adan (landscape designer)

Eva & husband Caleb (works at the Benaki) and son Athos

Agents:

Bec Childers, Team Lead and SAIC, partner of Geordie Perry

Ned Dorneget, SFA, dating Dr. Rob Mallard

Rusty Mayhew, junior agent

_**Lynne (junior agent)**_

NCIS: Other offices

DC:

Director Leon Vance, children Kayla and Jared;

Executive Assistant Pamela Cooke;

Agents:

Rick Carter, Jim O'Brien, Maggie Barnes, Dwayne Wilson,

IT:_**  
><strong>_James Powell, Assistant Mgr. (see also Sarah McGee)

Also Tobias Fornell (FBI) and daughter Emily, Ron Sacks (FBI)

Rota:

Stan Burley, wife Patricia, unnamed team

Marseille:

Agents: Roger Martinez, wife Marla

Seattle:

Agent Jane Melankovic

Pentagon:

Anthony DiNozzo Jr., SFA

Unnamed agents

Marine Corps West Field Office:

Blumquist, Senior SAIC

Sub office Yuma, AZ:

Lydia Worden Team Leader

Unnamed Team

Southwest Office (also known as San Diego Office):

Joel Morris, Senior SAIC

_**Unnamed Teams and sub offices besides Preston, El Segundo, Petrero and Button Willow**_

_**Sub Office: NCIS: Preston: **_

_**Office Manager: Megan Peters**_

_**Dispatch/Phones: Rae Leavitt**_

_**Support Analysts for Petrero and Button Willow teams: Chuck Murray, Maria Camarillo**_

_**Agents: **_

_**Timothy McGee, Team Lead and Supervisory SAIC**_

_**Matt Watson, SFA **_

_**Terrell Okoro **_

_**Joanne Day**_

_**Satellite Offices (subordinate to Preston): **_

_**Petrero:**_

_**Will Brown, Team Lead, Unnamed Agents, wife Mia Brown-author**_

_**Button Willow: **_

_**Maya Maradona, Team Lead, Unnamed Agents**_

Sub Office: NCIS: El Segundo

Agents:

Tamara Middleton, Team Lead

Staff:

Carla Hofstadler (former SFA and current part-timer) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy

Retired Agent:

Pete Russell: wife Trina, kids Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas

At the Benaki Museum:

Caleb (husband of Eva)

Other characters:

Dani, business owner and single mom of son Ross – Lina's friends, originally her housemates, later Bec's and then Ned's housemates;

George and Edith Powell: Sarah McGee's mother and father-in-law; parents of James Powell.

George Avramidis – Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Master/Instructor

Dimitri Avramidis – the "DCP" or the Deputy Chief of Police, Athens;

Archimedes – everyone's favorite tailor in Piraeus

"Ted" Edwards and Jack Hughes – good CIA agents based in Athens

Col. Martin: Commanding Officer of Marine detachment at US Embassy, Athens

The Ambassador: U.S. Ambassador to Greece and good friend of Melina (Lina) Kalivas

_**Nick Hardister: Chief of Police in Preston, CA, also next door neighbor and friend to the McGees**_

_**Janeese Hardister: wife of Nick, sometimes babysitter for McGee children, friend and neighbor, also known as 'Mrs. H'**_

_**Elena Osnaya: short timer SFA on Tim's team. **_

Taylor Ganier – art gallery owner in New Orleans

Lu – shelter manager in Baltimore who helped the McGee siblings when they were growing up there.

Aegina – a small island 17 miles from Athens; scene of Tim and Lina's wedding; the group's annual Fourth of July celebrations and a whole lot of fun. A real island!

The Flying Pig – also known as the FP. Pub frequented by many people in the story. Real pub in Piraeus!

The big house Greece: where Gibbs, Lina's parents, Penny and the Mallards live when they're in Greece. Occasionally other people stay there. Also Penny's home in Virginia may sometimes be referred to as the 'big house'.

_**The big house California: where the Gibbses, Lina's parents, Penny and the Mallards live when they're in Preston. It's bigger than the first big house, has a pool and is very close to the beach. **_


	178. Chapter 178

Surprise! Decided to post over the weekend - enjoy!

* * *

><p>Living next door to the Chief of Police had its advantages and one of them was finding out what was happening in the small town. They'd heard about the Fourth of July parade on the main street of town, but it was the Chief who told Tim to make sure they got down there plenty early so the kids could see everything and they could sit in the shade. One day instead of having coffee, he and Tim walked along the street and the Chief pointed out the best shady spots for parade viewing. There would also be a pancake breakfast held at the VFW hall and the Chief advised they do that before the parade. They could set up their chairs in the spot they wanted and then go have their breakfast.<p>

After the parade there would be a carnival and barbecue in the town park. The carnival would have some rides, including a pony ride for the youngsters and various shooting galleries with prizes. There would also be a three-legged race which involved two people with a leg each tied together. Another feature would be a Dunk Tank where someone would sit above a tank of water and when the target was hit, the chair they were sitting on would collapse, dunking them into the water. The Chief said this year the Mayor would be in the dunk tank and the funds raised would go to three separate charities. The carnival would start after the parade and continue all day and then the barbecue would start toward evening. Once it was full dark there would be fireworks shot from a boat on the water; the Chief told Tim the best place to see them was probably from the deck at the big house.

By the time his friend finished telling Tim about everything, he was pretty excited about the holiday. They could have a pancake breakfast, see the parade, go to the carnival, go to the beach in the afternoon and join in the barbecue and then see the fireworks from the big house that night. That sounded perfect and when Lina agreed, Tim thanked her for convincing him to leave for Greece after the Fourth. Tim was also grateful his team had worked Memorial Day so they'd be off on the Fourth. With the rotation amongst four of Joel's offices it meant his team would work Veteran's Day and New Year's Eve this year, but no one seemed to mind. After consulting with the residents of the big house, they invited the Hardisters to join them in watching the fireworks. The Hofstadlers were also joining them and would stay over with the McGees.

By this time the summer heat was in full throttle and the morning of the Fourth was bright and hot by the time the McGee clan got to their selected site for parade watching. Tim, Matt and Poppy took a carload of chairs and coolers down very early and secured the spot they wanted. From "their" space, the group walked over to the Veterans of Foreign War (or VFW) Hall for their pancake breakfast, enjoying every last bite. After that they headed back to their spot on the parade route. Everyone was lathered in sunscreen, wore hats and they had plenty of bottled water with them but Grandfa made sure Tim, Maisie and the children had spots in the shade. The parade was a lot of fun. Gemma's preschool and Jorrin's daycare both had floats and they all waved at Rae when she marched by with her temple choir. It was fun to watch the high school marching band and the U.S. citizens among them put their hands on their hearts when the U.S. Navy Color Guard presented the flag. Nick the Chief had left a surprise for the McGees, he hadn't told them of the flyover by the Navy. Tim had a big grin on his face when the mighty jets roared overhead. They spotted a neighbor boy in the Boy Scout Troop marching by and Anna watched intently as the local 4H float rolled by. They laughed at an old VW Van with surfers hanging out the windows and surfboards tied to the roof; that was for the surf school where Tim's junior agent Jo had taken lessons. A local radio station float had them all dancing but the fire trucks were the most popular. Not only did they spray water to cool off the parade watchers, they also tossed out wrapped pieces of hard candy for the children. A miniature donkey farm had a float and the kids were fascinated by the small animals rolling by. Tim and Lina had a bet between them as to which child would be the first one to ask for a pet and Tim figured that today was probably going to trigger that request. When a dog grooming business rolled by with dressed up dogs playing under a continual water spray, the couple looked at each other, wincing.

Finally the parade was over and the grandmothers and Lina walked the kids over to the park while the guys packed up the chairs and coolers and brought them over. They set the chairs up, again in the shade and then took turns taking the children to the various carnival attractions. Tim, Matt, Carla and Poppy won several prizes at the shooting gallery and after the kids each picked a prize they gave away the rest and then decided it wasn't fair for them to play anymore. Norm, Tim and Poppy took the triplets and the three older McGee children to the pony rides and watched them ride the gentle creatures around a ring. There was a petting zoo nearby so Norm and Poppy took the kids to that while Tim went back to the group for Zoe.

Matt had talked Damian into running the three legged race with him and the group watched in growing amusement, cheering them on. They came in first and claimed the prize, a large watermelon which they shared with the group. When Davos treated everyone to snow cones Gemma sucked all the flavoring from hers and then poured the ice over her head. That looked so good Tim, Davos and Jase Hofstadler did the same thing while Lina and Poppy laughed at the four of them and took photos.

By mid-afternoon they were all hot and tired and, as Matt pointed out, they had pools and an ocean available to them. So they packed up and headed to the McGees. Zoe, Jorrin and the three Greats had naps while the others jumped in the pool. When everyone was awake and refreshed, they moved over to the big house and the beach. They played in the ocean and eventually Poppy and Pappouli headed to the house to get their dinner started. When they sat down to eat, Poppy told them that this was traditional Fourth of July fare: burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, coleslaw and potato salad. By the time it was dark enough for fireworks, the Hardisters had joined them and Jorrin and Zoe were sound asleep. They woke Jorrin up to watch the first of the fireworks and he watched for a while, loving the different shapes and colors. Tim chuckled as he watched the kids, "Just think, three days from now we'll be on Aegina watching fireworks again!"

The Hardisters wanted to hear about their plans for their Grecian vacation and smiled when Rhea told them about the expat group celebration on 'their' island.

"That sounds like fun! And you really all fly over together?"

Tim shrugged, "This is the first time for some of us, but yeah, when we got married everyone coming from the US and the UK flew over together."

Grandfa explained, "We've found that because we sometimes have a large number of family and friends going to the same place it's easier and less expensive to charter a jet. For our journey tomorrow, we will have more than 30 passengers aboard. The more we have, the less expensive it is for each of us. It is certainly more comfortable, especially when traveling with children and we save time by not having to go through TSA and waiting to board. That's where we save time, not on the actual flight."

At the look on his friend's face, Tim explained, "Each passenger is thoroughly vetted before he or she is added to the flight manifest and our passports and ids are rigorously checked before we board. And we still have to go through Customs when we arrive. As the flight organizers, Grandfa and I are responsible to make sure we know who is boarding. There are some charters who allow groups to add other people to fill seats, but if we have to do that, we'll fly commercial." Poppy nodded his agreement.

"So you didn't have American holidays off, did you have the Greek holidays off then?"

Tim nodded, "Yes although we were technically on call because your only backup is in another country, hundreds of miles away or you call my dad here to send volunteers over and we wouldn't do that for a day off. And we made sure we had time off to compensate, we just couldn't do it as a team. We had four field agents and 3 on my inside team in Piraeus so we'd rotate days off to compensate for missing a holiday. We always had at least three field agents to respond to a call out."

Matt laughed, "We do the same thing here!"

Tim nodded, "That's true. We rotate holidays between four offices, same as we did in Europe."

Nick wanted to know about the volunteers and Poppy had fun explaining that. "Wait, when you're sent out of the country?" Hardister turned to Tim and Matt, "You served in more countries than Greece?"

Tim nodded, "Sure. Our mission is to support Navy and Marine personnel and they show up all over the globe. So a sailor might be on leave and decide to visit his great granddaddy's hometown in Bulgaria. He runs into trouble or causes trouble and we get called in."

"So there are jurisdictions for each office?"

"Yes."

"Ever cross over?"

"Into someone else's territory? Oh yeah. Let's see, one time we were investigating a mummy with dog tags found on a freighter in Patras, Greece. We ended up spending two weeks in Germany chasing down his killers and Germany is not in the Athens' office territory! Another time we had something going on that crossed into Marseille's territory but they were working a triple homicide and had no problem ceding jurisdiction."

Nick laughed, "I'm guessing the offices are a lot friendlier toward each other than our police departments are."

Tim smiled, "We were…are…16 NCIS agents handling problems in a lot of countries on one continent; we always had a common goal."

As much as he liked to talk shop, this was a holiday so he changed the subject asking if Nick or Janeese, his wife, kept in touch with the McGees' landlords. Janeese heard the question and answered it. "I do, Tim. They've just been transferred again, to the Azores this time. They thought they'd be back here in a few years but now that doesn't look likely." Tim just nodded.

Once the fireworks were over, they loaded the kids into the car, headed home and got them all into bed. They had to be at the airport early the next morning but figured they'd all sleep on the plane. Tim was up at 5 the next morning, making them a bite to eat and hauling the rest of the luggage downstairs. As he did that Lina got the kids up and dressed while Norm and Carla got their three going. They'd finished eating, brushed their teeth and had everyone and everything ready when their ride arrived. The Hardisters would keep an eye on the house, the mail was on hold at the Post Office and Matt had the team. The extended family grinned at each other as they climbed the steps into the jet, they were going to Greece!

XXX

A full breakfast was served as they reached altitude leaving California and then just about everyone went back to sleep. Poppy was awake for awhile and Anna was reading but she soon put her book away and he dozed off. The flight to DC was uneventful and most of the group only woke when the jet started its descent.

They weren't on the ground long, just long enough to load luggage and passengers and the flight crew asked them to stay aboard, otherwise they'd have to check ids again. The Mallards grinned as Callum and Ainsley scrambled up the steps, "Hi kids!" The two greeted everyone and quickly grabbed a couple of seats. Claire and Liz were next followed by Ross, Stephan and Phoebe. Tim watched anxiously as Tony's vacation approval had still been outstanding two days ago. He sighed in relief when his eldest brother and Maggie appeared in the doorway. "Had me worried there man!"

Tony snorted, "You weren't the only one!" He grinned as he pointed backwards with his thumb, "Pretty sure you're going to like who comes aboard next too!" The group broke into applause as Sarah climbed the steps with Adam and Audrey while James followed behind with Evan.

"YAY, you guys made it!"

Sarah shook her head, "Government bureaucracy! We picked up their passports day before yesterday and got the last approvals signed three hours ago!"

"Wow! That's really cutting it close."

Everyone got seated and strapped in and they could hear the luggage still being loaded. Sarah looked at her children, "After we take off and the flight attendants say it's all right to move around, you can get up and say hello to everyone."

Adam giggled while Audrey and Evan nodded. Evan looked around at everyone and relaxed a little seeing the other kids. Nobody looked too scary and he trusted his foster parents. He wanted to think of them as his forever parents, but he knew there was something preventing that. He just hoped he and his sister could stay as long as possible with the Powells. He'd met most of the people here now on video chats but it was different seeing them in person. He smiled shyly at his foster mother's dad, his maybe grandfather, when he winked at him.

It wasn't long before they were in the air again and eventually the flight attendants said it was all right to move around. Sarah took Audrey and Evan to each seat to say hello. Evan looked at his dad when they returned to their seats, "There sure are a lot of grandparents and cousins."

James chuckled, "And there are more uncles and aunts to meet in Greece!"

"Are your parents going to be there?"

"Yes, but not right away. We'll arrive on Friday and they'll fly in on Sunday."

"Ok." Evan leaned in and whispered, "Is it ok to call everyone by the names they're saying: Poppy, Nonnie, Grammie, Grandfa, Pappouli and Yayaka?"

"Absolutely! And remember my parents are Granddad and Grandmum."

"All right. Um…who's Penny?"

James chuckled, "She is your mother's grandmother, so your great grandmother. Penny is her name; she doesn't want a 'grandma' name."

"Ok. Thanks." He thought of another question, "How come Mom doesn't have a mother, just a father?"

"That's kind of like you and Audrey, son. Their mother died."

"Oh. But her father has a wife…Nonnie?"

"Yes, but they've only been married a few years."

"Like a stepmother?"

"Yes."

Evan sighed as he sat back; there was a lot to remember and a lot to think about.

The kids watched movies and played quietly. The McGees had a portable playpen they'd brought for Zoe and she played and slept in that. Occasionally her brother, one of her sisters or one of the triplets would climb in with her and she babbled happily at them. She sat with her daddy for awhile before she started to squirm, went back to her play area after a diaper change and then wanted 'up' again. Just a few weeks shy of her first birthday, she had a vocabulary of several words: Mama, Dada, Hi, Pop, No'ee, Yah, An, no and her newest, Gem, Pin and Jorree. They'd figured out that Pop applied to both Poppy and Pappouli, Yah was Yayaka, An was Anna, Pin was Penny and the rest were close enough to the real words. When Evan wandered over to see what she was like she grinned at him and said "Hi." He said hi back and she squealed. He looked around and whoever the nearest adult was nodded, "It's all right if you want to climb in and play with her." He nodded at the lady; he thought she was an aunt and he remembered her climbing into the plane right before they did. He knew it wasn't Aunt Claire or Aunty Liz as he knew them pretty well. He shrugged and climbed in. Zoe handed him one of her favorite stuffed animals and babbled something at him. It was a horse so he made a horsey noise and she patted him on the arm, she liked him. In the meantime, Anna had ventured down the aisle to Aunt Sarah's seat where the new girl was sitting next to her, reading a book. "Hi."

Audrey looked up and smiled, "Hi."

"What are you reading?"

"Freddy the Pig. He's a detective."

Anna's eyes lit up, "Ooh I read two of those! He's fun!"

Audrey nodded and leaned toward Anna, "And there are lots of books!"

"Which one are you reading?"

"Freddy the Detective."

Anna nodded, "I read that one and Freddy the Magician."

"I haven't read that one yet!"

"I brought it with me; I'll let you read it when you finish that one."

"All right – and if you want you can borrow one of my books I brought."

"All right." Anna sat down across the aisle from Audrey and the two girls talked about their favorite books and characters.

Tim noticed the exchange and catching Sarah's eye, smiled at her; it looked like their two little bookworms were going to be friends. He and Patrick had read the Freddy books when they lived in California and Sarah and Rob read them later at the library in Baltimore.

Gemma and Jorry played together and with Zoe, the triplets, Adam and Evan. Later Jorry climbed into his dad's lap and fell asleep. He woke up when their meal was served and got to sit between his parents to eat.

After they ate, some people slept, Tony and Stephan watched movies, other people read or moved around the cabin. Tim and Lina had a rousing conversation with Ross and Phoebe, laughing at Phoebe's stories. Callum and Evan spent some time together. While Callum was now a young teen, he appreciated that Evan had no one his own age in the family and had befriended him. Evan was totally in awe, a big kid wanting to be friends with him. They took turns walking Zoe around the plane and the other kids joined in so that the toddler had plenty of company.

Within another hour, everyone was asleep again. Zoe was back in her seat between her parents, all buckled in as were her brother and sisters in the row behind them. Adam, Evan and Audrey and Cammy, Jase and Will were curled up with their respective parents, also asleep.

The flight landed in Athens very early on Friday and the group blearily gathered their belongings and headed for Customs. Tim spotted Pete and Dani waiting for Ross, Stephan, Phoebe and the Hofstadlers and Norm gave each triplet a turn on his shoulders to wave hello. Pete greeted his kids with hugs and kisses and greeted his friends just as enthusiastically. He grabbed Tim and pulled him in for a warm hug. When Lina and her parents came through from Customs for Greek citizens, Lina was pulled in for a similar hug. The Russells' group stayed until the last of the others were cleared through Customs and then left, promising to see them later in the day. The rest of them split into two groups and traveled to the big house and their rental big house. Once again Evander had worked his magic, finding a summer rental with a fenced, covered pool and enough bedrooms for the crowd. Even better, the house was on the same block as the big house. The group had debated how to split up and had finally decided that it would be easier to have all the children in the big house which had no pool. The McGees, the Powells and the Hubbards were sharing the 6 bedrooms in the big house. Callum, Evan and Adam would share a room while Anna, Gemma and Audrey would share another and Jorrin and Zoe a third. The others would be three houses away in the rental with the pool.

Claire and Ainsley had the downstairs bedroom, so getting them situated was easy. Tim and James looked at the rest of the luggage and then at each other and taking deep breaths, sorted it into rooms and started carrying it upstairs. Tim delivered his girls' suitcases to their room and headed back downstairs for more. When he got there he grinned as he spotted his father and brother picking up luggage. Tony grinned back, "What, you didn't think we were going to abandon you, stick you and James with hauling the luggage upstairs, did you?"

Tim chuckled in relief, "The thought never even occurred to me!"

Claire and Ainsley emerged from their room, "Ainsley and I are ready to help."

Each picked up a case and headed upstairs. Tim went first and directed them to the appropriate rooms. They ran into Lina, James and Sarah in the hall, "Oh we were just coming down to get all that!"

Claire called for Callum and he appeared, "I know Mom, I'm just goi…oh."

Between them all, they had everything upstairs in one trip. Tim nodded, he'd always said his family was thoughtful and this sure proved it!

Once everyone had unpacked and cleaned up, they had a bite to eat. The refrigerator and pantry was well stocked, thanks to Bec and Geordie. Rob and Ned had made sure the kids' rooms had the appropriate single beds instead of the queen sized beds normally in the rooms - and a crib for Zoe. They'd also joined Bec and Geo in airing out the house and washing the sheets and towels.

Tim couldn't wait to see everyone. They were all having dinner at the Flying Pig tonight but he really wanted to stop by the office and see his friends there first. He wished Matt and Damian were with them but of course that hadn't been possible. He must have been wearing his thoughts on his face because Lina pulled him aside. "I think you should go over to the office, just drop in to say hello."

"They're working."

"It's Friday, they know we're here, go!"

He thought about it and nodded, "I'll check with Bec first." She bit back a smile. He started to send Bec a text only to see that she'd already sent him one, "Get over here!" He replied that he was on his way and dug around for the keys to one of the rental vehicles. Then he kissed Lina and dashed out the door.

As he reached for the door handle at the office, he looked inside and noticed Tea was not at her desk. The door was locked so he rang for entrance and was buzzed in. There was nobody in the bullpen or in the corner office so he continued to the kitchen…and there they were, the team he missed so much. He stood there looking at them and noticed that Pete and Carla were there too. It was all the old gang then, except for poor Matt. Kim and Eva got to him first and he held onto them for dear life, adding Tea in when she reached them. Bec, Ned and Rusty waited their turns and between them all, Tim nearly had the breath squeezed out of him. But it was worth it, seeing them all, here in this place. Finally they settled for a massive group hug and Kim sniffed, "Welcome home!"

He nodded and finally got the words out, "Thank you, it's great to be home." They broke up the group then and started asking him questions. He finally noticed that they had the table set for lunch. He looked outside but Rusty shook his head, "It's too hot, Tim!"

He shook hands with the newest agent, Lynn, who'd arrived shortly before his departure. She grinned, "I'm glad I met you before you left or I'd start believing all the stories about you!"

Tim snorted, "Thanks, I think!"

The next thing he noticed was that Eva looked like she had a baby bump. He looked at her and she nodded. "I'm due in November and it's a girl."

"Congratulations! I'll bet Caleb and Athos are excited too!"

"They are although Athos isn't quite sure what he's excited about."

Tim laughed, understanding that all too well. He looked up at Pete and smiled at his friend. "Gotta tell you, Pete, when I saw your smiling face this morning, that was really wonderful, made me know I was home."

Pete reached over and ruffled his hair, "How's Matt?"

"He's doing great, threatening to find another team so he can travel with us next time."

"Not yet though."

"Nah, we're good for now. Damian might have a business trip to Spain in the next few months, I expect Matt will go with him and I'm sure they'll visit!"

"I thought he was running the new office in San Diego?"

"He's the lead architect there which means he gets to pick the jobs he wants…subject to his boss's approval of course. They're talking with a potential new client in Barcelona and Damian is drooling over the project."

Bec laughed, "Good, Matt can fly on over here and stay while Damian is working!"

Tea grinned and Tim smiled back at her, unsure how much the others knew. Finally she nodded, "You know that Damian has contacted Adan about doing the landscaping for the project he's working on in San Diego?"

Tim's eyes twinkled, "I might have heard about that, yes."

"Adan just received the information yesterday so he's reviewing it."

"Do you know how long he'd be working there?"

"Before he got the prospectus he believed it would be about six months. I don't know if that's changed."

"And the Aegina project is complete."

She nodded, "Yes, I hope to take you to see it tomorrow!"

"Can't wait!" He chuckled as he continued, "Yesterday…oops, I mean day before yesterday, we had our first American Fourth of July and tomorrow we'll have our traditional expat celebration." He went on to tell the others about their celebration and showed them the photos on his phone. "The fireworks were out in the bay; we watched from the Grands upper deck."

"At their new big house?"

Tim nodded. "It's bigger than the one here!"

They were sitting by now and Rusty and Ned were making Tim's favorite gyro pitas for everyone. "Thanks guys! This is really great…hmm, I'm guessing my wife knew about this."

Bec laughed, "Of course she did."

Tim turned to look at her and Ned, "So, how are my brothers?"

They both laughed, "Fine, you'll see them this afternoon."

"Thanks for setting the house up, great job." He turned to Kim, "And Evander has once again worked his magic."

Kim smiled and handed him a business card. "What's this…Kim, he has his international license?"

She nodded, "Took him longer than he thought but yes, he's in business."

Tim grinned, "Oh boy!"

"What?"

"Nope, have to talk with Lina first."

"I thought you were going to rent there – you said for two years."

"Mm, I'm not saying any more right now." He stopped talking and concentrated on eating his delicious pita and listened as his friends' voices flowed over him. He couldn't believe how good it felt to come home and he had a better understanding of Leon's visits years after his departure. Pete was sitting next to him and patted his back, "How long?"

"14 years and 4 months."

"It'll get easier."

Tim looked at his friend, "And you know this how?"

Pete huffed, "I may not have moved a continent away but this is not my team any longer."

Tim grimaced, "I'm sorry man."

"Not what I meant, Timothy; just only that it does get easier." He leaned closer, "And when you are the Director, you can come over two or three times a year! It'll still be here, some of us will still be here."

Tim nodded, "I like my teams and the office and the town. It's just not you guys. You'll always be the best."

Carla smiled, "Same here. This is always going to be a special place for us, no matter how long it is between visits."

They dawdled over lunch but finally Tim, Pete and Carla rose. "We thank you, this has been wonderful. But I'm sure you have paperwork to do and we have to go get some exercise so we can enjoy our dinner at the Flying Pig tonight!"

The others laughed and Rusty looked up, "George said to tell you hello and that he hopes you'll have time to stop by."

"I plan to, your class still on Mondays and Thursdays?"

They nodded and Tim smiled. He looked at Pete and Carla, "I need to pop in to see Archimedes, need another suit. Interested?"

Carla laughed, "Norm wants one too and I know just what fabric he wants."

Pete smiled, "Then I guess we'll all go!"

They had a look at the "Closed" Board before they left and congratulated the team on their good work. As they walked out the door, Tim reflected that it was a lot easier to leave with three of them and then chided himself for being such a big baby. Pete's hand descended onto his shoulder. "You ok?"

Tim nodded, "I know we've had this discussion a hundred times but I came really close last winter to following your path and staying here. Still not sure."

Carla spoke softly, "Because this is the first place that felt like home, the first people besides your siblings who became family."

Tim nodded, "Aside from Mrs. Ferguson and some college friends, yeah. The Navy Yard was where I worked and yeah I spent a lot of time there but as you know I never felt like part of the family. Then I came here and I got it all, handed to me on a silver platter! Lina and the kids, grandparents, my dad and the sibs, the rest of the family, extended family and friends. I still think I'm an idiot for leaving."

Pete shook his head. "Tim…you're not a guy who can stand still, you have to keep moving forward. Yes, you could have stayed here longer but sooner or later it wouldn't have been enough. Maybe it's not that you are 'career oriented', maybe we've been using the wrong term. It's more that you are 'oriented forward' and staying in one place isn't what you're about. Not yet anyway. I think your early years, as a Navy brat and then fighting to survive and escape the streets, built up this energy that keeps you moving forward. And in 14 years and 4 months when you come back home, then it'll be time, you'll be coming full circle."

Tim nodded, "That makes more sense to me, Pete."

"Good! It's about time I got through to you!"

Note: Except for the surf school float and the location of the fireworks, everything the McGees experienced at Preston's Fourth of July celebration is taken from my annual experiences at a July 4th parade in a small town in central Oregon. It's so much fun, from the pancakes to the BBQ to the fireworks (which are over the high school football field, not the ocean.) And yes, the Navy does a flyover, wonderful!


	179. Chapter 179

CH 179

They reached Archimedes' shop and went in. The tailor called that he'd be right out and they stood, grinning at each other. Their friend walked out, stood looking at them in shock and then grinning, said hello to Pete, then shook Tim's hand and kissed Carla. "My friends, I am so happy to see you! You're here on holiday?"

Tim nodded, "Yes we're here for two weeks. And Norm and I both need suits!"

Their friend smiled so widely Tim was sure it must hurt. "Come then, let me make sure your measurements haven't changed." He checked Tim and smiled again, "Good they are the same. Now, what fabric do you want?"

Tim had already spotted the one he wanted and pointed to it. "Wonderful, I will get started on it; will you have time for a fitting?"

"Yes, on Monday morning or Friday afternoon. We're flying to Thessaloniki Monday afternoon and will be back Friday morning."

"Ah, so come see me Monday morning and then perhaps I will be done by Friday."

They went back to the front and Carla told their tailor what fabric Norm wanted. Archimedes thought for a moment and then disappeared, returning with several swatches. Carla picked one and the tailor smiled.

"Now, I will need to see the Professor for a fitting - Monday or Tuesday?"

"Monday morning will be fine."

"Good, I will see you both." He looked at Pete, raising an eyebrow but the retired agent shook his head, "I'm good, my friend." The three walked back to the office and took off.

The big house was empty when Tim got back and he found a note that they were swimming over at the rental house. He ran upstairs and found his swim stuff out on the bed. He quickly changed, slathering on the sunscreen, grabbed his hat, a towel and left, locking up. As he neared the other house, he could hear the kids in the pool and smiled. He was happy to find the side gates were locked and went in through the front door. Everyone but Evan and Grandfa were in the pool and Tim looked at his new nephew. "Did you get too hot or was it too much sun?"

"I almost got too much sun. Grandfa says I have to stay in the shade for another few minutes."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, he does that with me too. It's because we burn so easily. I'll tell you though Evan, he's always been right with me. He always knows when it's time for me to get into the shade, so then I don't get sunburned and I have more fun!"

Evan thought about that for a minute and then smiled, "That's good then!"

"Yep. So, how are you doing remembering everyone's names?"

The boy laughed, "I called Aunty Liz Gram and I know Aunty Liz!"

"Aw, that's all right, they know who they are! Got the uncles and the rest of the aunts down yet?"

"Yeah, you're Uncle Tim and you're married to Aunt Lina, then there's Uncle Tony and Aunt Maggie…" he looked at Tim. "There's more?"

"Yep, you'll be meeting them in a couple of hours. There's Uncle Geordie and Aunt Bec and then your Uncle Rob and his partner Uncle Ned."

Evan repeated the names. "How will I know them?"

"Uncle Geordie is not as tall as your dad or Poppy or your other uncles. And he might be in fatigues if he comes straight from work."

"He's a soldier?"

"He's a Marine; if he were Army he'd be called a soldier."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

Tim nodded, "Me neither, not until Geordie became a Marine." He continued, "Uncle Rob and Uncle Ned are both taller than me, about the same height as your dad. Uncle Rob has dark curly hair and he's thin. Uncle Ned has wide shoulders."

"And you are all my mom's brothers?"

"Uncle Ned is our brother-in-law but yes we are your mom's brothers. And some of us are adopted."

"Really?"

"Yep. Did you know Poppy adopted us?"

"My dad said something about that on the plane."

Tim nodded, "He adopted us 3 years ago."

"But you're a grown up."

"Still needed a dad."

"My mom too?"

"Yes. She and I are biological sister and brother, like you and Audrey." Evan nodded, he understood that. "We adopted Rob and Geordie as our brothers."

"When you were kids?"

"Mmm, we acted like a family then but we didn't get legal until Geordie was 18."

"Ok."

"And we adopted Tony as our brother 3 years ago, when we told Poppy we wanted him to adopt us."

"Why'd you do that - with Tony?"

"Tony has a father already. He's not very close to him but he couldn't be adopted by Poppy because of his birth father." Sadly, Evan understood that too. "So we adopted him as our brother."

"So he'd know he was part of the family?"

"Exactly!"

"Mom said Anna and Gemma are adopted."

"Yes, we adopted them last year."

"Wow, that's a lot of adoptions and then me and Audrey and Adam."

"Yes, your mom, dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents – all of us - want to make sure that as many children as possible have parents who love them and can take care of them."

Evan grinned, "I like that! I hope we get to stay with Mom and Dad forever."

"I hope you do too Evan!" He was keeping an eye on his grandfather and when he got a nod, he grabbed his sunscreen. "Come on, Grandfa just gave you the go ahead so let's get some more sunscreen on you and let it dry a little and then you can go back in the water."

"Already? Great!"

"Yeah and how about you wear one of my hats, that'll help too."

"You going to wear one?"

"Yes and I see your dad is putting one on too." Tim grinned at James who'd just been handed a hat by Grandfa. Poppy reached out a hand and Grandfa handed him another one. Evan happily put the hat on, waited for the sunscreen to dry a little and then jumped back in the water, Tim following closely behind him.

The Greats were out of the pool and sitting in the shade when Penny heard the doorbell ring. "I'll go, it's probably the boys!" Poppy, Tim, Sarah and Tony climbed out and grabbed towels. Lina and the others stayed in the pool with the kids, figuring they'd jump out when they saw their aunt and uncles. Penny came back with both Geordie and Rob. Tim and Sarah grabbed them both and held on. Poppy tried to wait but got impatient (some things hadn't changed) and joined in the hug. Tony found his way in too and the four brothers, their sister and dad hung onto each other. When they broke apart, Geordie grabbed each of them and gave them a kiss. "Been apart too long, don't like it!"

Rob was still snuffling into Tim's shoulder. "Can't believe you're finally here!" He finally pulled his head up. "Is everyone outside?"

"Yep, in the pool, or they were."

"Bec and Ned will be here in a little bit."

"I know - I had lunch with them earlier."

His brothers grinned at him, "Did you like your surprise lunch?"

"Yeah, I sure did!" They were edging toward the backyard when Anna and Jorrin spotted them. "Uncle Geo, Uncle Rob!" Gemma joined them as they barreled into their uncles. Rob and Geo grabbed the girls and Jorrin and held them up for hugs and kisses. "Wow, you guys are all grown up!"

Gemma giggled, "I'm going to pre-kindagarden!"

Anna nodded, "And I'm going to be in 2nd grade!"

Jorrin looked at his uncles. "I'm going to pre-school!"

Tim had gone to get Zoe and now she showed the uncles her walking skills. "Wow, baby Zoe's walking!" She looked at Rob, patted his face and said, "Unca."

Tim grinned, "Ooh, new word!" He handed her around and she patted and said "Unca" to all three of her uncles. They grinned at each other, "Now she just needs to know which uncle!"

Tim laughed. "That'll take time. Come meet Sarah and James' kids!" The Powells had all three of their kids out of the pool and were drying them off when Evan spotted the men with Tim. Deciding to be brave, he walked up and looked at them carefully. Holding out his hand, he said, "I'm Evan. And you're Uncle Rob?"

Rob nodded and shook his hand and then gave him a hug. "Welcome to the family, Evan."

Evan smiled and then turned to Geordie, "And you are Uncle Geordie!"

"That's me, kiddo!" He gave the boy a hug and a hair ruffling. Evan stood back and bumped into his grandfather who put a hand on his shoulder. Evan liked that, he'd never had a grandfather before. His parents arrived with Adam and Audrey and they too were introduced to the uncles. The guys finally made it as far as the patio where the rest of the family gave them a warm welcome. Eventually Geordie said he wanted to change and that broke up the group. Rob had his swim suit on under his clothes so he just shucked his street clothes off and dove in, sighing in relief. "Feels so good!"

Bec and Ned arrived soon after and after being warmly welcomed and introduced to the Powell children, had hugs and kisses from the McGee kids and hugs from Callum and Ainsley.

Shortly after their arrival, the big house crowd walked or were carried home, refreshed from their swim and play and every one of them needing a nap. The rental residents also disappeared into their rooms for a rest while Geordie, Bec, Rob and Ned enjoyed having the pool to themselves.

Dinner at the Flying Pig was set up much as it had been before Tim and Lina's wedding; everyone had had a chance to select their entrée and they'd have the back room from 1930 until 2300. With Claire and the older kids helping, everyone was ready to roll on time. They got everyone seated in the rental cars, waited for the others to join them and led the caravan to the FP. Much to Lina's amusement, Tim drove one vehicle and Sarah the other and both pulled right into parking spaces. It took the others a bit of time to find spaces after dropping off their passengers but eventually they were all greeting their friends in the backroom of their favorite pub.

Tim hadn't had a chance to talk to Lina about Evander's international license so after greeting his friend he pulled him aside. "Congratulations on the license! I have an idea, but I haven't had a chance to talk to Lina about it."

Evander smiled, "You only just got here, give yourself some time, please!"

Caleb had news, besides the baby that is. One of the managers at the Benaki was leaving; he'd been offered the job and had accepted it that afternoon. He laughed, "Just in time too!"

Tim nodded, he figured the job would mean a substantial raise and he was sure the family could use it. Grandfa had arranged to pay the tab for this dinner, allowing Mr. Gemcity to also pitch in.

Adan held up his hands at the questioning looks. "I haven't finished looking at the prospectus yet. It looks good but I must be thorough before giving an answer."

There were a lot of nods around the table at that, this would be his biggest project if he took it and meant moving to the U.S. for most of the life of the project. It also meant Tea leaving her job and moving to the U.S. Tim thought that if Adan took the job he might drop a word in Joel's ear, see if they could find anything at the agency for Tea. Even something part-time would be helpful.

Dinner was as fun and chaotic as dinner at the FP had always been, especially with the kids. Tim was happy when the Avramidis brothers popped their heads in to say hello. He promised George he'd come by the studio after their return from Thessaloniki and told Dimitri about having coffee with the Chief of Police in Preston and then discovering they lived next door. The brothers were still planning on coming to visit, they hoped for the following spring. The group enjoyed seeing the brothers and then enjoyed their meal although really they were there for the company and it served as a good preamble to the day they'd spend together on Aegina.

After a good night's sleep, the travelers were up and ready for their island adventure the next morning. They had a filling breakfast, got the kids dressed and everything they might possibly need that day packed up and once again loaded everyone into the rentals. When they had everyone on the ferry Tim took a head count and tried to think how many times they'd done this. Not just the treks for their Fourth of July celebrations but all the other fun days they'd had. Next year would be his and Lina's 5th wedding anniversary and they were working on their plan to have as many of their wedding guests as possible join them for a few days of fun. They thought they might move the celebration to the summer as they knew they couldn't count on another spell of unseasonably warm weather in November. November would also mean children missing school and that was definitely not a great idea. He'd have to find a way to get Matt and Damian here too but he'd worry about that later. For now, he was content to ride the waves on their ferry, hanging onto to fearless Zoe and watching his older children's fascination with the sea. When he noticed Audrey was looking a little green, he offered Sarah some of his stash of powdered ginger root and a spare sea band. The young girl made a face when she drank the juice with the ginger root in it but it seemed to help and the sea band completed the 'cure' for her seasickness. Grandfa patted him on the back, "Nicely done, Timothy. Now we'll know to have the same items available for her." Tim nodded, he was glad Audrey wouldn't have to endure seasickness or avoid boats as he had for much of his life.

The McGees, Powells, Eva, Caleb and the Hofstadlers were grateful to have so many helpers with them, especially when it came to the children playing in the water. The triplets, Athos and the 3 older McGee children knew the rules and Sarah and James told their three before they had a chance to put their feet in the water. It helped that the grands, the greats and most of the aunts and uncles also knew the rules. Adam, Audrey and Evan soon figured out it was easier to follow the other kids' example. Always have adults with you and when they got out, you got out. No swimming under water, it scared the parents too much. Be prepared to stand on two feet, no tippy toes, so parents could see how deep it was where you were and yes, know that Grandfa at some point was going to order everyone out of the water. They rented the sun shelter, set it up and piled their bags, towels and blankets inside along with the coolers. Trina, bless her, had remembered to bring disposable bowls and spoons along so they could have their ice cream treat later. Tony and Norm disappeared to the liquor store for more ice. Anna looked around, down the beach and up at the town. "It sure looks different from our beach at home, huh Mama?"

Lina smiled as she'd been thinking the same thing. "Yes, Anna, we don't have shops so close to the beach there."

"And this one isn't as long."

"Ah, but we're on an island here, that's different."

Her daughter nodded. "Can we see more, besides the beach?"

"Of course, darling girl, we can take a walk! Let's see if anyone else wants to go."

As it happened the morning was a little cooler than on their previous Fourth outings and several people were inclined to wait until the sun warmed up a bit before they got in the water. Gemma wanted to go in but Jorry and Anna didn't, not yet; Uncle Tony and Aunt Maggie didn't mind, they were used to colder ocean water so they stayed with Gemma along with the Hofstadlers and some of the others while Lina, Tim, Anna, Jorrin, Zoe, Rhea, the Powells and some of the others went for a walk through town. They smiled when they saw the familiar stores. Tim wondered what treasure they'd find in the pottery store this time and realized they could ship anything they bought straight home. The McGees paused at the florist's shop. She was arranging something in the window and didn't look up until she was done. Then her eyes got big and her smile wide. She climbed out of the window and rushed outside. "Oh my dears it is so good to see you!" She was introduced to the children and gave them each a kiss, telling them, "You're beautiful, just like your parents!" She looked at Sarah and James and smiled again, "Ah, yes, part of the wedding party, now married with your own family, wonderful. Oh, I must tell the others! Are you here for the day?" Lina nodded and told her about their annual Fourth of July celebration and the woman tapped the top of her head, "Of course, I knew that at some point. Now, I mustn't keep you, please continue on your walk." As they walked away, Lina explained to Anna that the lady had provided all the flowers for their wedding. Anna wanted to see the chapel where they'd married, so the McGees split off, catching a cab up to the hillside chapel. The door was locked so they couldn't go in but Anna was content to see the outside. As they were turning to walk down the hill, Tim spotted Papas Theos hurrying toward them, waving, "I'm coming, wait please!" They stopped and he halted in front of them, a smile spreading on his face. He welcomed them all and happily let them into the chapel so Anna and Jorrin could see where their Mama and Papa were married. Then they walked down the hill and through town where they found the others still strolling. Eventually the kids had seen enough and were taken back to the beach while Lina, Tim and Zoe continued. Lina smiled, "The pottery shop should be just…here."

Tim smiled, "I was thinking we need more plates and bowls."

"Yes, me too." They smiled at each other, thinking back to Tim's impulse buy and Lina's approval so soon after they'd met. When they entered they found the owner inside. He looked up the pattern Tim had purchased five years ago. "I don't have any of these in stock; I will make more for you."

After some discussion they placed an order and the man told them he'd have them done in a few days. He looked at his customer database, "I don't have an address for you."

Tim shook his head, "No, we were living in Piraeus then so took them back on the ferry. Now we live in the U.S. so we'll need them shipped."

The man smiled, "I'm pleased you came back to my shop! Are you back on holiday?"

They chatted for a bit until Zoe started fussing, wanting out of her stroller, and then finished up. It was nearly lunchtime by this time so they headed back to the beach, smiling at everyone they saw.

Lina laughed, "Someday we'll live here again and we'll go back to Preston for visits and we'll smile this happily there too!"

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, I can see that happening!" They held hands as they pushed Zoe's stroller through town.

They had a wonderful day on the beach, eating, swimming and playing in the waves, helping the kids build sand castles and watching them being knocked down. Anna and Gemma made sure everything they built had a moat around it and pretty soon all the sand structures were surrounded by moats. When Grandfa called all out, Tim was amused to see other bathers following his example of getting out and sitting in the shade for a few minutes. Mid-afternoon, Trina and Rhea went to get the ice cream, a surprise treat for the kids. After they'd devoured that and were back in the water, Gram nudged Penny and they gathered up the women for another walk through town. Zoe went with them while the men kept a close eye on the other kids. Eva laughed, "Last time we went on a retail walk, Athos was in the stroller and Lina, you were pregnant with Jorrin!"

Lina nodded. "I remember that, we still have some of the things we bought for Jorrin that day. And I know we were here last year just before Zoe was born but I don't remember much…just watching the girls and Jorry I guess."

Kim chuckled, "We never left you alone the entire day - you looked like you were going to pop. We even had a pool going just for that day!"

Lina laughed, "And then I made you wait two weeks!"

Gram patted her arm, "That's all right, Melina, Zoe was worth the wait!" They had fun once again weaving in and out of the shops. They spent some time at the children's store. The owner had heard from the florist, everyone had heard from the florist, that this group was in town for the day and she'd dug through her inventory for baby and toddler items. She was just in time as Tea pushed the door open and the others came in, smiling. She looked at little Zoe and cooed, "Oh she is precious!"

Young Zoe recognized an admirer when she saw one and rewarded the woman with a "Hi!"

They found several cute items for Eva's baby and made sure to include Athos too. Lina was happy to see the shop now had a website and took a few of the cards.

"We've moved to the U.S. so this will be helpful. We have four children now, the oldest is 6 and I would like to continue buying from you. Handmade quality items are hard to find for children and the items that have been purchased here in your shop have held up well."

The shop owner beamed, "Thank you! That is most kind. And yes of course I will be happy to ship to the U.S."

Once the women were sure they had everything they wanted, they continued their walk. Eventually they wound their way back to the beach and laughed at what they saw. The children lined the shore yelling encouragement as Poppy and his four sons, Ned, James, Pete, Stephan, Ross, Evander and Adan engaged in a massive splash battle. Caleb was with the kids along with Grandfa, Davos and Norm. Claire saw that Callum was with Evan and nodded, happy to see her son was not involved in the grownup lunacy. Grandfa later told her he'd asked Callum and Evan to help them with the younger children pointing out that if they were happy to watch the little kids might be too.

Maggie giggled, "I know Tony is in 7th heaven, he so seldom gets to let his inner child out these days!"

Lina nodded, "Tim does, with the children, but this has to be a lot of fun for all of them."

Trina snorted, "Pete _is_ his inner child!" They all laughed at that.

Caleb, who was refereeing, finally blew a whistle, declaring a tie and the end of the battle. Once they stopped the battle, most of the guys got out of the water. Pete and Jethro started building the fire for the grill while Tim and Norm used their feet to draw a circle in the sand, 8 feet in diameter, surrounding the fire pit. "See this? No one under the age of 9 is allowed inside this circle."

The younger kids nodded their understanding while Evan grinned, finally something he was old enough for! Tim pointed at his cousins and older nephew, "We're counting on you older kids to know better!" They also nodded their understanding and agreement.

It didn't take long to cook the burgers and hot dogs which they ate with a variety of Greek and American side dishes, as was their tradition. After dinner, they returned the sun shelter and then told stories and played games until it was finally dark enough to set off their fireworks. Zoe had been napping but woke as the first rocket whistled over the ocean. "Dat?" Tim and Lina grinned at each other, another new word!

Gemma explained to her baby sister, "That's fireworks Zoe. Pretty colors in the sky!"

Following another tradition, the group ooh'd and aah'd over each pretty color and shape. Jorrin especially liked the ones that streamed on the way down while all three triplets liked the noisiest ones and Athos preferred the quiet ones that turned into different colors. All too soon, the show was over and the group lit the LED lanterns they'd brought along, a new addition that year, loaded up and headed for the ferry. As Tim told Gram on the boat home, he felt well satisfied. He'd finally figured out that this was their 5th annual Fourth of July celebration on Aegina. He realized that as fun as the celebration in Preston had been, this felt right.

They slept in the next morning, everyone still feeling jet lagged and tired from their day of fun in the sun. Tim finally woke when a delicious smell wafted upstairs from the kitchen, fresh baked Greek pastries! Hélène laughed herself silly when her son-in-law came dashing down the stairs, he was the first one up and she was just glad he'd stopped long enough to throw on cargo shorts and a tee shirt. He grabbed her in a warm hug, "Mmm, you're such a good mama and YaYa!"

"Thank you Timotheos!"

Tim suddenly pulled away, "Uh, aren't you staying in the other house?"

She chuckled, "Yes my son but I still have a key and I wanted to bake these for you this morning."

Lina and Claire soon joined them and Tim grinned, "All right, we're the first ones up so we get to eat them all!"

Ainsley had just arrived and shook her head, "That's not fair, poor Zoe is in her crib, she can't help it if she's not down here."

Lina snorted, "That's what you think! She can climb when she wants to."

Ainsley offered to go wake up everyone up and the others nodded. They sat at the large dining table and Tim brought hot and cold beverages to the table while Lina brought plates and forks. The day continued along the same lines, very laid back. The McGees and Powells drove up the hill to the old house, parked and took the kids for a walk up the hill and around the neighborhood. Some people waved and some came out to say hello. Evan was surprised when people spoke English, at least enough to say hello. Aunt Lina taught him, Adam and Audrey how to say hello in Greek and Evan liked that saying it made people happy. After that they went back to the rental, changed and headed down the street to the pool and spent the rest of the day there with the rest of the family. They had visitors during the day as Kim and Evander came by for a swim and Caleb brought Athos over for a few hours, giving tired Eva a chance to rest by herself. Dani, Pete and Trina and the Hofstadlers also arrived, claiming the college students and their friends had commandeered their own pool and they needed the company of grownups. No matter the reason, they were warmly welcomed.

Tim had finally had a chance to talk with Lina and she'd agreed with his idea. It wasn't a new one; it had just been some time since the topic had been raised. When Evander was out of the pool, drying off a bit, he grinned as he saw Tim and Lina approaching him. "Ah, you're ready now?"

Tim laughed, "No man, this is your day off - we just want to make an appointment, say for Friday afternoon?"

"No no, this is fine! You'll be away for a few days and I can get started on whatever it is you have in mind."

Smiling, he pulled a tablet from the bag where he and Kim had stashed their street clothes. His friends sat down and explained what they wanted to do and he nodded. He'd have to do some research to find the current market value; he could do that while they were up north and have the papers ready by Friday. He was excited about being able to help his friends and use his international license for the first time.

They were lounging in or around the pool a couple of hours later when Tea and Adan arrived. Tea came in and went straight to Bec, asking if they could speak privately. Bec took a deep breath; she had tried to prepare for this. Tim had gotten through both Matt and Carla leaving and they'd all somehow gotten through Pete and Tim leaving; she could handle this.

Tea looked close to tears as Bec approached her and she tapped her on the shoulder, "Come on, if this is what I think it is you have an incredible adventure ahead of you."

Tea nodded. "NCIS was my first job and I've loved it. However, Adan has accepted Damian's offer and I will go with him." She tried to smile, "We will leave at the end of August. I hope that's enough time for you to find my replacement."

Bec nodded, "Someone to handle dispatch and everything else you do but no one can replace you, Tea."

"Bec…"

"No tears today, my friend. Let's join the others so Adan can share the wonderful news."

"I have to call Pete."

"He's here with Trina and I'm guessing that he and Tim have already figured things out."

"Everyone is here then? I saw Evander's car and Caleb's."

"Eva was too tired, so he brought Athos over."

"Oh, I'll call her then." Bec nodded as they made their way back to the patio. Tea joined Adan and Bec headed for Geordie who slipped a supportive arm around her waist. Adan cleared his throat and told their friends their news. He was very excited about the job and proud to even have been considered but he tried to downplay that because he knew Tea's friends would be upset.

Grandfa saved the day. "That's wonderful Adan, Tea, congratulations! Now, we should celebrate! Timothy, there are two bottles of sparkling cider and one of champagne in the refrigerator, yes, we knew we would have something special to celebrate here."

Tim and Pete headed to the kitchen to bring back the bubbly and enough paper cups for everyone. With so many people on hand, the adults had only a sip or two of champagne each or more of the sparkling cider. Knowing she wouldn't want to miss this, Caleb called Eva and she drove over, arriving in time for the celebratory drinks and toasts to the couple. The last one was Tim's who raised his cup, "You'll be missed here for sure, but you have family already in California, with the Kalivas-Watsons, the Hofstadlers and the McGees. You will be welcome and well cared for, my friends." They toasted and he continued, "The world's a lot smaller than it used to be. To quote my dad, you're now joining the western branch of our extended family."

That brought a loud cheer from all of them and Tea and Adan smiled, relieved as Eva added, "And more people to see when we visit!"

As the next day was a work day, nobody stayed late that evening but they did all stay for dinner. Poppy and Norm grilled more hot dogs, burgers and some veggies and they dined on leftovers and whatever was in the refrigerator at either house.

The only items left untouched, at Hélène's insistence, were the extra pastries she'd made this morning and left in the freezer. She wanted her children and grandchildren to enjoy those after their return from Thessaloniki. She was looking forward to seeing the rest of their family but dreaded saying goodbye to her daughter, son-in-law and the children. She and Davos already had plans to take a trip in October, ending in California where they'd stay through December and then fly to Thessaloniki for their traditional January 6th Christmas celebration.

Davos thought they should stay home for several months then but Hélène wasn't sure. Half their family was in California and that half needed them more. Alexis would be leaving home soon and the boys were older now, they didn't need their grandparents so much. Nicolas was doing wonderfully well with the business and frankly, Hélène wasn't as interested in working with the designs anymore. And she so enjoyed their new home in the U.S. and exploring new places with the children. Hélène chuckled to herself admitting she would also miss the company of her fellow grandparents and the 'Greats' as Tim and Lina called Maisie, Penny and Donald. They were in and out enough that they never seemed to tread on each other's toes. She sighed, perhaps she would feel differently when they got to Thessaloniki but she knew she felt more at home, more useful, more alive in Preston than she did in the Kalivas' 'grandparents' unit.

Davos watched her that evening and thought he knew what she was feeling. As many friends and family as they had in Thessaloniki, he too had come to prefer the life they led with Melina and Timotheos, the children, Damian and Matt and of course their co-conspirators. However, he did feel they should split their time equally between their children and grandchildren. Still, flying back and forth was expensive, they'd been fortunate with the charter flight this time; perhaps they should stay six months in each place as their original plan had been.

As people left that evening, Davos and Hélène said goodbye, knowing they probably would not see some of them until the 5th wedding anniversary next year. Tim and Lina would see everyone later in the week. When Hélène kissed Tony goodbye he whispered, "We'll see you next time you come over, make sure you stop in DC for a few days!"

She smiled at that, loving that neither Tim nor Tony minded being mothered.

Jorrin and his grandfather went with Tim Monday morning for his fitting with Archimedes. The tailor was delighted to meet the young boy and also happily greeted Timotheos' father. He too was thinking of another suit, he was tired of wearing the same one to church every Sunday and the others he had weren't made by Archimedes. So after Tim's fitting, Poppy picked out a fabric and their friendly tailor quickly measured to make sure nothing had changed. They'd both be back Friday afternoon and told Archimedes not to rush; they'd be here in Piraeus for several days after Tim's return from Thessaloniki. From there they picked up lunch at the deli and then headed back to the houses. Just about everyone was at the big house so they had lunch there. Then the Kalivas' and the McGees gathered their belongings, kissed everyone goodbye and squeezed into one of the vans with Poppy driving them to the airport.

Their flight to Thessaloniki was short and uneventful although the children were excited about seeing their cousins. Ariston and Paolo had arrived with Jak and Besiana that morning and would also stay until Friday. Chloe picked them up and they squeezed in, Anna sitting on Tim's lap and Gemma on Davos'. Lina reminded Tim of the Christmas before they had children when two of his brothers joined them and he chuckled, "Yeah, we're not as squished as we were that time!" Anna wanted to know which two brothers and then they remembered being here with Damian and Matt after they'd recovered from Bagram. They told her that Penny had been here too. Davos added, "And Liz, Claire, Callum and Ainsley too. But your Poppy and Nonnie and Grammie and Grandfa haven't been yet." He looked at Hélène, "We should invite them up!" When Tim started laughing, they wanted to know what was funny and he replied, "I was just picturing a third big house!" Lina shook her head, "No we have a third one already – Penny's. This would be the fourth one!" The adults all laughed at that while the kids wondered what was funny about it.


	180. Chapter 180

Forgot to let you know the chapters I posted over the weekend and will post this week have not been beta'd as my beta is on a well deserved vacation!

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><p>The family had a wonderful time in Thessaloniki. Although all the Kalivas grandchildren spent time with Jak and Besiana, Anna and Gemma spent the most and their parents were sure to take many more photos of them together and with Alexis and the boys. Dimitri, Tad, Jak and Zander were near each other in age and had fun playing together. The adults had a great time getting reacquainted and catching up with each other. The visitors and returning grandparents couldn't believe how much everyone had grown since they'd seen them last. Alexis spent time with her Pappouli and Yaya, talking to them about what schools she wanted to go to. When she told them she had her heart set on UCSD, that is the University of California at San Diego, they nodded, having been forewarned by Chloe. That would work fine as she'd have family close by but would live on campus. As an international student, she'd applied early and was waiting to hear if she had been accepted, subject to her final year grades of course. She'd listed University of California at Berkeley as her second choice for the California University system and had also applied to Waverly, George Washington University and Columbia on the East Coast.<p>

They spent a glorious Tuesday at the beach, the same one where Tim proposed to Lina, and Wednesday sightseeing with the children. Thursday, Nicolas took the day off to join in the celebration of Zoe's first birthday with a trip to a local amusement park designed for young children. They had their last family dinner Thursday night and as always, Tim enlisted his brothers-in-law to do the cleanup with him. This time Ariston, Davos and Paolo pitched in as well. Tim, Lina, Nicolas and Margaret stayed up late with Davos and Hélène, talking about future plans. Davos raised the subject of them staying in each place for six months at a time and nobody disagreed with that. Margaret said she liked the idea of having them home for longer periods of time and Lina agreed as well. Tim pointed out that at least next year they were planning on having their anniversary celebration during the summer so part of their six month stay in the U.S. would be in Greece. They laughed at that and promised to figure it out. Tim and Lina told them about the offer they hoped to make on the house in Preston and Davos grinned, "I hoped that's what you were doing with Evander! So you will stay in Preston even when you start working in San Diego?"

Tim looked at Lina and she shook her head, "It was not me!"

Davos laughed, "It was Ducky! He slipped up one morning and then told us."

Tim frowned, "The only one I've talked to about it besides Lina was my dad."

Hélène smiled, "You should be used to that by now, Timotheos, as part of a large family. Nothing stays secret for long!"

Tim huffed and then answered Davos' question, "Yes, Preston is within the allowable distance from the office and we love the house and the town and…" he chuckled, "we really don't want to move again!"

"But you will, eventually." Tim shook his head and then shrugged with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Yes, in a little over 14 years we will move back to Greece!"

Nicolas barked out a surprised laugh, "Nicely done, brother!"

The next morning the 6 McGees kissed everyone goodbye and climbed back into the van for the ride to the airport. The flight back to Athens was also short and uneventful and they were happy to see Tony waiting with the van on their return. "Hey, you drew the short straw?"

"No, I won rock, paper, scissors and get to spend a little more time with you all!" Once back at the house, they unloaded the baggage and then sat down to lunch with both sets of Powells, James' parents had arrived, and the DiNozzos. After helping the children unpack, they put on their swimsuits and walked down the street to the rental where they were greeted as if they'd been away for much longer. Tim swam some laps, dodging the children and then his father told him it was time to get out as they had an appointment with Archimedes and that James and Tony were going with them. Tim had remembered to bring his street clothes with him and now he understood why James had too. The three younger men got dried off, changed and headed off to see Archimedes where Tim and Jethro took turns translating for Tony and James. The tailor had Tim and Poppy's suits ready and while they were trying them on, he took James' measurements, made sure Tim's suit was perfect and then did the same for Poppy. While they changed again, their tailor took Tony's measurements and then the two men chose what fabrics they wanted. Tony wanted two suits, stipulating that one could be shipped to him if it wasn't done by the day they left. The tailor smiled at them, "All three will be done; that is not a problem!" He chuckled, "I also have two ready for Leon; will any of you see him and would you mind delivering them to him?

Tony and James looked at each other dumbfounded when Tim translated and Poppy laughed. Tony and James finally nodded, "Yes, of course we'll deliver them to him."

On the way back, the men stopped at Poppy's favorite grocery store and bought enough food for both houses for the weekend. The Russells were having a party Saturday afternoon and for once Pete and Trina were allowing the McGee clan to supply the entrée. When they got back to the pool house, Tim found Lina dressed and waiting for him. "Evander has information for us!"

Leaving the children in good hands, they took one of the rental cars and drove to their friend's office. He welcomed them with his customary smile and sparkling eyes. "Good, I'm glad you're here, come sit down!"

He had the market value on their house in Preston and had figured out what he felt would be an equitable asking price; from there they worked out their offer. He quickly drew up the necessary papers, they signed them and he popped their offer into an express mail envelope. "This will go out this evening and should be delivered tomorrow or Monday."

He smiled, "We may know more before you leave on Thursday but I wouldn't count on it." They thanked him and left, happy to have started the ball rolling.

They had another wonderful time at Pete and Trina's on Saturday, once again enjoying seeing their friends, celebrating Zoe's first birthday and having fun playing volleyball, croquet and for the younger set relay races that Kyra and Lukas refereed. Sunday everyone went to church and once again the Russells, Dani, Ross and the Hofstadlers enjoyed the sight of the McGee clan walking in together. Anna spotted her former teacher in the congregation and smiled at her. Her new class and old class were now officially pen pals and they'd exchanged a few letters during the school year. The exchange would move on with the students so that they'd be in touch with their pen pals throughout their elementary school education.

Lunch was at the big house and then Tony and Maggie left to rent a car for themselves. They were going off to do some sightseeing on their own and would be back late Monday evening. Liz, Claire, the Gibbses and James' parents took all of the kids for the afternoon so that Lina and Tim and Sarah and James could have some time to themselves. Tim and Lina headed for a favorite beach while Sarah and James went off to do some sightseeing.

Lina sighed contentedly as they put their blanket and towels out on the beach. "I love being a mother and I love our children but it is nice to have a break, isn't it love?"

Tim grinned, "Oh yeah! Time to be just us."

Sarah and James weren't quite as content; this was their first time away from all three children and they were a bit nervous. Finally Sarah said, "Tim and Lina leave the kids with the Grands and Greats all the time. And the kids need to get to know your parents better. We have nothing to worry about!"

They relaxed after that and had a good time together. At one point James said, "We'll need to do this more often, we need to be a couple and not just parents."

Sarah nodded, "Liz and Claire have already volunteered to help as has Ainsley."

"That's good – and my parents too. My dad said he and Mum were talking about coming over and staying at Penny's for several weeks."

Sarah smiled, "That would be wonderful!"

James laughed, "Sar, they won't supervise the renovations!"

She grinned, "A girl can dream, can't she?"

By 7:30 both couples were back home to tuck their children in for the night, except for Evan who was allowed to stay up an hour later than the others in consideration of his advanced age.

Monday everyone went to the beach and Rob came along although he slept in the shade of an umbrella most of the day. They were home in time to shower, change and head out to the studio. Penny, Claire and the Gibbses came with them but the Mallards, Liz and the senior Powells volunteered to stay home with the children. Realizing they had been handed an adult evening out, that was not a tough decision to make! George was very happy to see Tim again but tsked when he found Tim had not been practicing his moves while on vacation. "You had better start or your new instructor will not be happy with you."

Tim nodded, promising to do some that evening after their dinner at the FP. George laughed, "I am quite sure you will not be in any shape to practice tonight. Start tomorrow!"

Tim sheepishly agreed and the group headed for the Flying Pig. They still had the back room but this time there was more alcohol consumed. Every vehicle had a designated driver so that the others could relax and have a few adult beverages. Tony had tried a beer he really liked in Delphi and was pleased when he found it on the menu. Tim laughed when his beer list was handed to him, "I can't believe you guys kept that!"

The proprietor had come in to say hello and he chuckled, "So you'll only be here once a year or so, that's all right. You've been a good customer!"

He patted Tim on the back and they later found he'd stood them their first round of drinks. Nobody had too much but they certainly relaxed and enjoyed themselves. When Maggie asked the owner if he wouldn't consider opening a pub in DC, he laughed, "I escaped from there 15 years ago, why would I want to go back?"

The DiNozzos and the Powells groaned and the man laughed, "Just you four live there?" Penny and Claire raised their hands too. "Ok, six. You get me…mmm a hundred people who will commit to coming in and I'll consider it!"

Tony, Maggie and James looked at each other, "We accept the challenge!" James handed him one of his business cards and the man wrote a note on the back and tucked it in his pocket. George and Dimitri popped in to say hello and ended up staying, Dimitri even buying a round saying he'd long owed the team. Matt and Eva were the only ones missing from the old team tonight so Bec, Ned, Tim and Pete agreed that Dimitri's 'debt' was paid. His eyes twinkled, "Ah Matt is in California now, I shall buy him a drink when we visit, but as for Eva, I shall have to wait for the new baby to arrive."

They chuckled at that and Claire later said she hadn't realized that Dimitri knew them all as well as he did. Pete replied that the man had been a detective before he was promoted to Deputy Chief so he shared at least one of the same attributes as the NCIS crew. Tony and Tim sang out, "Curiosity!" Their dad snorted but didn't say anything.

The rest of the week went by appallingly fast. The men picked up their new suits – and Leon's - from Archimedes the day before they left. They'd spent time at the beach and in the pool; Tim stopped by the office one morning to surprise them with pastries; they took the Powell kids sightseeing and everyone in the group bought something at the flea market. As the week went by, Tim had the growing feeling that something was up but nobody said or did anything so he shrugged it off. Their last night in town, Geordie and Rob had arranged to be off and they had a dinner of leftovers, cleaning out the refrigerators and freezers of both houses. That turned out to be fun as the cooks got creative with what they'd found. The Russells, Dani, Ross and the Hofstadlers joined them and they had a progressive dinner that night, starting at the big house and then walking down the street to the rental.

As much fun as it was, they still had to say goodbye and Tim found himself tearing up as he hugged his brothers, Bec and Ned. "Love you guys, lots. Be safe and well, we'll see you on Skype." Sarah and Tony joined him and they had a sibling hug followed by their father, Rhea and then their grandparents jumping in. They finally parted, still laughing as Rob, Ned, Bec and Geordie walked out the door without looking back. Tim turned away; that was the last of the goodbyes until they got to DC.

Back at the big house they put the children to bed and had one last nightcap with everyone before seeing them off down the street.

The next morning they ate the rest of the cereal, milk, juice and made toast, washed the dishes by hand, dried and put them away. Poppy and Tony came by to help bring the luggage downstairs, they double checked both houses, put the kids in the car and off they went to the airport. The drivers of the rental vehicles dropped their passengers and the luggage off on the tarmac next to their jet and then returned the cars. When Tim got on, Lina met him and he held her close, ran an eye over their kids to make sure they were securely in place and then sat next to Lina. He was just buckling up when the flight attendants welcomed someone else, two additional people aboard. Tim frowned, who was this? He stood and his jaw almost dropped as he realized who it was. He grinned at them as they came fully aboard and started walking down the aisle. The next voice Tim heard was his father, "What the h… Geordie? Bec? You two playing hooky?"

Tim had grabbed his brother by this time and was giving him a hug. The others were exclaiming and Grandfa and Gram were laughing their heads off. Tim pointed to the two of them, "Busted! You are so busted!"

The kids were happy to see them but weren't sure what was going on. Then Anna looked at her dad's face and saw the big smile, whatever it was, this was a good thing!

The newcomers were ceremoniously escorted to two empty seats and buckled in. The flight attendants had already closed and locked the door and now the jet rolled down the runway and took off without having to wait long. When the seat belt sign went off, Tim got up and stood over his brother. "Spill!"

Geordie looked at him, "We're on vacation."

"Yeah, got that! More!"

As their tale unfolded, Tim was impressed with their organization and stealth. When Geordie had heard about the charter flight, he'd told Bec. They'd been talking about taking a trip to the U.S. as neither of them had been home in a few years and had been spending their vacation time seeing Europe. But if they flew out on the charter, it would be a lot less expensive and would still save them money on their one way ticket back. They decided it was too good a deal to pass up so once they knew what dates the family would be returning, they applied for personal leave and it was granted.

Ned had handled the team several times and had no problem with being acting Team Leader for a couple of weeks and they could certainly function in the field with 3 qualified agents. Then they contacted Grandfa and the three of them concocted the latest Big Secret. Bec told the team so they all knew to keep quiet. The only one of the travelers who knew besides the three of them was Gram and she loved secrets!

Geordie said, "That was fun, I mean, to walk on and see your face, Tim and then Lina's! And then Dad and Rhea's and everyone else's…I wish we had photos!"

One of the flight attendants stepped forward. "You do…a video. Your grandfather handed me his phone and asked me to record it, so I have all the faces as you came in and started down the aisle. Let me get breakfast started and then I'll see if I can put it up on the big screen."

Tony nodded, "Can't wait to see Dad's face, never actually seen him surprised before."

Tim frowned, he had, why hadn't Tony? Then he remembered he had been in Interrogation with Gibbs and their suspect cleared himself by making a very startling statement. He'd been at the end of the table and had looked up quickly enough to see that for once their Superman Boss had been surprised. Tony had been in Observation with Gibbs' back to him. There was also the day they'd told Dad they wanted to adopt him, he'd certainly been surprised that day; however that was another event Tony had missed.

A few minutes later the big screen descended from the overhead and the video played. The flight attendant gave them the remote so they could watch it as many times as they wanted and Lina said later it was at least ten times. Tim chuckled, "Well yeah, we had to make sure we saw each and every face!"

After breakfast was served, they settled down a bit and Bec eventually told them their itinerary. They were flying to San Diego and would stay several days there and then fly to Georgia to see her family in Atlanta. After that they'd fly to DC where they hoped to stay at Penny's and spend some time with her and Gram and Grandfa, the Powells, DiNozzos and the rest of the family. Geordie wanted to see the Navy Yard and NCIS and Bec had arranged that with the Director who was also in on the secret. Maggie raised her hand, "You need to have coffee or lunch – or both – with James, Jimmy and me."

Penny frowned, "Shoot, now I wish I was going back to San Diego, I don't want to miss anything."

Grandfa laughed, "So stay on the plane and fly back when they leave!"

"That's a good idea Donald; I'm going to do that!"

Geordie laughed and put his hand out to Bec, who took a $20 from her pocket and slapped it into his hand while the rest of them laughed.

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><p>Note: The case Tim was remembering where he saw Gibbs surprised was Season 2, Ep. 4, "Lt. Jane Doe". I tweaked it a bit as Tim was not in Interrogation with Gibbs, it was us viewers who saw Gibbs' surprise when the naval officer he was questioning basically admitted to a same sex relationship and that was his alibi.<p> 


	181. Chapter 181

CH 181

Poppy was looking back and forth between Bec and Geordie, which caught Tim, Tony and Maggie's attention immediately. All three of them stood up, watching Gibbs watch the couple. When Bec started giggling, he nodded, he was right. He turned and noticed his three former agents watching him. "Sitrep!"

"Our persons of interest have more to tell us."

The other two agreed and Geordie's eyes grew wide. "Wow, you guys reverted right back to being agents."

Tony snorted, "We _are_ agents, Bro! We're always agents."

"I meant his agents."

"Well yeah, can't really help that."

Gibbs couldn't stand it anymore and bit out, "Lieutenant!"

"Gunnery Sergeant!"

"Report!"

Geordie laughed, Bec slipped her hands into her pockets and when she took them out again she was wearing a diamond ring on her left hand. "We're engaged!"

That was a surprise for nearly everyone and there were a lot of exclamations followed by 'oohs' and 'ahhs' over the ring which in turn were followed by hugs and kisses. And then Sarah looked at the ring and turned to look at her grandmothers. "Ok, which one of you?"

Maisie pointed and Penny grinned, "It was my mother's. I had it and I also have my own. I let Geordie choose."

Hearing the commotion, the flight attendants brought out a bottle of champagne and some sparkling water for the children and those who didn't want alcohol. When everyone had a glass of something, Grandfa stood and toasted their newly engaged couple. Geordie later sat next to his dad, "How did you know?"

"You're going to visit Bec's parents. There's no way you would go before you were engaged. Well, maybe if you were going to do it the old fashioned way like Tim did, ask first and then propose but that didn't feel right. You two have been living together for awhile, so they knew…her father knows."

Geordie nodded, "Yes to all of that and I jumped up some. Not in rank yet, just in pay which is fine by me."

"You going to make Captain?"

"Hope so. Be nice so when Bec gets transferred I can move to the reserves and my pension will be at the higher rank."

"Yeah that'd be great! Set a date yet?"

Geordie laughed, "We're thinking pretty soon, we need to be married for me to fall under her transfer package."

"Been wondering about that. Thinking about having it in Georgia while you're there?"

"We talked about it but tell you the truth, we've both fallen in love with the photos of Penny's place. Thinking we'll have it there. Greats and Sarah will be there and James and the kids, Tony and Maggie, Penny, and the Palmers, Hubbards and Cranes. It's not a long trip for Bec's family; even if they drove it wouldn't be too bad."

His dad nodded, "We'll come."

"Yeah?"

His father snorted, "Already missed Tony's wedding, be damned if I'll miss yours!"

"Cool!"

"We'll all be there, don't worry."

"Tim too? I mean…"

"Get married on a weekend, he'll be there."

"Yeah, we planned to do that anyway."

"Too bad we can't figure out how to get Rob and Ned over here for a weekend."

"We talked about that. Figure we'll either have another ceremony or a big party at the Russells or both when we get back."

"Good idea! Bet the Ks will come down too."

"That'd be great!"

"Let me know what date in Greece and I'll let Pete and Davos know – you can tell your brother."

"Good, now all we need is someone to do the deed in Virginia."

"Used to know someone who did that, let me think about it, might remember the name."

"Ok, thanks Dad."

"I'm happy for you, son and damn proud of you!"

Geordie beamed at that and then reached out for Bec who was walking by. He reeled her in for a kiss and they laughed at the catcalls. Bec sassed back, "We're on vacation, I am _not_ going to worry about too much PDA!"

Sarah's voice could be heard over everyone else's: "You tell 'em, sister!"

After explaining things to the children, things settled down a bit. The kids started to watch movies and Geordie volunteered to stay awake to keep an eye on them while most of the others drifted off to sleep. Tim woke up at some point and looking at the flight status saw that they were a little more than halfway across the Atlantic. He wondered what little islands there might be thousands of feet below them and if there were any people on them…nah probably just palm trees, chickens and goats. He had his leather jacket on and he pulled it closer. Lina shifted and he pulled her closer too. She smiled in her sleep and burrowed her head into his chest. He too smiled as he closed his eyes again. He wondered when the wedding would be and realized it would have to be soon as he figured Bec's transfer couldn't be more than a few months off.

Lina woke a couple of hours later and got up to move around for awhile. Geordie was awake along with Anna and Audrey who were once again talking books. The rest of the children were sound asleep. She checked Zoe's diaper and as she suspected it was damp. She gently gathered the toddler and at Geordie's questioned look, nodded. He grabbed the diaper bag and brought it to her. He opened it and between the two of them Zoe was quickly changed. Then he helped clean up everything and put his littlest niece back into her carrier seat. Lina gave him a pat on the arm. She spent some time standing and then walking up and down the aisle before returning to her seat to read for awhile.

Tim woke up to find Lina leaning against him, asleep with a book dangling from one hand. He rescued the book, shifting her gently to avoid waking her and then checked on everyone. Evan was awake, he was watching a movie, wearing a headset and he smiled at his uncle as he passed by. The others were asleep. He hit the head and on the way back saw his dad waking up. He rubbed the man's shoulder and Gibbs patted his hand whispering, "Hey son, how you doing?"

"Had a good sleep, now I need to move around a bit."

"Think I'll join you." The two men walked for nearly 30 minutes up and down the aisle and then grabbing a deck of cards, went to sit in the back where they played gin for awhile. They were still playing when the flight attendants turned up the cabin lights as it was time to serve lunch. After they ate everyone got up to move around.

Eventually they started their descent and the Mallards, Liz, Hubbards, Powells, DiNozzos and Phoebe, Ross and Stephan started gathering their belongings. Once they landed, they were told they'd only be on the ground for a few minutes; those who were continuing on were asked not to leave the plane. They lined up to say their farewells to their family and friends as they heard the luggage bay opening and bags being pulled out. Tony and James carried two suit bags each and Maggie carried a third one.

They were back in the air within a few minutes and as soon as he could, Tim was up and pacing. Geordie joined him, "You ok Timmo?"

His brother gave him a small smile, "I am, really. I always have a hard time saying goodbye."

Geordie nodded, "Yeah, I understand."

Tim huffed, "I know you do and it's really great that you're here with us. So glad you left, Geo."

His brother knew that meant his covert life and nodded. "Me too! Left, found you, met Bec. Life has been exceptionally sweet!"

Tim grinned, "Copy that, my brother. The sweetest it can be!"

They were all pretty well caught up on their sleep and the Hofstadlers and McGees wanted their kids to sleep that night so they played cards and a couple of board games and then had walking relay races up and down the aisle. As the Hofstadlers were again spending the night at the McGees, they'd all have a swim and possibly a walk on the beach when they got home. Geordie and Bec would stay at the Preston big house with Penny and the Gibbses. While on the ground in DC, they'd sent Damian and Matt texts to let them know they had 3 more people with them than planned so they'd have a chance to add more transportation if necessary. They hadn't mentioned who the three were and they were all looking forward to watching their reactions.

They landed on time and Tim asked the flight attendants to pass their compliments to the flight crew. The pilot came aft to see them off the plane, shaking their hands, saying he hoped to see them again. As they walked down the steps, they saw two large vans pull up. Matt exited from one and Damian the other, grinning at Tim and Gemma, the first ones off the jet. They hugged and started taking bags from people as they reached the ground. Matt was just hugging Lina when he looked over her shoulder and his mouth dropped open as Bec started to walk down the steps. Giggling, Rhea who was right behind Bec, captured the moment on her cell phone and Jethro chuckled, "Great shot hon!"

Matt was still staring with his mouth open when Geordie appeared in the doorframe and Matt spotted him too. He called out to Damian who was loading luggage into the vans. He looked up and blinked and then looked again, grinning when he saw who it was. The two of them abandoned their duties to welcome the surprise visitors. Matt was the one who felt the ring on Bec's finger as she hugged him. "Hey, what's that…WOW! That's…congratulations!"

Geordie and Damian joined them and they all hugged, excited to see them and to hear that their friends were engaged. Gibbs smiled to himself, glad that Matt and Damian got to share in the surprise; he hoped they'd be able to attend the wedding.

They drove to Preston in the two large vans; Matt drove his to the big house first and helped offload the luggage then headed over to the McGees. Once everything was unloaded, Tim drove Matt's car, following the vans back to the rental office. Back at the house again, they found that the McGees' luggage was stacked in the laundry room. Lina explained that she thought it would be easier to sort that way than hauling everything upstairs and the dirty clothes back down again. Tim nodded, "Great idea hon, think we can wait for tomorrow for that?" She grinned knowing they'd handle it together, "Of course!"

They put their bathing suits on and called the big house to let them know they'd be in the pool. Geordie, Bec and the others were there before anyone but Anna had their big toes in the water. Anna always jumped in. She said it was the only way for her; otherwise it would take too long. The adults did some laps and then challenged the kids to swim laps across the pool. They swam several and then rested for awhile. Lina and Tim slipped out to get some dinner together and found one of the guys had the slow cooker going. Matt had stopped over before work to put the recipe together and dinner would be ready in another 30 minutes or so. Tim opened the refrigerator and saw the guys had shopped for them: he saw fresh spinach, carrots, milk, juice and eggs. Tim smiled as he spotted the now thawed package Lina had brought for Damian from their mother. He called her over and she looked, "Oh, I want to wait until they're ready to leave, I don't want them to feel they need to share."

Tim smiled, "Works for me!" They'd brought other presents back for the couple but would wait until they'd unpacked everything to give them out.

By the time dinner was ready, the children were getting tired, much to their parents' delight. They sat at the dining room table and dug into their food. After she ate, Anna looked around, "That was lots of fun, I like Greece and our family over there. This is good too!" She reached over and hugged Uncle Damian and Uncle Matt. "We missed you."

"Thanks Annalanna, we missed you too."

As they finished, Geordie cleared his throat. Tim smiled at him; he still couldn't believe his older brother was here with them!

"We've set the wedding date, it's August 4th at Penny's house. That's a Saturday so we're hoping you all can come."

Tim nodded at Matt. They were on call next weekend so the 4th would be great. They could take the red eye out Friday night and come back Sunday. Now they just had to hope that they didn't catch a case that would hold them up. Tim would also let Joel know they'd both be gone that one weekend.

Matt and Damian left shortly after dinner and the big house residents said their goodnights as well. The kids were bathed, 4 upstairs, 3 down, put to bed and then the McGees and the Hofstadlers collapsed in the living room. Finally Tim forced himself up and put out an arm to help Lina up. "Help yourselves to anything. We'll see you in about 12 hours!"

Norm snorted, "Good luck with that!" Lina waved blearily at them as Tim helped her upstairs.

It wasn't 12 hours but they all had a good night's sleep. The big house folks came over to say goodbye to the Hofstadlers who left soon after breakfast. Tim and Lina got the first load of laundry going and then the group went for a walk on the beach. Between getting settled in, showing some of the sights to Geordie and Bec and dealing with jet lag, the weekend passed very quickly.

Tim walked into the office Monday morning with a bag full of souvenirs for his team. He greeted everyone, thanked Matt and the others for doing a great job while he was away and then holding up the bag, walked into their conference/interrogation room and put the items out, telling everyone to pick one. Then he dove into his e-mail and that took him most of the day to sort through. The group had lunch together and asked questions about his vacation. During the day Tim caught up with Petrero and Button Willow; both had had cases, closing them successfully. Geordie and Bec stopped in for a few minutes shortly before the office closed for the night and Tim beamed with pride as he introduced his Marine brother and "Agent Bec Childers, my sister-in-law".

As always, Tim's staff was fascinated with his family and friends; they'd heard stories that included Bec and wanted more. They hadn't heard as much about Geordie, not grown up Geordie anyway and if anything they were even more fascinated with him. They knew he'd lived a covert life, knew he could tell them very little and still, or maybe because of that, they were intrigued. As a group they demanded, that is invited the couple to have lunch with them the next day. Geo and Bec were still dealing with jet lag and planned to spend Tuesday in the pool and at the beach, so lunch with Tim's new staff fit perfectly.

Tuesday morning Matt had a quiet chat with everyone, reminding them Geordie could not tell them much about his life and they'd be better off asking him what stories he could tell. They had a great time at lunch and Geordie started his story telling with his arrival at a Marine base looking for transportation to wherever his brother was only to find there had been a big explosion at that base followed by some sort of trouble and that one of the Brass there was heading off to the country and hospital his brother and team had been flown to; Geo had inadvertently stumbled into a direct route to his injured brother.

Tim held up his hand at that point. "That part is no longer classified, Geo, the country that rescued us downgraded the security on it so we can talk about it now." He turned to his staff, "You've seen the photos of our team on stretchers?" They nodded. "That's what Geo's talking about. We were on a hunt, found and took care of our quarry, were on our way back to base with our prisoners, actually let me back up a bit. We planned to head back to our base with our prisoners but were intercepted by a massive dust storm which we then tried to outrun. The lead vehicle hit an IED and blew us all out of the hummers, pretty much destroyed them. Bec was the only one conscious."

Rolling her eyes, Bec gave a shortened version of her hellish hours working to help her wounded team and their Marine escort. "Tim kept drifting in and out of consciousness and was able to help me when he was awake. Communications with our people were down because of the dust storm, the only time I got through to them they said it would be at least 7 hours before they could lift off on a rescue. Matt's leg…" Bec stopped and took a deep breath as Matt, Tim and Geo laid hands on her arms in comfort and support. "Matt's injury was life threatening and I was afraid Tim's were too…and I was right…anyway I was terrified I'd lose them both if we had to wait 7 hours. When Tim was conscious again, he told me who to call from his phone, an Israeli friend who could help. I did that and luckily Tim stayed with me long enough to verify our circumstances with his friend. I couldn't see very well because of the storm," Matt interjected, "And because you were injured and hadn't realized it…" She nodded and continued, "So I went through Tim's contacts, recognized an area code and punched it for a call. We needed to let someone in Washington know what was going on, I just needed to reach someone who would let the Director know. It was Gibbs, I was so thankful! He patched the director in and so they knew what was happening when the helo arrived with Tim's friend and medics."

Tim picked up the story from there, "I woke up in a hospital bed in Israel and Pete, our Team Lead, was in the other bed in the room, still unconscious." He told them the story of those first hours in the hospital, finding out that Matt was alive and hadn't lost his leg and that Bec had more injuries than she'd thought but was on the mend. "And then the door to the room opened and Colonel Martin came in…he was the CO for the Marines at the U.S. Embassy in Athens. Boy, was I glad to see him but I was even happier to see the officer behind him, my very own brother."

Geo smiled, this was his second favorite part of the story. "At that point we hadn't seen each other in over two years and there had been all these changes I'd missed, I knew I wanted to make some changes of my own." Geo went on to talk about their reunion and then meeting Bec which of course was his favorite part of the story, finishing with, "So here we are, going to be married in a couple of weeks!" They talked about that for a little while and then Tim got a phone call and kissed his brother and sister-in-law goodbye as he knew it was going to be a lengthy call. The group thanked their visitors for the story and wished them well as they left.

The caller was Joel; he'd been off on Monday and in meetings all morning Tuesday so this was the first chance he'd had to catch up with Tim. He was glad his friend was back from vacation and made a mental note that he and his wife were absolutely going to find a way to go to Greece next summer. As he had every intention of recommending Tim for his job when it was time to step down, he made it a practice of keeping the younger man informed of the more important events going on in the complex of offices, ships and dealings with Navy Brass.

By the time Tim got off his call with Joel, the afternoon was well underway. He continued working through his e-mail and case reports from his three teams and then pulled out a couple of cold cases. By 1700, he was swallowing yawns and Megan shook her head, "How long does it take to get over jet lag?"

"This should be the last bad day, it depends how many time zones we've flown through. Coming back from Greece without a layover in DC, takes most of a week to be rid of it. If we stop in DC for a few days, it's a little bit less once we get here but then we have jet lag in DC and here."

"Wow! I'm sure it's worth it though."

Tim laughed, "Oh yeah and if we got a call out I'd be fine."

The rest of the week flew by. Tim had practiced his MMA in Greece before they left and then at home over the weekend and was glad he'd followed George's advice after their class on Wednesday.

Geordie and Bec rented a car and had fun getting to know San Diego County; they found the trolley system in San Diego proper and used that to see as much as they could. They visited Damian's new office one day, having lunch with him; spent time on the various beaches, saw Coronado and took a day trip to Catalina. They thought of going to Disneyland but decided that going during the summer when the kids were out of school was probably a very bad idea for two people not all that used to being around children. Tim and Lina offered to loan them their children so they wouldn't feel out of place but neither felt they were up to it.

Driving up to Los Angeles, they found Rodeo Drive, which thrilled Bec and then drove to Santa Clarita where three of their favorite TV shows were filmed. They couldn't go in, there was a closed set that day but did get pictures of each other and a 'selfie' outside the gate. After seeing a few other famous sights they headed back to Preston and got caught in the evening commute out of LA. When they eventually got to the house Bec groaned, "I hope I don't ever get posted to Los Angeles! The traffic is horrible!"

Matt and Damian were there for dinner and laughed, "Oh yeah, you should see it on Friday afternoons and Monday mornings!"

Tim snorted, "From what little I've seen, weekends can be brutal too!"

Geordie shook his head, "No thanks!"

They stayed around town the next day, taking the kids to the beach, giving Lina an afternoon off. She put the finishing touches on a sculpture she was working on and then sneaked down to the beach and took photos of her children with their aunt and uncle. She thought she'd gotten away clean but as she was quietly leaving she spotted her father-in-law on the deck of the big house, watching her quizzically. She put her finger to her lips and he nodded as she continued to her car. From there she roamed the county taking photos and doing some sketching. She saw a magnificent fountain at a hotel and asked permission to sketch the fountain and the entrance to the hotel. The manager agreed as soon as he heard her name. Back home again, she put her new sketches and photos aside and went back to working on a wedding gift for Geordie and Bec. She'd finally finished Tony and Maggie's gift last spring and they'd loved it. She had something very different planned for her Marine brother-in-law and his federal agent wife. Both had loved the tribute art she'd done after the Bagram explosion and she would use somewhat the same idea, although with a happy theme rather than commemorative, for their wedding gift.

By the time they left the house to fly to Atlanta and Penny to DC, the couple had fallen in love with the San Diego area. It wasn't difficult to say goodbye as they'd see everyone at their wedding in a couple of weeks. They'd realized Bec's family might have plans so they'd arranged a video chat one evening and revealed their engagement and the wedding in Virginia. Her mother was upset that she wasn't getting married in Atlanta but Bec was firm about wanting her wedding on Penny's property. She did ask if she could wear her mother's wedding gown which made her mother, and thus her father, happy.


	182. Chapter 182

CH 182

Tim's team was on call the weekend his brother left so they stuck close to home, bouncing between the pools at home, the big house and the beach. There were no call outs much to everyone's relief. On Monday, Lina and Rhea took the older girls clothes shopping for dresses for the wedding while Poppy stayed home with Jorrin and Zoe. Anna, Gemma and Audrey were the flower girls and Adam, Evan and Jorrin would be ring bearers. Tim just wished they'd known while they were in Greece, Archimedes could have made suits for all three of the boys. They'd found Jorrin a suit in a children's store in Encinitas and Lina was altering it to fit him. Tim was the best man and his tux was already at the dry cleaners, along with Poppy's and this time Rhea would be with Jethro as stepmother of the groom. Bec had asked her cousin Charlotte to be her matron of honor and that was the extent of the wedding party. Lina and Sarah were both relieved. As Sarah pointed out if the couple had more people in their wedding party, there wouldn't be any guests!

The California contingent flew out from San Diego Friday evening on a red eye. Tony picked them up at the airport Saturday morning and looked them over. "No actual red eyes, that's good!" They were taken to the Mallards for breakfast and naps and eventually were driven to Penny's where they'd dress for the wedding and stay over that night.

The wedding was simple and lovely, held on the shadiest part of the property. The bride and groom stood in a gazebo, recently cleaned and given a fresh coat of paint, with their officiant, a justice of the peace Maggie knew as Gibbs' contact had retired and moved out of the area.

The flower girls were adorable in their dresses and the ring bearers handsome in their suits. Geordie wore his dress uniform and Bec wore her mother's wedding dress which, after a few alterations handled by Maisie and Claire, fit her perfectly. Poppy beamed proudly at his sons, holding Rhea's hand the entire time while Lina and Zoe, Sarah and James and their kids, Tony and Maggie, Matt and Damian, the three Greats, George and Edith Powell, the Palmers and the rest of the family sat comfortably on the chairs rented for the occasion. Bec's family had turned out in good numbers as well and the couple laughed later when they saw how large their combined family was. And as Geordie pointed out, that wasn't even including Rob, Ned or the rest of the Kalivas family!

Two surprise guests thrilled the McGee clan as the Admiral and Captain found a way to get home in time and joined the family, wearing their full dress uniforms for the occasion. There were a few non-family members there as well; Tim and Jethro were particularly happy to see Colonel Martin, who had been posted home to the U.S. a few months earlier. There were other Marine friends of Geordie's and Bec's friends from home and college. A special guest was Lu from the shelter in Baltimore along with a couple of friends who were alumni of the camp.

The party after the ceremony started outside and eventually moved inside the house as the sun went down. By midnight the house was quiet as its occupants slept. The newlyweds slipped off for a honeymoon trip to a romantic inn in the Shenandoah Valley.

Bec's parents and some of her family joined the McGee clan for brunch on Sunday, held at a restaurant close to the airport. The McGees, Kalivas-Watsons and Gibbses were among the first to leave as they had a long flight ahead of them. Damian was the only adult who was awake at all on the flight; he kept watch on the children and the rest of his family as they slept their way across the continent.

Once home again, Tim looked around, "Ok now we are staying home for at least a month, no more plane rides, got that?"

Giggling, his children agreed. Anna and Gemma were starting school in another week and Jorrin's pre-school would start the week after that. Much as Jorrin had started, Zoe would also be going to daycare part-time so that Lina could have some free time to be Melina Kalivas. They hadn't been sure about the decision but finally realized that Zoe needed to socialize with children of her own age and right now that meant daycare. So twice a week she'd spend a couple of hours playing with other toddlers and in between she'd be with her Mama or Poppy, who planned to spend more time with her. Rhea had just been asked to take on a large commissioned piece which would tie up her time for several months.

Tim heard from Kim after Bec and Geordie's second wedding and party in Greece. They'd interviewed several people for Tea's job and then Eva mentioned her sister-in-law, Caleb's older sister. She spoke excellent English, her children were in school and she'd worked in a customer service job before her marriage. Kim interviewed her before Bec's return and then Bec spoke with her. The woman, whose name was Kieran, worked with Tea for a day and everyone was happy – they'd even had a call out that day which she'd handled adroitly.

Adan and Tea were due to arrive the second week in September. As Poppy and Rhea were currently the only occupants of the big house, they'd offered the couple a place to stay until they found a home of their own. With no one else scheduled to arrive until mid-November that would give Adan a chance to see how far he wanted to live from his project, how he dealt with commuting and perhaps give Tea time to find something to do. She couldn't work as only Adan had a work visa but Tea had many interests and wasn't worried.

By the time they arrived, the kids were settled in and enjoying their classes and daycare. Poppy and Rhea watched the kids while Tim and Lina drove to the airport to pick up their friends. As they came down the escalator into Customs, they looked tired and a little lost. Adan spotted Tim first and his face lit up as he said something to Tea. She too smiled and the four of them waved at each other. Once they were through Customs, there were hugs all around and then Lina and Tea went to get the van while Adan and Tim moved the luggage outside the terminal. Adan looked around, "The cars look a little different and of course there are more people here. But the air feels the same."

Tim smiled, "Yes, the ocean isn't far!"

Lina pulled up in the van, they got the bags loaded and took off. As they drove, Tea said, "I'm looking forward to swimming in the pool, Tim. Bec says there's one at your house and at your father's."

Tim nodded, "Yes and their house is only steps from the beach!"

"Ooh, that sounds wonderful!"

Adan started to say something just as Tim's cell buzzed. He frowned as he saw the caller id. "McGee." He listened a moment and then said, "Have the LEOs secured the scene? I'll be up there as soon as I can catch a flight, what hospital?"

He listened and spoke again, "All right, I know this is tough, but you're going to have to stay at the scene, I won't cede jurisdiction. I'll let you know my ETA. Thanks."

Lina had pulled over into the far right lane and now she took an exit and got back on the freeway to San Diego, knowing Tim needed to fly somewhere, probably Monterey. He nodded at her as he punched a number, "Matt - Will and one of his team have been injured, don't know how bad yet, one's a bullet wound I do know that. We're on the way back to the airport now…yeah I have my go bag and I'm carrying so I'm all set. I'll call Joel from the airport but buddy, you're it again and I may need Terrell or Jo." He disconnected and started looking up flights. "Great, there's one going out at 3:00, I can make that." He was quiet as he booked his flight online and then continued, "Sorry guys, that's one of the teams that reports to me, there are three agents and two of them are injured, unconscious at the scene. I have to go."

They nodded, Tea wishing she could help.

"LinaMelina, tell the kids I'm sorry I had to break our 'no plane rides" rule for this month! I'll call you when I land."

She nodded. "Stay safe and catch the bad guys."

Adan had reached behind him as they drove and dug out Tim's go bag so when they reached the "Departing Flights" area, Tim grabbed it from him and hopped out. "See you soon." He gave Lina a lingering kiss and hurried into the airport.

He called Joel from the waiting area with the news and then called his agent on the scene, gave her an ETA and was given an update. They disconnected just as Tim's flight was called. When he landed two police officers met him at the airport and escorted him to the scene, giving him the latest information. The attackers had been stopped, one was dead and his agent had, Tim was told, taken a lot of photos and measurements and sketched the scene. Tim nodded, that was good. The other two dirtbags were in custody, one was wounded and being treated in the ER under heavy guard while the second one was in lockup. Tim called the hospital and was told that Will was in surgery with a bullet wound in his left side, the other agent had a concussion and a badly sprained shoulder and the wounded criminal was still undergoing treatment.

They arrived at the scene, the agent gave Tim a sitrep and handed him gloves, knowing the two of them would be processing everything. The LEOs helped in any way they were allowed. When they'd done everything, Tim had the agent sit with him in the agency sedan to tell him the chain of events. They'd been investigating a double homicide, had found the names of two people of interest and were on their way to bring them in when the dirtbags had apparently decided to add to their crimes by attacking federal agents.

The agent, who was fairly calm, took the evidence to the lab and then met Tim at the office where the LEOs had dropped him. He got working on the case and saw the electronic link the others had seen. What they hadn't seen was a marker which told Tim that every time the link was accessed, some computer somewhere was being notified. He set up a mirror for the echo so that it would look as if nothing was happening and then dove into the information.

Hours later he called Joel to give him a sitrep, "The homicide is just the tip of the iceberg; this is a huge operation with multiple locations outside of Petrero's territory. First of all, we need protection detail on our agents and on the dirtbag in the hospital. Secondly, I need at least one more agent with me here to manage this and yeah, Joel, I don't know exactly how many locations yet; I have 15 so far."

Joel agreed this was an "all hands on deck" case and told Tim to send him a list of skills the agents should have and whatever else he needed. Tim took a few minutes to think about that and then got busy. Once he'd sent Joel the skill sets and equipment he needed, he called his Petrero support staffer, Maria. "Maria, did Will or the others call you?"

"Will did, said he would have something for me and would call or send it to me. I haven't heard from him yet."

"Ok, if you're not at the office, I'm going to need you to get down there. Here's what's going on."

Tim filled her in and then sent her an e-mail with what he needed her to do. Between the two of them he thought they could get a lot of the information together so he could get it out there to whoever would be working with them. The third agent came in and he sat her down. "Need you to write a statement of what happened."

The junior nodded and got to work while Tim got back to his traces. He pulled Chuck in to work with Maria and with the two of them working in Preston and Tim in Petrero they drew a pretty clear outline of what was going on. There were 21 locations with these dirtbags who were targeting both Navy and Marine personnel. The original homicide victim had been one of the dirtbags, NCIS had been called in because he'd been wearing a Navy uniform but he was not a member of any of the U.S. Armed Forces. Now that the group had attacked their agents, it was truly their case. It took a few hours but finally Tim felt he could head to the hospital to see his wounded warriors. He'd asked Chuck and Maria to break for an hour as well; he'd also let Matt and Maya in Button Willow know that he had both of the support staff tied up with Petrero's case but that if BW had a case, he'd switch Chuck over.

It took them three weeks to break the case. By that time Will and his junior were out of the hospital and the junior was back at work, although still on desk duty. The 21 locations meant the involvement of 8 other teams in the case. While the regular staff worked on the case, each of those offices, including Petrero and Preston, was staffed with volunteers coordinated by Gibbs. Preston's involvement was small enough that Matt put Jo on it and they had one volunteer to round out the team. However, Tim needed two support staff so Chuck and Maria remained his for the duration while volunteers were assigned to provide support for Button Willow and Petrero's other business. It was a massive effort to break a large crime ring but they did it and did it under Tim's leadership. He'd been home once, a quick flight home one day while they were waiting for warrants. He'd kissed his wife and children several dozen times, packed more clothes, ate real food, made love to Lina, slept in his own bed and took the first flight back to Monterey in the morning.

Once their suspect list was all in custody and everything he needed to do was either done or delegated, the agents involved were released and Tim flew home. His wife picked him up at the airport; he kissed her and then slept for the few minutes it took to get home. He woke up as they pulled into the driveway. As he climbed out of the car, the kids burst from the house and he held his arms out as his children rushed him. They climbed all over him and Tim sank to the ground, grabbing Zoe as he went. "Oh boy, let me look at you guys. Anna *kiss*, Gemma *kiss*, Jorry *kiss*, Zoe *kiss*…Anna *kiss*, Gemma *kiss* Jorry *kiss*, Zoe *kiss*…" he was kissing them as he said their names; he pulled Lina in with them and the family sat on the driveway welcoming him home. Finally Lina pulled Zoe away from him, "Come my love, we have dinner ready for you and then you can play or sleep, whatever you wish."

He was happy to see his dad and Rhea inside. They stayed just long enough to welcome him home and then left, wanting the family to have time alone together. After they ate the best meal Tim had had since he'd left home, he lay down on the floor to play with the kids. Lina took Zoe upstairs to change her diaper and noticed how quiet it was; when she peeked downstairs she saw her husband sprawled out on the floor, their three oldest on top of him and all of them sound asleep. She sighed in relief that he was finally home. She got Zoe changed, read her a story, tucked her in and then went downstairs to quietly wake each child, get them bathed and into bed. Finally she woke her husband who groaned, "Don't wanna wake up, was having such a good dream about Lina and the kids…"

She kissed him on the lips, letting him know it was real and his eyes snapped open, "Lina? You're here, I'm really home?"

She nodded and he pulled her on top of him, "Mmm, missed you so much. Stupid criminals."

Things were getting interesting when Tim scooped his lover into his arms and carried her up the stairs.


	183. Chapter 183

Here's the last chapter for the week, have to say 'binge posting' has been a lot of fun! See you Monday...

* * *

><p>When Tim woke the next day, he found Lina just bringing in a tray with breakfast for two on it. "Breakfast in bed, wow!"<p>

"Yes, it's been awhile my love. Poppy and Rhea took the children to the beach for a few hours so you and I could have some time alone."

He grinned, "Great idea, LinaMelina." They fed each other breakfast and that led to other pleasures. Lina woke with a start awhile later and looked around; it had been her turn to dream. She was lying in Tim's arms and she smiled to herself thinking of their love making.

The two of them spent most of the day alone and as Lina said, "Making up for lost time."

When her cell rang around 3:00 they laughed at the time, they'd had no idea. It was Rhea asking if it was time to bring the kids home. Lina asked for 30 minutes so they could shower, dress and have a quick bite to eat - and then they rushed. They'd just finished their scrambled eggs when the kids came tearing in with their grandparents who kissed Tim again and then left. The children showed them all the treasures they'd found on the beach and told them about their exploits. Tim picked someone up, turned out to be Jorrin and carried him to the couch declaring, "I need cuddle time!"

Lina sat next to him and the kids scrambled onto their laps, being careful not to push the baby off of Mama's lap. The 6 of them cuddled for awhile while they caught their dad up on everything that had been going on in their lives. They were finally through and Tim turned to Lina. "Melina, what have you been doing?"

She smiled at him and told him of the work she'd been doing. Then he asked Zoe who blew a raspberry at him and laughed heartily. They let their dad pick a movie and watched it together. Lina made popcorn and the kids lay on the floor after, still watching. When the movie finished, it was quiet and Anna looked up and elbowed her sister, "Look!"

Their parents were sound asleep! Anna thought she could get everyone to bed but she knew she wasn't allowed to do baths and Zoe was hard for her to take upstairs. So she woke their mama and she helped them get ready for bed. Daddy woke up and read them two stories before carrying Jorry to the room he still shared with Zoe. Zoe had conked out as soon as she was bathed and put in her jammies.

Sunday they went to church with Poppy and Nonnie, Uncles Damian and Matt, Tea and Adan and afterward they all had lunch together at the big house. Tim was happy to hear their friends had rented half of a duplex outside of Del Mar and had also found a good used car. They were close enough to see frequently but Adan would not have a long commute into the city. Tim hadn't realized it but Tea had helped out at the agency during the case work. Joel had her come into his office and take over dispatch so the regular dispatcher could provide extra support for one of his offices; he'd also arranged for a work visa for her. He'd been very impressed and told her that when there was an opening, he would like her to come back to the agency and she'd agreed. They had enough savings to live on one income for several months so she decided to get to know the area and as she said, learn how to, at least temporarily, be an American. She invited them to dinner at their place the following Saturday and the group accepted, as long as they could bring something. Tea smiled, "You may bring the drinks! I have not yet found the lemonade that you like so much Tim."

Lina nodded, "It's hard to find. But we'll bring some."

When Zoe wanted to watch the waves roll in, Tim took her out on the deck and held her up in his arms so she could see. He turned when he heard the slider open and saw his dad who said, "Zoe, your mother wants you." Tim set her down and she ran inside as he looked at his dad. "We haven't had much of a chance to talk."

"Yeah, I know you needed time with your wife and kids. Glad you're home safe and sound, kiddo, missed you."

Tim smiled, "Would have been a great case to work on together Dad. Although we did with all the volunteers, thanks for all your help!" His dad chuckled, "Guess I feel like I've working a case vicariously through the TADs. You did a great job Tim, so proud of you!"

"Thanks Dad, it was a tough one, like a huge spider web of bad guys."

"But you got them all, that's really something." "We did and the evidence is solid, now we just have to wait for the trials. So what have you been up to, besides the volunteers and keeping the family going? Geez, have you had any time to yourselves?"

"Sure we did! Tea and Adan helped and then Damian came up and stayed with Lina for a couple of days, worked from the house, so we took a break. We drove up into the mountains and stayed two nights, beautiful up there! Rhea was in seventh heaven; we went for a five mile hike that took us 6 hours because there were so many photos to take and sketches to do. She wants to go back up with her easel and canvas. You two should do a getaway up there."

Tim sighed, "That sounds wonderful!" They talked for a few more minutes before they were needed inside. Jethro felt better as they left the deck, he'd missed his son and it was good to reconnect.

Tim got into the office early on Monday and laughed when he saw that each of his staff had a photo of themselves up on the desk with his or her name and area of responsibility. Yeah, he'd been away for too long! He laughed again when he reached his office and found a "Where is Waldo" calendar with Waldo crossed out and Tim marked over it. He'd left on July 5th for Greece, came back two weeks later and was back for a few weeks before he disappeared again. He could understand the tease and if anyone had ever had any doubt that Matthew Watson should have his own team those doubts must be well and truly squashed by now! Selfishly, he hoped it wouldn't happen just yet.

Thankfully they had a quiet week which Tim spent buried in paperwork. As the lead agent on the case all the reports of every single NCIS employee who worked on it came to him, he would approve or disapprove them and send them on. And as he had been actively working the case, he also had his own reports to do. He tried to stay late one night but Matt wouldn't let him. "Reports can wait. Trials don't start for months yet." Tim nodded tiredly and started shutting down. Matt waited until he was through and then walked him to his car.

When Joel mentioned that Leon wanted to make a big deal of the case, Tim resisted, asking that any hoopla be delayed until the trials were successfully concluded. He didn't want any of the agents, himself included, to be put at personal risk when the suspects made bail as some would inevitably do. When Joel persisted, saying it would be too late, Tim rolled his eyes. "Please, all of us were doing what the agency pays us to do! Yeah, it was a big case but still, we were just doing our jobs!"

His boss laughed and told him to be prepared to argue with Leon. Tim smirked, "I can do that; learned from some of the best!"

The next morning Rae buzzed him, "Director Vance is on Line 1." Tim shook his head and picked up the phone. "Good morning Director!"

"How's my star agent doing this morning?"

"Sir."

Leon sighed, "Come on, can't I brag just a little bit?"

"Wish you wouldn't, Leon. Think of what some of us went through 5 years ago because someone played favorites."

"I'm not playing favorites, I'm just proud of you!"

"And I thank you for that; I'm glad that I make you proud. But…"

"Yeah, I know. All right, I'll kill the press release."

Tim was shocked, a press release? "A press release? Sir!"

"HA, got you!"

Tim exhaled, "You sure did."

"Couldn't resist, don't get too many chances to tease you. Seriously though, I'm very pleased with the way you handled the case and with the results."

They talked for several minutes before disconnecting, Tim smiling as he hung up.

XXX

That Saturday, they drove to Del Mar to Tea and Adan's new place. Lina had a housewarming gift for them, Tim brought the lemonade and the kids had drawn pictures for their friends' new house. The unit had 2 bedrooms with 1 bath and was clean, bright and airy. They had their own patio and a small yard in the back, fully fenced and private with a large shade tree. Tim thought it was perfect for the two of them. They had a relaxing evening under the stars and Tim, Poppy and Adan entertained the others with stories of how the constellations got their names.

Back to work on Monday, Tim and the team had another few days of grace before taking on a case. That one took them awhile to deal with and then they went back to report writing. That was the month that Tim finally got the corkboard up to show their closed cases and he made sure to include the cases Chuck and Maria worked on for the other teams. Will Brown was finally cleared for field duty and the TAD Team Lead, in Petrero for the duration of the case and after, returned to her own duties. Along with his reports, Tim made sure to write thank you notes and letters of commendation for the agents and support staff who'd worked on the case.

While all that was happening, they heard from Chloe and Peter that Alexis had been provisionally accepted at UC San Diego, pending her final year's grades. The couple was already making plans to accompany their daughter to the U.S. the following summer, possibly returning with the charter jet passengers. Evander contacted them one Saturday morning about the offer on the house. Their original offer had apparently thrown their landlords for a loop. It was two weeks before they responded and their response was that they were still thinking about it and if they decided to sell, they would have their realtor contact Evander. That was fine, they'd known this was an out of the blue offer and weren't in any real hurry. The owners' realtor had finally contacted Evander and then the negotiating started. Tim and Lina hoped this call from Evander would be good news about their latest offer. He started off by thanking them for their patience, "And I believe you will find it has been worthwhile. They have accepted our latest offer and conditions."

Tim and Lina cheered. Their last offer had merely been a restatement of the one previous, they'd felt someone was playing games with them and weren't willing to budge.

"I have it in writing and with their original signatures so now we go through escrow, which we know will be very short."

All that was necessary was a title search and a building inspection. Jethro and Damian had done a thorough inspection to determine whether a professional building inspection was necessary. In the end, they decided to have one so that when it was time to sell again there would be no questions.

When Damian heard that Evander was now internationally licensed, he'd watched the McGees' house purchase with interest. He knew Evander had handled the McGees' purchase of the Piraeus house from the owners in Argentina and had been impressed. But now he was legally licensed here and in Spain and a few other countries and that had given Damian an idea. The project in Barcelona was stalled due to some daunting challenges with the clients' pending purchase of the land they wanted. Damian talked with one of the senior partners, his mentor, about bringing Evander in on that. Having an international realtor attached to the firm would round out their portfolio. They could hire him as a consultant for various projects they had pending. Damian was given the go ahead to speak with Evander to see if he was interested and then broach the subject with the client in Spain.

When Damian contacted Evander, the man was curious and very cautious. He told Damian he would need to have access to whatever paperwork existed for the Barcelona project and more to the point he needed to know the real story. Taking that as a conditional yes, pending agreements about compensation and contracts, Damian then approached his clients who were quite frustrated with their inability to purchase the land they wanted. They agreed to a conference call with Damian and Evander. Damian and Evander came to an agreement as to cost and they signed a contract for his consultation; anything other than that would be an additional negotiation. After also signing a confidentiality agreement, the realtor was sent all the paperwork and he did a great deal of research before the call. When he figured out what the holdup was, he shook his head. When Kim asked him what he'd found, he smiled at her, saying "This land meant a great deal to a family at some time; that is all I can say."

He spoke with Damian the next day and told him what he'd discovered. Damian was relieved, they could rework the plans for the building and grounds to honor what Evander had discovered and put that in the contract of sale. After their conversation, Damian called his sister, explained the situation and asked to hire her as a consultant for the revisions to the plans. The building plan would remain untouched; it was the grounds that needed something to honor the family. It wasn't the first time Damian had hired his sister as a consultant and she agreed, intrigued with the project. She played around with ideas for several days before she found one that fit perfectly and sent Damian the rendering. Damian altered the plan for the complex to include his sister's work and then sent Evander a sneak peek, asking if he thought that would make the difference. Evander was confident the homage to the family and their old home could make the difference. They had another conference call with the clients who were encouraged to hear that their architect might have found a way through the boondoggle; they were quite upset that their real estate broker had not found the problem over the months of negotiating. As the broker's contract with them was expiring that month, they asked Evander to step up and after consulting with Kim, he agreed. It would mean some travel for him but Spain was not a long flight and he wouldn't have to be there for weeks at a time, he would be home at least every weekend.

Tim and Lina watched all this happen, amused and delighted with the new ventures for both Adan and Evander. Tea was working at NCIS as dispatch backup for the San Diego offices, filling in when there was a vacation or an illness. They'd bought a second car and she'd learned to navigate the freeways and local routes.

The Mallards arrived in late October, planning to stay until December; they'd spend Christmas this year with the Powells, Hubbards, DiNozzos and Palmers. Eva had her baby girl on the 7th of November and both mother and daughter, named Alitta, were reportedly doing well. Caleb reported that Athos was quite excited about having a baby sister, wanting to know when he could play with her. Evander started his project in Spain and Kim reported that he was making a lot of progress toward the land purchase.

Shortly before Tim's birthday Penny, Davos and Hélène flew into San Diego and he enjoyed having them all there for his birthday. Tea, Adan, Damian, Matt and the Hofstadlers were also there along with his staff and he liked that, he was really starting to feel at home with these folks.

Jorrin's 3rd birthday came along and once again, the youngster had a party at school and one at home. They celebrated his birthday a week early, the Saturday after Thanksgiving and Tim and Lina's 4th wedding anniversary celebration moved to the first weekend in December.

Thanksgiving was at the big house and their group was all in. Tim told Pete he'd been uncertain how it would go but with the addition of Tea and Adan and the Hofstadlers they'd had a good time. They made sure to include a lot of the Greek foods they'd had at the Russells over the years and that really helped. And of course Tim had to add celery with cheese to the menu, a throwback to his first Thanksgiving celebration with his then new teammates at the Russells. Davos and Hélène hadn't experienced any of the group Thanksgiving celebrations in Greece and that was extra fun.

Tim's cell chirped at him very early that Saturday morning, just after midnight and he had to take a deep breath when he saw that the text was from Bec. His first thought was that something had happened to Geordie and then he realized she would have called. Her text asked if they could Skype in a few hours; he answered setting a time and she agreed. Then he went back to sleep wondering where she'd been posted and when she'd be reporting.

The answer was January 14th 2019, to Charleston, South Carolina at the Naval Weapons Station there. She was happy to be posted within driving distance of her parents; yes, it was 320 miles but still closer and much less expensive than an 11 hour flight across the Atlantic. Geordie was happy it wasn't somewhere cold, he later said he'd been afraid of being posted to the Northeast office, and was thrilled they were moving someplace as full of American history as Charleston. He also said it was close enough to Savannah for some weekend fun. They both mentioned that it would be a relatively short flight from DC. Overall, they were happy with the posting. They'd already spoken to Bec's parents and would contact the big house next. That way they could announce their move at the Russells' first thing, before Tim's call. Tim frowned, "That was supposed to be a surprise!"

"HA it was but you just bit, so now I know. What time are you guys calling?" He sighed and told her. "All right, if you can hold off for about 15 minutes then we can tell them the news and cheer them up with your call."

Tim agreed and then sat looking at the screen after they disconnected. Lina looked at him. "Thinking about Pete and Trina?"

"Yes, I really hope they come over next year."

"Hmm, Kyra's still in high school but I suppose she could stay with Dani while they're gone."

He smiled at her. "I keep picturing all four of the kids at the ages I met them, just five years ago! Seems like a lot longer."

They were still talking when his dad called, "So, what do you think?"

Tim grinned, "I was hoping for something out here, but figured the west coast might sink under the weight of the McGee clan!"

His father snorted, "It would have to be Pendleton and I'm not sure that would have worked even with Geo in the reserves. You know, if Matt and Damian ever get married, Matt will have to transfer."

Tim laughed, "Yep, we know that. They don't seem to be in any hurry and I have no idea if what you all keep talking about is going to happen, so I decided not to worry about it. So, what do _you_ think?"

"I think we're looking forward to visiting; Rhea's pretty excited about it."

"Yes, apparently Charleston is good for artists, Lina said the same thing! Just think, one more kid over here and we'll all be on the same continent."

"Thought you wanted Ned to get the Lead?"

"I did and I still do! Conceit on my part I guess, I want one of our former team to take the lead."

"Nah, it's not conceit, it's that you trust the agent, know what he's capable of. Got Rusty after Ned."

Tim laughed, "Yeah and when Rusty packs for the States that will be the true end of the Russell-McGee-Childers era."

"Guess so. Need coffee…coming over later?"

"I'm sure we will!"

They disconnected and Tim saw Lina trying to hold back a laugh.

"What…were we gossiping?"

She nodded, "Something like that!" Tim huffed and then pinged Matt, Tea and Carla to tell them the news. As Bec had tricked him into saying, they already had plans worked out with Trina for a video chat with the Russells in about an hour so when he pinged the others, they were surprised. He explained the news and they nodded. Tea asked, "Will Bec tell them before our call?"

"I think so, she asked us to delay our call about 15 minutes."

Matt snorted, "That's good because I'm running late this morning."

"Get going then!"

"Aye sir, disconnecting…"

Tim was out of the shower, dressed, finished breakfast and was having a tea party with Gemma, Jorrin and Anna when Matt and Tea arrived. They put the laptop up on one of the open kitchen shelves, contacted Carla and then opened a Skype call with the Russells. Trina answered and looked at them, "You know?"

They nodded and she sighed. "Not like we didn't know it was coming."

She carried the laptop into the dining room and the four 'Skypers' were shocked to see so few people. And then they realized that Eva and Caleb's baby was too young for an outing yet so that meant Kim, Evander, Ned, Rob, Rusty, Lynn (the agent who'd arrived before Tim's departure), Bec and Geordie were it for the NCIS contingent. Kyra, Lukas, Pete, Trina and Dani were there but of course Ross, Stephan and Phoebe weren't. Tea was having a hard time holding back the tears so it was up to the rest of them to be cheerful and reach out to their friends.

Kim smiled, "I'm so glad to see you all! This may sound corny but I like that you're all in one place…or close enough you can visit each other."

That helped Pete get some words out and then they spoke with everyone, congratulating Bec. They were still talking when Poppy and Rhea came in to say hello to the Piraeus crowd. They were off in 20 minutes although Carla remained online with them and Lina comforted Tea. "I'm sorry, I miss them so much and it's so hard."

Tim nodded, "We know Tea; we feel the same way. We've just been here a little longer so we're more…used to it, maybe?"

Carla nodded at them. "And it won't be forever. You and Adan will be returning home after his project is done."

Tea shook her head, "No, well perhaps but Damian is already talking to Adan about taking on the project in Barcelona."

Lina grinned at that, "Then you can visit home at least and Matt will probably be there too."

Matt looked up in surprise, "I will?"

"For a visit, anyway."

He nodded. "Yeah, that sounds right." He smiled, "Think we can stay in the big house?"

Lina laughed, "You'll have to check with the owners but I'm sure the answer will be yes."

Tim realized with a jolt that Lina would have to go too, it was her homage concept that would be implemented on the grounds of the complex and it was very likely she'd be hired to do the actual sculpture. Spain…well Stan was there, he had a good team and if Matt was there for part of it…Lina patted his arm and he realized he'd been woolgathering, building a protection team for his wife. He didn't say anything until after the others left.

"Has Damian hired you to do the sculpture yet?"

"Not yet, I told him what I wanted in the contract but I haven't seen the paperwork yet."

"How long will you be over there?"

"Part of the contract is to have the base of the sculpture contracted out to a local sculptor I know in Barcelona, so that will cut down on my time away."

He smiled, "Honey, this is your work; you need to take all the time you need!"

"It feels very strange to be thinking of being away from you and the children."

"Yes, but it's a good thing! You have talent to share and look what this is doing for Damian and our friends! Adan is going to be in demand as is Evander and your work will be even more famous than it already is. That's huge!"

She smiled, "Rhea and I have talked about it. They'll stay here with you so you can get to work on time and not have to worry about the children."

Tim had to think about that. "While I appreciate the help, there's no reason I can't get the kids up and ready in the morning. Dad takes them to school and daycare most of the time anyway, so that won't really change. We will need help in the afternoons but mornings and nights I got."

"Unless you have a case."

He nodded, "Yes, there is that."

"So they'll need to be here if you get called out in the middle of the night."

He sighed, "I guess."

She laughed, "It's not a sin to need help, Timothy!"

"I know I just…"

She shook her head, "You don't have to prove anything to me, love, I know that you're perfectly capable of caring for our children! But we do need your income so you will have to continue to go to work."

"Ok, so back to my original question."

"Holding to my plan for the base, I'm figuring I'll be gone for three weeks. That includes building the sculpture, firing it and overseeing the installation."

Tim nodded, relieved, he'd been afraid it would be more like five or six weeks. "Having the Spanish artist build the base shaves off a couple of weeks, doesn't it?"

She nodded, "Yes and he will have all the materials I'll need so when I get there I can start work immediately."

"Where will you work?"

"His studio, I'll arrange to rent it from him for the duration."

He nodded. "Have I met him?"

She laughed, "Timothy, he's Poppy's age, happily married and no you haven't met him."

He tried not to look relieved but she pulled him in for a kiss, telling him, "I don't have a contract yet and it will probably be late summer or autumn at the earliest before they're ready for me. Damian has to finish his San Diego project first."

Tim chuckled, "All right, yes, I knew that!"

A week later they left the children in the capable hands of their parents and had a weekend away for their anniversary. They spent it on Catalina Island and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. While once again the ocean waters were not warm enough for swimming, the couple enjoyed walking on the beach, around the town of Avalon and renting a golf cart to see more of the island.

They were home to celebrate Jorrin's 3rd birthday, a memorable occasion that involved a Thomas the Tank Engine theme. Stopping to take a breath for a week or so, they started their Christmas season on December 6th. Pappouli and Yaya were there to help put the decorations up and to start the baking. Zoe had inherited some of Tim's allergies so they bought a large artificial Christmas tree with lights, installed it in the family room and lovingly decorated it. The children put up the ornaments they'd made last year and with their mother's and grandmothers' help they made more this year. Lina made sure that each homemade ornament had the year made and the artist on it. The girls and Jorry helped make Christmas cookies and then took plates of them to school and daycare and then had fun delivering some to Tim's office.

Although the office was too small to have a Christmas tree take up floor space, they cleared off the tops of two of their smaller bookcases and Tim brought in a small, potted fir tree for the top of one and Rae brought in a Menorah for the second one. They brought in ornaments and as his team had in Piraeus, had a Secret Santa gift exchange and learned some of the Hanukah traditions. By this time the staff, support and agents, was one cohesive unit and Tim was very proud of them. They'd loved having Tea with them for a week while Rae was on vacation; for one thing, they'd heard more Tim and Matt stories. Tea was so busy subbing that she never did pursue a permanent job with the Southwest office. She said she was just busy enough and the money helped.

On Friday, December 14th, Tim was at the office working on reports from a case they'd had the previous week. He was just sitting down with a hot beverage when he heard Rae say his father's name. That was a surprise and he got up to see what was going on. His mouth dropped open when he got to the front and saw who was there. Along with his dad were two men in Navy uniforms, his godfather and uncle. He was engulfed in a double hug and gave as good as he got. He'd seen them at Geordie and Bec's wedding but only for a couple of hours and of course he'd had to share them with everyone. He heard Matt telling the others who the men were and his dad chuckling. Tim turned his head, "Did you know?"

Dad held up his hands, "No, I swear! They called me this morning."

Tim looked over at Matt who was grinning. "You?"

"Well, uh…yes, Penny set it up. She asked me to help surprise you."

Uncle Dave grinned, "It's hard to surprise you, Timothy, but it's so much fun!"

When Uncle Jim finally turned around to meet the others, they grinned, having figured out he was a relative. Megan nodded, "Nice to see someone who looks like Tim!"

Uncle Jim stood proudly, "Yes and we're the only two who take after the Stirlings – my mother's family - so we're very happy to resemble each other."

Chuck, who had been in the navy, was having a hard time remaining seated and Uncle Dave noticed, "Where you'd serve, son?"

"The Bennington, Admiral."

"Captain Thompson, good man."

"Yes sir!"

Captain Hubbard smiled, "As you were sailor, we only travel in our unis; we're on leave to see our Special Agent nephew here."

Tim grinned, "How long?"

"Several days, Timothy!"

"Good, you can come with us to the school play tonight!"

"We heard and we're counting on it!"

It was late enough in the morning to consider an early lunch, so Tim, Matt, the uncles and his dad headed out, promising to bring back lunch for everyone, the two agents carrying their gear bags.

When Tim got home after work, he walked in and almost immediately heard a laugh that sounded an awful lot like his cousin. "Callum?"

"Hey Tim!"

"Wow, you guys are here too…I'm an idiot, of course you would be!" Ainsley, Claire and Liz came out from the kitchen to greet him. "Your first trip out here, this is awesome!"

Ainsley laughed, "I wanted to test the dome on the pool."

"That's great, Ains! Are you guys staying with us or over at the big house?"

Liz replied, "Dave and I are staying here and Claire, Jim and the kids are at the big house."

"Wonderful, wow, I'm so happy to see you all!"

He thought a bit and finally said, "I thought Penny, Gram and Grandfa were all about staying back East for the Powell kids' first family Christmas?"

"They are and James' parents, plus Tony and Maggie and the Palmers are there, so we decided it was ok if we came out here. We realized you've been here almost a year and we haven't visited yet, so here we are!"

Tim hugged his aunts. "This is awesome and your timing is perfect, Anna and Gemma's play is tonight!"

"Yes, we can't wait!"

Anna and Gemma were in their school's Christmas play and it was advertised for the whole family. It was a clever meld of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. Anna played an elf helping Rudolph while Gemma was a snowflake. After the play Jorrin said he couldn't wait to go to school so he could be in a play.

Zoe was pretty impressed too and she played with Gemma's snowflake costume whenever she could get her hands on it. The Hubbards and Cranes loved it; as Claire said, "It's been a long time since we've been to a Christmas play!"


	184. Chapter 184

Enjoy the fun...

CH 184

The Christmas season really sprang into full gear after the play. The children had one more week of school but there were all kinds of Christmas activities they could do after school, in the evenings and on the weekend. There were letters to write to Santa, visits to him, a trip to a Christmas village. Friday night, the Cranes took Anna and Gemma to see "The Nutcracker" ballet. Anna remembered it from last year but she understood it better this year.

There was a "Mother Goose" parade that kicked off the Christmas season. They watched the parade of lights on San Diego Bay as the boats were all lit up. Balboa Park hosted caroling, rides and all kinds of fun things for the kids during "Balboa Park December Nights".

There was a train ride called "The Polar Express" that Tim read about in an ad months ago. He'd purchased tickets then, adding a few extra for whoever wanted to come along and was glad he had as by October they were sold out for the entire holiday season. As each passenger boarded, he or she was given a sleigh bell to play; there were elves, storytellers and musicians on the train as well as Santa and hot chocolate and cookies were served to all passengers.

And finally they went whale watching from Point Loma. Everybody was thrilled to see the magnificent California gray whales migrating south; Anna told her parents it was as much fun as the other holiday events they'd been to. Tim told Lina they needed to remember that they didn't always need to spend a lot of money to entertain the kids and that he bet the whale watching would become a Christmas tradition for their family. In the meantime, there were so many activities that they'd had to pick and choose and Lina told Claire they figured they'd save some for future Christmases.

While all this was going on, work at the agency continued. The family was happy when Ned set up a family Skype call to let them know he was taking Bec's post; he would be the next Team Lead of NCIS: Athens. They made sure he knew how proud and happy they were. Rusty became his SFA and as before, a new agent was brought in. Ned opted for a junior with a bit of experience and contacted one of the agents who had been part of the volunteer group just over a year ago. The young agent was thrilled to be offered the position in Greece and before the holidays he was installed in the temporary quarters upstairs at the office.

Finally Christmas week arrived. On Christmas Eve the children, including Ainsley and Callum, were allowed to open one gift each. They had a simple dinner together at the big house and got the kids to bed at a reasonable hour.

The following morning at the McGees was truly wild! Tim insisted the kids wait upstairs until he'd made a video of all the gifts waiting for them under the tree. The Hubbards brought their Christmas stockings with them from home and Lina liked the idea so much she bought stockings for everyone else and then had the kids help her put the names on them. So on Christmas Day each family member and guest had a stocking with fruit, a little candy and some fun little items. As children, Jethro and Matt had done stockings with their families so they were familiar with the tradition although it was new to Tim, Rhea and all the Kalivas'.

Poppy and Pappouli took turns wearing the Santa hat and passing out presents. Zoe had to be helped because she was more interested in tearing the paper and playing with the ribbons and bows than the actual gifts. Tim and Lina set aside some gifts to be opened later, when the Hofstadlers, Tea and Adan were there; once the mess from the first round was cleaned up they put the rest of the gifts out with strict orders that they were not to be touched. Before they had breakfast, they had Skype calls with everyone they wouldn't see in person that holiday: the Russells where they found Dani, Bec, Geordie, Rob, Ned, Rusty, Lynn and the brand new addition to the team, Jake; and then the Powells where they found all of their East Coast family. After that they had the kids' favorite breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs.

Despite the chaos, Tim and Lina were pleased that their children were behaving themselves, not always easy to do with so many people and the excitement of the day. After their meal, the McGees got dressed and went for a walk, singing Christmas carols along the way. Lina, Damian, Davos and Hélène sang the Greek words while the rest, minus Tim, sang in English. While there wasn't quite as much response as there had been in their old neighborhood in Piraeus, plenty of people came out to see them, waved from doorways and windows and a few joined with them in the singing. They ended their caroling by singing in front of the Hardisters' home and the couple came out to thank them. Their two grown children were unable to make it home for the holidays this year so Nick and Janeese would be joining the McGee clan for the afternoon round of fun.

Tea and Adan arrived around 12:30 and put their presents under the tree. The Hofstadlers arrived a little later, the Hardisters joined them and the pile grew some more. And if the adults thought the morning had been wild then the afternoon was chaos! It was all fun though and even with the children as excited as they were, they were still fairly well behaved.

The adults enjoyed themselves too; opening their gifts and watching the others open theirs. Tea's gifts were homemade and beautifully done. The Hubbards' gifts were almost all homemade too and just as well done; Claire had sewn and knit items for them. Other gifts were fun and thoughtful. Poppy beamed at the gift card from the local home center from Damian and Matt and Tim and Lina loved the baby maple tree that Adan had nurtured from a seed pod. He explained that the tree could remain in a container for several years which would make it easier to move if necessary and Tim wondered if everyone who knew him was aware of Joel's plans. He looked at his dad and mother-in-law but they just smiled at him.

The Hubbards and Cranes left two days after Christmas and Davos and Hélène left on January 2nd after helping their children and grandchildren welcome the year 2019. Planning to return to California in April, the Kalivas' flew to Athens and spent a couple of days with the extended family there; getting in on a couple of Bec and Geordie's farewell parties and then flew home to Thessaloniki. Ariston and his family joined them for their Christmas celebration and once again the four cousins connected via Skype.

XXX

After the holidays, Geordie and Bec began the process of saying their painful goodbyes to family and friends in Greece. Last summer when Pete and Trina had hosted their wedding party, they'd done so with grace but were afraid that was the beginning of the end of Bec's time at NCIS: Athens. Now they held a farewell party for them wondering if they too should move to the U.S. Davos and Hélène's stopover visit cheered them as the couple reassured them they would always consider the Russells, Dani and the group from NCIS as extended family. The K's reminded the couple that many of the McGee clan would be returning that summer. Dani, Eva and Caleb, Kim and Evander were still in Piraeus and likely to remain although they'd thought that about Tea and Adan and been proved wrong. Ned and Rob would be there for at least another year, although as Pete told Trina, "Ned will be here for another year, but Rob's still making noises about doing the rest of his residency in the U.S."

"You think Rob would go without Ned?"

"Temporarily, yeah maybe - if Rob went first and Ned followed when a post opens up for him somewhere close to wherever Rob lands."

She frowned. "That could be months."

Pete nodded, "Or years, but Rob's talking about Johns Hopkins and there are three NCIS offices in Maryland, so they might be able to make it work." He smiled, "More people for us to visit!"

Trina laughed ruefully. "We'll have to go for several months at a time and stay on the move!"

"Two more years, love."

"Unless we can find a way to take Kyra with us next year."

"Spend her senior year in the U.S.?"

Trina looked thoughtful. "Where?"

"Someplace warm!"

"Let's look into it and then see if she'd even be interested."

"Yay, a plan!"

When Bec and Geordie arrived for their party, they couldn't help noticing again how few there were of the 'old group'. They knew that of course, but seeing it at the Russells was always a bit of a shock. Pete and Trina, Kyra, Lukas, Kim, Eva, their husbands, Dani, Ned, Rob and Rusty, that was about it of the group they'd been. The new agents were at the party and they all had a good time but as Tim had said when he was preparing to leave Greece, Bec and Geordie also felt like they wanted to just pack up everyone and take them along with them.

The couple left the country a few days later, flying from Athens to Atlanta to spend a few days with Bec's folks before continuing to her new duty post. Before their departure, Geordie left active duty and became a member of the USMC reserves. Once they found a place to live, he planned to return to school for his teaching credential and some much needed refresher courses as he'd decided he wanted to teach history, preferably at the college level.

XXX

The Mallards flew into San Diego in mid-January, glad to escape the Virginia winter. February brought Anna's 7th birthday and Tim couldn't believe their oldest child was growing up so fast or that she and Gemma had been with the family a little less than two years. With their dome up over the pool for the winter, the birthday girl asked for a swim party and the birthday party invitations had a picture of the pool with the dome over it. Lina laughed when some of the parents called, offering to 'help' with the party.

Following on the heels of Anna's birthday was the anniversary of their arrival in California. When Tim pointed that out to Lina she smiled at him, "Our arrival, yes and it has been a good year, hasn't it love?"

He nodded, "Yeah, overall it has. There have been lots of good things happening!" He caught her in his arms, "So, Ms. Kalivas, would you like to escape with me to Monterey for another wild night of debauchery?"

"Ooh, yes I would, as long as the children will have someone with them."

"Dad and Rhea are available and looking forward to it, I already checked. Thought we'd go at the end of the month, if that works with your schedule."

"It does, my love."

"I checked the school schedule; there are no plays, concerts, parent-teacher conferences, raffles, bake sales or sales of any kind."

She giggled, "Really Mr. McGee, you're quite the thoughtful husband."

"Why thank you Ms. Kalivas! Want to stay at the same place or try someplace different?"

"Mm, it was fine, but just for fun let's try a different hotel. Maybe there's one with a big jetted tub or a hot tub in the room."

That triggered memories of their private pool on Santorini and Tim shared those with her.

Working with his Petrero team to determine their availability, the two didn't get to Monterey until the second week of March and Tim wondered aloud, "Isn't this the same time we were here last year?"

She nodded. "We were so glad to get away after all the upheaval."

Leaving the children in the capable hands of Poppy and Nonnie, they flew out on a Wednesday morning and as before picked up a rental car at the Monterey airport. Lina dropped Tim off at the office and went on her way. She'd had a lot of success with the work she'd done here last year, between the photos, drawings, watercolors and a few sculptured pieces and was hoping to find additional interesting places or things to inspire her. She hadn't spent a lot of time in the nearby seaside village of Carmel yet and thought she'd drive over there later in the day.

Tim found the team working on reports from a case they'd wrapped up earlier in the week. He signed off on what Will Brown had ready for him and then grabbed a handful of cold cases. Brown had been up for a transfer a couple of months ago but had turned it down; something Tim was finding happened more often than he'd thought. He'd told Tim that his wife didn't want to leave the area and Tim nodded, telling him about Pete Russell's long tenure. Before lunch they had a meeting so Tim could update them on things going on at the agency but as nobody had any questions it was very brief and then they went for their meal. The agents had heard that Chuck had gone to Button Willow with Tim recently and wanted to know if their support analyst Maria would be visiting them.

Tim nodded, "Good question and the answer is yes. She'll be contacting you with the date but she's planning on flying up here in May. She said she wants to wait until it's warmer but come before the main crush of tourist season."

They laughed, "Really, tourist season is year 'round here with the Pro-Am, everything there is to do and the mild weather. But there won't be a lot of families visiting in May."

When they returned to the office, Tim sank his teeth into a cold case, thinking he had a new lead. To his disappointment, when he double checked the information he found his new lead was a poorly typed repeat of information already investigated and updated.

Lina arrived at 1600 to pick him up. She came in for a minute to say hello and to see if anyone had any new recommendations for restaurants. One of the agents mentioned a new Italian seafood place down on the pier, but none of them had tried it yet. The couple checked into the hotel and decided they weren't ready for dinner yet.

Tim did his MMA practice on the patio adjacent to the room and when he came back in Lina was sorting photos. "Want to see?"

"Sure!"

She'd already downloaded them onto her tablet so he sat beside her as she went through them, telling him a little about each one. She was talking about an old mission style building as she flipped through several and he stopped her, "Hon, can you go back a few?"

She flipped back a few photos until he nodded, "Yeah, that's the one."

She looked at it and then saw what he'd seen, a small boy peeking around the corner of the building. She enlarged the image and zoomed in on the boy's image and heard her husband inhale a quick noisy breath. "Tim…"

When Tim could speak, he whispered and Lina ached at the pain in his voice, "Lina…he looks just like Patrick."

She looked and had to agree, the child was the spitting image of the photos she'd seen of Tim and Sarah's biological brother Patrick. She linked to their online albums, accessing the McGee family photos and found one that had a little Patrick, aged about 3. They compared the two and Lina put her hand on Tim's. "They do say everyone has a double."

He nodded and managed to say, still in a whisper, "When they exhumed the bodies 6 years ago, they found animal bones in the caskets labeled for Sarah and me. But the tests on the bones in Patrick's casket were inconclusive and they couldn't get any further. I mean, they were human bones and the right size for a child but they were so damaged and degraded that the medical examiners would only say that they were a child of roughly 7-9 years and couldn't say how long they'd been in the casket. There was no DNA, no way to specifically say it was Patrick."

"So this could be his son?"

Tim nodded, "Maybe." He sighed, "Or a double as you said. Or…the Commander might have had a child he didn't know about before he married Lily. He was only 22 when they met, it could very well have happened."

"Was he in California before they met?"

Tim had to stop and think, "I believe he was, in some sort of training…oh God, yes, he was at the Naval Postgraduate School, I remember Uncle Dave telling me; he'd been there for a few months before he met Lily." He looked at Lina with an odd look, not sure how he felt. The kid could very well be a doppelganger or related in some way. He supposed it could even have been his Uncle Mark McGee who could have fathered a child and this was his descendent.

"Wouldn't he would have been raised to be careful and to check back with anyone he dated?"

"Hope so, but Grandpa Nelson seems like he was fairly old school, might have thought it was the girl's sole responsibility – at least to inform. Although I'm sure Penny would have hammered that into both her sons. But geez, look at Gram, she could have contacted Grandfa about Lily but chose not to." He sat in thought and then shook his head. "You know, this kid aside, I never thought to look for Patrick, not even after I met the uncles. It never occurred to me!"

He walked over to his laptop, sitting on the small table in the room and sat down. "I'm gonna do some searches for him now, Lina. If I survived the crash, maybe Patrick did too."

She nodded, "Good, my Tim, that's good." She put her tablet down and crossing the room, sat next to him, keeping a hand on his shoulder to ground him. He typed in "Patrick McGee, Monterey CA" He looked at the results and suddenly feeling grim, selected one. It was an article from the local newspaper, dated 2009: "Local couple killed in hit and run. Local business owner Patrick M. Blair and his wife, Laurel Lee (Cassidy) Blair, died as a result of a hit and run last night on Rte 1 near Big Sur. The County Sheriff's Department is investigating and any witnesses are asked to contact them. The couple is survived by their two minor children and Mr. Blair's mother."

Tim went back to the results page and found an obituary in the same newspaper: "Patrick McGee Blair, born Feb 2 1979 in Bethesda MD, died June 23, 2009 in Monterey County CA. Patrick was preceded in death by his birth parents, Dan and Lily McGee, brother Timothy and sister Sarah. Laurel Lee Cassidy Blair, born May 23 1979 in Santa Maria, CA, died June 23, 2009 in Monterey County CA. Laurel was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew S. Cassidy and Carolyn Nicols Cassidy. Patrick and Laurel are survived by daughter Sarah Hope, infant son Timothy Andrew and Patrick's mother, Hope Blair. A double funeral for Patrick and Laurel will be held June 28th and interment will be at San Carlos Cemetery, Monterey."

Tim sat in shock. "That's his birth date and he was born in Bethesda, like me. And our parents…and us."

Lina nodded, "Look at his children's names, love."

Tim swallowed, "He was still alive, all this time and I never knew. He must have thought we were dead. Who would do that and why? And what happened to him? This Hope Blair must have adopted him." Tim was pacing, tears coursing down his cheeks. He paused to collect his thoughts, "Lina, would you mind if I went to the cemetery while it's still light out? I just can't…wrap my head around this but I know it's true, it just…oh God why didn't anyone search for us, why did they believe her? Was Natalie involved? She must have been, Lina, otherwise…"

He stopped when Lina put her hand on his heart, "Take a breath, Timotheos, this is a huge shock, take some time. We need to see if it's all true." He stood there quietly for a few minutes wrapped in his wife's arms. Finally he said, "I know we should contact Hope Blair, but I need to see the grave, their graves. I don't know why but I just do."

"Yes, my love, let's go." He looked up the address, found the directions and after taking the keys from her husband's clenched hand, Lina drove.

They stopped to buy flowers although Tim stayed in the car still reeling with what the discovery. When they reached the cemetery they consulted an index to locate the graves of Patrick and his wife. As they stood in front of the double headstone, Tim leaned down to leave the flowers and then sank to his knees with a sob. He reached out to touch the stone and traced Patrick's name. "I didn't know, Pat, I'm so sorry, so sorry." He closed his eyes, his hand still on the stone. Lina knelt next to him, again resting her hand on him. They remained like that for several minutes until they were interrupted by an angry voice. "What are you doing to my parents' grave?"


	185. Chapter 185

Lina looked up and blinked in surprise as she saw a woman who was a taller, younger version of Sarah.

Tim turned his head, tears still rolling down his face and the woman gasped, "Who are you?"

He sat back on his haunches and stared at her, so much like his little sister and yet so different. "My name is Tim McGee and Patrick was my brother."

"No, his brother was dead, his sister too, that's why they named me Sarah, after her. They all died in some car crash when he was a kid."

Tim stood and looked at her, "You're his daughter Sarah?"

It was only then he saw the child peeking out from behind her, he looked like the same small boy from Lina's photo. The child looked like he was about Jorry's age but he was thin, his face and clothes were dirty; he was wearing a short sleeve shirt with pants that were too big for him, had only one sock and no jacket. The poor kid looked tired and Tim could see the tracks of tears through the smudges of dirt on his face. He looked back at the woman who was probably his niece and saw signs of what might be drug use, he hoped he was wrong. Lina had been watching and now spoke, "When you saw Tim, you were surprised. Does he look like someone you know, Sarah?"

Her words were starting to slur a bit. "How'd you know m' name?"

"You told us."

"No I din't."

"Sarah, where do you live, can we give you a ride home?"

"Shelter an' no, I c'n wal'." The slur was becoming more pronounced and Tim wondered if it was shock or if she'd just taken something or sadly, a combination of both.

"What about your grandmother?"

"In th' hosp'al; Sean Michael lives wi' her when she's home."

"What about your brother?"

"Whe' Gran'ma's in th' hosp'al, he goes ta fos'er care; won' come with me."

Tim nodded and said gently, "Sarah - is Sean Michael your son?"

She was quiet for a moment, seeming to gather herself together and sounded more lucid when she spoke again. "He was but I gave him to Grandma. He's an awful lot of trouble."

The little boy was crying and Tim ached to pick him up and comfort him. He started to remove his jacket as Lina leaned closer to the child, "Sean Michael, I'm your Aunt Lina. Are you cold?"

The boy nodded and Tim draped his jacket around him. The little one whispered "Tanks."

Tim looked back at Sarah, "What hospital is your grandmother in? We'd like to go see her."

She told him the name and Tim's heart sunk as it was a hospice care facility, evidently the woman did not have long to live.

"Sarah, we're going to drive over there. If you want to meet us, that would be great, then you can hear the whole story."

"Thou' you were gonna gi' me a ride." From what Tim could see, she was struggling to remain coherent.

"We can do that." She turned and walked toward the roadway, not paying any attention to the small boy. Lina reached out, "Sean Michael, may I carry you to our car? Your mother is coming with us too."

His lower lip trembling, the little boy nodded and held his arms out to be picked up. Lina scooped him up and wrapped her arms around him. "Hold on, little one."

Tim and Lina made eye contact and spoke in Greek without using any names. "A hospice is for people who have very little time to live."

She nodded, "If they have no other guardians, we need to help her brother and this one – and her too if she'll agree. I want to take them home with us."

Tim was quiet for a few seconds and then said, "I agree about the little one and her brother but I don't want her near the children unless she's clean. I hope she'll agree to a rehab, we could help her with that, if that's all right with you. If all this is really happening…my love, even if they're not my brother's, if they need help, need a home, I'd like to take them – help them."

Lina gave him a look of agreement as they reached the rental car. They got in with Sean Michael sitting on Lina's lap and Sarah in the backseat. She gave them some directions and they drove off. Sean Michael watched the road and said suddenly, "You gots ta turn here." He pointed to the right; Tim turned right and when Sean Michael told him to turn again, he did and they reached the hospice.

When they entered, Lina still holding onto the toddler, Sarah managed to tell them what room they needed and they walked down the hallway. As they approached the nurses' station, one of the staff looked up and gasped, "Sean Michael, oh boy are we glad to see you! Your grandma's been worried about you!"

The woman looked at Lina and nodded in thanks, when she looked at Tim, her eyes widened. "Oh!"

Even though they weren't sure of anything yet, they needed to see Hope Blair. Tim spoke with a certainty he didn't feel but he feared 'might be's and maybes' would not get them in to see the dying woman.

"My name is Tim McGee and this is my wife Melina Kalivas. I'm Sarah and Timothy Andrew's uncle, Sean Michael's great uncle. May we see Ms. Blair?"

"That's so weird, you look…uh yes, you may. Funny, she said someone would be coming."

"How is she?" The nurse shook her head and to Tim's relief and approval, asked to see photo ids. He showed her his badge and agency id and Lina showed her driver's license and that was enough.

They were ushered into the room and saw a woman lying in bed, almost as gray as Lina remembered her grandmother looking before her death. A boy was sitting by her side reading to her and Sean Michael squirmed to get down, "Andy!" The kid looked up as he put the book down and held his arms open for the little boy. His eyes widened when he saw Tim. Tim and Lina nodded to him and moved toward Ms. Blair. She gave them a smile that lit her eyes. "Oh I am so glad you're here!" She took Tim's hand. "You and Andy look so much alike!"

Lina smiled at the youngster, "Yes I can see there is a strong resemblance."

Tim shook Andy's hand, "I'm Timothy McGee, your father's brother. And this is my wife, Melina. We are your aunt and uncle."

Andy swallowed and shook their hands. Sean Michael said something to him and Andy smiled at him and then looked at the new people. "Thank you for giving him the jacket. Don't know where his went." He glanced at Tim, "I've never looked like anyone before."

Tim smiled at him, "You look like me and Sean Michael looks just like his grandfather did when he was little." The toddler shrugged as he didn't know what a grandfather was.

Ms. Blair took Lina's hand. "I prayed someone would come for the boys. Will you take them?"

They nodded, "If you don't have another guardian for them, yes, of course."

"They're good boys, both of them and you look like kind people."

Tim cleared his throat, talking around his emotions, concerned and confused by the woman's easy acceptance of them and really by the whole situation. "Can you tell us about you and Patrick?"

She nodded and reached up to pat his face. "I'm a nurse, a pediatric nurse and I took care of Patrick after the crash. We were told you and his sister died along with your father…what happened?"

Tim first showed her his ID which she barely glanced at, "I know who you are – oh I didn't know exactly who you would be until you walked in the door tonight but I've known for weeks now that someone would come for the boys, I've just been holding on and having faith that it would happen. Now please, tell me what happened?"

Still wondering at the whole situation, Tim told her an abbreviated version of his survival. "And Sarah survived too?"

"She was never in the car; she was at a friend's house."

"Oh my. No wonder Patrick was confused. He was badly injured and was in and out of consciousness for days. The woman who witnessed the crash visited a few times, she was the one who told the doctor what had happened. And she paid his bills out of the kindness of her heart."

"Do you remember her name?"

"Yes, you don't forget someone like that! Her name is Natalie Porter."

Tim paused to take a deep breath to get through this latest shock and then he told her a little about Natalie/Svetlana. "Oh dear Lord, how horribly wicked! What happened to you then?"

He told her, again giving her the short version of his and Sarah's life after the crash. She took his hand again. "I don't know what's worse - that you and your sister grew up on the streets alone or that Patrick died so young without either of you knowing the other was alive."

Tim swallowed as he nodded, "I know you didn't do it for any reason but love, but thank you for taking care of my brother, for loving him and his children and grandson." He paused and then found himself saying something that he never could have imagined saying to anyone, "You'll be with him soon; will you give him my love, please? Tell him I wish I'd known."

She smiled, "I hope I'll be lucky enough to see them again, my boy and his love."

Lina leaned in to give her a kiss, "I'm certain you will."

The woman patted her face, "Now, Timothy Andrew, Sean Michael, listen to me. Your aunt and uncle are your new family; I will be watching you from heaven so you'd best behave yourselves!" Seeming to have a newfound energy, she gestured to Tim, "Please, I need to make a phone call. Andy, would you please ask Louise and Roy to step in?"

Andy nodded, visibly fighting tears, and left the room. Ms. Blair continued, "I'm sorry about Sarah, I've tried so hard but nothing I've done seems to have been right for her."

Tim nodded, "It happens that way sometimes and it doesn't mean she won't straighten out her life at some point."

Andy returned with the requested witnesses and his grandmother greeted them, "Roy, Louise, these people are my son's brother and sister-in-law. I'm going to call my attorney to let him know their names for my will – the boys will be part of their family now. My attorney advised me to have witnesses in the room to see there was no coercion. I'm also going to write out the custody agreement and I need witnesses for that too. You two have been so good to me, I'd like you to witness, with your permission?"

Both nurses verbalized their agreement. Andy helped his grandmother with the phone, putting it on speaker and then punching in the number for her. The attorney's answering service picked up the call and acknowledged Ms. Blair by name. "Yes Ms. Blair, Mr. Stern said you would be calling."

"I have the names of the boys' new parents, they're here with me now and I also have witnesses in the room…" she gave the service the names of the witnesses and then of Tim and Lina and the service operator repeated the names and functions of each person back to her.

The call completed, the woman lay back on her pillows, exhausted. She rested for a minute and then roused, "Timothy, if you'll hand me that notepad?"

He found it on the bedside table and handed it to her along with a pen She explained, "I told my attorney you would be coming, I was so certain, and asked what to do. Because I have legal custody of Andy and Sean, I can in turn give you full custody. I've told him verbally and I just need to write it out and have witnesses when we sign."

They watched Ms. Blair sign the paper and date it and then the witnesses signed, also printing their names and giving their addresses before they witnessed Tim and Lina's signatures. After making copies of the custody note for themselves, they shook hands with the McGees and went back to their duties.

"I'm so glad that's done. Will you stay in touch with Sarah?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, of course and if she wants to live with us once she's sober, she'll be welcome. Does she stay at the shelter often?"

"Yes and if you tell the staff there that you're her uncle, they'll say whether she's been there or not."

"All right; we'll give her our contact information and give the shelter the information too." Tim hesitated for a minute before adding, "I'm in law enforcement, a federal agent. I may also contact the police department here and ask them to contact me if she needs help."

"Oh that would be wonderful, thank you."

"No need to thank me, Ms. Blair, we're family. Will you…is there anything more you can tell us about Patrick?"

She smiled, "Of course and please, for the little time we'll have together, call me Hope. I wish I'd had the strength to write it all down."

Tim held up his phone, "I can record you if you don't mind."

"Lovely." She told them about Patrick, repeating how they'd met. While Patrick was in the hospital she'd contacted CPS to find out what she'd have to do to adopt him. She became a foster parent in time for him to go home with her when he was finally released from the hospital. Eventually she filed to adopt him and when there was no opposition it was finalized. They decided he'd keep McGee as his middle name so he wouldn't forget his father, brother and sister. He was a good student, skipped grades and graduated from college with honors. He'd met his wife, Laurel Cassidy, at the freshman orientation before they even started their college classes. By the end of their freshman year they were married and had Sarah right away. They'd waited to have Andy until they were through school, on their feet with their careers and financially. Patrick built his own business in the tech industry, the business was still intact and thriving, and Laurel was a linguist at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey. Their son was only four months old when they were killed coming home from a rare weekend away. It was a hit and run; the other driver had never been found. Tim didn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt but he wondered grimly if Natalie had finally succeeded in claiming Patrick's life. He returned his attention to his brother's mother. "He was a wonderful child, smart and funny, a bit daring sometimes. When he was a little older he told me stories about you and the two of you, taking care of Sarah, playing detective, reading the same books. He said you were his best friend."

Tim nodded, getting teary again. Lina took his hand and he held on. When she finished, Tim had a question, "Did he have memory loss from the car crash? Or why didn't he remember our grandparents?"

She sighed, "He didn't have memory loss and he was angry for a long time with your family, even your late father. As I said, I was told he had been orphaned and when nobody responded to the request to adopt him, I didn't look any further. It wasn't until he was grown that he told me they hadn't wanted him; that they wished that Sarah had lived instead of him."

Tim grimaced. "Do you remember if he was ever conscious when Natalie came to see him in the hospital?"

"Oh yes, several times."

"Then she probably told him that, somehow convinced him."

"Oh dear, how cruel!"

"Yes."

They could see that she was rapidly losing strength and she motioned to the boys, "Kiss me goodnight and then go on with your aunt and uncle, you need to get some sleep." They did as she asked; Andy with tears rolling down his face. She looked at Tim and Lina, "Will you excuse us for a minute? There are a few more things I need to tell the boys."

Nodding, they left the room and stood in the corridor, looking around for Sarah. Andy came to get them a minute later. "She wants to talk some more."

Back in the room, Ms. Blair continued, "Now, Andy has the key to the house so you can collect their clothes and things. Take what you want and then donate the rest to charity…to this hospice perhaps, they've been wonderful. I know you'll love the boys as your own just as I loved Patrick. And thank you for finding us, now I can rest."

She was exhausted and Tim thought she probably wouldn't last the night. He looked at Lina, if she hadn't taken that photo…

They gathered what the boys had there in the room, Tim kissed his brother's mother goodbye and they left. They looked again for Sarah but she was gone. The staff member they'd spoken to when they came in said she'd seen her get in the elevator a few minutes later.

Tim and Lina led the two boys to the car. Andy looked at Tim, "We're not going to see her again, are we?"

Tim looked at him, "I don't think so, Andy. I think she's ready to let go now."

Andy nodded, "I don't remember my parents."

Tim said softly, "You were a tiny baby when they died. Your grandmother raised you and you will remember her and that's what matters, Andy."

"Was my dad really your brother?"

"Yes and my best friend."

"Was he older than you?"

"No, he was my little brother; I was a year and three months older than him."

"Huh."

Tim smiled, "I looked like you and your dad looked like Sean Michael so we didn't look alike but a lot of people thought we were twins."

"Does anyone else look like me…us?"

"Yes, our Uncle Jim; he was the first person I ever met who looked like me."

"Good!"

"And Sean Michael looks like your Aunt Sarah."

"Uh, Sarah is my sister."

"Yes, and you also have an Aunt Sarah, who is sister to me and your dad."

"Ok."

Tim put his hand on the back of the boy's neck. "That's a lot of information, don't worry, you'll learn it all as you go." Andy nodded and yawned. Sean Michael was leaning against Lina as he walked and Lina bent down to lift him. Tim smiled, "How about I take him sweetie?"

She smiled at him as he scooped the three year old into his arms.

"There you go, Sean Michael."

"Andy, does he always go by his full name?"

"Sarah always calls him that but Grandma and I call him Sean or Seanie. Then he's only Sean Michael when he's in trouble."

"All right, we'll do that too then."

Andy had clothes with him saying his grandmother had told him to bring pajamas for him and Sean plus clean clothes for the next day. Tim suddenly realized they needed to let CPS know he and Sean were with them.

When they'd stepped out of the hospital room earlier Tim called the hotel to book adjoining rooms for the children and Sarah. Now, they went straight back to the hotel, taking only one extra room. Once in their suite, Tim showed Andy the separate bedroom with the door they'd leave open. "Are you and Sean going to be ok in here or would you rather sleep in our room? The couch in there folds out to a bed."

Andy thought about it, "I think we'll be ok in here uh…do I call you Uncle?"

"If you'd like or you can call me Dad or just Tim. I know I am your uncle but I hope to be a father to you Andy."

Andy blinked back more tears and then looked at Lina who smiled, "The same goes for me, Andy. You can call me Aunty or Mama or Mom or Lina." He just nodded, not sure yet and they left it.

They called CPS, explained who they were and that Ms. Blair had signed custody of the boys over to them. The person they spoke with wasn't happy; Tim sent Hope's document to them. It was nearly 30 minutes after he'd sent the document before CPS called back, giving them permission to keep the boys for the night but they were told all four of them had to report to the CPS office in the morning so the agency could sign off on the custodial arrangement. Tim agreed and hung up, "Wow, as nasty as Bokas was when we adopted the girls we might have gotten off easy or at least got out quicker than this is going to be. But I guess that's a good thing, protecting the children."

They ordered room service and when their food arrived, the four of them sat at the small table. As they ate, Tim and Lina told them about the family the boys were joining. Andy's eyes widened when he heard there were already four children in the family. "You have four children?"

"Yep, only it's six now."

"That's a lot! I can sleep on the couch."

"You can if you want but you have a bedroom with your own bed waiting for you."

"What about Sean?"

"He can share with you if you'd like or he can share with Jorrin, who's the same age. We'll figure that out when we get home."

"Where do you live? I mean, where do we live? How far is it?"

Tim told them where they lived and that they would fly there, asking, "Have you ever been on a plane?" Andy shook his head and Tim continued, "Your grandfather, your dad's dad and mine, was in the Navy so we moved around a bit. We flew when we were younger than Sean here. We moved from Maryland to Puerto Rico when we were still babies and from there we moved to Japan, then to San Diego and then up to Alameda, which is across the Bay from San Francisco."

"Wow that sounds like fun!"

"Moving was a pain, but it was ok because Pat and I had each other, like you have Sean."


	186. Chapter 186

CH 186

After they finished eating, Sean had a bath and then Andy had a shower. While Lina was helping Sean with his bath, Tim made some phone calls. He called Matt to let him know he wouldn't be back for at least another day and then to his dad, who answered sounding worried, "You two all right?"

"Yes and I know we missed bedtime!"

His dad huffed, "Oh no, they're still awake, let me take the phone to them."

Lina appeared, with Sean ready for bed in his pajamas. He snuggled with her as they explained to the children at home that there were two young boys who needed a new home. Anna was excited, "That's good, we'll be their new family then. Can we help get their rooms ready?"

Gemma said she wanted to help too. Jorrin said to his father, "A'nudder boy Daddy!"

"Yes Jorry, 2 more boys."

After telling the children goodnight and that they'd be home as soon as they could with their new brothers, Tim asked his dad to head back downstairs. "Need you to put the phone on speaker, Dad, so we can tell you and Rhea what's been going on."

"It's on." They made the story as brief as possible and there was silence when they stopped talking. "Let me get this straight. Through one of Lina's photos, you found out your brother wasn't killed in the crash but he was killed later."

"Yeah, and you're probably thinking the same thing I did."

"Yeah. And he had two kids but one of them is an adult and has a child, a son, of her own?"

"Yes but she gave up custody to her grandmother, Patrick's adoptive mother, because she has a drug problem."

"And he's how old?"

"Jorrin's age."

"And the boy, Patrick's son?"

"He's 10; his full name is Timothy Andrew and he's called Andy."

"Oh geez, son, Lina, I wish…"

"We know Dad."

"Ok, so what's the plan?"

They told Poppy and Rhea and when they finished, Rhea asked, "Tim, isn't this part of your case, I mean your family's case? Should you be calling somebody at the agency?"

Tim grimaced, maybe he wasn't handling this as smoothly as he thought; he hadn't even considered that. He huffed, "You're right Rhea, thanks. I need to let Joel know what's going on."

They made plans to have a video chat with all of the children in the morning so they could meet before the girls went to school. After that, wincing as he looked at the time, Tim called his boss.

"Tim, everything all right? Got a case?"

"Everything is…well nobody's hurt, but 'all right'…no. Sorry to call so late and yes there is a case but it's not a new one."

"Tell me…"

Tim told him everything that had happened since he'd seen Lina's photo and Joel sighed. "Oh my God, Timothy, your poor family, I can't even imagine... All right, you have your case number by any chance?"

Tim rattled it off and Joel wrote it down. "I'm going to call Leon and update him. You keep going with your new kids and do whatever needs to get done. You're on family leave as of now. We'll probably reopen the case and get the records of the hit and run that killed your brother and his wife from the local PD."

"Thanks Joel."

"Don't worry about this end of it, ok? And I'm sure our boss will be calling."

"All right, thanks."

Figuring Andy was out of the shower by now, Tim went in to check on him and found him just climbing into bed. They tucked both boys in bed, "There you go, Seanie. Tomorrow we'll get all your things from your Grandmother's house and see if we can find you a jacket, how's that?"

The boy nodded, "I wuz cold before."

Andy felt okay when they tucked them in. His new mom kissed both of them and his new dad brushed his hair back. Andy thought he wouldn't mind if maybe he kissed him like he did Sean. Tim saw the wistful look on Andy's face and came back to kiss him, whispering, "You have a new home now Andy, but you're never going to forget your Grandma, don't worry about that, please." He nodded sleepily. He liked these people; they were nice but not pushy or too sweet. He was a little worried about all the other kids they'd be living with but there wasn't much he could do about it. He thought it was really cool that he looked like Uncle Tim. Funny they had the same name, he was glad he was called Andy!

Tim wasn't surprised when Andy had nightmares during the night. He went in and sat next to him on the bed, using his thumb to rub soft circles on the boy's forehead, just as he did with the girls and Jorry when they had bad dreams. He stayed until he was sure Andy had fallen back into a deep sleep, then straightened Sean's blankets and went back to Lina. He was glad she'd slept through the nightmares and after listening for a while, he too fell asleep.

In the morning they had their Skype call and introduced the boys to their new siblings and grandparents. Andy liked the idea of having younger sisters; hopefully they wouldn't be as bossy as Sarah and wouldn't get weird and leave home like she had.

After the call, they decided to treat themselves with a room service breakfast. The boys were excited about having waffles with eggs and Lina was glad to see both boys ate the fruit as well. While they were waiting for their meal to arrive, Tim had a text from the hospice asking him to call and he knew then that Hope Blair had died.

He called the facility and they confirmed that Ms. Blair had passed away shortly after midnight. He wondered if that was when Andy had his nightmare. He was told that Ms. Blair had stipulated she didn't want any kind of service, she was to be cremated and her ashes buried in a plot next to her son and daughter-in-law.

After they ate, they told the boys about their grandmother and Andy cried. Sean wasn't sure why until Andy told him Grandma had gone to heaven and then he cried too. Tim and Lina sat and held both boys, rocking them through their initial grief. Eventually they stopped and slept for a little bit.

When they woke again they washed their faces, dressed and went into town to the CPS office. Andy was nervous about that and felt better when his new dad took his hand. He liked his big strong hand holding his, he felt safe especially after finding out about his grandmother. Sean was holding their new mom's hand, and Andy thought that Sean might be his brother now; he hoped he was right, he'd really like that. They sat in the CPS lady's office and she read the note that Andy's grandmother had written last night. When she asked his mom and dad to leave the room for a minute, he got scared but they smiled and said they'd be right outside. The lady asked him if he wanted to go live with them and he said yes, that he liked them and so did Sean. He told the lady about his new dad and the dad he didn't remember being brothers and she nodded. Someone came into the office and gave her a bunch of papers which she looked through, telling him she had to check out his uncle and aunt to make sure they were who they said they were and that they were good people. Finally she smiled at him, told him everything looked good and shook his hand, gave him some sort of card and said if he ever needed help or had questions he could call her. He didn't know what to say to that so he just nodded politely like Grandma taught him. She took him out to his parents, huh; he had two parents now, that was good. Another lady brought Sean to them and the ladies smiled at them and said they could go and wished them luck. After that they went to the house to get their stuff and Andy suddenly realized no one had said anything about school. He frowned, "Am I going to school in Preston? And does my school here know?"

Lina bit back a smile; he was so much like Tim, thinking of all the details.

"Yes, you're going to school in Preston and we called your school this morning to let them know you're moving. They're sending all your records to your new school."

"Will I start tomorrow or Friday?"

"We thought Monday would be easier, you'll need to get settled in at home, to your new room, get unpacked and spend some time with your new brother and sisters and grandparents. We'll take your schoolbooks from here with you and you can work on them tomorrow and Friday; we'll call and get assignments for you."

"All right."

Lina had been a little afraid of what they might find at the house but it seemed Ms. Blair had been prepared. The boys' belongings were just about the only things that weren't totally sorted. There was a box of photos, in albums and loose and Tim took a quick peek, happy to see there were many of Patrick as well as his family. They found a roll of packing tape in the kitchen, labeled the box and taped it shut. Tim thought they might mail that home. There were also boxes of books and photo albums; Tim and Lina decided to have them shipped to them too, then they could sort through them at their leisure. They found a few other things that the boys' grandmother had set aside and Lina took some of them; she also found yards of fabric and took that thinking she could make memory quilts for the boys. She picked through their grandmother's closet and took a few items that she could cut up and include in the quilts. They arranged with the hospice to send people to pick up whatever was left; they would sort and sell most of it through their thrift stores, a major source of funding for them. It took them a few hours to get everything ready but finally they were done with the house. It was already for sale and Tim understood that he and Lina would have to work with the local realtor who had signed a contract with Ms. Blair. It was a nice house but the kitchen and bathrooms were outdated and the carpeting needed replacing, preferably with the currently more popular hardwood floors. While Tim was thinking about that, his phone buzzed with a call from the hospice, letting him know that Ms. Blair's attorney wanted to speak with him. They gave him the number; Tim called and made an appointment for late afternoon. Then they loaded up the car and went to get a late lunch. The boys were quiet, Andy occasionally asking a question while Sean just seemed to go along with whatever they were doing, as long as Andy was nearby.

After they ate, they went back to the hotel, grabbed a luggage cart to get everything to their suite and then decided to relax for a little while. The boys had swim suits so the four of them went for a swim in the indoor pool. Sean knew how to hold his breath and dog paddle, much to the relief of his new parents. Andy was a strong swimmer and as it turned out, he was the one who'd taught Sean.

Lina stayed with the boys while Tim drove to the attorney's office. The meeting didn't take long as once again, Ms. Blair had done the work ahead of time; it was really a matter of filling in their names and contact information and Tim asking questions. She'd had a trust; now it would revert to the boys and under very specific conditions to Sarah Hope as well. The attorney confirmed that his client hadn't wanted any kind of service and would be buried next to Patrick and Laurel; she'd also stipulated she didn't want the boys or Sarah to be there when she was buried. He also handed over letters to be given to the boys at certain times in their lives, marked on the outside of the envelopes. Tim felt his own grief and confusion bubbling up again; luckily the attorney seemed to understand and kept things as businesslike as possible.

One of the things Tim asked him was about Sarah's problems and Sean's father. Mr. Stern nodded, "I asked the same questions of Hope. Sarah has a drug problem that started in high school. She left right after graduating and came back to have Sean; she was clean then. She stayed until he was about 18 months old and then started having problems and signed custody over to Hope and left again. She came back when she found out her grandmother was ill and took Sean whenever Hope was in the hospital or too ill to care for him but she's still struggling with substance abuse."

"What about his father?"

"Sarah told Hope he was the love of her life, his name was…hang on, I've got it somewhere, oh yeah Michael O'Brien. He was killed defending her and the baby from some thug when she was pregnant with Sean. Apparently they were living on the streets somewhere. Hope asked me to do some research, see if Michael had any family but the only relative I found was a great aunt in Missouri, she raised him and when she died he ended up in foster care. I have a photo of him if you want a copy for Sean."

"Yes, thanks. Geez, poor Sarah and poor Sean."

"Yes, Sarah's life has been a mess. I'm sure Sean will do well with you, from what I've seen when he's been with Hope, he's a bright little boy, but he's had a rough time with Sarah, in and out of homeless shelters and who knows what else he's witnessed or been subjected to."

"We'll give him plenty of tender loving care and get help for him if he needs it. Thank you for the information. May I have a copy of the information you found on Michael O'Brien? And did you by chance find a death certificate or where he died? Sean may want to look into his father and the O'Brien family when he's older."

"I know the town and I have a copy of the police report and yes, I'll print copies of everything for you and Sean."

On the way back to the hotel, Tim stopped at the shelter to look for his niece and leave their contact information with the staff. There was no sign of her and the staff, after they checked his ID, reported they hadn't seen Sarah in a few days. He also dropped into the Monterey PD to do essentially the same thing.

They were flying home the next morning but not on the first flight out. Tim wanted to stop at the cemetery again and he thought Andy might want to as well. They had takeout for dinner that night which Andy thought was fun. "We never got to have takeout. Grandma always said she could cook as well as any restaurant and for much cheaper."

Tim looked at Lina and they smiled, "We don't have takeout very often, Andy, your mom and I both like to cook but sometimes it is fun and sometimes we just run out of time to cook, during the week anyway."

After they ate, Lina took Sean off to get him ready for bed and Tim sat next to Andy on the couch. "Andy, before we leave tomorrow, I'd like to stop at the cemetery to pay my respects to my brother and his wife – your first parents. You can stay in the car if you want."

Andy nodded, "I've been there; Grandma took me and Sarah there every week before she got sick and before Sarah got weird. Will we ever come back here?"

Tim nodded, "Sure."

"Ok…um what about my grandma, where will she be buried?"

Tim gave him a small smile, "Right next to them."

"Oh good, she really loved my dad."

"Of course, he was her son."

"But he was adopted."

"It doesn't matter Andy. Two of your new sisters are adopted. We love them just the same as the other two kids." Andy quieted as that gave him a lot to think about.

XXX

Andy and Sean both cried in their sleep that night and their new parents comforted them, sitting with them until their breathing evened out into deep sleep. Before the boys woke the next morning, Tim told Lina what he'd learned from the attorney and she shook her head, "What a sad story. Thank God Sean had his great-grandmother to care for him as much as she did. We'll make sure he always knows he's loved and cherished."

They had breakfast in their suite again and while they were eating, Tim had a call on his cell phone and he stepped away from the others to talk. When he came back, Lina looked at him and he winked at her, so it was nothing to worry about and perhaps a surprise. After they were clean, dressed and packed, they loaded the car with the luggage and checked out of the hotel.

Driving first to the cemetery, Andy got out of the car with his new dad and mom. Sean wanted to run on the grass, so their mom watched him while Andy and his dad put more flowers on the double grave. Andy felt bad when he saw his dad cry; he didn't know if it would help much but he wanted to, so he slipped his hand into Dad's bigger one. Lina smiled when she saw that, impressed with her new son and thankful they could give him, both of them, a home and family.

Lina was surprised when they drove from there to the airport; she'd thought they were going to stop to mail the boxes of books and photos home, but then she remembered Tim's wink and relaxed. When they arrived at the small airport, Andy, knowing only what he'd seen on TV, was impressed when his dad drove straight out to a really cool looking, very sleek jet that was next to a building standing away from the rest of the airport. A guy came out to help them unload the bags and boxes and put them on the jet. His dad took the rental car back while they waited and then they boarded together. Andy's eyes got very big when he realized they were the only ones on the plane. "Where's everyone else?"

Tim smiled, "It's just us today, Andy. The jet belongs to my boss' boss' boss and she's letting us use it to take you guys home."

"Wow! Are you guys' rich?"

"No, we're not; the jet belongs to the government."

"The government?" Andy thought, "Like James Bond has his own jet?"

Tim laughed, "No James Bond, but yes, I work for the government."

"And you get to fly in this, cool!"

Tim thought of the C-130s he'd flown far more often than SecNav's Gulfstream but kept the thought to himself. On the way back to southern California, they explained the basic family: Anna, Gemma, Jorrin, Zoe, Poppy, Nonnie, Uncle Damian and Uncle Matt.

Andy felt sad about Sarah and asked, "Is Sarah coming to live with us?"

"We don't know. We'd like her too and she can if she wants, as long as she stays sober. I looked for her last night and we left word with the hospice and the shelter so she can contact us."

"Oh. She used to be okay but then she got weird."

Tim sighed, "People go through strange things in their lives sometimes Andy. I have a brother who didn't want to talk to me for awhile."

"But he's ok now?"

"Yes, he is."

"So maybe Sarah will be ok someday?"

Lina smiled, "Let's hope so!"

Andy looked at his dad, "How many brothers do you have again?"

"Four counting your father."

"Oh yeah and the others are adopted."

Tim nodded. "You'll meet them on Skype first and then in person at some point. One of them lives in Greece and the other two live on the East Coast."

"Ok. And just one sister, the one named Sarah?"

"That's right."

"Do any of them have kids?"

"Yes, Sarah has three kids, Adam, Audrey and Evan. They adopted Adam and Audrey and Evan are foster children who they're working to adopt." Tim smiled at his new son, "Evan is your age!"

"Cool! Do they live around yo…us?"

"No, they live on the East Coast; we see them a couple of times a year in person and a lot on video chats. And you have cousins in Greece too."

They'd already told the boys about their two new sets of grandparents; now Lina told them about their aunts, uncles and cousins in Greece.

"Greece is a long way away, isn't it? Do they ever come here?"

"Your grandparents do and we hope your aunts and uncles will too. But we go to see them, Andy. We used to live there and last summer we went for our vacation there."

"All the way to Greece, wow!"

His dad nodded, "It's your mother's country so we need to make sure she gets home every year so she doesn't get too homesick."

Lina laughed, "That's right - and we have many friends there as well as family."

That gave Andy a lot to think about and distracted him from being sad about his grandmother for awhile although he still felt it. He felt kind of heavy, like something was holding him down and he couldn't really think about anything for very long, his thoughts kept jumping around and his brain felt kind of…foggy.

XXX

Andy hadn't ever experienced a grandparent as a grandparent. Because his grandmother had raised him he thought of her as his mom. So he didn't know what to expect when the jet landed and he saw there was a car there waiting for them, a Ford Escape. A guy way older than his dad got out and kissed Tim and Lina, huh, he didn't know Moms and Dads still got kissed by their parents. He was introduced to him as "Poppy" and the guy shook his hand and ruffled his hair. Andy blushed and then giggled when he saw Poppy reach out and ruffle his dad's hair too. Sean liked the Poppy guy right away which was good. They moved their stuff to the Ford; Andy had a list of the names of the cars he'd ridden in and mentally added this one, and then they drove for awhile.

His eyes got big when they pulled up in front of a ginormous house and his mom said, "We're home boys!"

"We live here? Just us?"

"Yes!"

"Wow!"

They went in the front door and there was a nice lady there who was their new grandmother "Nonnie". Andy was glad he didn't have to call her Grandma - that would be really weird.

He held Sean's hand while they met the other kids. The littlest one, Zoe, kissed both of them and Andy fell in love with his new baby sister. Jorrin and Sean looked at each other for brief seconds and then Jorrin asked Sean if he liked Thomas and Sean nodded happily. Anna took Andy by the hand, "Come on, I'll show you your room! Uncle Damian, Uncle Matt and Poppy fixed it up for you. Did you know you look just like Daddy?" He sighed and felt a little less heavy; yeah, this was going to be ok.


	187. Chapter 187

CH 187

After much discussion, Tim and Lina decided to tell the rest of the family in groups about Andy, Sean and Patrick. Sarah, Penny, the Mallards, Jim and Claire and Tim's godparents needed to be told first. After that they'd schedule another call with Tim's siblings and then the extended family. They sent texts to Sarah and the others asking if they could join in a Skype call early in the East Coast evening and received affirmatives from everyone. Tim had forgotten that the Baton Rouge was in port, their departure delayed for a couple of weeks. That was good as he thought his grandparents were going to need all the support they could get.

Andy wasn't sure what to think when his parents told him what they had planned. That was a lot of calls but he guessed he wouldn't have to do much, just say hello. And first Dad and Mom would tell all the people what had happened with his father, which he still didn't quite understand.

The first call was of course the toughest. When Tim told his grandparents that Patrick had survived Natalie's hit and run but had been killed ten years ago, he wished he'd thought to warn Jimmy, to have a doctor on hand. Or he should have flown back East to tell them in person. He felt Lina and his dad's hands on his shoulders, keeping him grounded while the others helped his grandmothers, uncle and sister. Eventually Grandfa managed to ask for the story and Tim told them, with Lina helping when his throat seemed to close up. Lina told them that Patrick's adoptive mother had died and they'd brought the boys home with them. There were questions about Sarah Hope then and Tim shook his head, "She's got a substance abuse problem. She came with us to the hospice and then took off. I looked for her before we came home; left our contact information at the shelter and with the PD."

They nodded, seeming a bit shell shocked and Tim knew how that felt. Tim looked at Uncle Jim. "Andy in particular would like to meet you, Uncle. It seems we two are no longer alone."

His uncle looked puzzled while Tim turned to beckon Andy closer. "Come son, now you can see who else looks like you."

Lina and Poppy moved so that Tim and Andy sat next to each other in front of the camera and Tim heard Grammie gasp. "Oh my, you're the spitting image of Jim and Timothy!"

Andy blushed and Tim put an arm around him and the worst part of the call was over. Sean came to meet them, insisting on bringing Jorrin with him and the Greats smiled at the small boys who looked so much like their loved ones. They talked with Andy and Sean for a few minutes and then went back to Tim, Lina and Poppy.

Andy breathed a sigh of relief when they disconnected. He'd been told the next call would be in the morning as they were talking to people in Greece and they had different time there. So they could relax now. He watched his dad doing some weird moves outside that Poppy said were mixed martial arts.

"Is my dad like a ninja?"

Poppy smiled, "Yes he is, Andy. He and your Uncle Matt, he's one of the ones who lives around here, have been taking classes for 6 years now and they've used their skills at work."

"To take down bad guys?"

Poppy nodded and Andy grinned, he liked that. Maybe he'd ask if he could learn too. At dinner that night, they said grace and included thanks that they were together. And when the kids went upstairs to bed that night, Anna and Gemma told Andy and Sean that they would include "Grandma Hope" in their prayers. Andy just nodded and turned away so they wouldn't see how sad he was; only his dad was right there and he lifted him up into his arms. They went to his new room and sat on the bed. He huddled with his dad crying for awhile feeling sad and tired and kind of homesick. He missed his Grandma and his sister even if she was weird. His dad whispered to him, telling him it was all right to feel all those things and that he should just let himself cry when he needed to. At some point Andy realized that his dad was crying with him and that made him feel a little better. Eventually he cried himself out and fell asleep, still cuddled with his dad and although he'd been too tired to realize it, his mother and Sean were there too.

The call they did the next morning wasn't bad at all. There was another set of grandparents and Andy liked them too. He said, "I've already heard my mom and dad speaking Greek, I hope I can learn it too."

There were also a lot of other people with them and he knew they were the aunts, uncles and cousins he'd heard about. After they talked for a bit, he looked at all of his dad's brothers on the screen and said, "There are a lot of you!"

Geordie laughed, "Yes, wait until we're all together, Andy."

Tony snorted, "Don't scare him, Geo. We're really a lot of fun, kid."

Rob retorted, "Even if everyone but me is a federal agent or a Marine."

Andy smiled, "But you're a doctor, you still have a knife."

That earned him praise from everyone and fist bumps from his dad. He would be happy to meet everyone in person but he really couldn't wait to meet his uncles!

The last call would happen on Saturday morning with the extended family. In the meantime, Andy was feeling like this would be ok. He missed Sarah but hoped she would stop being weird and call them. Sean was doing all right; he liked having someone his own age to play with. Andy remembered that his Aunt Sarah had a boy who was his age and that made him very glad. He knew from what his dad and mom told him that there were older kids, his cousins who were teenagers and then a kid who was somehow related, Andy just remembered he was 14 and his name was Ethan. There were some boys, more cousins, in Greece who were around his age too but he figured he'd have to wait to meet them in person.

Tim and Lina had just tucked the kids in that night, looking forward to a good solid sleep after the emotionally exhausting week, when his cell chimed with a call. He frowned when he saw the caller id, "Yeah Dad, what's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, "How bad?" He put the phone on speaker, "He doesn't know, she was already in surgery by the time he got to the hospital. Jimmy's there, trying to get information."

Lina was still trying to figure out which "she" might be in surgery when Tim responded, "Dad, you're going, right? Tony needs you."

"Yeah, that's why I was calling; we got the last two seats on the red eye tonight."

"I'll drive you."

"No, son."

"Yes and you don't have time to argue. Get your stuff together; I'll be over in 5 minutes."

Lina looked at him, "Maggie?"

"Yeah, she and Wilson, her SFA, were shot on a case."

Lina nodded. "Tony…"

"Will be as much of a mess as I would be if it was you. Glad Dad's going."

"Rhea's going too."

He nodded. "Yeah. Dad said Liz and Dave are on the way to Bethesda to be with Tony. He didn't want the Grands to know yet."

"Protecting them." He nodded as he slipped his shoes back on, grabbed everything he needed and they went downstairs. He was partway out the door when Lina handed him a mug of coffee and a jacket. He was at the big house in 2 minutes, his folks were in the car in another 2 minutes and they headed for the airport. Dad spoke with Tony again on the way. "Anthony! We're coming, stop arguing son. Now tell me what you've found out."

He pressed the speaker button and Tim heard his brother, talking breathlessly. "She got hit in the right shoulder, in the joint. Like Gerald."

Tim spared a glance at his dad who had closed his eyes, remembering when Ari Haswari shot Gerald Jackson, Jimmy's predecessor; it took him a year of recovery before he could work again and he never did return to NCIS. This would likely mean the end of Maggie's career as a field agent. "Did Jimmy say that, Tony?"

"Hi Tim…no but there was a whole lot he wasn't saying."

"You know he won't tell you if he doesn't know something for sure, Tony."

"Yeah, that's true."

"How's Wilson?"

"Shot to the gut but they got to him in time."

"And the other two agents?"

"Weren't with them."

"All right son, is the Admiral there?"

"Here? No…oh, he and Liz are just walking in."

"Good. Now listen. No more coffee, ok? You're hyped up enough."

"Uh Boss?"

"Yeah, I know kiddo, but learn from my mistakes, ok? We'll be there in a few hours. What about the Colonel?"

"He's on his way; he doesn't want me to pick him up either."

"Tony, son, listen to me. Maggie is going to be all right, the injury doesn't sound life threatening. And you need to be there when she comes out of surgery."

"All right, I can do that."

"Good, we'll see you in a few hours. Love you son."

"Love you guys too and Timmy…"

"Back at you Bro."

They drove in silence the rest of the way to the airport. He kissed both of them goodbye and then drove home, knowing he wouldn't sleep until Maggie was out of surgery.

It was a long night. They both dozed off and on but neither ever fell into a deep sleep. It was nearly 4:30 when Tim's phone buzzed with a text. It was from Jimmy to let him know Maggie was finally out of surgery. Their call with the extended family was scheduled for 6:30 so Tim told Lina to sleep for a couple of hours. He went downstairs and called Jimmy. "Tim, have you slept at all?"

"Little bit. What do you know about Maggie?"

"She handled the surgery well and they've repaired the joint as much as they were able. She'll probably need at least one more surgery and a lot of physical therapy."

"Is it as bad as Gerald?"

Jimmy sighed, "I…yeah. I won't say this to anyone else, but actually it's worse. Miracles could happen but I can't see her returning to field work."

"Damn. I guess we need to focus on her being alive."

"Yeah, good idea."

"How's Wilson?"

"Holding his own, he needed a lot of blood but he's lucky he was alive to need it."

"He'll be ok?"

"Gonna take some time, but yeah, eventually."

"Thanks for sticking with Tony."

"He was insistent on not telling the Grands."

"Yeah, we had some strange news for them the other day, stuff that happened that we're just finding out about and they were pretty upset."

"Is that the call that's happening today?"

"Yeah, we put you in the Saturday bunch, figured that'd be easier."

"Well, Breena will be on anyway."

"How much longer are you going to stay?"

"Until she's out of recovery, be another hour or so."

"All right, be careful driving home, please. You eat anything?"

"Yeah had some stuff with me and I'll be ok going home. The Admiral wants to talk with you."

"Ok."

"Timothy?"

"Yes?"

"You know what time your dad's flight is landing?"

"I think 0600, Sir."

"I can go get them."

"No, Uncle Dave. I know Dad would rather you stay with Tony and so do I. He might seem calm or overly talkative but he's hiding his emotions, he's scared to death."

"But she's out of surgery."

"Doesn't matter, he's still terrified."

"You know him well."

"Enough to know that and he'll never let anyone see. And if he gets snarky, sarcastic or childish, it's what he used to do to hide his real emotions."

"All right, we'll stay then."

"Thanks Uncle."

They disconnected and Tim put the first pot of coffee on. This was going to be a long day. He took his mug of coffee into the living room and sank into one of his favorite pieces of furniture, a reclining loveseat. He and Lina usually cuddled in it together. He woke with a start when his tablet pinged at him, he'd set an alarm to give him 10 minutes to get Lina, Andy and Sean up. He woke them, threw some clothes on and carried Sean downstairs with Andy and Lina trailing behind, still half asleep.

Pete was on early, took one look and said, "What's wrong?" Tim shook his head and his friend frowned. Lina and the boys went off to the kitchen for some hot chocolate and Tim said very rapidly. "Maggie and her SFA were shot yesterday. She was in surgery all night, she's out now. Bullet tore up her right shoulder joint, SFA is going to be ok too but he was gut shot. Dad & Rhea took the red eye to DC, we've been through what we're about to tell you, including telling my grandparents and neither Lina nor I slept last night."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

The others were arriving onscreen so that was the extent of their comments to each other. Tim could hear Lina in the kitchen getting breakfast so he went ahead and told their friends what had happened as far as Patrick and then told them about the boys. He was just finishing when Andy and Sean walked in. "C'mon guys, come say hello."

Sean just waved but Andy said hello as he handed his dad another mug of coffee. "Hi, I'm Timothy Andrew Blair McGee. I'm called Andy."

Kim smiled, "You look so much like Tim, I mean your dad!"

Andy and Tim looked at each other and grinned and Andy said, "And our Uncle Jim!"

"Yep, Uncle Jim, he was the first I guess." They didn't talk long and Pete sent Tim an e-mail after that brought a smile to Tim's face.

Matt and Damian were coming for lunch today so they'd fill them in when they got here although Matt and presumably Damian already knew Tim was out on paternity leave. They'd catch up with Carla and Norm later; Tim didn't think he had it in him to talk about it much more today.

Somehow they got through the morning. They managed to get everyone fed and Anna and Andy helped Jorrin and Sean get dressed. Tim got Zoe changed and dressed and carried her downstairs. Poppy called to check in and they were able to say hello to a very groggy Maggie. Tim and Lina felt better after that and explained to Andy, Anna, Gemma, Sean and Jorrin that Aunt Maggie had been hurt at work and Poppy and Nonnie had flown back East to help Uncle Tony take care of her. Anna asked when all that had happened and frowned when her parents said "After you went to bed last night."

"How come they didn't say goodbye?"

"Because you were already asleep and they were in a hurry to go help Uncle Tony and Aunt Maggie."

"Is Aunt Maggie going to be ok?"

"Yes, she is. But she has a very sore arm and shoulder which is going to take a long time to get better."

"How long, Daddy?"

"Mmm, probably until your next birthday, Gemma."

"Wow, that's a long time. Does that mean they can't come to our party, our 'versy in the summer?"

"I don't know yet Gemma; I hope they'll be able to come."

Andy was looking puzzled, "Are you having a party this summer?"

Tim squeezed the back of his neck affectionately, "_We_ are having a party in the summer, in Greece!"

Andy's eyes widened almost comically. "Greece, the country, you're going again, I mean we are?"

"Yes, we got married there and this year will be our 5th wedding anniversary. We want everyone who came to our wedding to come to our anniversary party in Greece."

"Does that mean kids too?"

Tim smiled, "That means especially kids!" Andy smiled back at him.

Damian and Matt called on their way and asked what they could bring to add to lunch. Lina huffed and said, "Lunch! We've had one too many crises here this week and neither of us has been shopping or is any shape to cook. If you'll pick up enough for 10 of us, we'll pay you back."

"Of course Melina, we'll be there in a few minutes."

Tim was really fighting to stay awake when the guys arrived. He roused enough to answer the door and nearly fell back when he opened it. Matt took one look at him, handed what he was carrying to Damian and took Tim by the arm, "Come sit down. We have food."

Tim nodded and whispered, "Sorry, so tired…"

"Ok, yeah, we heard you might need some help today so we came prepared."

"Oh my God, love you two so much." Damian followed juggling the food. He called out, "Kids, Lina, we're here…with lunch."

Andy had been wondering what was going on with his new parents and then they'd told them about Aunt Maggie; now he was relieved that other grownups had arrived. Anna grinned as she told him, "That's Uncle Damian and Uncle Matt." He just nodded as she pulled him to the dining table. "Come on, we're allowed to help set the table." In the kitchen, she started to pull a stool over but Andy tapped her on the shoulder, "What cabinet?"

"Oh, the plates are there," she pointed, "and we need 9 and a baby plate for Zoe."

He carefully took down 9 plates and a plastic plate he thought might be Zoe's.

"Glasses?" She pointed and he went to the next cabinet. Gemma came to help and the three of them carefully carried the dishes to the table.

Their mom smiled, "Thank you my helpers!"

Andy saw the two guys, Uncles, look at him and then at Tim and back at him. He swallowed and said, "I'm Andy."

They nodded. "I know I look like my dad, I mean my new dad…and Uncle Jim too."

They nodded again and both nearly jumped when Sean ran into the room after Jorrin. "That's Sean, he used to be my sister's son, but he's my brother now; he looks like my first dad."

Both men were confused but being a federal agent who had to think on his feet gave Matt an advantage. He decided to go with the flow until someone told him what was going on, what had happened. Finally finding his voice, he smiled at the kid, saying "I'm your Uncle Matt and I'm glad to meet you, Andy! Welcome to the family!"

He elbowed his partner who blinked and said, "I'm your Uncle Damian, Andy. Melina, your new mother, is my sister. Welcome to the family. Have you met your Pappouli and Yayaka yet?"

Andy saw his dad nodding so he said, "Yes, we met them on Skype."

"Ah, good."

Tim sat down next to him. "We knew you were coming today, easier to tell you in person."

"Ok, so can you tell us what happened?"

"Maybe after lunch? I don't think I had breakfast and guys, Lina and I've been up all night after an exhausting week."

"Ok, let's get you two fed and then you can go sleep for a few hours. We've got niece and nephew duty today!"

"You're lifesavers, you know?"

"We know Timotheos, we know."

Damian looked around, "Are Jethro and Rhea joining us?"

Lina shook her head and Anna piped up, "They had to go help Uncle Tony and Aunt Maggie because Aunt Maggie hurt her arm and shoulder."

"Is she going to be ok?"

Gemma nodded, "Yes but Daddy said she won't be better until my birthday."

Matt frowned and looked at Tim who nodded sadly. Matt shook his head, "Then it's a good thing your Poppy and Nonnie could go help your aunt and uncle."

They sat at the table and the uncles served lunch as they could see Tim and Lina were barely holding themselves up. Zoe fed herself, with some help from Uncle Matt. When the couple had eaten, Damian had the kids kiss them good afternoon so they could go take their nap and they all giggled at that.

Damian helped his sister and brother-in-law upstairs and grabbed their phones and car keys on his way out the bedroom door. He waved them at Matt when he returned to the table. "Here, you can hang on to Tim's phone, I'll hold onto Lina's. I took the keys to the van too, in case we need to take the children anywhere."

"The beach!"

"It's quite chilly out today, Gemma."

"Oh."

"How about we stay home today? We can watch a movie and we can show Andy and Sean some pictures."

"Of our old house?"

"Sure!"

"Ok, because they're gonna see it this summer."

"Yes they will."

"And Pappouli and Yayaka's house."

"Yes."

"And the other big house." Anna's mouth made a big 'O'. "Could we walk over to the big house today, I mean this one? Andy and Sean haven't seen it yet."

"Sure, if everyone has jackets and if we can find the key."

Anna nodded and looked at the keys Damian brought downstairs, pointing to one. "That one."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"All right, let's clean up the lunch dishes and then we'll go." Matt turned to Andy, "Usually if you help with a meal you don't have to help clean up. But today that would only leave Jorrin, Sean and Zoe to clean up!"

Andy just nodded, "That's ok, I'm used to just me and my grandmother. Before she got sick she always cooked so I always helped clean; I don't mind."

His new uncle just smiled at him and took a stack of plates to the kitchen. They all helped, got everything loaded into the dishwasher and set it to run. Then they quietly went upstairs and got their jackets and quietly came back down. Damian left a note saying where they'd gone and putting Zoe in her stroller, they organized the kids so that Jorrin, Sean and Gemma were holding onto an Uncle's hand or the stroller handle and Andy held Anna's hand. As they walked down the street, Anna said, "You're sad because of your grandmother."

He nodded.

"I was too. My first family got killed in a bus crash and just me, Gemma, Besiana and Jak, those are our cousins, didn't get killed. We had to go to the hospital though and then we met Uncle Ariston and Uncle Paolo, they helped us and then Mama and Daddy came and took us home with them."

"I didn't know you lost your whole family, I'm sorry."

She nodded, "Thanks. We have pictures of them up on our wall, Daddy wrote to someone in Bokas, that's where we're from and they sent us the pictures."

"Where's Bokas?"

She shrugged, "It's by Macedonia and kind of by Greece. Besiana and Jak live in Macedonia with Uncle Ariston and Uncle Paolo."

"Oh. Do you ever get to see them?"

"Yes, we talk with them online all the time and we saw them last summer and before we moved here, we saw them at Pappouli and Yayaka's house."

He whispered, "Are those our other grandparents?"

"Yes. Do you want to know some Greek?"

He nodded, "Yeah, that'd be good."

"I can teach you some and Mama and Daddy too."

"Ok!"

They'd reached another ginormous house and Andy's eyes took in everything as Uncle Damian unlocked the door. "Ok, you know the rules here. Stay inside, no going out on the balcony without an uncle!"

Andy raised his hand, "I'd like to go out there, please." His uncles laughed, "All right. Jorrin and Sean, hang on to Uncle Matt. Gemma, you hold my hand. Is Zoe strapped in tightly?"

Anna took Andy's hand again, "Come on, you'll like it. We watched fireworks out there on the Fourth of July." She giggled, "And then we got to watch them again from the beach on our island in Greece."

They were on the balcony looking out, then he looked down and backed up to lean against the house, "This is too high. What do you mean our island…we have our own island in Greece?"

"No, it's not ours. We love to go there and we always have big parties there. That's where Mama and Daddy were married so when we go this summer, everyone will be there, on Aegina."

"Is that the name of the island?" She nodded and he smiled, "That sounds like fun."

"It is- lots of fun and our new cousins will be there too."

"New cousins?"

"Yes, Aunt Sarah and Uncle James' new kids. Well, I guess they're not new anymore. They're 'dopting them, like us."

"How old are they?"

"Adam and Audrey are my age and Audrey likes to read too. Evan is your age, I think."

"I heard the name Evan, Dad said he's my age."

"Oh good! And then the Greek cousins too, they're all boys and I think some of them are your age."

"Some of them?"

"Hmm, I think Zander is 11 and Dimitri and Tad are 9."

"Are they twins?"

She shook her head, "No, Zander and Dimitri are brothers, they belong to Uncle Nicolas and Aunt Margaret and Tad is their cousin, he belongs to Aunt Chloe and Uncle Peter. He has a sister, Alexis, but she's almost all grown up."

Andy looked confused, "How long did it take you to learn all the names and who everyone belongs to?"

She laughed, "Not until they all came to see us or we went to see them."

He felt better then. It was windy and cold out on the balcony so they all went back inside, looked around and then went back to their house.

On the way back Andy asked Anna, "You call this the big house?"

"Yes and there's another one in Greece."

"Who lives there?"

She frowned, "I don't know who lives there when we're not there. Last summer we stayed there with Aunt Sarah, Uncle James and the cousins. Before we moved here we had a house that was smaller and all the grandparents and the great grandparents lived in the big house."

Andy just nodded. "That's a lot of houses."

She nodded, "We have a big family. Daddy says there are 50 of us."

"Fifty?"

"Yes, with Mama's sister and brothers and their kids and all of us plus all the grands, greats, aunties and uncles."

"Wow, 50 people in one family!"

Damian overheard that and chuckled. "It's not really just one family, Andy. That's my parents and their kids, spouses and grandkids plus Jethro's, that's Poppy, kids, spouses and grandkids and Rhea, that's your Nonnie, plus your three great grandparents, your aunt, uncle and cousins and your father's godparents, and your Uncle James' parents. James is an only child, so when he and your Aunt Sarah got married, his parents became part of the big family. Plus the Palmers, that's your Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Breena and their kids."

Matt laughed, "You haven't added on Maggie's dad, Bec's parents or Ned's mom."

"If they don't come to family gatherings, I'm not counting them!"

They were back at their house again and the kids ran in out of the cold and then remembered they needed to be quiet. Matt settled them down in the family room which had sliding pocket doors to keep the noise from the rest of the house. "All right, what movie do we want to see?"

"Frozen!"

Andy didn't say anything but he wanted to see that too. Before his grandmother got sick they used to watch movies all the time but not much since then.

"All right. Does anyone not want hot chocolate or popcorn?"

The kids had to think about that. Jorrin and Sean looked at Andy and Anna. Andy thought about it, "Can Zoe have popcorn?"

"No, good point Andy! But the rest of us can!"

Anna scrunched up her face, "Give her some of her Cheerios, she loves those."

"All right, Uncle Damian will hang out with you while I go get the hot chocolate and popcorn going!"

"Thanks Uncle Matt!"

They were done with the movie and their popcorn and sitting at their table looking at photos when Andy heard a phone chime.

"Phone's ringing!"

Matt dug it out from his pocket, it was Tim's phone. "McGee's phone, Watson speaking."

Andy heard him say, "Hello Director." as he walked into the other room. He asked who "director' was and Damian answered, "That's your father's boss. Well actually it is his boss's boss."

"Oh, he's the one who let us use his jet the other day."

Damian had to think about that, "I don't think Director Vance has a jet; that probably belonged to the Director's boss, the Secretary of the Navy."

"Is that like the Secretary of State and Defense?"

"It is sort of like that but I don't believe Secretary of the Navy is as high a ranking in the government. I'm not sure though as I'm not a U.S. citizen; Matt can tell you for sure."

Andy nodded, still impressed.

Matt came back and looked at Damian. "I'm going to have to wake Tim up."

"He needs more sleep!"

"There's a case he's involved in, Vance needs to talk with him."

Damian started to ask a question, saw the look in Matt's eyes and nodded. "I'll go."

He went upstairs and knocked on the door, not wanting to walk in on anything. There was no answer so he eased the door open enough so he could peek in. His sister and brother-in-law were sound asleep so he moved quietly over to Tim and tapped him on the shoulder. "Timotheos, wake up."

There was a groan, "Please don't let it be work."

"It is, sorry, your Director wants to talk with you and Matt didn't think it could wait."

Tim opened an eye and looked at Damian. "You're the brother that has never ever played a prank on me."

"That's right and I would not start now." A second green eye appeared and Tim mumbled to himself and then whispered, "I'll be down in a minute."

Damian left and Tim crawled out of bed, looking at the clock; he'd slept a whole 3 hours.

He stumbled downstairs, kissed all of his kids and then took his phone from Matt who said, "Sorry, he said it really couldn't wait."

"'S all right man. Still haven't even told you what's going on. Oh no… Maggie!"

"No, it's not Maggie, I asked."

"Thanks." Tim walked out to the kitchen and pressed Vance's contact info.

"Timothy, wish I didn't have to wake you but I need to talk with you about a couple of things."

"All right."

"Tim, your brother, I'm so sorry. If this agency had done a decent job on your case 30 some years ago we may have found him."

Tim made some sort of noise; he'd had the same thought and just didn't feel like commenting.

"The other things is…CPS is demanding confirmation that you are indeed the boys' relatives, they're quite insistent and are threatening to remove them if we don't provide proof."

"They cleared us! We took the boys to their office in Monterey and they interviewed them, I have their signatures." He sighed, "But we should have DNA proof anyway. We can have cheek swabs but how soon…?"

"Yes; now here's where it gets tricky. I can't have you or Watson do those cheek swabs, McGee. We need to follow protocol and I'm being cautious enough to exclude everyone in Joel's shop. Blumquist is sending an agent to the NCIS office at MCAS, Miramar. Whoever it is will contact you from there and ask you to bring Timothy Andrew and Sean Michael in. The three of you will have cheek swabs and they'll be rushed through the lab. CPS gave us until Tuesday; that should be enough time."

"How soon?"

"Any minute. I saw your dad at the hospital and he said you and Lina were exhausted and probably hadn't slept last night on top of everything else, so I waited as long as I could."

"Thanks Leon."

"Don't thank me; my agency, _our_ agency has screwed the pooch on your family's case in too many ways to count."

Tim had a lot he wanted to say to that but knew he was too tired and worried about the boys to let loose. They finished up and disconnected; he stood in thought. The Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar was technically in San Diego but would be close to an hour's drive each way; he didn't think he should drive, better to have a designated driver.

He turned toward the family room to ask Damian to drive when there was a knock on the front door. Thankful that whoever it was hadn't rung the bell, Tim looked through the peephole and then flung open the door to welcome his godparents. They had their arms wrapped around him before he could open his mouth and he sighed, relaxing into their support. God bless whoever had sent them! He moved his head and blinked when he saw Penny on the doorstep. She came in and joined the hug.

XXX

Dave had hold of his godson and could see he was in rough shape emotionally. Penny joined the three of them and Dave felt Tim start to buckle. He had him, he told him he had him and just to let go and he thought Tim tried. But he was still too wound up and worried. It was a few minutes before Tim could speak and then he told them about CPS and their threats. Dave said he'd drive and Tim nodded into his shoulder and then gave a rusty chuckle. "You come with us but I'll ask Damian to drive, he knows the roads."

"All right." Dave felt his boy rolling his shoulders and he eased up on his embrace. Tim kissed each one of them and then they linked hands, the four of them. "Come meet Andy and Sean."

He heard Penny and Liz both take deep breaths and knew they didn't want to appear upset when they met the boys. They walked into the family room and the kids looked up, surprised. Andy stood and pulled Sean with him; Tim heard Penny and Liz gasp when they saw them.


	188. Chapter 188

CH 188

Andy swallowed nervously, he'd met these people on a Skype call but he couldn't remember their names. Anna whispered to him, "That's Penny, Aunty Liz and Uncle Dave." He whispered, "Thanks!" and smiled and then frowned at the expression on his dad's face.

Remembering to be polite, he pulled Sean with him. "I'm Timothy Andrew, called Andy, and this is Sean Michael, called Sean. He's my sister Sarah's kid." Unable to bear waiting any longer, he turned to his dad, "Do we have to leave?"

"I'm going to get a phone call and then we have to drive to another NCIS office and have our DNA tested."

"Will that hurt?"

"No, they'll use a cotton swab to take some cells from the inside of our mouths." Tim pointed.

"Ok, that doesn't sound so bad. Do we have to do it today?"

"Yes, the CPS people are insisting."

Andy paled, "They're going to take us away, me and Sean!"

Tim led both of them to the sofa and sat them down. "We don't know that and they won't be doing the DNA test, NCIS will. My boss and a bunch of attorneys are working to buy us time so we can all stay together."

"What if that doesn't work?"

"The people next door to us are qualified foster parents. If it doesn't work then the people that are helping us will place you two with them until we get this straightened out. They're really nice, friends of ours." He frowned. "And your mother needs to know all this."

Damian nodded, "I'll go wake her."

"Thanks."

Andy was trying very hard not to cry but when his dad pulled him and Sean into his arms, he gave up and let go. He sobbed, "I don't want to go, I want to stay with you and Mama and Anna, Gemma, Jorry and Zoe! And Poppy and Nonnie and the uncles and everybody else. I don't want to go!"

Tim held him, rocking them both. Anna crept up and grabbed his hand, holding on. Sean didn't know what was happening but if Andy wasn't happy, he wasn't either; he started crying and then his new mama was holding him and his new brother Jorry was handing him his stuffed Thomas to hold onto. The kids gathered around and tried to comfort their new brothers.

When Tim's phone rang, he had to move an arm from around Andy to pull it out from his pocket. Andy shifted a little, still huddling into his shoulder. "McGee."

"Mr. McGee, this is Agent Harry Strausborg; I'm in the MCAS Miramar office to do your DNA test. How soon will you be here with Timothy Andrew and Sean Michael Blair?"

Tim swallowed hard before replying "In 90 minutes."

"Very well, I'll see you all then."

"Uh, Agent Strausborg, my wife, brother-in-law and godparents will be with us."

"Do any of them work with you?"

"No."

"That's fine, thank you for telling me; I will need IDs from all of them to allow them in the building and I'll alert the front gate."

"Of course." Tim hung up.

Liz was pursing her lips in thought, "How about Penny and I stay to help the kids and Matt?"

"All right."

Tim could see that Lina had a lot of questions; he figured they could talk while they were getting dressed. "Damian, I haven't had a chance to ask you if you'll drive but I figure you know the directions and the roads."

Damian nodded, "Certainly."

"Then I guess Lina and I need to get dressed; we'll be ready to go in 10 minutes." The couple let Andy and Sean climb off of them, kissing them both and headed upstairs.

Liz looked around, "Have you all had lunch?"

Matt made a noise, "Yeah, we brought it but Lina hardly ate anything and Tim inhaled his."

"I think I'll make some sandwiches, they might want them on the way home."

Anna went with her Aunty and Uncle Dave to show them where things were.

Upstairs, Tim apologized to Lina, "I'm sorry hon, Vance called and told Matt to wake me up, I was trying to let you sleep and then things snowballed." He explained about CPS and Lina frowned, "But we had their signoff. Who is doing this?"

"I don't know, I didn't think to ask the names. Come on, let's finish getting dressed and I'll call Leon from the car."

"Not Joel?"

"No, Vance is being very cautious with this, no one in NCIS who has anything to do with me can be involved."

"Oh."

Tim smirked, "However, the agent they've sent to do the DNA test works for Lydia."

"London Lydia, who came to our wedding? Is that a show of support?"

"Yeah, it probably is, Blumquist has agents closer than Yuma – for one thing the agents normally assigned to the office where we're going! I don't know Strausborg, never worked with him or talked to him before today." He paused, "Leon told me that when the coroners examined the bones that were supposed to be Patrick's, they said that future technology would likely yield more specific results."

"And that was not Jimmy or your grandfather?"

"Correct."

"So nobody did anything further about the possibility of Patrick being alive."

"Also correct." He sighed, "If I'd pushed for the case to be reviewed when I started at the agency…"

"Or if your father had not brought Natalie into the house without having her cleared."

"Yeah, I guess we could go back and forth. It all comes down to Natalie."

"Yes, my love and I'm glad you see that."

"Hard not to take it on myself."

"You can't do that, Tim!"

He nodded and taking her hand, they walked back downstairs. Once they were all ready, Liz handed them a bag of sandwiches and snacks. "I know you won't want to eat before but I thought you might want something on the way home."

Lina kissed her and Penny, "At some point I'm going to find out how you three magically appeared."

With that, the group left, taking the van. Sean rode in the backseat in Jorry's car seat along with Andy and their parents. Uncle Dave sat in front with Damian.

While they traveled, Tim sent a text to Vance about CPS and wasn't surprised when his phone rang. "You're on speaker; I've got a member of our Legal Department here with me."

"All right, we're on our way to MCAS, Miramar. Melina's brother Damian is driving as he knows the area, my godfather, Admiral David Crane is with us: Andy, Sean, Melina and me."

"Ok. I've been advised I can legally tell you the name of the CPS official trying to block your custody arrangement. His name is Shamus Meuller."

The name sounded familiar and he said so and then sat quietly, thinking. Finally it hit him. "Spelled M-e-u-l-l-e-r?"

"Yes."

"Oh boy. In 2003, after I'd started work at NCIS, I helped put together a list of grievances against a CPS employee. I was not one of the accusers but he'd been responsible for a lot of the garbage that went on during our lives on the street, he was one of the reasons the camp kids hid from CPS."

"Was your name on the grievances?"

"As an investigator, yes."

"An investigator?"

"Yes, I had been through FLETC and had additional training, this is all in my file, you have my permission to check, and by that time some of my fellow street kids and I wanted to do what we could to clean up the system, to make it safe for the kids who came after us to go into foster care. I was hired as a consultant by the PD for the purpose of doing preliminary investigations of the grievances. As I said, the whole thing is in my file."

Vance cleared his throat, "It's sealed, Tim, looks like Shepard sealed it."

Tim swore in Greek. Andy's eyes widened, he didn't know the language but he recognized a swear when he heard it.

"You have my permission to unseal it, Director and please leave it unsealed. And someday I'm going to write a book about…things."

Vance's droll voice answered, "I can't wait to read that, Agent McGee."

"After I retire."

"Thank you for that."

"And I'll move her to a different agency."

"Excellent, I'm liking this better and better. All right, we have that opened; Attorney Carrolton will take a look."

"Haven't finished sir. The employee named in those grievances was named Shamus Meuller."

"You think he saw your name this week and recognized a chance for revenge?"

"Possible. I was transferred onto Gibbs' team after the grievance was filed with the DA's office; I followed it for a little while but I have no idea whether anything ever happened with it."

Carrollton spoke, "After this is over, perhaps we can chat about that, Agent McGee, but for now, I need to get busy. Once I've confirmed everything, we'll be filing an injunction against him."

Vance leaned into the speaker, "Go ahead with the DNA test, Timothy, I know you were going to have them done anyway."

"Yes sir, thank you…both of you!"

"Let us know when you're done and out of the office, don't want that agent to hear anything."

"Understood." Tim leaned back and exhaled a sigh of relief. If this was personal and how many Shamus Meullers could there be in CPS nationwide, then the agency would get the custody block lifted.

"Who's Shamus Meuller?"

"Someone I hope none of us will ever have to deal with again. Everyone, what you heard me say is a secret. It's not classified but it needs to be secret."

Andy nodded and held up his pinky. Tim grinned at him, "Did your sister teach you that?"

"Yes."

They did a pinky swear, Tim reveling in the probability that Patrick had taught Sarah Hope their most solemn oath. Then Andy looked at him, "That was a swear wasn't it?"

Tim nodded while the others chuckled. "Yes and when we get home I'll put $5 in the swear jar."

"$5?"

Lina laughed, "Yes, Andy, it's $1.00 for each person that hears the swear."

"Wow. What happens to the money?"

Lina chuckled, "The plan is to use it for special treats for the family but there's only $10 in there now, so we've been waiting."

Andy turned to his dad, "So you don't swear much or you wait until everyone's asleep or gone?"

Uncle Dave responded, "It takes a lot to make him angry, Andy, so he doesn't swear much."

Damian nodded, "That's right, nephew, and I believe he only swore today because he is very tired, sad, worried and frustrated."

"I'm sorry son. I try very hard not to swear but that did slip out."

"You were mad at someone."

"Yes, but that's no excuse."

"Was she mean to you?"

"Yes she was."

"That's not nice."

"No it wasn't but she's not around anymore so we don't have to worry about her."

On the other side of Sean, Lina muttered something under her breath and Tim murmured something across the car. "Hey was that Greek too?"

"Nope, that was Polish; your Uncle Ned taught it to us."

"Were they bad words?"

Tim laughed, "No; well yes but they aren't swear words."

"Ok. Anna's going to teach me some Greek."

"Good and we can help with that. It's a great language."

Lina noticed that Tim seemed in a better mood and hoped that he'd had good news. Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, he turned and smiled at her. It wasn't an "everything's all better" smile but it was one full of hope. She smiled back and relaxed. Watching them in the baby mirror, Dave chuckled to himself as Andy copied their postures and also started to relax. That was good, something must have happened.

They arrived at the Marine Air Station and after careful perusal of their Ids, were given directions to the building the NCIS office was in and waved through the front gate. They found the building without too much trouble and Tim knocked on the front door. A man emerged; looked through the window and then held up his badge and Id. Tim nodded, held up his and then Uncle Dave held up his driver's license and Navy ID while Lina and Damian held up their passports and drivers licenses. The man looked like he was holding back a smile as he unlocked the door. "Thanks. All right, I need Timothy Andrew Blair, Sean Michael Blair and Timothy Gibbs McGee to follow me."

Andy's shoulders slumped at the use of that last name but his dad patted his shoulder and whispered, "Never give up, Andy, never give up!"

They followed the man into the interrogation room. Tim hooked an eyebrow and the man said, "Only private room with a table." He nodded and asked that they do his cheek swab first so the kids could see that it didn't hurt. Technically he didn't need to submit another sample as his DNA was already in the system, but he thought it would be easier on the children if they could see him having the same test as them and Vance didn't have a problem with that. Now the agent agreed to Tim's request and swiftly did it, putting the swab into an evidence bag and labeling it. He followed the same procedure with Andy and finished up with Sean who didn't like it and cried, holding out his arms to his new daddy. Tim picked him up, "It's all done now, Seanie, no more."

With a smile, the agent pulled out three juice boxes and Tim and the boys thanked him. They returned to the main room, had their juice boxes and a restroom break and then were on their way home, not wanting to hold the agent up any longer. Tim walked out of the office last and as he walked by the other agent reached out and gave him a pat on the arm. It was so subtly done that the others didn't notice but it did Tim a world of good.

They got back in the car and decided to stop for gas. While Damian filled the tank, Tim called Vance. "We're done and out."

"Good! Now, I have news for you. Carrolton was able to confirm your involvement and he found what happened to Meuller; I've been told I may legally tell you that he was essentially allowed to leave the city and the state of Maryland without facing any charges. An injunction to cease and desist has already been filed and warrants have been signed to search and seize office and home as we are now investigating him."

Tim nodded, "Good. And I'll be contacting an attorney for my own protection. I want to explore a suit against the MD DA and the state office here who hired him apparently without due diligence. I'm betting he hasn't changed his ways. And I'll probably file a restraining order."

"Good, although I'm not sure I should know any of that."

"Oops."

"The agency will continue working on this until it is resolved, it falls under case operations. And," Vance sighed "until we get every thread tied up."

"Good."

"Hang on, Carrolton's on my office phone, gonna put him on speaker." He punched the button and the attorney's voice was heard. "Director, the head of the agency in California has signed off on the McGees' custody arrangement; there will be an official written apology to the family. Meuller has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation."

Tim spoke up, "Mr. Carrolton, I'm going to apply for a restraining order."

The man cleared his throat, "Agent McGee, we took the liberty of having the judge that signed the warrants also sign a restraining order on behalf of your family."

"Thank you!"

"Are your children accompanied by an adult to and from school?"

"Absolutely. Usually by their armed NCIS agent grandfather but while I'm on leave it'll be me."

"Good and we'll also be in touch with the Preston PD."

Tim chuckled, "Glad to hear it, the Chief is a friend and my next door neighbor."

"Great, that's probably the safest neighborhood in town!"

"I know the drill, just never thought I'd have to apply it to my own family."

"With any luck there will be charges filed and he'll be jailed."

Tim and Vance made derisive noises, "He'll be out on bail in hours."

"Not necessarily. If any of the charges are the same as the original grievances, he won't be granted bail, especially after his revengeful actions against you, a federal agent. This happened as a result of your family's reopened case, Agent McGee, NCIS is on it."

Tim thanked them both and disconnected, squared his shoulders and turned to find his godfather waiting behind him. "Good news?"

"We're clear; boys are ours, no more questions. The…buzzard that pulled the custody agreement did so out of spite…revenge. Can't tell you the rest yet."

Dave snorted, "So I'll read the conspiracy theories online or read the news headlines."

Tim nodded, "Yeah probably. Come on, let's go home." Everyone in the car cheered when he told them the news and they called home to let them know as well. Tim had his phone on speaker and they laughed when they heard the kids and the adults cheering. Andy burrowed into Tim and both of them slept the whole way home.


	189. Chapter 189

CH 189

After finalizing plans with Carrolton and signing off with McGee for the time being, Vance left the office to visit his wounded warriors at Bethesda. He walked into the waiting area where he found Sarah, Maisie, Claire, Jim, Rhea and Gibbs. He heard Tony talking to someone but didn't recognize the other voice. He looked at the group, they all looked tired, bordering on exhausted. He realized that just like Tim and Lina, these people had also had their world rocked with the news about Patrick's survival, death and his children, followed by the news of Maggie's shooting.

He sat next to Gibbs, "How's Maggie doing?"

"They've got her on heavy duty pain meds so she's pretty out of it."

"Probably the best for her right now."

Gibbs nodded, "You talk with Tim today?"

Vance nodded, "Yes."

"He all right?"

Vance snorted, "You think he'd tell _me_ if he wasn't?"

"Meant did he sound all right."

"Exhausted but yeah, he's dealing with things. Think it really helped that Penny and his godparents appeared out of nowhere. Matt and Damian have been there most of the day too." He continued, "And yes the kids are all right."

Gibbs nodded, "Appreciate that. I'll call in a little bit."

"Uh, you might want to wait until tomorrow, he and Lina still hadn't had any sleep, they were just going to do that."

"What were they doing all day?"

Vance sighed; there was no way around it. "Had a problem."

"Who did?"

"We did…well, it was a McGee family problem but the agency took it on."

"And did he have to get involved?"

Vance nodded, "I might as well tell everyone."

"Leon!"

"Everyone's fine, they're together at the house, the situation's been handled and resolved."

Sarah and the others had gathered close. "What happened?"

Vance sighed and held up his hands. "Ok, here's the deal. Something happened; it's been dealt with, it's over. Tim and Lina are finally getting the sleep they need after a horrendous week. I don't have permission from him to tell all of you and I'm not going to wake him up to ask. For now, please take my word that they are all fine, they're all at home."

"Were they not at home?"

Vance looked at the ceiling and at Gibbs who shook his head at him. "Leon."

"Then will you explain to your son why his personal business was told to his family by his boss?"

Gibbs didn't like it but he knew how much Tim hated to have his privacy invaded. He sighed. "No, you're right."

Sarah opened her mouth but her Gram put her hand on her arm. "Leon's right dear, when Timothy is ready to tell us he will. For now we just have to accept that they're all right."

She frowned, "Why wouldn't he tell us?"

Vance turned, "I can tell you that. Everything happened very quickly and then it was over and done with. And knowing your brother as I do, he probably thought you should concentrate on supporting Tony and Maggie."

"But…"

Gibbs tapped Sarah, "No buts Sweet Pea. Have to accept that Tim will tell us when he's ready, just as Maisie says."

She sighed. "Hate that."

Vance looked up as DiNozzo came down the hallway with a man in scrubs, followed by Dr. Mallard. "Hey, look who's taking care of Maggie!"

Gibbs looked surprised and then smiled, "Dr. Pitt, glad you're taking care of our girl."

"Gibbs, it is good to see you, although not under the circumstances."

The others just looked at each other and Tony nodded, "Forgot, didn't know the family back in the day." He pointed to the doctor, "This is Dr. Brad Pitt - the man that saved me from the plague."

People understood then and smiles appeared. Tony continued, "Brad, you know my dad; this is his wife Rhea Ortiz, my sister Sarah McGee, my Grammie, Maisie Mallard, my aunt and uncle, Claire and Jim Hubbard and Leon Vance, Director of NCIS."

Brad looked puzzled but nodded to everyone. "I have lots of questions but let me tell you about Maggie first."

He gave an update, her right lung had been hit but they'd repaired the damage and his prognosis was 100% pulmonary recovery. Once he'd answered their questions about Maggie, he turned to Tony and Gibbs.

"Ok, here goes: Tony, you had no siblings, now you have a sister who has your co-worker's last name; you called Gibbs your dad and this lovely lady is your grandmother? And Rhea Ortiz the artist? I'm confused – and impressed!"

They all laughed and Tony explained. "Sarah started out life as Tim McGee's sister. They added a couple of brothers along the way, Rob and Geordie and a few years ago, they also adopted me as their brother. At the same time, Gibbs adopted the McGee siblings as his kids but he can't adopt me because my old man is still alive."

"Wow! Wait, your grandmother's last name is Mallard."

Ducky chuckled, "Yes dear boy, she's my wife."

"And Tim…and everyone else's grandmother?"

"Yes."

"So, Ducky, you're their step grandpa?"

Sarah laughed, "Oh no, we have the DNA tests to prove it, he's our grandfather and Gram is our grandmother."

They just smiled at the doctor and he nodded. "Ok…so where's Tim?"

Vance spoke up, "He has his own team in Southern California."

Gibbs added, "Plus a wife and 6 kids."

"Six…wow." Pitt remembered something else and asked, "Did he marry…"

Sarah, Tony, Gibbs stopped him, "No!"

Sarah continued, "He's married to a wonderful woman he met in Greece."

"Greece, that's exciting! Guess things have really changed for you guys."

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, they sure have. Tony, haven't seen the Colonel in a couple of hours."

"He's in Maggie's room; he fell asleep so they're letting him stay for awhile."

Vance looked around, "Has anyone seen Kayla or Ross? I thought we were meeting here."

Kayla was attending Waverly and to her father's surprise was seeing Ross. She claimed they were 'just friends' but her father wasn't buying that. At least he knew the young man, what kind of person he was, his family and what kind of upbringing he'd had.

Sarah nodded, "They went down to the cafeteria, said they were starving."

Vance rolled his eyes. "Guess they'll wander back at some point." He huffed a little, "I'm going to see Wilson, have you seen his wife today?"

Claire nodded, "Yes, she came in with us and went straight to her husband's room."

"All right, I'll just pop in and then I'll come back here, so when my daughter comes back..."

"We'll hang onto them."

Nodding at the family, Vance headed for the elevator.

Tony looked around at everyone. "You guys are great for sticking here with me, thank you so much. But I know this has been a traumatic week for the family, I think we should all go home and rest."

"Are you leaving Bro?"

Dr. Pitt spoke up again, "Yes he is. His wife will rest better if no one is leaning over her making sure she's breathing." Tony shrugged. Gibbs slung an arm around his son's shoulders. "C'mon son, you come home with Rhea and me."

"Uh…where, Dad?"

"Penny's."

"Ok, but shouldn't we ask?"

Sarah giggled, "She's in California, Tony. She, Liz and Dave flew out when Dad and Rhea got here, they're at Tim's."

Tony exhaled a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good, because they have the two new kids now, I was worried about that. How old are they again?"

Gram answered, "Andy is 10 and Sean Michael is 3."

"3, isn't that Jorry's age?"

"Yes."

"Yikes, two three year old boys!"

Sarah threw in, "Evan is thrilled to hear there's a boy his own age in the family. Wanted to know if we could go visit."

Her father looked at her, "Well?"

"We'll see them in Greece this summer."

"Yeah I suppose so, of course there's no Disneyland or Sea World in Greece."

"Dad!"

"Just saying, you can stay at the big house, although I bet Audrey would want to stay with Anna and Gemma and Evan and Adam might want to hang out with Andy."

"Or you all stay at our place, works for…" he turned around and looked at Rhea who was laughing. "Yes Jethro, of course! It'd be fun to have the Powell gang visit!"

"We can't do both Greece and San Diego!"

"Why not? Your books are doing well and James is doing well."

"The house…"

Claire interrupted her, "The house is the house, Sarah and it's a wonderful thing you all are doing. But Tim and Lina won't be in Southern California forever and your kids won't be the perfect age for Disneyland forever either." She tapped her niece's arm, "It's not just the homeless children who need you; it's also the children you've already brought home. Spoil them while and when you can because they'll be up and out of your house before you know it."

Gram nodded in agreement.

"All right, I'll talk to James; it does sound like fun."

Grandfa hummed a little, "They bought an annual family pass to Disneyland you know. And we bought one for the San Diego Zoo. So you would not have to pay for either venue. Just your airfare and personal expenses."

She laughed, "Don't suppose I could persuade everyone to go so we could do another charter?"

They shook their heads and Tony added, "I don't even know if we'll be able to make it to Greece this summer."

Brad, who had been talking with a staff member, looked up. "When are you going?"

"July."

"Maggie will be well enough to go by then. You'll have to make arrangements for her physical therapy but she'll be mobile and probably very restless. If she can keep her arm immobile on the flight, the trip would probably do her a world of good."

Rhea smiled at Tony, "I know an excellent physical therapist in Athens, in fact he's the one Matt and Tim saw when they were injured."

"And we'll have three doctors with us, son."

"That's true, although Rob won't be on the flight."

"No but your grandfather and Jimmy will be."

"Yeah, that's a really good point. Well, don't have to think about it now."

Kayla and Ross appeared, said hello to everyone and then sat waiting for Kayla's father. Several of the others noticed they were holding hands when they walked in, 'just friends' indeed! Leon returned a few minutes later and the three of them left. The others packed up their belongings and headed to their respective homes. Jim and Claire followed Sarah as Ainsley and Callum were at the Powell home, babysitting their cousins while Sarah was at the hospital and James at work.

XXX

Pete and the others had been relieved to hear that Maggie and her teammate were doing as well as could be expected, although Pete was afraid her career as a field agent was done. He wanted to talk with Tim after the news about Patrick and the kids but he'd seen the exhaustion in his friend and thought he'd wait a few days. After all, Tim would likely be taking family leave so he'd be around home for awhile. Pete snorted to himself, at least he'd be home in the mornings; he remembered Tim coming into the office during previous leaves. He sent him an e-mail asking if he'd have time for a Skype call, just to chat, in the next few days.

After that, Pete thought about the rest of Tim's family. He knew Davos and Hélène would be very concerned but they were scheduled to leave for their visit in a month or so, he didn't think they'd change that. Rob was really the one Pete was concerned about; he figured the Kalivas' would have already reached out to him and Ned, but he wanted to let Tim's youngest brother know he and Trina were thinking of them too. He talked to Trina and then sent a text to Rob and Ned asking them for dinner Sunday night. It was last minute but he hoped it would at least let the guys know they were thinking of them.

When Rob and Ned got the text, Ned was trying to dissuade Rob from hopping on the next flight to San Diego. "He's hurting, Ned and I'm not there for him, I should be there, he's _always_ there for me!"

Ned was happy to hear his partner's concern for his brother; it was refreshing to hear and he was glad his mother, Jethro and Rhea, Hélène and Davos had called to talk, to make sure both of them were handling this all right. However Rob could ill afford to be away from his work right now. He was approaching the end of the first phase of his residency and there would be important evaluations happening over the next few weeks, including the week coming up. Ned knew Tim would be upset by Rob throwing all his hard work aside to fly to his side and he didn't think Tim needed any more upset at this time. First the news about Patrick and then Maggie and Wilson's shooting.

Ned sat down heavily; he'd been fighting his emotions about that ever since they'd heard. They were his friends, his former teammates, he should have been there. He was grateful they'd both survived but like the other Feds in the family, he was afraid Maggie's career would have to take a new direction. Rob wanted to go to Tim; Ned felt the pull of his injured teammates, _former_ teammates. He sighed and Rob looked at his partner, "Are you all right?"

"Thinking about Maggie and Wilson. And Tim and everything happening at once."

Rob sat next to him and they held onto each other. Rob's phone was on the coffee table in front of them so when Pete's text arrived, they looked there first. Ned nodded, "We should go, they're concerned about us and we'll feel better. I always feel better after seeing the Russells."

Rob nodded. "Yeah, me too. All right and then tomorrow night I want to call Tim."

"Why don't you send him an e-mail so he'll be awake in the morning?"

Rob sighed, "I've loved living here Neddy; but it's starting to feel like its time to go home."

Ned nodded, "Need to have a whole year in as Team Lead, hon, before I can transfer."

"That's all right, as long as we know and we're planning."

They answered Pete in the affirmative and then decided to drive to the coast for a long walk; fresh air always felt good and they'd go to Pete and Trina's from there.

XXX

Geordie was painting their guest bedroom when the news had arrived about Maggie, so he hadn't seen the text until he was cleaning up and realized he hadn't checked his phone in hours. Bec and her team were wrapping up a case; they'd decided to get their preliminary reports done tonight. Not knowing when his wife would be home, he'd thrown together a meal in the slow cooker before he tackled the painting.

When he saw a text from Sarah, he opened it and then paled when he saw the news. Standing in the bathroom, still in his paint spattered clothes, he called his sister. When she answered, he choked out, "How is she, Sarah, how's Maggie?"

"She's still in surgery but Jimmy says they got to her in time, she's out of danger."

Geordie sighed, "Thank God! And the other guy…Wilson?"

"Shot in the gut but they got to him in time too. Jimmy said they had to give him blood but he's going to make it."

"How's Tony holding up?"

"He's…I don't know. He's kind of acting like old Tony, kind of silly, but Tim says that's because he's overwhelmed by his emotions so he's trying to hide them…or something."

"Dad?"

"He and Rhea are on their way."

"Which leaves Tim and Lina with the whole Patrick thing and two new kids, without any of us."

"No, Geo. Damian and Matt are there and Penny, Aunty Liz and Uncle Dave are flying out as soon as Dad and Rhea get here."

"Geez, I keep forgetting Daim and Matt are so close by. That's good though, I know the guys will help with the kids but Tim's gonna need the others."

"Yeah and I think Penny really needs to see the boys. She's having a hard time with this."

"Harder than Gram?"

"Seems like it, maybe because Penny lost Grandpa Nelson, Dad and Uncle Mark, Tim, Patrick and me all in a short space of time; only if someone had poked into it they would have found the three of us. And Gram had Uncle Jim and Grandpa Drew."

"This is pissing you off too."

"Not especially fond of NCIS right now."

"Wasn't the people we know."

"Yeah but they did a really shitty job on our case so if they did that, what else is out there?"

"Yeah, thought about that and I'm damn sure Tim has too. Just…Sarah, don't say that to Tim, please. He's probably blaming himself for not getting them to open the case when he joined."

"That's ridiculous! It's not the victim's responsibility to solve a case."

"I agree but he's going to see that he's a Federal Agent, Patrick was alive and he should have pushed harder to have the case reopened."

"Except we didn't want him too, remember? We said, all of us, that it was ancient history and we were all right and moving on, that his career was more important."

"Yes, I remember, how could I forget that now?"

"So we all screwed up, Geo."

"Two things, Sari: 1) Patrick and his wife died way too young, I grant you that, but it sounds like he was loved and cherished, what life he had was good. 2) IF the case had been reopened back then, would Natalie have found you and Tim and killed all three of you? The hit and run driver that ultimately killed Patrick and his wife may very well have been Natalie or hired by Natalie. If she found Patrick, she could have found you two."

"I hadn't thought of that, Geo. God, I'm so glad she's taken care of."

"Dead."

"Huh?"

"You can say the words, Sarah, you're glad she's dead. So am I, so is Tim, so is Rob, so are Penny, Gram and the others."

"Ok, I'm glad she's dead."

"Something else and from what Bec said the other day Vance is opening an inquiry into Patrick's death. What caused Natalie to take action after all those years?"

"You think Patrick found something or was doing something that caught her attention?"

"Could be, almost seems like it has to be, if Natalie was responsible for the hit and run that killed him. From what Tim told me, she was the one that made sure Patrick got medical attention and then she visited him a few times. So she might have known that Hope Blair adopted Patrick McGee. She might have kept tabs on him the rest of his life. She did on you two until she believed you were dead."

"Oh geez, so she let Patrick live until he did or saw something that scared her into killing him?"

"Maybe."

"So in that case, I see what you mean, all three of us, heck even you and Rob might have been in danger if we'd found Patrick."

"Yeah."

"That's scary thinking but I see your point. Now you need to talk to Tim about it."

"And I will, but not right now, he's got enough going on."

They disconnected, feeling better about Maggie and with even more mixed feelings about the Patrick news.

XXX

Vance wanted a bulldog on the McGees' reopened case and specifically Patrick's death. Now that the immediate CPS problem had been resolved, he had more leeway with team assignments. For the first time since Jackie and Eli's murders he felt the urge to take on the investigation himself. He sighed, knowing he couldn't do that. He needed someone with excellent investigative skills, the tenacity of a pit bull along with some people skills to deal with the local police and step lightly through any local politics. He shook his head; that described several of his best agents but, unfortunately, they couldn't be assigned to this case. One was Tim himself, one was in the hospital and the third, fourth, fifth and sixth agents were part of the McGee clan. Not to mention he really should assign this to a western team but not anyone in Joel's shop. They needed this to be absolutely clean. He smiled, not in Joel's _current_ chain of command. He made a phone call and was happy with the enthusiastic response. The assigned team would start first thing in the morning, getting to work on the crime that had killed Patrick McGee Blair and his wife Laurel, leaving two children orphaned, a mother bereft of her beloved son and managed to once again shatter the McGee family. He almost hoped Natalie had been responsible, that might make it slightly less messy. He wondered what Patrick had seen, done or said that had triggered the need to silence him. He sighed again and e-mailed Will Brown in Petrero to let him know another team would be working in Monterey at some point and although they might need to share some office resources, the Petrero team was not to work the case or talk about anything they might mistakenly hear. Vance figured after they solved Patrick's death they'd go back over the rest of the McGee case with a fine-tooth comb. He pulled the autopsy report and made some notes.

XXX

Finally back at the house, Lina, Tim and the others discovered that Liz was baking a cake to celebrate and Matt had taken Jorry and Anna to the store to get food for dinner and ice cream to go with the cake. Zoe and Penny were napping and Dave was reading Gemma a story. Her parents gave her, her aunty and uncles a kiss each before sitting down in the family room with them. Matt and the kids came in a few minutes later, happy to see them home. Penny joined them and then Zoe woke up smiling at her parents and new brothers. Sean and Andy were surrounded by their new loved ones as they sat down to their first ever Aunty Liz made dinner. Remembering Tim's favorite comfort food from his childhood, she'd made meatloaf, fresh green beans and mashed potatoes. And just as she had when he was a small boy, she hid two other vegetables in the meatloaf. She knew she didn't have to as none of Tim and Lina's children were picky eaters, but it made her feel good. Dave made the mashed potatoes; it was just about his only culinary talent, although he could handle scrambled eggs if he had to.

They sat down to dinner and the children reached out their hands to the adults to say grace. Tim looked at his godfather, "Uncle Dave, would you please do the honors tonight?" The Admiral nodded and holding Gemma's hand on one side and Liz's on the other, he gave thanks for their family, the love they shared and for the food they were about to enjoy, adding extra prayers for Andy and Sean's grandmother and Maggie and Wilson's recovery. Tim felt his shoulders relax, he was home with Lina and all of their children; they were safe and loved, together. All was well.


	190. Chapter 190

CH 190

When Tim woke up Sunday, he found he had e-mails from nearly the entire East Coast contingent of the McGee clan. He scrolled through them and then saw one from Vance with a subject that said: "Read First, Please!" He read it and shaking his head, sent a group e-mail out to everyone explaining what had happened the day before, ending it by saying they were tired but together and he hoped they would accept his explanation as none of them wanted to talk about it just yet. His laptop pinged less than 3 minutes later and he huffed. He spotted Anna curled up on the sofa reading and asked her to round up her brothers and sisters. They came running in, helping Zoe, and laughing, he gathered them close. "Your Poppy and Nonnie are missing you all, they want to see your sweet faces!" He accepted the call and saw the worried face of his father. "Hey Dad, how are Maggie and Wilson?"

"They're doing all right. Maggie sat up for the first time today and Dwayne is being weaned from his IVs; they say he's past the danger of infection so that's good news and his kids finally got to see him today. How are all of you?"

"We're fine, we're all here, well Lina's still asleep, but we wanted to show you our bright shiny faces!"

His father nodded, "Love you all very much."

"Love you too Poppy!"

Andy gave him a shy smile while Sean watched what Jorry did and copied him. Nonnie appeared and the kids and their grandparents talked for awhile. They dispersed after their mother came downstairs and told them it was time to get dressed. Leaving Zoe with their parents, they headed upstairs. After Lina said hello to everyone, Poppy spoke again, "Forgot to tell you, Dr. Pitt was one of Maggie's physicians during her surgery. She'll probably be released Tuesday. Tony's taking the week off and her dad will stay on after he goes back to work, to help out, drive her to doctor's appointments and physical therapy. We're staying over a few days; we'll spend some time with the Powells, Mallards, Hubbards and Palmers – we'll head home next Monday."

Tim nodded, "That's good. If you see the Doc again, tell him hello from me and thanks for helping Maggie!" He took a sip of coffee, "I sure wish you could talk Sarah and James into coming out here for their Easter vacation, I know Andy and Sean would love to meet their cousins and we'd all love to see them."

"Working on it," Gibbs chuckled, "and Claire's helping me."

"Good!" Tim looked at his dad, "You trust we're ok now?"

"Yeah son, just had to see you, all of you; that's a dad's prerogative!"

The family spent most of Sunday at the beach, walking and playing at the shoreline. Tim and Lina were caught up with their sleep and feeling much better. The children had been told a sanitized version of what had happened yesterday and were glad the 'bad guy' had been busted. Andy was starting to relax again and he spent some time with Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz. Raised by his grandmother, he was used to being around older adults and felt comfortable with them.

He would start school Tuesday as his parents had forgotten that Monday was a school holiday. When he'd unpacked his clothes the other day his mom had looked at them and said they'd go shopping for clothes for him and Sean on Monday. Andy didn't know if everyone was going or just him, Sean and their mom, but that was okay, as long as he could be with this family, their new family, he was fine with whatever they wanted to do. He knew he needed new jeans, his were too short now and his sneakers had holes in them. Sean needed new clothes too; the ones he had weren't very nice and they seemed to be either too small or too large. His parents said that once Sean was comfortable with the idea, he could go to daycare. Andy didn't know if Sean would go for that anytime soon but he did seem to be more trusting of the adults now and both of them already loved their new brother and sisters.

Andy was happy about being able to walk on the beach, take his shoes off and play in the water or walk in the sand. His grandmother hadn't liked them to go barefoot so this was a real treat and at their old house the closest beach was a bit of a drive so they hadn't gone very often and not at all since Grandma had gotten sick. He felt sad thinking about her, he missed her. He'd stopped for a minute and felt that comforting large hand on his shoulder, "I know you miss her, Andy. You loved your grandmother very much and she loved you. It hurts to lose someone."

"How long does it hurt?"

His dad huffed, "I don't know, son. I still hurt from losing my brother and father when I was your age."

"Oh."

"It doesn't feel the same as it did then, not as sharp and hurting like it probably does for you now."

Andy whispered, "There's all these good things happening but I miss her so much. She was sick for a long time but I still remember what it was like before."

"That's good, kiddo. You know what you could do? Write down all your memories, the good ones and the bad ones and the ones in between. That will help you remember them and later you can look at them."

"Like a diary?"

"Yeah, Patrick and I called them journals. We both wrote them, I have some of his if you'd like to read them sometime."

"My grandma said my dad wrote everything down."

"Huh, so we can look through the boxes too. That's good, Andy."

Andy just nodded and continued walking on the beach, his dad's hand still on his shoulder.

As promised, Lina and Aunt Liz took Andy and Sean shopping the next day. The boys got new everything, from the skin out. Liz watched Lina pick colors for the two, with an artist's eye for their eye, hair and skin tones and all still in line with their gender and ages. Lina told her later she'd exchanged e-mails with Breena, Sarah, Chloe and Margaret about what brands and styles boys between 9 and 11 were wearing these days.

While they were shopping, Tim had a call from the NCIS attorney. "Agent McGee, I thought I'd give you an update. As we were told would happen, Meuller is now being investigated by his agency not only for his actions against your family but they're also looking into his behavior and actions with others. He's been told not to leave town, so to speak, and knows about the restraining order against him. I spoke with Chief Hardister a few minutes ago; he's also going to inform the county sheriff's department."

"Thank you Mr. Carrolton. I hate to even ask this, but is the media aware of it yet?"

"I'm told Mr. Meuller's agency will keep as tight a lid on this as possible and NCIS wants that as well. Having said that, I'm also sure word will seep out at some point this week. However, your family's names will remain anonymous, that's state law."

Tim sighed, "Let's hope everyone concerned is aware of that!"

"We'll be watching for any slips."

When he was done with the call, Tim rolled his shoulders in an attempt to release some of the tension and then relaxed when he felt his godfather's hands on them, giving him a shoulder rub.

"It'll be all right, son."

"Hope so, Uncle."

By the time the shoppers got home, Tim had had a chat with Pete and the two friends felt better for having connected. Pete was relieved to see that the haunted look in Tim's eyes was gone and he seemed almost back to his old self. Tim also spoke with Nick Hardister and between his friends and his godfather, he was feeling less stressed although he was still sad and confused about Patrick. He made lunch for all of them and then he and Uncle Dave took Andy, Sean and Jorrin to get their hair cut.

Tim drove Andy, Anna and Gemma to school on Tuesday, insisting on walking them inside the building. When he got home, he and Lina drove Jorrin and Sean to daycare. They weren't pushing Sean to stay all day as Jorrin did; this was an introductory visit so he could see what happened there and meet some of the children and the adults. Sean walked in with Jorrin but as soon as he saw the other children and the adults he got scared and hid behind his parents. Luckily the daycare providers were used to scared and shy children and he soon sat comfortably on his daddy's lap with his mama right next to them while he watched everything going on. Little Jorry, kind soul that he was, brought some of his friends over to meet his new brother and tried to tempt him with some of his favorite toys. Sean was all right as long as he was watching but he didn't want to stay. That was fine for today and his parents remembered Gemma's initial reluctance two years ago.

After lunch, Tim went in to work for a couple of hours before he picked Gemma up from school, returning for Anna and Andy later. The rest of the week followed the same pattern. They stayed close to home over the weekend, going no farther than the beach and the big house. Andy liked the new school and was already making friends.

XXX

Eva and Kim were worried about Tim finding out that his brother had been alive but they knew there wasn't really anything they could do from here. However Eva also had news to share, news she'd been keeping to herself for weeks as things were worked out. After she told the others, she told Caleb that she wanted to contact Tim and Lina. Caleb smiled, "Yes, love, that's a wonderful idea. I hope both of them will be pleased for us." They sent an e-mail asking to talk to their friends online and were happy to receive an answer almost right away. When the time came, they expressed sympathy for the mess with Patrick and asked after the new boys. Tim and Lina answered and then smilingly asked for their news. Eva's eyes lit up, "We're moving to London!"

"What? How…when?"

Caleb explained, "The British Museum contacted the Benaki about putting some of our artifacts on exhibit at the Brit. The Benaki gave them conditions and one of those is that a curator from the Benaki will accompany the artifacts and remain with them while they are away from Greece. The Brit agreed and I was selected, so we're going!"

"Wow, that's fantastic! When are you leaving and for how long, do you know?"

"The exhibit is to run at least one year, possibly longer. The legalities are all taken care of, the next step requires me to oversee the packing and shipping of the artifacts and once that's done, we'll go. The exhibit will open in June and will take time to set up, so I'll need all the time I can get!"

Eva added, "Evander is working with people he knows to find us an apartment, I mean a flat, in London. The contract with the British Museum calls for them to provide 30 days temporary housing - we just hope that will be long enough!"

"I'm sure that it will be and this is wonderful!" Lina looked at Tim and then at their friends, "We're so excited for you both and for the children!"

"It does mean we won't be here this summer for your anniversary party."

Tim nodded, "We understand and there will be other times."

Eva smiled, "We still have our travel funds, perhaps when Caleb is done with the exhibit in a year, we'll finally be able to visit you."

"Come in the winter, we'll warm you up after London!" They talked for a little while longer before disconnecting.

The McGees sat and talked about the news for a little while. Lina told Tim, "I'm so happy for Caleb – and proud of him! This is a quite a feather in his cap – a big deal for him – to be entrusted with priceless artifacts outside of the country and for so long!"

Tim grinned, "Yeah I was thinking it must be – and to think we knew Caleb as a graduate student, but then we've always known he's brilliant! How would you describe what he'll be doing?"

Lina thought for a moment, "When he was first hired by the Benaki, it was as an exhibition designer and he also worked as a public educator based on his dissertation. And then of course he was promoted to collections manager before Alitta was born. Now he will manage the moving and set up and then the display itself and it sounds like he will also be the public voice of the exhibition. I'd say this is combination of positions; call it curator-collections manager-public educator."

"Oh yeah, that's definitely something to brag about!"

"I'm glad Eva sounds excited, this will be a big move for her."

Tim nodded proudly, "She's quiet and shy but also very interested in a lot of things and I bet she's looking forward to exploring London with the kids. And she'll probably be able to continue with NCIS, she can do her work remotely."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that, wonderful!" They talked a little bit longer about the news and the possibility of visiting their friends the next time they were overseas.

XXX

The Gibbses returned home in time for Gemma's 5th birthday. Tim was relieved when she wanted a pool party just like Anna and none of the guests seemed to notice the extra security required because Meuller still had no criminal charges filed against him. The Saturday following the party, the girls spoke with their cousins in Macedonia, talking about their memories of their first family. Anna still remembered their mother and aunt and the barn they'd lived in but the other memories were fading and Gemma remembered almost nothing. Still, they enjoyed visiting with their cousins; those relationships had stayed strong and Besiana and Jak were pleased to meet Andy and Sean. Jak was 9 now and the two older boys hit it off right away. Andy thought it was funny, if frustrating, that there were several kids his age in the family but none of them lived anywhere near them. The next day, the family celebrated the 2nd anniversary of the girls' adoption. Penny watched the children devour their cake and ice cream and said to Liz, "It's a good thing Tim and Lina don't normally let the kids have much sugar because with all the celebrations, they would have cake and ice cream coming out of their ears!" Liz laughingly agreed.

XXX

As March warmed up in San Diego, Sarah, still shivering in Virginia, called her brother and sister-in-law. "Yes, we'll be there for Easter. Please please please have warm weather!"

Lina laughed, "I can't guarantee anything but I'm pretty sure it'll be warm."

Tim snorted, "Even if we have a cold snap, it'll still be warmer than Virginia."

"Very possibly! Now, can we all squeeze into your place?"

"That depends…are George and Edith coming along?"

"Yes."

"Ok, great! We're thinking Audrey can stay with Anna and Gemma, and Evan and Adam with Andy. You two can have the downstairs bedroom and George and Edith can stay over at the big house. There's room for them over there, Dad's already got it all organized."

"Wonderful! How about James and I stay over at the big house and George and Edith stay with you?"

"Nope, house rules, you bring kids with you, you stay with them!"

"All right, just thought I'd try. Next question, if we do…" her voice dropped to a whisper, "Disneyland, how on earth are we going to manage 9 kids?"

Lina laughed, "Reinforcements! That's why God invented grandparents and great-grandparents. Dave and Liz are leaving before you get here, but my parents will be here and they love…that place. So we'll have 3 parents, 6 grands and 1 Great as Penny will go with us."

"9 kids, 10 adults…no Tim?"

"Nope, I gotta work."

"Oh."

Lina laughed, "Sarah, we'll be fine with the way we've planned it. And Tim might be able to take some time off while you're here, but it will likely be parts of a day rather than a whole day. It works better for him that way."

Tim leaned over and kissed his wife's cheek, "Thanks hon."

Sarah laughed, "All right, you guys have been through this so I'll stop worrying!" She promised to let them know their flight number and arrival time, but figured they'd rent a car while they were there. Tim twisted his lips, "Might get a better deal on a rental here in town. We can pick you up at the airport; are you bringing the kids' car seats?"

"Yes, we planned on bringing them. Oh great, this is working out just the way we hoped! I can't wait to meet Andy and Sean in person and see all the kids – and the houses!"

"We can't wait for you to get here! Once you tell us when, we'll tell the kids. They're going to be so excited!"

"We'll let you know soon, James said he'd go ahead and make our reservations tonight."

After they disconnected, Lina and Tim made some plans. After the kids were asleep that night, he called his dad and told him the news. "That's good son, glad they're coming!"

"Yeah, we're really excited about Andy, Adam and Evan meeting!"

"That'll be good for them. Are George and Edith staying with us?"

"Yes."

"Ok, that's…6 rooms, we're all set then. Might have to get a couple more patio chairs, but otherwise we're ready."

"You talk with Tony today?"

"Yeah, just a little while ago. The doctors are weaning Maggie off the heavy duty pain stuff, so that's been tough but she's getting there."

"How's her PT?"

"Just as you'd expect with a severe injury like that – very painful."

"Is her dad still there?"

"Yes, he's going to stay right until we leave for Greece."

"And how's Tony doing with that?"

"He's grateful; they've had back to back cases, says he doesn't know what he'd do without the Colonel."

"You guys would have stayed."

"Yes."

"All right Dad, I gotta go, love you."

"Love you too son, sleep well."

The Cranes left for home a few days later, leaving behind a very grateful family. Penny would stay through the Powells' visit and probably return with them to the East Coast. Ethan Palmer would graduate from middle school at the end of May; the Mallards had decided to stay home this spring and join the McGee clan in the fall, planning to stay for Christmas.

The Powells arrived and as promised Tim picked them up in the minivan. He met them at Baggage Claim, hugging and kissing his niece and nephews and then his sister and brother-in-law and James' parents. "Welcome to sunny, warm California!"

Edith smiled as she hugged him, "I'm still frozen from Virginia!"

They retrieved all the luggage, piled it on a cart and he and James went to bring the van around. James sighed happily, "It feels good to be warm again."

"Yeah, I'll bet. It's been a nice spring here, just enough winter rain and perfect temps now, not too hot yet."

"I meant to ask you in our last phone call, you said you had something about a car to talk about."

"Oh geez, sorry I forgot, got carried away with all the whispering about Disneyland! Yes, our neighbors and friends, the Hardisters, are away on vacation and offered the use of their van. It's big enough for the 7 of you."

"And that's all right?"

"Hey, he's the Chief of Police and he made the offer! What I thought we could do if you feel strange about it is that you can drive our van and we'll drive theirs."

"I think both Sarah and I would be more comfortable with that."

"Since you've never met him, yep I can see that. That works fine; we'll do the seat swap at some point before Monday."

"And both vans will go to Disney?"

"Yes and you might need a 3rd car for the adults, have to see how much room there is left in the vans."

"Wow!"

"Yep, still getting used to that, it's a big change from 4 kids, 2 adults to 6 kids, 2 adults."

"Are the boys doing all right?"

"Andy is, yes. He's enjoying school, has a couple of friends who live nearby and now he can't wait to meet Evan and Adam! It's Sean we're worried about. He's doing okay overall but he's still not willing to go to daycare and that's going to be a strain at some point; he has some behavior problems which Jorry is starting to pick up. I know 'boys will be boys' but they've come close to crossing the line. Lina has her own career and Zoe and Jorrin are already in daycare part-time and loving it. If Rhea, Dad and Penny hadn't stepped up, we would have more of a problem. We're thinking about taking him to a child psychologist."

"He's not too young?"

"No, he'll be 4 in September; he's a couple months older than Jorry."

"And at that age he'd normally be going to pre-school."

Tim nodded in agreement. They were back at the terminal by now and the two men jumped out to load the kids and the luggage. They were home in a few minutes. Sarah grinned when she saw Lina, Dad and Rhea standing at the front door. As she exited the van, Lina called, "Better hurry, the children are about to burst from excitement!"

As the 3 older McGee kids walked out the front door, the 3 Powell children spilled out of the van. While Andy hung back, his sisters hugged their cousins and then Andy, Evan and Adam introduced themselves and grinned. Their parents and the grands watched them fondly and then Sarah frowned, "Uh, aren't you missing some children?"

Lina huffed, "The boys are upstairs and Penny is giving Zoe a bath. They decided it would be fun to paint their little sister."

Tim frowned and she shook her head, they could talk about it later. "It's only watercolors but they know better."

Tim took a breath. "All right, let's get the luggage sorted and then we can deal with the…" he stopped himself in time, not wanting the other kids to hear him refer to Jorry and Sean as the Terrible Twins. That old nickname from Gemma's earlier years, and truthfully it originated with Sarah and Rob during their youth, had resurfaced.

Once the luggage was in the right rooms, Gibbs took George and Edith over to the big house to get them settled, while Rhea stayed to help supervise, knowing Tim and Lina wanted to deal with the two younger boys. Jorrin was in his parents' room while Sean was in his, Jorrin and Zoe's room. Lina filled Tim in on their naughty boys and Tim shook his head. "We had that discussion with the two of them about not painting Zoe or themselves, or did I dream that?"

Lina smiled, "Oh yes we did."

"What did you tell them?"

"That they'd been very bad and they would stay in the rooms until we decided on their punishments."

Tim sighed, "We need to make our point with this. I'm thinking we take their favorite toys away for at least a week – and they're not allowed to whine about it."

Lina nodded, "Yes, that's good and they need to apologize to Zoe – and to Penny for giving her extra work to do."

"If they were older, I'd have them do everyone's chores for a week."

Lina laughed softly "Let's hold that for the future."

"Yeah. You know, if Patrick and I had been caught doing something like this, we would have had spankings."

Lina nodded, "Damian and me too."

"Sweetie, I think it's time to get Sean some help."

"It could be Jorry, you know."

"Oh I know he's not perfect but I'm afraid Sean has some underlying problems."

She nodded, "Yes, you're right and he can't go to school behaving like a brat!"

"And what about what we've talked about before, the separate rooms, do you think it's time?"

She nodded, "Yes and I also think it's time for Zoe to move into her own room."

"So we're full upstairs."

"Unless we move Sean in with Andy."

Tim nodded, "If Andy's ok with that; I hate to have him think he's once again responsible for Sean."

Lina took his hand, "I've done some research on large families and it seems that's a common thread for the most successful ones: that the older children help with the younger ones."

"Okay. It'll probably easier to wait until after Easter, even to talk with Andy about it. I really would like him to just enjoy this week."

"Me too - I agree!"

"Just thought of something else, if they don't behave this week, they don't get to go to Disneyland…hmm, no, that's too harsh, let's say, the Zoo, we're there more often."

Lina sighed in relief, "That's better."

"All right, let's go deal with them."

Taking deep breaths, they linked hands and went forth to discipline their naughty boys. If any of the adults noticed that Jorry and Sean were much quieter than usual that night, no one said a word and the other children were so excited about their aunt, uncle and cousins being there they made up for the lack of 3 year old chatter.

By Wednesday James asked Sarah, "Tim and Lina are pretty strict, aren't they?"

Sarah chuckled, "I think they have to be, with 6 kids. You let one get away with something, you've got 5 more ready to let loose."

"Good point."

After thinking about it Sarah said, "I think it's more that they are well organized rather than overly strict. They have rules and the kids know them, everyone has chores to do, for example, even the little boys." She giggled, "Did you hear the voice Tim used in speaking to Gemma last night? That was the voice of my childhood, his "you're about to be in trouble" voice."

"She paid attention too; it looked like she was really thinking about what she was going to do next."

"Yes she did and then he told her he was proud of her. I think they're great with them, I love how he lets them climb all over him."

"Did he do that with you and Rob?"

"Mm, well there was no real floor for him to lie down on, it was the dirty tent floor and no couch to sit on so we could climb all over him, but I remember sleeping on top of him when Robbie and I were still pretty little."

"So, did you like Disneyland better than Disney World?" She huffed and threw a pillow at him; he threw it back and that was the end of the conversation.

XXX

Tim's staff didn't say anything, but they thought he might be a little relieved to come into work that week. Nine children under the age of 11 in one house sounded overwhelming, no matter how many adults they had minding them. Matt and Damian had joined them for a barbecue at the big house on Sunday and Damian laughed all the way home. "My sister always wanted a large family, always! Let's see how she feels after having that many kids in one house for a week!"

Matt huffed, "Not just one week, they're planning on living on the property when they move back East…after the Siblings' home is opened."

"More power to them, that many children is just too much for me…exhausting!"

"You did really well today."

"Thank you love, I channeled my inner Matthew, knowing how well you do with the little ones." He looked at his partner, "Do you ever think of us having children?"

"Uh…sure, yeah, once in awhile. But how would that work? I've got a dangerous job, can be called out at any time and you've got one that has you traveling, away from home for weeks, months at a time. Lina and Tim would end up with the kid or Jethro and Rhea."

Damian sighed, "You're right."

"You want a child, Daim? I never thought you were interested."

"I never did either but then Jorrin came along and then Anna and Gemma and Zoe."

"Andy and Sean."

"I don't know them as well yet, but yes."

"I suppose we could play a more active part with them. Take them places ourselves, have them stay over more often." Matt quickly added, "Not all of them at once! Maybe Andy, Anna and Gemma."

"That sounds good. I don't think I could handle Jorrin and Sean together though."

Matt chuckled, "Those two! Tim's told me a little about their escapades. He said he never really thought he and Patrick were brats but now he's beginning to wonder, says he has a different perspective."

Damian laughed some more before saying, "You're right, love, let's stick with being the cool uncles!"


	191. Chapter 191

CH 191

The Powells thoroughly enjoyed their visit and the Easter celebration, going home with slight tans and lots of happy memories, photos, a souvenir or two, jelly beans and a few chocolate bunnies, but no Penny as she'd decided to stay awhile longer. Evan, Adam and Andy had quickly become good friends, something that made both sets of parents very happy.

The Kalivas' arrived two days later and the family prepared for the more religious and traditional Orthodox Easter. This year they were cooking at the big house and Lina and Tim enjoyed watching Andy and Anna learn how to cook some of the traditional Greek foods. It was a very relaxing day, one they sorely needed. They'd told their folks about their problems with Jorry and Sean and asked for their advice, stating up front that spanking was no longer acceptable. That stumped all five of the older adults. Hélène finally asked what their plans were and they told them. The boys had already been told of the loss of their favorite toys for a week but Tim and Lina were at a loss for what to do next. When he saw Penny biting back a smile, Tim grimaced, "Just say it, how bad were we?"

"With me, you were fine, same with Liz and Maisie. But oh my god you were horrible with Natalie."

Dad retorted, "Was that before or after she beat them half to death?"

Penny closed her eyes and shook her head and Tim winced looking at his dad.

"You're right about that Jethro; we all bear responsibility for leaving them there. But being brats, that was before." Penny quickly added, "Of course, now I know more about her and how she treated you."

"So if you had two boys that bratty and spanking was out, what would you do?"

Davos spoke up, "Separate them! Put them into separate rooms; make sure they're in separate classes in school, work with each one."

Now Hélène was the one biting back a smile as she made pointing gestures to Davos.

"Papa?"

He sighed, "Yes my daughter, my brother Anatoly and I were the ultimate brats of our time. And yes we were struck by our parents but that didn't do much when something fun and naughty presented itself. We'd always shared a room but we lost that privilege and were encouraged to make our own friends."

"You are close now."

He chuckled, "Yes, close but we're not brats together!"

Hélène rolled her eyes, "That is because your wife and sister-in-law won't allow it!"

They talked for a while after that but the conventional wisdom during their parenting years had been spanking which didn't help the McGees now. They spoke with Andy soon after that and he told them that their grandmother Blair had spanked him and Sean when they were bad. He also asked if Sean could share his room, saying he missed having the little guy in the room with him at night.

The following weekend, after the toys had been restored to eager hands, Tim and Lina sat down with Jorrin and Sean. "What do you two have to say after your punishment?"

"Sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

Jorrin looked at his dad, "Because I knew it wouldn't make you and Mama happy, Daddy."

"That's right. So why did you do it anyway?"

Jorrin squirmed and finally said, "It was fun."

Sean just shrugged when they asked him, "Because I wanted to see the colors on Zoe."

"Did you think it might be bad?"

"I don't know."

"All right, here's what we're going to do. Sharing a room together has been a privilege, a special thing we've allowed you to do. But because you can't behave when you're together, you're losing that privilege, that special thing. Sean, you'll be sharing with Andy and Jorry, you'll stay here."

"What about Zoe?"

"She can still share with you." They'd decided not to change too much at once.

Jorrin's lower lip trembled, "I'm sorry."

Sean nodded as he said, "Me too."

Tim looked at Lina and they shrugged as they scooped the boys up into their arms. "We love you both very much, but we don't like bad behavior. You might have hurt Zoe and I know you don't want to do that. And you did something you thought might be bad."

They both shook their heads. Lina led Jorry away while Tim pulled Sean onto his lap. "Sean, there's something I taught Jorry when he was just little, now I'm going to teach you too."

"You gonna spank me?"

"No son, I'm not."

Sean relaxed a little into his arms. "I don't think this will be very hard for you. When you feel like you want to do something, I want you to stop and think if your mama and I would be happy with you if you do it."

"Like what?"

"Like painting Zoe."

"Oh. You din't like that."

"No, we didn't, it did not make us happy. There are things that are right to do and things that are wrong to do and painting your little sister is a wrong thing."

"It's wrong."

"Yes, it's wrong; not a good thing and it made us unhappy. Now what would be something that would be right and make us happy?"

"Um…making my bed?"

"Yes, that's good, but there are fun things too."

"Oh. Sharing my toys?"

"Yes, or making a friend or learning to count, playing catch, playing with Zoe."

"Those are all good things?"

"Yes, they are. Playing with all of us on the floor, what do you think?"

"Good!"

"Yes!"

"Daddy?"

"Yes son?"

"I'm sorry we painted Zoe. I will think about whether it would make you and Mama happy or not happy."

"Thank you Seanie and if you don't know, ask a grownup."

"All right. Is sharing with Andy good?"

"Yes, it's very good; it will make him happy too."

Sean smiled at him then and Tim's heart melted. "There are things to learn as you grow up, Sean and your Mama and I will teach them to you."

"Ok, Daddy. Um…" Sean had his head down and whispered, "Can I go to school?"

"To school?"

"Yes, like Andy, Anna and Gemma. I don't want to go to daycare, they're mean. But school is good."

"Someone was mean to you in daycare?"

Sean nodded and whispered, "Before."

"Oh, Seanie, I'm so sorry."

"That's okay Daddy, you weren't mean."

"Sean Michael, will you promise me something?" Sean nodded solemnly. "Please let your Mama or me know if someone's mean to you."

"A kid?"

"A kid or a grownup."

"I have to tell?"

"Yes, Sean, it is my job and your mama's to protect you. And if we're not around, tell Poppy or Nonnie, whoever is taking care of you."

When a little furrow appeared between his eyebrows Tim took a wild guess, "Sean, was someone who was taking care of you mean to you? Besides the daycare?"

He nodded and tried to burrow even closer. Tim wrapped his arms around him as tightly as he dared. "Who, son?"

"My mommy." Tears gathered in his eyes and spilled over.

"Oh Sean." He rocked his little boy as Sean cried. Lina came back into the room and the two of them held on to Sean until he fell asleep. "He wants to go to school, says someone, I'm guessing kids and maybe adults too, were mean to him in daycare and he told me his mom was mean to him."

"Oh my God and we never even thought of that."

"I should have known, Lina, she reminded me so much of Ellen Brill, Rob's birth mother. Just the way she dismissed him, remember, she said he was 'a lot of trouble'."

"Yes, love. But he is loved now and he knows it. And it's only been a month. We'll help him and get help for him and he will always have love."

"So maybe he was acting out as a way to test us? Or as a way of getting attention?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, perhaps both?"

They were in the room that Sean and Jorry shared with Zoe and the rocker Gibbs had made for Kelly so many years ago was still there. Tim held Sean in his arms as he stood up and then sat in the rocker where he cuddled their troubled little one, rocking him gently.

Sean slept for about an hour and woke to find himself still wrapped in his daddy's arms. He liked that, he felt safe. His dad looked at him and smiled and Sean smiled back. "Feel better, Seanie?"

He nodded.

"Hungry?"

He nodded with a bigger smile.

"All right, let's go see if there's anything to eat downstairs!"

They got up and then Tim looked at him, "Want a piggyback ride?"

Sean grinned now, "Yes please!"

"Ok, climb on!"

They headed downstairs and found that the other kids were in the family room, working on various projects. Poppy was there and he was teaching Andy, Anna and Gemma how to make paper airplanes. Tim moved Sean around to his hip and sank onto the sofa. He'd spotted Jorry behind a lion mask the boy was wearing, one he'd made himself. "Hey, where's Jorry?"

"I'm here, Daddy!"

"I see a lion's face but I hear Jorry's voice!"

"It's me, Daddy, I'm th' lion!"

Laughing Jorry and Zoe joined them and the four of them spent some time cuddling together.

Whether it was the punishment, the talks or the room changes, the boys did better after that. They played together and created plenty of chaos, but their behavior was much improved. Tim and Lina contacted the pre-school that Gemma had attended before she'd started pre-kindergarten that spring and found that there were two morning sessions. The following week, the boys started, in separate classes and both loved it. Neither Tim nor Lina was certain about putting the boys in school at such a young age, but once Jorry had heard that Sean was going, he wanted to go too. And it helped their mother considerably. With Zoe in daycare in the mornings, that gave Lina time to work. Even so, she was always happy when it was time for Poppy to pick up her little ones from daycare and class, to have them home with her for the afternoon.

XXX

While the McGee family was going through some changes, other members of the extended family were also experiencing new things. Ainsley, now a junior in high school, was getting ready to attend the junior prom. She was part of a bunch of friends, girls and boys, who would be going as a group. Claire had been keeping an eye out for prom fashion and spotted something she knew her daughter would love without it being too mature for her. Glad the Mallards had stayed home this spring, she enlisted Maisie's help and the two of them got busy. When Ainsley told her father, Jim arranged to take some leave so that he could be home to see his daughter. This felt like a milestone occasion, his little girl attending the prom. They knew the group well; the kids had been friends since elementary school. The parents pooled their money and hired a limousine service that would deliver their children to the country club where the prom was being held, then on to one of the chaperoned after parties and then home.

Captain Hubbard reached home a few days before the prom and was surprised to find that Claire had volunteered them to be chaperones at the after party. Claire reported that Ainsley was worried about some of the other kids, although none of her group, and had asked her mom to be there. The Captain had his dress uniform cleaned and was ready to stand tall at his daughter's party, not sure he was ready for any of this. How did she go from first grade to a junior prom in what felt like two or three years?

Once again he pondered what he and Dave had been discussing: retirement. Dave had promised Liz he'd do it this year; he'd sent in his papers already and SecNav had spoken with him. When the Baton Rouge returned to Norfolk in early July, Dave would disembark for the last time. Jim had more than enough years in now; he could do the same thing. He'd worked with his friend the Admiral for so long he just didn't think he had it in him to break in another superior officer. More importantly, his kids would be gone from the nest all too soon. If he retired now, he would at least be home for Ainsley's last year of high school and two more of Callum's. As they'd done for years, he left a note on the mirror in the master bathroom, this one telling Claire he'd like to talk about retirement.

XXX

Ethan Palmer was a few years from attending a junior prom; however he was the right age for graduation from middle school. He was excited and nervous; trying to imagine what high school would be like. He knew Callum and Ainsley would be in Greece this summer and was planning on pumping them for as much information as they were willing to give. His brother Stevie, now 7, watched him, hoping he'd still be his friend when he got to high school. Their parents watched them with mixed feelings. They were proud of both boys but they were growing up entirely too fast! Jimmy told Ducky that having a son in high school made him feel ancient. As Jimmy was the same age as Tim, Ducky just laughed at him. "Stop that, my boy. Try to just enjoy them while you have them. It's not just your children's lives that speed by, all lives do! I'm still trying to figure out how I got to be 80 and here I've added another year or two just while thinking about it!"

When asked what kind of party he wanted, Ethan had replied he wanted a family party at home and then if possible, one in Greece. He still remembered that magical week on Aegina 5 years ago and couldn't wait to get back there. He wished his baby brother Davey would be old enough to remember this trip but knew at just over a year, he was too young. He wondered if Violet would, she was four years old now. He asked Stevie what he remembered from Greece and his kid brother thought for a while and then said, "Building sand castles with Tad and eating ice cream on the beach." Stevie and Tad were still good friends, they spoke online every so often when their parents arranged calls. Ethan thought that was pretty good for a four year old, so maybe Violet would remember some things.

His graduation day arrived and Ethan was very glad his grandparents, aunts and uncles were there. Aunt Maggie was in a wheelchair with her arm and shoulder in a sling sort of thing held against her but she was there with Uncle Tony. Ethan had had a surprise call from Uncle Tim, Aunt Lina, Uncle Gibbs and Aunt Rhea that morning which made him pretty happy. He'd even got to say hello to Tad's grandparents who were staying at the California big house. He could not wait to go there; his parents said they'd go maybe next Easter or next summer! He hoped it was Easter so they could all go to Greece again in the summer.

Aunt Sarah, Uncle James and his cousins were at his graduation too. Uncle Geo and Aunt Bec couldn't make it but he got to talk to them that night. All in all, it was pretty awesome and he hoped his and Stevie's mom, their first mom, knew about this family they had now.

XXX

May found the McGees and their extended family as busy as always, now helping everyone but Zoe start to wrap up their school year. One Saturday toward the end of the month, the Grands took the children to the zoo. Tim and Lina had spent most of the morning and early afternoon in the pool or relaxing on the patio with Zoe; she'd had a slight fever that morning and so had stayed home. Tim and Lina were playing with her and chatting with each other, enjoying the relative quiet when Tim's cell chimed with a call.

He made a face. "Uh Oh!"

"Who is it?"

"Vance." Putting the phone to his ear as he answered, he walked into the house.

"Hello, Sir."

"Hello Tim, just so you know, nothing new is wrong."

"Ok, thanks."

"I have a report from the team that investigated your brother's death. Would it be convenient for me to come to the house sometime this weekend?"

"You're here Leon?"

"On my way."

"Yes, absolutely, we'd love to see you; are you coming out to give us the report personally?"

"Yes, I hitched a ride with Secretary Porter."

"Sir."

"Timothy."

"Never been on this side of it before."

"Wherever you'll be most comfortable."

"If we were civilians, it would be Penny, me and Lina and probably my dad. I'll see if Sarah and my brothers are available. But I don't know that I want Andy and Sean to hear anything; I'd rather we tell them. I guess the big house sounds best."

"The big house? I thought that was in Greece."

Tim chuckled, "Technically the full name is the California big house. What's your ETA? I can pick you up at the airfield."

"No, Joel's meeting me and driving me up to Preston."

"I…this is strange, Leon, we'd love to have you come see the place, meet Andy and Sean, stay for dinner."

"I'll be here for a few days, maybe later in the week when I haven't just delivered this…thing."

"All right."

Vance gave their ETA so the McGees would know when to expect them. Tim told Lina and sent Sarah a text, asking her if she'd be available for a Skype call later and telling her why. While he was waiting to hear back from her, he also sent texts to Geordie, Tony and Rob, asking them if they wanted to be in on the meeting. Geordie said yes, Tony replied that he was tied up at the office and Rob didn't answer. Tim got a text from Ned a few minutes later saying Rob was asleep but that he would wake him if it was an emergency. Tim just said no, he'd fill them in later and thanked his brother-in-law. In the meantime, Sarah had replied with a yes and she'd asked their grandparents, Uncle Jim and Aunt Liz to join them.

When the children arrived home, they were tired after a long fun day. All five of the kids' chaperones looked at Tim and Lina and knew something was up. Tim waited until the kids dispersed, either upstairs or to the family room and then motioned the others outside. Sliding the patio door closed, he told them that Vance was on his way, why and what the plan was. Hélène and Davos immediately volunteered to stay with the children while Penny was obviously fighting tears. "Penny, you don't have to be there. We can…"

"No…no, Timothy, I need to know what happened and it's my responsibility. It's so hard but then we've been mourning him for so long…" Tim nodded and pulled his grandmother into his arms. "I know."

Davos asked whether they would include Andy. "No, we'll tell him eventually, but no."

Lina added, "If Sarah Hope were here, she would be included."

Penny blew her nose, "Timothy, Melina. I want to go to Monterey to see their graves. I've been putting it off, we should have gone while Sarah was here, but…I kept thinking I'd wait until Maisie, Don and Jim were here too, but it's time."

Poppy spoke then, first looking at Rhea, Davos and Hélène for confirmation, "When you do go, we'll stay with the kids."

Lina nodded their thanks while Tim stood, still holding his grandmother in his arms. When his stomach growled, the other men chuckled, "You're hungry. Did you have plans for dinner?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, there's chicken in the slow cooker, enough for everyone."

Rhea patted his arm, "We'll see what else we can put together to go with." She, Lina and Hélène went back inside. Penny raised her head from Tim's shoulder. "I need to go wash my face."

"Ok, Penny; we'll get the table set up out here."

She reached up and kissed him, "You were the three best grandchildren anyone ever had, I'm so thankful you were spared."

She headed into the house while Tim, his dad and Davos got the table, chairs and benches set up. When they finished Tim stood still again, trying to swallow and his dad took him into his arms; Tim laid his head on his shoulder and spoke. "It's so weird Dad. Like Penny says we've mourned him for so many years, why does this hurt so much? He's still as dead as we thought he was. God that sounds awful!"

"I know what you mean though, son. I don't know, I guess it's because he was alive, had a life and you missed that. All of you, including Patrick, mourned needlessly for those years when the family could have been together."

Tim nodded. "I don't want to be sad anymore. I know I'll always be sad somewhere inside of me, but I feel like this is a big black cloud hovering over us. And I don't want to live like that and I don't want Lina or the kids or any of us to live that way."

"Of course you don't. We talk about bringing people closure, Tim, in our work and part of that closure is the knowledge of what happened. Not always wondering, but knowing."

"So different from this side of things."

His dad kissed his ear, "Yeah kiddo."

Eventually they sat down for dinner and let the children's chatter about their day fill the silence. After they ate, the children cleared the table and Poppy and Davos did the dishes. Tim and Lina took Zoe upstairs for her bath which Jorrin and Sean knew meant they didn't have much longer before their bedtimes.

Zoe had just finished playing with her rubber ducky and was having a clean diaper and jammies put on when the doorbell rang. Her eyes lit up, she loved company. Scooping her up, they headed back downstairs in time to see Poppy answer the door. "Leon, Joel, good to see you both, come on in." Tim approached them still carrying Zoe who squealed at the visitors. Leon smiled at the toddler, "Can this be Zoe? She's grown so much." Joel played with her hand, he'd seen her just last month; she babbled at her daddy to move closer, she wanted to give her special kisses to both men. That cleared some of the awkwardness as Hélène took the little girl from Tim's arms and headed upstairs. The other kids had spotted two grownups they knew and liked and came out to say hello although Andy stood in the back, not sure. He knew one guy was his dad's boss, he'd met him but he didn't know the other man and was suddenly afraid he and Sean would have to leave after all. Lina saw the look and shook her head, "It's all right, Andy. This is the man who loaned us the jet."

"He's the Secretary of the Navy?"

Leon chuckled, "No, I'm happy to say I'm not, but she lets me use her jet every once in a while."

"It's awesome sir."

Tim introduced them, "Director Vance, like you to meet our sons, Timothy Andrew Blair McGee and Sean Michael Blair McGee."

Sean's eyes grew big when he heard his whole entire name but Andy was smiling, Mama and Daddy were smiling and the other kids were happy, so it must be ok. Both boys shook hands with Vance.

Figuring it was best to just get the report over with, Tim turned to his children. "Kids - Pappouli and Yaya are going to stay with you for a while and we know you'll be good for them. Jorry, Sean, you have 30 minutes until bath time. Your mama, Penny, Poppy, Nonnie and I are going over to the big house to talk some grownup stuff."

Anna looked at her dad, "Is it work stuff Daddy?"

Tim just nodded, not wanting to qualify a response as he and Lina kissed each of them, "Say goodnight to Penny, Nonnie and Poppy; your mama and I will come kiss you goodnight when we get back."

The three were hugged and kissed and then the McGees got into the Ford while Joel, Leon and his security team followed them. Dusk was quickly settling in and Leon whistled as he got out of the car at the big house. "Wow, I thought Tim and Lina's house was big, but this...? And the ocean is…?"

Rhea pointed, "A two minute walk that way. We have a wonderful view from the deck if you'd like to see before it gets too dark."

Vance glanced at Tim who nodded and the two visitors had a quick look. They came back in and nodded at Gibbs who was holding up a coffee mug. Tim contacted Geordie and Bec and then Sarah and James who had Gram, Grandfa, Liz and Jim with them. Poppy brought mugs for Joel and Leon and they sat at the dining table with the laptop in the middle of the table. Vance greeted everyone and then began his report.

"I believe you all know the basic facts of the hit and run?" He looked at the laptop, saw the family nodding and continued, "We looked at the interviews done then and went back to the interviewees, questioning them as to your brother's frame of mind before he left on vacation. That can be a problem so many years later; however the investigators found that the couple's friends and co-workers had quite specific memories. Your brother-grandson-nephew and his wife were much loved in their circle and are still missed and the fact that the hit and run driver was never caught helped keep alive the memories of the last few times people saw or spoke with them. Patrick's assistant remembered that he'd been upset a few days before he and his wife left for their weekend getaway. When the assistant inquired, Patrick said it was some ancient history that had 'reared its ugly head' and he was trying to get a handle on it, to get the truth. She also remembered that he'd had an appointment that seemed to have unsettled him; she said he was usually unflappable and she'd connected the two anomalies in her memory. We were able to find his cell phone records for the week prior to the crash and traced one of the calls to a private investigator, a Steven Graf. We went looking for the man and found that he disappeared shortly after the hit and run. Interestingly enough, Steven Graf doesn't exist before 2005; there are no records of him anywhere. His office has long since been occupied by other tenants but his file cabinet and papers are still in storage there. The cabinet was locked; the agents broke the lock and were able to lift fingerprints from the inside of the cabinet, a few of the file folders and some of the items in storage and they match a criminal for hire named Rik Krose. Tim, one of Rik Krose's aliases is, or was, Eli Potter."

Gibbs looked up, "Potter?"

"Yes, Jethro. I knew you and DiNozzo would know that name as Eli Potter was the hospital chaplain who told Tim about his brother and father's deaths; he was also the phony doctor who contacted the NIS agent to tell him Tim had died. We have his thumbprint, required of all hospital employees and it matches the print we found on the folder and inside the file cabinet."

Tim frowned, "You said _was_…it _was_ his alias."

"He's dead, one of the bodies recovered after Svetlana's confession. We believe she killed him after he murdered Patrick and Laurel Blair."

"He knew too much."

"Yes; we're theorizing that after your brother's visit he contacted Natalie/Svetlana in hopes of blackmailing her and then he had to be silenced. Your brother had to be killed because he apparently knew something that started him looking into the original hit and run."

"So did Krose act on his own or was he acting on behalf of Svetlana? And…you don't know what my brother found."

"No, except…" Vance sighed. "During the investigation by the Monterey PD, one of the officers noted that when they went to tell Ms. Blair, Sarah - Patrick's daughter Sarah - kept saying it was her fault. We interviewed that officer during our investigation but all he could remember is the girl saying it was her fault."

Tim rose and walked to a window, staring out at the ocean. Vance waited, giving him some time. When he noticed him rotating his shoulders, he thought it was time to continue. "Tim, as to your first question no, Krose was not acting on his own. We did a financial search and saw three things happen in his bank account that tied to the case. First, a check from Patrick was deposited, that would have been the retainer. Second, a deposit of $250,000 appeared two days later. The hit and run occurred the fourth day and on the fifth day, the $250,000 was withdrawn via a cashier's check."

"She paid him, waited for the job to be done and then forced him to pay her back before she murdered him?"

The others, the civilians, gasped while the Feds among them shook their heads.

"So we believe, yes."

Tim clenched his fists, "Hell's not hot enough for that _zona_…not for either of them." He paused and then continued, "How much was the retainer?"

"$2000."

"What happened to Krose's assets?"

"When someone goes missing their bank has to hold onto their assets for a number of years and no one connected the dots between Potter's corpse and the missing Krose. They still have everything."

"That money…needs to be put to some good use, to get the taint off of it."

"I have a cashier's check."

"No, I don't want to touch it, I don't want any of us to touch it, Leon and I wish you hadn't either. I sure as hell don't want the boys or Sarah Hope to touch it. It's tainted. Give it away." He turned to look at him, "But not to anyone we care about and not to anyone who knows any of us."

Vance nodded. "I understand."

Tim looked at him, "I never asked about this before, but did Natalie leave any assets when she left to burn in hell?"

Vance smiled, "Yes but they've been taken care of."

"Who got them?"

"Ultimately, you and Sarah."

Tim looked confused and then surprised as the Director explained. "When your grandmothers approached the Navy and then the insurance company about the funds owed you and Sarah, they did some research and discovered that Svetlana did indeed leave behind some assets. So they sued her estate and won."

"And then paid us."

"Yes, the Navy jumped on the bandwagon sooner than the life insurance company but eventually both won their cases and paid you accordingly."

Tim nodded. "Good." He sighed, "I wonder if Sarah Hope is still blaming herself, if that was the root of her problems?" He turned to Vance, "Is there any more information about whose bones were in Patrick's casket?"

Vance shook his head, "No, we're pursuing it, looking at every possibility but Dr. Palmer studied the reports and told me we'll likely have to wait a few years for technology to catch up before we can clearly identify them. I'll keep you posted."

Tim just nodded, not sure he wanted to know. Some other child had died, a missing kid, one who had died of natural causes? He just hoped whoever it was hadn't also been murdered by Natalie.


	192. Chapter 192

Welcome back! If you did not get an alert for Chapter 191, there's a new one waiting for you, please read!

DISCLAIMER: Legal discussions, statutes of limitation or laws mentioned are not necessarily true in the real world!

* * *

><p>CH 192<p>

Vance answered their questions but there really wasn't any other new information; they thought Sarah Hope might be the only living soul who had any other pieces of the puzzle. Before they signed off the online call, Penny told the others she, Tim and Lina were going to Monterey to visit the graves. Maisie closed her eyes, "Penny…Don and I promised to be here for Ethan's graduation; we can't be in both places."

Penny nodded, "I know, Maisie - and I know Liz, Jim and Claire are in the same boat."

Lina cleared her throat, "What if we went on our way back from Greece? Could we make two stops instead of one?"

"It means the children would be with us but I'd like them to see where the boys' first family is."

Grandfa thought about it, "It's not a long flight from Monterey to San Diego, is it?"

"90 minutes."

"Then we could stop, do what we need to do, spend hours there and still reach home the same day."

"It means a commercial flight back for those who would be normally deplaning in DC."

Grandfa nodded, "Perhaps. We'll handle that; I expect those who are taking vacation days will need to stick to their original itinerary."

Vance thought of thanking him for that. As it was, this vacation was going to leave NCIS without several of its top agents for two weeks but he decided that under the circumstances, he'd keep his mouth shut. It wasn't until the remote callers signed off that he realized he had more information for Tim and his family. He sighed, "Tim, I do have more for you, not about Patrick and Laurel but about Meuller."

Tim nodded at his family, "Go ahead, Leon, they all know."

"CPS has fired him and the state DA's office will likely be filing criminal charges. Because those charges are the same as the grievances filed against him in Maryland in 2003, the US District Attorney's office is watching the case very closely. And Maryland will probably charge him now as well. As you know, there is no statute of limitations on felonies committed against minors."

"He's on the loose?"

"He thinks he is. He's under surveillance 24/7."

"Who's watching him?"

"It's a cooperative effort between NCIS, FBI, police and sheriffs' departments in his locale. And no, I'm not going to tell you where that is. It's nowhere near any of your offices, I will say that."

Penny spoke in an acerbic tone, "So the children don't have to have an armed guard every day?"

Tim and Gibbs opened their mouths but Leon beat them to it. "Ma'am, he has the McGees' address. I doubt anyone will stop guarding your great-grandchildren until Meuller is in prison."

She made a derisive noise and Vance had to suppress the thought that maybe if she'd been more protective of her grandchildren, Patrick and possibly her own son might be alive. Gibbs took a breath to tell her what he thought but his son was faster as he nearly spat out in rare anger. "I will protect my wife, my children and the people I love with my last breath. Maybe if someone had done that 32 years ago we wouldn't be talking about all of this!"

She turned white and fled the room. Tim was still boiling as he watched her flee. If that had been her attitude years ago it was no wonder that he and his siblings had been left with a murderer. He wondered if his father had been like her or how much influence she'd had with him. He sat down on the nearest chair. A glass of water appeared in front of him and he looked up to thank Rhea. His dad sat next to him. "Son…"

"She brought that on herself, Dad. And…it's true."

Vance sat across from him, "Tim, I'm not arguing with you but you know…we know that people make awful mistakes with severe consequences."

Tim realized with a sinking heart that Vance could be referring to Jackie insisting that Eli David have a family dinner in their home and Jackie's husband agreeing with her despite the terrible security risks.

"We're all human. Yes, Leon; I have forgiven her before and I will again. Otherwise Natalie wins."

Joel had stepped out onto the deck and now he came back in. Tim looked at the two men. "Thank you for coming here to tell us. We appreciate it."

Vance growled, "Not done with the case yet, McGee; we're trying to find Sarah Hope to interview her and then we're going over everything with a microscope."

Tim nodded, "Thank you for that."

The two men left shortly after; Vance first making plans with Tim to return and visit the Preston office on Wednesday with dinner at the McGees that evening. Declining a ride home Tim and Lina walked home, holding hands and trying to reclaim some semblance of their everyday lives.

Sunday was a quiet day. The family attended church, had lunch together and then took a walk on the beach where the kids had fun chasing the waves. The Gibbses and Kalivas' joined them but Penny stayed away.

Monday meant a return to work and school and some sense of normalcy for the adults; the day passed quickly. When his staff heard that their Director would be visiting them on Wednesday they had all kinds of questions from what they should wear to what they should talk about. Tim and Matt looked at each other and smiled, holding back their laughter. Tim chuckled when Megan said she was going to squeeze an extra visit from the cleaning people out of the budget.

"Everyone, there's no need to do anything special! He's not coming to inspect our clothing, our footwear, as long as there are no flip flops, or to look for dust bunnies. He's coming to meet you!"

"Us…but not you?"

"I worked in DC for 10 years Rae and saw him on a daily basis. He's heard us bragging about all of you and he wants to meet you - that's all. He's not visiting royalty, honest."

"But he's always so solemn when we see him online."

Tim nodded, "He's a serious person and he has a lot of responsibility, so yeah, he's solemn. He's also a human being. Ask him about his kids. Kayla's in college and Jared's a junior in high school."

"What about his wife?"

Tim looked blankly at Maria while Matt quickly filled her in. "He's a widower, his wife was murdered in an international case a few years ago."

"Oh, sorry I didn't know that."

Very quietly Tim said, "She was a wonderful woman." He told them about the Jackie Vance who was known and loved at HQ. Chuck looked at him, "You know the family pretty well if you know what year his son is in high school."

Tim sighed and gave up a little bit more of his personal history, telling them about helping children with their math and science problems. "And the Vance kids were some of the kids I worked with."

"Before you had kids?"

"Light years before I had kids."

Vance's visit went well once the staff got over their shock at the affectionate greetings of their Team Lead and SFA by The Director. The Director had never visited Preston during Agent Davis' time nor during the previous SAIC's tenure. This was the first time they'd seen the man anywhere other than on the big screen. They had lunch out back where the landlord had increased the square footage of the tiny patio so that there was room for a picnic table and benches. Adan had brought in a shade tree but it wasn't yet tall enough to cast shade over the entire table; in the meantime they had a large umbrella. Vance teased Tim about that and Matt laughed, telling the group about the Drs. Mallard and their vigilance at the beaches and pools of Greece and California.

Megan looked back and forth between the three men; they seemed to know each other pretty well. Vance nodded at her, "You're wondering how I know so much about your SAIC and his sunburns?"

She nodded and then laughed as they were told stories about Probie Tim getting sunburned, running through a car wash, being exposed to poison ivy…twice, things that Vance had been told by Gibbs, Ducky or Rick Carter. There were more stories after that, about cases in which Tim had provided the lead or information they needed. The drug cartel bust was cited as well as the rescue of 114 international college students and indirectly many others from suicide bombers. Tim and Matt looked at each other, "Hey, we had a lot of help with that!"

"Yes you did, but you were the ones who provided all the key information to Athens _and_ the CIA! McGee, you were the one who spotted two of the terrorists in the crowd of protestors and Watson spotted the other two in the airport footage. You led the teams and yes, you had Marines with you but YOU led!"

By the time he left the staff had relaxed a little, enjoying his visit far more than they'd thought they would. As he walked out the door, he turned and said, "By the way, good job on the office, it's nice and clean!" He winked before turning and leaving.

After spending a relaxing afternoon at the big house, mostly in the pool, he joined Tim and Lina and the two sets of grandparents for dinner at the McGees. He smiled as he walked in, smelling one of his favorite Greek dishes. Lina and the children greeted him, "Welcome again. Please make yourself at home. Tim's on his way, he's stopping at the store for something. Matt and Damian are also joining us."

"Thank you, Lina. Something smells wonderful!"

Anna piped up, "It's our favorite Greek recipe, Andy and I worked on it together!"

"Wonderful!" Vance looked at Lina, "Reminds me of the Russells."

She beamed, "Thank you."

Gemma looked at her, "Mama…?"

"Yes Gemma. Leon, the children want to give you a tour of the house."

"That's great, let's go!"

Gemma took his hand and Anna and Andy led the way. Andy was a little anxious but the man was nice and Mama said he had kids of his own. "Sir, my mom says you have kids."

"Yes, they're a little older than all of you though. Kayla's 20, she's in college and Jared just turned 17, he's a junior in high school."

Anna nodded, "I think he's the same grade as our cousin Ainsley."

"Yes Anna, that's right, I'd forgotten that."

They'd reached their rooms and showed him one by one. Jorry proudly showed off his and Zoe's room and Leon noticed the portrait of a young family. He looked closer and saw that the baby in the painting must be Tim. He stood for a while studying Tim's parents. He could see both Maisie and Ducky in his mother and Penny in his father. A small hand tugged on his, Sean wanting to show him his and Andy's room. There he saw photos of Patrick, Laurel with Sarah Hope as a youngster and a tiny baby who must have been Andy. There was another photo of a woman he knew was Hope Blair. He noticed there was no photo of Sarah Hope with Sean and wondered.

After that it was the girls' room with photos of their first family and then back down the hall past the staircases to their parents' room. Leon thought of protesting but the door was open so he just peeked in.

Gemma tugged his hand, "We have more, this way!" They showed him the door that they said was their daddy's office. Leon nodded. "Are you allowed in there?"

They all shook their heads, "No, not in there and not in Mama's studio."

"All right, then I don't think I should be allowed in there either."

Andy smiled at him while the others looked surprised and then giggled. They went back downstairs and showed him the family room. He smiled when he saw the canvases with the sea creatures on them. He remembered that Rhea had done them before Jorrin was born and said so. There were four canvases up and what looked like space where another one had been. "There's another one but Nonnie took it, she's adding Andy and Sean's first family."

They were back at the kitchen now where they found Poppy putting together a salad, Leon really had to hold his tongue when he saw that, while Hélène pulled a sheet of hot meze out of the oven. Lina smiled at them, "And did you get to see everything?"

"Everything they're allowed to see."

"Oh…yes, so not the office or my studio."

"Correct."

"Come on, I'll show you my studio and Tim's office if you'd like."

He wanted to see her studio, that was bragging rights after all and he was curious about Tim's office. She showed him some of her works in progress and he was once again amazed at her talent and the diversity of her artwork. Then she took him back upstairs and showed him Tim's office. He smiled at all the photos in there, the teams Tim had worked with over the years. He hadn't seen the Gibbs' team portrait that Trina had painted and he smiled as he looked at it, looking at the two younger men and the man who was now their father. He pointed to the miniature of Ziva, "How is Ziva, do you know? Gibbs had hopes she'd stay in closer touch."

Lina tilted her head back and forth in a 'so so' gesture. "She has done that, she lets us know where she is and what's going on with her, I think as much as she can without us having to prod her, so that's good. We don't hear from her often but we did receive an e-mail that she would join us on Aegina for a few days. Please keep that quiet - we want to surprise the rest of the family, including Jethro! The last we heard she was in Asia; we don't know where she'll be coming from."

He chuckled, "Yes, I'll keep the secret; it'll be worth it to see the surprise when she arrives!" He was still looking at the portrait. "I'm so proud of them."

"Which ones?"

"All of them - Jethro, Tim and Tony." He huffed, "Gibbs, McGee and DiNozzo. I'm proud of each of them for working so hard to fix things between them. I was witness to the team and it wasn't pretty. Their results were the top in the agency but when Tim came to me and said it was time to move on, I was relieved. And I never thought things could ever be good between the three of them, certainly not becoming as close as they are now."

They smiled at each other and then heard someone at the front door. "Hello, anyone home? I have Uncles and ice cream!"

Leon grinned when he heard the children rush his friend. "Daddy!"

"Come on, you four can talk shop."

"Oh no, I'm off the clock!"

Lina chuckled, "I'm always thankful to know that you do that, you set a good example."

He smiled, "For Tim."

"Well, we certainly wouldn't have 6 children if he hadn't learned to separate work and family." Smiling at that, they headed downstairs.

XXX

Over the next few weeks all three of Tim's teams dealt with back to back cases as it seemed the nice weather brought out the criminal element. Tim had complete faith in his two subordinate Team Leads, knowing they'd ask him to jump in if they needed him. Their support staff was kept busy day after day chasing down leads online and by phone, digging through paper files, doing search after search online.

Their third local case was something Tim and Matt were familiar with and for a while they wondered if the Manila office had missed a location when they'd taken down those money laundering operations in Poland a few years ago. They were once again investigating a money laundering operation that was helping to fund terrorists. Once they had all the information and warrants needed, they headed out to bring their suspects in. There was just the one location and the FBI was working with them on the bust, with NCIS taking the lead.

The bust started out well but then one of the FBI agents got tangled up with two of the suspects and when Matt went to assist, another of the criminals threw something at his head. He warded off the object with his arm and yelled in pain as he felt bones break from the impact.

For all that, he got off lucky; his arm was broken in two places but both were clean breaks with no other internal damage and would heal completely. However that would take time and Matt hated being sidelined. When the doctors told him he'd be in a cast for 6-8 weeks, he groaned and then groaned louder when they told him he'd have at least a month or more of physical therapy after the cast was off. He'd be out of the field for approximately 12 weeks, three months.

Preston was a four agent team and all the agents were fully qualified with varying levels of experience; however with their Team Lead responsible for two other teams, their SFA was crucial. That meant Tim needed another SFA to fill in for Matt. He'd been at the hospital with him when the doctors had given him the news and he'd reassured him that they'd find someone to take his place in the field for that time, that Matt shouldn't worry.

He updated Joel who after sympathizing, told him to call his father.

"Uh…Joel?"

"You need a SFA; I'm authorizing a volunteer SFA for the duration of Matt's recovery."

"All right, thanks Joel. I'd better go, have to call the Volunteer Coordinator! I'll keep you updated."

Tim called his father who answered sounding a bit bleary, "Tim?"

"Special Agent Gibbs, this is Special Agent McGee and I find myself in need of a SFA for the next 12 weeks. Preferably one with plenty of experience as he or she will be running the teams for two of those weeks."

"Can do, Agent McGee, I'm assuming you want your volunteer yesterday?"

"Absolutely, as soon as possible."

"I'll let you know."

"Thanks Dad."

"Welcome son, how's Matt? Davos just sent a message saying his right arm is broken."

"In two places, he should just be getting the cast off when we go to Greece, hopefully before we go to Greece."

"And weeks of PT, I'm sure."

"Oh yeah. Hoping Rhea's PT friend can work in another American client while we're there."

"She's asleep but I'll let her know."

"Oops, sorry, didn't look at the time."

Gibbs laughed, "Doesn't matter; now I have to find you a SFA and I'm sure you want to get some sleep."

"Yep, talk to you tomorrow, love you."

"Back at you son."

Tim disconnected, found his jacket and checked in with Damian and his in-laws. Matt was sleeping; whatever they'd given him for the pain had knocked him right out. Damian reported that Matt's parents were catching a flight in the morning. Davos said there was no reason they couldn't stay at the big house and Damian swallowed his sigh of relief. While he'd met his in-laws and had no problems with them, he didn't really know them all that well. He resolved to get to know them better while they were here and then realized they'd be in Preston while Matt would be at home in Del Mar. He said as much to his father who nodded his understanding, the Watsons should stay at the boys' home with them. Tim took his leave, absently kissing each of them.

As late, or early, as it was, Tim was grateful that Lina was still up, waiting for him. He smiled as he kissed her hello. "He'll be all right, it just takes time."

"And is your dad finding you a volunteer?"

Tim chuckled, "He is. I expect to have some news on that when I get to the office in the morning."

"Have you eaten anything?"

He nodded, "Had a sandwich at the hospital."

"Then come to bed love." He willingly followed.

When he got to the office the next morning, he found the rest of his team still anxious about Matt. He did his best to reassure them, "He'll be all right. I spoke with him this morning, he's still in a lot of pain and they're going to keep him in the hospital for another day to make sure they have him on the right pain meds. Also his parents are flying in today."

That seemed to help although he wished he'd remembered or had time to stop at the bakery on the way in. Comfort food always helped. He blinked in surprise at the pink box on his desk. "Are these all for me?"

Megan laughed, "No but I was afraid we'd eat them all before you came in."

"And you're assuming _I _won't eat them all?"

That got a laugh and he relaxed, they'd be okay now. He took one pastry, a bear claw, out and made a bit of a show about carrying the box into the bullpen.

"Thank you Megan, this was thoughtful of you." She grinned at him as she opened the box. He filled his coffee mug and headed back into his office to see what or who his father had for him.

He blinked in surprise when he saw the name for the TAD SFA - Rose Peters, Stan's SFA from Rota. There was a note that explained why this was a perfect fit and Tim had to chuckle; he'd never thought of the U.S. offices having a TAD from one of the offshore offices! The woman was already on her way; according to Gibbs' note, she was flying 'Air Marine' and would be wheels down in California at roughly 1600 this afternoon. Tim shook his head, between the 12 hour flight and the 9 hour time difference that would be one tired agent! His dad would pick her up at the airfield and bring her to Preston; he'd booked a room for her at a residential inn. Tim nodded, that was good; she'd be more comfortable there.

Rae buzzed him with a call a little before 1700. "Agent Gibbs on line one for you."

"Thanks."

"Hello, this is McGee."

"Agent McGee, Rose is here in the car with us, wants to come into the office."

"Put her on, Dad, please."

"This is Agent Peters."

"Hi Rose, welcome to California and thank you for coming to help!"

"Hi Tim, you know you're helping me out too!"

"So I hear. Now do you really want to come in? You must be exhausted, I would be!"

"The adrenalin's still pumping and I slept for several hours. If it's all right, I'd like to just pop in so I'll know where it is."

"Sure, sure. You'll be here in a few minutes so come on in and then Gibbs and whoever's with him can take you to your new home away from home. And if you're still feeling awake, come have dinner with us!"

"Oh no, I don't want to be a bother."

"You have a free pass tonight, up to you, but we like company so be prepared to dine with the McGees!"

"All right, that sounds good. By the way, your daughter is adorable!"

"Is she a toddler or 5-ish wearing a tiara or 7-ish carrying a book?"

"Oh, three girls, lovely! She's the small one."

"That's my Zoe, almost two. I'm sure you've been welcomed with a nice slobbery kiss then. That's her specialty!"

He heard laughter, "Well Rhea handed me a wet wipe right away."

"Good! We like to make our guests feel welcome and clean."

They disconnected and Tim gave his team an update, "Our temporary SFA is on her way; Matt and I have worked with her several times. She's from Rota."

"Wow, they brought someone in from Spain?"

"She was coming over anyway. She has a new position as Team Lead in the U.S. but there was some change so she's got 3 months before the post is vacant. In the meantime, Stan's new SFA…Stan Burley is the Team Lead in Rota…has already arrived. Budget is set for four agents, not five and definitely not two doing the same job. So she'll be with us until Matt can return to the field and she can take up her new position."

"That works out well. What would she have done otherwise?"

Tim shrugged, "That's why she put herself in the volunteer pool, there's almost always a need somewhere in the world. If there wasn't anything going on, I'm sure the Director would have pulled her back to DC for a TAD position, they can always use more help there!"

Rose arrived and was introduced to the team. She didn't stay long; Tim could see the exhaustion was beginning to hit her. When she asked for a rain check for dinner, he smilingly agreed.

When he got home he told Lina, "I admit I was a little worried about leaving the office in the hands of a virtual stranger but now I'm good. We've worked together enough to know how things should go and she worked for Stan, that's all good."

Lina looked at him, "You're getting excited about the trip now!"

He chuckled as he finished putting their salad together, "I am, can't wait! I'm not happy that Maggie and Matt won't be able to thoroughly enjoy themselves but at least they'll be in Greece on the beach and have someone to commiserate with."

"I'm happy that Rhea's therapist friend will work with Matt too, now we have to see whether the insurance company agrees."

"They should, he's the same PT guy both of us went to after Bagram and they approved of him then."

"Oh, I hadn't realized that!"

Tim grinned at her as they carried their dinner to the table, "I just saw the name this morning."

He turned to call the kids to the table only to find his grandmother standing there with all the children, "Everyone's hands washed?"

They nodded and slid into their seats as Tim kissed Penny. They'd quickly settled their differences after Vance's visit, knowing that they had been dealing with a great deal of stress, grief and anger that night.

XXX

As it turned out, Rose arrived just in time as they picked up a new case the following day when a navy commander walked into the office, asking them to look into his second in command; he suspected fraud. They worked it for over a week and got nowhere, neither able to prove or disprove that the lieutenant was dirty or even that fraud was indeed being perpetrated. When another case landed in their laps, Tim moved them off the suspected fraud and onto that one. They broke the second case and were finishing their reports when they were called out on a third case. It was while they were investigating that case that they finally found a link to the fraud suspected by the commander. Now that they had something to get their teeth into, so to speak, they dug deep.

Solving the third case and the fraud took them into July. The four agents rotated hours on the Fourth so they each had some holiday time; they all attended the community barbecue and joined Tim's family for fireworks that night, but otherwise worked through the day. By the 5th, they had everything they needed for both cases. Having previously alerted a local judge, they were able to obtain warrants and surprised their suspects by busting them on what the miscreants had assumed would be 'safe days', a four day weekend. Their diligence and the combination of the two cases caught the attention of the local media, much to Tim's chagrin and Joel's delight.

Once they had the cases resolved, Tim started keeping his fingers crossed that they'd have no new cases before liftoff; that is the flight to Greece on the night of the 11th. They'd leave close to midnight, landing in DC in the early morning hours to collect passengers there before continuing the flight to Athens. As Andy and Sean's adoptions were not yet final, the paperwork permitting Tim and Lina to take them out of the country was signed by the proper authorities, the couple clearly remembering Sarah and James' scramble the previous year with Audrey and Evan's paperwork. Everyone had their passports and the non-U.S. citizens among the group had the paperwork needed to re-enter the country after their vacation. The Gibbses would stay when the charter flight left Athens, spending an extra couple of weeks visiting with Rob, Ned and Rhea's family, then stopping in DC to spend more time with that branch of the family before flying to Charleston to spend a week with Geordie and Bec. They'd arrive home a month after the rest of the California family. Damian had tentative plans to fly to Barcelona from Athens but the project there was still not off the ground so that would depend on any progress made over the next weeks. If he did go to Spain instead of flying home, Matt would stay with Tim and Lina while his partner was gone. His cast would be removed the week before they left but his arm would still be tender and unusable for much.

Lina was never as grateful for the Grands and Penny as she was the week before they left. The kids' excitement had been growing exponentially all week and she was starting to worry that the house would explode with their energy. Andy and Anna had been so excited they'd packed their suitcases the previous weekend and then had to unpack to have clothes to wear that week. Finally the Grands and Penny had each taken a child to deal with, leaving Zoe for Lina. Davos had Andy, Jethro had Jorrin, Penny had Gemma, Rhea had Anna and Hélène had Sean.

Finally July 11th arrived and Tim finished the last of his reports, sending them off to Joel. Rose was already running the team, Petrero and Button Willow were doing fine and they would report to Rose while he was away; all indicators were green to go. He left the office that night promising to send pictures and making sure they understood that "Kim's Rule" as it was known even here, worked both ways. They were to keep themselves safe while he was gone. He was already planning the souvenirs he'd bring back for them.

The family ate dinner, a mashup of leftovers so that nothing would be left growing a new life in the refrigerator. The Hardisters would once again keep an eye on both houses, the mail was on vacation hold, the pool was covered; everything was ready. The Hofstadlers arrived and finally their hired transportation arrived to carry all of them and their luggage to the airport. They stopped in Del Mar to pick up Matt and Damian, being very careful about where Matt sat. No children were allowed near him and everyone had been warned about his arm as his cast had been removed just the day before. From there to the airport was only a few miles and Tim happened to glance at Andy as they drove onto the airport grounds and parked near the FBO, or Fixed Base Operation, the 'terminal' used by private jets. Apparently remembering his first flight, the boy looked at his father and grinned. Not only were he and Sean loved and cared for, they'd somehow landed with this family who traveled in private jets. How cool was that!

Note1: FBO's or Fixed Base Operators/operations are used in the U.S., Canada and other places throughout the world to accommodate private jets and their passengers. Private jets do not use commercial airline terminals. Sources: Wikipedia and Yahoo.

Note2: mashup (also mash-up): A slang noun meaning a creative combination or mixing of content from different sources. Source: Merriam-Webster online

Ooh boy, lot of changes, time for an update! The original list of characters is on CH 153. The newest changes are again in bold italics and characters no longer in the story have been removed (although unless dead they could return later and as Pete says, even then…).

Tim's immediate family:

Wife Lina (Melina) Kalivas,

Children (in order of appearance):

Son Donald Jorrin (Jorry)

Daughter Anna

Daughter Gemma

Daughter Zoe

**_Son Timothy Andrew (Andy)_**

**_Son Sean Michael (Sean)_**

Tim's siblings, their spouses & partners:

Sarah McGee (husband James Powell); foster/adopted children: Adam, Audrey and Evan; also referred to as the "Powells"

Dr. Rob Mallard (dating Ned Dorneget)

Lt. Geordie Perry (wife Agent Bec Childers); also referred to as the "Perrys"

Agent Tony DiNozzo _(_wife Agent Maggie Barnes_); _also referred to as the "DiNozzos"

**_Patrick McGee Blair (wife Laurel) (both deceased): _**

**_Pat and Laurel's children: Sarah Hope (son Sean Michael, see Tim & Lina's kids) and Timothy Andrew (see Tim & Lina's kids)_**

McGee Parents, Grandparents and more:

Biological Parents: Lily and Dan McGee (both deceased pre-story)

Dad: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Poppy to his grandchildren; wife Rhea

Stepmother: Rhea Ortiz Gibbs, Nonnie to the Gibbses' grandchildren

Paternal grandmother: Penny Langston

Maternal grandmother: Maisie Stirling Hubbard Mallard (Gram or Grammie);

Maternal grandfather: Ducky/Donald Mallard (Grandfa);

**_Brother Patrick's Adoptive Mother: Hope Blair (deceased)_**

Tim's Godparents: Uncle Dave **(****_retired Admiral_****)** and Aunty Liz Crane;

Uncle, Aunt, Cousins: Uncle Jim and Aunt Claire Hubbard, children Ainsley and Callum;

Other family:

Jimmy and Breena Palmer, children Ethan, Stevie, Violet and David; family is also referred to as the 'Palmers'

Ziva David

Tim's in-laws:

Lina's parents: Davos Kalivas and Hélène Theodori, grandparent names: Pappouli and Yayaka (or Yaya);

Lina's siblings:

Damian Kalivas, **_(nickname Daim, pronounced Dame)_****,** partner Special Agent Matt Watson; also referred to as the 'Kalivas-Watsons';

Chloe Kalivas, husband Dr. Peter Rodino, children Alexis and Tad;

Nicolas Kalivas, wife Margaret Mitropolous, children Zander and Dimitri;

NCIS: Athens staff:

Office Manager Kim & husband Evander (real estate agent)

Eva & husband Caleb **_(works at the British Museum)_** and son Athos, **_daughter Alitta; Note: Eva is now located in London but still works for NCIS: Athens, albeit remotely._**

Kieran: Tea's replacement as dispatch (Caleb's sister)

Agents:

**_Ned Dorneget, Team Lead and SAIC, dating Dr. Rob Mallard; _**

**_Rusty Mayhew, SFA_**

Lynne

**_Jake _**

NCIS: Other offices:

**_Charleston, SC_**

**_Bec Childers, wife of Geordie Perry, Team Lead and SAIC (see also Tim's siblings)_**

El Segundo, CA

Agents:

Tamara Middleton, Team Lead

Staff:

Carla Hofstadler (former SFA and current part-timer) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy

DC:

Director Leon Vance, children Kayla and Jared;

Executive Assistant Pamela Cooke;

Agents:

Rick Carter, Jim O'Brien, Maggie Barnes, Dwayne Wilson

Medical Examiner:

Jimmy Palmer

IT:_  
><em>James Powell, Assistant Mgr. (see also Sarah McGee)

Also in DC:

Tobias Fornell (FBI) and daughter Emily,

Ron Sacks (FBI)

Rota:

Stan Burley, wife Patricia,

**_Rose Peters, SFA (also see NCIS: Preston office)_**

Marseille:

Agents: Roger Martinez, wife Marla

Seattle:

Agent Jane Melankovic

Pentagon:

Anthony DiNozzo Jr., SFA

Unnamed agents

Marine Corps West Field Office:

Blumquist, Senior SAIC

Sub office Yuma, AZ:

Lydia Worden Team Leader

**_Harry_** **_Strausborg_**_**, Agent **_

Southwest Office (also known as San Diego Office):

Joel Morris, Senior SAIC

**_Tea – as substitute dispatch operator, formerly with NCIS: Athens. (Also see husband Adan under list of Damian's consultants, below)_**

Unnamed Teams and sub offices besides Preston, its satellite offices and El Segundo

Sub Office: NCIS: Preston:

Office Manager: Megan Peters

Dispatch/Phones: Rae Leavitt

Support Analysts: Chuck Murray, Maria Camarillo

Agents:

Timothy McGee, Team Lead and Supervisory SAIC

Matt Watson, SFA

**_Rose Peters, temporary SFA (see also Rota)_**

Terrell Okoro

Joanne Day

Satellite Offices (subordinate to Preston):

Petrero:

Will Brown, Team Lead, Unnamed Agents

Button Willow:

Maya Maradona, Team Lead, Unnamed Agents

Sub Office: NCIS: El Segundo

Agents:

Tamara Middleton, Team Lead

Staff:

Carla Hofstadler (former SFA and current part-timer) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy

Retired Agent:

Pete Russell: wife Trina, kids Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas

**_At the British Museum in London _**

**_Caleb (husband of Eva), (formerly at the Benaki in Athens) _**

**_Damian's consultant staff at architectural firm: _**

**_Adan (landscape designer), (see also wife Tea under Southwest Office)_**

**_Evander (international real estate broker), (see also wife Kim at NCIS: Athens)_**

**_Melina Kalivas (mixed media artist), see also…entire story!_**

Other characters:

**_Michael O'Brien: deceased father of Sean Michael (see Tim's kids)_**

**_Mrs. Dorneget (aka Joanna Teague, canon name as of S12E2): Ned Dorneget's mother_**

**_Colonel Barnes: Maggie Barnes' father, Tony DiNozzo's father-in-law_**

**_Ric Krose: aka Eli Potter; private detective/murderer/blackmailer responsible for the deaths of Patrick and Laurel Blair. Deceased. _**

**_Natalie/Svetlana: Spy, murderess, "stepmother" to Tim, Patrick and Sarah McGee. Deceased. (See "At What Price" on my profile for full accounting of Svetlana's evilness.)_**

**_Childers family – Bec's parents, cousin Charlotte. _**

**_Shamus Meuller: CPS employee in Maryland and California who attempted to block the McGees' custody of Andy and Sean. _**

**_Agent Meyers: the Team Lead that Rose Peters (see agents: Rota and Preston) will eventually replace, the one that miscalculated his retirement date. _**

Dani, business owner and single mom of son Ross – Lina's friends, originally her housemates, later Bec and Ned's housemates;

George and Edith Powell: Sarah McGee's mother and father in law; parents of James Powell.

George Avramidis – Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Master/Instructor

Dimitri Avramidis – the "DCP" or the Deputy Chief of Police, Athens;

Archimedes – everyone's favorite tailor in Piraeus

"Ted" Edwards and Jack Hughes – CIA agents based in Athens

The Ambassador: U.S. Ambassador to Greece and good friend of Melina (Lina) Kalivas

Nick Hardister: Chief of Police in Preston, CA, also next door neighbor and friend to the McGees

Janeese Hardister: wife of Nick, sometimes babysitter for McGee children, friend and neighbor

Lu – shelter manager in Baltimore who helped the McGee siblings when they were growing up there.

Aegina – a small island 17 miles from Athens; scene of Tim and Lina's wedding; the group's annual Fourth of July celebrations and a whole lot of fun. A real island!

The Flying Pig – also known as the FP. Pub frequented by many people in the story. Real pub in Piraeus!

The big house Piraeus: where Gibbs, Lina's parents, Penny and the Mallards live when they're in Greece. Occasionally other people stay there. Also Penny's home in Virginia may sometimes be referred to as the 'big house' (see below).

The big house Preston California: where the Gibbses, Lina's parents, Penny and the Mallards live when they're in Preston. It's bigger than the Piraeus big house, has a pool and is very close to the beach.

**_Penny's House: future site of The McGee Home, the 4 McGee siblings' dream home for homeless, children without guardians, especially siblings. Current status is a large multi-storied home on multiple acres with at least one outbuilding containing an indoor pool and tennis court and large storage room. _**


	193. Chapter 193

Tim and Lina admitted they were almost as giddy with excitement as their children as their luggage was loaded onto the jet and their passports and paperwork were carefully checked. They smiled as they recognized their flight crew, the same group that had flown with them last summer. The Morrises joined them and greeted everyone enthusiastically. Carol Morris hadn't met Andy and Sean and couldn't keep the look of surprise from her face when she saw Andy. His dad was standing next to him and they both laughed, by now used to and loving the reaction.

They were still chatting when Joel spotted a familiar figure hurrying toward them. "Lydia!" His former SFA had arrived from Yuma earlier and had been taking her time poking around the airport when she realized she'd forgotten that there was an hour's time difference here when California switched to daylight savings and Arizona did not. She was nowhere near where she needed to go but was not terribly worried as she knew Tim or Joel would call her if they were ready to leave; she was, however, still hurrying. They gave her a moment to catch her breath and then the Morrises hugged her before the rest of the group had their chance. She was warmly greeted by Carla, who'd also worked with her way back when, Norm, Tim and Lina, Matt, Damian, Penny and the Grands who remembered her from the wedding. Damian remarked that she'd danced with them and she smiled, pleased he remembered her efforts. She'd heard about Matt's arm and was glad to see he was able to join them and in good spirits although he was still using a sling. And then she was introduced to the McGee and Hofstadler children. She obviously knew about Andy and Sean since she'd sent her senior agent to handle their DNA tests but was pleased to meet them in person. She remembered the triplets as babies at the wedding and was astounded that they were nearly 6 years old.

While the last of the luggage was loaded, they were asked to board and up the steps they went, the children holding hands with the adults. Once they were in the cabin, Zoe insisted on walking to her seat. She found her toddler seat strapped in between Andy and Jorrin and chortled with happiness. Sean sat with Anna and Gemma started the flight seated between her parents. They'd rotate so that each child had time on the flight with Mama and Daddy. They'd been told that they needed to be on their best behavior, they could play but they were to use their indoor voices and the rules they lived by at home were to be followed. Once everyone was seated and buckled in, the jet backed a bit, then turned and started the drive to the runway. They were one of the last flights out that night so there wasn't much of a queue, just one commercial jet in front of them. Then, as Anna described it they started their run before they leapt into the sky. Andy heard her and smiled, he'd have to remember to write it down. He was reading a series about dragons and he thought that fit the flying beasts pretty well, although he couldn't imagine them really running.

It took a while for them to settle down but the cabin lights were dimmed and it was long past the children's bedtime; eventually the 9 of them drifted off to sleep. Gemma snuggled into her dad's side and he smiled, kissing the top of her head. He had the window seat on the way over; Lina would have it on the way back and they usually traded off and on during the flight. He stretched his long legs out in front of him, reclined his seat almost flat and followed his daughter into slumber. Lina was reading and enjoying the quiet while it lasted. Eventually she too fell asleep and the flight attendant picked her book up off the floor and tucked it into their storage pocket.

They were wakened hours later by the bright cabin lights and the good smells coming from the galley, breakfast was being prepared. While Lina and Gemma got up to use the restroom, Tim grabbed the diaper bag and took Miss Zoe to change her. It wouldn't be long before she was done with the whole diaper thing, she was starting to tell them when she had to go. She didn't always time it right but she was getting there. When Tim wondered why she was apparently ready an entire year before Jorrin had been, Lina said she thought it was that Zoe was the youngest, she tried to copy her sisters and brothers in everything.

They enjoyed the breakfast foods they'd requested and then strolled around the jet. Poppy led them all in a rousing rendition of "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and found that the adults were more distracted than the children. The kids did the motions to the song and the slight exercise while the adults giggled and laughed their way through it. Afterward, Tim and Andy practiced some of Andy's MMA moves much to everyone's delight.

Finally they started the descent into DC and everyone returned to his or her seat and buckled up. Sean had swapped seats with Gemma after they all woke up and now he finished this part of the flight sitting in his booster seat between his parents. They landed and taxied to the FBO. The flight attendants told them they had an hour's wait before they could board again so if they wanted to get out and stretch that was fine just to make sure they had their passports and paperwork with them. There were no other private jets parked or expected so they had the area to themselves. They set up a couple of barriers and had the children race back and forth and then the adults split into teams and had walking relay races. As the last team finished, they heard applause and turning, found Grammie, Grandfa, Tony, Maggie, Bec, Geordie, the Powells, the Hubbards, Vances, Ross, Stephan and Phoebe, the Palmers, Cranes, Tobias and Emily Fornell. Rick Carter hadn't been able to make it, nor had Taylor Ganier, Lina's art gallery friend. There was one unexpected passenger, Maggie's father, the Colonel. He'd heard so many stories from his daughter and son-in-law that he'd decided to come along with them. There were hugs all around with lots of kisses from the children. When Tim hugged Sarah, he pulled back, frowned, opened his mouth and then remembered Damian's comment to Lina 4 years ago. He looked Sarah in the eye, "Anything you want to tell me?"

"Yes, Tim, I brought home a souvenir from San Diego."

He held her again talking to her the whole time, "I'm so happy for you little sister. You're already a great mom and now you're starting from scratch with a little one!" Looking up, he brought James into the hug. "Congratulations, Dad!"

"Thanks, although this is even scarier than going from one kid to three!"

"Yeah I guess it is. So does everyone know?"

"George and Edith and we told Grammie and Grandfa yesterday."

"Dad's right behind me, isn't he?"

"Uh huh, with Lina and Rhea." Tim kissed his sister again and then moved away so their father and the others could greet her. His niece and nephews swarmed him and he kissed each of them. "So glad to see you guys!"

Then the Palmer kids were there and he had a drooly kiss from little David. He, Jorry and Sean were talking with the DiNozzos, Bec and Geordie when the crew finished loading the luggage. Knowing the drill, they divided into family units and went through security before boarding the jet. After they were all on board, seated and buckled in, they taxied out to the runway, ready for their flight across the Atlantic.

Once they were at altitude, Sarah and James went to the galley to talk with their flight attendants. Tim and Lina smiled at each other, having an idea of what was about to happen. The speaker sputtered and then one of the attendants was saying, "Please listen closely to the following."

The next voice was Sarah's, "Hello everyone, Sarah and James here! First of all, we want to congratulate Tim and Lina on their five years of marriage and thank them for doing this in the summer rather than November. Secondly…uh…James wants to tell you something."

Tim laughed out loud as his sister clearly chickened out and delegated their announcement to her husband. James cleared his throat and began, "Right, thank you my dear wife. Yes, well Tim, Penny, the Mallards and Jethro have been told and I lived through it so I can do this. We're pregnant! Sarah is just completing her first trimester and the baby is due in late January."

There was a lot of noise after that and there were questions which Sarah and James gamely answered, remembering Tim and Lina doing this over Skype when Jorrin was on the way. Claire wanted to know if Sarah had morning sickness and she nodded. "Yes and it's actually in the morning, which apparently is rare. The good thing about that is that once it's over I feel fine the rest of the day. The bad thing is that I am definitely not a morning person!"

Tim, Geordie, James and the Powell children all gave testament to that. Maggie wanted to know whether they knew the gender yet and James answered that. "No, we'll have the ultrasound when we get back and we don't know yet whether we want to be told the gender. While we'll be happy with either a girl or boy, Sarah and Audrey feel it only fair that the baby be a girl to even things up."

Tim added, grinning. "Oh yes, you need a girl child just like her Mama."

Geordie reached over and they fist bumped while Sarah made a face at them. When their father gave his sons a look, they apologized to their sister, "Sorry Sairy." She preened a little at that and her grandmothers, aunts and uncles laughed, remembering the sassy princess little Sarah had been.

By the time everyone settled down, they were nearly a quarter of the way over the Atlantic. Tim had swapped seats with Lina and now he strolled along the aisle, chatting with family and friends and checking on his kids.

He stopped to speak with his godparents; he hadn't had much of a chance to talk with Uncle Dave since his retirement earlier in the month. "So how's it feel?"

"A bit like leave only there's no rush and my uni doesn't need to be cleaned."

Liz leaned forward, "And his wife is very happy!"

Dave grinned as he repeated her words, "And my wife is very happy! When we get back we're going to take a trip of our own and then we'll spend time with our kids."

"Going to stay in Virginia?"

They both nodded. "Yes. We'll come visit you during the winter and see who lands in some nice temperate place for a summer visit."

"We'll look forward to winters then! And good luck with finding a temperate climate for summer although San Diego isn't bad with the ocean breezes and the marine layer fog."

"Hmm, don't want to wear out our welcome."

Tim chuckled, "That'll never happen!" After chatting more about their plans, he started walking again. He also wanted to talk with his uncle but he looked like he was asleep. Ainsley saw him pondering and smiled at her cousin, "He's just dozing, Tim, you can wake him up."

Claire looked up from her knitting magazine, "He needs to get up and move anyway."

Now Tim saw a smile twitching at the corner of his uncle's lips and gave his shoulder a light poke. "Hey, Uncle Jim, wakey wakey! Want to walk with me?"

He opened his eyes and grinned at his nephew, "Sure kiddo."

They started slow and worked up to a fairly brisk walk. Grandfa and Gram were also walking, starting at the opposite end so they passed each other, walking single file in the middle. While Tim and his uncle walked they talked. "How you doin', Tim?"

"Great!" Tim held up both hands with crossed fingers, "Everything's going well, everyone is healthy except for Matt and Maggie and they're healing as expected. Lina and I are really excited that so many of our wedding guests are joining us!"

"That's all good son. And how are our new little ones settling in?"

"Overall, they're doing very well. There have been a few bumps along the way; it took Sean awhile before he really trusted us but we got there. Andy misses his grandmother but lets us comfort him and I'll take that as a good sign."

"And you?"

"Still coming to terms with things, I guess. Sometimes it feels like the Patrick who lived to be an adult is just…someone else; someone who had the same name and left us Andy, Sean and Sarah Hope. I've seen enough photos, heard some good stories but I didn't know him and I have a hard time imagining my little brother as the grown man I never knew."

"Is that easier?"

"Don't know about easier but it's what everything seems to have boiled down to. How are you doing with it?"

Jim huffed, "Believe it or not, I'm having pretty much the same reaction you are. Grownup Patrick just doesn't seem real, not even after meeting the boys in person."

Tim nodded and then pulled his lips tight. "Penny's still having a hard time with it."

"Yeah, Mum told me; they're worried about her."

"It's been great that she's stayed with us for so long and I know she wanted to get to know Andy and Sean but she needs all of you too. You are her family, her safe family, there's no guilt or tragedy involved and Gram and Grandfa are a major source of support and…camaraderie, they're her peers, her friends, family and co-grandparents."

"Yes, I agree, so this trip should help and then she'll come home."

"Yeah. That'll be good for her. I think she and I are alike in that we both prefer to have everyone we love around us. Not saying we like to be the center just that we're all in one place."

Jim nodded, "Yes, I can see that."

"So what are you up to? How's life aboard the Baton Rouge without the Admiral? I was surprised to hear that you were coming along with us. Happy but surprised."

Jim shrugged and then looked at Tim, "Tell you the truth, I've also put in for retirement. We decided not to say anything until Sarah and James announced their news."

"So you did know and wow!"

"Claire figured it out and yeah, I'm on terminal leave."

Tim smiled, "That's good!"

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely, I'm sure Claire and the kids are thrilled to have you home, and selfishly speaking it'll be wonderful to have you and Uncle Dave at family gatherings, I always miss you!"

"Thanks kiddo, I'm looking forward to those too. As for the kids, I'm looking forward to Ainsley's last year at home. She'll be applying to several colleges in the area; we're insisting that she live in the dorm at least her freshman year. She says she wants to work at McGee House when it opens. Callum wants to study abroad but can't decide about after, whether he goes into the Navy or joins NCIS. I told him he can do both and he's got time to decide, his interests may change between his sophomore year of high school and graduating from college!"

"That's a great idea though; we have a lot of former Navy and Marine agents. Leon, Maggie and of course Dad are former Marines and Pete and Lydia are former Navy. And that's really exciting about Ains!"

"Yeah, we're pleased although as I said a lot can happen between now and then. And thanks for reminding me about resources for Cal, that'll help."

Their conversation turned to the trip. "Are we all staying in rentals?"

"I think most of us. Matt and Damian are staying at the Danae and I think Joel and Carol are too, not sure about anyone else. Gram took on the housing project and worked closely with Evander, so she'd know more. Last I heard, he'd found several holiday houses and then Gram worked with each family to match housemates. For instance, we asked that we not be sharing with another family with young children – we did that at Easter when Sarah and James stayed with us and 9 kids in one house…once was enough, thank you!"

Jim laughed, "So does that mean your family is complete?"

Tim shrugged, "For now. Ask us when Zoe's potty trained and Jorrin and Sean are in kindergarten. Anna and Andy are already a lot of help and Gemma's starting to help too."

"Do you want more?"

"If we hear of kids in need, yes, there will be no hesitation if we're the right family for them. Having more babies? Lina says yes but we'll see. She's part of Damian's project in Spain… are you familiar with that?" Jim nodded. "She has a sculpture that will be the centerpiece of the complex, it's how Evander brokered the deal for the land. So once they're to that point, she'll be spending a few weeks in Barcelona. And well, there's a lot going on."

"Will you have to move again?"

Tim grinned, "You do know about our plan to move to Greece when I retire at 55?"

"Yes, fine and I get that you can't talk about it."

"I'm not comfortable with the topic and I really wish people wouldn't talk about it or see it as a foregone conclusion."

"Except that it is."

Tim shook his head, "No it's not, Uncle. Any number of things could change, just like Ainsley and Callum's plans, you know as well as I do that nothing in life is guaranteed."

"Except death and taxes, yeah, you're right."

They moved the conversation back to the planned accommodations on Aegina and Maggie and Matt's physical therapy. "He's the same guy that worked with Bec, Matt and me after Bagram. He's winding down his career and came up with a unique plan. He's rented a place on Aegina and brought in what equipment he needs so the two of them can have PT there. They won't have to take the ferry back and forth and they won't be able to shirk their sessions."

"Did that ever happen with you?"

"Not the three of us, we were all anxious to get back to field duty!" He chuckled, "But we weren't on an island with our friends and family all frolicking in the surf."

"True enough." Jim smiled and gestured to Tim, "Your oldest daughter looks like she has a question to ask."

Tim turned to find Anna waiting patiently. "I'm sorry honey; I didn't know you were waiting!"

"That's ok, Daddy. I just wanted to ask if Audrey, Gemma and I can share a room again."

"No, Annalanna, we're all staying with our own families."

"Oh, but that was so much fun."

"We'll talk about it some more when we get to wherever we're staying."

"All right…does that mean maybe?"

"No, it means we'll tell you why we're not allowing sharing."

"Ok." She looked so disappointed that Tim gave her a kiss before she went back to her seat. Jim had been fighting a smile, "Did you just break her heart?"

"Thinking we might arrange a 1 person sleepover. Audrey one night, Adam another and Evan another, but I don't want an extra child every night."

"And the Powells reciprocate?"

"Whole deal only works if they agree; otherwise the kids will just have to make do with the 16 hours a day they'll spend together."

The two men laughed at the truth of that. They eventually parted and Jim continued walking while Tim went back to his seat. Zoe was awake and squirming so he lifted her into his arms, grabbing the diaper bag. She babbled at him as they headed for the restroom. After changing her they emerged to find the aisles clear so he stuck his head in the galley to warn their attendants and then let Zoe loose. She gave one of her happy squeals and took off. As he followed behind her, Tim reflected that he would miss her baby squeals as his youngest child grew older; Jorrin's had gradually disappeared between his 2nd and 3rd birthdays. He thought about explaining to their three older children why they couldn't share rooms with their cousins. How to explain the concept of parents needing a vacation without making the kids feel like they'd done something wrong? They hadn't, it was just the sheer volume of happy children last Easter that had brought this about. He brightened, sure that Lina would have a good idea; she always did!

He smiled again thinking of the tidbit Rhea had found out and shared with him. Each couple with children was going to be surprised with a day and night to themselves and that included caregiving grandparents. So the Powells, senior and junior, the Gibbses, the Kalivas', the Palmers, the Hofstadlers, the Hubbards, the McGees and possibly Vance, the Russells would each have 'time off' from parenting duties while on Aegina. Tim also had a few surprises planned. One was for Lina and would tie in with their time off; one was for his dad and the McGee siblings were all in on that one; the third and biggest one was for Grandfa. No one but Lina knew about that one and he was excited about it.

Grandfa was up again and prodding the adults to get up and move around. They divided into two groups and stayed up, mostly walking for 30 minutes. Maggie and Matt were allowed to walk slower and apart from the others as any jostling would make things worse. They all returned to their seats when their friendly attendants announced their next meal was about to be served.

Tim was amused to see that almost no one went back to sleep after the meal, Maggie being the exception. The children got up and walked, visiting everyone. Tim and Jimmy organized another walking relay race although this time they divided it into age groups, the first 2 groups competing against each other were a mixture of the college students with the high school students, including Ethan much to his delight. After every child but Zoe and David Palmer had competed, they settled down to watch movies, play games, talk and read.

Two hours later Poppy and Geordie got everyone up again to do some exercises in the aisle. There weren't any jumping jacks but there was plenty of stretching and bending and movement of feet and legs. The adults went first and then were allowed to stand and watch the children who of course blew them all away with their flexibility. Tim and Bec had Matt direct them in a demonstration of their MMA moves and then Lydia and Geordie joined them to do some very light defending. When they were done, Tim and Andy once again demonstrated Andy's new moves. Several of the kids, including some of the older ones watched with deep interest and their parents resolved to speak with them about taking martial arts classes.

Leon was happy to see both Kayla and Jared interested. Both knew how to shoot, that had been Jackie's doing, as well as some basic self-defense but their father would sleep better at night if they also took on mixed martial arts.

Once again he resolved to find more money in the agency budget to provide basic MMA training for his agents. He smiled to himself, that would be a good project for McGee, to estimate costs over a 5 year period…factoring in training new agents and any others who wanted in, plus medical and legal costs between using firearms and the use of MMA to bring in the bad guys. He made a note on his phone to talk with his agent after their vacation. They'd have their largest number of Feds on the island this weekend as Stan, his wife and Roger and his wife would be joining them. He believed George Avramidis would be joining them and that probably meant Dimitri would be there too. He remembered that the Athens PD had put their officers into George's classes before Tim left; he thought he'd pick Dimitri's brain to see how it was working with them. If he – or Tim – could get some solid numbers from Athens that would bolster the proposal he planned to make once Tim's estimates were done. He would love to see basic classes added to FLETC and then each ARMFED could offer additional training…or not. That would help his budget, to have the basics already handled then they could offer the next level. That took him back to an idea he and Gibbs had worked on a few years ago, to have an extended basic training after FLETC. He was startled out of his reverie when Tim stopped at his seat. "You're deep in thought, Leon. Thinking about the agency I'll bet."

He chuckled, "Busted! I seldom get this much quiet time; have all kinds of ideas buzzing through my head." He looked at his friend, "Mind being a sounding board?" The younger man nodded, sat down across the aisle from him and Leon started, "I was thinking…"

They were still deep in discussion when the good Dr. Mallard interrupted them. "Excuse me, Leon, Timothy. I believe there's a rule being violated here…#10 perhaps? When the case is done, walk away."

Tim shook his head, "#11 is walk away; #10 is never get personally involved in a case." Then he hung his head, mortified. "Busted and we didn't even make it to Athens!"

Leon was laughing, "My bad!"

Grandfa chuckled, "Your punishment is a walk of shame…a round trip up and down the length of the plane."


	194. Chapter 194

CH 194

The flight finally reached Athens and after they'd been through Customs they gathered in the shade outside the FBO. Several vans pulled up, followed by a school bus. The younger children looked at their parents, "Are we going to school?" Tim shook his head as Grandfa explained, "No, that's for our luggage. The vans are for us." Geordie and Stephan had already volunteered to ride on the bus with the luggage.

As they waited at Customs, Tim remembered that he hadn't asked Andy or Sean if they got seasick and he supposed they might not know. He fished around in his carry on bag, finally finding the supplies he'd brought for them just in case. He reached over Anna to tap Andy on the shoulder. "Andy, do you know if you or Sean get seasick?"

Andy shook his head, "I don't know; we've never been on a boat."

"All right. Before we get on the ferry, you, Sean and I will take some ginger and put on one of these bands…" He held up a sea band, "and then you won't have to worry about it."

"You get seasick?"

"Yes, I do, very seasick, but not since I started using this stuff."

Andy just nodded as they moved forward. Sean wasn't sure what was going on when his dad and brother gave him some weird stuff to eat but they ate theirs so he tasted it and it was all right. Then his dad put bands around their wrists and gave them both a kiss. Sean and Andy noticed Audrey was eating the same stuff and wearing a band like theirs.

Once the luggage was loaded onto the bus and Geordie and Stephan had climbed on, the others got into the vans; the vehicles then headed for the ferry dock where the Russells, Dani, Kim and Evander would meet them. The Thessaloniki branch of the family had flown in earlier and had texted Hélène that they were already on the island.

Tim and Lina grinned as they spotted Pete standing on the top deck of the ferry waving madly. After the vans had parked, the group scrambled out and then helped unload the luggage from their school bus. They formed a chain to pass the bags from the bus to the ferry and the deckhands stowed it below. The vacationers climbed aboard where Pete, Trina, Kyra and Lukas were already giving warm welcomes to Phoebe and Stephan and Dani was reuniting with Ross. They managed to get everyone aboard and weigh anchor before the Russells started greeting the others. Andy watched in awe as his dad hugged the goofy older guy. He knew he'd met him online and that he was "Uncle Pete" but now he saw that his dad was hugging him almost the same way he hugged his brothers.

The ride over was smooth and the kids again had a good time watching for dolphins and other sea creatures. Breena remembered that the first time they'd ridden the ferry she and Stevie had slept the whole way and that she'd been pregnant with Violet. Grandfa had the adults stand in line so that Evander could pass out keys and directions. For the most part the vacation dwellings were within walking distance of the beach and town and Evander had made arrangements for the luggage to be transported to the various locations. Now he asked that everyone go straight there and make sure they had the right luggage when it arrived.

The group laughed when another school bus trundled down the hill to the dock. Grinning, the deckhands waved off any help and started loading the luggage onto the bus. Geordie and Evander went with the bus while the group climbed onto the hotel shuttles that would take them to their temporary homes.

Tim shook his head as he sat down with Zoe on his lap, "Evander's really outdone himself this time, this is a major feat of organization!"

Grandfa laughed, "Your grandmother and I had fun working with him I'll tell you that!" They didn't have far to go, the McGees' place was the first stop, right off the main street of the town, in fact it was only a few steps away from a restaurant Hélène had discovered 5 years ago. Their luggage was sitting by the front door; the bus was just pulling away and then stopping at the next house to offload more bags. That was the vacation 'big house' for the Grands and Greats who had opted to continue sharing. The Powells' house was the third house on the street and the Palmers had one across the street with the Vances and the Russells, who were sharing, next door to them. The Hofstadlers were a couple of houses up and Lydia, Dani and Ross were sharing a cottage at the end of the street. The Hubbards and Cranes were sharing a house a block over and Geordie and Bec, Tony and Maggie had a place close to them. As Ned thought he might have to occasionally work during their two weeks, he and Rob would stay with the McGees, while Matt and Damian were staying at the hotel along with the Fornells, the Morrises, Maggie's father and some of the others.

When Tim and Lina walked into their rental, they smiled happily. It was spacious and clean, just what they'd hoped for. There were five bedrooms: 2 of them had bunk beds plus a single bed - the boys would share a room as would the girls; Tim and Lina's room and a bedroom tucked behind the kitchen was earmarked for Rob and Ned who would be arriving later that evening. Tim looked at the one extra room, "We can store our luggage in there."

"Unless someone needs a room or we have to split the boys up."

"Sure."

They were pleased to see that the single bed in one of the rooms had side rails similar to the one Zoe had been sleeping in at home, that would be the girls' room.

They helped the kids unpack and then unpacked their own things. They'd bought sandwiches, milk and snacks on the ferry so they could have something to eat when they got to the house. Once everyone had changed, they gathered at the large table for lunch. Figuring they had a couple of hours before jet lag hit them, Tim took Andy and Anna to get more groceries. They got enough for a few meals and then headed back to the house, wanting to get to the beach. When they got back they found the others were in their beach clothes so the three of them hurried and, sending a text to the 'family' group Tim had on his phone, they headed out. There was a path behind the houses that led directly to their favorite beach so they wouldn't have to walk through town all the time. Tim figured they probably had time for a walk on the beach and to get their feet wet before they were slammed with jet lag and needed to sleep. When they got to the head of the path at the edge of the beach the kids took off running and then stopped when their dad whistled. "Jorry, Sean, you stay with us. Gemma, you need to stay with either Anna or Andy. Kids, you have to be able to see us and we have to be able to see you. That's the rule for vacation; remember how we talked about this at home?"

Lina added, "It's the same rule we use on the beach at home, isn't it?"

They nodded and Tim continued, "All right and nobody steps foot on this path, on the beach, or in the water without an adult with you, not even toes can go in the water." The kids nodded again. "When other adults or your cousins are in charge, you will follow the same rules."

They nodded again. Gemma looked puzzled, "Daddy, does that mean Audrey, Ethan, Adam, Stevie or Evan can be in charge?"

"No sweetie, I meant your older cousins: Alexis, Ainsley and Callum."

They nodded. Andy looked puzzled and said to his sister, "Who's Alexis?"

"She's our almost grown cousin who's coming to California for college."

"Oh yeah and she has brothers my age."

"One brother and two cousins." He shrugged and they both laughed.

While they were standing there, Sarah, James and their kids came down the path to join them and repeated the rules for their kids. Andy, Anna, Evan and Audrey, Adam and Gemma walked down the beach while Jorry, Sean and Zoe hung out with their parents. Tim had to chase after Zoe a couple of times and he shook his head, "She's the fastest one of all."

Jorry looked at his baby sister, "Zoe, you're not supposed to run away from Mama and Daddy; you have to stay where they can see you, with me and Seanie. We're not big yet."

She nodded and babbled something to him, her special Zoe language which only Jorry, Sean and sometimes Gemma understood. Jorry looked at his parents, "She'll stay with us."

"Thank you son, thank you Zoe!"

She squealed and took Sean's hand, pulling him along. The group walked along, Tim and James sometimes loping ahead to walk with the older kids. Anna looked at her Uncle James. "How did you and Aunty Sarah meet?"

He and her dad laughed. "I met your dad first."

They told them the story of Tim working in London for a month and sharing James' flat with him. "How come you did that?"

"Because I was brand new to NCIS and I thought it would be fun to have the Yank stay with me as I'd never met one before, you see."

"What's a Yank?"

"Oh…that's a nickname we British people call you Americans. It's really Yankee."

Andy grinned, "Like Yankee Doodle Dandy?"

Tim laughed, "Yes. Nobody really knows where the word comes from."

"Did you have a good time staying with Uncle James?"

"I sure did! We worked hard and we played hard. We took road trips on the weekends and we even found a dinosaur fossil! That reminds me…"

James nodded, "I have it with me."

"You have it, can we see it?"

"When we get home, yes you can see it. I'll have it for the next year."

"Huh?"

Evan grinned, "They only found one fossil so they decided to trade it back and forth every year. My dad had it this past year so now it's Uncle Tim's turn."

"Where did you find it?"

"On a beach in Wales."

Anna was confused, "Whales had a beach in them?"

"No, you haven't learned about it yet, but there's a country next to England that's called Wales." Tim spelled it out for her. "Oh, that's funny!"

Eventually Tim and James dropped back to Lina, Sarah and the little ones, laughing as they saw Jorry and Sean running in circles around the women with Zoe doing her best to keep up with them. When they noticed the older kids turning back, they let the little ones run to them. The families returned to their respective houses and they went down for naps.

Tim's phone alarm woke him a few hours later and after figuring out where he was, he listened. It sounded like all the kids were still asleep. Hearing a noise beside him he turned to find Lina waking up. He greeted her with a kiss and she pulled him toward her. Things were just getting interesting when they heard someone crying. When Tim entered the hallway he realized the sound was coming from the boys' room so he hurried in to find Sean sitting on his bed, Andy next to him trying to comfort him. Tim sat down on the other side of Sean. "Seanie, what's the matter?"

"I thought I was back there."

"Back there…where, son?"

"Dat place where I hadda go with my first mom."

"The shelter?"

"Where all da people were noisy."

Tim nodded, he remembered noisy people at the shelter; he also noticed Sean's language skills had slipped a bit, that tended to happen when he was upset. "The ones who snore?"

"Yeah. And dey talk out loud in the night."

He remembered that too, the old druggies and drunks who sometimes talked or muttered in their sleep. "Do you know where you are now?"

"With you and Mama and Andy and Jorry, Zoe and Gemma and Anna. We flyed on a jet to Greece, Daddy."

"Yeah, we did sweetie." He lifted Sean into his lap and looked at Andy. "Do you want to sleep some more?"

Andy thought about it and shook his head. "All right, why don't we go into the other room?" Jorrin was still sound asleep so leaving the door open, they went to the living room and the three of them cuddled on the couch. Lina came in a few minutes later, bringing Zoe.

Jorry was next, calling, "Mama? Daddy?" Before either Tim or Lina could disentangle themselves from Zoe, Sean and Andy, they heard Anna's voice and then the girls and Jorry appeared. Jorry ran to his parents. "I din't know where I was when I woke up!"

Sean nodded solemnly, "Me needer."

Everyone cuddled together for a little while longer until Lina said, "Who's hungry?"

Everyone was but as it was far too early for dinner they decided to go into town for a treat. Tim realized he'd never heard back from anyone but Sarah and wondered if the rest of the crew was going to sleep all day. They were leaving the house when Poppy and Nonnie came out from their place next door. They'd just woken up and figuring they'd missed the beach walk had decided to stroll through town. Gemma tugged on Nonnie's hand, "C'mon, we're going for a treat!"

"Ooh, a treat - that sounds yummy!" The ten of them walked the block into town and turned down the main street. "Daddy, do you know where the treat place is?"

"Yes, Gemma I do." Tim laughed and squeezed Lina's hand as they passed a familiar building, the florist's shop. Their friend the florist was just walking a customer out and her face broke into a warm smile as she saw them and greeted them with cheek kisses. "Timothy and Melina, how wonderful to see you and…oh my, look how the children have grown!"

"It's wonderful to see you too! We have two more children this year, these are our sons Andy and Sean."

"Hello to both of you, it's nice to meet you." Sean looked at his parents as he didn't understand the woman. Andy remembered what Anna had taught him about saying hello and managed to get the right words out. She smiled and switched to English, "That's very good, Andy! And Sean, I said it's nice to meet you." He smiled and held out his hand for a shake, "Oh a gentleman, just like your father!" She looked at Jorrin and the girls, "And it's so good to see all of you again! Ladies, gentlemen, welcome back to Aegina, you look very happy to be here."

They giggled and Zoe babbled at her and leaned in from Tim's arms for a kiss. "Oh lovely, thank you little one!"

"Will you be open for awhile?"

"Yes, another couple of hours."

"We're going for a treat but we'd like to stop by later. The house we're renting is lovely and would be even lovelier with some fresh flowers."

"Splendid! I remember, no lilies, right?"

Tim nodded. "Right, Zoe and I are allergic to them." Andy spoke up, "Me too, they make my eyes all red and itchy and roses too."

Tim looked at him, "Any other flower that bothers you, son…or Sean?"

"I don't think so Dad."

Their friend smiled saying, "All right, I'll put something together with no lilies or roses, lots of daisies and dahlias I think."

"Thank you!"

They continued on their walk, Lina and Rhea giggling together. When asked why they said, "By the time we get to the treat store the whole town will know we're here."

Tim chuckled, "I'll bet they've known since we got off the ferry, actually probably since Evander started looking for houses for us!" Poppy snorted his agreement and the kids giggled at him.

They reached the ice cream store and were debating whether to order their favorites or try something new when they heard familiar voices behind them; turning, they found Pete and Trina standing behind them. "Hello strangers!"

Anna and Gemma smiled at each other when their parents and grandparents started hugging Uncle Pete and Aunt Trina again. Anna whispered to Andy, "They'll be like that, they were last year. They lived here for a long time and miss their friends." He nodded, he understood moving away and missing people, he just hadn't known that grownups were so 'huggy'.

The Russells joined them on their stroll through town, eating their ice cream. When Pete rescued Sean's ice cream which was in danger of sliding right off the cone, the little boy looked at him with wide eyes and a chocolate-y grin, "My ice cream almost 'scaped, thank you!"

"You're welcome Sean."

Jorry patted his brother on the arm, "That's good, Seanie, but we woulda shared with you."

They walked onto the beach to finish their treats and then said hello to some of their other friends who were sunbathing or getting their feet wet. Poppy looked around, "No sun shelter yet, guess Ducky's still sleeping!"

Tim looked at the time and then glanced at Lina, raising an eyebrow. She smiled back and said to the kids, "Does anyone feel sleepy?" They shook their heads. "Well then let's go back to our house, change into our swim suits and come back for some beach time!"

"YAY!" All six of the kids plus Nonnie and Poppy were cheering. Pete and Trina wanted to see the path behind the houses so they came along with them. With Sean riding on Tim's shoulders and Jorry on Poppy's and Zoe in her stroller they made pretty good time. The Russells came in with them to see their house and then headed across the street to their house, promising to join them on the beach. Pete said he'd spotted a beach umbrella at their place and he'd bring it along.

The Gibbses went home to change while the McGees dispersed to their rooms. Lina and Tim changed first and then Tim helped the little boys while Lina got Zoe into her swimsuit. They convened in the living room and giggled as sunscreen was liberally applied to all of them. Tim put a hat on Zoe, a hat on his own head and then handed one to Andy who didn't look happy but put it on anyway.

"Most of the other kids will be wearing them too."

Andy nodded, "All right."

"Grandfa, Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Rob always look out for us, so when they make us get out of the water and into the shade, it actually means we get to play longer and we're happier because we don't get sunburned."

His son smiled his understanding; he'd had sunburns and hated the burn and the itching and peeling after.

They'd found beach chairs and towels so when Poppy, Nonnie, Pappouli and Yaya joined them and with Zoe once again in her stroller, they walked back down the path to the beach. Pappouli was carrying a big beach umbrella and the Russells brought the one from their house; once they had them set up side by side, it made a pretty decent shelter from the blazing sun shining in the sky and the glare as it bounced off the surface of the water.

Although he'd been in the ocean many times at home, Andy was a little nervous here and was happy to stick with his dad, Poppy and sisters. Pappouli stayed with Jorrin and Sean while Yaya played with Zoe at the shoreline.

Before they went swimming, Lina and Rhea went back into town and picked up two bouquets of fresh flowers, one for each of their houses. They took them home and then ran down the path to the beach. Lina ran right into the waves, jumping into Tim's arms and they played in the water, only getting out to greet her siblings as they arrived on the beach. Andy was excited to meet the three boys, Zander, Dimitri and Tad, who were close to his age, his cousin Alexis who was older than Ainsley and his aunts and uncles. He watched as Steve and Tad greeted each other like old friends and then heard why they were indeed the best of friends, how they'd met when they were little boys here on the island.

When they heard the ferry blow its horn as it came into the harbor in the late afternoon, the McGee siblings, Pete and Poppy got out of the water, did some quick and fairly ineffective passes with their beach towels, put their flip flops on and headed for the dock. Rob spotted them from his spot on the deck; he and Ned waved at them and they waved back. Beside them Tim could see Stan, Patricia, Roger and Marla grinning at them and he waved his straw hat at them. Rob was first down the gangplank and grabbed Tim in a hug, not seeming to mind the ocean water still dripping off of his big brother. Then he grabbed their dad, his other brothers and lastly his sister. He paused and then looked at her with a question on his face. When she grinned and nodded, he let out a loud whoop and nearly swept their sister off her feet. Ned was following along behind him, greeting everyone and looked up at the two youngest McGee siblings when Rob whooped. His eyes widened and he nodded at Sarah with a smile. The two men went to get their luggage, hoping to get to the house, change and have time for a swim before the sun set. When Stan and the others approached them, Tim held out his hand. "I'll spare you the sea water for now. Welcome!"

"Thanks, been looking forward to this!" The four were warmly welcomed before they climbed onto the hotel shuttle with their luggage, promising to join them on the beach in a few minutes.

They played until the sun started to set, taking turns with the children, Pete and Trina gladly pitching in. Penny, Gram and Grandfa had appeared about an hour after the McGee clan hit the water and when he saw them Tim told the kids it was time for their first shade break. Andy liked that his whole family headed for the umbrellas, it was nice not to be singled out. All the kids were on the beach by now and Tim chuckled to himself when every single one of them got out of the water. More beach umbrellas had appeared so there was plenty of shade to share.

The kids all had a good time with their cousins, aunts and uncles but Andy especially enjoyed meeting all the uncles in person – and playing with them. The McGee brothers, James, Ned and Jimmy gathered together for a huge splash fight. Andy laughed when he saw his grandfathers, Uncle Jim and the Greek uncles wading into the water to join the battle. They divided into teams and asked Pete to referee but he, Stephan and Ross wanted in on the battle so Norm refereed. Tim laughed when he noticed that Claire and Lina were taking photos and possibly recording. The kids were all at the shoreline, calling encouragement to the water warriors. Next time he looked to the shore, he noticed that the Colonel, Maggie's father, had joined the crowd and was sitting with Gram, Penny and Grandfa, laughing and looking like he was really enjoying himself. Tim elbowed Tony and his brother nodded, "I know, pretty amazing, isn't it?"

Nicolas sent a splash their way just then and they responded, ending the conversation.

That first afternoon set the tone for the rest of the trip. They relaxed, played, strolled around town doing plenty of shopping, toured the island, went horseback riding, had meals together and separately, ate out, cooked in, had potlucks and barbecues, rented sailboats and jet skis, played in the water, went snorkeling and scuba diving and most importantly caught up with old friends and made new ones. Local friends came and went, mostly on the weekends and joined right in with all the fun.

XXX

Tim and Lina asked Gram and Grandfa over to the house for an early brunch the next day, their first whole day on the island. Penny and James took Audrey, Anna, Evan and Andy horseback riding while the Kalivas' and Gibbses took Adam and Gemma, who hadn't wanted to go riding, and the rest of the grandchildren to the beach.

When they came in, Maisie told Lina she was dying of curiosity; sure there was something special going on. Lina just laughed and they walked to the table. Tim had their meal ready so they sat in eager anticipation. They were served a spinach frittata with one of Tim's favorite Greek salads and much to the Mallards surprise, mimosas.

Grandfa looked at his grandson, "What's the occasion?" Tim grinned and then handed his grandfather a wrapped package, complete with a bow in the shape of a bow tie. Ducky laughed when he saw the bow. "It's not my birthday!" "I know, it's too early but I really wanted to give you this in person." Lina was beaming and Tim was so excited he could hardly sit still. His grandfather carefully took the wrapping paper off saying, "I can feel it's a book, but what…?" He took the last piece of wrapping paper off and stared at the title. "Tales of a Scotsman" by Zubin Cai.

"Timothy?"

"Open it, please?!"

Grandfa opened it and read the summary on the side of the book jacket. "Timothy! Oh my word! Maisie…he's…Timothy, I can't believe this!" He turned the pages and came to the dedication. "Look, my love, he's dedicated this to us."

Maisie was trying to read over his shoulder. "Tim, I don't…his stories? You've written Donnie's stories?"

Tim was getting a little anxious and just nodded. His grandfather was leafing through the book and finally looked up, tears running down his face. "You've included the circumstances when I told the stories." Tim smiled. "And some of these…there are years worth, Timothy. One of these I told you when you were still a probationary agent."

Tim finally spoke, "I've been capturing them for years and decided it was finally time to put them together in a book."

"Oh heavens, my dear boy!" Grandfa took Tim in his arms and held him close. "I had no idea you were doing that…I knew you had written some of them down…but all this time…and a book? Oh lad, I cannot believe this, my own boy."

"It's all right, you don't mind?"

"Mind? How could I mind? I'm gobsmacked, that's what I am! Nearly speechless."

They all chuckled at that and Tim finally said, "It's an advance copy, for you."

"You must sign it dear boy."

Tim chuckled again, "I will if you will!" They found a pen and both signed it. It was some time before Grandfa was settled enough to eat but Lina had wisely covered the frittata and put it back in the oven so it was still fresh and warm when it was finally served.

"I must ask you, who else knows…besides our Lina of course."

"No one else knows, just the two of us – and my publisher of course. I almost told Jimmy and Tony but decided you two should be the first ones to know."

"Thank you, this is…both humbling and magnificent, my boy. I think that, aside from my darling Maisie, your dear mother and you children, this is the most precious gift I've ever been given."

Tim was happy to hear that, he'd wanted to honor the man who had been his friend and confidante long before they'd found out they were grandfather and grandson.

After they'd eaten, Lina wanted to hear one of the shorter stories and Grandfa started to hand the book to Tim but he put his hand up. "You should read it aloud, Grandfa; the book is a new delivery system for a wider audience and so we'll always have your tales. But you telling the story is always better!"

Maisie smiled at her grandson while Grandfa started to tear up again, eventually clearing his throat and starting his tale. Afterward, they cleared the table and then the four of them went for a walk on the beach. They turned right down the path instead of left and headed for a part of the shore none of them had really explored yet.


	195. Chapter 195

Late that afternoon, a large crowd including McGees, Powells, Palmers, the Burleys, DiNozzos, Ned and Rob, Matt and Damian, Leon, the Grands and Greats were taking a stroll down the beach when a phone buzzed. When Tim pulled his phone out, Ned huffed in relief that it wasn't his. Tim viewed the text, nodded and then taking Lina's hand, turned until he found his in-laws. "Davos, Hélène, will you please watch the kids? Lina and I will be back in a few minutes." They nodded, mystified as the couple walked toward town. Leon suddenly realized what might be happening and distracted everyone by claiming to have seen a whale breeching, coming up for air. He explained that whales normally travel in pods so there might be more. That had the kids' attention and they stood along the shoreline intently watching the surface waters. Every wave, every piece of plankton was a possible whale.

As they walked Tim explained his actions to his wife, "LinaMelina, Ziva's here. She's already checked in at the hotel and will meet us back at the dock."

She grinned, "That's what I hoped!"

"Yeah and now we can go ahead with Dad's surprise, well his 2nd surprise, tomorrow night."

"Will you call the restaurant and finalize the reservation?"

"I guess I'd better!" He did that and was just finishing as they approached the dock. Ziva saw them and hurried toward them. The three had a happy reunion and then their sister pulled back and looked at them. "You look well, both of you. Rested, not too tired from having all those children!"

They laughed, "It is a lot of work and a lot of fun. We're lucky that we have so much help!"

Lina patted Ziva's arm, "You look well too, Ziva, much happier than last time we saw you."

She nodded, "Yes, I am and I will tell you why later when there are more of us together, yes?" They agreed as the trio turned to head back to the beach.

Tim suddenly stopped and with a mischievous look in his eyes said, "Hang on! Ziva, want to really surprise everyone?"

She smiled, "Of course!"

"Let's go back through town and then cut down to the path. They'll be expecting to see us come back the way we came. With any luck we'll be able to get fairly close to them before they spot us."

"Even Gibbs?"

"Yeah, he's going to be the tough one, well, got a bunch of sharp observers in the group but Leon knows so he might distract them."

They'd noticed earlier that there was a cut-through to the beach path between two of the buildings in town and slipped down that way. The kids and several of the adults were standing along the shoreline staring out to sea and the trio wondered what they'd seen.

Gibbs was feeling twitchy but not in a bad way. He knew Tim and Lina were up to something but decided not to think about it, they obviously had some sort of surprise and for once he'd just enjoy whatever happened. That was something he'd learned from his wife. He relaxed his shoulders and she leaned into him, giving him a kiss.

They were still cuddling when he heard a familiar voice say, "So many people, I wonder if there is anyone I know here." His eyes widened and Rhea stepped back while her husband pivoted in the direction of the voice and had his wandering daughter wrapped in his arms in three quick steps. Grandfa, Tony, Maggie, Jimmy, Breena, Ned and Rhea were right behind him and they mobbed Ziva. Leon stood and watched and when Maisie and Andy both gave him suspicious looks he just laughed. "Sir, did you really see a whale?"

Leon just winked at him, thinking the young man already showed the makings of an investigator. Maisie gave him a little hug, saying "Well played!"

When the welcoming mob had cleared a little, Leon waded in, giving his former agent a warm hug. "Good to see you Ziva!"

Eventually Ziva was allowed to breathe and was greeted by everyone else. She looked well and was obviously very happy to be there. This time she didn't have as much catching up to do; the only family news she hadn't heard about was Sarah's pregnancy and she was excited to find out about that. She commiserated with Maggie and Matt about their injuries and teased that they would have strange tan lines when their braces and slings were finally removed.

Dinner that night turned into a sort of 'flash' potluck as word spread and just about everyone gathered on the McGees' back patio. Davos and Jethro brought over their patio table and carried out the large dining tables from both houses. All the renters brought what they had available as far as chairs to sit on and practical Trina bought several packages of paper plates and plastic cutlery. The town's grocery store wasn't quite sure what was going on as all their picnic items and prepared foods flew off the shelves. A few of the restaurants gladly provided takeout. The feast was on!

Andy watched in awe, wondering if this was what his parents' life had been like when they lived in Greece. Uncle Pete was close by and he asked him. "Well…we didn't have quite this many people around all the time but yes, Andy, we had a lot of fun and a lot of meals together. Trina and I love to have parties so we had them at our house and for any occasion, not just holidays." He chuckled, "I think the only one who visited and did not have a welcome party at our house was Penny and that was because she didn't tell anyone she was coming! We were out on a case, a double homicide, when she suddenly showed up at the Athens airport. Your dad couldn't go get her so your Uncle Geordie went. But he was at the beach with my kids so it took him awhile to get to the airport…and he and Penny had never met, so that was challenging."

"They'd never met?"

"Nope, that's a long story, think your parents should probably tell you."

"Ok."

"But yes, we had an awful lot of fun when everyone lived in Greece."

"Everyone?"

"Not quite everyone. Your parents, Jethro and Rhea lived here and your Kalivas grandparents and all three of your great grandparents lived here for months at a time. Norm and Carla, Tea and Adan, Bec and Geordie, Matt and Damian all lived and worked here."

"Wow, so this is like coming home for them too."

"Yes, and of course your mother, Pappouli and Yaya, Damian, Tea and Adan are Greek citizens; this will always be home for them."

Andy nodded, "My dad says when he retires we're moving back here."

"Yes, in 13 years and 4 months."

Andy's eyebrows climbed up his forehead, "You know how long?"

"Yes I do! Your dad is one of my closest friends and I miss him."

"You should come visit us; we have fun in Preston too. And we see those people a lot."

"We're planning on it, kiddo. In fact, we'll be talking to your parents about it before you go home."

Andy grinned, "Good!"

He watched his family with the lady who had just arrived, "Aunt Ziva". Poppy, Grandfa, Dad, Mama, Uncles Tony, Jimmy, Ned, and Aunts Breena and Maggie seemed the closest to her. He was surprised that his Aunt Sarah and Uncles Rob, Geordie and James didn't seem to know her that well. His yaya explained that to him. "You know your father worked with your Poppy and Grandfa at NCIS in DC?" He nodded. "So did your Aunt Ziva and Uncles Tony, Ned, and Jimmy. And that was before we all knew each other, before your father and mother ever met each other. They were a group of people who worked together who became a sort of family and Timotheos also had his personal family, your Aunt Sarah, Uncle Rob and Uncle Geordie."

"So they were like two different families?"

"Yes and your father was not close to his work family then, so they did not know Sarah, Rob and Geordie. Well your Grandfa knew Sarah and Rob but no one knew Geordie because he was away for years at a time."

"He was?"

"Yes."

"And that's why Dad's old work family knows Ziva, I mean Aunt Ziva, best?"

"Yes."

"But…Poppy is his dad, how did that happen?"

"When your father left DC, he worked in London for a few weeks. That's where he met Joel and Carol Morris."

"That's his boss now."

"Yes. And your father was angry with Gibbs before he left DC, there were some unpleasant things that had happened between your father and Gibbs, Tony and Ziva."

"Bad things?"

"Bad enough that your father did not think he wanted to talk with Gibbs or Tony again."

"But not Grandfa or Ziva, Jimmy, Maggie or Ned?"

"Ziva had already left DC and yes your father was upset with her too. And I don't think they knew Maggie yet. But you are correct; your father was not upset with Jimmy, Ned or Ducky."

Andy was surprised; he couldn't imagine his dad and his grandfather being mad at each other. "Yayaka, you said Dad wasn't close to Poppy?"

"No, he was not, he thought he'd never see him again when he left DC."

"But now they're really close."

"Yes. Gibbs was very upset when Timotheos left his team and Leon, their boss, told him the things he'd done wrong."

"That Dad did wrong?"

"No, that Gibbs, Tony and Ziva had done wrong and one other person who was the worst of all."

"Who is that?"

"Her name is Abby and she is in prison."

"Why?"

"That, my son, is another long story. I will tell you about Poppy and Dad now; I think Poppy or Grandfa would be best to tell you about Abby."

"All right."

"Now when Gibbs figured out how much he and the others had hurt your father, he was very upset and was told to leave work for a month."

"As punishment?"

"Yes. He went to his father's home in Pennsylvania. His father's name was Jackson but I never had a chance to meet him, he died shortly after your parents met."

"That's sad."

"Yes, it was, very sad. Timotheos was in contact with Ducky – they did not know yet that they were grandfather and grandson – and he found out how upset Gibbs was and what happened with Tony…I forgot that part, he was demoted, that is the opposite of promoted, and sent to another office."

"They must have been bad."

"It was not all at once, Andy, the bad things happened over years." She finished telling her grandson of his father's worry about Gibbs and how they'd started talking over Skype. She told him everything she knew about that period of time in her son-in-law's life, always including his talks with Gibbs. She even remembered to tell him what little she'd been told of the case in Nice where Tony's father had gotten in trouble and Tim had had to bail him out. "That was what started to bring your father and Tony closer. And then your father had to go to the U.S. on business and your mother went with him. By that time Gibbs and Tim had worked things out enough that Gibbs went with Ducky to the airport to meet them. Your mother told me when they met, both Tim and Jethro cried and held onto each other; they were so happy to see each other, so happy they'd worked things out." Andy smiled, he liked this part and then he was sad again when he heard about Poppy's father Jackson dying. "But Tony went to the funeral, Andy, and that was one of the pieces that helped make your dad and Tony friends."

"And now they're brothers."

"Yes and you are lucky to have him as an uncle and Maggie as an aunt!"

Andy grinned and hugged his Yaya, "Thanks for telling me!"

Tim had seen the two having what looked like a serious talk and was relieved to see Andy smiling and hugging Hélène. A little while later when Andy and his cousins had gone into the house for something, Hélène quietly told him about Andy's questions and her explanation. He nodded, "Thanks Mama. To tell you the truth, I was expecting questions about how Sarah and I met Rob and Geordie but I guess that will happen some other time." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You're the best!"

She chuckled and patted his cheek, "Now let's get back to our party!"

Leon had been covertly watching the crowd and decided that it would probably be better to wait to do what he needed to do until close to the end of their trip rather than now at the beginning. He smiled as Dani approached him, figuring she might want to talk about their kids who were no longer pretending they were 'just friends'. That was all right with him, he'd rather they be honest and as for any questions Dani had, he always enjoyed talking with her.

With parents needing to get their children to bed and much of the crowd still suffering from jet lag, the impromptu party was over at a fairly early hour. Some of them met for breakfast the next morning at the hotel restaurant and café although those with children fed their families at home. The McGees and all the Kalivas' headed to the chapel for church that morning and Papas Theos again gave them a warm welcome. He did pull Tim aside before they left, asking about all the children, Tim reminded him about adopting the girls and then told him about finding the boys, his nephew and great nephew, and adopting them.

They spent the rest of the day on the beach, renting a sun shelter for the day. Once again the McGee children were reminded of the rules and Zoe spent the day at the shoreline playing in the wavelets. With all the uncles and aunts around, her siblings were able to play in the water without her parents worrying too much and her daddy took her with him for a swim a couple of times. She squealed with glee when he dipped her in the water and wanted more! When her daddy got tired, her grandfathers took her and then her uncles and aunts. Jorrin, Sean and Violet were out a little further in the water but experienced pretty much the same thing.

Tim and Lina asked the Gibbses to have dinner out with them that evening, mentioning that the Kalivas' would stay with the children. After they came in from the beach, everyone had showers and Tim and Lina dressed up a little for their dinner. As Tim put it, they wore grownup clothes rather than the swim suits, shorts and tops they'd been living in since their arrival. Tim received a text and shortly after that Hélène and Davos arrived. They met the Gibbses in front of their houses and the four walked to the restaurant. When they entered the restaurant, the host nodded at Tim and led them to their table. And there Gibbs stood still, gazing at the sight in front of him: his former teammates, their spouses and of course the Mallards and Palmers. When he'd recovered his wits, he welcomed them all, very pleased to have them all in one place. Tim pointed out the symmetry of having Gibbs' first agent, Stan and two members of his last team, Maggie and Ned present. Tony quietly reflected that only Kate, Wilson, and Viv Blackadder were missing from the party, refusing to consider Keating, Langer and Lee as a valid Gibbs' team.

Their server took photos of the whole group and they e-mailed one to Wilson, knowing he'd get a kick out of it. They had a wonderful time telling stories about "Boss" and each other. As they finished their meals, Tim sent a text and a few minutes later, Leon joined them for dessert and after dinner beverages. When everyone was relaxing with a beverage, Vance stood and congratulated Gibbs for his good work over the years and pointed to all of them as testament. "Now I don't just have one team that's the best, I have several and every single one of them has a Gibbs' trained agent, one of you…" he pointed around the table, "on it. And each of you trains others so Jethro, your legacy at the agency is secure."

Gibbs finally stood and raised his coffee cup to the others, "To you all, for making me look good! Thanks!" After they'd had sips, he raised his cup again, "To absent friends and thank God for all of you here." They toasted again, Tim and Tony thinking of Kate and feeling very grateful that Maggie was here with them, bent but not broken. Their final toast was to Vance, for putting up with all of them. He laughed and held his hands up, "For the amount of excellent work you all do? Forget about it!"

After that, Ziva shared some news with the group. She told them she had still been traveling a lot, more than she wanted, and was rarely at an embassy or consulate for more than a month or two. She'd finally told her superiors that if she wasn't given a posting, she would move on, find other work. When nothing changed, she decided they were calling her bluff so she'd started applying for jobs and found it quite refreshing to realize she'd grown beyond her days as a Mossad assassin and could apply for different types of work. However, the one she really wanted was fulltime consultant on world affairs to one of the leading Israeli representatives at the United Nations. She explained that there were several consultants or advisors and they were generally assigned a specific region of the world. She beamed at her family and friends when she said she'd heard shortly before leaving that she'd gotten the job. Gibbs smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Congratulations! Does that mean you'll be living in the U.S.?"

"Yes, in New York City somewhere. I will still travel but the percentage will be 30% rather than 100%. And even if it is more than 30%, it will still be less than 100%!"

Everyone exclaimed, happy to hear she'd be on the same continent as most of them. When Tim said that, Gibbs nodded and pointed at Ned. "You're next, kiddo!"

He protested, "Jethro, I haven't been in the position long enough!"

Tim laughed, "You've got six more months, Ned. Better enjoy them!" He huffed and the others laughed. Lina turned back to Ziva, "Evander is licensed in the U.S. now, Ziva; he may be able to help you find a flat."

"Thank you, if you will please point him out to me again, I will talk with him."

Maggie faked a shiver, "Hope you can plan your travel for the winter because New York City gets cold!"

Ziva chuckled, "That sounds like a good plan…I am quite sure the opposite will happen!"

They all laughed at that. "When do you start?"

"September 20th. I have given my notice to the Diplomatic Corps and am on leave - I am a free woman from now until September 20th!"

Ducky smiled, "Then you must come to Virginia for a visit, my dear. Just do make sure you leave yourself enough time to find a place to live!"

She smiled, "I am not sure how it happened but I have been given the equivalent of a transfer package that includes temporary lodging for 40 days."

Breena looked surprised, "40 days? Isn't it usually 30?"

She nodded, "I asked about that and was told that because it is frequently difficult to find housing in New York, ten additional days are added."

Breena smiled at her, "Finally you'll have a place of your own again!"

"Yes, I am almost as excited about that as I am about the job!"

Gibbs sat back and watched them all enjoying their time together, his former agents who had grown into a family, his family - their family.

No one wanted the evening to end, but they were all tired from their fun in the sun and the Burleys were leaving for home the next day. As Stan said, "I have a new SFA and I'm sure he's fine but I just need to be there."

Tim chuckled, "I have a TAD SFA but I know she's fine because you trained her and she's got her own team just waiting for her." They all laughed at that as they dispersed.

Tim, Pete, Leon, Joel and Gibbs had breakfast with the Burleys and Martinezes the next morning and then saw them off on the shuttle to the ferry. Both couples had flights home late that afternoon and confessed they wanted to swing through Athens before leaving.

Monday through Tuesday was Tim and Lina's 'time off'. When Tim asked Lina what she wanted to do he was pleased and relieved with her reply as it fit into his plan. When he returned from breakfast, the couple kissed their children, walked to town where they picked up some food and continued to the marina with their packs. There they boarded the sailboat they'd rented and set sail. They spent the afternoon sailing around the island, anchoring off a small islet for the night. They swam in the warm ocean waters, made the delicious dinner they'd brought with them, drank champagne on deck and made love under a sky brilliant with starlight. They woke early, still wrapped in each other's arms and enjoyed their breakfast and coffee on deck before raising anchor and heading further out into the Mediterranean. They wouldn't go far, they didn't have the time and Tim didn't have enough experience yet. All they'd really wanted was to be truly alone together, with no one else around and that's what they'd accomplished. By the time they returned to port Tuesday afternoon, they felt refreshed with each other and even more deeply in love than they'd been nearly 5 years ago.

Tuesday evening they cooked dinner for their children who were brimming over with stories of what they'd done while their parents were gone. Lina was glad the children had had a good time and wanted to tell them about it, it meant she and Tim didn't have to say much and could remain in 'the zone' for a while longer. After dinner they made a fire in the pit out back and the Grands and Greats joined them.

Wednesday found the McGee and Kalivas siblings having lunch together on the beach and once again Andy loved watching his dad with his brothers and now his mom's brothers too. He hoped he, Jorrin and Sean would have as much fun together when they were grown up. It was a little tough now with the age difference but he saw with Uncles Geo and Rob that it didn't make much difference once they were grown.

When Geordie sat next to his nephew on the beach, he saw the kid was bubbling over with questions. "Hey Andy, what's on your mind, kiddo?"

"Yaya said you were away, for years."

"Yep, I was. I'm a Marine, you know that right?"

"In the reserves."

"Now, yes, but that only happened this year. Before that I was active duty. Do you know what the branch called Special Forces is?"

Andy thought about it, "The guys that handle the really tough stuff, that can't be talked about?"

"Yeah, that's a good description. I was in Special Forces until your dad got hurt in Afghanistan. I was looking for transport home when I got to the base where they'd been, found them in a hospital and never went back. I'd done it for a decade and that's a really long time." He saw that there were more questions. "Ask away!"

"Ok, first, you were like a covert operative?"

"Yep and I won't ever be able to tell you any more than that and you can't tell anyone that's what I did, including your sisters and brothers."

"Wow!"

"Yep, we need to pinky swear on that." Geordie held up his pinky and they pinky swore. "And?"

"I didn't know my dad was hurt in Afghanistan, why was he there? He's not a Marine or soldier."

"He's a federal agent, a NCIS agent and NCIS supports the Marines and Navy. His team was sent to Afghanistan to investigate an explosion on a Marine base that killed and injured a whole bunch of people. And most of it is classified but I can tell you that they closed the case, meaning they found and took care of the bad guys. And on their way back from that, they ran into one of the worst dust storms in history. One of their vehicles hit something that caused an explosion and they all got thrown out of the vehicles. Your Aunt Bec saved them all that day. Pete was unconscious and hurt, your Uncle Matt had a really bad broken leg and was unconscious and your dad was injured pretty badly but drifting in and out of consciousness. Bec kept her head, even though she was injured too and called for help. That's when I met her. She called one of Tim's contacts and arranged for a rescue and then pressed another button on his phone and got hold of Gibbs – that's before he was our dad – and he got hold of Director Vance. Bec won a Presidential award for all that! You come visit our house and you'll see it."

"WOW!"

"Yep and your dad, Bec, Matt and Pete won awards for their work, too."

"He doesn't talk about any of this."

"He's got scars on his right shoulder, arm and side. Those are from the injuries in Afghanistan."

"He's got scars on his back too."

Geordie just nodded, he knew what some of them were and he had a good idea where the others had happened.

"You and Rob are adopted, huh?"

"Yessir!"

"How did you meet?" Geo grinned and made eye contact with his brother. "I think we should tell you this together."

"Cool!"

Sarah, Rob and Tim sat with their brother and Andy and the others gathered around. "Andy wants to know how we met."

Tim chuckled, "It's kind of a long story, son."

"We want to hear it Daddy!" That was from Anna and the older McGee siblings noticed they had quite an audience. Tim started off the story with his and Sarah's arrival at the bus station in Baltimore, leaving out the details. Geordie told his part after Tim mentioned watching a kid searching the waiting room. Sarah remembered having to go to the bathroom, Tim's "monster boots" and riding in the shopping cart. Rob smiled as they reached the point of rescuing him from a busy street while he was running after his mother. It was a stripped down story of the real events but none of them wanted to scare or upset the children. Andy realized he'd known part of the story but he liked knowing more. When they finished he had one more question, "The place that you stayed in, with the tents…was that the same as the one Steve and Ethan were in?"

"Yes, it was and your mother and I met them before Jimmy and Breena adopted them."

"Cool!"

The kids wanted to be told, again, how their parents met, so the parents complied. When the McGees, Kalivas, Powells and Rodinos finished, they gestured to the other couples with them. First Damian told the story of being introduced to Matt by Lina and Tim; then Bec talked about hobbling through the hospital in Israel on crutches while Geordie chatted her up. Rob remembered meeting Ned at his brother's wedding and Maggie told about meeting Tony first at Jackson Gibbs' funeral and then a month later here in Greece while Tim and team were in Germany.

When one of the kids opened his mouth after Maggie finished, Sarah raised her hand, "No, we're done!" There were a few whines but the adults shook their heads and hopped back in the water.


	196. Chapter 196

A/N: This chapter has not been beta'd; all mistakes are mine.

Wednesday night most of them gathered for dinner again, this time at the Russell-Vance rental. The home had the largest backyard and the biggest fire pit; Pete, Stephan and Ross set it up so they could barbecue chicken, veggies and whatever else people brought. Once again it was potluck and after checking with their hosts, Tim made a huge batch of his favorite garlic potatoes. Tea made the veggie dish that Eva and Caleb had once made for Tim's birthday and she thought of their friends, missing them. Impulsively she took a photo of it and sent it to Eva. Davos and Jethro pooled their money to buy a decent amount of pork and had it chopped for shish kebobs. Gram and Penny made their favorite Greek salad, the one with the green beans and Grandfa made braided rolls which had been a favorite of his since Tim had served them during his first visit to Greece. Rhea and Lina cut dozens of vegetables to add to the shish kebabs or to grill separately. Leon and the Morrises brought pies they'd purchased in town and Ziva used the McGees' kitchen to cook a rice dish she was fond of. The Powells brought paper plates, cups, napkins and plastic cutlery as pregnant Sarah currently couldn't stand the smell after anything had been cooked in the house. Damian, Matt and Lydia went in together to buy meze and Ned and Rob brought fresh pastries from the local bakery.

By the time everyone arrived at the Russells, the whole street smelled wonderful with the amount of cooking and baking going on. As before, the patio tables, chairs and a few of the dining tables had been moved over; there was enough room for people to sit at a table. With everyone's enthusiastic participation, there was nearly enough food to feed the entire town and they actually stopped to consider that until practical Trina laughed at them. "We have storage containers, freezers and refrigerators and we'll be here another week! If we want to feed the town, let's bake them cookies or something, not our dinners!"

That made sense and the group went back to looking over the wonderful repast. Pete, Leon and Stephan manned the grill with plenty of help from Norm, Davos and Jethro. When they ran out of skewers for the kebabs, they wrapped the meat and veggies in foil and cooked them on the grill. Dani and Ross brought drinks and there was plenty of cold beer, sodas and Tim's favorite lemonade. Tea and Adan laughed when they saw Tim guzzling down his second one and he grinned back at them. "Have to enjoy it while I'm here!"

They joked about having someone make regular shipments of the drink to the McGees and Rhea looked at them thoughtfully. "I know it's hard to find, but I didn't think it was that difficult!"

Lina chuckled, "It is, believe me. Sometimes we can find a few bottles and we always buy them all but we rarely find them in the same store twice."

"Hmm, you know my grandniece's husband has a store in Athens, I wonder if we could work something out."

Tim's face lit up and the other California residents nodded enthusiastically. "We'd love that!"

"So how many customers?"

Norm raised his arm, "Five here, we all love it!"

Tim looked at Lina and she nodded, "Eight here!" The Grands and Greats figured another seven, with Tea, Adan, Damian and Matt throwing in for another four and then Carol Morris raised her hand, "Two more for us, please! It would be wonderful if we could enjoy it at home."

"All right, that will give him an idea of numbers anyway. I have no idea what this would cost or how he'd go about it but we'll see them week after next." She thought she would send her grandniece an e-mail first in the hopes that knowing the issue and having the numbers ahead of time might speed things along. She knew from their lives here in Greece that Tim usually drank two bottles a day so she'd figure that for all the adults and one each for the children.

They ate until they couldn't hold another bite and Stephan grinned at them all. "You know the drill!"

Vance groaned, "Oh please not a conga line!" The adults and teenagers laughed at that while the younger ones just shrugged, not really understanding.

Stephen shook his head, "Nope. We'll shut the grill down, take the food inside, cover it and then we're going for a walk on the beach. Anyone have flashlights?"

Enough people, including all of the feds, raised their hands so there would be enough.

"Ok, here are the rules. Kids 7 and under have to hold an adult's hand, we don't want anyone getting lost! Kids older than 7 but younger than 16 have to stay in pairs and _always_ stay within sight of the adults. That means as far as they can see with a flashlight. The Gibbses will be in front and my parents will bring up the rear. Questions?"

Leon raised his hand before saying, "No, but I have one more rule to add!"

"Yes sir."

"No one is to break off for their own little walk…" Vance looked at Kayla and Ross and his daughter smiled sweetly at him, "Yes Dad."

Stephan resumed, "All right, I'm going to take a head count so we know how many we should have when we get back. And let me tell you there are some yummy desserts waiting for us!"

He got the head count, told his dad and Gibbs the number and then they handled the grill while the others moved the food inside, covering it and putting much of it in the refrigerator. Then they set off, carefully crossing the street and heading down the path with Poppy, Rhea and their flashlight leading the way. Andy, Evan, Anna and Audrey walked with them while Zoe started the walk on her daddy's shoulders, Gemma and Adam hung out with Sarah and James while Sean rode on Uncle Geo's shoulders and Jorry on Uncle Tony's. Tim and Lina felt a little strange without the rest of their kids and were glad that Zoe was with them. Then they laughed at each other for being so silly!

From the back of the pack where she and Matt were walking slowly, careful not to jostle their arms, Maggie was vastly amused by her husband's connection with the children. He'd always claimed he was no good with them but their nieces and nephews seemed to think otherwise; from the youngest to the eldest, they swarmed him whenever they saw him. She thought that he'd probably never really been close to any children until Tim and Lina had Jorry or maybe when they met Ainsley and Callum. She thought about them having a child even though she'd really be pushing the age situation and she knew that when she returned to work she would be working in a different capacity, her field days were over. She would certainly do her best to prove the doctors wrong but her gut feeling was that they were right. She wasn't worried about job security; she knew she was good and that Vance would find a place for her. She'd even thought of taking up the training job the Director was still trying to work into the budget but it would be another year or more before she could even think of doing any martial arts or the fighting she'd learned in the Marines. And what good was a trainer if they couldn't do the moves themselves?

Matt had been watching Maggie's face and thought she might be thinking of her future. Despite the doctor's reassurances, he was worried about his own future and now he decided maybe it would help both of them if they could talk. Clearing his throat, he said, "If I can't be a field agent when I'm all healed I think I'm going for an Intel Analyst."

Maggie looked at him, "Showed, huh?"

He shrugged his left shoulder, "Only because it's on my mind too."

She sighed, "I'll do my best to get back to field strength but I need to have a good solid Plan B. That's the way I work."

Matt nodded, "Me too."

"Intel analyst sounds good, interesting…I could deal with that."

"There are probably a lot of other things we can do at the agency that don't require firearms proficiency."

She nodded, "I need to be interested though. I can't see myself in an administrative position."

"Cybercrimes?"

She tilted her head back and forth. "Maybe, but I'd need a lot of training. Not sure I could pull off the sort of miracles that Tim could, for instance. I swear it's in his genes!"

Matt snorted, "The science part, sure, he gets that from Penny and Ducky. Don't know about the math and the technical though."

"Math is Maisie, she's a whiz and she might be the technical one too, hard to tell."

"Could be, she sees patterns and Ducky is a profiler so I could see that morphing into technical skills."

They looked at each other and laughed; why were they talking about Tim when they were trying to figure out what they could do?

"Ok, so maybe not Cybercrimes."

"I could be the volunteer coordinator when Jethro gives it up."

"Yep, seems like that's really taken off. He's got something going almost every week."

"It's not full time though."

"What about coordinating the Contingency Response Teams?"

"I could do that, provided the current lead decided to move on to something else."

"Yeah, there is that."

"That's not fulltime either; I think Jethro's busier with the regular volunteers right now."

They were still chatting when another voice joined them. "We will find meaningful positions for both of you if you're unable to return to the field, I promise!"

Matt gulped while Maggie just smiled, "Thanks Leon. It's not something I worry about every minute but it is on my mind."

Matt nodded, "Mine too, Director."

"I understand that but I'd like you to work on trusting in the agency and that we will find a way to utilize your talents and skills."

They both nodded and he gently patted two left shoulders. He was almost relieved to hear Maggie considering what she could do and made a mental note to direct her to a full listing of positions offered by the agency. Hell, if he had to he'd create something for her or for Matt. He'd been surprised to hear that Matt was worried about his arm; everything he'd been told was that the young man would recover his strength and full range of motion, as far as he knew that had never been in doubt. He debated whether to bring it up with Tim and then decided if he was still a team lead he'd want to know. He wouldn't mention it tonight but at some point he'd work it into a conversation. He had plans for Agent Watson and a new career as an Intel Analyst was not part of them.

Stephan called out when they'd had enough of a walk and the group reversed course. They quickly reached the path and once again carefully walked across the street and into the house. Stephan and Gibbs did a head count and got the same number in as the number that had walked out. Everyone helped get the desserts out and ready and in no time they were enjoying the various treats. Tim groaned, "I need to run tomorrow and every morning…and practice my MMA."

Ned, Bec, Geordie and Tony agreed so they set up a time in the morning for their runs and thought they'd do their MMA practices later in the day. Tim hadn't realized Tony had started taking an MMA course and said so.

His brother gave him a grin, "Yeah, can't be wasting bullets when I could be using more than my trigger finger to bring down the bad guys."

"We're going to visit George at the studio Monday night, want to come along?"

"Dinner at the FP after?"

Tim snorted, "Of course although it'll be before so we can catch the last ferry back over here."

"Ok, sounds good to me; I'll check with Maggie. Didn't you say George and his brother are coming over?"

"Yes, this weekend."

"So you have two days to get back into some sort of shape." Tim gave him a hapless look and they both started laughing.

Thursday morning the runners gathered as planned, had their run and then had to turn their heads away when they went past the bakery on their way home. As she ran Bec chanted, "Be strong, be strong, be strong…" and the others soon copied her. When he got back to the house, Tim was happy to see the blender out and a note that they'd all gone to the Russells for breakfast as their table and chairs were still over there. He laughed at that, made himself a smoothie with what he found and then wandered across the street with it. He found his family outside with their friends. Jorry spotted him first and called to him, "Daddy! We're here coz the chairs are here!" He giggled and Tim ruffled his hair. He greeted his wife and kids and then his friends.

Lina smiled up at him, "Did you have a nice run?"

"Yes, felt good, especially after I stuffed myself last night!" He sat next to Lina and started to reach a hand over to pick at something on her plate. She moved her plate away. "Oh no, there's plenty more, go get your own!"

He thought of using his puppy dog eyes but decided that wasn't setting a good example. So he kissed his lover again and wandered back to the kitchen where he picked to his heart's content while he put a few things on his plate.

Friday morning, Pete, Carla, Tim, Bec, Tea and Matt took the ferry to Piraeus where Kim picked them up in the Russells wagon and drove them to the office. She and Evander had stayed on Aegina for the first few days and would spend a couple of days next week; in the meantime they'd gone back to work. Ned and Rob had returned to the mainland Thursday and would go back to the island for the weekend and a day or so the following week. The meet today had been Ned's idea, to have his former teammates come for lunch with the staff.

Pete knew everyone but Tim felt decidedly odd walking in and encountering a stranger at the reception desk, even though he knew good and well Tea was right next to him. Rusty was sitting in his old spot – and Bec, Ned and Carla's. When Bec left, Ned had them turn the desks around again and they'd ended up back where they'd been when Carla, Tim and Bec were SFAs. Rusty knew just about everyone and was introduced to Matt and Carla as was Lynn, the agent who'd arrived as Tim was preparing to leave. The newest agent, Jake, who'd arrived shortly after Bec's departure was introduced to everyone but Pete. It felt even stranger to be there, all of them and have Eva still missing. When Tim said that, Ned smiled, saying, "Follow me!"

They followed him into the kitchen expecting to find a laptop with a Skype call pending and instead found their missing friends! Tim was so happy to see Eva and Caleb that he felt tears on his cheeks as he hugged them both and then kissed Athos and baby Alitta who cooed in surprise.

When everyone had greeted them, Caleb explained, "I got an unexpected bonus and after Tea sent that photo, we got homesick. So we decided to come home for a week. We'll go to the island with you this afternoon and stay at least the weekend."

"Wonderful! We'll find you rooms!"

Tea piped up, "We're renting a cottage and there's an extra bedroom and a pullout couch in the main room."

"That would be great, Tea, should you check with Adan first?"

"I suppose, but then I'd have to ruin the surprise!" In the end she decided it would be wiser to call her husband although she did swear him to secrecy.

The group had a festive lunch and Caleb amused them by saying he and the kids were representing all the missing spouses and children. After inviting the staff to join them for a barbecue on Sunday, they split into two vehicles and Kim and Rusty drove them back to the ferry slip. Tim had a text from Lina on the way and smiled in surprise. There would be more than one surprise for the group when they disembarked on the island.

When they got on the ferry, he greeted Ariston, Paolo, Besiana and Jak. The kids were a little shy with him at first but their excitement at being here and with his stories of the days on the beaches and their feasts at night, they quickly warmed up. He couldn't remember who they'd met before and it was just easier to introduce them to everyone.

As they approached the dock in Aegina, Tim and Pete sent texts to their wives that they had a surprise for them and to please bring Carla and Rhea to the dock with them and Tim's text confirmed that the Macedonian Kalivas' were with them. Lina replied that she hoped that Tim's surprise was what was wrong with Adan, that he knew whatever it was because he had been jumpy for a couple of hours. Tim read that to the others and they all laughed. Athos' eyes grew big as they reached the island and he tugged on Tim's hand, "Uncle Tim, are Violet and Gemma here too?"

Tim looked at him with a big grin and lifted him up in his arms, "Yes Athos, Violet and Gemma are here! And Violet has a baby brother now just like you have a baby sister!"

"Does Gemma?"

"She has two new brothers but they're not babies."

"Oh…how come?"

"Because Aunty Lina and I adopted two boys. One is Sean, he's almost 4 and the other one is Andy and he's 10."

"10 is old!"

"Yes it is, he's a big boy."

Athos gave a happy shout as he spotted familiar faces and those on the dock started cheering when they saw Eva and Caleb, Ariston and Paolo and the kids. Caleb's grin threatened to split his face and Eva was near tears as they saw so many of their friends. As they disembarked, Tim took the baby and Pete grabbed Athos so their parents had their hands and arms free to hug and be hugged. Carla wrapped her arms around Eva while Rhea and Lina had theirs around Caleb, remembering the days when they'd worked together at the Benaki. Lina had Anna and Gemma with her and they jumped for joy when they saw their cousins and their uncles. The four cousins hugged and kissed and Tim made sure he took pictures for the kids' walls. Lina switched from Caleb to her uncle and his partner, welcoming them with more hugs and a kiss or two.

After things had settled down a little, Tea and Adan escorted Eva, Caleb and their children to the cottage, promising to bring them to the beach as soon as possible. Tim, Lina and the girls walked with their visitors to the big house, where they'd be staying; Lina having taken her mother and Maisie into her confidence. They showed them where the path was in the back and told them to change and get down to the beach, they could unpack later. Lina took the girls back to the beach and Tim stopped off at the house to change into his swim things. He waited for the newcomers, walking with them to the beach. When they didn't see anyone in the water, Besiana was puzzled, "Uncle Tim, where is everyone?" He chuckled, pointed to the large sun shelter and explained about taking shade breaks. Paolo remembered that from the wedding week and agreed that it was a good idea especially for those with pale skin. He noticed that there were now several large beach umbrellas also posted around the sun shelter. Tim grinned, "Yeah, there are too many of us now for even the biggest shelter!"

Jorry and Sean were playing under one of the umbrellas with Uncle Geordie and spotted their dad. They yelled and ran toward him, joined by their sisters and brother who carried Zoe most of the way. When Tim saw them coming he held up his hands in surrender and let them knock him down into the sand. "Mercy, mercy…and kids, KIDS, watch out for your little sister!" Zoe squealed as Andy picked her up and deposited her on their father's torso. "Now she's safe!" She was excitedly babbling about water and babies and Tim thought he heard her say Davey. Anna leaned over and told him about going horseback riding again that morning and this time Gemma went with her and Andy. Andy was lying next to his dad in the sand and angled his hand into his dad's big one. He got up to greet the uncles and cousins, all of whom he'd met on Skype in the last few months. He knew enough Greek now to say hello and I'm glad you're here. Anna and Gemma tugged their cousins' hands to go meet all the other kids and Ariston and Paolo followed after them. Andy flopped back down in the sand and Tim took his hand again while Zoe continued to bounce on his chest.

"Dad, did you have fun?"

"I did, it was great! Would you like to see the office?"

"Yeah!"

"Ok, we'll all go on Monday before we go to the Flying Pig and the studio."

"Is that for the MMA class?"

"Yes, you'll meet my instructor this weekend and then we'll visit his class."

"Cool! Uh, Dad, what's the Flying Pig?"

Tim started laughing, "I'm sorry kiddo; I keep leaving out vital bits of information! It's a restaurant where we used to eat after our classes because we weren't allowed to eat dinner before class. It's really a pub but they serve great food too and there's a big back room where a lot of us can fit in." He paused, "And you have more new people to meet."

"I heard Poppy say Caleb and Eva; are they the people in London that you talk to sometimes?"

Tim grinned and ruffled his hair, "Yes!"

"No one knew they were coming?"

"I think Ned found out yesterday."

"Wow, people here just fly from country to country?"

"Not everyone, there are plenty of people who have never left their own country. This was a special occasion for Caleb and Eva – and their families are here in Greece too. And did you know they could have driven all the way from London? It's too long a drive from London to Athens with a young boy and a baby but it can be done!" Tim grunted as his two younger sons crawled up him and bounced on his chest. "Oh boy, look who's here…Jorry and Seanie!" He played with them for a little bit and then grunted as Gemma joined them again, as she'd forgotten to tell him about riding 'her' horse.

"He was so big, Daddy! I had to be lifted up on him even though I'm a big girl now. But I didn't fall off him and he didn't run too fast."

"What's his name sweetie?"

"Adonis!"

"Oh, very nice."

"Nonnie says Athos is coming down to the beach, but I haven't seen him yet."

"Remember they just got here, Gemma, and they wanted to unpack. He'll be here pretty soon."

"I better make sure Violet knows!"

"That's a good idea sweetie and don't forget to say hello to his parents!"

"All right, Daddy, I'll be p'lite." She kissed him and then went looking for Violet. Tim turned his head in the sand and watched until she reached the Palmers who were enjoying the shade. Jorry and Sean moved off him and that was when Tim noticed Zoe had fallen asleep on his chest. He wrapped one arm around his littlest one as he got up from the sand and was rather pleased that he could do so.

Tony was nearby and laughed quietly, "You're not in that bad a shape if you can do that!"

"I guess not, huh?"

Andy shook his head, "We need to practice, Dad."

"You're right son, how about before dinner?"

Andy grinned and nodded. Anna had also returned while her cousins were saying hello to everyone else and was sitting in the sand; now she looked up at her dad and brother. "Can I take MMA too or is it just for boys?"

Tim was surprised but not unhappy about Anna's interest. "It is not just for boys, Anna! Your aunties Bec and Kim, Kayla Vance and Phoebe Russell take classes too. I can teach you some basic things tonight and you can practice with us and then when we get home we'll get you into a class."

"Yay!"

"Dad, Callum says Kyra and her mom are taking lessons too."

Tim had a feeling that had come about as a result of their encounter with the serial killer two years ago, "That's great, son. Everyone should be able to defend themselves."

"Should Mama take lessons?"

"That's up to her Andy, it's a good idea but it is up to her."

"Ok."

"Hey Uncle Tony, want to come practice with us?" He smirked at his brother who smirked back and then laughed, "Yeah, that's a good idea!"

Zoe was awake again after her brief snooze and wanted to visit her great grandparents so she toddled over to them with her dad, oldest brother and sister following. Once Zoe had burrowed into Grammie's lap, Tim turned to see where the rest of his clan was. Lina was sitting with Breena, Violet and Gemma and the two younger boys were playing with their uncles. "All right, your sisters and brothers are all with adults. Race you two to the water!" The three of them raced to the waves and Tim ran in first with a roar. 


	197. Chapter 197

They played until Doc Palmer ordered everyone out for a shade break. Tim saw other people, not with them, looking alarmed and thought they might not have understood what Jimmy said, so he called out in Greek, "Shade break, everyone out of the sun!" Not only did that remove the worried looks, just about everyone on their end of the beach got out of the water and headed for umbrellas or sun shelters.

Later Tim took Anna out on their patio and showed her some very basic moves for her first MMA lesson. She did very well although he had to correct her stance a few times. She was still practicing when Andy joined them and he started his practice. Tim was doing his own practice and keeping an eye on Andy and Anna when Tony, Bec, Trina, Kyra and Matt showed up. "Hey is there room for us?"

"Sure, we can always move out on the path." He looked at Matt who shrugged one shoulder, "I was hoping you might remember some of the moves George taught you after Bagram."

Tim was puzzled and then remembered, "When he was working with our PT guy? That's uh…he's st…yeah, I think I remember a couple of moves. Let me work them out first though, ok? Don't want to get you started and then realize it's wrong."

He turned from the group, glad he'd caught himself before making a comment about the PT guy still being Matt's PT guy, and placed his right arm against his chest. It took him a few minutes but eventually he remembered three movements, really more exercises that George had taught him. He worked with Matt and had his dad, who was watching from their patio, come over and stand support for his friend. By that time they'd figured out they needed more space and moved out to the path. When Tim noticed Anna trying to copy Andy and Kyra, he took her aside. "Anna, one of the first rules of MMA is that you don't try anything until your instructor says you are ready. Your instructor and right now that's me, will know when you're ready for different moves. There's a lot that goes into this and a big part of that is self discipline. That means things like practicing however many times your instructor tells you to and it also means not doing anything he or she hasn't taught you."

"So I shouldn't copy Andy or Kyra?"

"Right, sweetie, or anyone else. And you should also not teach anything you learn to anyone else, especially not to your sisters and brothers."

"Oh, so just what my instructor says to do for me and don't copy anyone or show anyone else."

"You can show your moves, like Andy and I did on the plane, but don't encourage anyone to copy you."

"Kyra didn't say anything."

"Because she saw that I noticed."

"Oh, and Andy didn't see me."

"Right."

"Ok, Daddy, thanks!"

"Welcome sweetheart, you're doing great!" They went back to their practice. Tim had Matt stop after fifteen minutes, do some gentle cool down exercises and drink some water and the rest of them stopped at about 45 minutes. All but Matt had been in the water swimming today so they figured they'd had at least an hour of decent exercise. He'd forgotten his dad was there and was surprised to see that Ziva was also there, watching.

Tim smiled when his dad patted him on the back. "Great job with Anna and Andy, son. They look like they're really taking to it."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, they do." He lowered his voice, "I'm going to ask George to show me a couple more moves for Anna to practice until we can get her into a class."

"Good idea!" He patted his shoulder and then moved on to Tony, congratulating him. "I wish we'd all done this, years ago."

Ziva moved into view and said to the group, "I know that was practice and you all have different instructors now but to me it almost looked as if you were a group practicing your choreography!"

Trina laughed, "George Avramidis taught or is teaching all of us here except Tony, Andy and Anna, so I guess it makes sense that we'd sort of move together."

Tony huffed, "Also explains why I kind of felt out of sync a couple of times."

Tim shook his head, "You weren't though, Bro. Just not George taught."

They all chuckled at that, they'd have to remember to tell George. "They coming over tonight or tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning; I think Dimitri had a meeting this afternoon, he wasn't sure how late he'd be."

Andy looked at his dad, "George is the master and Dimitri is his brother. How come you know him too?"

Bec, Tim, Trina and Matt chuckled. "Dimitri is the Deputy Chief of Police for the City of Athens. When I worked here, he was also the liaison for NCIS. So if we got called to a case in Athens, he would frequently be there too to make sure his police officers worked with us and that we worked with his officers. We uh…"

Tim looked to Matt and Bec for help and Matt took a stab at it. "Andy, the first time we met him there was a crazy man in Athens who was connected to one of our cases. We got called out on it, huh, it was the week after Tim and Lina met…anyway, when we got to the house, we walked in just in time to see this guy steal an officer's gun and start to pull the trigger. Your dad took a shot that he'd seen Gibbs…your Poppy…do and he saved one or more of us from being shot and the bad guy from serious harm or worse because if he fired at us, we would have fired back. Dimitri liked that. Then there was a case where we were called out but the Athens detective was very upset about us being called out, said it wasn't our case, blah blah blah. Tim checked the dog tags on the victim and then had Bec and me look too – and they were fake, so the victim was not a Marine. Dimitri liked that we figured that out too and there was a case where your dad and Poppy had to be flown in by helicopter…"

Behind Andy, Tim made a cutting motion and Matt stopped. Andy knew Anna was there so he couldn't say anything but he'd already figured out that his dad had to shoot people and that he'd probably had to kill some people too. When Uncle Geo said that Tim's team had "taken care" of the bad guys in Afghanistan, Andy figured that meant they'd killed them, otherwise he would have said they arrested them. Andy had learned some things living with his grandmother who loved detective novels and TV shows. He hadn't known how real those things were but he was beginning to have an idea. He looked at his dad with a smile; he had so many more questions now. His dad just nodded to him, they'd get around to those at some point.

When Poppy tilted his head and gave Tim a look, he smiled as he said to the others, "If you'll all excuse me, I've just been reminded Lina and I have dinner plans and I need to grab a shower!" They were having dinner out tonight with the Hubbards and Cranes while Ainsley and Callum stayed with the kids and the Grands and Greats would try their best not to hover.

After showering and once again changing into 'real world' clothes, Tim and Lina kissed the kids goodnight, left written instructions for Ains and Cal and strolled down the street and around the corner into town. It was a beautiful evening and they enjoyed the short stroll to the restaurant. They had a wonderful evening; the food and the company were excellent. Lina admitted later that her sides actually hurt from laughing at Dave and Jim's stories of life on the high seas. When Tim told them they should write a book they paused, looked at each other and then at their godson/nephew. "You can be our ghost writer!"

"Nope, you need to have your own voices in this."

"Ok, how should we start?"

"Write or record your stories; provide the background or context just like you've been doing tonight and then tell the stories the same way, in your own words, interrupting each other, backtracking…the whole thing. All people know about the Navy is scandals and bombings and heroism during the various wars. They know the names Nimitz and Zumwalt but probably not any contemporary naval officers. Change that, tell your stories, show the human side of the Navy."

Dave and Jim looked at each other again and this time they were really thinking about it. "It would be fun."

Tim snorted, "Yeah, it'll be fun, it'll also be work; writing requires a lot of self discipline and you two should have that in spades!"

That reminded Jim of another story and they were off and running again. Tim just sat back and enjoyed knowing they'd taken his advice to heart. Whether they did anything about it remained to be seen. He also saw that both Liz and Claire were amused and wondered if they too had been urging the pair to do something with their tales.

When they left the restaurant that night, the McGees rode the shuttle to the hotel and had coffee with Matt and Damian on the poolside terrace. Damian told them the project was indeed going to break ground Tuesday morning and invited Lina to join the celebration. She knew she should go but she couldn't bear to leave her family and friends while they were here in Greece. She said as much to her brother and he nodded; he had anticipated her answer and was not upset by it. The couple didn't stay late; they were all tired after a long day of fun. The shuttle dropped them off downtown and they walked home from there, talking about Lina's decision and then Tim stopped to kiss her. "My sweet, sexy LinaMelina, more time with you always works for me!" She smiled into the kiss and it was several minutes before they continued on their way.

XXX

Andy finally met Eva and Caleb, Athos and their baby daughter Saturday morning when they came for breakfast. As they were all talking, he learned that besides his dad and Eva working together, his mother and Nonnie had worked with Caleb at a really cool sounding museum. At some point he asked if they could go there on Monday and all four adults beamed at him. They also talked about the family coming to visit them in Preston and he really liked that idea.

Saturday also brought Uncles Rob and Ned back plus the Avramidis brothers. Andy heard some of the same stories about his dad and the other agents, but told from very different perspectives. While George still remembered every single bad guy his 'dancing warriors' had taken down with MMA moves, Dimitri remembered the selective shots that his dad had made to disarm the bad guys and the excellent teamwork. Without any prompting, Andy heard all about his dad, grandfather, aunt and uncles' rescue of Uncle Rob and 113 other students during a terrorist attack and the interview with the American president the next day. He wondered if that would be on YouTube or something.

Saturday afternoon they had a big picnic to celebrate Zoe's second birthday and everyone joined in, once again more or less having a potluck without worrying about tables. This time when Stephan and Phoebe declared it was exercise time, there were games set up. That was a lot of fun and then for dessert there were gallons of ice cream along with a freshly baked birthday cake. Lina had planned to make it but the Grands and Greats insisted on providing it and thrilled the local bakery by ordering the huge sheet cake. Andy thought that was funny, having ice cream in paper bowls on a beach but his cousin Callum explained that this was a tradition with this group, that just the cake was extra for Zoe's birthday.

They left the beach when it was time for dinner, returning after dark for fireworks. Tim thanked the Russells for that and wished Zoe would remember it all. No matter, they had plenty of photos and videos and her eldest brother and sister would certainly remember!

Sunday, Rusty, Kim and Evander arrived on the early ferry. After church the McGee kids joined their grandparents for lunch while Tim and Lina met the old team, Pete and Tim's old team, for brunch in town. That was fun with Pete and Trina, Kim and Evander, Tim and Lina, Carla and Norm, Tea and Adan, Matt and Damian, Bec and Geordie, Eva and Caleb, Rusty, Ned and Rob.

This was the group Pete had despaired ever having together again and miracle of miracles, they were all there. They took lots of photos and Ned promised to post them in the kitchen at work. They would take more photos that afternoon when the rest of Ned's team arrived for the barbecue. None of them were surprised when Vance dropped by toward the end of their meal. After their warm welcome, he smiled at them. "You know that first Christmas Kayla, Jared and I came over, we were hurting pretty bad. But you folks took us in and we had a wonderful time, so much so that we've been back I don't know how many times and each time we just pick right up where we left off. That's what I want to tell you, don't worry about how long it's been since you've talked or seen each other in person. This is what matters, the rare times you can all be in the same place at once and it'll be like there's been no time in between. Oh sure, things will change, Tim and Lina will have six or seven more children, Damian will have half of Greece working for him in San Diego, Carla will be running El Segundo…oh wait, you're already doing that and Tea will be running dispatch for all of NCIS and Matt…aw, I can't tease you about the arm, man, I just can't." Matt smiled at him in thanks as the others laughed helplessly.

Vance winked at Pete, hoping his message had gotten through to his friend although he thought he was probably a couple of years too late. Kyra would graduate from high school early, in December and would start college in January, moving to the dormitories on campus. Lukas was already there and loving it and Kyra couldn't wait. Pete and Trina would be home for her first month of college life and then take off for their long delayed trip to the U.S. Dani would be their stand-in parent and she was happy to return the favor the Russells had undertaken for many years with Ross. Ned and Rob would be close by and the Kalivas' would also be available for help or any kind of support. In the six years since Tim and Lina met, their families and friends had blended well enough that Kyra and Lukas were comfortable with Davos and Hélène and the rest of their family.

Feeling reconnected and in tune with the world, the group dispersed after making plans to meet on the beach. Kim and Evander were staying overnight with Bec and Geordie; Rusty was there for the day and was offered a place to change by Ned and Rob.

By mid afternoon the rest of Ned's team had arrived along with Ted and Jack and their partners. After the two agents from Ned's team, Lynn and Jake, had been introduced to more people than either of them had imagined (although to be fair both Ned and Rusty had tried to tell them), they'd escaped into the waves. They watched in awe as the McGee and Kalivas brothers, Jimmy and James, the Avramidis brothers, the Russells _and the Director_ engaged in yet another splash battle. Callum, his dad, Jared and Ross waded into the fray, Ross wisely choosing to fight on Kayla's father's side of the battle and eventually Ted and Jack also joined. Lydia watched for a few minutes until she couldn't stand it anymore, gathered Bec, Kim, Phoebe, Kyra, Kayla, Ainsley, Penny and Claire and they also joined the fray and at that point the two visiting agents joined up, quickly picking sides. Norm was once again referee as Caleb and Evander were in the thick of things. Lina and Liz recorded the whole thing and unbeknownst to them, a local print reporter enjoying a day at the beach was also snapping photos and asking questions about the large crowd. She was frustrated to find, however, that the townspeople were protective of their guests and wouldn't give the woman any names.

When the combatants had worn themselves out, Norm called for a truce and announced that the women had won the three way battle. The water warriors climbed onto the beach and found themselves escorted to the sun shelter. By that time Jethro and Davos had the fire pits going and they had plenty of help getting the various treats cooked. They enjoyed their meal on the beach and the two visiting agents were made to feel part of the group. They were amused when they heard Stephan Russell's announcement of an exercise break before dessert would be served and participated in a rousing game of volleyball with some of the NCIS agents they'd met at the office and their spouses and friends. There were organized relay races for the children and a lot of people set out for a brisk walk.

Rusty, the other two agents, Ted, Jack and the Avramidis brothers said their farewells that evening, taking the ferry to the mainland. George Avramidis and the agents knew they'd see several of the group on Monday when they stopped by the office, ate at the Flying Pig and visited George's current MMA class.

After the children were asleep that night, several people gathered on the McGees' back patio with a fire going and their beverages of choice in hand. They spoke in low tones or just sat enjoying the company and the peaceful evening. When the fire died down, they stirred, finishing their drinks and after saying goodnight, headed for their beds.

The Monday plan had been growing all weekend. Starting off as a visit to the Flying Pig and George's studio, it now involved more people and events. Many were taking the ferry in the morning: Ned, Rob, Kim and Evander were returning to work, Caleb, Eva and their children would say goodbye as they were spending the rest of their week visiting their families, Tim, Lina and their kids, the Gibbses, Ziva, Cranes, Hubbards, DiNozzos, Tea and Matt had various plans for the day and Damian and Adan were heading to the airport for their trip to Barcelona.

The McGee family would first stop by the office so that Andy and Sean could see where Tim had worked and briefly lived upstairs. They were astonished to find that Rusty was now renting their former home from the people who purchased it from the McGees and that Agent Jake was his roommate; they'd been invited to show the kids the house while they were in town today. Rusty laughed when Tim asked him how he liked the commute, "Still thinking about walking to work, Tim! Ned says you considered it too."

Tim chuckled and told him about coasting down the hill in his car. "Oh yeah, I've done that and I'm sure Jake has too."

Once they'd finished seeing the office and house, the McGees would head to Athens for some sightseeing. They'd start with the Benaki, the Acropolis and Parthenon and of course visit the flea market before heading back to Piraeus.

Most of the others were skipping the office and home visit and going straight to Athens for a day of sightseeing and shopping. They would all meet at the Flying Pig for an early dinner and then head to George's studio to visit the class, which currently included Kim, Ned, Rusty, Lynn and Jake as well as Dani, Trina and Kyra Russell. Class would start an hour earlier that week so that George's students and visitors could catch the ferry back to Aegina.

When the McGees filed into the office, the kids on their best behavior, Tim grinned at Andy's demeanor. He seemed to be closely examining everything and wanted to know where his dad sat while he was there. Like Ethan before him, he was thrilled by the 'closed' list on the corkboard and all the team photos on the wall. He grinned as he pointed out all the people he knew. Tim reflected that this trip had been what Andy and hopefully Sean needed to really feel part of the larger family and getting to know more of them in person.

After a quick tour of the upstairs, Tim took Rusty's house key and they drove Pete's wagon up the hill to their old house. Anna and Gemma had a good time showing Andy and Sean their old rooms and they found the 'grow chart' they'd started in the garage. With a laugh their dad found a pencil and measured them again, also adding Andy, Zoe, Sean and the dates. They had a peek into the shed/former studio and Lina sighed, "That was such a wonderful surprise, my love! And so cleverly done!"

Tim huffed, "That was Damian and Rhea helped me with what you'd need."

She smiled as she pulled him to her for a kiss. They returned to the office and Kim drove them to the Metro station where they met the Gibbses as planned.

They had a wonderful time at the Benaki with a tour guide who had been trained by Lina, Rhea and Caleb. She readily answered all of Andy and Anna's questions and they left well satisfied. From there they went up the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and the kids had a good time looking out at everything; Andy and Anna were the ones who seemed to have an idea of the antiquity of the structure. Andy struggled for a few minutes with the math for the current year and the year construction of the temple was started, 447 BC and then his eyes widened as he figured it out and reported how old it was.

From there they headed for the flea market as the little ones had had enough of sightseeing for the day. With each child firmly in hand their parents and the Gibbses took them through the wonders of everyone's favorite market. They bought a few things and Tim was happy to find "his" knitting vendor and introduce her to his family. She beamed at him, always happy to see him. Lina and Rhea bought fabric and skeins of yarn planning to ask Maisie and Claire to make sleep sacks and other items for Sarah's baby.

All too soon it was time to head back to Piraeus and the Flying Pig. The DiNozzos, Tea and Matt were already there, tucked away in the back room waiting for the others. Tim had suspected that they'd have more people than had ridden over on the ferry with them this afternoon and he was correct. The Kalivas', Penny, the Mallards, Powells, Pete, Phoebe and his boys were there along with Ross and the Vances, the Hofstadlers, Lydia, Colonel Barnes and the Morrises. Rob slid in just as they were ordering, smiling at his family. Tim looked at Matt and Bec and they shook their heads; it was weird to eat before class and to be missing the actual students from the dinner. They ordered meals for Dani, Trina and Kyra so they wouldn't have to wait until they got back to their island homes to eat; Kim had told them earlier that the rest of them would be dropping in here to eat after class. The crowd enjoyed their meals and the noise level was just as high and happy as it always was. Dimitri popped in to say hello and let them know how much fun he'd had over the weekend. Tim and the others were given their beer lists and when Tim compared it to the menu he was relieved to see that there were more selections on there now.

They crowded into the studio with Jorrin, Sean, Gemma and Zoe in the arms of their parents and grandfathers so they could see. Andy and Anna were up front and watched avidly. Tim had already mentioned Andy's classes and Anna's interest to George and when his students were finished, he came over and talked with both children. He told Andy to keep up the good work and he pulled Anna in to show her two more basic moves and watched her practice the moves her father had taught her. He nodded, "You're doing well, Anna. Practice with your brother and father, do only what your instructor tells you to do, nothing more, nothing less. The important thing is…practice!" Anna nodded, excited and the two siblings left the practice floor beaming with pride and excitement. It was a tired but happy group that returned to Aegina that night and Anna and Andy practically danced down the street to their house, excited about learning more moves when they got home.

Tuesday and Wednesday slid by far too quickly. Damian and Adan returned from Spain and resumed their vacationing right where they'd left off. Realizing they hadn't yet visited their favorite stores in town, Lina and Tim visited the pottery shop finding an item or three to be shipped home and adding four more sets of their dishes to their order. This time the owner remembered them, or recognized the dish pattern and asked about their family. His eyes grew big when he was told they now had 6 children; he had recently been reminded that this was the couple who'd had the large wedding five years ago and he couldn't imagine 6 children in 5 years!

The women took the girls shopping to the children's store and a few of the other stores. Joel, Tim, Lydia, Bec, James and Leon shopped for souvenirs for their staffs and even the Colonel bought a few trinkets. Sarah and most of the other women had a wonderful time in the children's store poking through everything. The store owner had heard through the grapevine that there was another baby on the way and during the time they'd been there had stocked up on baby items. Edith hadn't been in before and Sarah started to worry when she saw the stacks of items being held for her mother-in-law at the register. She said something to Maisie who nodded and had a quiet word with Edith. The stack was edited down to a few unique items that Edith, Sarah and the storekeeper were happy with. Maisie, Claire and Penny purchased several items for Davey Palmer and a few for Eva's little daughter. Those they'd hand over to Kim who would be back on the island later in the week and she'd get them to Eva and Caleb before their return to London over the weekend.

Other than shopping, parts of the group went hiking, sailing and jet skiing, but for the most part spent the days on the beach and in the water, still good naturedly getting out for shade breaks at Grandfa or Jimmy's commands. Tuesday night they had a progressive dinner with drinks and meze at the hotel, followed by a ride on the shuttles back into town and to the McGees for salads, then next door to the Grands and Greats for their entrees and of course across the street to the Russells for exercise and ending at the Powells for dessert. That was fun and there was so much food left over that they had another potluck, this time at the 'island big house' on Wednesday night. Thursday was their last full day and that night they gathered one last time on the beach for barbecue and fireworks. They stayed late, letting the children fall asleep on their parents and grandparents laps, just enjoying their last night of vacation. Tim was talking with his dad, Gemma curled up in his lap when Leon approached him and asked him to go for a walk. They transferred Gemma to her grandfather's lap and the two men walked down the sand. "I've been putting this off, Tim, didn't want to disturb your vacation because I always seem to be poking into your personal time. I just have a quick question for you. I need to have a conversation with both you and DiNozzo, both good topics."

"Is this something for us together or separate?"

"Separate."

"And it's good for Tony?"

"Yes."

"To answer what I think you're asking, please tell Tony first." Tim paused, "Are you still flying back to San Diego with us?"

"Yes, with the kids. They want to visit our old neighbors and some friends."

"Then how about you tell Tony tonight so Dad and the group will hear about it and then could we have our conversation after we leave DC?"

"Excellent idea!" They quickly walked back, Tim hoping Tony hadn't noticed. He sat down on the sand again, reclaiming Gemma and just smiled peacefully at his father. He was excited for his brother, he was sure this was a promotion to Team Lead; he hoped it was at the Pentagon or even better, the Navy Yard. Then he frowned, that might be really hard on Maggie…well he trusted Leon; he'd wait and see what happened. The evening was cooling down and they were just starting to think about gathering up when Tony appeared next to them in the starlight. "Um Dad, Tim?"

"Yeah son?"

"Vance just told me…I've been promoted, I have my own team!"

Gibbs passed Jorry to Rhea as he rose to hug his eldest, "That's wonderful Anthony, I'm so proud of you, son!"

Tim did better than that, he let out a loud whoop, waking his daughter. "WHOO HOO, that's awesome Bro! Where?"

"The Pentagon, my TL is leaving."

Since he'd left Gibbs' team, Tony had never referred to either of his Team Leaders as his boss. He said he'd retired the term and Tim understood what he meant. Ziva had heard Tim's whoop and joined them, the three younger agents holding onto each other and jumping up and down in the sand. Maggie joined them and then Sarah, Bec, Geordie Ned, Rob, Matt, Lydia, Pete and Joel until they had a strange grouping of siblings and NCIS agents celebrating Tony's promotion. Leon stood back at first, enjoying the spectacle and then joined them, wanting DiNozzo to know how proud he was of him. When the tumult died down a little, the rest of the family including Tony's father-in-law joined in the congratulations and good feels. By this time most of the children were awake so they finished gathering their things, made sure the fires were out and the trash picked up and returned home.

Friday morning they said their goodbyes to Nicolas, Margaret and their boys along with Ariston, Paolo, Besiana and Jak as they were heading out early for their flight north to Thessaloniki. Ned and Rob had come over Thursday evening along with Kim and Evander and the four of them left with the Kalivas' on the first ferry out. For once violating their rule about last minute goodbyes, Jethro, Grandfa, Gram and Penny, Tim, Geordie, Tony and Sarah walked with Rob and Ned down to the ferry, quickly kissed and hugged them, hugged the others, turned and nearly ran from the dock before the boat left.

Their own departure came later in the morning. The school bus trundled from house to house picking up their luggage; this time Ross and Kayla rode with it. At the pier, Pete, Trina, Kyra, Lukas and Dani watched sadly as their loved ones and friends boarded the ferry with them, knowing they only had another hour before they'd have to part company. It took awhile to get everyone aboard but finally they were and at their request the ferry captain gave an extra long blast on the horn as they left the dock, saying goodbye to Aegina from all of them.

Back in Piraeus, the Russells and Dani kissed their grown children and hurried away in the family wagon that Kim had left parked for them. The Gibbses lingered, spending a precious few minutes with their family before they too hurried away in their rental vehicle. They'd changed their plans a bit after learning of Sarah's pregnancy. They'd stay in the big house for another week spending more time with Rob, Ned and Rhea's family and then would travel to Charleston to visit Geordie and Bec. They'd visit Virginia later when their newest grandchild was born in January.

As they pulled out, Davos put his arm around his son-in-law's shoulder, wanting to remind him he had his other set of parents with him. Tim smiled, thanking him. The remaining travelers and their luggage climbed aboard their transports and headed for the airport.

They stopped to let Ziva out at the international terminal as she was going home to Israel to pack what she wanted from her father's home. After hugging her goodbye, they climbed back in the vans and continued to what served for an FBO on the grounds of the Athens airport. As they went through the security process, Tim grinned at Lina, "We did it; we got almost everyone here for our 5th anniversary!"

She grinned back at him, "We certainly did! And next year we're going to Paris!"


	198. Chapter 198

The flight across the Atlantic was quiet as the younger children and the older adults slept most of the way. Tim and Lina did their "walk across the Atlantic" joined by their siblings and the college students. Vance and the Morrises got up and down, walking and just standing. Everyone woke up for their first meal, served about three hours into the flight, and enjoyed their American-style lunch. They'd changed things around this time: their Greek meal would be served a couple of hours before they reached DC. Snacks in the form of meze would be served in between.

After the lunch trays were removed the parents rousted the kids out of the seats and got them moving around. Zoe ran up and down the aisles with Davey Palmer toddling after her. They were only 9 months apart and that was a big gap right now but the Palmers and the McGees hoped the two youngest of their respective families would be friends as they got older. As they had on the flight over, the college kids organized relay races and the kids had fun with that for nearly an hour. Then it was the adults' turn and they had fun being silly. However what might have been the most entertaining was watching Chloe and Peter getting used to everyone's craziness. Tim doubted they'd ever seen relay races on a jet! Lastly came the older kids, including the collegians and they put everyone to shame. When it was over and winners were declared there was a surprise, little souvenirs from the island for the winners. Phoebe told everyone that had been her dad's idea and he and her mom had found the souvenirs for them. That brought smiles and Tim crossed his fingers that Pete and Trina really would be able to visit next year.

When they got to DC there was another surprise as Gram announced that she and Grandfa were continuing to Preston and all the southern California folks cheered, even the ones who weren't related. Tim's face lit up as he realized how long it had been since they'd visited. They'd long abandoned their plans to visit Patrick's final resting spot on their return flight but Tim resolved now to make sure his grandparents and Andy and Sean got there, preferably before school started.

They were nearly halfway across the continent before Leon walked by Tim and tapped him on the shoulder. Tim followed him to the empty seats and was not in the least bit surprised to see Joel waiting for them. His friend laughed, "You look like you can't decide whether to sit or turn and run!"

Tim shrugged, "It's a little late for running!" He sat down across from Joel and Leon leaned against the seat in front of them. "No sitting for me, I need to keep my blood circulating!"

Joel kicked off the conversation, "I'm going on leave September 15th and my official retirement date is September 30th. I've recommended you for the job. Tim, I want you to take this, but it's your decision…well yours and Leon's!"

Patting each of his friends on the shoulder, he rose and returned to his wife as Leon slid into the vacated seat and looked at his agent, so proud of him at this moment and knowing there was more to come.

"Special Agent McGee, I'm pleased to …"

Leon was interrupted by Zoe, "Daddy, I hafa go potty!"

Lina was on her heels, "Sorry! Zoe sweetie, come with me!" They waited until Lina and Zoe had disappeared into the restroom.

Both men laughed and Vance continued, "Fine, real life interruptions - forget the formality! I'm offering you the position as Senior Team Leader and SSAIC of the Southwest office, effective October 1st, 2019."

Tim smiled, "Yes sir, thank you and I do accept!"

"Thank God, I think Joel would hurt us both if you said no!"

"Can't have that happen!"

"This is a little different move than your previous ones as the position carries varied responsibilities. Over the next 7 weeks, you'll work with Joel to learn the job, and really start shadowing him. I'm going to keep Peters in Preston for now."

"Sir…does she still have a team waiting for her? And I highly recommend Matt for a Team Lead position, but is it possible for him to take Preston with the auxiliary offices?"

"No, you're right, it's not a good idea, but yes if he wants Preston it's his. Joel has some changes in mind and they're not without precedent and I know he'll be consulting with you about these. He's planning to move responsibility for Petrero and Button Willow to the El Segundo office. Middleton is ready for more responsibility and Hofstadler will be an even stronger asset there than she already is. He'll be offering your two support analysts transfers to El Segundo; luckily its more than 40 miles from Preston so that falls within the transfer parameters. And as I said, this has been done before, the Senior SAIC Southwest before Joel - before Blumquist - moved the reporting around for the auxiliary offices. They previously reported to the LA field office." He paused, "And yes, Peters still has a team waiting for her. It was the retiring agent's error that caused the initial delay and when I explained the situation, that she needed to stay in Preston until Matt was cleared for the field, he agreed to postpone his retirement until she's available. His wife isn't too happy with him but that's his problem, not ours!"

"All right, so while Matt's on desk duty which we anticipate will happen next week, Peters will be Team Lead and SAIC on the days I'm working with Joel. And Preston will lose the two support staff."

"Yes, there will be four field agents, one office manager and one dispatch. If there's a need for a part-timer, I'm sure Matt can think of someone!" Leon rubbed his eyebrow and Tim realized he was thinking of Tea.

"If either Chuck or Maria don't want to move, do they get some sort of severance?"

"Good question and I'm going to refer you to Joel for that. Do you think it's going to be a problem?"

Tim thought for a moment, "Possibly for one of them." He smiled, "I'm glad they're being offered transfers, they're both very smart and hardworking, real assets to the agency. Does Peters know yet?"

"No and that's one of the reasons I'm still on the plane. We're going home with the Morrises but I'll be up on Monday or Tuesday to meet with the three of you…you, Matt and Rose and Joel will head up to El Segundo the same day. When's Matt's doctor's appointment?"

Tim took out his phone and scrolled through his calendar. "Monday morning first thing."

"Excellent! How about I plan to be there Tuesday then?"

"Great! And Joel will announce the Petrero and Button Willow moves…"

"On Monday and you can make the transfer offers immediately after."

"All right, that works, I'd better catch up with Joel then. Next question…can we make the announcement about Matt too then? I know there's usually a day or two in between."

"If I have a chance to talk with him, yes, of course."

"Good! How about you stay over Tuesday night and we'll have a celebratory dinner for both of us."

"That sounds like a plan! So when are you going to tell your family?"

"Lina, as soon as we have some privacy. Everyone else…uh, soon I guess. When is Tony's step up date?"

"Monday."

"Oh boy; well Dad's away until the week after that, is there any way we can keep this under wraps until they get back?"

"Sure, we can wait even longer if you'd like."

"That'd be good, would it be possible to wait until say…August 23rd or 26th?"

"Because that's a month after his promotion?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, I just don't…he's finally feeling like he's regained his place at the agency, he's worried about Maggie and I just don't want to step on that or cause any more grief. If we wait until Joel actually leaves, he'll figure it out, but sometime in late August, I might be able to slide it past him."

"Your father will know and any grief was DiNozzo's own doing."

Tim sighed, "I know but I still don't want to rain on his parade. And I'm not worried about Dad, the Kalivas' or my grandparents. I'll keep it local and adult, won't tell any of the sibs or the kids."

"And if they ask why you're going to San Diego so much?"

"I'm working on a project; I've had meetings with Joel before and once school starts in two weeks the kids will be so busy they won't notice."

Leon huffed, "Andy and Anna might; those two are sharp as tacks!"

"Yeah they are but if they start to ask questions, I'll tell them the truth - I can't talk about it yet."

Leon chuckled and held out his hand for a shake, "All right, Special Agent McGee, we'll make an official announcement in late August; we'll figure out a date so you can tell your entire family and your teams beforehand, even if that does mean half the agency will know."

Tim let out a surprised bark of laughter and the two men spent a few more minutes talking about this and that.

Before they walked back to the seats, Leon asked, "Have you ever stumbled upon any clue as to what Patrick found?"

"No, but then I've been procrastinating looking through his journals."

"Yeah, don't blame you."

"It'll happen. Sure wish we could find out from Sarah; I still feel she might have the answer."

"What if she cleans herself up?"

"What about it?"

"Would you allow her to take Sean?"

"No, absolutely not. Not until he's old enough to decide for himself and hopefully not even then. She can have supervised visits at most but Sean's just starting therapy so that won't happen anytime soon."

"Supervised visits…that's usually used when kids have been abu…" Vance winced as Tim nodded. "Poor kid."

"He's doing much better and he's had a wonderful time on this vacation, meeting all his cousins and all the adults who love him."

"How…"

"You read our book?"

"Both of them."

"Think Ellen Brill."

"Rob's birth mother…oh geez, she was…"

"Awful to him, neglectful, emotionally and physically abusive."

"And Sean's mother was the same…?"

"We're not sure how bad but yes. And there were other people, something about a daycare. He refused to go to daycare but asked to go to preschool, said no one had hurt him at a school."

"Oh man."

"Yes, so his birth mother has no chance of seeing him."

They stopped talking as Gemma appeared, "Daddy, Uncle Leon, Mama says enough chop talk."

"Do you mean shop talk Gemmalove?"

She nodded with a smile. "Ok sweetie, we'll come back with you then."

"Will you tell us a story?"

"Hmm sure and who is "us"?"

"Me and Cammy, Will, and Jase."

"What about your brothers, sisters and your cousin?"

"Sure, but probably not Alexis."

"No you're right; she probably won't want a story. All right, let's find a place where we can all sit."

"On the floor!"

"Maybe, come on." Vance gave him a pat on the shoulder while Tim and Gemma looked for blankets to sit on. They spread them out on the floor, leaving room for people to walk around them and then gathered the kids. Anna, Tad and Andy came with them and Zoe plopped down in her daddy's lap as he sat on the deck with the children. He'd had time to think of a story and he told it to them, having the kids themselves help him tell it. He'd ask them what they thought happened next and then he'd tailor the story to whatever they said. When Zoe got up and sat with Andy, Gemma moved on and then her little brothers and big sister. Andy didn't sit on his lap although Tim thought he looked like he wanted to, but he did sit right next to him and Tim wrapped an arm around him. He was just reaching the end of the story when one of the flight attendants got on the speaker and said they'd serve lunch when story time was over. They all laughed at that and Tim quickly finished up, having the kids pick up the blankets and then giving Gemma a piggyback ride back to her seat while Andy helped Zoe.

Lunch was Tim's favorite minced meat souvlaki and he enjoyed every bite and every sip of his favorite lemonade that appeared on his tray. After they ate, the flight seemed to go faster and soon they were making their descent to the San Diego airport. Once they were on the ground, they went through Customs and then Norm, Damian and Tim helped Lydia cart her luggage from the FBO to the domestic flights terminal so she could catch her flight to Yuma. Damian returned to the FBO to help sort luggage while Tim and Norm continued to the rental car counter to pick up their reserved vehicles, driving them around to the FBO. The Vances and Morrises stuck around to help the McGees etal get their luggage and the kids loaded into the two full sized vans and then they said their goodbyes. The vans traveled together and reversing the path they'd taken two weeks ago, stopped in Del Mar to drop Damian and Matt at home. Once they were at the house in Preston, they offloaded the kids and the luggage, took the Kalivas, Rodinos and Mallards to the big house and dropped their luggage off. Then Davos drove the McGees' SUV to the rental car lot to give Norm and Tim a ride home after dropping off the vans. Back home again, they found that Lina and Carla had once again wrangled the luggage to the laundry room and the kids were changing into their swim suits. Tim and Norm lay on the floor of the living room. "We're DONE!" Carla laughed as she took a picture of them. "Come on, get up you lazy lugs! There's a pool out there waiting for us!" Grunting, the two got up and went to change. The two families spent an hour or so in the pool before they got the kids out and had them lay on their towels in the shade outside of the locked pool gate. The pool was securely covered and one by one most of the group fell asleep. Tim was wide awake; he hadn't been able to tell Lina anything yet and probably wouldn't have a chance until the Hofstadlers left in the morning. He saw Zoe was stirring and he scooped her up and took her inside. He got her to her potty chair in time and then gave her something to eat. When she started to fall asleep in her booster chair, he picked her up again and cuddling his littlest one, took her upstairs to her room. When he came back down he found Gemma, Jorry, Sean and the triplets looking for him as they were hungry. He got them squared away and then down for naps as well, with Cammy in Gemma's room and Will and Jase with Jorry. Back downstairs again he finally had a bite to eat and then started putting together something for dinner. He wasn't expecting to find anything fresh when he opened the refrigerator out of habit and then smiled and mentally blessed their neighbors for their thoughtfulness. There were two gallons of milk, butter, cheese, lettuce, a bag of fresh spinach and enough hamburger meat to feed all of them tonight. He found buns in the freezer and also moved a chicken to the refrigerator to thaw for the next day. He set the alarm on his phone, sent a text to the big house letting them know when dinner would be ready and then settled into his favorite chair in the living room for a nap.

He woke when he felt someone crawling into his lap and smiled sleepily as he saw it was Andy. He wrapped his arms around him again and gave him a kiss. "C'mon son, get comfy, it's nap time." When the phone alarm went off two hours later, Andy was still curled up in his arms and Lina was stretched out on the couch with Anna in her arms. The slider was closed and locked so Tim didn't worry, figuring Norm and Carla were in their room.

He gently woke his son and Andy went with him to the kitchen to start dinner. As Tim didn't feel like barbecuing they'd use their indoor grill to cook the burgers. He and Andy made a fresh spinach salad and sliced onions and tomatoes for their burgers. Then it was time to wake the kids and he sent his son upstairs to do that. Tim puttered around the kitchen and when he started hearing thumps from upstairs he nodded to himself, yep the kids were waking up! A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and then a key turning in the lock and Gram, Grandfa, the Rodinos and Kalivas' walked in. They'd brought two frozen pies that needed to thaw a bit before serving. Tim thought a minute and put them on the top shelf of a cabinet where none of the kids would think to look for treats.

They sat down for their meal, Tim had lost track of which number meal this was that day, about a half hour later and there was quiet as everyone ate. Tim looked around at his family, "So what have you all been up to?" That brought laughter and a little more conversation as the kids discussed their favorite things on the trip. They all said the fireworks, the picnics and the daily trips to the beach; Anna added horseback riding and Gemma added playing with all the kids. Andy smiled shyly, "I loved meeting everyone and all the cousins! Lots of kids my age and playing with the Uncles, you guys are so much fun, Dad! Oh, the splash battles – those were great, I can't wait until I'm big enough to do that too! Practicing our moves with everyone, the fire pit fires; seeing your office and flying on a private jet, wow!" He laughed, "Everything was my favorite!" Tad added sailing and Alexis added jet skiing and echoed Andy's sentiments about the private jet. Peter added with a laugh, "Seeing all of your siblings with you, I had no idea you were so crazy! And here Mama and Papa thought you were so calm, ha!" They laughed and Davos replied, "We have seen him with his brothers and Sarah before, we've known for awhile Peter."

Tim laughed, "I am usually perfectly sane unless Geordie or Tony are around."

Chloe huffed, "Sarah has told us about the four of you writing your books and how much fun that was."

Tim nodded, "Oh yeah, she and Geo made it fun, they're both crazy!"

They cleaned up after they polished off the burgers, salad and both pies; then the big house residents left and the McGee family and guests went back to sleep. The Hofstadlers left the next morning and Tim finally pulled Lina aside to tell her about Joel's retirement and his promotion, explaining that he wanted to keep it quiet and why.

Lina looked at him, "Do you really think Tony's ego is so fragile?"

"I'm afraid to find out."

"I think he's healed quite well, I'm afraid there might be more damage if you don't tell him now."

"Oh, geez."

"He won't like you protecting him, love. He's quite happy in his life, in his work and very happy with Maggie."

"What about waiting a week, you know, until he's started his new position?" They talked about that and Tim finally realized that Lina was right, that his brother would be upset if…when…he figured out that Tim had delayed the announcement of his promotion. Tim changed his plans to let Matt, Damian and the rest of the California based family know over the weekend and he would also contact his siblings and the rest of the family as soon as possible. First things first though, he sent an e-mail to his father asking when they could talk. He got a text several minutes later, "Everything all right?" He answered, texting: "Yes, have news."

He had just booted up his laptop when it chimed with a call from his dad and Rhea. Despite his reassurances, his father looked worried, "Timothy, Lina, is everything really all right?"

"Yes Poppy and your son has news for you."

Gibbs tried to swallow his sigh of relief but saw the smile on his son and knew he'd failed. "Dad, Rhea, on the way home Joel told me he's retiring, September 13th will be his last day of work. And then Vance offered me the job and I accepted it."

His dad had tears in his eyes and Tim put his fingers on the screen, just as they'd done years ago when things got a little too emotional for one or both of them. "So proud of you, Timothy! Congratulations!"

"Thank you. I…uh…Vance wanted to announce it to my teams this week but I asked him to wait because, well, I didn't want to upset Tony. But Lina says I'm wrong, that waiting would make Tony more upset."

"She's right son. Tony will be fine with this, he'll be happy for you and he'd be plenty upset if he thought you'd delayed telling us to protect his ego."

"Guess I have a lot to learn still, huh?"

"To quote your grandfather, it's not a sin to learn new things!"

Rhea leaned in, "Tim, I'm proud of you and for thinking of your brother, but Jethro and Lina are right. He's secure in your love and your dad's and the rest of the family. It might take him a few days to adjust to the idea but he'll be happy for you."

"I was trying to avoid those few days."

Dad again, "No Tim, you can't do that; there's no way or reason to avoid the fact that you've moved far beyond being Tony's probie. You've done so well and you need to let us be proud of you!"

"He's done well too."

Rhea answered that thought, "Yes and your accomplishments in no way diminish his and vice versa."

"Ok, I just…things have been going so well between us I didn't want to upset the balance."

Lina smiled at him, "Love, what your father and Rhea are telling you, what I'm telling you is that the balance between you is not based on how well either of you are doing at work."

"OH, ok, now that makes more sense. I guess I not only have things to learn, I was falling back into old habits."

His father nodded at him and with a grin lifted his hand. Tim grimaced, "Can we save that until you get home - I think my brains might fall out today."

"Well seeing that I'm here and you're there, yes. Now, when are you going to schedule the call? We'll try to be with Rob and Ned."

"Does this really need a call? I'd think an e-mail would be enough."

His father gave him a look, "What's really going on? Are you unhappy about the promotion?"

"No, I … I'm embarrassed to tell you the truth."

"Because your superiors think you have the skills and experience to take on this responsibility? You're not questioning Joel or Leon's judgment, are you?"

Tim looked horrified at that and his father had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing as he continued. "You're still having trouble accepting that people think you're good at what you do."

Tim opened his mouth to say something and then just nodded. "Need to work on that son."

He nodded again, acknowledging the truth of that.

Rhea added, "Tim, you know in our family we celebrate our accomplishments and this is a big one! Try to be happy, celebrate!"

Tim finally smiled at them and before disconnecting, they figured out a time that might work for everyone on Sunday. Tim then sent a text out to the family, including Ziva, asking them if and when they would be available for a Skype call on Sunday. He got answers with times available showing most of the next 30 hours; apparently none of them in the States had anything planned except unpacking, doing laundry and recovering from jet lag.

With that information, he let Rob and Ziva's availability guide him and sent out another text scheduling the call very close to the time they'd estimated.


	199. Chapter 199

The family call on Sunday went well from Tim's perspective. He told them that it hadn't yet been made public but that Joel was retiring and he'd been offered his position and had accepted it. He also noted that Joel and Leon had approached him while they were still in the air somewhere between DC and San Diego.

When Geo asked him what was involved, Tim quipped that all he really knew so far was that there were 10 offices rather than 3 and there was at least one aircraft carrier involved. Rob wanted to know if it meant travel and Tim shrugged, "I really don't know. If there is, it's probably not to Greece!" They all laughed at that and Sarah said she was glad they'd gone when they had. Tony asked if he'd still be in the field and Tim again had to plead ignorance. "I don't know that but that's a good question! That might be my first one for Joel. I'm sure I'll be learning more starting at 0700 tomorrow!"

Ziva teased him, "You should have waited then."

Tim just rolled his eyes at her, keeping his comments to himself. Jimmy, bless him, asked Tony when he was starting his new position and he talked about it a little bit; he was clearly excited to have his own team and wanted to know if he should take treats in for his first day. Bec shook her head, "Nah, they already know you so buttering them up isn't necessary. I'd wait until Friday, make it your end of the week celebration."

"Good idea, thanks Bec! Although I thought in Athens you guys had – have – pastries every other day."

Ned snorted, "I guess it seems like that but we never have them on Mondays or Thursdays, Tony; George made a rule about that!"

They all chuckled about that and then Geo made a comment about the "Gibbs boys" running NCIS. Tim and Tony grinned at each other and then at their dad. He smiled and said, "I'm proud of each and every one of you and those adoption papers don't have any job titles on them."

They all liked that remark and Rob gave him a kiss, "That's from all of us!"

Tony looked at Geo, "You know I'm sure Vance would waive the upper age limit so you could join us Bro!"

"Hmm, let me think about that…no thanks! I'm gonna be a teacher in a nice quiet college."

They teased him about that and then Rob had to leave for work so they ended the call. When they turned away from the laptop Lina said, "That was fun, maybe you should have a sibling call every couple of weeks - it would keep you in touch."

He nodded, "Sounds good but I think we'd have to shoot for once a month. We just got lucky with all of us in the U.S. being home after vacation."

"That's true."

"You should have one too."

"I was just thinking that; I'll talk with Chloe and Damian about it."

"I'm gonna call Matt now, I can't stand him not knowing."

She laughed and gave him a kiss as he pressed Matt's contact info on his phone.

That afternoon, Pappouli and Yayaka stayed with the kids, including Tad, while Tim and Lina drove Alexis, Chloe and Peter to the UCSD campus. They walked around and found the dorm she'd been assigned to and were allowed to go in for a peek. She'd been assigned to a suite of two bedrooms with a common room and bathroom in between. Each bedroom would hold two occupants so there would be four girls per suite. Lina watched her niece, smiling when she saw how excited she was. Of course Uncle Tim had to check out the security on the doors and windows and pronounced them 'adequate'. Peter wanted to know where the boys' dorms were and there was silence until Chloe gently told him the dorms were co-ed. Lina madly tried to think of a distraction while Alexis, looking out the window, exclaimed, "I want to go look at the other buildings; maybe we can get in one of those too."

While they walked, Tim decided that his daughters would go to all-girl colleges although he didn't think there were any left in the U.S. Then he gave himself a mental headslap; they would be Alexis' age when they went and he hoped he and Lina would do, were doing, a good job teaching them about life. They would certainly learn about the "birds and the bees" in a better way than he had.

On the walk over to the other buildings, they met two other families of freshman students and Tim could see that all three teens were relieved to have met other freshmen before their orientation the following week.

XXX

In Virginia, Sarah and James were talking about her brothers. "I don't understand why Tim was so nervous!"

Sarah looked at her husband, "I think he might have been worried about Tony."

"Tony, but why, he just got a promotion…oh, I see."

Sarah nodded, "But he's happy for Tim and Tim's happy for Tony."

"Yeah, seems like it's all good."

A few miles away Tony and Maggie were just leaving home to see a movie. As Maggie said, "We should go in the summers and winters and enjoy someone else paying for the air conditioning and the heat!"

As they drove Tony mused, "That's pretty cool, Tim and I both getting promoted the same week! Sure made Dad happy!"

"He should be, he's got every right to be proud of you two!"

"And you and Stan and Ned and everyone else he helped train."

"Yes but even more to the point, he's proud of each of his kids for all our accomplishments. That's so good to hear, you know how long it took the Colonel to say it!"

"And Senior, oh yeah."

"Are you excited about tomorrow?"

Tony nodded, "I am, I think even more because it happened in Greece, being told I mean. All kinds of good things happen in Greece."

They grinned at each other.

As it happened, Tony was so excited he could hardly sleep that night and he told Maggie that if he hadn't been jet lagged he wouldn't have slept at all! As he walked into the suite of offices assigned to NCIS at the Pentagon the next day, he relaxed when the first thing he saw was a big banner saying "Congratulations Team Leader DiNozzo." He was early, he'd wanted to get in there before anyone else, get his stuff moved to the corner cubicle and catch up on more of his e-mails. He'd gotten started on them over the weekend but there were plenty more waiting for him. He also needed to do something about a Senior Field Agent. He'd read an e-mail from Vance last night that said he would have a four agent team so he'd need both a SFA and another junior. Their current junior, his current junior, didn't yet have enough experience to make the jump to SFA.

When he opened his e-mail he saw one from Pam Cooke, Vance's Executive Assistant and smiled when he saw the two attachments. One was a list of possible candidates for SFA and the other was a list of possible new juniors. He smiled again when he recognized a name on the first list, one of the volunteers he'd worked with in Rota during his TAD there. He wasn't too far away, up in Maine at the NCIS office in Kittery. He shivered, it was cold enough here in the winter, thank you very much! He read through the procedures and then sent a request for the guy's file.

While he reviewed the second list he remembered Tim talking about picking a junior agent right after he'd gotten to Greece. He'd made a list of qualities he wanted and then selected candidates based on that. Thinking that was a really good idea, he pulled out a notepad and made his own list. By the time he had his TAD friend's file, his team of one arrived. As he opened his mouth to say something his phone rang. He looked at the caller id which said Gibbs. "Special Agent DiNozzo, this is your volunteer coordinator. Director Vance asked me to assign two TADs to you; one is a SFA and the other one a junior. They'll be at Security in about 5 minutes and they are yours until you are fully staffed."

"Special Agent Gibbs, thank you!"

"Welcome son and congratulations again, so proud of you!"

Tony grinned, "Thanks Dad!" He hung up and turned to Lyle, his junior. "Welcome to our new team, Sharp!"

"Would it be out of line to ask you about Greece?"

"Not really but we don't have time right now, got two TADs about to need us at Security."

"Two?"

"Yep, we're now a four agent team!"

"That's great Tony…uh…"

"That's fine, in the field we'll use titles."

"Good."

"All right, I'm going to delegate fetching out TADs to you, know that drill?"

"IDs for here and make sure they have their own badges and ids, etc…get them registered?"

"Excellent! They should be arriving in a couple of minutes so I'll see you three back here in about 15."

"All right, I'm on my way." Tony nodded and then quickly finished moving his desk items to the corner cubicle. At least the cubicle walls were three quarters, giving some semblance of privacy. He snorted; when they needed privacy, they borrowed a page from Gibbs' playbook and took over a little used freight elevator on their floor. There was also a conference room but it had to be booked in advance and NCIS did not have priority in a building brimming with Brass.

His agent returned, the two TADs in tow and he greeted them warmly. "Glad to have you two aboard! I'm Anthony DiNozzo, Team Lead and former SFA here; we're not formal in the office when it's just us, so I'm Tony or DiNozzo and he's Lyle or Sharp. If anyone else is in here or you're out in the corridors, we use our titles, this is the Pentagon after all. Grab a desk, do we have enough…huh," he looked around and pointed to the junior TAD, "We're not in the office all that much, you can use that table, we'll clear it off for you and we do have enough chairs and weapons, that's the important thing!" He stood and then pivoted, "Staff meeting in 30 minutes. Lyle, grab some cold cases for our new teammates and you'll be giving me a verbal report of what's happened here in the last two weeks." He smiled at his TADs, "I just got back from vacation."

They looked surprised but they were volunteers, they'd learned to roll with whatever happened. He spent the next 30 minutes trying desperately to get through two weeks of case work and other information.

By the time they finished their staff meeting he'd received the file on his SFA candidate and spent an hour going through the information, liking what he saw. To be fair, he looked at the list of possible candidates again and requested several more files. He needed to be thorough about this; he wanted a strong team who also got along. He spent most of the day going through the files, making lists of each candidate's qualifications and comparing them. By 1700 he had a short list of 3. He sent Maggie a text asking if she minded helping him put interview questions together and she responded with a big grin. He was packing his gear to leave when he realized he hadn't asked where his TADs were staying. He looked over at Eastman and Sanders. "Where you staying?"

"The Residence Inn right down the road."

"Great! You have a car?"

Eastman nodded, "Yes, we're all set."

"Good. Later in the week let's think about drinks after work. Right now I'm still fighting jet lag."

"Where'd you go on vacation?"

"Greece – a small island close to Athens. One of my brothers and his wife are celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary; they got married over there and they pulled just about of all their wedding guests together for this trip. It was a lot of fun but oh boy, that's a big time difference."

Eastman nodded, "I have a friend who told me about a trip she was going on that sounds like that. Lydia Worden?"

"Oh sure, I know Lydia! She stayed in the cottage next door to my wife and me. She's Team Lead in Yuma now."

"Right, we worked on the same team her last year as a junior, during my probationary year and we've stayed in touch."

"Yeah, Tim, my brother, met her when she was SFA for Joel Morris in London, he was SFA in Athens."

"Huh, small world!"

Tony nodded, "Small agency…small and mighty!"

The others chuckled and he gestured with his bag, "Let's call it a night. We start at 0700 when the Brass does. I know Lyle here got you everything you need. You have my number - if you need anything at all call!"

They promised and the four of them walked out together. Tony drove home feeling exhilarated, he'd survived his first day as Team Lead. Oh yeah, this was gonna be good!

XXX

While Tony was wading through personnel files, Tim brought pastries and souvenirs for his team. He went in early and found Maria hard at work. Instead of disturbing her he checked his e-mail and found the case she was working on. He sent Will a text letting him know he was in the office if he needed anything. Then he settled in to wade through his e-mails.

He chuckled when he opened one from Joel that said, "That was so much fun, can we do that on your 10th anniversary too?" He opened another one from Bec that just said, "ZZZZZZZ, I HATE jet lag! Lots of fun, miss you all and CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN!"

His eyebrow twitched when he got a text from Carla, "Just got to work, heard Joel will be here tomorrow…hmm."

No way was he answering her! He took the pastries, put them on one of the plates that had migrated to the office and then on top of the small bookcase with plenty of napkins. He also put a note, "Souvenirs by the coffeemaker, have fun!" on the wall of his office, knowing they'd all see it. He took one out that he thought Maria would like and put it on his desk to give her when she came up for air. Megan and Rae came in together and started to cheer when they saw the pastries but stopped when they noticed Maria.

By 0930 Tim was looking at the time all too frequently, eager to hear what Matt's doctor said. Both of their wounded warriors had done very well on the trip and had done all the exercises given them by their physical therapist. He knew Maggie had a lot farther to go but he hoped Matt would be back in the office on desk duty very soon. Matt was going to be so disappointed if the doctor didn't clear him. He'd deleted all the e-mails he didn't need to read but was still wading through all those that looked meaningful, were from Assistant Director Craig or Joel's SFA when he heard the front door open. He scooted his chair slightly so he could see and yes, there he was with no sling! Matt looked over at him and the two friends grinned at each other.

"Congratulations man, does this mean you're clear for desk duty or are you just here for a visit?"

Matt shook his head, "Cleared for desk duty!" There were soft cheers all around him and he looked puzzled until he noticed Maria's eyebrows pulled together in concentration. "Hey did you bring…oh yeah there they are!"

"Yep, all the way from Greece!"

Matt snorted, "From a Greek woman, yes, but wait a minute, are you serious?"

"Yep, bought them at the bakery right before we boarded the ferry, then our wonderful flight attendants put them in their little freezer for me. They were still frozen when we got to the house and I didn't take them out of the freezer until this morning."

"Wow, are there…?

"Of course!"

Matt patted his boss, "Nice going!"

Megan had heard their conversation and stopped mid-bite, "These are really from Greece? I mean you brought them all the way home?"

"Yes I did."

"They're wonderful; can you have more shipped over?"

Tim laughed, "I don't know, maybe. My stepmother is working on a deal with one of her relatives to ship my favorite lemonade over here, maybe she can do a deal with the bakery too. However, both my wife and mother-in-law make equally wonderful Greek pastries."

Matt nodded, "Oh yeah!"

Rose came in and greeted Tim and Matt, glad to see his arm had lost the sling. She commented on Tim's tan and Matt chuckled, "There are three doctors in the family and they rotate ordering everyone out of the water for shade breaks. But even with his SPF #100 sunscreen, Tim still gets a little color. Not as much as when he lived there but still better than the…" He stopped at the look from his brother-in-law. "Uh, never mind, I'm sure you'll notice in a few weeks."

Tim added, "I noticed last year and again this year that when Grandfa orders everyone out, everyone does get out whether they're with our group or not!"

Matt laughed, "One time Jimmy, that's Doc Palmer, ordered everyone out, just said that and people were starting to panic until Tim called "Shade Break" in Greek."

"Yeah, didn't want to start a shark scare."

As Rose was using Matt's desk, he sat at a side table and pulled out some cold cases. "Ah, feels so great to be back!" Maria smiled as she worked; glad both of them were back.


	200. Chapter 200

**Note: Happy 200! Thanks to all of you who've journeyed with me through Tim's saga! Yes there will be an end and no this chapter is not it. **

On a much less exciting matter, I've corrected a problem in CH 199. It's towards the end, Tim's in the office on Monday after their return from Greece and he receives an e-mail from Carla in the El Segundo office that _now_ reads: "Just got to work, heard Joel will be here tomorrow…hmm."

* * *

><p>And here is...<p>

**CH 200! **

When Tim called Matt with the news over the weekend, his friend had been astounded, "You knew since the flight?"

"Yeah but I got into this whole thing that I should wait to tell everyone until Tony had time in his new job and it took Lina, Dad and Rhea to make me see how wrong I was."

"You had a family call without us."

"Yes - because I thought I shouldn't say anything to you until after your doctor's appointment. But I know you'll be cleared for the field, even if it doesn't happen on Monday, so I decided to tell you now. I can't stand you not knowing!"

"Thank you and that makes sense, I think."

They'd both chuckled before Tim pushed for a reply,

"So?"

"Yes, Tim, I'll take the Lead! Gotta tell you I'm relieved they're going to move Petrero and Button Willow to El Segundo. I'll have enough to learn with one team much less three!"

Tim huffed, "If you say so but I think you could handle all three. Just wouldn't be fair to any of the other new Team Leads."

"I'm sure Vance has to watch out for stuff like that. And Chuck and Maria will move to El Segundo?"

"They'll be offered transfer packages."

"Oh good, that'll help a lot." He paused, "Wow, I didn't expect Joel to do this right after the trip!"

"I'm just glad they waited until we were on our way home."

"Yeah, that would have been distracting if they'd told you during all our fun."

Now, after work on Monday Tim went home, kissed everyone hello, ate dinner, called Leon to confirm his estimated arrival time on Tuesday and then fell asleep. Lina and the kids had spent the day napping and swimming and were feeling more caught up but they were quiet, letting him doing his own catch up.

Tuesday morning he woke far too early to go into work. Slipping out of bed, he made himself a smoothie and drank part of it. After doing his warmups, he went for a run and then came back for his MMA practice and the rest of his smoothie. He was still hungry which he figured was part nerves and part jet lag so he had a little more protein and then headed upstairs for his shower. Lina was just waking up, hair all disheveled and looking very sexy; he looked at the clock and yep he was still very early. He cuddled up to her for a kiss and they ended up making love. She stretched, still in his arms, both sated, "What a wonderful way to start the day!"

"I'll say, now I've got to hurry or I'll be…on time!" They both laughed as he headed for the shower.

He planned to tell his staff that Vance was coming in but not until a few minutes before Leon's arrival, wanting to avoid all the fuss they'd gone through the last time Vance had visited. Petrero had broken their case overnight so Maria wouldn't be tied up with them today.

The team got busy with cold cases while Tim continued wading through his e-mails. He brought lunch back from the deli; everyone ate together and the two travelers told their co-workers bits and pieces about the trip.

At 15:30 there was a text from Vance; Tim left his office and stood in their main room, "Everyone, need your attention." They looked up and he smiled, "Our Director will be stopping by this afternoon to talk with us. He'll be here in about 10 minutes."

Megan frowned at him, "You knew about this all day, didn't you?"

He smiled serenely and nodded, "Yep, didn't want anyone to worry about what they were wearing or cleaning the office."

Rose made a strange sound that might have been a snort which he ignored. Megan headed for the coffee maker and he heard her putting things away. He just shook his head and went back to his cold case file.

When Leon walked in 5 minutes later, Megan gave Tim her best evil eye and he did his best not to laugh out loud. He greeted their Director with a handshake and got the hands patting the upper arms gesture that was Leon's 'office hug'. He greeted Rose with a handshake and Matt's good shoulder got patted and then looked at the staff, "Just came by to make sure these two weren't falling asleep at their desks."

Tim huffed, "And how are you doing with jet lag?"

"It's killing me; I've had more coffee since Friday since…that last Christmas at Pete's."

Megan looked at Tim, eyes wide; Vance's vacation with the others was known only to those on the trip with him and those at home who absolutely had to know where he was.

She smiled at the Director, "Too bad you weren't here yesterday, sir. Tim brought in pastries fresh from Greece."

It was Vance's turn to give him the evil eye. "I knew I saw you in the bakery before we left Friday morning! And then you froze them on the jet?"

Tim nodded. "Just so happens I saved one for you."

"If that's meant to curry favor it won't work, it's five days old!"

Jo spoke up, "But they were in the freezer until yesterday."

"Oh, well…" Tim handed him the pastry, covered in plastic wrap. "Think I'll save it for dessert tonight."

Tim just nodded and Vance continued. "All right, now that we have everyone's attention, I do have a couple of things to tell you. First of all and ordinarily this would come from Special Agent Morris but he's obviously not here yet."

Tim was surprised; he hadn't known Joel was coming in too. The Director opened his mouth to speak just as the buzzer for the front door chimed. Rae turned and smiled, "It's Agent Morris." She buzzed him in and Joel came in holding a cup of coffee. "Sorry I'm late folks; I had to stop for coffee as I'm still dealing with jet lag."

Megan's eyes opened even wider, the Director AND their Senior SAIC were on that trip? Tim shook his head in mock sadness, "Agent Morris, this is an NCIS office; surely you knew we'd have coffee?"

He nodded, "I forgot you were doing that again." He glared, "Jet lag." He smiled at Peters, "Rose, good to see you again, it's been a while!"

"You too! And you saw Stan, Patricia and Roger!"

"Yep, and Marla, Roger's wife, they were there for our first weekend."

"And Lydia!" She looked at Tim, "Why didn't I go to your wedding?"

He shrugged, "Someone in NCIS: Europe had to work! Marseille took point but your team was backup. Joel, Stan and Pete were all on the island with us."

"Fine but I want to go next time!"

He nodded and looked at Vance who was wearing his usual poker face. "Would you two like to sit?"

Joel shook his head, "Not me, I'll fall asleep, thanks anyway Tim."

Vance nodded, "Same with me. All right, back to business. Agent Morris…"

"Right. We're making some changes in the territory and we're moving responsibility for the Petrero and Button Willow offices to El Segundo. What that means is that El Segundo will gain a fourth agent and the support team for those offices." He turned to Chuck and Maria. "Murray, Camarillo, we hope you'll join the El Segundo team. I'm happy to offer each of you a transfer package to make the move if you so choose."

Chuck was apparently speechless but Maria had questions. "Sir, when would I need to be there?"

"September 3rd, after the Labor Day holiday."

She nodded and Tim spoke, "I don't know if either of you are familiar with the transfer package, but it provides you with 30 days of temporary housing while you look for a place to live."

Both of them looked relieved and Tim nodded. "I'd be happy to go over the transfer package with you later if you'd like. Or answer any of your questions. Matt, Rose and I have been through it."

They nodded and he gave Joel a slight nod to continue. "Very well. I know this is a big decision; we're hoping you'll make the move, you two are our best support analysts and frankly we need you!"

Vance nodded, "I'll second that and I know Tim, Will and Maya feel the same way."

The two analysts smiled at that and Tim realized they'd just been subtly reminded they'd be working with their same field teams. That was a nice touch; he'd have to remember that.

Vance continued the conversation, "There are some other changes that will also be happening in September. Agent Morris is retiring and will be leaving his post effective September 15th. And I'm very proud to tell you that his successor is standing here with us. Special Agent Timothy McGee has accepted the position as Senior SAIC for the Southwest Office effective September 16th. " Leon reached out and shook his hand. "Congratulations, Tim, I'm happy, proud and relieved that you've agreed to step up."

"Thank you Sir. I'll do my best!"

There were cheers as Joel clapped him on the back, "How about that? I finally get you on my team, took me 6 years and I really wasn't sure we could ever pry you out of Piraeus, but I did and then I go and retire."

Tim just shook his head as he had no answer for that. Then he smiled at Vance who nodded at him to go ahead. "And I'm very proud and happy to announce the new Team Lead for the Preston office, Agent Matt Watson!"

Matt beamed, "Thanks! Wait, that means you'll still be my boss."

"Yep."

"Well that's ok, I should be used to it by now and you know who trained me."

Tim laughed, "One of them is in El Segundo, one's me and the third is probably asleep in Greece right about now."

The pair turned to their teammates who weren't sure how they felt. They were happy for all of them but it meant change and losing Tim, Chuck and Maria.

Vance looked at Agent Peters, "Rose, didn't mean to leave you hanging. Agent Meyers has agreed to remain as Team Lead until Agent Watson is cleared for the field at which time he'll retire and you'll finally assume your Team Lead duties for your own team. In the meantime, I'd like you to continue with your work here, help with the transition however you can. Agent McGee is going to be spending a lot of time with Agent Morris over the next 7 weeks."

She smiled, "Happy to sir. And if that could carry through the winter…?"

Matt laughed, "Not unless winter starts in October back there, Rose. That's my ETA for field clearance."

She shook her head, "Oh well, it was worth a shot!"

Joel smiled, "I have one more thing to tell you and I don't know if the others know Carla Hofstadler?"

Megan spoke up, "We know who she is."

"Good! My news is that she's agreed to be recertified and will return to field agent duties in El Segundo; she'll be their fourth agent."

Tim and Matt were astounded; they never would have dreamed that Carla would return to the field.

Rae laughed, "Now you know how we feel."

Tim nodded and then grinned. "Wow!"

Matt nodded, "Oh yeah, that's going to be an interesting conversation!"

Joel grinned, "And I have a little something for your staff, Timothy. Something I think they'll enjoy seeing."

Tim frantically thought through the trip, wondering what embarrassing photo was going to be shown. Seeing the look on his face, Vance grinned, "It's not too bad, I made him show me last night."

Tim looked at Matt who was grinning. "I can't wait to see this!"

Joel held up a thumb drive, Chuck plugged it in and directed it to their big screen. Tim laughed when he saw it, it was their last splash battle and Leon had been in on it too. "Who recorded this?"

"Carol did - my very clever wife."

The group laughed their way through the recording as Matt narrated it, pointing out who was who. They recognized the McGee kids on the shore cheering for their father with Lina standing behind them with Maggie and Matt, all three of them laughing hysterically. The group exclaimed when Lydia and her women warriors marched into the waves and Matt named them. Megan pointed to Bec, "We've met her; she's married to one of your brothers!"

Tim nodded, "Yep, Geordie."

Matt pointed out Pete, "That's Pete Russell, the retired Special Agent who brought Carla, Tim and me to Greece."

Tim watched, enjoying seeing the battle from the camera's perspective. Megan recognized his dad and Davos but not the other men near them. "Who are those guys?"

"Our brothers-in-law: Lina and Damian's brother Nicolas and brother-in-law Peter, who's here visiting, you'll probably meet him this week."

They watched the whole thing which had lasted for nearly 30 minutes. Tim looked at the background, "Hey Chuck can you zoom in behind my dad?"

They looked and saw dolphins leaping in the air. "Wow, I heard squeeing but I thought it was Geordie…my brother loves to make weird noises, says it distracts people."

Matt nodded, "There was a pod with us when we were out on the catamaran."

Behind him, Rose said, "Oh God! I have got to go there!"

At the end of the recording there was a full shot of all the McGee siblings with the rest of the family. Matt laughed when the others started counting and Chuck asked "All those people are your siblings?"

"Yes, well some are their partners and Jimmy isn't officially a sibling. But he's part of the family."

"How many?"

"One sister, well two now that Ziva's come back to the family, two sisters and three brothers."

"Wait, who are your biological siblings?"

"Sibling – singular; Sarah and I are the only blood relatives among the siblings."

"Oh, yes, I see she has the same coloring as Sean."

"Yes, she and Patrick, Sean's grandfather, look like my dad's…our biological father's side of the family." He scanned the crowd and pointed, "There's Penny, our paternal grandmother."

There was another photo at the very end, a still and Tim frowned, "Where did this…"

He looked at Vance who just looked back, "What? I'm allowed to take photos."

It was a photo of the former Gibbs' team members and once again the group demanded to know who each of them were. "That's Maggie Barnes and her husband, my brother Tony DiNozzo; they're both former Gibbs' team members, different teams though. That's Ned Dorneget and his partner my brother Rob Mallard, Lina and me, Stan Burley and his wife Patricia…"

Terrell laughed, "Wait, aren't they related to you somehow?"

"Nope, well not that I know of! And you guys know my dad and Rhea."

Jo shook her head, "I just realized none of you have the same last name."

"My sister and I do. Her married name is Powell but she uses McGee in her professional life."

Eventually they wound down; Joel and Leon said goodbye and headed over to the house while Tim dismissed the team for the day. Before Chuck and Maria left, he handed them the transfer packets. "I'm serious about answering questions or explaining things to you. There's a lot of information in there and it can be daunting!"

Maria smiled, "Thanks Tim, I'll look it over tonight and write down my questions."

Chuck nodded, "Me too."

Lina had texted Tim with a few items to pick up at the store on his way home so he did; figuring Leon and Joel were probably napping anyway. When he got home he saw a sign on the front door, "Shh, Napping Agents." Chuckling, he pulled it down, walked in, greeted his giggling children, and then wandered out to the kitchen where he found Hélène and Maisie. He kissed both of them and they pointed him to Lina's studio, telling him she'd asked them to send him in when he got home. He gave a perfunctory knock, waited two beats and not hearing any objections opened the door and entered. She turned with her hands in the air, "My hands are a little glue-y, but my lips aren't!" Smiling he kissed her non-glue-y lips and looked at what she was working on. She was working on framing two photos. One was a shot of Joel, Tim, Pete, Stan and Roger on the beach, all laughing as Pete gestured and the other had Vance laughing and featured the same people plus Matt, Bec, Lydia and Ned. "So this one is for Joel and the other one is for Leon?"

"Yes! And I'll make more copies."

"Thank you!"

"There's one here with Leon, Kayla and Jared…here, look." He smiled as he saw the Vance family looking like they were having a good time together.

"That'd be a great Christmas present."

"Yes, I was thinking that too. And this…" It was a shot of all the Gibbs' former team members. "Wow, hon, these are great! Did Leon show you the ones he took?"

"No, he told me he would but neither of them could stay awake long enough."

"Yeah, do you mind if I ask them to stay over tonight? I know it's only a few miles to San Diego but I'd rather they sleep and tackle it in the morning. That is, if they agree."

"I don't mind, I'd rather not worry about them. What about Leon's security team?"

"Hmm, good question. Well, Joel and Leon can sleep upstairs in the spare rooms and the team can stay in the downstairs room and use the pullout. Or all of them could go to the big house, I suppose, there's more rooms available over there right now even with the Rodinos here. We'll let them know the options and they can decide." He paused, "Speaking of the college kid, where are they?"

"They're eating at a restaurant near campus that Alexis heard about; Peter wanted to see who hangs out there. So how did it go today?"

He told her and they laughed about Joel showing the recording of the splash battle. "Megan was a little peeved with me for not telling them earlier about Vance but they fussed about it so much last time I just couldn't face that today!"

"I'm sure she'll live! And Maria and Chuck?"

"They were shocked about the move but hearing about the transfer package seemed to calm them. I couldn't get a good read on Chuck but Maria was at least thinking about it."

"Good!"

"OH, but I haven't told you the biggest surprise! Carla's going back to work in the field!"

"Our Carla? In the field, she's going back to work as an agent?"

"Yes!"

"That is a surprise!" She thought for a moment, "Well the triplets are in school and Norm's home every night. I know she's really missed it."

Tim nodded, "She told me last week that working in the office and not responding to a call out was very difficult, even after 6 years."

"Will she have to go through re-training?"

He nodded, "At least re-certification, so she'll have to re-qualify on weapons and she may have to take some exams. She won't be jumping right out there this week or even this month." He quirked his mouth and Lina said, "What?"

"I never did get to work with her in the field; she was already on desk duty when I got there." He smiled, "Wonder if Pete knows yet?"

She laughed at him; he helped her finish the frames and left them to dry while they had dinner. Anna and Gemma set the table while Andy helped Gram and Yaya in the kitchen. When Yaya called out for everyone to wash their hands, usually the five minute warning, Tim woke their two guests. Both were embarrassed but felt better for their short naps. "We'd like you to stay overnight tonight."

Joel opened his mouth and yawned instead of speaking. While Leon cracked up, their friend just nodded. "Guess we'd better."

"You have choices."

Leon held up his hand, "Wait, let me get the team in or they'll have conniptions."

One of the agents came inside, the other remaining outside, and listened to the options. He looked at Vance, "Rather you stay here sir. We've already evaluated the area, Chief of Police lives next door."

"Fine. Tim, we'll stay here."

"Great! Get washed up and come on down for some dinner." He turned to the other agent, "Do you want to eat now and switch or how does that work?"

"We'll eat now, one at a time, before full dark."

"All right, come on and we'll get you set up."

"Thanks." He spoke in his mic and then nodded at Tim.

"All set."

"I can go out and stand…"

"No sir, we're good."

"No need to 'sir' me! I'm an agent, same as you!"

The other man grinned, "Habit!" The four men walked into the dining room and Tim snagged an extra chair while Anna brought another place setting. The agent ate quietly, not engaging in the conversation. The kids were puzzled but knew their dad would fill them in later. Once he'd eaten, he thanked them for the delicious meal, took his dishes to the kitchen and disappeared outside. Andy looked at his dad who nodded at Vance. "They are Director Vance's security team; they travel with him all the time."

Anna frowned, "They weren't in Greece!"

"Actually there was a security team but it wasn't those two."

"Oh."

"And they didn't fly with us. You all have been vetted – cleared – and there wasn't anything they could do mid-air so they flew to and from on a C-130."

Andy's eyes lit up, "Air Marine!"

Leon laughed, "I like that! Does your grandfather know you call it that?"

He nodded, "Dad made it up."

The kids had been to the beach with their grandparents and great grandparents and talked about the differences between the beach on Aegina and here. Anne smiled, "There's just us for family here."

Jorry nodded, "No splash battles!"

"But more stuff."

Tim looked at Sean, "What stuff, Seanie?"

"Wood and shells, not as many rocks." He giggled, "There was a long seaweed-y thing and Pappouli helped us drag it, but Yaya said we couldn't bring it home."

Tim looked at his mother-in-law. "Thank you!"

She laughed, "My children were always bringing home squishy things from the beach."

The second agent came in and ate just as quietly as the first; took his dishes to the kitchen and went back outside. The family and their guests finished dinner and had fresh berries with a dollop of yogurt on top for dessert, followed by coffee while Davos, Grandfa and Lina cleared the table with Jorry and Sean carefully helping. When Tim got a raised eyebrow, he smiled, "I did my chore; I stopped in at the grocery store on the way home."

Vance looked at the dessert bowls, still on the table, "Are these the dishes you bought when you first got to Greece?"

Grandfa smiled, "That was my first visit and our first time on Aegina."

Tim smiled at his grandfather, answering Vance. "Yes, every time we go we order more and the owner ships them to us. Last year he didn't have any in stock so he made us more. We've only lost a couple of bowls, they're pretty sturdy."

Joel looked puzzled, "But you keep getting more?"

Lina laughed, "Well yes, as we add children we need more!"

He understood then. "We bought a fountain in that shop when we were there for your wedding. Had no idea where we were going to put it in our London townhome but Carol fell in love with it, had to have it and then months later we got transferred here and found the perfect house for it!"

Tim's cell rang and he excused himself; Joel heard him say, "We're just finishing Chuck, no problem."

He returned a few minutes later. "One in, one to go."

"In as he'll take the transfer?"

"Sure sounds like it."

"Good!"

Tim was just sitting down again when his phone chirped with a text from Maria, "Do you have a minute?" He sent a text back and seconds later his phone rang. He listened and then said, "Oh well, that's easy, here."

He handed the phone to Joel, "It's Maria." Joel rose and talked for a few minutes before returning to the table and handing Tim his phone, "She's going."

Tim excused himself for a few minutes while he took Zoe to her potty chair and then tucked her into the family room with her brothers, sisters and grandparents. When he returned there was a coffee carafe on the table. Leon looked at him, "Just want to confirm, Tim, do you still want to hold off on the formal announcement?"

He shook his head, "No, Leon; my wife and parents made me see the errors in my thought processes. We had a family call over the weekend so everyone knows, including Tony."

"Great! Then, Joel, Timothy, are you all right with me announcing it in my very late monthly update?"

Tim nodded, "I'm fine; I'll send an e-mail to the old team."

"No rush, I won't get that out until next week."

"All right, thanks."

Joel grinned, "You can announce it any time you want Leon!"

They chuckled at his enthusiasm and Lina leaned in, "I've been dying to ask what you two have planned."

"Well, we haven't been sure until recently. We love the weather here and of course all of you are here right now, but it's a pretty expensive place to retire. Neither of us has family so there's no obligation to move to be near anyone."

Lina interrupted, "Excuse me, but you do have family, you're part of our family!"

Joel smiled at them, "Thank you, I stand corrected. However, you won't be in Southern California forever and as I said, it's expensive. We've talked about various places, talked with friends and made a decision over the weekend."

"And?"

"We're moving to Greece!"

Tim's smile nearly split his face, "Wow! That's wonderful!"

"Yes, we called Pete and Trina and they seem pretty excited about it; they gave us Evander's contact information. Now that the news is out we'll contact him and start looking for a house."

"Any ideas?"

"Somewhere fairly close to the Russells and the beaches."

"Excellent!"

They finished their coffee and Joel yawned and excused himself, thanking the McGees for their hospitality. When Lina started to get up, Leon smiled, "Lina, would you mind staying? I have news that concerns both of you."

She nodded and Tim took her hand while they waited.

"As you know, our Legal Department has been watching the Shamus Meuller cases very carefully, both in California and Maryland. There was a point of contention about who would have first go at him and Maryland won. He's been formally charged with similar crimes against minors in both states and extradited back East where he will stand trial for the grievances you helped investigate 16 years ago. Assuming he's found guilty and sentenced, he'll serve time there and when released will be sent back to California for his trial here. He's already gone, so your family is safe from him. He and his wife had no children and no family out here; she moved back East at the same time he was transferred to Maryland's custody."

Tim nodded, "That's a relief, thank you Leon."

Lina agreed, "Now we can put that whole ugly situation behind us."

"Have you been back to Monterey since you brought the boys home?"

Tim shook his head, "No, there just hasn't been time. We talked about flying in there for a few hours on the charter on Friday but gave that up. With school starting so soon and then me working with Joel and commuting to San Diego, I think we'll probably wait for a long holiday weekend, maybe after Thanksgiving."

"Good idea." They chatted for a little longer and then yawning, Leon bade him goodnight.

The two men and the Director's security team left early the next morning and then Tim, who'd gotten up to see them off, contacted Pete via Skype.

"Hey Tim, little early for you, isn't it?" Smiling, he told his friend about Joel and Leon staying overnight and their early departure.

"Joel mentioned that they'd talked to you over the weekend, so guessing you know he's retiring."

"Yes, but he wasn't sure of the date."

Tim chuckled, "Oh he's a sly one - the two of them talked to me on the plane coming home! His official date is September 30th but he's taking a page from your playbook and taking leave the last two weeks."

"I see; that's interesting, Tim."

Now Tim laughed outright. "Yes, Pete! Leon offered me the job and I said yes."

"YAY! That's great, my friend, so proud of you!"

"Thanks, now that the news is getting out there - Leon told my team today - I'm getting excited. Oh, and Matt's been cleared for desk duty and has accepted the Team Lead spot as soon as he's cleared for the field."

He explained what would happen with their TAD and the two auxiliary offices. Pete grinned, "They thought of everything, good! I'm assuming you've told the family?"

"Yes, we had a family call." He went on to tell Pete about the meetings he'd have with Joel.

"That's good, from what I've heard it's going to be pretty different."

Tim nodded, "Oh yeah, 10 offices covering most of California, some of Nevada in addition to 71 naval ships, 35 squadrons, 406 aircraft, 7 submarines and 9 military sealift vessels and all that includes two aircraft carriers. There's something like 111,000 active duty, reserve and civilian Dept. of Defense employees, an additional 80,000 dependents and we're pretty much it for them all. Plus whatever happens in Mexico that needs our response!"

Pete chuckled, "I see you've done your homework! Don't forget that you'll have 10 teams plus the Agents Afloat to work with all those people!"

"Not forgetting! Also helps to know some of my predecessors and they've all survived!" They talked for a little while longer until Tim realized he needed to get ready for work.

Before he left he sat down and wrote an e-mail to Kim, Tea and Eva, telling them the news. He addressed it to everyone on his old team but those three were the ones he was talking to; the others already knew. He signed it "Love Tim" because as he'd told them when first Carla and then Matt left: wherever they served, wherever any of them went, they would always be family.

Chapter 200, written March 2-4, 2015

* * *

><p>Note: most of the information about the Southwest office (which is physically located in San Diego) comes from the real world NCIS website. The number of offices is 7 in the real world, but I added some. The information about the number of DoD employees, dependents and the number and type of navy vessels is per the website. Also on the show (canon!) that's the "San Diego" office Leon Vance led when he was Assistant Director.<p> 


	201. Chapter 201

By the time Vance's monthly update was distributed, Tim had already had a few meetings with Joel. They'd scheduled them for first thing in the morning so Tim could get familiar with the commute, after all he hadn't really had one in 6 years, and so he could get back to Preston in the afternoon to attend to his responsibilities there.

One of the first things he'd learned and he still wasn't sure how he felt about it, was that he would no longer be in the field. There were too many other things that would need his attention on an immediate basis. Joel told him it had taken him months to stop himself from automatically responding when a case came in. He also pointed out that the San Diego SFA, Jeff Andreson, was perfectly capable of handling investigations and that luckily the man wasn't interested in promotion or leaving San Diego. Born and raised in Minnesota, he had no desire to leave the temperate climate, even if it meant never working in another office or being a Team Leader, unless it was in one of the SW subordinate offices.

There were many responsibilities and Tim was relieved when he learned he would have an assistant, Kath Robinson, whom he met during his first meeting with Joel. He also met the rest of the San Diego field office team and many other people who worked there. He looked at the photos of past senior SAICs with their years in the position listed underneath the photo. When he noticed there was a 3 year gap between one SSAIC and the next, he asked Joel about it. His friend grimaced, "Riley McAllister."

Tim was shocked, he'd had no idea the retired agent who'd murdered Amit Hadar and seriously injured Leon after multiple attempts to kill him, had been posted here.

Joel looked at him, "You know what happened later?"

Tim nodded, "I was there."

"Yikes! Well, he was the SSAIC here but expected to be made Director. When Tom Morrow got the position, McAllister went ballistic. They were in another building then, an older one and he threw a chair through a window when he heard the news about Morrow. Then he walked out, retired and no one heard anything from or about him until Leon tracked him down for that conference."

Tim's eyebrows were doing their best to meet his hairline. "Eli David tracked him down, not us."

"Mossad - really? Why?" Knowing that with Eli's death McAllister's first attempt to kill Vance had been declassified, he told Joel about it.

"So Leon has always known that someone at the agency was out to get him?"

"Yes."

"Wow! Well, that explains more about their friendship and why David was at his house that night."

Tim winced but didn't say anything. "Ah geez, Tim I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, don't tell me you were there too?"

He just nodded as he hated everything to do with that night; it was right up there with the day Kate was assassinated by Ari, the night Gibbs had been blown up and Harper Dearing's bombing of HQ. They were four of the worst events in his adult life. He asked another question to get them back on track and listened intently as Joel explained.

That afternoon he left San Diego later than planned and when Rose reported that they had no new cases, he decided to head straight home instead of the office. His parents had flown in from Charleston today, after spending several days visiting Geordie and Bec, and he was anxious to see them; it'd been a few weeks since they'd left them in Athens. The kids had gone back to school last week with Gemma starting kindergarten, Anna in third grade and Andy in fifth. This would be his last year in elementary school; he'd start middle school next year. Jorrin and Sean had another year of pre-school and toddler Zoe resumed her daycare escapades after their return from Greece.

As Tim entered the house he smiled as he heard his dad talking to the kids, asking them about their new classes. He thought about trying to sneak up behind the man but knew it would be futile. His kids heard him anyway and swarmed him, "Daddy!" He grabbed whoever was closest, Jorrin and swung him up into his arms for a hug and kiss. "I see you kids brought your Poppy home, that's good! Is your Nonnie here too?"

Gemma giggled and pulled his hand, "She's in Mama's studio with her." Tim had been hugging and kissing while they were talking and now he found his arms full of his dad. "Oh look, it's _my_ daddy!"

They hugged and kissed each other. "So glad you're home! Did you have a good time with Rhea's family, Rob, Ned and Geo and Bec?"

"I'll let Rhea tell you about her folks but yes we had a great time with Rob and Ned and then Geordie and Bec."

Tim saw Rhea coming through from the studio. "Hey Rhea, I'm so glad to see you, so glad you're home! How were all your nieces and nephews?"

"They were…all right, Tim. It's hard to really connect when we don't stay in close contact like our family does."

"Do they have computers, could you Skype with them?"

"Yes they do and yes I could but they don't seem interested."

He gave her a hug, "I'm so sorry. They have no idea what they're missing! You're an awesome person, Rhea and we love you, I love you."

"Thank you, Tim, I love you too and I'm so glad to be home! We had a great time with Rob and Ned and Geordie and Bec; we ended up seeing more of the Russells which is always fun; in fact they brought us to the airport, but we won't make any special trips to see the others again. If they want to see me, they can come over here."

Dismayed he looked over her shoulder at his dad who nodded sadly. "Well, I know you must have had a grand welcome from your grandchildren because when I left this morning they were so excited about their Nonnie and Poppy coming home that I was afraid they might knock you down!"

She chuckled, "They almost did but not quite. Tell me, has Zoe done anything new?"

"Yes, every morning she asks where you are."

Rhea smiled and patted his face, "You're a good man, Timothy."

As they were heading for the kitchen Tim felt a pat on his back and knew his dad was thanking him. He looked at a large box on the island. "What's this?"

"Rhea was so upset by the attitude of her family that we decided not to pursue the lemonade deal. When Pete heard, he went to his local grocer who has a wholesale license and contacts over here; he's made arrangements to ship a few cases over here every month."

"Yay! Where…?"

"Two places: Trader Joe's® and World Market®."

"Two…wow and both of those chains have stores in Del Mar and San Diego, I can stop on my way home from work!"

His dad chuckled, "Yeah, so this case of lemonade is a thank you from him for helping to expand his business."

Rhea looked surprised when Tim thanked her for the lemonade and the deal. "I didn't do it, Tim, Pete ended up taking care of it."

"But it was your idea in the first place!"

She smiled, "You're right, it was, wasn't it?"

They talked a little about what they'd done with Rob, Ned and the Russells, Bec and Geordie. The Russells were excited about their trip, Rhea saying "They're going to stay in the big house with us when they come, is that all right with you?"

"Sure, as long as you don't hog them!"

"Bogart them."

"Huh?"

His dad smiled, "That's a phrase from the 60's, if someone was holding onto something too long you said not to Bogart the object."

"Bogart like the actor?"

"Yeah, no idea how it started."

Rhea laughed, "It also means don't hog, go too slow, force or steal something." She looked around but the kids had gone to wash up for dinner so she continued, "There was a record album in the late 60's with the lyric "Don't bogart that joint my friend…" and the phrase caught on. There's a theory that the idea for it came from a movie called _The Roaring Twenties_ in which Jimmy Cagney offers Humphrey Bogart his cigarette to share and Bogie smokes the entire thing."

Tim chuckled, "Huh, learn something new every day!" He looked around, "I forgot Davos and Hélène are having dinner with Damian and Matt tonight. Are Grammie and Grandfa here?"

"We're here Timothy, just letting you have a chance to greet the children and your father and Rhea."

"Ok, just checking!"

"How was your meeting with Joel?"

"It went pretty well…found out something about the Southwest office that I'll tell you two after dinner."

"Sounds good."

"Something smells wonderful!"

Gram smiled, "I'm making one of your favorite chicken recipes with the rice dish recipe that Ziva made on the island."

"YUM!"

"It's nearly time. I'll get Lina."

Tim shook his head, "I'll go, Gram." He knocked on the studio door and then kissed his wife when she answered. "Gram gave the 5 minute warning."

"Oh dear, I was going to set the table."

"Somebody beat you to it."

They had a delicious dinner and Tim spent the evening relaxing with his family. He helped Anna and Andy with some homework and then read Zoe, Jorry and Sean a story for their bedtime. Zoe's routine was bath, story, bed while the two boys were story, bath, bed and that seemed to work very well. Eventually the three older kids had their turn; Tim and Lina tucked them in after their nightly routines and kissed each one goodnight.

Back downstairs he told his dad and Grandfa about Riley McAllister's reaction to Tom Morrow's appointment as Director of NCIS and Grandfa shook his head, saying "That man was very disturbed; I'm amazed he was able to mask his animosity and ambitions as well and for as long as he did."

Dad looked thoughtful, "I remember hearing rumors about that, but I was working in Europe so it was probably months after the fact."

He finished his sentence with a huge yawn and Grandfa patted his knee, "Come along Jethro, it's time to surrender to your jet lag!"

They gathered Gram and woke up Rhea, who'd been curled up on the couch and headed for the big house.

Tim and Lina stayed up longer; Tim was working in Preston the next day so he didn't have to leave quite as early. She looked at him quizzically, "Did you tell either of them about not working in the field?"

He shook his head. "Not yet."

"It's bothering you."

He thought about that for a minute, "I think I'm still adjusting to the idea. I've been a field agent since I was 23 - most of my adult life. And I know there's no way I can handle everything I need to handle and focus on a case in the field; it would be insane to try."

"You love the investigative process, digging through leads, putting the puzzle together, busting your suspects."

He chuckled, "I do love all that. And now I understand why Director Shepard used to poke her nose into our cases and why Leon gets involved sometimes too although he's much better at keeping his nose out of them."

"You can still say no."

"Yep, I can quit and write books full-time."

"But…"

"But even sitting behind a desk, managing and directing I'll still be helping to take criminals off the streets, just not as directly as I have been. And if I quit I won't get to do any of it!"

"So you are still adjusting to it."

"To the idea, yes. I won't experience the physical 'don't grab the gear bag when a call comes in' for another couple of weeks and Joel says it took him months before he could sit through a call out without feeling his whole body twitch. Do you remember how it was when I was on desk duty after Bagram?"

"Yes you were so impatient!"

"Yes I was. I'm hoping I'll deal better with it this time around…but the thing is, Lina, this time it's for keeps. I won't ever be a field agent again." He had a woebegone look on his face and Lina comforted him. "If Joel hadn't wanted you to replace him, would you have been content to be a field agent for the rest of your career?"

He sat in thought, "You'd think I'd say yes, wouldn't you?" She nodded. "But Pete says I have a thing about moving forward, that I have to keep moving forward. So if that's true, then no, at some point I'd be done with being a field agent."

"But it would be your idea, not someone else's."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I suppose." He shook his head, "I really do think I'm just still processing the whole idea. I'll tell Dad and Grandfa before Joel leaves." She kissed him and they headed upstairs.

Despite not having to commute into San Diego the next morning, Tim still woke at the new earlier time and decided to go into the office anyway. He had his run, did his moves, had his smoothie and took the wonderful five minute drive that would soon be history for him. He shook his head at how soft he'd gotten. Oh sure, his body was in shape and he kept his mind active but really he'd been so spoiled the past few years!

He walked into the office and booted up his laptop, going straight to his e-mail. He was taken aback when he saw how many messages he had and then he saw the monthly update. He read it a couple of times and smiled when he saw Tony's promotion and sighed deeply when he saw his. This was it. He looked around the office which would only be his for another few weeks. He smiled, remembering his reluctance to move into Pete's office, what Kim had said and what Pete and Leon had showed him that last day when Pete turned in his badge. He in turn had shown Bec and he was sure she'd shown Ned and in time he would show his successor. If NCIS: Athens ever moved out of that building, they'd have to take a piece of wall with them, the piece where each SAIC had handwritten his or her initials and the date they'd started the job. Smiling, he looked out into the office; he was still the only one here. He found a sharpie pen and finding a spot he could fit the pen and his fingers into, he wrote TGM and 3/2018, the month and the year he'd started here. There, he'd started the tradition here and when it was time to go he'd show Rose and Matt and explain it to them. Feeling better he started wading through his e-mails. He stopped to answer one from Jane Melankovic who was now the SSAIC in Seattle, the Northwest office. He smiled at the notes from Rusty, Cassie Yates, Julian Bashon-Martin formerly of London, Roger Martinez, Lydia, Stan, Wilson and Ned, sending them each brief replies and then saved the rest into a folder to read and answer later. He needed to get to work! He found Rose's sitrep and read it, finding that Button Willow was working a triple homicide and that Preston had spent the previous afternoon chasing down a suspected hit and run driver for the Fallon office only to find the guy's alibi was pretty solid, he'd been in a bar and there was security footage to prove it.

He unlocked the file cabinets and pulled out a stack of cold cases to work. He was still a field agent, time to earn his pay! He was reviewing the file in front of him when his mind suddenly returned to the suspected hit and run driver and the case that had nearly gotten him booted off Gibbs' team, the theft of highly classified radar gear from a storage locker. He'd set up the surveillance only to be fooled by the bad guy, who'd hijacked his surveillance and replaced it with a looping feed so that nothing ever looked out of order. He himself had used the same trick in another situation that hadn't turned out quite as well, but only because Gibbs and Vance had set the whole thing up. He wondered about the security footage…from a bar. Was it from inside the bar and was that routine? Was the suspect a friend of the owner or someone who worked at the place? It was a long shot but it wouldn't hurt to look. He looked in the evidence drawer and found what he was looking for. He put it up on the big screen and was playing it, rewinding and watching again when Rose and Megan walked in. "Ah, good morning Tim! Is that the footage from our hit and run driver?"

"Good morning! Yeah, I thought of something that happened on a case years ago, almost got me booted off of Gibbs' team. It's a long shot that's what happened here, but Fallon seemed so certain this was their guy."

Rose nodded. "So what are you looking for?"

"Do you have more of the footage?"

"No, the owner copied out this piece for Jo. Did we miss something?"

"Doubt it, just satisfying my curiosity."

"Ok, I'm going over to get the rest then."

"Take Jo with you." She nodded and when Jo came in, Rose grabbed her and they went back out again. Terrell passed them on the way in, "Hi Tim. What's going on, we have a new case?"

"Hi Terrell. No new case, just doing a little more poking around into your hit and run driver yesterday."

"But the guy's alibi checked out."

"Yeah I know, but there's still a chance that it doesn't. Did anyone by chance run background checks on the bar owner or the staff who was working when the suspect was there?"

"Uh no."

"Ok, let's do that while we're waiting for Jo and Rose."

"You think they're involved?"

"Just listening to my gut." They had the owner's name and ran a background on him and then on the bartender.

"Where's the suspect from?" Terrell showed him the name of the town.

"Huh, bar owner's from the same place and they're both a long way from home." There was no criminal record for the bar owner but they did find a sealed juvenile record for him. "I got dates but no details. Let's see if our suspect has anything similar." He also had a sealed file with the same dates. "Ok, we have a connection of some sort."

"Are you going to get a court order to open those?"

"Do you think we should?"

Terrell thought and then shook his head, "No, you were looking for a connection between the suspect and the bar owner and you've found it. Unless the hit and run has something to do with whatever they did when they were 17, we don't need those records."

"Yeah, but you know, that's a good point. Who was the victim of the hit and run and who was the victim 12 years ago? We might need to know that." He huffed, "Or Fallon might; it isn't our case!"

"But now we might have some leads for them."

Tim smiled, "Isn't it great being an investigator?"

"Yeah it is!" They gave each other fist bumps and then got more coffee while they waited for Jo and Rose. The two women returned in a few minutes. "That was fast!"

"We got lucky; the bartender's girlfriend is on the cleaning crew and she called him in so we didn't have to wait for the owner who lives out in the country somewhere."

"Bartender argue about it?"

"No, he just nodded, said fine and handed it to us."

"Ok, that's great. Make sure you put that in your report - that he handed it over to you freely." He loaded up the footage and ran it, smiling at Rae, Chuck and Maria as they came in. This was the last week for Chuck and Maria, their report date for El Segundo was the following Monday; they'd have a party for them at the end of the week. They watched the whole recording and then Tim plugged the clip back in and ran it side by side with the whole one. All three of the others exclaimed at the same time, "Stop!"

Smiling, he stopped, "What do you see?"

"The suspect isn't there, the guy that's sitting next to him in the clip is there but…that's not the same guy, that's not the suspect!"

"Right."

"How can that be?"

"Jo, who gave you the clip?"

"The bar owner."

"How did he seem?"

"Fine; he was polite, eager to cooperate."

"Ok, guys, here's what happened to me years ago…" He told them the story and Rose's eyes narrowed. "The owner changed the recording?"

"Made a copy, changed it to add in his buddy the suspect to give him his alibi and then made the clip for us. Yep. Not the same as my situation but the clip you got is not the real thing."

Terrell added, "We ran a background on the owner while you were gone and he and the suspect are from the same town and both have sealed records for the same dates in their past."

"Oh boy, we blew that one."

"It's not over yet. Jo, put out a BOLO on the suspect; if you know where he was staying, let's go. Rose, you want to call Fallon?"

"Hell yes, I mean yes Tim."

He smiled, "Hey if I had not had such a bad time on that case I never would have thought to check."

Jo made a call and hung up with a smile, "He's still at the motel."

"All right, who has the warrant?"

Terrell patted his pocket, "I do."

"Gear up, let's roll!" He smiled at his agents as they hurried out the door; man he was going to miss this! An hour later he and Jo dragged themselves back in and he shook his head at his earlier thought. He shoved the suspect into Interrogation with the guy complaining, "Hey don't I get a towel or something for the mud?"

"We're not a laundry or a bathhouse."

Their timing had been almost perfect…almost. The suspect was exiting the motel, heading for his car when he spotted them and ran. They'd had quite a chase but cut the guy off at the back of a rental car lot where they'd recently washed several cars. The suspect tripped and fell into a mud puddle and then offered enough resistance to get Tim pretty muddy. But while he was still trying to mess with Tim who'd taken him down with one of George's moves, Jo got the cuffs on him and that was that. When they searched him, they found a key to a storage lot. In the meantime, Terrell and Rose had headed over to the bar owner's home to arrest him for obstruction of justice, for starters. Megan had the warrant and sent it to Rose.

Once the suspect was stowed, Tim indulged himself by leaving Jo to guard the suspect while he headed out to the storage lot to see what was there. He shook his head when he peeled back the tarp and saw the damaged fender with what looked and smelled like blood. He called Nick Hardister and made arrangements to have the vehicle tested, towed and stored in their impound facility until Fallon claimed it. The chief laughed, "Your team is busy this morning. County sheriff's department had a request for backup from two of your agents."

"Yep, we busted a case for our Fallon office. Hit and run, fatality and I'll bet you a week's pay it'll tie into the dirtbag's sealed juvie record."

"Oooh, a real hornet's nest!"

"Oh yes."

"Well you know we're always glad to help get another dirtbag off the streets."

"Might be two dirtbags. I'll catch up with you later, Nick, your guys are here already…thanks!"

"No problem!"

When Tim remarked on their swiftness, the two tow drivers smiled, "We just brought in a tow and were filling the truck down the street when the chief called."

"All right, I have to ride with you, chain of evidence."

One of the guys nodded, "I can drive your vehicle if that works for you."

"It does, thanks!"

It only took them a few minutes to get the car onto the flatbed and the impound lot was only about a 5 minute drive. The forensic specialist was just pulling up when they arrived; Tim stuck around long enough to be told that the substance on the front fender was indeed blood and the tech would get him more specific information as soon as he could. Tim signed the car over to the custody of the Preston PD per their legal agreement; when Fallon claimed it, the vehicle would be signed back over to NCIS. In the meantime it would be under lock and key here.

Back at the office, Tim found Jo still on guard duty and Megan reported that Rose and Terrell had transported their prisoner to the Preston PD for interrogation. Tim shook his head; they had the same constraints here as they did in Greece: one interrogation room, two suspects and no cells. But they made it work, both here and in Piraeus and every other NCIS office that was too small to justify a lockup, guard staff or even a second interrogation room. Remembering the night the triplets were born, he was just grateful that here the PD and NCIS were part of the same country!

He relieved Jo for a break and while he watched the suspect, Rose called from the PD, asking if he wanted to interrogate the bar owner or the suspect. Feeling greedy, he wanted both but answered that he'd handle the suspect, knowing Rose was angry with the bar owner and needed to deal with him.

Jo brought back some paper towels and they switched again with Matt also in Observation so Tim could clean up. First he went out to his car for his go bag and then he washed off as best he could; changing clothes. They may as well take their time, let the mud dry on the suspect; let him feel as uncomfortable as possible, he was the one who chose to run. He stopped to take a call from the Fallon Team Leader who was very happy with today's turn of events. Tim told her of his suspicions about the two sealed records and thought she probably had the warrant written before they got off the phone. Finally he went into Interrogation with their file and saw the red light go on, show time!

The suspect was squirming as the drying mud was making him itch all over. Tim took things slow and easy, walking the man through what had happened. When the man complained that his alibi had been proven, Tim looked at him, "Now how do you know that?"

He got a panicked look for that and he smiled pleasantly, "There's no need to worry about tipping us off to your friend, we've already busted him. He's being interrogated even as we speak. And we've also put in a request to unseal those juvenile records you both have. Of course if we had the information directly from you that would be better…or your buddy but then he'd get any deals, not you."

The suspect swore and Tim knew they had him. He waited and sure enough the truth or what sounded like the truth came out. He almost laughed when the man implicated his buddy the bar owner, of course he'd throw him under the bus!

As the suspect rode off in the prison transport, Tim felt a very high level of satisfaction. If it hadn't been for Chow, the man who'd stolen his own invention and then tricked Tim all those years ago, these murderers might have gotten away with their crime. He couldn't wait to tell his dad, Tony and Ziva. Tony still referred to it as the eyeball case, referring both to the eggs Tim brought him for breakfast one morning on their stakeout and the raccoon eyes he'd gotten from Ziva's prank.

* * *

><p>Still don't know what case (episode) Tim's remembered? It's Season 5, Episode 12, "Stakeout". One of my all time favorites for the humor: the eyeball eggs (my phrasing, I don't think it's canon), the ensuing tussle between Tim and DiNozzo (hilarious!), the prank on Tony, Gibbs ruefully spelling his name in MTAC for the Navy officer to tell SecNav and of course the wonderful payback at the end, the prank I mean. Not to mention catching the dirtbag!<p> 


	202. Chapter 202

CH 202

One of the things Tim resolved to do before he took over in San Diego and his life got busier and crazier than ever, was to look through Patrick's journals. He dug through the boxes they'd brought home from Monterey and found several of them, held together by a large rubber band. Looking through them, he set aside the ones he thought he should read. The very last one in the stack was of course the one he believed would be the most important, it was dated shortly before Patrick and Laurel's deaths. He took the journals upstairs to his office and then just sat and looked at the stack. Finally he forced himself to open the one he hoped – and dreaded – would have the answer to what triggered Natalie's last attack and why Sarah Hope blamed herself. He read through it quickly as if the speed would somehow lessen the impact.

_"__Can't believe how smart my Sarah is! Only 12 years old and she's found an amazing piece of information. She borrowed a book to read from a friend and brought it home. She was sitting with us in the living room, reading when she suddenly exclaimed (woke me up!) and told us that the author's name, Thom E Gemcity, was an anagram for Timothy McGee. She knows about my brother and sister, of course and that my original last name was McGee; she's named for my baby sister and her infant brother is named for my best friend - my brother Tim (and Grandpa Drew and Laurel's father Andrew). Laurel saw my obvious reaction and gave me a little time to recover from the shock by looking at the author's information inside of the back of the book and read it out loud. It said the author was born in MD, raised mostly as a Navy brat, had his B.S. and a Master's and lived on the East Coast. That told me almost nothing, plenty of people are born in MD and are Navy brats. Still, I couldn't leave it alone. I sat down at my computer to do some searches but then the baby woke up screaming and it wasn't until the next day at work that I had time to think about it again. Could my brother possibly be alive? I bounced between anger, grief and hope for a few days, afraid to look online. Laurel suggested I write the publisher and I thought that was a good idea but it would also take too much time, although really it's already been over twenty years. With everything going on, with our new baby and my business growing so quickly, I realized I didn't have the time or the energy to spare for a search on my own. So I did something I never would have thought of before - I've hired a private detective! I told him everything I knew about the hit and run that killed my dad, brother and sister and of course the anagram - now it's up to him. God, if it's true then Tim must think I'm dead and if he does, then maybe the rest of the family does too. And if Tim's alive, what does that mean about my little sister and my dad? Maybe my memory __is__ right, that Sarah wasn't even in the car. So then it would have been Natalie after all? And if it was, then was everything she told me in the hospital a lie? Did my grandparents really want nothing to do with me or did she lie to me and possibly to them too? If Tim's alive, it would be so great; I can't imagine what a grownup Tim would be like! I see him in Andy already, my little guy has my brother's coloring; Tim would like that, he hated that he didn't look like us or Dad. Except when Uncle Jim was around that is! That's a good idea - I should contact my uncle anyway, I've been so angry and hurt all these years but maybe I should look into that. He'd be easy enough to find in the Navy, I think I could handle that much on my own (!). In the meantime Mom's offered to stay with Sarah and little Andy for a weekend so my sweetie and I can spend some much needed time alone with each other. We have a great weekend planned, can't wait!" _

Tim sat back and let the tears flow and then bolted out of his office for the bathroom where he vomited everything he'd eaten that day. He heard one of the kids outside their bedroom…Anna. "Daddy, are you all right? You left the door to your office open…Daddy?"

"Anna honey, I'm not feeling too well, would you please get your Mama for me?"

"Sure, be right back. I closed your door."

"Thanks honey." He sat on the floor in the bathroom, his arms across his stomach. It was his books that had killed Patrick. It wasn't Sarah Hope, it was his damn books. Lina arrived, took one look and grabbed a face cloth, washing his face. He hadn't been feeling ill when he got home and he'd told her he'd found some of his brother's journals and she was certain whatever he'd read had upset him. Finally she sat next to him, taking his hand.

"The kids…"

"Our parents are here."

"Right…good."

"Can you tell me?"

He sighed and then nodded. "Sarah Hope was reading one of my books and figured out the anagram. Patrick didn't feel he could do the search for me himself, so he hired the detective. He was questioning everything that Natalie had told him, about me, Sarah, and wondered if the grands really hadn't wanted him. He was going to look for Uncle Jim, sounded like whether the PI found me or not, Pat was going to look for Uncle Jim."

"Oh, my love." She pulled him into her arms.

"I killed him, Lina. My books…"

"Timothy Gibbs McGee, you know that isn't true! You had nothing to do with his death. It was that slime Krose or whatever his name was…and Natalie."

"But she let him live, after the hit and run…if he hadn't gone to that guy, he would still be alive."

"Timotheos, you can't go there, you can't think "what if". If your father hadn't brought Natalie into your lives…Natalie is responsible for all of it."

He nodded, "I know that Melina, I just…"

"You can mourn for him and your sister-in-law, mourn what was done to him, be angry about it, but you may not blame yourself or anyone else in the family."

He looked at her and she widened her eyes at him. "If either of your grandfathers had insisted your father have Natalie vetted, if Dave had…if they had removed the three of you from her after she beat you two. If they hadn't believed her when she told them you were dead. You can't go down that road again, my love."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was right, but then she always was. "You're right. It was Natalie…all of it."

"Now that we know what the trigger was, I suggest we make that trip to Monterey. We need to honor Hope as well as your brother and his wife and maybe we can find Sarah again."

He nodded, "Do you have plans for Labor Day weekend? We're not on call."

"I don't have any plans. Perhaps the Grands could stay with Jorry, Gemma and Zoe."

"We'll take Anna and Sean with us."

"Yes, I agree – at the very least for Andy's sake. And we'll take photos so Sean will know when he's older."

"He's almost four, he might remember something." She nodded and the two of them got up off the floor. She waited while he brushed his teeth and washed his face and then they walked downstairs together. The younger kids were in the family room with Davos, Rhea and his dad and they found Anna and Andy in the kitchen with Hélène. "Daddy, are you all right?"

"I'm better, Anna, thank you sweetheart. Thanks again for telling your mama and for closing my office door for me." He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. Andy was hovering and Tim held his arm out. "C'mere son."

"Dad, Anna said she saw books on the floor."

"Yeah, I was reading Patrick's journals."

"Oh. Did you find what you were looking for?"

Tim nodded and kissed the top of his son's head. "That he loved you, your sister and mother very much."

"Ok. But…"

"Nothing new, Timothy Andrew, nothing new."

Andy burrowed in, "All right."

"What do you think of you, Anna, Sean, Gram, Grandfa, Penny, your mama and me flying to Monterey over the holiday weekend? We can pay our respects to your grandmother and your great-grandparents want to see your parents' graves."

"My first parents."

"Your first parents, yes son."

"That's ok. The other kids aren't going?"

"Probably not."

"Sean has to go."

"Yep, he's going."

"Are we going to look for my sister? I mean Sarah."

"Knew who you meant and yes, we are going to look for her."

"Good. She's weird but she's still my sister."

"Yes she is and maybe she'll be ready to talk with us this time."

"That'd be good, huh Dad?"

Tim hugged him. "It sure would be son."

Penny joined them the Friday of the holiday weekend and leaving Gemma, Jorry and Zoe at home with all four of the grands the others flew to Monterey Saturday morning. Penny and Gram wanted to see Hope's house and Patrick and Laurel's former home so they planned to stay overnight. As Tim said to his grandfather that would also give them a little more time to keep an eye out for Sarah. Grandfa insisted on paying for the whole trip and with a twinkle in his eyes told them he'd been unable to find any decently priced hotels or motels due to the holiday weekend, so they were going to have to stay at a higher priced place. For once Tim and Lina didn't argue. After they checked in they had a late lunch and then found the florist they'd been to before on the way to the cemetery. Andy had been saving his allowance for months so that he would have enough money to buy a bouquet for his grandmother when they came. The florist helped the boys pick exactly what they wanted and then the others stepped up to buy flowers for Patrick and Laurel. They'd intended to also buy flowers for Hope but decided the boys' offering would be just perfect. When Anna asked her brothers if they minded if she left a flower for their grandmother, Tim thought his heart would break; his little girl had never had a chance to visit her own parents' or grandparents' graves. Tim and Lina had inquired only to be told that the "Giejars" had been buried in unmarked graves and they were strongly dissuaded from making the trip to find them. That was one of the reasons they'd brought her along, hoping to give her some closure or as Hélène said, "heart's ease."

Andy liked that his sister wanted to honor his grandmother and nodded his agreement. Anna had enough for four flowers and she told her brothers that would be a flower each from her, Gemma, Jorry and Zoe.

Once at the cemetery Andy led them to the graves. Then he took Sean's hand and together they put the flowers in the flower holder container built into the ground in front of the headstone. Tim went to find water and came back with a watering can holding enough for both graves. Andy looked at his parents, "Is it ok if I say a prayer?"

Tim just nodded and all of them stood quietly with their hands folded while Andy said a little prayer and then told his grandmother all the good things that had happened to them since she'd left them and finished with, "The only thing is, Grandma, is we haven't heard from Sarah - and Dad and Mama really want to help her. And Penny, Gram and Grandfa too and our grandparents too." Sean was listening and when Andy stopped talking, he whispered, "Love you Grandma."

After that Anna put her flowers down, "I'm Andy and Sean's sister Anna and these are from me and our sisters Gemma and Zoe and our brother Jorry. Gemma and I lost our first grandma too and we hope you can find her in heaven."

The others put their flowers for Patrick and Laurel in the container there and Tim added water to it and then handed the watering can to Andy for his grandmother's flowers. He quietly showed him how much to put in and then Tim took the can back to the water spigot where he'd found it. They stood for a few minutes, thinking of the three souls so dearly missed. Tim put an arm around his grandmothers and they leaned into him while Andy and Sean took Grandfa's hands and Lina held her daughter's hand. Eventually they started moving again. Lina had taken a few discreet photos so everything was done here. Later there would be some discussion about moving the remains of Lily and Dan McGee to this cemetery but in the end they decided to leave them where they were and instead place memorial markers at each site.

Next they drove to the Patterson home and met the real estate agent there as the house had not yet sold; it was in fact just going back on the market after some necessary repairs had been done. Some termite damage had been repaired, the carpet had been torn out and the original hardwood floors had been restored, the original crown molding was also restored and the entire interior and exterior of the house had been painted. Andy wasn't sure he liked all the changes but when they walked in and none of their stuff was there, he figured it wasn't his home anymore, he lived in Preston. Still, he was happy when they found the grow chart on the wall of the garage. He showed his family, "See that's me, that's my first dad when he was my age and that's Sarah when she came to live here and there's Sean." Tim stood back and looked, interested to see that his brother had gone through the same growth spurts he had. They took numerous photos of those with the boys and then marked their current heights with the date and to her pleasure, added Anna's height too.

From there they drove to the home Patrick had shared with Laurel, Sarah and baby Andy. They couldn't go in but Penny and Gram just wanted to see it. They took photos from the edge of the road where they could see some of the house and yard. Then they drove to the building that still housed the business that had been Patrick's. It was sold shortly after his death and from what the team investigating Pat and Laurel's deaths had discovered, many of the same employees were still there. Tim had forgotten but when Penny and Gram saw the name of the business they laughed and then explained to the others, "That was Tim and Patrick's favorite word for a while."

"Wicket?"

Tim nodded, "It was an action figure from Star Wars and we liked saying the name, Wicket Warrick. A lot."

Penny snorted, "And Natalie hated it."

Tim just smiled angelically at her and then nodded at the building, "I love that Pat remembered."

Lina had already taken a photo of the building, now she had the boys and Tim stand in front and took more photos.

After that they were tired, more emotionally than physically and went back to the hotel for a swim. Later Tim and Lina slipped out to meet Will and Mia Brown for drinks. With everything going on, Tim hadn't had a chance to get back up here recently and he was glad he and Lina could reconnect with the couple. Will congratulated him on his new job and Tim just smiled, "It's going to be different, I will say that!" He'd promised Lina they wouldn't talk shop and stuck to the agreement. Mia talked about the trials and tribulations of her latest book. The illustrator she'd worked with for years had retired and she was having problems finding one she really liked. She asked Lina who shook her head, "Sorry, I've got my hands full with a project I'm working on in Spain. I can ask Rhea though, Rhea Ortiz, she might be able to lend a hand. No promises though."

"I forgot she's your mother-in-law, isn't she?"

"Yes but she was my dear friend long before I introduced her to Jethro, Tim's father."

"Oh, that's right. Yes, if she's interested, perhaps she could contact me?"

"How many illustrations will you want?"

"I'm thinking 10 or 12."

Lina took her card and after an agreeable hour or so, the McGees left, stopping in at the shelter to see if Sarah had been there recently. The same staffer who'd spoken with Tim last spring said he didn't think she'd been in recently but he checked the logs to be sure; unfortunately he was right, Sarah hadn't been to the shelter since May. The McGees were at first discouraged but decided that for the boys' sake they wouldn't give up hope and they drove back to the hotel to join their family for dinner. Grandfa had called earlier and made reservations at a restaurant on the wharf; before they went Tim discreetly checked and found they had dishes other than fish, much to his relief.

They flew home in the morning and spent the afternoon playing on the beach. Alexis had spent Saturday night with Damian and Matt and the three of them drove up to Preston for dinner on Sunday. She was very homesick and was grateful that her grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins were so close by. She'd stay the night with her grandparents tonight and they'd take her back to campus at some point on Monday.

Before he returned to work on Tuesday, Tim scanned Pat's journal entry and sent it to Vance for the case file. As far as he knew this was the last question, now answered.


	203. Chapter 203

CH 203

Ziva looked around her in satisfaction as she closed the last box of household items. Since returning from Greece she'd been busy sorting through everything in what had been her father's house and was now hers; picking out what she wanted to take with her to the U.S. She had selected her bedroom furniture and then she'd gone through the kitchen, living room and dining room, even the guest rooms to tag what she hoped to have shipped once she found a place of her own. She knew she would likely have a small place so she was judicious in the pieces she chose but she would be quite comfortable. Most of the kitchen items would go with her as she loved to cook and planned to expand her repertoire; after all what better place was there to learn new dishes than through the United Nations?

She was excited about her new job and pleased to return to her adopted country. Most of all, she was happy to reconnect with her family and to know that soon she would be closer to them and in more frequent contact. She had already received a verbal invitation to spend the Christmas holidays with the Mallards and she'd accepted. She would bring her menorah with her and they would celebrate both Hanukkah and the Christian holiday.

The door from the kitchen to the back terrace opened and her father's former cook and housekeeper entered. "Ah Ziva, I'm glad I found you still here! Have you been to see your aunt yet?"

"I have, yes, Adina and I will see her again before I leave."

"Good! Will you please give this to her? I made it for her but I have not had a chance to deliver it. And now with the move…" Adina and her husband Josef, the former handyman here, had stayed on after Eli's death but now they were moving on to a new employer in a different area of Israel.

"I will; thank you. May I have your new address to give Nettie and for me as well? I would like to keep in touch."

The older woman's face lit up with a smile, "We would both like that, child. Here, let me write it down for you." She wrote it out and handed it to Ziva.

"How long will you be here Adina?"

"We have made arrangements to leave the same day you do, we don't want to leave without you."

Ziva swallowed hard and Adina reached out to her. "Will you keep the house?"

"I don't know. I didn't think so but it is part of my past."

"It is a beautiful house; your mother loved it here. I've always thought it was part of the reason she stayed here so long."

"For a house?"

"For a home, Ziva. As difficult as their marriage was, this was home to them both and for you children for too many years to ignore."

"That's what I feel here too, Adina; Rivka and Tali and just occasionally my father."

"You may keep it Ziva, but remember it is not the building but the people."

"And a house needs people to make a home, yes I know."

"Good! Now, I will make you dinner…unless you are going out."

"I'm not and will you and Josef please join me?"

Adina looked at her, "Yes child, we will."

Ziva smiled and went back to her room to continue sorting and packing her clothes. When she left here she'd fly to Central America to spend time with her friend Monique. From there, her plans had changed. She would fly into San Diego for a visit with Tim and his family and then fly to Virginia with Ducky and Maisie who were already in California. From there she'd travel to New York and start looking for a place to live.

She'd been in contact with Evander and told him her budget, how much of a commute she could handle and what she hoped for in an apartment. She was already impressed with him; by the time they spoke he'd done his homework and knew how much she'd likely need to spend to get what she wanted. As she'd been the sole survivor of her father's children, she'd inherited a sizeable estate and she'd been able to increase her budget so she would be happy and comfortable in her new home. She smiled; she couldn't wait to start on her new journey!

XXX

Across the Atlantic, Maggie Barnes faced the day with some trepidation. She had a meeting this morning with her physical therapist and her orthopedist and believed she knew what the message would be: the end of her career as a field agent for NCIS. In some fashion, she'd known since she felt the bullet hit, knew it was bad, very bad. She'd done her best to recover the range of motion she needed, been strict with her physical therapy, paid attention to what the doctors told her, everything. But she feared today would be the day they'd tell her the truth, what they'd all been putting off for months now. She'd made a list of other positions at the agency that interested her, she just hoped there was one that would have an opening and that really would be interesting.

She smiled when she heard the key in the lock; Tony insisted on going with her today. He'd left his team in the hands of his TAD SFA to go to the doctor's with her, to be with her when she learned her fate. She huffed at her melodramatic thought; she wasn't wasting away from some horrible disease. She'd been wounded in the line of duty and now she would need to change her career path. She was alive and except for her shoulder and arm, perfectly healthy, happily married to the love of her life, her father had provided support when she'd needed it, she and Tony and now her father were part of a very supportive, large and loving family; she had a good life!

By the time Tony joined her she was smiling. "I'm ready, hon." He nodded, "All right, let's go do this." He helped her down the stairs and into his car and away they went. Hours later they reversed the process as Tony parked his car in their allotted parking space and helped her out of the car and into their townhome. She sighed, "I knew this. I've known it since that bastard shot me."

He nodded, "You did your best, Maggie; you always do."

She nodded, "Are you going back to work?"

"No, they can handle things without me for one day."

She smiled ruefully at him, "Good because I really would like you to stay home with me today."

He pulled her gently into his arms, careful of her shoulder.

"I _am_ staying home with you today. What's your pleasure?" She tried to smile but tears fell instead and he held her for a long time.

She sent him back to work the next day while she logged on to look for any openings in the positions she'd looked at. She hadn't yet been cleared for desk duty but that would come in a few weeks. She wondered bleakly what it would be like to live like other people. She never had, first spending her childhood moving from Marine base to Marine base with her parents, then college and joining the Marines herself followed by years of her own moves from place to place. She'd left active duty a few years ago and finished her 20 in the reserves. NCIS had been a natural move for her and she'd loved her job. She reminded herself that she was still a NCIS employee; she could still be of value to the agency. Realizing she hadn't updated the Director, she sent him an e-mail telling him of the decree.

XXX

Sarah slowly got out of bed, adjusting to her ever changing center of gravity, planning to do some stretches before she took her shower and got dressed. She managed one stretch and one deep knee bend before she had to make a run for the bathroom. She'd forgotten to eat the saltines that Lina and Breena had recommended. When she remembered to eat a few before she got out of bed, she had far less nausea. She ate those few now, hoping it would help her get through the morning. She'd been able to sleep in as James had taken the kids to school today. Penny was going with her later this morning to get some ideas for the nursery. She and James had asked her dad to make a crib and changing table and maybe a rocker if he had time but she had no idea what she wanted as a general theme for the baby. She loved the sea creatures that Rhea had done for Jorry and Zoe and really liked that she'd made them expandable so they could add in new family members. And in this family, that was important! The nursery for Violet Palmer had been decorated with fairies and woodland creatures; by the time Davey had come along the family had moved and his nursery had a train motif. Sarah loved Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh but she was a purist, she only wanted the original British version of the beloved stuffed bear and his friends, referred to as the classic version; she was not interested in the Disney version. That's what she and Penny would search for today; she'd done her homework online and had a list of the stores that carried the classic beloved characters.

After she ate the crackers she took a shower and then slowly ate some breakfast. She was relieved when it stayed down and finally got dressed, frowning when her favorite jeans refused to fasten. She got the zipper up all right but the waist was just too tight. Trying not to snarl, she took out one of James' belts and fastened it on the smallest notch. Then she pulled out one of his button downs and put it on over her jeans. However he was so much taller than she that it hung down below her knees. Now she did snarl and went back into her closet to look for some nice roomy top that would work. She finally found one she thought her mother-in-law must have left but it worked all right for now. When Penny picked her up she looked at her outfit, "First of all, we're going to buy you some clothes that fit. Yoga pants will be more comfortable and some tops. You can't wear your own clothes right now, darling. You'll get back into them, I promise but not until after the baby is on the outside."

Sarah sighed and nodded. "How did Lina do it?"

"Breena brought her some clothes and she wore some of Tim's shirts, but then she's closer in height to him than you are to James. I believe she also made some of her own clothes."

"I can't do any of that. I'm short and dumpy."

"Stop that, you are not dumpy and you're the perfect height for you!"

"Yes Grandma."

Penny gave her a look and they both laughed. Off they went to find clothes and a theme.

XXX

Lina sighed with happiness as she slid into her studio after the long weekend. The kids were back in school, Tim was working in Preston today and she had a lot of work to do! She was making some tops for Sarah and just needed to finish the hems, wash, dry and press them before mailing them to her sister-in-law. She'd told Maisie what she was up to but no one else. Now that she thought about it she wondered if Maisie could deliver these to Sarah. Ziva would arrive here on Friday and would fly to Virginia with Maisie and Donald a week later. She looked at a calendar and decided to mail them after all. She'd be done today; she could mail them tomorrow _if _she got to work now! She cheerfully ironed the sleeve and neckline hems before carefully sewing them. She hoped Sarah liked these. She'd watched what colors and styles she wore on the island and on the way home and thought she'd made good choices for her. She'd designed them to be worn with a belt that could be let out and then discarded as Sarah's pregnancy progressed. She smiled; it would be so nice to have a new baby in the family! She knew it would mean that Jethro and Rhea would spend more time on the East Coast, but she could not begrudge their wish to help the Powells after all the time they'd spent with her children. Once she had the hems done on all of the items she'd made, she put them in the washing machine and then went to work preparing for her next task.

She was working on a series of sketches and paintings set in and around Monterey County. She'd done some serious sketching at the beach in Carmel over the weekend and had photos she would use for some of the paintings. Taylor Ganier, in New Orleans, had sold all of her first Monterey series in a matter of hours and had been begging her for more for months now. With Tim working in San Diego, she thought she'd wander around Old Town down there and see if anything struck her for a new series.

She was also looking forward to doing some work based on what she'd see in Barcelona…whenever she finally got there! Damian and Adan seemed to think January and that was fine. Her parents would stay with the children as the Gibbses and the Greats would all be in Virginia waiting for the new baby. She and Tim had talked about spending Christmas in Virginia and while it helped that he would no longer be in the field (and how conflicted was she about that? Happy for her, sad for him), he wouldn't really know if he could get away until he'd been in the job for awhile. That would leave their California family and friends alone for Christmas; she didn't much like that. Maybe they'd go after Christmas, perhaps for New Year's. Shaking her head, she focused on her work, only stopping to put Sarah's new clothes in the dryer.

XXX

Tim smiled as he worked on his reports. This morning he'd finished with the written evaluations for all three teams and now he was working through the rest of his case reports. Today was his last day in Preston as he would be shadowing Joel tomorrow through the end of the following week. He was under no illusions that he had a clue what he'd be doing once Joel left but he figured he'd learn fast!

He paused as he finished a report and looked up when he noticed the office was unnaturally quiet. Matt was at his desk but Rose and Megan were gone somewhere and of course Chuck and Maria were already in El Segundo. He smiled; glad that had worked out for both of them. He heard Rae on the phone and then he pulled up another report.

Several minutes later he heard Rae buzz someone in and he looked up to see his wife enter the building. She smiled at him as she turned toward…Interrogation? He chuffed at himself, looked like there was going to be a party. He caught Matt's eye and his friend just gave him a smile. Man it had been great working with Matt again, he was really going to miss seeing him every day. His phone buzzed at him, Rose asking to see him in the 'conference room', meaning Interrogation. He walked in and smiled at the banner wishing him luck and thanking him for his time here. When he heard another buzz at the door he frowned. Then he smiled as Nick Hardister walked in. "You didn't think I'd miss your last day here, did you my friend?"

"Hoped not, Nick, but you know…work!"

"Nah, that's what the deputy chief is for…or so they tell me!"

Tim just smiled, Nick's deputy chief had been more or less forced on him and he routinely referred to him as Barney Fife, only with no affection.

There was one more surprise when Tea walked in. The party was sweet; Rae made a cake, Rose and Megan supplied the banner and balloons. There were cards from each of them, including Chuck, Maria, Will, Maya and their agents and one from Joel thanking him for his hard work here in Preston. Matt, Rose and Nick said a few words each and then Tim told them how much he'd enjoyed working with them and then they ate the cake which was delicious.

At the end of the day, Tim gathered his gear bag, laptop and other personal items and walked out with the team, his time in the Preston office complete. He'd been there a little over 18 months.

Note: "Barney Fife" is a much beloved character from the Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968). Per the internet (I think it was Wikipedia), calling a police officer or authority figure "Barney Fife" is an American slang term for gross ineptitude or overzealousness. The character was funny on the show, but apparently it's not too funny to encounter those traits in a law enforcement officer in real life!


	204. Chapter 204

Ziva was pleased Tim was able to pick her up at the airport when she arrived in San Diego. She knew he was getting ready to step into the new position and had some questions for him.

"How long has Joel held the position?"

"Four years, he left London shortly after Dad moved to Greece, so early in 2015. He had the Marine West Coast office first and then moved to Southwest but that office is just as big and complex, so I'm counting that time in."

"You really won't be in the field, then, with all your responsibilities?"

He shook his head, "No. Blumquist, the Senior SAIC over at Marine West hasn't been in the field since he took the SSAIC position in San Diego."

"I imagine that will be difficult to get used to."

He nodded. "Yeah, that's what I hear. So, are you excited about your new job, your new life?"

She grinned, "I am so excited - I cannot wait!"

"I know you're flying to Virginia with Gram and Grandfa and then will you fly or drive to New York?"

"I am not sure yet. I thought of buying a car in DC but Evander tells me I will probably only rarely drive it and I will have to pay for storing it, parking it. He suggested it might be less expensive and easier to rent a car when I need one."

"From what little I know of the place that does sound more practical."

She smiled at him, "I will let you know!" She looked out the window, "It is beautiful here!"

He smiled, "Yes it is. I love living so close to the coast. There's a beach within walking distance of the big house and a beautiful view of the bay from the deck."

"Do you go there often – to the beach?"

He laughed, "Are you kidding, free space where the kids can run all they want, find all kinds of rocks and shells and the fresh air will tire them out? We're there every weekend we're home. We have six kids - we'd take them every night if we could!" He shook his head, "I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining about my children; I love them dearly but they have a lot of energy and it doesn't always get burned off before bedtime. So the beach is our helper."

She laughed, "I remember my parents telling us to run around our back terrace which is quite large. When we would stop, they would say, 'Why are you stopping, run, run!' I always wondered why."

"And now you know!"

Her eyes grew wide when they pulled into their driveway. "Tim, this is huge!"

"It is a large house, but again six kids, we need space. Plus we needed a studio for Lina, an office for me and space for the kids to play. We were only going to rent it but we ended up buying it. Let's just say that it's a good thing Mr. Gemcity's books are still selling well! And that reminds me that I need to talk with you, Dad and Tony about something. "

"I am intrigued!"

He gave her a teasing smile, "It can wait! Are you going to be around for the holidays in December?"

"If my schedule allows, yes I am planning on it; I've been invited to stay with the Mallards. Hanukkah starts December 22nd, so that would be perfect!"

"Good! We're not sure if we'll go for Christmas or wait for Sarah's baby to be born and go then but it'll be more fun for the kids if we go at Christmas. That is also, of course, if my schedule will allow me to be away."

They walked into the house where Lina met them, giving Ziva a hug and kiss. "Welcome, Ziva! We're so glad you could change your plans and visit us!"

"Thank you for inviting me! This is a beautiful home, much larger than your house in Piraeus."

"I believe you saw us there when Jorrin was an only child. When Anna and Gemma arrived and then Zoe, we were a little cramped. So we chose a bigger house here and it's a good thing we did!"

Tim tapped Ziva's shoulder, "I'll take your bags to your room. And then we'll give you a tour."

"It's so quiet, where are the children?"

Lina chuckled and pointed outside, "In the pool with their grandparents, Gram and Grandfa."

"Wonderful!"

"Yes, so have your tour now before they realize you're here!"

Ziva smiled as she followed Tim to the downstairs bedroom where he set her bags down and pointed out the empty drawers, the closet and the door to the bathroom. Then they went upstairs where he showed her the kids' rooms, their playroom with the sea creature murals, the master bedroom and lastly his office. She smiled at the portrait of the three men, inwardly twinging as she realized again how her leaving so precipitously had impacted Tim. She turned to him, "I am sorry I treated you so badly. Leaving as I did and never saying anything."

He nodded, "I know that now Ziva and I accept your apology. I feel like we're ok now - don't you?" He looked at the portrait. "I hadn't thought about this, though. When I asked Trina to paint it this way, it was more a reflection of what Gibbs, Tony and I had been through after I left, how hard we all worked to fix things between us…it was more that I wanted a reminder of that than a reminder of our team."

She gave him a happier smile then, "Thank you, I am happy to know that and now I am glad you included me – and Kate."

"Zi, I did that because no matter where you were, what you were doing, you were - and are - still a part of us."

She laughed a little, "Perhaps I should take Gibbs as my middle name!"

He chuckled, "Hey go for it; Dad would love it!"

They walked downstairs and she saw the family room, with the children's art projects, work table and more family photos. She looked at the photos of Patrick curiously. "I see that Patrick and Sarah look alike but it took Andy for you to have someone who looked like you."

"Actually for me it was Uncle Jim; for Andy it was me and our uncle and all three of us are very happy about it."

She nodded, "Tali and I both looked like our mother and Ari looked like his mother; my father often commented that none of his children looked anything like him."

Tim just smiled and kept his comments about Eli to himself. They concluded their tour in Lina's studio and then Tim and Ziva parted to change into their swimsuits. As Lina pointed out, they were going to get wet no matter what they did so they may as well be prepared.

The children climbed out of the pool when they saw their dad and Aunt Ziva, but Poppy and Grandfa beat them to their aunt while the kids swarmed their dad.

"Zeever, welcome to California!"

"Yes my dear, it's good to see you again so soon!"

She hugged and kissed both of them, feeling the warmth and strength of their arms around her and then she was welcomed by Rhea and Maisie, Davos and Hélène. Finally the kids had their turn and she chuckled to herself when she saw the children look to their parents as they approached her. She saw Tim make some sort of signal and they slowed down, evidently she was not going to be swarmed. She hugged and kissed each one of them, making sure to kiss the top of Andy's head, not quite sure how a 10 year old boy would feel about being kissed on the cheek by an aunty. Evidently that was the right thing to do because he smiled. Zoe gave her a happy squeal and Tim was glad to hear it. As he'd been afraid, her wonderfully uninhibited squeals were slowly becoming less frequent. The toddler held out her arms and Ziva picked her up for a hug and a Zoe kiss. After that, Gemma took her by the hand and led her to the pool; most of them got back in and played for nearly another hour before Lina gave them a 15 minute warning for dinner. She noticed Andy and Anna climbed out right away and dried off. Anna smiled at her, "We're setting the table!"

"Oh I see, would you like some help with that?"

"No thank you, you're company; you're not allowed to help."

Tim chuckled, "Enjoy it while it lasts! Next time you visit, you might not be so lucky!"

He got out too, dried off and pulled a robe on. He smiled, "Excuse me for a few minutes; I'm going to help my wife."

She smiled, they were such a cute couple; she could no longer imagine him with anyone else. That made her think of Abby and she wondered if there was any news; she decided to ask Ducky later. She noticed Andy and Anna coming back outside with Tim and he helped them pull the patio table apart and put matching boards in to make it bigger.

She remarked, "That's very clever!"

Davos chuckled, "Thank you. I made that for Melina and Timotheos after I saw the one Pete and Trina had."

"You made it in Greece?"

"Yes, in my workshop in Thessaloniki and then Hélène and I drove it down to Piraeus, that was the week we first met Jethro."

"It's a beautiful table! I know you and Gibbs made the baby furniture; you're both quite talented."

"Thank you again! It's a passion for both of us. If your new apartment were closer here, I am sure we'd be making you furniture."

Jethro passed each of them a bottle of lemonade, "We still can, Davos. We can use Penny's workshop."

Ziva chuckled, "That would be lovely; however I do first need to find an apartment!" The two men acknowledged that.

She climbed out of the pool to dry off a bit and Hélène followed her out. "There are more robes, they're in the bathroom." She pointed to a door Ziva hadn't noticed. "Oh thank you, I do not want to drip all over my food!" She padded over and took out a robe. She turned as she heard Ducky call everyone out of the pool. "Come along, children, yes, you too, Maisie, Rhea! Time to dry off for dinner!"

The children giggled hearing him include Grammy and Nonnie in his command.

Gemma dried off vigorously, "I get to help bring the food out!"

"That is wonderful Gemma!"

Curious she watched as the little girl disappeared into the house and come back out walking carefully, carrying a large wooden bowl full of salad greens. She set it on the table and nodded proudly, "I did it, no spills!"

"Very good!"

"There's more, be right back." Jorrin and Sean followed her and the trio came out with bottles of mustard and catsup and a covered bowl that Ziva thought was relish from the smell.

Finally Tim and Lina emerged from the house and everyone sat down.

Lina smiled at Ziva, "We're having a very casual dinner tonight."

Tim nodded, "We usually do on Friday nights."

She smiled, "It all smells wonderful!"

She remembered saying 'grace' from her visit when Jorrin was a baby and took Anna's hand on one side and Ducky's on the other.

XXX

Ziva smiled as she settled into her airline seat a week later. She'd thoroughly enjoyed her visit with her West Coast family. She'd gotten to know Rhea, Maisie, Lina and the California Kalivas' better, as well as the children. They'd had family dinners and dinner out with Tim, Lina and the Gibbses; she'd met some of the McGees' friends and neighbors and was there to help celebrate Sean's fourth birthday. She had wonderful times with Gibbs and Ducky, sightseeing, swimming and just walking on the beach. She'd had a 'ladies day' at the racetrack in Del Mar with the women of the family and had managed to see and do everything she'd planned.

Her talk with Ducky about Abby had left her feeling hopeful for the woman's future. She was again out of prison on parole but this time Ducky reported that she seemed to actually be in recovery. She'd been out for nearly two months now and was clean and sober, taking her medications as prescribed. She was once again living with her brother and his family and looking for work. With Tim's assent, Poppy wrote a carefully worded letter of recommendation for her forensics work and knowledge. Ducky confided that his grandson had even helped his dad write the letter. Gibbs and Ducky were in contact with Abby's brother Kyle who reported that she was applying to private colleges in Louisiana for work and she'd requested permission from the parole board to expand her job search into neighboring states. That was apparently still pending although Ducky said he believed it would be denied, that she needed more than two months to prove her recovery. Still, it was a positive start and Ziva had been glad to hear that Tim had helped Poppy. Surprised, but glad.

And now she was on her way to Virginia to visit the rest of the family before traveling to New York for her new life. The last few months, since she'd arrived in Athens in July, had been the best times she'd had in years. Maisie, sitting next to her, patted her hand. "I'm so glad you were able to do your trip this way, Ziva!"

"As am I!"

They settled back and relaxed as the flight attendants readied the cabin for takeoff.

XXX

While Ziva was visiting their family, Tim shadowed Joel and was grateful for the time spent. He learned enough to get him through his first days on the job and the learning never stopped. He guessed at some point that he had stopped reacting to call outs he couldn't go on simply because he was so busy he frequently didn't even hear them! He'd look out his office window and see that his team was gone…again.

He was all the way through October and into the first week of November before he felt like he could stop to take a breath. Andy and Sean's adoptions were final that week and he took a half day to celebrate with the family. He figured by then the Brass had finished at least their first round of testing him and he'd learned more about politics than he ever thought possible. His teams also made some impressive arrests and he definitely still felt the satisfaction for those.

As he had with Petrero and Button Willow, he learned to rely on his teams to do their jobs, to trust them and that relieved a good deal of stress. One of the things he'd decided was to leave the daily operations as they were. There was always room for improvement but he liked the changes Joel implemented during his tenure and would see how things played out over the next few months. Making an effort to visit each office he was pleased with his reception and grateful that he'd had his 18 months in Preston. His Team Leaders in particular liked the fact that he hadn't moved straight into Joel's spot from his position in Greece and were always curious about what it was like to serve in a foreign country.

A big advantage Tim had over previous Senior SAICS in his position was what he called his two secret weapons: Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim. Between the two of them, the retired officers knew most of the top Brass including many whose areas of responsibility fell into Tim's jurisdiction. The uncles had no qualms telling Tim what they knew as far as personalities, temperaments, habits, likes, dislikes, hot buttons, etc. The Admiral even went so far as to advise Tim to have a photo of godfather and godson in his office and, further astonishing Tim, told him of the former colleague who wouldn't welcome the sight. He was to hide the photo if the man was expected in his office.

Tim wasn't sure he'd go to that length but he did like the idea of emphasizing his connection with the Navy and with the Marines. Eventually photos of his Godfather, Uncle, his long dead grandfather Admiral McGee, his deceased father the Commander, his dad, Geordie and sister-in-law Maggie, all in uniform, found their way into his office.

Uncle Jim was a bit more practical, advising him who would be the most help to him and how, giving him names and contact information. The two uncles had also given much of the same information to Tony who could certainly use any inside information at the Pentagon.

What Tim hadn't realized until now was that one of the students he and the others had rescued back in 2015 was the daughter of an officer who had then been a rear admiral; he had recently been promoted from Vice Admiral to Admiral. The man called on him his first week on the job to personally thank him for rescuing his daughter and tell him that whatever he wanted or needed, he had only to ask. As he left Tim's office, he pointed to the photo of his godfather the Admiral and advised Tim to hide it if the same officer Uncle Dave had mentioned was expected. After that Tim told his assistant Kath the same thing.

One thing he quickly learned to do was rely on Kath as she'd been on the job long enough to know all the ins and outs. They made a few adjustments to the work day; if Tim had only phone calls or paper work to do then he left the office 'early' and worked from home. Sure it meant he worked extra hours at home, but at least he was home. He could spend time with his wife and children in between phone calls, drafting documents, approving never-ending piles of case reports, etc.

By that first week in November, he'd decided he could safely take time off for Christmas. The McGees, Gibbses and the Kalivas' would take the red eye from California to Virginia on Friday, December 20th. Ziva's flight from New York City would arrive around the same time as theirs, so there would only have to be one airport pick-up. The extended clan would celebrate Hanukkah starting the 22nd and then the Christmas celebration would occur mid-week.

Matt and Damian were also flying out for Christmas, but they were traveling to Matt's sister's home in Indiana for a Watson family reunion. Tea and Adan made plans to spend Christmas with Carla, Norm and the kids, which relieved Tim and Lina who felt bad about not being around to host Christmas this year.

It was strange to think that this would only be their second Thanksgiving and Christmas in the U.S. and the first with Andy and Sean! As November progressed, the family first celebrated Tim's birthday, followed in quick succession by Jorry's fourth birthday and Thanksgiving which fell on the same date this year. They combined Jorry's family party with their Thanksgiving Day and then had a second party with his friends two days later.

Before the Saturday party, Tim and everyone from the old gang now living in California joined with Eva and Caleb, still living in London, in a Skype call to the Russells who were of course having their annual Thanksgiving party. They were happy to see Pete, Trina, Kyra, Lukas, Rob, Kim and Evander, Dani and all four of the NCIS agents: Ned, Rusty, Lynn and Jake. There were a couple of women they didn't know, one was introduced to them as Rusty's girlfriend and the other woman was a friend of Lynn's.

Lina had told Tim weeks ago that Rusty was dating a Greek woman he'd met on Aegina last summer. She'd also said that the Russells thought Rusty would stay on in Greece no matter what his position. Tim liked the idea of the last of the agents from his tenure in Greece staying on for a few years. He didn't suppose anyone would stay as long as Pete but then Rusty was considerably younger when he arrived than Pete had been, so it could happen.

Ned's first anniversary as Team Lead/SAIC was coming up in January and he'd recently talked with Tim about it. Ned felt Rob needed to finish his residency in the U.S. and he wanted to contact Vance but hadn't been sure it was the right thing to do. Tim told him not to worry and that he was sure that their boss would rather know his preferences. Subsequently Ned contacted Director Vance asking for a posting in the U.S., preferably at one of the three offices in Maryland. He'd been willing to step down into a SFA spot if that's what it took but Tim advised him to hold off on offering that. Ned hadn't heard anything back yet but Vance told him it might take some time.

Vance had already been mulling over some moves, he liked his SAICs to have experiences in different locations and Ned's request sparked what would be a domino effect as SAICs were moved all over NCIS' jurisdiction. But in late November that was still in the future and at this point Tim had only had a brief conversation with Leon who'd mentioned wanting to move people around. Tim thought some of his Team Leads might be some of the ones moving but he trusted that Vance wouldn't cause complete upheaval in his complex of offices.

Tim found that signing off from the Skype call with the Russells and their guests was not as painful this year; he figured that was because Pete and Trina would be here in just a few months and Kim and Evander planned to visit.

December soon arrived and the family followed their tradition of starting their Christmas season on December 6th. Andy and Sean had a great time learning all about Greek traditions from their Pappouli and Yaya and of course their parents. Andy was thrilled that he was deemed old enough to help decorate the outside of the house, along with his father and grandfathers, although his dad wasn't ready to let him up on the roof. The four of them strung lights on the McGee house, the big house and then helped Nick Hardister put the lights up on his house.

This December Tim and Lina were more prepared for the children's events and had enough tickets for everyone to ride the train and partake in all the other holiday celebrations. In the meantime, they'd made their flight arrangements, coordinating with Ziva's arrival. Andy was a little disappointed to hear they'd be flying commercial but then realized he'd never flown commercial before so that would be another new adventure. Besides, he was going to get to see his cousins, aunts and uncles again and that was very exciting. For months he and his siblings had been working on art projects that would be gifts for family members and he was excited about those too.

XXX

As Tim left work at noon on December 20th, he had to admit he was almost as excited as his kids about their Christmas trip. They'd finished all the gifts and had shipped them to the Mallards rather than have them squashed in their suitcases. He swung by the UCSD campus to pick up Alexis who was going with them and then they drove home. The family ate a big dinner, once again clearing out the refrigerator and then started hauling luggage downstairs. They'd rented two vans for transport to the airport so once the luggage was stacked by the front door Tim took one of the vans over to the big house and brought back the Gibbses, the Kalivas' and their luggage. When everyone was in one place, they loaded the children, the luggage and the adults and then took off for the airport. There they offloaded passengers and luggage; Gibbs stayed with the vans while Davos, Hélène, Rhea, Alexis, Lina and Tim made sure the children and luggage were safely inside and kept together. Then Tim ran back out and father and son returned the vans. It was more work and not as comfortable or fun as the stretch limos had been but it was a lot less expensive.

As they'd hoped, the big dinner made them all sleepy and once aboard, they drifted off to sleep. Because this was a commercial flight Tim and Lina had Jorrin, Sean and Zoe between them while Anna, Gemma and Andy sat with their grandparents or cousin. When Zoe woke up and wanted to walk, Tim took her and she ended up swapping seats with Andy. Over the hours of the flight the kids swapped seats a few times and they all got up to walk around although they were quieter than on previous flights.

Finally they taxied into the terminal at Reagan National and Andy noticed the difference right away, "Hey we're going to a terminal instead of our own building, that's different!"

His grandfather chuckled, "Yeah and when we get off remember we all need to stay together. Your grandfather and I will take you and your brothers to the restroom and then we'll wait for the ladies."

"Ok."

"Hopefully by the time we get down to the baggage carousels, some of our things will be arriving."

"It takes that long?"

"Yep, they have to take it all out of the plane and then find the right carousel for our flight and load it all on. It takes some time to do and this was a full flight, so it might be awhile before we have everything."

Andy nodded, now he understood why they were stopping at the restrooms first, this was really different than being on their own jet, he was pretty sure he liked that better. The private jet was certainly more fun!

Once they reached Baggage Claim, they spotted Ziva, Uncle Jim, Tony and Jimmy waiting for them. Their luggage arrived in bits and pieces until they had it all and once everyone and everything was accounted for, their three drivers brought the vehicles around. Jim and Jimmy had their family vans while Tony was driving the Powells' SUV. The Californians pulled on the winter coats they'd brought aboard with them and the children pulled on gloves and hats as well. Andy wasn't sure he wanted to wear a hat and then noticed all three of his uncles were wearing hats and his dad was putting one on. Only his grandfathers were hatless but when both got looks from Lina, they pulled hats from pockets and put them on. That was enough for Andy; he put his on too and got a pat on the back from his dad, not noticing the eye roll Dad sent the two older men for their reluctance.

They were staying at Penny's house but they'd divided up the holiday celebrations so the Hanukkah gatherings would be held at the Mallards and Christmas at Penny's. Ziva liked that as it meant that the Jewish holiday could be kept separate and whole from the Christian holiday. She had learned to enjoy the family aspect of Christmas when she'd lived here before and now she was looking forward to teaching her nieces and nephews all about Hanukkah. She'd sent each household a book written for children about the holiday so they'd have a basic understanding before they arrived.

Penny, Maisie, Maggie and Claire had breakfast ready at the house, along with plenty of coffee, tea and hot chocolate for the travelers and their chauffeurs. The Powells and Palmers weren't there yet, they'd join them for dinner that night but Grandfa, Ainsley and Callum were in the house and greeted their family with open arms. After they'd eaten, the drivers helped take the luggage to the right rooms and then Jimmy, Tony and Maggie left.

Tim was happy to see the progress made on the future foster sibling home. The new downstairs wing was complete with four large private suites. Penny lived in one and the Gibbses, Kalivas' and the senior Powells would stay in the other three. For this trip Tim and Lina had the former master bedroom upstairs with the children down the hall. The three boys would share a room as would the three girls and Alexis and Ziva had their own rooms. That left several empty rooms upstairs and one had been set up as a playroom for the children.

The enclosed walkway to the pool and studio buildings was finished, complete with locked doors at either end with the door handles and keypads for the locks situated higher than any child under 5 feet could reach. The pool also had the same type of covering the McGees used at home. The tennis court had been moved outside and a basketball hoop had also been installed out there. The area of the building that formerly housed the tennis court was now a play area with a soft floor surface of composite materials. It wasn't complete yet as the adults wanted the children's ideas about what they'd like in there.

When Tim looked out the dining room window, he could see the skeletons of two new structures peeking through the snow, those would be family houses. The Powells would move into the main house after the baby arrived. They'd originally planned to wait for one of the new houses but they were too cramped in the Arlington house with three growing children and needed to move. They'd stay in the main house until the other houses were finished or the McGee Home was ready to open and then move again.

Tim figured it would be at least another two years before he was transferred back here, if that happened at all, and they'd move into one of the new houses. Damian had worked with them on the design for the larger of the two; it would have more bedrooms than they had now, a large kitchen with a pantry, dining room, family room, living room and a larger office than Tim had now. He thought by then that he and Lina would be sharing the office as she was selling a lot of her work from her website and needed to track orders, do the books and otherwise run her business from somewhere besides her laptop on the dining room table. They'd also asked Damian to add a studio to the house as they were sure there would be times, especially in the winter when Lina wouldn't want to cross the property to get to the big studio.

He didn't know where the Gibbses would live, he hoped here but they might remodel the Arlington house and live there. They would all miss living near the ocean but between Aegina and Preston the children would have lots of childhood memories and there were plenty of lakes and rivers they could visit, plenty of new adventures.

He laughed at the paper Lina handed him when he joined her in their room. Penny and Maisie had put together a holiday schedule and printed one for each family. It was a good idea, really, especially with as big a crowd as they'd have. Geordie and Bec were spending the 23rd and 24th with her family in Atlanta and then would fly up Christmas morning on the first flight of the day. He wished Rob and Ned could be here but knew that would be an expensive flight and he'd lost track of what holiday the Athens team would be working.

Selfishly, he hoped they would move back to the U.S. soon. It was tough seeing his youngest brother just once a year. He shook his head, in a million years he never could have imagined the lives they'd been leading the last few years, the loves the four of them had found, the adventures they'd had. He chuckled to himself; he couldn't believe that he and Sarah had 9, almost 10 children between them!

He wondered what their own first parents, Lily and Dan, would say. He hoped they'd be proud of their children and grandchildren, of the family they'd grown into. He knew the father with them now was proud of them all and he sent him a quick text telling him how proud he was to be his son. Then he turned to Lina and giving her a wickedly loving smile, leaned in to kiss her.


	205. Chapter 205

Thanks to my reviewers, you're the best. I didn't know this until I started writing, but reviews are inspiring and very much appreciated. With my physical problems over the last couple of months I haven't been able to answer as diligently as I have in the past but I'm healing and will be back in the swing of things soon!

Gentle reminder: if you can't remember who a character is, check back to the character list at the end of chapter 192.

Finally, this chapter has not been beta-d due to my crazy schedule this week. Any errors are mine, all mine.

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><p>CH 205<p>

Tony and Maggie returned later that afternoon, arriving about the same time as the Palmers, the Mallards and Ziva, who had spent the afternoon at their home getting ready for Hanukkah's "First Night" the following day. The Powells arrived a few minutes later and Tim's eyes widened almost comically when he saw his sister. Eight months pregnant, her baby belly was quite large. When he didn't make a comment but gave his little sister a gentle hug and kiss, she held on for a minute. "Tell me this is going to be ok."

"Sweet pea, I've never given birth if that's what you mean, but I do believe you'll be fine and you'll definitely be a wonderful mommy, you already are!"

She nodded, "Tim…I'm scared."

He held onto her and looked at James who shrugged and nodded at him.

"What are you scared of?"

She whispered, "Lily."

"But our mother didn't have problems birthing Pat or me, Sari."

"I know, but I have these horrible dreams where instead of a baby I give birth to a tumor. "

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. You know it didn't happen that way."

"Not literally but she died because she chose to…"

Tim tightened his hold a little bit as he looked frantically around, not wanting any of the kids to hear what he was sure she was about to say, especially not Andy or Sean. He relaxed when he realized the kids weren't in the room.

"Because she chose not to endanger Patrick before he was born; she refused treatment, I know, Sari. But you're fine; you said your tests are all fine. I think it's normal to be nervous and certainly worried after what happened to Lily. But you're going to be fine."

She huddled for a couple of minutes more and then took the tissue he offered and blew her nose. "Damn hormones!"

He forced a chuckle, "Yeah, damn those hormones."

He looked up and saw that their grandmothers were waiting for Sarah. He whispered to her and she nodded and then transferred over to Gram and Penny. He took a breath and turned to James who made a helpless gesture. "I can't convince her otherwise and when I suggested we call you she got mad."

Poppy had his arm around his son-in-law's shoulders and Tim patted him on the back. "Nothing we can do about what happened with Lily, James and part of this is hormones, I'm sure. It'll get better when the baby is on the outside."

James lifted his head, "Another whole month, almost five weeks." They talked for a little while longer, the fathers among them telling tales of the last weeks of their wives' pregnancies and James relaxed a little. Eventually he went upstairs to check on the kids.

Tim had asked his dad, Tony, Ziva, Jimmy and his grandfather if they'd sit down with him for a few minutes as there was something he wanted to discuss with them. Ziva was excited; she hoped this was finally the "something" Tim had alluded to back in September. The others were merely curious although they quickly realized this was a gathering of Gibbs' former team. They followed James upstairs but filed into the office instead of the playroom. Penny's desk and belongings had been moved downstairs so all that was left was Admiral McGee's desk and bookshelves. It had recently been cleaned and Tim brought in enough chairs. When they were all seated, Tim jumped back up; he was excited and a little bit nervous. "I have an idea that I wanted to discuss with all of you. What if we…all of us here…wrote another Tibbs book, one based on us currently? No longer a team, working apart or retired, but still close - and we're called back together to solve a crime."

"You want us to write?"

"Yes, if you'd like or I could do the writing but the plot would be something we figure out together and you can tweak your character."

Tony's eyes lit up, "So we can help with writing or you do it and we give you ideas?"

"Yes."

Tony grinned, "Yeah, I'm in! Do our names get listed as authors?"

"Our names can be listed however you want them. If you want to be a co-author, great, if you would rather not be listed, that's also fine. And you don't have to use your real names."

"Cool, can we pick Gemcity names like Sarah, Rob and Geordie did?"

"Sure Tony. You decide what you want."

Ziva was as excited as Tony. "Do you have an idea for a plot?" Jimmy nodded, that was his question too.

"A brief outline, yes. One of the dirtbags we put in prison as a team has escaped and the Director calls us back in to work together…let's say we really got into this guy's head before and he's convinced we're the only ones who can find the bad guy and bring him down."

"Can we use MMA?"

Tim laughed, "Of course!"

"Are we all still with the agency?"

"Up to you. I think McGregor will be but if you want Tommy, Lisa, Tibbs, Plucky or Pimmy to be elsewhere, that's fine as long as you're doing something believable."

Ziva and Jimmy grinned, looked at each other and said in unison, "We're in!"

Gibbs and Ducky looked at each other and laughed as Grandfa said, "I think you're crazy, dear boy but your father and I are in."

Tim grinned at them all, "This is going to be so much fun!"

Ziva twisted her lips and finally decided to bite the bullet, "What about Amy?"

"I thought we'd have her teaching forensics at a college and unable to join us."

Tony smiled and threw an arm around his shoulders. "That's good Bro. Respectful. So who will handle our forensics?"

"It depends on how much play forensics will have in the story. If it has a lot, then we can create another forensic tech, maybe base her on Tami, who replaced Abby at NCIS. If it's not going to play much in the story then we can outsource it to a lab as we do in real life in most of the offices."

He paused and let the others think for a while and then Jimmy raised his hand, "We can have Pimmy do some forensics. He used to help Amy sometimes; maybe he's gone back to school and gotten a forensics degree?"

They all liked that idea.

"What about our spouses and the kids? Will we mention them?"

"Don't know. My thought was to leave everyone else out, want readers to focus on the reunited team."

"Yeah, good point."

Gibbs looked at Tim. "It's still not your fault Timothy, hasn't changed. I'm sorry as hell I didn't tell you then."

"I know Dad; I know all that now, but I still don't want to risk any of our loves."

"All right."

No one needed to ask what they were talking about, each one of them knew the two men were referring to the crazy fan that had murdered two men Tim had based characters on and was finally stopped as he threatened Abby. Jimmy suddenly had an idea that maybe that guy could be their dirtbag but he stopped himself from saying it aloud.

Instead he said, "We should probably make up an old case, not use a real one from back then."

They all turned to look at him and then first Ducky, then Tim, Gibbs, Ziva and finally Tony smiled at him. Tim spoke, "Excellent idea, see this is just what I was hoping for!"

The six of them spent close to an hour going through ideas and finally came up with a plausible former case. They agreed to work through e-mail and Skype, knowing the time differences and their responsibilities were going to be a challenge.

Most of the family stayed for dinner that night. Geordie and Bec weren't there yet and to Tim's disappointment Rob and Ned had not magically appeared; he was never one to give up a dream until reality knocked on the door. In this case it was Dad and Hélène saying that the two men were spending Christmas Day with the Russells and would fly to Thessaloniki to join the Kalivas family Christmas celebration on January 6th. At least that was good news, they would be with family.

Grandfa patted Tim's hand, "We tried, dear boy, but Ned's team has to work Christmas Eve this year."

Tim nodded his acceptance, muttering under his breath, "One continent!"

His grandfather barked a laugh, "With any luck we will all be on one continent in the new year, Timothy! We got Ziva here now we need Rob and Ned."

They were just about through eating and Gibbs decided that Ducky's comment was as close to a lead-in as he was ever going to get. He'd planned to wait for Geordie but this was too perfect. "Speaking of family, Ziva I have a question to ask you."

She looked up at him, puzzled, "Yes Poppy?"

He smiled at her, "Would you allow me the honor of legally becoming your father? I'd like to adopt you." She opened her mouth, shut it and then to her horror tears poured out of her eyes. Gibbs took her in his arms, "It's all right daughter, I cried when your sister and brothers told me they wanted to adopt me."

She nodded and managed a "Yes please" before burrowing back into Gibbs shoulder. There were cheers all around and she finally lifted her head up, smiling. "I will be a Gibbs!" Sarah, Tim and Tony were there waiting to welcome her as their sister and she grinned. "I have siblings again!"

Lina grabbed Tim's laptop and soon had Geordie on the screen and was pinging Rob. Geordie joined the others welcoming her to 'siblinghood' as he put it, telling her he would share their secret handshake when they arrived. Bec also welcomed and congratulated her and Ziva smiled at her very large family. In the meantime, Lina had given up trying to raise Rob via Skype and Gram was calling him on her cell. He finally answered, "Grammie, is everything all right?"

"Yes, Robbie, have I woken you?"

"No, I'm at work, did you try at home? I think Ned's out on a case - they have a nasty one going right now."

Gram handed the phone to Tim, "Rob, just wanted you to know we have a new sister!"

"Yay, Ziva said yes! Wait, I thought Dad was going to wait until Christmas?"

Poppy pulled Tim's hand with the phone toward him, "Hi son! I was going to wait but your grandfather gave me the perfect opening line, I couldn't resist."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Hey can I talk with my new sis?" Ziva smiled as they spoke, remembering the very tall man she'd first seen right before Tim and Lina's wedding and wondered who he was. After the calls were completed, there was chaos as the family celebrated. Liz and Dave slipped out to the kitchen and took bottles of chilled champagne and sparkling cider out of the refrigerator for the celebration. The two of them carried the bottles and glasses in and there was a standing toast to their newly official daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and aunt.

They eventually adjourned to the spacious living room while the children went upstairs to watch a movie. As Sarah lowered her body into a hardback chair she made a face and James was right by her side. "What is it Sarah?"

"Braxton Hicks I guess. Hurts though – a lot."

James sent a look to whoever was sitting closest, he wasn't even sure who and in seconds Jimmy, Grandfa and Claire were gently moving him aside. Tim, Lina, Ziva, Poppy and Rhea were cleaning up the dinner dishes but when Tim heard his sister cry out he handed whatever he had in his hands to someone and ran to the living room. That was his baby sister, in pain. His father followed him and they found Breena with keys in her hand heading out the front door. "Breena?"

"Jimmy's medical bag."

When Ducky saw Timothy in his peripheral vision he ordered "Call 911, we have a baby coming very quickly."

Jimmy added, "We need sheets, towels and a couple of blankets."

Penny and Liz hurried for those while Sarah clung to James and Maisie. While Liz ran back with the sheets, towels and blankets, Penny started digging through her closet. She had baby items she'd bought for Sarah's shower which was supposed to be held two days after Christmas: diapers and formula and she couldn't even remember what else. Back in the living room, towels and sheets were spread on the couch and Sarah's father and brother lifted her carefully and laid her gently down. Then James climbed up to sit right behind her and she was raised so she could rest in his arms. Jimmy snapped, "Everyone but James, Edith, Maisie, Rhea and Claire out of the room."

Lina shook her head at Tim, Poppy and George as they looked like they were going to argue. They returned to the kitchen and finished loading the dishes but didn't run the dishwasher yet. Poppy heard the siren and grabbing someone's jacket, he later found out it was Breena's, headed for the front door. He motioned the EMTs in and they went straight to Sarah; Poppy went back to the kitchen where he found Timpa and George pacing. Lina peeked around the corner and saw that the EMTs didn't seem to be getting ready to load Sarah onto the gurney. She wondered if she was that close to delivery or if they'd given her something to stop the labor, or something else. She'd had such an easy time with both Jorrin and Zoe she couldn't imagine what Sarah was going through. When her sister-in-law screamed again, Tim turned and walked out the side door and Poppy went after him. Tim was shaking, "This is not for us to hear, this should be private for Sarah, James and their medical people."

"Yeah but it hasn't turned out that way, kiddo. She'll be all right."

"I know Dad but Lina…God I never quite realized how lucky we'd been."

"With her painless deliveries?"

"Not painless but certainly easier than my baby sister." He told his dad of Sarah's nightmares and Poppy shook his head as he repeated, "She'll be all right Tim."

"I know." He pointed to his head, "I know here, I just don't know here." He pointed to his heart. They'd come outside without jackets and didn't stay long. They were just walking back into the kitchen when they heard a baby cry, a newborn cry. Tim breathed a sigh of relief and then heard Jimmy saying something very quickly. He had the baby wrapped in his arms and was breathing into her mouth as he and one of the EMTs ran for the ambulance and the listeners in the kitchen heard the EMTs radio squawk. The wail of the siren sounded loudly through the house as the ambulance departed with Sarah's baby.

Tim looked wild eyed at his dad. "I'm going…Lina." She produced jackets, "Do we know what hospital and where it is?"

James called out the name of the hospital and threw the keys to Tim. "Stay with our baby, please Tim, Lina."

They nodded and ran out the door, jumping into the Powells' SUV. They'd almost reached the driveway when a second ambulance turned in and Tim pulled aside to let them through. Then they headed for the hospital. Lina said, "What are calling the baby, do you remember?"

"Ah…geez, the last thing I heard it was Fiona Charlotte."

"Oh yes, Fiona was James' great grandmother, Edith's grandmother and Charlotte was Maisie's aunt, so your great-great aunt. That's good; then we can have them fill out the birth certificate at the hospital."

Tim nodded, hoping the baby would be all right. Luckily they'd hit a lull in traffic and reached the hospital quickly. Entering through the ER, Tim said to the nurse at reception, "A newborn was just brought in with an EMT and Dr. Jimmy Palmer. She's our niece; we want to stay as close as possible to her."

The woman nodded, "The baby's father called and gave permission for you to be in treatment with her."

She showed them the room and they slipped in. Jimmy was with the baby still, she was in an incubator and on oxygen. Without moving Jimmy said, "She's going to be all right. It was close but she never lost oxygen."

"Jimmy…" Tim choked and his friend turned to him, "She's all right now Tim, Lina. I've already called the house, they know. And Sarah and James are on their way here."

"Fiona."

"Huh?" He'd turned back to watch the baby.

"We think that's what Sarah and James wanted to call the baby, Fiona Charlotte."

"Oh, that's pretty."

"Sarah and the baby, they'll be all right?"

"Yes, few extra days in the hospital but they'll be fine."

Tim nodded and pulled his wife closer to him. When Jimmy turned around again, they pulled him in too. Then the baby made a little noise and the three of them gathered around the incubator. "How long will she have to stay in there?"

A voice spoke from behind them. "Probably 48 hours, might be a little longer. We want to keep an eye on her."

They turned and the doctor behind them smiled, "I understand Mom and Dad are on their way in?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, our Doc Palmer here delivered our niece and then came in with the ambulance. My sister is…"

"We're here Jimmy, Tim, Lina; how's the baby?"

It was Rhea and Edith, "Your father and George have gone with Sarah and James."

Tim nodded, "Good."

The doctor cleared his throat, "And you are?"

"We're the baby's grandmothers, Rhea Gibbs and Edith Powell."

"Ms. Gibbs, Ms. Powell, congratulations on your new granddaughter! Now that we know that the baby is going to be all right, we need to clean her up, get her weighed, all the fun stuff. I need to ask you folks to step into the waiting area. Dr. Palmer, thank you for your good work tonight. "

Jimmy smiled and nodded. "Never thought I'd be delivering one of our babies!"

Tim laughed, grabbed him and gave him a big kiss. "Thanks man!" Jimmy stopped to clean up and borrow some scrubs while the others found Claire, Jim, Ziva, Penny, Grammie and Grandfa in the waiting area.

Tony and Maggie, Liz and Dave had stayed behind with the Kalivas' to help with the McGee and Powell children while Breena had taken her kids home. Not knowing what they'd been told, Tim called Aunty Liz, "Tim, how's the baby?"

"She's fine, she's in an incubator but the doctor says that's just to make sure, they said she's going to be fine. Jimmy kept the oxygen going into her, he's our hero!"

"I'll say! Have you seen your sister yet?"

"No, I know they're here somewhere and we've been told Sarah is all right, we haven't seen them yet. Will you please tell the kids we love them very much and will be home soon?"

"You just told them, I put you on speaker."

Lina and Tim spoke to each of the children, all 9 of them and reassured them that things were no longer as scary as they'd seemed. Jimmy came into the waiting area and was greeted with hugs and kisses by everyone. Poppy finally came in and smiling, motioned to them.

"George and Edith are in with Sarah, James and the baby right now, but they'll come out in a few minutes so we can all meet our newest little one and say hello to Sarah." He turned to Tim, "She's going to be fine, Timpa. She knows the baby is going to be fine, thanks to our Jimmy." He reached out and snagged Jimmy, pulling him in for a long hug and kiss. "Can't thank you enough son."

Grandfa put a hand on his back. "And I think our young hero needs a hot beverage and some food."

Tim nodded, "On it!"

Claire went with him to find the cafeteria. "That was quite an evening." He nodded, "I thought our kids came fast but this, wow!"

"Different when you're watching from the sidelines."

"Yes, a lot scarier! Did either of them say what the baby's name will be?"

"I know they had Fiona Charlotte picked out but I don't know what other names were on the list."

"Guess we'll find out eventually."

When they reached the cafeteria, nurse Claire picked out what she thought would be best for Jimmy while Tim made him a cup of hot herbal tea. They paid and hurried back to the waiting room where they found James' parents while Rhea and Penny had their turn meeting the baby. Edith patted Tim on the face, "Sarah wants to see you and Lina next." He nodded as he gave Jimmy his tea. He was looking better as he ate the food Claire brought him. "Thanks guys."

When the two of them were called in, they found Sarah leaning over the incubator, watching her daughter fuss a little. Tim kissed his sister and hugged his brother-in-law. "Congratulations! And thank God you're all right…all of you."

Sarah smiled, "I knew you were in the kitchen, I could hear you pacing."

He shook his head, "What a wild night, Sweet Pea. Now what is your daughter's name - have you decided?"

"Yes, although we needed a little help." James pointed to the incubator, "She's Fiona Jacqueline. Fiona was my great grandmother's name and Jacqueline is a form of James, did you know that? My dad told us that Jacob and James are actually translations of the same Hebrew name, Iakobos, which got translated to Latin as Jacomus which eventually was shortened to James. We're naming our miracle baby after our friend and doctor who saved her."

Sarah smiled, "Another feminine form of James is Gemma! But your Gemma was here first, so we went with Jacqueline."

As there were more family members waiting, they didn't stay long and left the hospital soon after, taking the Mallards, Penny, Ziva and Jimmy with them. They dropped Jimmy and the Mallards at their respective homes before finding their way back to Penny's. When they walked in they found the house cleaned up and the dishwasher running with a note from Dave and Liz that they'd see them at Ducky's on Sunday, and then they heard the sound of singing from upstairs.

Smiling, the four of them quietly walked upstairs and found Maggie, Tony and Davos in the hallway singing lullabies to the two rooms of McGee and Powell children. Wondering where Hélène was, Penny wandered down the hall and found her friend in with her eldest granddaughter, talking about babies and childbirth; after witnessing Fiona's painful arrival and even scarier rescue, Alexis had decided never to have any children.

Leaving them to their chat, Penny went back to the singing trio. As the lullabies continued, with Ziva now joining in, Tim and Lina went into the boys' room and kissed each of them goodnight, including their nephews. Adam, Jorry and Sean were fast asleep but Evan and Andy were still awake and they quietly told Evan that his mother was fine and that he could see her and meet his baby sister in the morning. Evan nodded but Tim could see he was having a hard time. He reached down and picked him up. "It's ok, Evan, let it out. That was pretty scary tonight."

The boy nodded through his tears as his uncle rocked him. Andy sighed into his mother's arms. "Is it always so scary?"

"No love. I had Jorry and Zoe very quickly but we got to the hospital and it wasn't bad at all. Each mama and each baby is different."

When Evan had fallen asleep in his arms, Tim brought him back to the bed and they tucked him in, kissed Andy, Adam and the younger boys again and then left, closing the door. They went to the girls' room where Audrey had fallen asleep wrapped in Anna and Gemma's arms. Zoe was in her toddler bed and murmured "Daddy, Mama" when they pulled her blankets up and kissed her goodnight. They kissed the three older girls and pulled the blankets over them. Feeling better for having seen the kids, they closed the door behind them as the serenade came to a soft close. "Thank you, that was lovely."

Tony smiled, "I'll bet you didn't know we sing, did you?"

Tim had to stop and think, "I knew you like to sing, I did not realize you both liked to and what do you mean, you sing? Are you in a group or something?"

Maggie nodded, "We belong to a community chorus. We intended to tell you all about it after dinner; we're having a Christmas show tomorrow and hoped some of the family would come. It's early so there will be plenty of time before our Hanukkah celebration and there are a lot of carols so everyone can sing along." She smiled at Ziva, "And we're singing Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel and the Hanukkah song."

Ziva returned her smile, "That's wonderful and we can sing it throughout the week too. It sounds like fun!"

Lina agreed, "That will be lovely, thanks! And it'll be nice for the Powell kids as I'm sure James is going to be at the hospital most of the day." Grinning, she continued, "Our kids love to sing. Just don't expect Tim to!"

Tony nodded, "Yeah, I remember something about that."

Davos had gone to get Hélène and they walked back down the hall, saying goodnight to the others. Tony and Maggie also said goodnight and took off for their home. By the time Lina and Tim cleaned up and crawled into bed it was 1:00 AM. Tim heard a car drive in as he was falling asleep and he relaxed as he snuggled into Lina; that was Dad and Rhea.

Nobody got up very early the next morning, even the children slept late. It was a call from Geordie that woke the household. He'd found a garbled text on his phone when he woke up that morning, something about Sarah and decided to call his grandmother's house phone rather than trying individual cell phones. Poppy heard the phone and managed to find his way to the kitchen and the phone, his heart thumping, afraid something had happened to Sarah or the baby. He was relieved to find one of his sons on the other end of the line. "Dad, Tim sent me a text about midnight but he must have been drunk or half asleep when he sent it, the only legible word is Sarah. Is she all right?"

"She is now, son. She went into labor here at the house last night and there wasn't time to get her to the hospital. Luckily Jimmy and your grandfather were here and Jimmy delivered the baby just as the EMTs arrived. The little one stopped breathing but Jimmy was right there and little Fiona never lost any oxygen; Jimmy and the EMT got her to the hospital and she's fine, alert and breathing on her own. In the meantime a second set of EMTs arrived and got Sarah to the hospital. She's ok, recovering. It was a very short and very painful labor but she's all right and the baby is all right."

"Oh my God. Thank God."

"Yes, Geo, we've been saying that quite a bit."

"And thank God Jimmy and Grandfa were there to help and Jimmy saved the baby, wow."

"Yes. The baby is named Fiona Jacqueline. From what George tells us, Jacqueline is a female version of James so that's for Jimmy, although there's a story attached."

Geordie snorted, "Of course." George Powell was nearly as prolific a storyteller as Ducky and Sarah thought she would eventually capture his stories as Tim had done for their grandfather. He continued, "That's a nice name. I know Bec is going to love it."

"She's not home?"

"No, they had a case they broke yesterday and they decided, well she let them think it was their idea, to get their paperwork started today so it wouldn't hold up their holidays."

"Good thinking!"

"So little Fiona is really all right?"

"Yes, they had her in an incubator to make sure her oxygen levels would remain high but as I said she never lost any air, Jimmy breathed for her until they could get an oxygen mask on her."

"Do they know what happened?"

"I heard some theories last night. But no, at this point I don't think they know."

"How much does she weigh? She's a month early, right?"

"Five weeks and she's a little over four pounds."

"That's tiny, isn't it?"

"Yes but not dangerously so. The doctor wants to keep her in the hospital for a few days just to make sure but there doesn't seem to be any concern, we're told she's healthy. Her lungs are in good shape and Duck said that's usually one of the bigger worries with preemies."

The two didn't stay on the phone long as Poppy was cold and wanted coffee. He set up the coffeemaker and then sprinted back to his room for his robe and slippers. Once he poured himself a cup of coffee he relaxed, wishing there was a Sunday paper. He called the hospital and was told the Powells had had a good first night with the baby and were now sleeping in between feedings. He decided to make breakfast and pulled out everything he needed from the refrigerator and cabinets and then spotted a pink bakery box on the counter. He opened it and sighed happily at the pastries inside. He turned the oven on to warm and slid them in on a cookie sheet. He put the bacon on the stovetop, using a separate skillet for the turkey bacon he found, thinking it might be for Ziva; while it was cooking he prepped the eggs. Either the fresh coffee brewing or the bacon cooking woke everyone up or maybe he'd made enough noise in the kitchen as he heard footsteps upstairs.

Tim and Lina woke up to find all nine of the children giggling around their bed. "Daddy, you were snoring!"

"No, I wasn't, that was just your imagination."

Beside him Lina giggled which made the kids laugh out loud. "All right, I was snoring! Now, have you all washed your hands? Ready for breakfast? I sure smell something good!"

Evan, Adam and Audrey looked anxious and Tim smiled at them, "I bet whoever is cooking breakfast has already called the hospital this morning to see how your mom and sister are doing."

Evan nodded and grabbed his sister and brother's hands, "Come on, let's go find out!"

Zoe had crawled up on the bed and she planted herself on her father's chest. "Bweakfas', I'm hungry."

Tim decided to tease her a little, "But I can't get up, I have a Zoe holding me down." She giggled and crawled over to sit on her mama but mama was faster than she was and jumped out of bed. "No Zoe holding me down, I'm hungry too!"

Andy and Anna took Zoe by her hands and led their siblings out of the room and down the stairs being extra careful with their littlest sister. Lina had a shower and then got dressed while Tim also showered and dressed. They entered the hallway to find Ziva and Alexis emerging from their rooms.

Rhea, Penny and the Ks' were also up and the table was set, juice poured, the coffeemaker brewing and the tea and hot chocolate water heating. Tim helped his dad finish up in the kitchen and then carried the platters of eggs, bacon and pastries to the table. Ziva followed behind him with the teapot while Alexis carried the thermal coffee carafe and Lina and Penny carried mugs of hot chocolate.

As they ate breakfast, Poppy repeated what the hospital had told him this morning and they figured out their new plans for the day. Everyone would have a visit with Sarah and the baby. Tim and Ziva relayed Tony and Maggie's hope that some of them would attend their holiday concert before going on to the Mallards.

Penny nodded, "Yes, Maggie told me about it weeks ago. I thought we could go for the second hour when they'll be doing carols and such; it should be fun for the children."

Tim took a visual survey of the children, knowing his niece and nephews wouldn't be thinking of anything other than seeing their parents and the babies. His kids looked excited about doing something fun but were trying not to look too excited because of Aunt Sarah and everything. He smiled at them, "Let's do this. Audrey, Adam and Evan need to see their parents and sister as soon as they're awake. Maybe we can visit too but they're the priority today. Then maybe after that we can do something fun, have some lunch at some point, go to the concert and then to Gram and Grandfa's for our dinner and Hanukkah celebration. And we'll see what the Palmers feel like doing too. How does that sound?"

His sister's kids smiled at him, nodding and his kids followed them. Lina squeezed his hand as she continued along the same vein, "All right, let's get the dishes, the table and kitchen cleaned up while one of the adults calls the hospital to see when the Powell children can visit – and the rest of us."

Gemma raised her hand, "Daddy, Mama, can we play in the snow?"

"Yes, might not be today but there will be playing in the snow." The kids grinned at that, they couldn't wait!

With help from everyone but the cook everything was cleaned up. Poppy called the hospital again and was told the Powells had left word that their children could visit any time and that other visitors would also be welcomed. He made a note of the time of the last feeding, figuring that if they headed to the hospital in the next half hour they had a good chance of finding Sarah and James awake. When he told the others that the kids cheered and raced to get their teeth brushed, hair combed and put their socks and shoes on.


	206. Chapter 206

By 1600 they were all headed to the Mallards. Everyone was relaxed and the Powell children were feeling much better after spending most of the afternoon with their parents and baby sister. They'd stayed at the hospital with their family while the others went off to do some of the holiday events in the area. The senior Powells were also at the hospital and they promised to bring the children to the concert if they wanted and if not, directly to the Mallards.

The Palmer family joined the McGees, the Grands and Greats at the hospital for a visit and then went on their way. The McGees visited the National Christmas tree on the Ellipse, the grassy area at the front of the White House, followed by a trip to see the Christmas displays and festivities at the Botanic Gardens.After that, they had lunch out which was a major treat and from there they went to the concert. The children were very happy to see their cousins there and happily sang carols and learned the Dreidel song. Tony and Maggie joined them afterward and were complimented on their singing.

They arrived at Gram and Grandfa's and as the sun began to set, Ziva explained the origins of Hanukkah. The Festival of Light, its true name, originated after the wicks of a menorah in a re-sanctified temple miraculously burned for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day's lighting. As daylight faded into dusk she continued, "The candles fit into this Menorah which was part of my first family and now belongs to all of us, to our family. We will light one candle this evening and then an additional candle at sunset for the next 7 days. The candles may only be used to help us remember the miracle of the oil burning for 8 days and may not be used for regular lighting, cooking or heat. The candle in the middle that sits up higher" she pointed, "is not part of the Hanukkah candle lighting, it is there to provide regular lighting, cooking and heating. Of course we no longer use candles for all that, but it remains as a remembrance of our past."

Ziva lit the candle and recited the special prayer. After she sang one of the special songs of Hanukkah, she invited the others to join her in singing the Dreidel song they'd heard in concert that afternoon. Tony, Maggie and the kids joined her. They had some fun as she showed them how to play the Dreidel game and then handed out Hanukkah _gelt_ or money, in this case chocolate coins for the children from Ziva with some real coins for each of them from their grandparents and great-grandparents.

When they sat down to dinner, their feast included _latkes_ or potato pancakes and their entrée was baked in olive oil, another Hanukkah tradition commemorating the oil burning in the temple. They enjoyed every bite and were promised different treats on the other nights.

On Monday aunts Maggie and Ziva joined the children, again including the Powells and the Palmers, for an afternoon of playing in the snow. The kids had a great time sliding downhill on their plastic saucers. The Palmers shared their sleds and Tim took each of the kids down with him on a run. Ethan, Steve and Evan knew what they were doing, so Andy and Evan were allowed to ride down with them but the rest of the kids sledded with Tim or Poppy.

They all watched, calling out encouragement, as their mother came down with their dad, both of them yelling just like they did. Both Aunt Maggie and Aunt Ziva rode down with Poppy, separately and the kids stopped to watch and giggle. When Tim needed a break, Poppy and Pappouli took over, although first Nonnie and Yaya rode down with them. That was funny too as both women squealed as they took off and then laughed all the way down the hill.

After they'd had enough sledding, they made a snowman. Poppy and Aunty Maggie knew just what to do; they helped them get all the parts packed just right and the bigger kids helped the smaller kids put the parts together. Jorry, Sean, Violet and Gemma were lifted up to put the nose, eyes and pebbles for the snowman's mouth while Ethan and Steve helped Zoe and Davey put the hat on and Anna, Adam and Audrey made sure the pebble buttons were straight down his front. Evan and Andy found long sticks for the snowman's arms and Steve had an old pipe from Grandfa to put in Mr. Snowman's mouth.

They took lots of photos, making sure to group the kids around so that all of the creators could clearly be seen, with Ethan holding Davey who was still too little to stand in the snow by himself. Zoe stood in the very front with her knit cap nearly covering her eyes and Violet's old snow boots coming up past the little girl's knees. Her big Zoe grin outshone her borrowed clothing though and that photo, with all his kids, nephews and nieces, except for the new little one, remained one of her father's favorites for many years.

They went back to Penny's to clean up, have some hot chocolate and change and then they piled back into various vehicles and went back to Grandfa and Gram's for dinner and the second night of Hanukkah.

Tim tried not to laugh as he heard the kids discussing the coins, candy and real, they'd gotten the night before. Anna, Andy and Steve had saved the chocolate coins to eat later and were also planning to save whatever real coins they got. Ziva had explained that one tradition of Hanukkah was children giving their coins to charities rather than getting gifts. They liked that idea until Evan said he was going to save his and buy his baby sister a present. All the kids in Tim's vehicle liked that idea even better and by the time they got to the Mallards, they'd decided to put all their coins together to buy a present for the baby and Aunty Sarah. He told Lina and when the coins were passed out that night there were a few more for each child.

Sarah was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, Christmas Eve, although she and James would spend a great deal of time with the baby at the hospital until little Fiona was allowed to come home. James was advised not to run out and buy baby gear; that the family was going ahead with the planned baby shower Friday evening.

Gibbs and Davos had made a crib and changing table and shipped them to Penny's and since the Powells planned to move anyway, they asked James if he'd like them to pack up and move the family into Penny's that day. He and Sarah thought that was a great idea, especially while there was so much help available. They picked a room for the nursery and George, Poppy and Davos carried the baby furniture upstairs and put it all together.

While Sarah rested in Penny's suite, the men rented a truck, found boxes, packed up the Powells' clothes, electronics, toys, books and sundry items and brought it over to Penny's. Edith, Penny, Claire and Gram took all the decorations off the Powell Christmas tree and brought them over to the house while the men went back for the tree, installing it in the dining room at Penny's. The kids had fun re-decorating the tree with their dad and Uncle Tim helping with the upper parts.

Except for the baby gear, the family would use the furniture already in place at Penny's and sort it all out later. Ziva and Alexis offered to share a room for the rest of their stay which opened up another bedroom and Tim and Lina moved into one of the other empty rooms, leaving the master empty. The temporary playroom was now the nursery, Audrey slept in with the McGee girls in what would be her room once her cousins went home, Adam and Evan bunked in with Andy, Jorry and Sean so that Geordie and Bec would have a room when they arrived and of course the master now belonged to Sarah and James.

Before they went to the children's Christmas Eve service, they met once again at the Mallards to light the third Hanukkah candle. Sarah was at home and Claire stayed with her but James went along for the Hanukkah lighting and the church service afterwards. His children had been telling him about the candle lighting and he was glad to be able to participate.

The church service they went to after their third night of Hanukkah had many children, parents and grandparents in attendance and there was lots of singing. When the singing stopped at one point, Zoe started to sing the Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel song. For a few seconds the sound of her sweet toddler voice could be heard singing the tune probably never before heard in that church and then her mother, sisters, brothers, grandparents, cousins, aunties and uncles and even Colonel Barnes joined in. When they finished she smiled happily and snuggled into her father's arms, still humming the tune. Tim beamed with pride at his family, so happy they'd joined in with Zoe.

After church, the Palmers and DiNozzos returned home while the combined McGee-Powell group drove back to Penny's. Sarah, James, Tim and Lina had come to an agreement a few weeks earlier that their children could open one present on Christmas Eve. The Mallards and Hubbards were also at the house, so Ainsley, Callum and Alexis would also open one gift apiece.

While the group had been at church, Penny and Ziva had sorted through all the presents and randomly selected one for each child, stashing the rest away in Penny's suite to be put under the tree after the kids had gone to bed that night. When the church group walked in the door, they saw 13 gifts under the tree, one for each child including the baby.

Before the gifts were opened, photos were taken of the lovely tree with the wrapped gifts underneath, everything looking very peaceful and calm. Tim and James took turns handing out the gifts and cautioned the children to be careful, not to rip the paper off as they could be destroying their gift. Sarah opened the baby's gift and found two tiny sleep sacks from Gram and Aunty Claire. She pulled them out, "They're darling and I'm so glad you have these ready early, is one of you psychic?"

Claire laughed, "No, we just wanted you to have at least one extra so you could do laundry! There will be more; those are just to get you started!"

Once all the gifts were opened, Tim took more photos, showing the chaos created by opening just those few items. Gram, Grandfa and the Hubbards left shortly after. The children finally went to bed, their parents hoping they would sleep a little later Christmas morning.

Penny laughed when Tim said that. "If they do, that will be a first. You never slept on Christmas Eve night, Timothy, not even when you were nearly Andy's age!"

"I didn't?"

"No, you and Patrick would try to sneak downstairs to peek under the tree or come down and say that Sarah needed your father, me, Gram or one of your grandfathers. Hoping to clear the room I'm sure, so you could get another look. And you were both always up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day - and if Sarah wasn't awake you'd wake her up so she'd either cry or call for us. "

Lina laughed, "Hmm, it seems the acorn didn't fall far from that tree! All three of our boys have been caught poking into closets and under our bed."

Sarah smiled, "So where did you hide everything?"

Tim chuckled, "Here! We shipped just about everything here."

Everyone had a good laugh at that before dispersing to their respective rooms for the night. Lina laughed at Tim as he tossed and turned, "You can't sleep even now, can you?"

He huffed, "I'm just excited about seeing the kids' faces when they open their presents."

"Oh no Timotheos, you can't sleep because it's Christmas, just as Penny said."

He shrugged and then grinned at her, "So you're awake too…"

"We'll have to be quiet!" He smiled as he took her in his arms, whispering, "I can be quiet!"

In the morning Lina was glad that Tim had woken early – if he'd ever really slept - as he'd showered and donned his sweats before she woke. She jumped in the shower when they heard little noises outside their door. When she returned to the room, she found the kids sitting on their bed waiting for her. She looked at the clock, "It's only 6:00 AM! This is entirely too early."

Anna looked at her, "But you and Daddy were awake." Tim and Lina looked at each other and laughed, they were so busted!

"All right, but we'll go downstairs very quietly and fix breakfast for everyone before we open presents. We have to wait until everyone is awake and you may not wake anyone up."

Anna had a funny look on her face. "What is it Annalanna?"

"Audrey's awake but she didn't want to come in, she wants to see her Mama and Dad."

"That's fine sweetie. Her brothers are probably awake too…" Andy smiled, they were. "But it's up to their parents to tell them what to do." The kids nodded. "All right, everyone have slippers and robes?" They nodded again.

"Zoe, will you please help me downstairs?" Zoe giggled at her daddy, he was always needing her help. He held his arms open and she climbed into them. Lina took Jorry and Sean by the hand, "Come on, remember to be quiet!" They giggled as they held on. Tiptoeing down the stairs, the kids gasped when they saw the tree lit up with brightly wrapped packages piled high around it. Jorry looked at his mama, whispering "Do we have to eat breakfast?"

"Yes we do, now, let's get the table set."

Tim made a pot of coffee and pulled out everything for breakfast while Lina and the kids got the dishes out and carefully carried them to the table. Ziva and Alexis were the next to join them and they were even more surprised than the kids at the huge pile of presents. Tim had the tea water going and he poured Alexis a cup of coffee, pointing her to the cream and sugar. He stood there with the coffee pot in his hand and his father appeared looking like he was still asleep but smiling when his son put a full mug of coffee in his hand. "Merry Christmas, son, love you!"

"Merry Christmas, Dad, love you too."

Sarah, James and their kids were the next to join them and then Penny and the rest of the Grands. They had just about everything ready when the Mallards arrived and then they all sat down to a hearty breakfast, enjoying watching the kids squirm with excitement.

Just when Tim thought he'd burst if they didn't start opening presents the doorbell rang and the DiNozzos, the Colonel, Geordie and Bec walked in, their eyes big when they spotted the tree. Their arrival distracted everyone and after they were greeted the newcomers joined the others at the table to have a bite to eat.

Finally Tim couldn't stand it anymore and stood up. Penny started laughing and Lina with her, "Told you!"

He shrugged, "Can't help it!"

He looked at James and Sarah who nodded and he looked at the children, "Ok, go find places to sit on the floor BUT do NOT touch any of the gifts. Your grandfathers will hand them out."

The kids promised and Geordie gave Zoe a piggyback ride into the other room. Tim handed a Santa hat each to Poppy, Davos, George, Tony and Geordie. "Here you go! Now…let's get to work, we have some serious unwrapping to do in there!"

Gram looked at him, her eyes twinkling, "Shouldn't we clean up the breakfast dishes?"

They all laughed as they cheerfully abandoned the mess and followed the kids to the living room.

After the last of the gifts had been opened Hélène and Edith took more photos of the room. The floor was invisible, covered in mounds of discarded wrapping paper, ribbons, bows and of course the gifts themselves. Each child had established a space for their presents so there were groups of boxes and toys all over the room.

The tree of course, was bare underneath, not a single gift children took most of their presents upstairs to their rooms, each keeping one out to show the Hubbards and the Palmers when they adults cleaned up the mess of paper, ribbon and boxes making sure no gift was accidentally thrown out and then the breakfast mess was cleared while the gifts for the Hubbards and Palmers were brought out and placed under the tree.

George chuckled, "Never in a million years would I have dreamt this for James! I have one sister and Edith was an only child!"

Gibbs nodded, "I was an only child and Rhea has a brother."

Davos laughed, "We had more children in the house but not so many presents and I know it was the same for Hélène!"

Grandfa made a noise, "But if you'll notice, none of the gifts are extravagant. Maisie remembers that Tim and Patrick just liked to open presents, they were happy with every little thing and usually got one thing they'd asked for; our children are doing the same thing for their children. There are lots of things to open but most are quite practical or fun inexpensive items."

When the others arrived, they had another round of presents, enjoying watching the recipients' faces when their gifts were opened. As Tim had once told Rob, for him that was most of the fun of gift giving. After they cleaned up again they decided to go for a walk and bundled up.

Sarah stayed back and had a nap while Penny walked through the house relishing having nearly her whole family here. She'd been in despair for many years but had gradually accepted that she was loved and needed by the Hubbards and Cranes and had a place in their family.

She stood looking at her family's portrait, still hanging above the fireplace mantel. "I never would have believed this could happen. I miss you so much, my precious boys and Nelson, my love. But look what I have now. I'm so blessed- we're so blessed to have all found each other. I just wish we'd known about Patrick, gotten to know him as an adult but we have Andy and Sean and maybe someday Sarah Hope will come to us too. And now we have our new baby, thank God Sarah is fine and Fiona will be too. We have an international family and it's wonderful and fun…really seems like a miracle." She looked at the figure of her husband, "Yes, I know I never liked the trappings of organized religion but I've grown in my spiritual beliefs, how can I not with everything that's happened these last few years?"

Humming the Dreidel song, she turned to the kitchen and made tea, putting it in a thermal container and then walked upstairs with a tray holding two mugs and the hot tea. She knocked lightly on Sarah's door and then opened it to find her precious granddaughter sitting up looking at photos. "Do you mind if I come in? I made us some tea."

Sarah patted the bed and Penny put the tray down on the nightstand and cuddled up next to her, happy and content.


	207. Chapter 207

Their day continued as people came and went. Sarah and James were deeply touched by their gift from the Palmers, one of the family plaques from the flea market in Greece, although for now what they received was a photo of the Palmers' family plaque. With his parents' blessing Ethan had e-mailed the Russells on Sunday after they learned the baby's names, asking if they would have the plaque made. They enclosed the list of names and Jimmy added a note that he'd pay them via PayPal or send a money order. They had a reply on Monday that they'd placed the order with the vendor and would pick it up on Friday and get it in the mail and that PayPal was fine, Trina had an account she used in her work.

Andy was a little startled; he knew his family had a plaque like the one in the photo, they'd had a little bit of a ceremony when his dad had taken it off the wall and mailed it to Uncle Rob to have his, Sarah Hope and Sean's names put on. When it came back he saw his first parents, and Grandma Hope's name on there too and that made him happy and sad. He hadn't known that any other parts of the family had a similar plaque and was told the stories of the original plaque, a gift from Uncle Jim to his dad and then Ethan's gift to his parents when Violet was born. That made the Powells' plaque even cooler as far as Andy was concerned.

The Palmers left for their Slater family celebration and this time the kids helped with the wrapping paper cleanup. After they finished, Tim looked at all the kids. "We're having a wonderful day, aren't we? So do you remember what we planned to do next?"

Gemma nodded, "We're going to the shelter where you, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Rob and Uncle Geo used to live."

"That's right, sweetie. I know you each brought something with you from home to give as a present and we have warm clothes and blankets for them and some treats."

Sean looked worried and his dad scooped him up into his arms continuing to talk, "Sean knows what it's like to stay at a shelter, don't you son?"

The little boy nodded, "It's scary."

"Scary and cold and I was hungry a lot."

"Me too."

"So today we can help them feel not so scared, definitely warm, with full tummies and maybe even happy."

There were cheers at that and Tim smiled at them all. "All right, go grab the gift you brought to give and your coats, hats and gloves." He looked at his niece and nephews, "If you want to go too, that's fine, but you don't have to."

Adam smiled and Tim smiled back, "I want to go, Uncle Tim. Mom takes us sometimes to help." Anna nodded, "We do that too, at home."

Zoe stayed at the house with her great-grandmother while her family, including her Uncle Geo and Aunt Bec, drove to the shelter in Baltimore. They were welcomed as they walked into the large main room. Tim smiled as he spotted the Christmas tree and he slipped his Santa hat on. "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas! Is there anyone here who would like another present?"

The kids, allowed to stay inside all day on Christmas Day, looked up and then at each other. Lu, the woman who'd helped the young McGees all those years ago, clapped her hands when she saw them.

"Timothy McGee, Geordie Perry, Merry Christmas!" She turned to the children, "Kids, you know that picture in the kitchen with the two big kids and the two little ones?" Some of them nodded and she continued, "These are the big kids – Tim and Geordie. Geordie and his father stayed here for a few years and Tim, his sister and brother, Sarah and Rob, stayed with us for a few years many years ago. How many years ago Tim?"

He looked at her, shaking his head. "Hmm, who can tell me what 42 minus 12 is?" He was glad to see many of the kids working it out and finally some of them raised their hands. He picked one at random. She said, "30".

"That's right! I was 9 when I started staying here and 12 when we moved to the camp."

The kids stared at him, "You stayed at the camp too?"

"Yes, for 6 more years, until I went away to college."

Geordie told them how long he'd been here and at the camp. The kids were staring at them. Some kids about Anna's age asked them what they did now and Geordie replied that he was a Marine and Tim told them he was a Special Agent with a federal agency, also mentioning that Rob was a doctor, Sarah a bestselling writer. "And these lovely people with me are my wife," Lina smiled and waved, "Geordie's wife," Bec waved and smiled as Tim continued, "our sister Sarah's children," Audrey, Adam and Evan waved, "and my children." His kids smiled and waved. "And these people here," pointing to his parents, in-laws, Tony, Maggie and Ziva, "are our adoptive parents, my wife's parents, another brother and sisters." He smiled, "When I arrived here…" He quickly told them the story of their arrival at the bus station and one of the older boys, Tim thought he was probably on the cusp of ageing out of the shelter, looked at him in surprise. "You're the one with the monster boots who rode in that thing?"

Tim laughed, "Can't believe the story is still floating around, but yeah, that was me and Geordie here is the one who pushed us and our cases in the cart all the way from the bus stations."

"Wow that must have been hard." Geordie and Tim smiled at each other and then Geordie nodded at the children, "We're here as Santa's helpers today. You had presents and treats already, right?"

The kids nodded. "We brought more, I hope that's all right?" That brought smiles, which was a big accomplishment here.

Maggie, Tim and Lina had been working with Lu over the last few months to get a list of names and ages of each child so they'd be sure they had something each one would like or need. Once Maggie had been able to drive again, she'd made a few trips here to observe the children and get an idea of what they needed, sizes, etc. She and Tony had worked in the kitchen several times as had most of the rest of Tim's East Coast family.

Now the kids sat on the floor, Tim and Geordie alternated calling out names and the rest of the visitors handed out the gifts. While that was going on, Lu made a quick list of 3 or 4 newcomers and pressed it into Tim's hand. They'd come prepared for that too and the new little ones were especially surprised to be given something. Each child received an age appropriate toy, book, a solid milk chocolate Santa, a marshmallow Snowman and clothing they needed, mostly warm jackets and gloves although there were a few who were given other items if they already had decent jackets. Three of the children also received gently used suitcases as Lu had reported theirs were falling apart, held together by safety pins and no longer had wheels on them.

Tim had cautioned Maggie, Ziva and Lina, the three shoppers, that any obviously new items would make the kids targets for thieves and bullies so they'd been very careful about their selections. There were a few children who needed new shoes and they sat down on the benches to try on the selection. With an adult's help, each of them picked a pair that fit and then the rest of the shoes were taken to hand out at the camp. If they didn't fit anyone now, Juanita would hold onto them until someone came along who could wear them. The visitors had also brought food for the shelter folks to take with them, in snack packs and bags. Those were also a big hit as they would have their holiday dinner tonight but never knew if they'd have food the next day.

The Hubbards, Cranes and Mallards had been in town last week and paid off the layaway balances at the thrift store just as Tim and Lina had done years ago. The extended family had also donated sleeping bags, suitcases and other items they knew people would need this time of year.

After they had everyone squared away at the shelter and Tim and Geordie had talked about studying hard and keeping focused on school, they drove over to the camp and although it was a little harder to gather people, Nate and Juanita were expecting them and had a nice warm fire going. They were happy to see there were more tents than lean-tos and tarps; that was a big improvement, especially in the winter. Nate brought the old shopping cart out and Tim once again told their story.

Everyone here got a blanket, a pair of warm socks, the children who hadn't been at the shelter were given the same thing the other kids had and then they started passing out the food. Everyone got a can opener first and then spoons and a bowl for each person. After that they were given cans of food that could be eaten cooked or right out of the can, as full of nutrition as the group had been able to snack packs and bags of food were also distributed along with hand warmers. Nate had asked for four replacement suitcases and he directed the distribution of those much to people's surprise.

When Lina heard a baby crying she looked around and one of the kids pointed her to a nearby tent. Tony went with her and they found a young woman with a baby about 3 months old. The woman was trying to nurse and the baby just wasn't getting anything. Sarah had given Lina extra bottles, boxes of formula and canned milk in case they ran into this situation and now she put a bottle together for the child. The baby took it greedily and Lina had to show his mother how to slow him down. Lina sat with the mother, a teenager, for awhile, tucking away dry bags of food in her case and then gave more to Juanita, along with diapers and other necessities to give to the girl when she needed it.

The mother didn't seem all that with it and Juanita confirmed that. The brothers had a talk with their old friend and she agreed that Tim or Geordie would call CPS and when they came to the camp, Juanita would point them to the right tent as it was obvious mother and child badly needed help.

It was nearly 4 by the time they got back to the house and they scrambled to change and get ready for their candle lighting. When they pulled up to the Mallards' home just before sunset, the Powell children were excited to see their family car in the driveway. "Look, Dad's here - that means Granddad, Grandmum and maybe Mom!" The three of them smiled hopefully at each other. They'd had fun with their family but they really missed their parents, it had been a pretty strange Christmas for them.

As they walked in their parents pulled them into their arms, kissing and hugging each of them. "Mmm, missed you guys today! Hey, we have good news!" They waited until everyone was in the house and then announced, "Fiona is coming home tomorrow! The doctor says she's doing so well there's no need to keep her."

After the cheers died down, Sarah smiled at her children and then at the rest of her family, "Thank you so much for taking care of our treasures. Now we'll all be together in our new home!"

When the sun started to set, Ziva looked at her nieces and nephews, "Who wants to explain the Festival of the Lights tonight?"

Evan, Adam and Audrey raised their hands, "We will!" Facing their parents and grandparents, they explained the miracle and some of the traditions. Then they lit the fourth candle as well as the ones previously lit. They sang the Dreidel song again, much to Zoe's delight and then more Hanukkah _gelt _was given out but this time it was all coins. Sarah frowned and opened her mouth but Tim caught her eye and gave his head a quick shake and she nodded, she'd wait to find out what that was all about.

They sat down to their holiday dinner and were surprised when the Colonel, Maggie's father, rose and tapped his glass. "I'd like to propose a holiday toast. This is my first Hanukkah ever and my first Christmas with Maggie and Anthony's family and I must compliment you all on…well everything! I already knew the children are well behaved from our summer trips but to have the baby arrive early and be delivered at home, to have her life saved in front of us all - nobody even blinked an eye, you all just carried on! Now I know there are several Feds, Marines and Navy folks here but there are plenty of civilians too and I am impressed with all of you, yes you youngsters too and I'm very proud to be part of this family. Here's a toast to all of you, to all of us and to those who can't be with us tonight."

The children watched their parents and raised their glasses when they did, saying "Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!"

James and Sarah brought Fiona home mid-morning the next day. The bassinet was ready in the master bedroom, the crib was ready in the nursery, there were at least a dozen packages of diapers and thanks to Santa's elves, Fiona even had a cute Christmas outfit to wear home from the hospital.

While the couple was at the hospital, the children were busy decorating the house for Fiona's welcome home. Monday morning Rhea and Lina had slipped out to a local craft store and purchased enough paper to make a banner along with several other items to decorate the nursery for the infant's welcome home. They'd worried that they'd have to leave for California before she was discharged from the hospital and figured they'd get the banner ready, do up the nursery and then someone, possibly George Powell and Jim Hubbard could put the banner up when it was time.

By the time the baby came through the front door the house was cheerily decorated with banners and all sorts of happy things. Sarah and James were very pleased and thanked them all.

While Fiona and her mother rested, Rhea, Lina, Maggie, Ziva and Claire took the three Powells, Anna and Andy shopping to find gifts for their baby sister/cousin and Sarah. They'd counted their combined _gelt_ but had to recount it as more coins kept appearing. Finally they looked at Aunt Ziva and she smiled, "There are four more candles to light, I am sure you will have this many coins by the time the 8th candle is lit."

They thanked her and were led to a store with lots of baby items where the kids had a great time selecting their gifts. The cashier wrapped each item nicely and there was enough money left over to buy two cards, one from the baby's siblings and the other from the rest of the kids.

Friday morning Tim and his dad were enjoying their first coffees when Tim's phone chimed with a call. He looked at the caller id and frowned as he answered, "Special Agent McGee." He listened and then looking at his father, asked a question, "Does he have the flu or was he given something? Do you know if he has an investigation going?" He listened again, "All right, thank you Captain. If you haven't already, please secure the Agent's office, place a security detail on it 24/7. What are your current coordinates and when's your next port and where?"

Agent Gibbs went to get his laptop and by the time his son the Senior SAIC got off the phone he had it booted up and was opening the programs he'd need. Tim nodded, "Agent Afloat on one of my aircraft carriers has a mysterious illness. Doctor hasn't been able to confirm the cause but suspects and is treating him for poison. Believes he'll make a full recovery but it'll take some time. The Captain says on Christmas Eve, the 'Float reported he was starting an investigation into a drug ring aboard. I'm assigning a full team to investigate and I also want 2 TAD Agents Afloat aboard, not leaving any agent there alone, and a team of four to TAD for my investigators."

The volunteer coordinator nodded and went to work while Tim pulled up his list of available teams. He selected one with a former Agent Afloat as the Team Lead and got busy. Within 10 minutes his team had been alerted and would meet in two hours for their long ride via helicopter, carrier and then fixed wing aircraft to the target carrier. In the meantime, the two TAD agents afloat would come from Seattle and Manila and would join the investigative team on the first carrier. Once that was settled, Gibbs went to work on the replacement TAD team while McGee contacted the Captain to advise him of the arrivals. The man was suitably impressed, "How did you get all that done so quickly?"

"I know where everyone is over the holidays and I know the backgrounds of my leads; the head of the investigative team is a former Agent Afloat and none of his team planned to be out of town for the holidays. Also, the volunteer coordinator – the agent who handles finding and sending out TADs for us – is my father and we're on vacation together."

The Captain chuckled, "That's a good thing Agent McGee! Thanks for your efforts."

"I'll be your contact for any status updates until they arrive."

"Understood."

Gibbs was just hanging up from his second call. "Got two of them set, working on the third and fourth." It took him awhile but he finally found the agents Tim needed and then worked to get them to their temporary office.

By the time the others straggled into the kitchen, the two men were relaxing over another cup of coffee. Lina took one look at her husband and exclaimed, "You're working!"

He shrugged, "What is it that gives me away?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm not giving up that secret. But you are working."

Rhea looked at her husband, "And so is Jethro!"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, we just spent about an hour putting together a plan to help out some of my people. We're done now although we'll both be getting updates throughout the day."

He'd already sent a heads up text to Vance, figuring the SecNav might catch wind of the unexpected civilians on her aircraft and the carriers. Now he'd wait for updates.

He got the first one an hour later as they finished eating breakfast; his team was in the air. The Captain called him to give him a status report on the Agent Afloat; he had indeed been poisoned and would be airlifted off to the nearest hospital, probably Okinawa. Tim took that call in his grandfather's office with the door closed, "Did he tell you anything about this drug ring, who and where their contacts ashore are and what kind of drugs, was he talking heroin, ecstasy or prescription drugs?"

"He mentioned he thought the ring had connections in, oh…Okinawa and no he didn't mention what drugs."

"What I was afraid of. Any chance of taking him to another facility?"

"I'll talk with the doctor."

"If not, I'll alert our team there and they can provide a security detail. It's tough not yet knowing who or what is involved, especially if they've already gone to this much trouble for an investigation that doesn't sound like it was off the ground yet."

"Agreed. I'll keep you posted."

Tim disconnected and started searching for other medical facilities within range of the carrier's aircraft. He found two he liked because they had teams there and sent a text to the Captain. The reply was an agreement for one of the two and Tim notified the appropriate team.

Other than getting ready for the no-longer-a-surprise baby shower that afternoon, nothing had really been planned. Tim, Tony and Geordie went to a notary with Poppy and Ziva and her adoption papers were duly signed, notarized and mailed to the State of Virginia as Gibbs' permanent address was still the house in Arlington. Errands were run and the kids went swimming while the two men received updates on the drug case and agents throughout the day.

The shower was fun and Sarah and James were bowled over with all the gifts. The knitting trio of Claire, Maisie and Lina's sister-in-law Margaret had once again provided sleep sacks of all sizes and weights and Sarah laughed, "There are enough for the next year!"

"Our knitting needles are ready if you need more!"

There were all kinds of cute outfits, enough to clothe Baby Fiona for her first few months. Once again, the Greats had provided a stroller, portable crib, bouncer and 'kiddie corral' for home and away. The McGees had brought the Cranes' christening outfit with them. Perhaps the most anticipated gifts however, were those from the children. When Sarah picked up the first one, there was a hush in the room and she looked around. "What?"

Lina gave a slight nod to Evan and he handed his mother the two cards. "Open these first, Mom, please."

She smiled and opened the one on top, the card from Adam, Evan and Audrey. "Oh, that's so sweet, thank you!"

She handed it to James and the two gathered their children to them. Finally they opened the second one and Sarah smiled when she saw it was from the rest of the children, "Thank you sweeties!"

Then they opened the gifts and the kids watched, a little anxious. They needn't have feared, it was a big hit as was the second gift, the one for Sarah.

After the party, the group cleaned up the house and then once again headed over to the Mallards to light their candle and dinner. This time the Powell family stayed home, wanting some time together.

As they left his grandparents' home that night, Tim's phone buzzed with a text; all 6 agents, the investigators and the replacement Agents Afloat, were aboard the target carrier. Tim was relieved they were aboard, now they could figure out what was going on, get it stopped and arrest whoever was involved. His dad had received confirmation hours ago that the TADs for the investigators had reached their temporary offices.

The next two days, the last ones of their stay, flew by. Andy had asked if they could visit NCIS HQ and they did that on Saturday. Not everyone wanted to go so Tim, Poppy and Tony took Andy, Anna and Zoe. The security guard knew Tony but not the others which felt very strange to Gibbs and McGee. There were very few people around but they did run into a surprised Rick Carter in the squad room. "Hey, look at you guys! Merry Christmas!"

"Hey Rick, good to see you – Merry Christmas!"

Tim smiled at his kids, "Rick, you remember Anna and Zoe and this is my son Andy."

"Wow, I'd know that right away, he looks just like you! And Anna, it's good to see you again and this is the baby, growing up fast! So, coming in to check on your old bullpen?"

"Yeah, Andy hasn't seen it before and Anna wanted to see the letters again."

"I want to see if there are new ones for you, Daddy."

"And your Uncle Tony, Aunt Maggie, Aunt Bec, Uncle Matt and Uncle Ned." She nodded. Tony pulled Andy, "C'mon Andy, I'll show you our old desks. Your dad left some stuff behind."

They went through the bullpen and Tim shook his head as he saw the by now ancient Venetian Snares banner still there. "I should just take that down!"

He reached out but Rick, Tony and Dad yelped, "No!"

"Why not, why is it important?"

Tony looked at him, "It just is."

Tim rolled his eyes and his dad said, "You don't even know who sits there now, he – or she – might be attached to it."

Rick chuckled, "Yeah, you don't want to deface government property."

Andy was still looking around, "You really put that up, Dad?"

"Yep, about a hundred years ago."

His father snorted, "In 2004, Andy, not quite a hundred years."

He turned to Rick, "Hey did you hear Ziva's working at the United Nations now?"

Rick nodded, "Yeah, Leon mentioned it. How's she like it?"

Tim huffed, "She loves it but can't decide whether it's the job or having her own place and a personal life again."

Anna added, "She's teaching us about Hanukkah, we've been lighting candles at Grandfa's all week." Andy chimed in, "It's pretty cool!"

"Oh so she's here?"

"Yeah, she flew in when we did last weekend."

Anna was pulling her father along now as she wanted to show Andy the letters and the old team pictures from when her dad was a kid. Tim looked back at Tony who was chasing Zoe, "Zoe, would you please bring Uncle Tony?"

The little girl grinned and changed course to follow the rest of her people. Anna was happy to see the new letters and proudly pointed out the photos and the letters to her older brother. Andy looked at each one, thinking how great it was that his dad, uncles, aunts and grandfather helped so many people.

Afterward they took all the kids to Gaylord's Resort to see an interactive indoor walk-through winter wonderland created entirely of 5,000 blocks of ice hand-sculpted by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling nine degrees Fahrenheit. They were already warmly dressed but were loaned oversized winter coats to wear along with their own scarves, hats and gloves. The kids had a wonderful time as the structure was built for guests to roam around inside and around and on top of the holiday scenes.

They played in the snow again on Sunday and had time for a swim afterward. Lina later remarked to her husband that they should be happy that the kids liked the snow since they'd eventually be living in it. He had to think about it and finally admitted snow was a lot more fun to play in with their kids than having to drive to work or process a crime scene in it.

On Sunday he also had an update from his team aboard the aircraft carrier. They'd found the poisoned agent's notes about the drugs and suspicions of who and what might be involved. They were taking extra precautions but reported they were making headway; evidently the poisoning of the agent had scared a few people into talking about what they knew or had witnessed. The Agent Afloat had been airlifted to a hospital and was listed in critical but stable condition.

After one last family breakfast together, Geordie and Bec left for home early Sunday afternoon. The McGees spent a couple of hours packing, making sure they had all the Christmas presents tucked in their suitcases before going to Gram and Grandfa's. The Mallards were flying to California with them tomorrow while the Kalivas' would fly home to Greece, returning in late spring or when Lina was needed in Barcelona. George and Edith were also leaving; they had non-refundable tickets and had been in the U.S. for six months, as long as they were allowed in one visit. They'd fly home to Castleton, returning in a few weeks. The Gibbses were staying behind to help Sarah and James any way they could.

The last night of Hanukkah was a bit subdued as the family prepared to scatter again the next day. They lit the last candle and sang Zoe's favorite song. After dinner, when the candles had been burning for 30 minutes, the children helped Ziva use the candle snuffer to extinguish them. Then she wrapped the menorah to take home with her, along with a lot of wonderful memories.

The McGee-Mallard group was unusually quiet the next day on their flight home. They'd said goodbye to Penny and the others last night although Poppy and Nonnie had gotten up to say goodbye again this morning. The McGees were spread out in a middle aisle with Tim and Lina at each end, the children in the middle and the Mallards across the aisle on one side. While the kids watched movies, read or slept, Tim tried to sleep; when that didn't work he walked up and down and around with Zoe, Jorry and Sean, Grandfa and Gram. Then they sat while the older kids and Lina got up and moved around. Eventually they landed in San Diego and Tim had to admit he was very glad to feel the relative warmth of the sun when they emerged from the terminal. He missed those they'd left behind but still it was good to be home.


	208. Chapter 208

After celebrating New Year's 2020, Tim returned to work January 2nd and spent two full days wading through his e-mails. He spent some time sorting it and then dove in. By Friday night he'd dealt with the case reports from all of his teams, luckily he'd been mostly caught up before he left and the caseloads had been fairly light while he was gone. Next up were the messages from Vance he hadn't yet viewed; the Vance family had spent Christmas in Greece and would be returning this weekend so Tim thought he'd better get up to speed. He took his laptop home and managed to catch up on the hottest items over the weekend.

Saturday morning, Lina was just pouring coffee for the two of them when his laptop chimed with a Skype call. He answered and called her over when he saw it was Rob and Ned. "Hey guys, Happy New Year!" He looked at his brother-in-law whose face apparently hadn't yet decided how it felt about whatever the reason for the call. Tim huffed, "I know that look Ned. Where and when?"

"Bethesda, February 3rd."

"YAY! That'll work great for you both, right? Rob?"

His youngest brother was grinning at them. "Yes, I've worked it out; I'm doing the rest of my residency at Johns Hopkins."

"That's wonderful guys, I know it's going to be tough leaving Greece, but we're really glad to have you back here, I can't wait! It'll be so good to see you two more than once a year!"

Ned nodded, "My mom said the same thing, said she was really glad she'd been here for Christmas and not to ever expect her in Maryland during the winter."

"I hope she'll change her mind by next Christmas, after all, who doesn't love snow at Christmas?" Lina laughed at the silence following her remark. "Come on, it's just weather! You'll be home with the rest of the family nearby!"

"Have you told Dad and Rhea yet?"

Rob nodded, "They weren't online so I called Dad on his cell; they sounded pretty excited."

"I'll bet! Hey Ned, what do you know about your new office?"

"Team of four, the current SAIC is being transferred somewhere. SFA was promoted in a few months ago, one junior and a probie." Ned smiled as he continued, "I recommended Rusty as my replacement and Vance talked with him yesterday, he's accepted. And I'll tell you, Tim, I think he's here for the long haul."

Rob added, "Have you talked with any of them?"

"Yes, we chatted with Pete and Trina right after we talked with you on Christmas."

Ned's transfer home had started the flurry of agent movement the Director had been planning for weeks and the first month of the year saw changes in several offices. London had a new Team Lead promoted from one of Tim's teams, a move he and Joel had recommended months ago and Agent Winters was transferred to somewhere in the U.S., Tim didn't look to see where, as long as it wasn't on one of his teams he didn't really care but he hoped it was a team who were trained in MMA and that they made her eat her words. At his request, Lydia Worden took the vacancy on his team left by the London promotion and she freely admitted she was very happy about the move. Tim's Team Lead at Button Willow, Maya Maradona, was moved over to Marine West and took Lydia's Team Lead spot, that was a more visible position for her and would open up more possibilities and a SFA from the Central office was promoted to take her place in Button Willow. There were other transfers but those were the ones that mattered most to Tim.

A new job type was also announced: an investigative agent. This would be an in-house agent to handle ongoing investigations without being rated for the field. Tim was fairly certain his sister-in-law Maggie would be the first of these agents. He was wrong, however, as Dwayne Wilson was the first to apply and be accepted for the job. Although he had physically recovered from his injury, he had still not been cleared for more than desk duty and Tim had heard from Maggie and Ned that Dwayne's wife did not want him to return to the field. To Tim's further surprise, the second person to apply and be accepted was also not Maggie, but Carla Hofstadler who had second thoughts about resuming field work and saw this as a perfect opportunity.

One morning Vance called him and the subject of the new position came up. Vance chuckled, "I hoped Wilson and Maggie would go for it but I hadn't thought about Carla. And I'm getting requests from agents who are pushing the mandatory age limit for the field, wanting to know if they're eligible."

"Are they?"

"Yes, conditionally - as long as we have the funding to pay for them; if that changes, they'll have to retire in favor of the younger agents retaining the position. And isn't that a harsh fact of life?" He paused before continuing in a more formal tone, "Tim, one of the reasons I called today is that I want you to handle the new program."

"Sir?"

"It's a pilot program and I need someone who's closer to the teams than I am to handle it. You're now in charge of the investigative agent program."

"Director, I'll be happy to take it on, but shouldn't Assistant Director Craig…"

"Huh…Special Agent McGee, how long have you been in that position now?"

"Five months." Tim wondered about his boss's non sequitur.

"I was going to wait six months but what the heck. Craig is returning to the field as a Team Leader, it's what he feels he does best. As I said, I was going to wait until you'd been there for another month, but you're doing well. You sitting down?"

"Yes."

"All right, Tim, now you need to know this is not a spur of the moment decision, I've had it in mind since I moved you home from Greece. I'd like you to be my Assistant Director."

Tim couldn't seem to talk although he managed to get a sound out and Leon chuckled, "You ok there?"

"I'm sorry, Director, I seem to be having some sort of auditory problem."

"No you aren't, you heard right, Special Agent McGee. I'll make the announcement next week, give you time to let your family know."

"Sir, I…what responsibilities does that carry?"

"First of all, you have to be sworn in formally so I can legally pass along Director level items to you."

"Sworn…in…"

"Yep, we'll do it out there, no need to trek back here unless you have another reason."

"Uh, well…can it wait until February? We're flying out for the baby's baptism."

"When in February?"

"The 15th; we're planning on taking the red eye on Valentine's Day, the baptism is on Saturday and we're flying home Sunday."

"Made your reservations?"

"Not yet."

"Ok, good, let me look at the schedule…"

Tim heard him call for Ms. Cook and then her voice, "Here's the latest from the Secretary's office, Director."

"Thank you Pam." There was silence for a minute before Vance spoke again.

"Tim, the Secretary will be out of the country that week, joining the Secretary of Defense somewhere so her jet will be available. Any chance the kids can miss a couple of days of school, Thursday and Friday?"

Tim chuckled, "They're off the 13th, 14th and 17th Director."

"Great; will Lina be available and the rest of the gang?"

Tim huffed, going through the list aloud, "The Mallards will be flying with us, the Gibbses are already back there, I believe Matt and Damian are coming with us and Lina's parents are flying from Greece to DC on that Thursday."

"Ok, then we'll get you here on Thursday and have the ceremony on Friday. Then you can still leave on Sunday but you'll have the jet again. Maybe I'll come back with you, time I took a swing through, especially with the new TLs out there. When are the Russells coming and Joel and Carol leaving?"

Tim felt his head start to swim. "Sir, I'll answer that in a minute, please can we confirm this?"

"The position or the travel?"

"The responsibilities first and then the travel and I'm confused about Craig and AD Grainger."

Leon leaned back in his chair, chuckling, "Sorry, I did get a little carried away, didn't I? All right, first of all, Craig wants out, as I said - pure and simple he wants to go back to being a Team Lead. Grainger's sole responsibility as AD is OSP and that's not going to change; your areas of responsibilities will rarely overlap. Your area of responsibility encompasses the rest of the agency…if I get hit by a truck that means you get the big chair and Grainger reports to you. You'll be getting a formal letter from me requesting you accept the position and outlining the responsibilities, but here's what the main ones are…"

He filled his new AD in on those while he sent Pam an IM to go ahead and send Tim the document they'd drafted earlier, the formal request that Senior SAIC Timothy McGee become his Assistant Director.

After all the questions were answered, the two men talked about the travel plans and then the Russells' visit which had been moved to March. Leon seemed perturbed by that, "Why did it move back? Pete didn't mention it."

"Probably because their overall trip plans haven't changed; they're going elsewhere before they come here. They pushed it back because Lina has to go to Barcelona for her project in late February and won't be back until mid-March, plus we have Anna and Andy's birthdays and the baptism during the month, it's going to be crazy." He amended the thought, "Crazier than usual."

Vance snorted. "And it's about to get more fun!"

For all that his boss had re-focused their conversation and answered his questions, Tim's head was still swimming when he hung up the phone and he sat staring at it. He looked up when his assistant knocked on his door. He motioned her in. "What's up, Kath?"

"Admiral Moaker, he's quite insistent he speak with you."

Tim frowned, "Moaker…yes…he's not coming here is he?"

She opened her mouth, shut it and opened it again, "You know, I'm not sure; think we should move the pictures?"

"Yes, not a bad idea. Just in case." They took the photos of Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim down and replaced them with some of the Christmas photos, especially the one with Zoe in front of the snowman. Tim smiled, "That one stays." He pulled the appropriate file out of his drawer; it was the drug ring case the Admiral likely wanted to talk about. He did a quick review; in the last few hours he'd spoken with the Commanding Officer and his investigating Team Lead. They were in port in Sydney and had pulled in ship's security and Marines from the closest base to make the arrests. They'd coordinated with the team on the ground in Okinawa who had arrested the suppliers at the same time. They'd done a good job of preparing and the sailors aboard the carrier who were involved were arrested without incident, facing not only the drug charges but also conspiracy to kill a federal agent and attempted murder of a federal agent. His agent afloat was still in the hospital where he'd be for quite some time. He'd lost a kidney and part of his liver to the poison and Tim thought he might be another candidate for the investigative agent position.

As prepared as he could be, he reached for his desk phone to call the Admiral only to catch movement in his peripheral vision. He hung up when he saw it was an Admiral, had to be Moaker. The man had been briefed by his staff on the takedown and had come in to discuss it with McGee. In Moaker terms that meant he talked and everyone else listened. Tim was relieved to hear that the man was pleased with the investigation and the operation, wanted to know the status of the injured agent and assured the Senior SAIC that security would be tightened to avoid this kind of incident in the future. When he finally ran out of breath, Tim mentioned that he would be making a full report to Secretary Porter with recommendations and would ensure he got a copy of the report.

As the admiral finally turned to leave, he looked at the photos on the wall and pointed to the one with the snowman, "All those kids yours?"

"No sir, my nieces and nephews are in there too."

"Ah, I see. Heard you have a large family."

"We do, Admiral, my wife and I have 6 children, four of whom are adopted."

The admiral turned and smiled at him, "Now that's good to know! I grew up in foster care myself, glad to meet someone who's helping kids out."

He moved closer to Tim and held his hand out for a handshake. As he left he called back, "Put Crane's photo back up, I won't hold that against you, besides, he's retired now!"

Tim leaned back in his chair. That had not been at all what he'd expected from his godfather's nemesis but he'd take it!

Before anyone or anything else could interrupt him, Tim grabbed his laptop, phone and the files he'd work on over the weekend and left for home. He needed to talk with Lina!

He was so early that the children weren't home yet and he heard her singing the Dreidel song in her studio. She exclaimed when he knocked and she exhaled a sigh of relief when she saw it was him.

"Timotheos, you scared the life out of me!"

"Hope not LinaMelina! Doors were locked and the alarm was on."

"I know but still." She looked at him, "You've had news, oh please don't tell me we're moving!"

He shook his head, "No but I have a new title: Assistant Director."

"Assistant Director? Is that instead of Senior SAIC?"

"Yes, although I'll still be the SSAIC too. It's more responsibility and yes, more pay."

"Isn't there one already? I've heard you and Jethro talk about someone…"

"Yeah, Jerome Craig has been the AD for a few years but he's asked to be replaced, wants to go back to being a team leader."

Lina looked suspicious, "Do you know why, do you know the man?"

"I don't know why other than all the reasons I'd have to return to the field and yes, I've met him. When Jackie died, Leon took time off and Craig was called to DC as Acting Director. Dad said he freaked out, that it seemed like he was terrified and just didn't want to be there."

"How long was he there?"

Tim had to stop and think. "At least a month, Vance was in and out of the office, he…well it was a really bad time for him and the kids."

She nodded and threw her arms around his neck saying "I don't want to think about that."

He nuzzled her neck, "Me neither."

Then she giggled as he reached a hot spot. "Perhaps you should show me just what an Assistant Director can do."

He nearly growled, "How much time do we have?"

"65 minutes until Zoe comes home."

He made a noise and she decided it would be a waste of precious time and energy to bother going upstairs.

By the time the children came home their parents were putting snacks together. Andy stopped when he walked into the kitchen and saw his father home. "Dad! You're home early, really early!"

"I am son, decided to work from home this afternoon."

"I guess you can do that because you're the boss, huh?"

Tim huffed, "Something like that, Andy. Hey, you thought about what you want for your birthday or what you want to do?"

"Mmm have a party, I guess. Can I have a movie party, you know, invite my friends to go to a movie with me? And then come back here after?"

"Yes, that sounds good and how about we have dinner here afterward?"

"Cool! How many people can I invite?"

"How many do you want to invite?"

"Mmm, maybe 6?"

Lina smiled, "That's fine son."

"Oh I forgot, Mama you won't be here."

"Oh yes I will be! I'm not leaving until the 25th so I will be here for your birthday. How about we have your party the weekend before your birthday? We can have your movie party on Saturday and your family party on your actual birthday Tuesday."

"Sure! I thought you were going to Spain after the baptism?"

"No, that's what your Uncle Damian wanted to do; he didn't realize we would miss your birthday that way, so we've changed our plans. We'll come home from DC with the rest of you and then leave the following week."

Andy's smile lit up the room; he'd been trying not to think of his mother not being here for his birthday, his first one with the family. "Wow, you're the best, Mom, Dad, thank you!"

He kissed both of them and then ran upstairs to tell Anna.

Tim took Lina in his arms, "He's right, you are the best!" She gave her light laugh and he groaned into her hair as she whispered into his ear, "You're pretty awesome yourself, my love."

"Mmm, they can get their own snacks…let's go back to the studio."

"Oh no, it took too long to get the paint off!"

"Yeah but it was really fun getting it on us!"

She licked his ear and he pulled back, "You don't play fair!" She saw a dab of paint she'd missed and swiped at it with her finger and continued a thought, "Your grandparents are coming for dinner. We should call your parents now."

He almost asked why they were calling and then shook his head, hoping to restore function to some of his brain cells.

"Need to tell the kids first, they'll hear us and can't leave them alone."

"Then let's wait until after dinner and interrupt your parents' evening."

He nodded his agreement and she told him a funny story she'd heard from their neighbor Janeese. One of their neighbors told all of his buddies he'd proposed to his girlfriend and she'd said yes. He'd apparently been roaring drunk at the time and the girlfriend knew nothing about it until someone congratulated her. She'd retaliated by buying a huge ring and booking the banquet hall of a local hotel for their wedding. He'd blustered and then confessed and she'd relented enough to tell him the ring was a cheap fake and the banquet hall was also a pretense. Tim laughed as Lina told him.

"Nicely played although he'll never live that down!" He paused, "If that were you and me, what would you expect from me?"

"Honesty, flowers, a special treat, apologizing until I told you to stop."

He huffed, "So same thing I do when I've been stupid?"

She smiled at him, "You're never stupid. Sometimes stubborn or tired, but never stupid."

He shook his head, "Hope that continues! Stubborn is bad enough and tired, well that happens."

They kept an eye on the kids who were working on a project together in the family room; even Zoe was occupied with it. When his grandparents arrived, the children called them into their lair but didn't want their parents to enter. Tim made a face, "I thought we had a few more years before they wouldn't want us around."

Lina chuckled, "They're working on some sort of surprise for us."

"Oh! That's okay then."

Finally they sat down to dinner and while they ate, Tim told them of his new title. Andy put his fork down and stared at him. "Like Uncle Leon?"

"No, he is the Director, he runs the agency. I am the Assistant Director; he'll delegate some of his responsibilities to me."

Gemma scrunched her face in thought, "What's delegate mean?"

"It means he trusts me to do some of his work, some of the things he's supposed to do. Does your teacher ever have to leave the room?" The older kids nodded. "And does she just leave or does she tell someone they're in charge?"

"She tells someone."

"When she does that, she is delegating part of her job to that student."

"Oh."

"What kind of things will you do, Daddy?"

"Well…here's a good example - there's a new job type out there. Remember how I used to go out in the field to catch bad guys and I would investigate things at the office too?" They nodded. "The new job will let people investigate the bad guys, do all the phone work and computer searches but they wouldn't have to go out of the office to chase the bad guys."

Ducky looked surprised and then smiled at Tim who smiled back and said, "There have been two people who have applied and been accepted so far. Dwayne Wilson and our own Carla."

Lina sighed in relief, "Oh good. But wouldn't that be good for …"

They suddenly realized this probably wasn't a good discussion to have around the children so Tim went right back to his explanation.

"I'll be in charge of looking at the people who apply for that and deciding whether they can do that or not."

"Timothy, is this for new employees too?"

"Right now it's a pilot program so it will be in-house only, people already employed with the agency." He stretched his leg under the table and gave his grandfather a gentle nudge as he changed the subject.

"So for this new thing, to be an Assistant Director, I have to take an oath, be sworn in."

"Like the president, hand on a bible?"

"Yes son, although it's a different oath of office and the person swearing me in will be an Undersecretary of the Navy, not the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court!"

"An undersecretary?"

"Yes Grammie, SecNav won't be available that week so she'll _delegate_ that to someone else." He winked at Gemma who smiled back at him.

"In Washington?"

Tim smiled, "Yes!"

"Are we all going, Daddy?"

"Yes, it's the same week as Fiona's baptism. We'll fly to DC on Thursday, have the swearing-in ceremony on Friday, the baptism on Saturday and fly home on Sunday."

"Dad, that's really cool, Assistant Director."

Anna was frowning, "Daddy, can you be the Assistant Director here or are we going to move?"

"I'll be doing it here, Anna. I'll be doing the job I'm doing now and that job."

"Two jobs, that's a lot!"

Tim smiled at his eldest daughter as he replied, "I know it sounds like a lot but many of the new responsibilities tie right in with what I'm already doing."

"Oh, that's good." Tim could see that his grandparents had more questions but had decided to hold onto them until the children were doing something else.


	209. Chapter 209

Long chapter today, partly story and partly because there's an updated character list at the end. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>CH 209<p>

After dinner, Tim and Lina slipped into his office for a Skype call with the Gibbses. When his dad and Rhea appeared on screen they both looked tired.

"Everything all right there?"

"Yes, we're all fine. You two look tired though!"

"New baby and 3 active youngsters. Fiona and her parents haven't figured out a routine yet and she has a knack for waking up just as the rest of us are falling asleep."

"You're staying upstairs?"

Rhea nodded, "Yes, the kids have been restless during the night, too much change at once I guess, so we're staying in the room you were in."

"So Penny's the one sleeping all night."

They smiled, "Which is good because she's been helping during the day."

Tim shook his head, "Always knew we were very lucky with Jorrin and Zoe, just didn't realize how much!"

His father laughed, "Oh no, you've forgotten the first months, Tim! You were zombies with both babies and we were all there to help!"

Tim and Lina looked at each other and shrugged, they had forgotten.

"So do you have news?"

Tim just looked at his dad, "Yes. But how did you know?"

"Had to pop into the office today to drop off some reports and saw Leon. He said you might be calling."

Tim huffed. "Might be…huh. Yeah, in the middle of a conversation about a new job program the agency is piloting he first said he wanted me to take on the responsibility for it and then went on to tell me he's making me his Assistant Director - that Craig wants out."

Rhea was surprised while his dad looked like he was going to burst. "Dad?"

"So proud of you, Timothy, so damn proud!"

Rhea leaned in, "So you're like the vice president, anything happens to Leon you're it?"

Tim cringed but nodded, adding, "Yes, although it would be Acting Director until Vance returns to work or if that's not a possibility, the Secretary of the Navy decides who is best for the job. There are also various responsibilities that come with the job."

"That this other guy has been handling?"

Dad shook his head, "No, Craig hasn't done much; he told me he didn't have time."

Tim's eyes widened, "He tell Vance that?"

His father huffed, "Probably not since he's still employed."

Rhea continued, "So these are new things for you?" Tim explained it to them much as he had to the kids and she nodded her understanding.

"Thing is, to do the job right, I need to be privy to the same level of information the Director is. And to do that, I have to take an oath."

Now his dad grinned, "You gonna be sworn in?"

"Yes, the day before the baptism. Leon says he doesn't have any high level stuff for me right now, so we can wait a few weeks."

"Wow! At the Pentagon?"

"No Dad, I asked if we could do it aboard the Yard."

"In Vance's office."

Tim smiled, "Well, I'm allowed to invite the whole family and we won't all fit in his office."

"Timothy, that's…wonderful. And…"

"Yeah, I know. Still hoping for a couple more years here."

His father shook his head, "Once he gets you sworn in and up to date on everything, he's going to realize how close he is to his escape."

Rhea chuckled, "Escape?"

Jethro nodded, "Yeah, there's been a lot on his shoulders, especially since Jackie died and without a decent AD he's had to carry it all." He looked at his son, "First thing you do is find your own AD!"

Tim managed to keep from rolling his eyes. "If and when, Dad. I have a few people in mind, have to check the regs. But all that isn't happening now, if it even happens to me at all."

His father gave him a look that Tim gave right back to him. Their wives exchanged looks and Rhea re-directed the conversation. "Are you going to call everyone?"

Lina nodded, "We thought we'd do a family Skype call, easier that way. It would be nice if we could wait until Rob and Ned get here but Tim says Leon wants to make a formal announcement."

"Just as well, don't want any of the family to hear through the grapevine."

After their call, they put together an e-mail request for a Skype call on Sunday. Lina input the addresses and Tim's eyebrows climbed his forehead as he watched her add more and more names. "Lina, no, that's…no, it should just be the family, that's enough as it is!"

"I'm just adding our extended family!"

He shook his head; he was discovering that the thing with large families was everyone's need to know. This was embarrassing; his boss had just asked him to take on more stuff; that was really all. Except it wasn't, it was kind of like being the 'vice president' of the agency. Geez, this possibility that had been hanging over his head for the past few years was getting closer and closer. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the value of pi. He had it out to 43 places before he was calm enough to open his eyes again and found Lina sitting there waiting patiently. "I have an idea, instead of a Skype call, why don't we just tell them in the e-mail. Then it won't seem quite as…braggy."

"Braggy?"

"Yeah…like a kid…'look boss made _me_ his assistant, aren't I special?'."

"You're embarrassed!"

"Not by the job, by the big deal everyone's making."

"Timothy, you are being sworn in, taking an oath, how is that not a big deal?"

He shrugged but could tell by her tone that she was getting frustrated with him. He took her hand, "I took an oath when I joined the agency Melina. And…I'm scared. I'm scared that this will be too much; it'll take too much away from us - you and me – and the kids. We have little enough time together as it is and now," he sighed before continuing, "…all the steps up to this I could handle, but this…it feels like there's a hangman's rope dangling with my name on it and now it's been looped around my neck. Not tightened yet; if Vance retires and does what you all keep saying he's going to, that's when the rope gets tightened."

She had tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. "You're overwhelmed." He nodded, his head resting on her shoulder, turned into her neck, "I'm overwhelmed and afraid of what this will do to us. I can do the job, I just don't know if I want to."

"Then we'll walk away, together. You are not in this alone, Timotheos. In your work, yes but not in anything else. And we _can_ walk away. You'll write and I'll continue my artwork. We'll cut back, we can always sell the house and move onto the property, really start helping out with getting the McGee Home up and running. The children will be fine, as long as they have our love and care, they'll be fine. And you and I will be fine, we'll work this out together my love."

She looked up as Grandfa peeked in and frowned in concern. She made a 'come in' gesture with her hand and he came in and sat down beside Tim, patting his back. "My dear boy, you are totally overwhelmed with this, aren't you? Please listen to Melina; you are not alone in this, we'll be here to support you in whatever way you need us. And if you decide not to accept it, that's fine, Timothy, there will be no trouble from any of those who love you."

Tim moved a little bit so he could see his grandfather, "I'm being a wimp about this and I don't want to let anyone down."

"You are being a human being, not a wimp and you will not let anyone down unless you let yourself down."

"The thing is, I don't mind doing the work; I don't mind that. It's the title, what it really means; making a big deal about it, the time it'll take away from our family and…what else might follow."

"You mean becoming Director?" Tim nodded. "You don't have to do that. You could take this on and still walk away. You can walk away anytime you want or need to; your predecessor Craig is a prime example of that. You and Lina have the means to support your family and heaven knows your grandmothers and I can certainly help with that."

Tim sighed, "I know I could write fulltime, but it's not what I set out to do."

"Which was?"

"To make sure kids have parental love and care and to catch all the bad guys I could so nobody else's family would be murdered."

His grandfather was rubbing circles on his back; he was starting to relax a little. "You have done that my boy. You and Lina, Sarah and James, Jimmy and Breena have given homes to 11 children who otherwise would not have had any."

Tim frowned, "9, Grandfa."

Ducky chuckled, "No my dear Timothy, it is 11, you have forgotten Rob and Geordie and I could also add 3 adults who badly needed families – Jethro, Anthony and Ziva - and I suppose me as well if I hadn't already considered you and Jimmy my family. You've been watching out for those without families, without love, Timothy, you've been doing it all along. And you are still taking down bad guys. You may not be the one slapping the cuffs on them anymore but you are still responsible for taking them off the streets, helping their victims and their loved ones."

Tim nodded and straightened up so he could take his grandfather's hand. The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes before Lina spoke, "We will send this out in an e-mail, my love. I'm sorry I overreacted, it's because I am so proud of you."

He huffed, "Thank you, I appreciate your pride and I can feel that Grandfa is about to tell me I need to learn to accept it. Everyone's going to make whatever they want out of this; I'd just rather not start off with making it a big deal."

"That's your sticking point then?"

"Mostly, I still feel the noose around my neck but I can deal with that, just…I'd really like to keep this as low key as possible."

His grandfather chuckled, "We can try dear boy, but you know how this family likes to celebrate."

Tim nodded absently, that was true. He was calmer now and feeling more at peace with things. Not that this was that big a deal, but geez, it had really knocked him for a loop! He wondered if this was anything like how Craig had reacted and felt a pang of sympathy for the man and gratitude that he himself was blessed with a very supportive and understanding family.

They moved to his laptop where the e-mail to his 1001 relatives and friends still sat, waiting to be sent. Leaving the addresses as they were, the three of them re-wrote the e-mail so that it announced his new title, emphasizing that he was still doing his 'regular' job. It also said that while he, Tim, didn't want to make a big deal of this, he was required to be sworn in, that would take place on Friday, Feb. 14th and that everyone was invited; it would probably be held at NCIS HQ aboard the Navy Yard.

Grandfa was proofing it when Tim's cell chimed with a call. He looked at the caller id and smiled as he answered, "Hi Dad."

"Tim, are you all right?"

"I'm getting there; Lina and Grandfa have been helping me."

"Aw, son, I'm sorry – I was so proud I didn't even ask how you were doing with it. But I couldn't sleep, kept thinking about all of it."

"Been having a rough time, like I said Lina and Grandfa helped me through. We're sending out an e-mail about it rather than having a Skype call."

"That's good son, that's fine. I'm proud of you for who you are, Timothy, not just for what you do."

"I know and I like that I make you proud, makes me feel good although I mostly don't feel like I've done anything special to deserve it."

"Just doing your job?"

"Yes Poppy; that's it! How can it be this big deal when I'm just doing my job like everyone else is?"

"Because you are the person you are, Tim and because you do the job – whatever job it is – so well."

"But I…thank you."

"You've been struggling with this for a long time son."

"I guess. I'm glad you called, do you think you can sleep now?"

"Yes. You going to sleep ok tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll be all right, Dad."

"Timothy."

He huffed, "Fine! I'm tired, overwhelmed and scared."

"That's better son, now you can deal with it, geez that sounded just like Doc Cranston! Wish I was there with you."

"Me too but it's for a good reason."

"Yeah! All right I'm gonna go. Love you kiddo."

"Me too."

They disconnected and Tim turned to find that Grandfa and Lina had sent the e-mail. "We were afraid you'd change your mind so we sent it."

Grandfa blinked at him, "I thought I would invoke Rule 18 if you were unhappy with us."

Tim chuckled and let it grow into a laugh as he hugged them both. "Thanks. I'm over myself now, I hope!"

He was entertained and touched by the responses to the e-mail. His siblings sent a group response and ganged up on him, teasing him about them now having to call him "Sir" and Lina "Ma'am" or "Your Royal Assistant Director"; asking if he'd perfected the royal wave or if they would have to curtsy when in his presence. Did that extend to Lina and the children? Would Andy now only be called "Timothy Andrew" and be referred to as the Crown Prince and Anna as the Crown Princess or the Princess Royal? Would Lina and the girls have to start wearing fancy hats? Would Tim now have a manservant and Lina a lady's maid? Would they have paparazzi following them?

Lina listened happily to Tim's prolonged belly laugh as he read it and then she laughed just as heartily when he printed the message for her; leave it to his siblings to tease the collywobbles right out of their brother. She was further pleased when her own siblings sent a similar note, written in Greek and asking if that would now be the official language of NCIS.

Uncle Dave took a different angle; he'd heard about Admiral Moaker's visit and wanted to know if that's all it took, surviving one encounter with the deadly beast and Tim was now golden. He also wondered if it had been a rite of passage for Tim, if that's how Directors of Federal Agencies made decisions about promotions. He went on to compare 'the test' to the gladiators of ancient Rome.

Uncle Jim rewrote the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle Dandy" to fit Tim and sent it as a poem. Pete and Trina sent him a long note that had Tim laughing, blushing and very glad they were going to see their friends soon. Tony had joined his siblings in their group response but also sent an additional reply that simply said, "Will you please stop, we're still five steps behind!", referencing his comments to Tim and Lina those years ago when they'd purchased the house in Piraeus. At the time, he and Maggie had just gotten engaged; wondering whether Tony was following the same pattern, Tim and Lina hopped on the phone with them to see what was new. There was definitely something going on but neither would say and Lina thought whatever it was they just weren't ready. Tim thought about what their message had said, "…five steps behind…" and wondered but decided not to speculate, whatever it was he didn't want to ruin their fun.

Leon didn't wait long to make the announcement. The formal letter was mailed and also sent by e-mail and he had Tim fax him his acceptance so he'd at least have a signature for the Legal Department who could get sticky about things. Once he had that, less than 48 hours after their conversation, he made the announcement over the agency network and in a formal letter to the Secretaries of the Navy and Defense and finally to other agencies with a need to know. When Tim saw the notice to the Secretary of Defense he knew he had to stop pretending this was no big deal.

He hadn't been able to tell his former teams ahead of time, at least those not related to him, and he was touched by their sweet and sometimes funny reactions. Tea and Adan threw a dinner party for him, with the McGees, the Mallards, Matt and Damian, the Morrises, Alexis and her boyfriend and the Hofstadlers. They served Tim's absolute favorite Greek dishes with plenty of lemonade. This was Alexis' boyfriend Cole's first introduction to everyone but Damian, Matt, Lina and Tim and they liked that the kid didn't blink an eye at their craziness, especially when they stepped out into the backyard for a rousing game of volleyball in between courses.

Kim and Evander sent a video of the two of them doing a happy dance, Eva and Caleb sent a lovely card and they'd also had a nice long Skype call. The Russells took the prize however as they threw a party to celebrate for Tim in absentia. Davos and Hélène flew to Athens from Thessaloniki for the occasion and Kyra and Lukas filmed the entire thing and then sent the recording to Tim. Along with the Russells, the Kalivas', Kim and Evander, Rob and Ned, both Avramidis brothers and the other NCIS agents, including the ubiquitous new addition to the team as Rusty moved up to Team Lead, were in attendance. It was made clear that this was not Ned's farewell party, but a true celebration for their friend and brother.

Once the word was out he told the Hardisters and they were astonished and very pleased for him. He'd had calls and cards from the Preston office and he laughed as Megan said they had bragging rights to having been his last 'real' office. He heard from just about everyone he'd ever worked with or met at the agency and other agencies. Joel was probably the most effusive though, bragging to anyone who would listen about his friend. Although as Tim admitted, he had no idea what his father might be up to in Virginia.

The office was about the only place that took the news in stride although Tim was warmly congratulated. His SFA Jeff beamed at him after the announcement was made, "You realize you're the first Assistant Director to come out of this office since Vance, don't you? And look what happened to him!"

Tim had to bite his tongue to keep from reminding the man that Leon's predecessor had died in office but evidently someone else told him because he later apologized.

XXX

Ned and Rob made their flight plans, including a stopover in London for a few days just to, as Ned put it, "Remind ourselves how miserably cold it is there as opposed to Maryland."

In truth they just wanted one last visit to London. They'd see Eva and Caleb while they were there and wondered if James' parents would still be in the UK. As it happened George and Edith were in the middle of making their own arrangements to return to the U.S.; when they heard the guys would be continuing on to DC from London, they booked the same flight. They'd fly into Dulles together and stay at Penny's before Ned and Rob would drive to Maryland and move into their temporary housing. They were going to look for a place to live in Silver Spring and Rob teased Tim about renting his old apartment there. They'd decided to ship their cars with their belongings but until the vehicles arrived, Poppy had offered the use of his Charger, still stored in Fornell's garage. Ned readily accepted as he wanted to keep their expenses as low as possible; Poppy got to work on making the car drivable again.

It was time to move the car anyway. Fornell was considering selling his place as Emily had been accepted at Stanford University in California and her father was thinking about moving west too. Gibbs had enjoyed seeing his old friend whenever he and Rhea were on the East Coast and of course when he'd gone to Greece with them; he figured San Francisco, the airport closest to Stanford and the area where Tobias would likely move, was only a short flight from San Diego.

A few days before Rob and Ned's departure from Greece, Poppy got a call from his eldest. "Hi Dad, would you and Rhea please come to dinner tomorrow night? There's someone Maggie and I would like you to meet."

"Sure son, what can we bring?"

"Just yourselves!"

Like Tim and Lina, Poppy and Rhea thought something was up with the DiNozzos. Poppy thought it was probably a new career for Maggie although they hadn't been told anything definitive about her shoulder. Rhea was leaning in another direction about what it might be but didn't say anything.

When they arrived at the couple's condo the next evening, Rhea smiled as she realized she and Lina had been on the right track although the wrong train. They'd both noticed Maggie watching Tony with the children last summer and thought she might be thinking of having a baby. Whatever she might have been thinking, Rhea and her husband were now surprised and very happy to meet Tony and Maggie's new family member, an 8 year old girl named Emma. The couple revealed they'd recently completed their certification for fostering and Emma was their foster child. The young girl smiled as she was introduced to her new foster grandparents, Poppy and Nonnie. She was in third grade and excited to hear about all the other kids in the family and to have grandparents and other family members. She'd never had a lot of family. Her father had abandoned her mother and her when she was a baby and she and her mother had stayed in a shelter off and on throughout Emma's childhood until her mother's death several months ago. After that she'd been placed in a group home meant to temporarily care for children until a fostering situation could be worked out.

She'd been with the DiNozzos for a few days now and when asked said she was ready to meet more 'family people'. The basic Gibbs' family structure had been explained to her so she knew her foster dad's brothers and sister had grown up in a shelter and camp and that they had adopted each other, her foster dad, another sister and Poppy. She was a little confused by what she heard about the Greats, aunts and uncles but decided she'd figure it out as she went along. She told her foster mom and Nonnie and they both nodded, telling her they'd both felt somewhat the same when they first met the family. As Nonnie put it, "There weren't even that many people in the family yet, not when I met Jethro! We just keep growing."

Emma laughed at that, Nonnie sounded so funny. Like she was happy there were so many people but didn't really know where they came from.

Maggie added, "My dad's coming up next week and then we thought Emma would be ready for the Powells and Penny."

Nonnie smiled her agreement as Maggie placed an arm around her new foster daughter and they told the youngster about her new Powell cousins. "Audrey will be thrilled to have a girl cousin her own age who lives close by. She's in third grade this year too. She has two brothers, Evan who is 11 and Adam who is also 8 and a new baby sister, Fiona."

Emma smiled, happy to hear about the kids. Then a little furrow appeared between her eyebrows, "Who's Penny?"

"That's your dad's adopted grandmother, so she is your great grandmother. She doesn't want to be called a grandma name so everyone calls her Penny."

Nonnie laughed again, "We should draw you a map of the family, Emma. I think Ethan drew one for Adam, Evan and Audrey when they joined the family, I'll see if he still has it."

"They're 'dopted too?"

"Yes, Adam, Evan and Audrey are adopted."

"But not the baby?"

"No, she was born to Aunt Sarah and Uncle James."

"Are there other 'dopted kids in the family?"

"Yes, lots of them! Your dad's brother Tim and his wife Lina have 6 children and four of them are adopted and Anna, their oldest girl, is your age. You'll meet them next month; they live in California and are coming here for the baby's baptism."

Emma grinned; she couldn't wait to meet all the kids! Her new mom continued, "And the Palmers have two boys who are adopted, Ethan – the one who drew the map - and Steve. They were living in a camp when Jimmy and Breena met them. They also have two children who were born to them, Violet and Davey."

"That's lots of 'doptions!"

"Yes and some of them started out as fosters!"

After dinner when Emma got up to help clear the table, her new dad said, "Emma, didn't you help your mom make dinner?"

She nodded and he smiled at her, "Then you don't have to help clean up, those are the house rules. You can stay here or go read or watch TV if you want. Cleanup is on me tonight!"

She smiled, "Ok Dad. I think I'll stay here."

Tony smiled back. Poppy pushed his chair back, "It was my turn to do the dishes at Penny's tonight, so how about I help you here instead?"

"Sure Dad!"

Over the dirty dishes, Poppy told Tony how very proud he was of him and how much he liked Emma and then he asked about Senior. "Are you going to introduce her to your father?"

"Maybe, probably." Tony sighed, "Yes."

"She's a little girl, Tony, he won't hurt her and you are her parent, not him. He can't send her to a boarding school."

Tony nodded, "I know all that, Dad. I just…I don't like sharing my life with him. I'm always afraid he's going to ruin it. Remember when he used to show up at NCIS and we always had to get him out of trouble? That's what I'm afraid of."

His dad nodded, "Yeah I can see why you'd feel that way son. How's his health?"

Tony shrugged, "Better than it was for a while but he's not in great shape. Not like Grandfa, Gram or Penny."

His dad snorted, "We should all be in as good a shape as those three. Anthony, you know I'm not a huge fan of Senior's. However, he is your father and I'm afraid if you don't at least tell him about Emma, you'll regret it."

Tony sighed again, "Should we take her up there or have him come here?"

"Take her up there; then your stay is on your terms. If things don't go well you can always say you have to leave for a case or something."

"Yeah, ok, that sounds good. Gotta tell you, Maggie says the same thing you do."

His dad grinned, "Always knew she was a smart woman!"

Tony nodded absentmindedly, his mind moving on to another troubling topic. "Dad, is Tim all right? I mean, I know we were teasing him and Lina said he loved it but is he all right?"

"He's pretty overwhelmed with the whole idea right now, Tony and scared at what this will do to his family life. He can always walk away from it; he's come close once already."

Tony's eyes widened, "Wow, I didn't know that."

"He could have easily stayed on in Greece, stayed as long in the job as Pete did."

Tony shook his head, "No, I mean yeah, he may have thought that but I don't think that's what would have happened."

His father nodded, "Yeah, we finally got him to see that."

"Uh, haven't really known how to tell you, but Maggie's shoulder…"

His dad nodded and pulled him in for a hug. "I figured, son. How are you two doing with it?"

"She says she's known since she felt the first bullet hit her. She got cleared for desk duty yesterday and now she's on family leave. She's going to apply for that new job class, the investigative agent."

"Good, I'm relieved to hear it; we've been hoping she'd go for it! But son, Maggie needs to go ahead and apply. It's a pilot program and Tim's running it. He'll have to recuse himself from the decision about Maggie but I imagine he'll bump it up to Leon. So they can transfer her to that position and then she can go back on family leave or work part-time – they'll work it out."

"Oh, wow, we hadn't thought of that."

"Want me to talk to her about it?"

"Yeah, that'd be good Dad."

"All right, we're done here; think I'll go do it now."

Poppy found the women and Emma in the living room and he smiled as he looked at them. "Excuse me, ladies! Daughter, may I have a word with you?"

Maggie smiled and nodded; she loved when he called her that.

Emma looked worried but her dad joined them and he and Nonnie told Emma some funny stories about their vacation last summer. Her dad showed her pictures and she giggled as she saw her dad and Poppy and a bunch of other guys playing in the water. Plus she got to see what all the kids looked like.

She pointed to a little girl, "Who's that?"

"That's Zoe, she's the youngest McGee."

Her dad found a photo of Zoe's parents. "That's my brother Tim and his wife Lina."

"Oh, they have lots of kids!"

"Yeah, let's see if we can find a photo with all of them."

He pulled up a McGee family shot and she looked, "Wow!" She pointed at Andy and Zoe, "They're the ones who aren't adopted, right?"

"Andy is adopted but he is related to Tim, we'll tell you that story when you get to know them and you're right, Zoe was born to them." He pointed to one of the little boys, "Jorry is the other baby born to them."

"Oh, yeah, he looks like um…"

"Aunt Lina."

Emma rolled the name off her tongue, "Aunt Lina." She looked at the picture again and pointed, "That's the one who's my age, Anna!" She giggled, "Anna and Audrey."

"That's right, Emmagirl!"

* * *

><p>Ooh boy, lot of changes, time for an update! The original list of characters is on CH 153. The newest changes are again in bold italics and characters no longer in the story have been removed.<p>

Tim's immediate family:

Wife Lina (Melina) Kalivas,

Children (in order of appearance in the story):

Son Donald Jorrin (Jorry)

Daughter Anna

Daughter Gemma

Youngest daughter Zoe

Son Timothy Andrew (Andy)

Son Sean Michael (Sean)

Tim's siblings, their spouses & partners:

Sarah McGee, husband James Powell

Children (in order of appearance):

Adam, Audrey and Evan, _**Baby Fiona Jacqueline; **_

Dr. Rob Mallard, _**partner**_ Agent Ned Dorneget

_**Captain**_ Geordie Perry, wife Agent Bec Childers

Agent Tony DiNozzo, wife Agent Maggie Barnes,_**foster child Emma**_

Patrick McGee Blair (wife Laurel) (both deceased)

Tim's Parents and Grandparents:

Biological Parents: Lily and Dan McGee (both deceased pre-story)

Dad: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Poppy to his grandchildren; wife Rhea Ortiz

'Stepmother': Rhea Ortiz Gibbs, wife of Jethro, Nonnie to Gibbs' grandchildren

Paternal grandmother: Penny Langston (McGee)

Maternal grandmother: (Gram or Grammie) Maisie Stirling Hubbard Mallard

Maternal grandfather: (Grandfa) Ducky/Donald Mallard

Tim's Godparents: Uncle Dave _**(retired Admiral)**_ and Aunty Liz Crane

Tim's Uncle, Aunt, Cousins: Uncle Jim _**(retired Captain)**_ and Aunt Claire Hubbard, children Ainsley and Callum

Other family:

Jimmy and Breena Palmer, children Ethan, Stevie, Violet and David

George and Edith Powell: Sarah McGee's father and mother in law; parents of James Powell; Grandad and Grandmum to the Powell children.

Sarah Hope Blair: biological niece of Tim and Sarah McGee; daughter of Patrick and Laurel, sister of Timothy Andrew, first (birth) mother of Sean Michael;

Hope Blair (now deceased): adoptive mother of Patrick McGee Blair, grandmother to Sarah Hope Blair and Timothy Andrew Blair McGee, great grandmother to Sean Michael Blair McGee;

Mrs. Dorneget: Ned Dorneget's mother

Colonel Barnes: Maggie Barnes' father, Tony DiNozzo's father-in-law

Tim's in-laws:

Lina's parents: Davos Kalivas and Hélène Theodori, grandparent names: Pappouli and Yayaka (or Yaya);

Lina's siblings:

Damian Kalivas, partner Agent Matt Watson

Chloe Kalivas, husband Dr. Peter Rodino, children Alexis and Tad;

Nicolas Kalivas, wife Margaret Mitropolous, children Zander and Dimitri;

NCIS: Athens staff:

Office Manager Kim & husband Evander (real estate agent)

Eva & husband Caleb (works at the British Museum) and son Athos, daughter Alitta; Note: Eva is now located in London but still works for NCIS: Athens, albeit remotely.

Kieran: Tea's replacement as dispatch (Caleb's sister)

Agents:

_**Rusty Mayhew, Team Lead-SAIC**_

_**Lynne, SFA **_

_**Jake**_

_**Unnamed Agent**_

NCIS: Other offices

Charleston, SC

Bec Childers, Team Lead and SAIC - husband Capt. Geordie Perry (see Tim's siblings)

_**Bethesda MD**_

_**Ned Dorneget, Team Lead and SAIC - partner Dr. Rob Mallard (see Tim's siblings)**_

_**Unnamed agents**_

El Segundo, CA

Agents:

Tamara Middleton, Team Lead

_**Carla Hofstadler, Investigative Agent **_(former Athens SFA) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy

_**Staff: **_

_**Support Analysts: Chuck Murray, Maria Camarillo**_

DC:

Director Leon Vance, children Kayla and Jared;

Executive Assistant Pamela Cooke;

Agents:

Rick Carter, Jim O'Brien

_**Maggie Barnes – Investigative Agent**_

_**Dwayne Wilson – Investigative Agent**_

Medical Examiner:

Jimmy Palmer

IT:_**  
><strong>_James Powell, Manager, (see also Sarah McGee)

Also in DC:

FBI:

Tobias Fornell and daughter Emily;

Ron Sacks, although he spends most of his time in San Francisco.

Rota:

Stan Burley, wife Patricia

Marseille:

Agents: Roger Martinez, wife Marla

Seattle _**(aka the Northwest office):**_

_**Agent Jane **__**Melankovic, Team Lead, SSAIC**_

Pentagon:

_**Anthony DiNozzo Jr., Team Lead**_

_**Lyle Sharp, Junior Agent**_

Unnamed agents

Marine Corps West Field Office:

Blumquist, Senior SAIC

Sub office Yuma, AZ: 

_**Maya Maradona, Team Lead**_

Harry Strausborg, SFA

Southwest Office (also known as San Diego Office):

_**Timothy McGee, Assistant Director,**_ _**Senior SAIC, **_

_**Jeff Andreson, SFA (de facto Team Lead) of SW team**_

Tea – as substitute dispatch operator, formerly with NCIS: Athens. (Also see husband Adan under Damian's consultants)

_**Lydia Worden, Team Lead of unnamed office subordinate to SW office **_

Unnamed Teams and sub offices besides Preston and El Segundo

Sub Office: NCIS: Preston:

Office Manager: Megan Peters

Dispatch/Phones: Rae Leavitt

Agents:

Matt Watson, Team Lead/SAIC

Unnamed SFA, Terrell Okoro, Joanne Day

Sub Office to SW: El Segundo

Agents:

Tamara Middleton, Team Lead

_**Carla Hofstadler, Investigative Agent (former SFA) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy**_

_**Satellite Offices**__** (subordinate to El Segundo): **_

_**Petrero: Will Brown, Team Lead, Unnamed Agents**_

_**Button Willow: Unnamed Team Lead and Agents**_

Retired Agents:

Pete Russell: wife Trina, kids Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas

_**Joel Morris, wife Carol Morris**_

At the British Museum in London

Caleb (husband of Eva), (formerly at the Benaki in Athens)

Damian's consultant staff at architectural firm:

Adan (landscape designer), (see also wife Tea under Southwest Office)

Evander (international real estate broker), wife Kim (see also NCIS: Athens)

Melina Kalivas (mixed media artist)

Other characters:

_**Kath Robinson: Tim's assistant at SW office**_

_**Cole: College student boyfriend of Alexis (see Lina's siblings: Chloe)**_

_**Admiral Moaker: Admiral connected with drug case on aircraft carrier; former pain in the neck to Admiral David Crane **_

_**Adina and Josef: friends of Ziva's in Israel; her father's former housekeeper and handyman. **_

_**Barry: friend of Tim, Geordie, Sarah and Rob from the homeless camp. He's now a police officer with Silver Spring PD, was at Geordie & Bec's wedding.**_

Dani, business owner and single mom of son Ross – Lina's friends, originally her housemates, later Bec and Ned's housemates;

George Avramidis – In Greece: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Master/Instructor, brother of Dimitri Avramidis;

Dimitri Avramidis – In Greece: the "DCP" or the Deputy Chief of Police, Athens, brother of George Avramidis;

Archimedes – everyone's favorite tailor in Piraeus, Greece;

"Ted" Edwards and Jack Hughes – CIA agents based in Athens, Greece;

The Ambassador: U.S. Ambassador to Greece and good friend of Melina (Lina) Kalivas;

Nick Hardister: Chief of Police in Preston, CA, also next door neighbor and friend to the McGees;

Janeese Hardister: wife of Nick, sometimes babysitter for McGee children, friend and neighbor;

Lu – shelter manager in Baltimore who helped the McGee siblings when they were growing up there;

Aegina – a small island 17 miles from Athens; scene of Tim and Lina's wedding; the group's annual Fourth of July celebrations and a whole lot of fun. A real island!

The Flying Pig – also known as the FP. Pub frequented by many people in the story. Real pub in Piraeus!

The big house Preston: where Gibbs, Lina's parents, Penny and the Mallards live when they're in Preston. It's bigger than the first big house, has a pool and is very close to the beach.

Penny's House: future site of The McGee Home, the 4 McGee siblings' dream home for homeless, parentless children, especially siblings. _**Current status is a large multi-storied home on multiple acres with at least one outbuilding containing an indoor pool, kids' play room and large artist studio. Also has outdoor tennis and a basketball court. **_


	210. Chapter 210

Author's Note: Attention readers! Please see the note at the end of the chapter.

* * *

><p>CH 210<p>

When Tim received a text from Tony asking if they could join a family Skype call the next day, a Saturday, he called out to Lina, "Hon, whatever Tony and Maggie are up to, looks like they're ready to tell us!"

She looked at the text, "Oh good! I can't wait to find out. Has Maggie applied yet?"

"No and I sure wish she would. We're only going to have so many of these spots and Leon created the job class with her in mind! Well, and others of course."

Tim was a little confused when Tony sent another text asking that they have the whole family on the call. Tim called his grandparents and asked them over for breakfast and a family video chat the next day.

They were all in place the next morning. Tim connected the laptop to the TV so they could all see and be seen, although they'd be in smaller windows with everyone at Penny's, plus Geo and Bec, Ziva and Rob and Ned. The kids were sitting on the floor of the family room while the adults were comfortable on the couch.

When the DiNozzos appeared, they had a girl about Anna's age with them and Tim smiled triumphantly. After they were introduced and everyone had had a chance to say hello and welcome her to the family, Andy told Emma not to worry about everyone's names. "Sean and I have been here almost a year now, Emma but when we first got here, Anna would have to tell me who people were every time we talked with someone. Then I met them all last summer and now I know their names!" She looked relieved to hear that.

Tim gave his brother a big grin and Tony asked, "You got it?"

"We weren't sure, of course but yeah, five steps behind! Congratulations Dad, Mom, Daughter!"

Emma and her new parents grinned back at them. Before they signed off, Maggie looked at Tim, "I'll have some paperwork for you in a few hours."

He nodded, "That's great, Maggie. I'll let the Director know it's on its way!"

After the call, they sat down with the kids to see if they had any questions. Andy and Anna looked anxious, "Are they going to adopt her? What if she has to leave?"

"I don't know, but I'm betting that they're going to adopt her." Anna nodded; she always wanted to know the truth even if it was "I don't know."

XXX

Days later, Rob and Ned left Greece after a blow-out party at the Russells. As Pete said to his wife afterward, "The last of the clan is leaving us. After Tim arrived, Geordie, Rob and Jethro moved here and that was great, wasn't it - the years they were all here?"

She nodded, "Tim met Lina and then everything started to happen."

Pete sighed, "And then one by one they left. Well, we only have to wait 12 years and 11 months for them to start returning."

Trina laughed, "Pete, we don't have to wait; we can go see them now!"

Pete brightened, "You're right and we're leaving in three weeks…let's go pack!"

In truth the two men were having as difficult time with the move as their friends were having saying goodbye to them. The Kalivas' had stayed in town after Tim's in absentia party, helping everyone remember that the Kalivas family and their friends would always welcome them home again. When the day came for Rob and Ned to catch their flight, Davos and Hélène drove them to the airport, wanting them to see familiar faces as they left, to know their extended family would be there waiting for the rest of them to come home.

When they got to the terminal, they found the Russells, Dani and George Avramidis. By now George had developed a philosophical attitude toward the departures of his friends, his "Dancing Warriors", but he'd told his brother after the party that they were going to the U.S. that year, he didn't care what it took to get there.

And so the last of the McGee clan boarded their flight, buckled up and watched sadly out the windows as the plane gained altitude and flew over the continent. By the time they reached Heathrow they'd recovered some of their good spirits, excited about visiting friends and having some fun in London. And their stay did just that, revived their spirits. They stayed in the hotel close to James' old place and visited Eva, Caleb and the children in their flat, which was close by. When they walked into the family's flat, Rob's eyes widened, "Wow, this is so much like James' and Sarah's place!"

Caleb smiled at them, "I'm not surprised, many of these buildings are the same vintage." Eva showed them around and Rob laughed when he spotted the little nook in the hallway. "This is Athos' playroom?"

Eva nodded, "Yes, he calls it his castle. We toured Windsor Castle so now this is his very own castle."

Rob chuckled, "He's got a great imagination! When I stayed with James, this nook is where I slept after my sister arrived from the U.S. Someone gave James a single bed and it just fit in."

Caleb's eyebrows were furrowed, "But how did you fit in, Rob? Your legs are longer than the closet!"

"I'm not sure anymore but I do remember having to sleep with my legs curled up." He shrugged, "I worked a lot of nights and then I'd just sleep at the hospital."

Eva patted his arm, "No wonder you moved to Greece!"

Rob snorted, "It was the weather, Eva. It's so cold here! And it helped that Tim and Geordie were both there."

She and Caleb nodded, "Believe it or not, the weather has been the hardest adjustment for us. Our families have visited so we don't get too homesick and there are plenty of Greeks in the City but the weather, there is nothing to do but bear it and that's difficult."

"How much longer will the exhibit go, Caleb, do you know?"

Caleb looked at his wife, smiling. "You are the first to know outside of our families. The exhibit here has been such a success that museums in different parts of the world have been requesting to have it move there. The Benaki is still working out the final details but the exhibit will move to the Museum of Man in San Diego within the next few months."

"That's great, and will you go with it or back to Greece?"

Eva's smile lit up the room, "We are going to San Diego! We can't wait to tell Tim and Lina, Tea and Adan, Matt and Damian and Carla and Norm! We're so excited! "

Caleb added dryly, "And the exhibit will be good too."

They laughed at that, talking about their plans and the visitors promised not to reveal their happy secret.

The guys spent four days in London. They rode the tube everywhere, treated themselves to a play at Covent Garden, saw Caleb's exhibit at the British Museum, rented a car and drove down to Salisbury Plains for one last visit to Stonehenge, did some shopping, took plenty of photos and generally relaxed. They saw Caleb, Eva and the children a few more times, promising to try to make the trip out to San Diego to view the exhibit again.

Their last night, they took the family to dinner and were pleased to find George and Edith Powell at the hotel on their return. The four of them had a drink together before heading upstairs to finish packing. They took the train to the airport the next morning and once their bags were checked, had breakfast. Rob looked around the terminal, remembering James meeting him there 7 years ago and how glad he'd been to see a familiar face even if they had only met online. Ned was thinking of Tim meeting him in Athens after his heartbreak here and how happy and relieved he'd been to see his friend waiting for him that day.

Edith watched the two men and saw that there was still some melancholy there. She patted each of them, "You'll be all right. We'll get to DC and you'll see your family and you'll be all right. You'll be back here and to Greece, this isn't the end of your travels you know. You have new adventures waiting for you!"

Those were apparently the magic words they needed to hear as the two perked up. The flight was uneventful although long and eventually they were wheels down in DC, grabbed their bags and were in line at Customs when they saw Poppy and Sarah waiting for them. They smiled, waved and then laughed, they were home!

XXX

Tim was at the airport waiting for Davos and Hélène to clear Customs when he got the text from Sarah that she could see Rob and Ned in DC. He couldn't wait to see them and told Lina it was a good thing they had Fiona's baptism as an excuse to fly to Virginia. She just shook her head, as if they needed an excuse!

They hadn't yet told the kids they were flying on the SecNav's jet; Tim wanted to surprise them with that. He'd already made arrangements for transportation from the Navy base where they'd land, getting clearance for his uncles to pick them up.

In the meantime, he was busy at work with everything going on. The investigative agent program was doing well so far. As promised Maggie had submitted her application and Tim had immediately sent it to the Director who called her to ask when she could report. Other applicants weren't so easy, there was a flood of agents nearing the mandatory retirement age from the field and those were a tough call. Not every team, not every office would have an investigative agent; as a pilot program, funding was limited and there were a finite number of positions. Further the program had the job position available only in the larger offices. Tim drew the line there as that would have meant a transfer for most of the retirement age applicants and the budget was just not going to stretch that far. They modified the application to include a question as to whether the applicant was willing to pay his or her own costs to move to a different office, a very carefully worded question agonized over by the Human Resources and Legal departments and finally approved by the Dept. of the Navy. That slowed the flood of applications from older agents down to a trickle. Vance shook his head over the whole situation as he rarely turned down an agent applying for an extension of time in the field; he had not anticipated so many older applicants.

The Mallards flew home to Virginia on the first of February, the same day the Gibbses returned to California; they were happy to join the Kalivas' at the big house. Anna's 8th birthday fell on the Thursday of that first week of the month, with her party to be held the following Saturday. She hadn't been sure but her friends had begged her so once again she was having a pool party in the middle of winter.

They had her family party on her birthday with cake and ice cream, and cards from as she put it, "the whole entire family". The McGees, Powells and Palmers had put their heads together awhile back and made some "family rules" about the kids' birthdays. One was a polite but firm request that for birthdays, the children be sent cards only, gifts were not necessary, each child would have gifts from his or her parents, siblings and grandparents, nothing more was necessary although donations to children's charities were welcomed, even encouraged. They'd run it by the Hubbards first, not wanting to leave Ainsley and Callum out but their concerns were that the younger children would quickly become spoiled and callous with so much 'stuff'. Considering the number of children in the family, the group of parents figured that would be a relief to everyone concerned and the Hubbards agreed. They were currently talking about extending that to Christmas as well. The children and their parents, grandparents, etc., were well dressed, well fed and had more than enough toys, books and 'things' they needed. The only sticking point they had to the restriction on Christmas gifts, and it was a big one, was that everyone loved Maisie, Poppy, Claire, Lina and Rhea's handmade items. They hadn't figured that out yet but thought they'd end up with everyone pulling a name for Christmas.

The pool party was a big hit for the second year although Anna said next year she'd rather do something else. Gemma would be 6 in March and was determined to have her very own pool party. Andy was more excited about flying back East and seeing his dad sworn in than his birthday. He figured he could be excited about that after they got home.

Tim woke very early that Tuesday morning, a few days before Fiona's baptism, not quite sure why he was awake. Then he heard it again, one of the kids was coughing and it didn't sound good. Lina was awake too; they threw on their robes and went to investigate. For a large family, they'd been very lucky as far as childhood illness. Other than the occasional sniffle, their kids didn't get sick…up until now.

Anna was the one coughing and her forehead was hot. Tim got the thermometer and it showed she had a slight fever. It wasn't high enough to worry about right now but they'd keep her home from school and hope they could nip whatever it was in the bud. They'd all had flu shots but with the different strains every flu season there was no guarantee.

By Wednesday morning both Anna and Gemma were ill with what looked and sounded like the flu. By that afternoon Tim had contacted everyone concerned to let them know the McGee family would not be traveling anywhere anytime soon. They'd also contacted the school to let them know, fearing the flu would sweep through the student body and faculty. Tim went into work on Tuesday, doing his best to stay away from everyone, but he worked from home the rest of the week, helping with the kids and not wanting to spread any germs to his staff. By Thursday evening all the kids but Zoe were ill and the Gibbses, who had had flu shots, had moved in downstairs to help out while the Kalivas', who had not had flu shots, ran errands, buying boxes of tissue, tubes of saline spray, menthol ointment for sore throats and chests, cough drops and over the counter flu medications the children could take. Hélène made large batches of chicken soup and left it in stockpots on the front porch as Tim, Lina and the Gibbses imposed a voluntary quarantine.

By Saturday the kids were starting to feel better and Zoe, Tim, Lina and the Gibbses were still free of the illness. They were able to see Fiona's baptism on muted Skype sessions via Geordie and Rob's phones; also participating in the party afterward. When Sarah and James saw the red noses and heard the coughs of their nieces and nephews, they were glad they hadn't tried to make the trip.

Tim and Lina never did tell the kids about the Secretary's private jet.

* * *

><p>Note: I'd love to see what Finding Home readers would like to see as the title for the book Tim and the gang are writing. The poll is up on my profile so you can vote there, put your choices in a review or send me a PM. And if you have other ideas for the title, please share, I'll credit the originator. Oh and if you have questions about the plotcontent of the new Tibbs book, see Chapter 205.

Here are the selections: (note have already changed the first two selections here, reflecting suggestions from VG LittleBear, it reads a lot better!)

Team Tibbs Rides Again

Team Tibbs, Back in the Saddle

Facing the Future, Tibbs and Team Together Again

Facing the Future, Tibbs and Team One More Time

Confronting Evil, Tibbs and Team Stand Together

Confronting Evil: Tibbs' Team, A Cut Above

Confronting Evil: Tibbs' Team, Back in the Saddle

Confronting Evil: Tibbs and Team Stand Alone

Saving the Future, Tibbs and Team Stand Together

Saving the Future: Tibbs and Team Together Again

Saving the Future: Tibbs and Team, Back in the Saddle

Saving the Future: Tibbs' Team Stands Alone

Thanks, can't wait to see what you like and/or your suggestions! - Gottahavemyncis


	211. Chapter 211

Note: Don't forget to vote! Poll is now up on my profile or send me a PM…suggested titles are at the end of CH 210.

* * *

><p>CH 211<p>

Andy's birthday was that Monday; by then no one was running a fever but the kids wouldn't return to school for another day. They had his family party that night and thought it was pretty funny that none of them wanted anything but Yaya's chicken soup with crackers crumbled into it. His cake and ice cream would have to wait until their appetites returned. Andy's parents promised him he could still have his movie party and he decided to wait until his mother's return in March.

Tuesday Lina reluctantly left for Barcelona to work on her homage project. Her sculptor friend in Spain had completed the work on the base; they were ready for her and she'd be gone for three weeks. The original plan had been for the Kalivas' to fly home to Greece from DC after Fiona's baptism; however they'd now decided to stay until Lina returned, to help Tim and their fellow grands with the children and the household.

Before Lina left, she and Tim sat down with the four grandparents and they figured out the logistics of childcare and household maintenance for the next three weeks. One thing Tim insisted on is that he would spend evenings and weekends with his kids and that the grandparents have time to themselves. He was grateful for all the help but wanted to make sure nobody was overworked. That first week after Lina left, he got the kids up, dressed and fed in the mornings and from there the Grands took over, taking them to school and daycare and picking them up, getting Andy and Anna to their MMA classes, Gemma to her ballet class and Jorry and Sean to T-ball practice. Rhea also took over the art classes she and Lina generally gave the kids after school. Other tasks included the grocery shopping, making sure the children did their homework, chores and generally running the household.

Tim did his best to get home in time to check homework, supervise bath time and tuck the kids into bed and most nights he was successful. Some nights he was early enough to see Gemma practice her pirouettes and Anna and Andy go through their practice and he'd do some practice with them before sitting down to eat with his family. He'd had to give up his MMA class but worked to keep up his skills and that along with swimming and a daily run constituted his current exercise routine.

Early that Friday afternoon, a week after the originally planned ceremony, Director Vance and the Secretary of the Navy walked into the Southwest office. Tim was on the phone with Admiral Moaker and had his back turned to the rest of the office so he could focus on what was basically Moaker's soliloquy about his current pet peeve.

He was still waiting to hear back from Vance about rescheduling his swearing-in. He was really hoping he could just pop over to the Navy Base, meet an Undersecretary there, take the oath of office and be done with the whole thing. Better yet would be to have it happen online although he knew that wouldn't satisfy the Powers that Be. He turned slightly when he heard his office door open and when he saw who was there he jumped to his feet. When the Admiral heard that Secretary Porter was in the office, he graciously postponed the rest of his 'discussion' with Tim and then decided to pop in and see what was going on.

Tim was still welcoming his visitors when the Gibbses, Kalivas' and his children walked in. His dad and the director exchanged looks, both looking very pleased with themselves. Tim shook his head, wishing his wife could be there. SecNav patted his arm, "Hang on just a minute more, Timothy." He was still reeling from her use of his first name when he noticed that a tech guy was connecting one of the desktop computers to their large screen. Evidently someone would be joining them via video chat, he hoped it was Lina. He smiled again when Matt, Tea and the Morrises walked in from the elevator. Once the video chat was set up, he was greeted by his wife, Damian and Adan from Barcelona and most of the rest of his family from the east coast. Ned's team had been called out on a case so he wasn't online but as far as Tim could see everyone else was, including Rob in scrubs.

When Vance handed his dad a package, Tim saw that it was the McGee family bible; later he learned that Leon had driven out to Penny's to pick it up so Tim would have it today. His dad held it while Tim placed his right hand on the top and the Secretary administered the oath of office to him. And then it was done, he was now an Assistant Director. He was surprised to see that many of his local employees had come upstairs to watch the ceremony and to find that Admiral Moaker had somehow joined them and was beaming at him as if he'd arranged the whole thing himself. Someone wheeled in a cart holding a large sheet cake, beverages were served and photos were taken with Tim, the Secretary and Vance, with the children, Tim with Lina on the TV screen, with his parents and in-laws and friends. Tim said a few words of thanks followed by Vance who gently teased him and within an hour or so it was over. The rest of the cake was sliced and the McGees took some home with them where they froze pieces for Lina, Damian and Adan. With a look at his two sets of parents, who would after all be doing most of the preparation, and getting nods in return, Tim invited the Secretary and Vance to their home for dinner that night. To his astonishment both accepted; he'd figured the SecNav would have plans and hoped that Leon would join them. He also asked the Morrises, Matt and Tea and they agreed.

He hadn't planned to leave early, his schedule showed that he had meetings all afternoon but his assistant smilingly told him those were bogus, put on his schedule so he would be around for his ceremony. After his surprise guests left and the staff returned to work, he went back into his office, trying to remember what he'd been doing when it all started. He huffed as he recalled he'd been on the phone with Admiral Moaker. The admiral would certainly call again if he wasn't done, he wasn't shy! Tim looked at the case files and reports needing review and approval and resolutely got back to work. He managed to get through several case reports when Kath buzzed him, "Director Vance on line 1."

"Thanks."

"Yes sir?"

"Feel any different?"

Tim chuckled, "Now that you mention it…no!"

"You should shut down for the day."

"Sir?"

"Go on, take the rest of the afternoon off, there's only two hours anyway."

"Sir, what would you say if Secretary Porter told you that?"

Vance sighed, "Fine, but could you at least work from home? Our post-ceremony plans got canceled and I don't want to barge in on whoever's at your house. And then I can catch up on my work too."

"Ok, now that I can deal with. Yes, I'll be there in about 45 minutes and since when do you care if you barge in on Gibbs?"

"I don't, was more concerned about your in-laws."

"Guaranteed they're all there putting something together for tonight."

"Know what we're having?"

"Hoping they'll barbecue something but no, have no idea, I've just been doing case reviews…you know…_work_!"

Vance laughed, "All right, we'll see you in a bit."

"Wait…did you bring your swim stuff?"

"Uh…well, yes."

"Ah ha! Yes, the dome's up over the pool."

"Great, ok, see you later then!" Vance disconnected and Tim shook his head before he remembered that the East Coast was having one of the coldest winters in recorded history. He shuddered as he moved the reports he needed to review into a folder on his work e-mail and let Kath know he'd be working from home. While everything still needed to have paper copies, he could review it all online and then just sign the paper. Much easier than carting dozens of files home. He grinned, "I'm sure the Director will want to help me with these!" She looked at him, eyes wide before realizing he was kidding.

He was happy to see that the Friday afternoon commute traffic was still in its infancy and he made it home in good time. He noticed Vance's usual security team had increased; no doubt the SecNav had her own protection. He opened the garage door with his remote, stopping the car and waiting for one of the detail to approach. He held up his badge and id which were examined and returned. He pulled in, shut off the engine, pressing the button on the remote to close the garage door again. He found his father and Hélène in the kitchen working on something that smelled good. Chicken! His dad had picked up a large package of chicken breasts and thighs, marinated them for a few minutes and was now letting them broil for a little bit to get rid of some of the fat. He'd pull them out and put them on the grill later. Tim's mouth watered when he saw the meze his mother-in-law had pulled from the oven and when she slapped his hand away he made a mournful sound. She smiled and shaking her head at him, put two meze on a plate. "That's all! You just had cake, you can't be hungry!"

He grinned at her, "But I'm always hungry for the meze you make, Mama."

She shook her head again and shooed him out of the kitchen. "Wait, are they in the pool?"

"Leon is, with Davos, Rhea and Zoe. Madam Secretary is in your office making phone calls; we thought it was the most private place for her. And I did not think it wise to let any of the older children swim just yet. It is not just the swimming; it is the going to and from the dome." He nodded, that made sense. "They are in the family room."

His father looked at him, "They won't let you in, better let me go get them."

Tim sighed, "Hope that surprise is ready soon! I miss the family room."

Hélène laughed, "When Lina gets home. They meant to have it ready for Valentine's Day but their illness slowed them down."

Tim smiled, "That's sweet; to tell you the truth with the kids all sick I forgot all about Valentine's Day this year."

Hélène looked at him and he gave her a rueful smile, "I had something planned for Friday night in Virginia."

She patted his shoulder, "Two more weeks, Timotheos, our Melina will be home in a little more than two weeks. Now, you should go say hello to your children and your guests."

The children were just leaving the family room when he reached them and Andy pulled the door shut behind him. As always they swarmed him and he gave each one hugs and kisses. "Thank you for coming to see me today, it meant a lot to have you all there with me! I didn't even think to ask, did you go to school at all?"

They nodded at him, "Poppy picked us up at lunchtime."

"So you have extra homework this weekend, right?"

"Yes Daddy."

"And you're still catching up from your sick days?"

Gemma shrugged while Anna and Andy nodded. Andy looked at his dad, "I'm almost all caught up. Could you check my work for me, please?"

Anna agreed, "Me too!"

He smiled at the three of them, "And you Gemmalove?"

She grinned at him, "Daddy, kindergarten doesn't have homework!"

He asked Jorry and Sean about school and T-ball and heard about their exploits. "You have a game this weekend?"

They nodded at him, their eyes bright. He grinned at them, "I can't wait to see you play!"

The two four year olds danced around the living room, "Yay!"

"All right. I'll see you in a little bit."

They smiled at him and waited until he walked away to head back into the room with their mystery project.

XXX

Lina sat in her hotel room after the Skype session for her husband's ceremony, utterly miserable. She desperately wanted to throw her clothes back in her suitcase and take the next plane home. She missed Tim; she missed her children, her family. She didn't care about the stupid sculpture or the project; she just wanted to be home. It didn't help that she'd just gotten here and had two and a half weeks before she could leave. Shaking her head, she stood up, resolute; she could leave anytime she wanted! She opened the door of the wardrobe, pulled her suitcase out and put it on the bed. She'd turned toward the dresser to start moving her clothes into the suitcase when her laptop chimed. She wiped her eyes and nose before she answered, finding her husband waiting for her. As soon as she saw him she started crying, "Oh Timotheos, I should have been there, I…"

He shook his head, speaking softly, "Sweetheart, you are where you're supposed to be right now. It's not Damian's fault – or the project's fault – the kids were sick last week. It just happened. Honey, I know you're disappointed but you were there on Skype! And you know how I felt about it, much ado about not too much. Yes, I missed you, I will miss you until you're in my arms again but sweetie, it's all right. "

"I'm so homesick, I miss you and the kids and…"

He nodded, "I know LinaMelina. I could see it in your face today. You're tired, you have jet lag; you've only been there three days! Have you had a chance to get out to the site yet?"

She nodded. "Yes, I went with Damian and Adan this morning."

"Is it how you expected it to look? I know you've seen photos and videos but something's always a bit different in person."

She nodded again, "The building, Damian's building, is beautiful, I'm so proud of him! Next time we fly to Greece we should stop here to see it. I'm sure he will win awards for it and when it is complete it will be as much of a tourist attraction as Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and the recreation of the Barcelona Pavilion."

"That's a wonderful idea and we can see your work too! And your homage, have you seen Rafael's work on the base yet?" Rafael Ruiz was her sculptor friend who'd built the base for her and whose studio she was renting while she was here.

"Yes, I spent yesterday at his studio; he's done a beautiful job on it. I've started my work already."

"That's great and is the studio going to work out just as you thought?"

She smiled, understanding that he was gently guiding her back to her purpose for being here and willing to go along with him. She had, after all, committed to this project, she and Tim had committed to this project. "Yes, my love, it's quite large and has the space I need for my work."

"And the site itself, I know Adan has some of the landscaping done."

"Yes, he and Damian worked out a plan to move the materials onto the site and into the complex. If you remember, the site is an oval shape; the complex is located along the back and partly around the end curves of the oval, with a car park at the back. As each piece of the complex is completed, Adan is able to do the landscaping around that portion. That means he can landscape the front and any side that will not be shared with another building and do the back portion last. The front of the oval will be walkways and landscaping, it will be a park with my homage to the original property owners in the center of the park. He has already excavated the area where my work will be installed."

"Which is why you're there now, sweetie."

She sighed, "Yes, I know. It's difficult being away from you and the kids and our lives."

"Do you think that once you're over your jet lag and spending more time on your work that it will be better?"

"I hope so!"

Tim chuckled, "I promise not to have any more surprise ceremonies, how's that?"

"That will help considerably! Did you invite Leon and the Secretary for dinner?"

"Yes and they both accepted; I figured the Secretary would have plans but either she didn't or they were changed. Leon's in the pool now with your dad, Rhea and Zoe and the SecNav is in my office making phone calls. Mama and Poppy are making dinner."

"And the rest of the children?"

He chuckled, "They're in the family room again."

She laughed, "I can't wait to see what they're doing!"

He nodded, "Mama says they'll present "it" to us when you get home. It was apparently something for Valentine's Day."

"And then they were sick." She shook her head, "They're wonderful children, Tim; we're blessed."

He smiled, "We sure are!" He peered at something next to her. "LinaMelina, is that your suitcase?"

"Yes, before you called I had decided to fly home."

"Oh honey!"

"I'm all right now, love. You're my rock."

"As you are mine, Melina. And I'm sorry we hadn't had a chance to start our chat schedule too. How about we change it so that you and I have a private talk first every morning, mornings here I mean and then the kids before breakfast?"

She smiled, "Yes, I agree and Rafael's studio has wifi so even if I am still working we can talk."

"Excellent!"

They talked until Tim heard his squeaky office door open and close and belatedly remembered his guests. After disconnecting he found Secretary Porter in the hallway looking at the photos and the kids' artwork on the walls. She smiled when he joined her. "These are wonderful! I love how you've grouped them."

He chuckled, "That's all Melina, ma'am. "

She nodded and then pointed to a photo of the 'original' McGee siblings, Tim, Patrick and Sarah. "It's amazing much those two look alike."

He nodded, "And I don't, yes ma'am." He gestured to another photo, "These are Patrick's children, Sarah and Andy. I wish Pat had lived long enough to see how much Andy looks like me and to know Sean."

"How old was Andy when his parents were killed?"

"Four months."

"Oh my, there's no way he'd remember."

Tim shook his head, "His grandmother and sister told him stories and of course I've now told him stories of Pat and me when we were kids."

"That's good. Stories are always good." She turned to him, "It's amazing to me how parallel your lives very nearly were…yours and Andy's."

He huffed. "He and Sean would have been put in foster care after Ms. Blair died, yes ma'am and I hope they would have been fine. At least they wouldn't have been on the street."

They walked downstairs and she remarked at how quiet the house was. Tim smiled as he heard Gemma giggle from the family room. "The kids are working on a secret project for Lina and me. It was evidently supposed to be for Valentine's Day but then they all had the flu, so now I hear it'll be given or shown to us when their mother gets home."

"Now that sounds like fun! Have you talked with her since this afternoon?" She made a face, "Sorry, I'm being nosy!"

He chuckled, "That's ok, I don't mind. Yes, I just spoke with her, she looked so tired and unlike herself earlier I thought I'd better check with her."

"I'll bet she's homesick."

"Yes and still jet lagged, she's only been there three days. Once she started talking about the project and her work she was better. Have you ever been to Barcelona?"

They chatted about the city and the project as they walked through to the kitchen where Tim found his youngest having a cup of hot chocolate with her Poppy. "Daddy, I swimmed! Nonnie and Uncle Leon helped me!"

"That's wonderful, Zoe! I'm proud of you!"

The little girl shivered and Tim picked her up. "Let's get you warmed up and changed." He turned to Secretary Porter, "Ma'am, if you'll excuse me I think I'd better get her into dry clothes."

"Of course!"

As father and daughter headed for the stairs she heard the toddler say "Daddy I have to go potty!"

Secretary Porter chuckled as she turned to Hélène and Jethro, saying, "It doesn't get any more real than that!"

Rhea, Leon and Davos hurried in shortly after that, wrapped in thick warm robes. Still shivering from the brief run between the dome and house, they disappeared into the downstairs bedrooms and bathroom to change out of their wet suits. Hélène laughed, "I thought the new enclosed corridor at Penny's was an extravagance but I see now that it is more of a necessity! If they are that cold here where there is no snow or freezing temperatures…"

Jethro agreed, "Yeah, especially this time of year."

When the three adults came back to the kitchen, they were handed mugs of hot coffee. Tim and Zoe came back downstairs and Tim knocked on the door of the family room, "Time to clean up for dinner!" and heard a muffled, "Ok Dad!" from Andy. He and Zoe headed back to the kitchen, rolling his eyes at his father. "Can't wait until that's done, I sure would like my kids back!"

Poppy pursed his lips and nodded, giving his son a look. Tim smiled back, "You're right, I'll talk with them."

XXX

Lina felt considerably better after chatting with her husband. She put her suitcase away, went through her nightly routine and climbed into bed, exhausted. When she woke up nearly 9 hours later she checked her e-mail to see if he was online and saw a note he'd written two hours prior that he was going to sleep. She set her phone alarm to contact him later and then showered and dressed, sending a text to her brother to meet her in the lobby for breakfast. They'd discovered a café close to the hotel that served an American breakfast and it helped both of them feel a little more at home. Adan joined them that morning and the three of them had a leisurely breakfast. Damian was going to do some sightseeing and shopping while Adan would go to the site and do some preparation for the next bit of landscaping. Lina would spend the day at Rafael's studio, working on her sculpture. To finish in the 3 weeks she'd allotted herself, she would have to work every day, not necessarily all day but some work every day. She hoped to do a bit of sightseeing during her time here; this was a beautiful city with several World Heritage sites and she wanted to see as many of them as she could.

XXX

Saturday morning Tim woke to the sound of Lina contacting him via Skype. He pulled his tablet to him and blinked happily at his smiling wife. "This is just as it should be for me, sweetie…waking up to your beautiful smile!"

She laughed and Tim's eyes darkened. "Timotheos, I only missed you by two hours when I woke this morning. I think if we do this right we can wish each other good night and good morning."

"I like that idea!"

They talked for nearly 30 minutes before Tim took the tablet to the children's rooms. Jorrin, Zoe and Sean were the first and by the time they finished telling Mama everything that had happened in the last few days, the others were awake. Each one of them had some time with her and then Tim walked downstairs to see if her parents were awake yet. Hélène was making breakfast and stopped to speak with her daughter.

After breakfast, the family piled into their vehicles and drove to the ball field for Jorrin and Sean's T-Ball game. Matt met them there and after the game he and Tim took the kids to the zoo. Tim wanted to spend as much time with his kids as possible; he also wanted to give all four grandparents a break. They had a wonderful afternoon visiting their favorite animals and enjoying lunch in a nice warm cafeteria. Tim had warned Matt that he wanted to speak to the kids about something on the way home so once they were on the road again, Uncle Matt took a nap. Tim looked at his kids in the mirror, "You know, your mama and I are really excited about whatever surprise you're working on and we can't wait to hear or see it. But I have a favor to ask."

"What Daddy?"

"When I'm home, would you please not spend all your time on the surprise? I like to see you all, play with you, talk with you – you know, Dad and kid stuff - and I don't get to do that when you're shut away in the family room."

There was quiet in the back and then Andy said, "Dad, we're sorry, we never thought…"

"I know and as I said, your mama and I are excited about the surprise. Just please don't neglect us!"

"We promise, Daddy, we'll stop when you come home."

"Thank you!"

On the way back to Preston they stopped to pick up Tea who was joining them for dinner and would ride home with Matt. When they got to the house, they found it empty: no grandparents were on the premises. That was just what Tim had in mind, both sets having the weekend off. However someone had put together their dinner before leaving as the house was filled with the wonderful scent of one of Tim's favorite recipes. There was a note from Poppy that directed Tim to the refrigerator for items to be added in at various times. Tim chuckled as he read the note to Matt and Tea, "Boy he knows us well! Look at this, the next add time is 10 minutes from now!"

Matt was fetching lemonades for the three of them and exclaimed, "There's even a couple of side dishes and a salad in here!"

Tim grinned, "I tell you, I have the best parents and in-laws in the world!"

XXX

The big house residents spent the day in various ways. Davos and Hélène drove to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and took their time exploring the historic buildings there. Davos particularly wanted to see the adobe hacienda (home) built in 1825, typical of the great haciendas during the time of the Californios; before first the Mexican government followed by the American government was in power. He also wanted to see the original stagecoach housed at one of the museums. In the two years his daughter and son-in-law had lived in California, Davos had become fascinated with the history of the state. Hélène thought it probably had more to do with the "Wild West" culture and cowboys he'd seen in the movies and TV but as long as he wanted to explore she was happy! They spent an enjoyable afternoon poking around the State Park and Old Town itself. Late in the day they drove over to the UCSD campus to take their granddaughter Alexis and her boyfriend Cole out to dinner.

The Gibbses went on a road trip. Rhea wanted to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, commonly referred to as the PCH or Route 1, ending their day in Santa Barbara. From Preston they got onto the PCH, heading north through San Clemente and Dana Point, past the exit for Newport Beach, although Rhea was sorely tempted, past Long Beach. Their trip would take them past Venice Beach and Santa Monica and then through Malibu, past Pepperdine University and finally rounding Point Magu; a beautiful drive along the ocean, where it's been said the mountains kiss the sea. They weren't in any hurry; Jethro had learned that wasn't possible with his artist wife, at least not on a road trip! She had a list of places she wanted to stop for photos or to do some sketching and there were plenty of other spots they stopped when something caught her eye. They stopped to see the famous (or infamous) boardwalk on Venice Beach, which was indeed as colorful, crazy and crowded as portrayed in the media and Rhea did a quick sketch there, telling her husband that with the crowd on a sunny winter Saturday she thought her final work might be nearly all heads and feet!

Their next stop was Santa Monica, a few miles away, where they saw the famous pier and walked along the crumbling bluffs in Palisades Park, said to be the best place to view the ocean. When Jethro gently teased his wife that daylight would only last a few more hours, Rhea laughingly agreed they needed to move along. Stopping in Oxnard for a late lunch, they changed their plans a little. Instead of continuing on Highway 1, they'd cut over to Highway 101 which would take them inland a bit but get them to Santa Barbara faster, before the sun set. They already had reservations at a hotel there and would get an earlier start in the morning, driving all the way home on the coastal highway. That satisfied Rhea as she wanted to see the inland areas and some of Santa Barbara too.

XXX

Knowing she would get caught up in her work and lose all track of time, Lina had set her phone alarm so she wouldn't be returning to the hotel at midnight. She'd progressed further than planned today, even with Rafael's insistence that she join his family for the main meal of the day, their comida or lunch. Even with the large breakfast she was hungry and in midafternoon happily joined the family for their meal of salad, a hearty stew with homemade bread and a flan for dessert, all washed down with a robust red wine, followed by coffee. She enjoyed the company, the meal and the break. Typically the Spanish siesta lasts two hours but today the family relaxed and Lina didn't return to her work for nearly three hours. That was all right, she'd plan for that in the future. Now it was dark outside and she was done for the day. She cleaned her tools and was just washing up when her brother called. "Melina, are you still at the studio?"

"Yes, I'm just cleaning up, I'll be leaving within 5 minutes. Why?"

"I thought we might have tapas tonight."

"Yes, if we're not out late. I want to wake up early tomorrow morning so I can talk with Tim before he goes to sleep tonight."

Her brother laughed, "Matt must have talked with him because he sent me a text saying basically the same thing. How about we see what they have at the hotel, then we won't have to worry about the lateness?"

She smiled, "That sounds good, I'll be there in a few minutes - I'm just leaving now." Once back at the hotel she changed her clothes and met her brother in the hotel bar. As tired as she was, she was back in her room before 11 PM and set her phone alarm for 7:00 AM, which would be 11 PM in Preston, a perfect time to talk with Tim. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, thinking of her sweet sexy mate.

* * *

><p><strong>Tee-ball<strong> (also **teeball**, **tee ball** or **t-ball**) is a team sport based on and simplifying baseball and softball. It is intended as an introduction for children aged 4 to 8 to develop ball-game skills and have fun. (Source: Wikipedia and my nephews' participation in the sport.)

**Many** of the works of architect Antoni Gaudi are located in Barcelona. The most famous is the unfinished Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that had been under construction since 1882; funded only by private donations, in 2007 the estimated completion date was the year 2026. (Source: Wikipedia)

**Californios:** Californio is a historic and regional Spanish term for "Californian". It's used to identify a Spanish speaking, mostly Roman Catholic people, or of Latin American descent, regardless of race, born in Alta California from the time the first Spanish colonies were established by the Portolá expedition in 1769 up to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, enacted in 1848, in which Mexico ceded Alta California (comprised of what are now all or parts of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming) to the United States. (Source: Wikipedia and a tiny bit of personal knowledge.)


	212. Chapter 212

Rhea smiled as she read the e-mail from Lina. She loved her idea and would be glad to help put it together. Making a list of things that would need to happen, she sent it to her friend, asking if there was anything she'd missed. She'd have to tell Jethro and soon as he always seemed to know.

XXX

Tim leaned back in his chair and smiled at the calendar reminder on his phone. Three more days and Lina would be home! She'd stuck faithfully to her timetable; by the time she stepped off the plane on Sunday she would have been away two days shy of three weeks. It had seemed far longer even with their daily chats. She'd told him that yesterday and today would be especially intense and not to expect to hear from her, that it was necessary to finish on time. He missed her already but she'd be home on time, that was the most important thing…well the sculpture would be finished and installed, he supposed that was really as important.

He was gathering his belongings to leave for the weekend when Kath popped her head in, "Your dad's on line 1."

He smiled as he picked up the phone, "Hey Dad, what's up?"

His father sighed, "Tim, I'm sorry to bother you but I'm stuck. Damn car broke down and the Auto Club says it's going to be at least 90 minutes before they can get to me."

"Are you all right, you safe? Anyone with you?"

"Yeah, I'm safe, I wasn't on the freeway, I was able to pull over so the car is pretty much parked; I think I'm just going to leave it there for the night, they can tow it tomorrow."

"Ok, where are you?"

His father sounded a little embarrassed, "I had to use the head and there wasn't a gas station or anything nearby so I walked over to a hotel."

He gave Tim the name and address of the hotel, a four star popular with business travelers and Tim told him he'd be there in 20 minutes. He made it in 15 minutes, wondering if this was a ruse and hoping it was as he parked near the door and walked into the lobby to get his father. He stood in the foyer and looked around. He started to frown when he didn't see the face he expected and then his eyes widened, his lips curved into a grin and his face lit up when he saw who was approaching him. "Surprise!"

Without a word he swept his lover into his arms kissing her soundly. He vaguely felt a hand patting him on the back but it wasn't until later that he realized that had been his father. When he and Lina came up for air, she giggled and dangled a key card in front of him. He shook his head, "You have a room…OH!"

"_We_ have a room and two nights to ourselves!"

"Wow, I… that's great! The kids…?"

"Our parents know where we are, they're taking the kids to Disneyland tomorrow, with Matt and Tea. They'll be fine."

Arms wrapped around each other, they headed for the elevator and their room where they spent the next 24 hours, emerging only when they decided to go for a swim. They had dinner out that night and then once again cloistered themselves in their love nest. At some point Tim thought to call his security team, the one he was still getting used to, to let them know where he was, only to be told they were already on site.

The plan was to head home late Sunday morning. Lina said the kids knew she'd arrived early and that the two of them had spent the weekend alone together. On the drive home, Tim caught her up on all the news the kids hadn't told her and she told her husband all about the conspiracy. She'd originally approached Rhea who'd brought Jethro into it and eventually her parents. Tim just shook his head; he'd been so focused on the kids and his work he hadn't noticed anything secretive, only starting to suspect when his father called with a car problem. Lina laughed when he said that. "He said you'd be suspicious of that but by then it didn't matter, we just needed you to come to the hotel!"

"I have to admit there was a little hope in my heart."

She leaned over and kissed him. "So you have a protection detail now."

He nodded. "Yes, when I'm away from home or the office. And if they think there's a credible threat, you and the kids and whoever's in the big house will have protection too."

Her eyes widened, she hadn't thought of that. Before she could ask any more questions, they were home and busy hugging and kissing their children.

Lina had been home for a week but still dealing with jet lag when they celebrated Gemma's 6th birthday. The little girl had decided not to have a pool party this year, telling her parents she didn't want to get sick again. Instead five of her friends joined her for a performance of the Broadway hit "Mary Poppins" by UCSD drama students, including her cousin Alexis, followed by ice cream treats at an old fashioned ice cream parlor.

The following Saturday, the family gathered to remember the lives of Anna and Gemma's first family and Andy and Sean's grandmother and great grandmother Hope. The children had asked that all of them be remembered together because as Gemma said, "They're all in heaven so they can have a party together." The girls had a Skype call with their cousins, catching up with their lives. Tim and his dad had spent time making phone calls and placing ads throughout the past year, looking for Sarah Hope and hoping to have some good news for Andy and Sean, but the young woman hadn't surfaced. The following day they celebrated the anniversaries of the adoptions of the four children: the first anniversary for Andy and Sean, although their adoptions had not been finalized until August, and the third anniversary for Anna and Gemma.

Shortly before Lina's departure for Spain, they'd heard about Eva and Caleb's move to San Diego for the new exhibition. They were excited about it and as Tim remarked, now they had nearly all of Pete's former team here in California, or at least one of his former teams!

The first weekend in April was supposed to bring the Russells to San Diego. They'd been in the U.S. since February, first visiting Pete's mother and brothers in Texas and then traveling to Buffalo in New York State to spend time with Trina's mother and family. However they'd had to fly back to Texas when Pete's mother became ill and they were still there. Mrs. Russell had been released from the hospital but neither Pete nor Trina felt comfortable leaving her until they were sure she was truly back on her feet. Their new plan was to fly out to San Diego the following week.

While the McGees were sorry that Pete's mother had been ill, they were almost relieved with the delay. Tim had been swamped at work and Lina felt like she was still trying to catch up from her time in Spain, she just couldn't seem to get fully rested. They made sure the unexpectedly free weekend was a quiet one, spent at home with the kids and their grandparents.

Happily, the Russells' change in plans meant they'd still be in California when Eva and Caleb arrived; Tea and Matt were planning a dinner party for all of them, including the Hofstadlers. The Gibbses were leaving to spend Easter with the East Coast family before the Russells' arrival but would be home in time to see their friends before they left for the next stop on their itinerary.

Tim kept his fingers crossed that things would be quiet at work while Pete and Trina were in town. He hoped to take a few hours off here and there to spend time with them. His security team had already cleared them; even though they'd be staying at the big house they'd likely spend a lot of time with the McGees. Caleb and Eva had also been cleared as there was also a possibility of them staying at the big house when they first arrived. The head of Tim's security had quickly realized that anyone staying at the big house might as well be staying with the McGees.

The Gibbses left on Tuesday that week; Tim dropped them at the airport on the way to work. It felt strange not to go with them; this time the McGees would be the ones missing from the family for the Easter holiday.

On the way home from work on Friday, Tim stopped at the airport to pick up Pete and Trina. He grinned as his friends came down the escalator into Baggage Claims, moving forward to give each of them a hug and kiss. "I'm so glad to see you two! Finally!"

Pete held him at arm's length. "Yep, you look pretty good for a man in your position."

Tim could practically feel the instant alert of his security detail at Pete's statement, worried he was going to blurt his position at NCIS to the world. His friend continued, his eyes twinkling, "Why no one would ever guess that you have 15 children and live in a shoe!"

Tim huffed, "20 kids, we added 5 more since last time we talked!"

He laughed and shook his head slightly as a woman nearby turned to look at him with a horrified expression. Trina rolled her eyes at the two of them as they grabbed the luggage and headed out to the car. While he'd been allowed to drive his car and drop his parents at the airport earlier in the week, not stepping out of the car, this trip he'd been driven by his agents and the car was waiting just outside. Trina was surprised while Pete just shook his head, "Seriously?"

Tim waited until they were in the car before replying. "Yes, I get to drive if I'm just going between home and the office. But coming here, parking and going in…oh yeah, they're going to drive and go inside with me."

"I understood the clearance, makes sense, but I hadn't thought about you just going about your life."

Tim just smiled, "See what you guys got me into?"

Trina huffed and looked at Tim, nodding. "The three of them plotted and schemed, Tim; Pete, Leon and Joel."

Pete bit back a laugh, "Come on, we weren't that bad! And it's not our fault that you're the natural choice for what you're doing! You were fair game once you left the MCRT!"

Tim rolled his eyes as he deliberately changed the subject, pointing out the window at the Del Mar racetrack. Trina's eyes lit up, "Ooh, I need to play there!"

Tim chuckled, "Rhea, Hélène, Gram and Lina took Ziva there when she visited last year. They had a great time and Hélène won a couple hundred bucks."

Trina nodded, "She brought home $200 - after she bought lunch for everyone."

Pete looked at Tim, "Have you ever been?"

He shook his head, "No, I'm not a gambler and horse racing doesn't do it for me."

Pete snorted, "My dad played the ponies. He was an insurance agent and was fanatic about keeping his race money totally separate from his business funds and the household accounts and we were not allowed to mention it to anyone, ever! In fact, this is probably too soon and he's been dead for 30 years. He used to take us with him sometimes, one at a time, never all three at once and sometimes my mom would go too. Once in a while he'd buy us all presents for no special reason, and we'd know he'd had a big win."

Trina patted Tim, "I can see why you wouldn't be interested in gambling."

He huffed, "Never had the money and really, the Commander was enough of a gambler, he gambled on Natalie and lost everything for all of us." He took a breath, "Sorry, we just passed the first anniversary of us finding the boys and I'm apparently still not dealing well with that whole mess."

"You mean Patrick?"

"Yeah, Patrick - dead, alive and then dead again."

Pete put his arm around Tim's shoulders. "That was rough last year, Tim; wanted so badly to be here for you, both of us did."

"I know Pete and you were there for me, both of you, I really appreciated your support."

"How's Maggie doing?"

"Great! You know they're foster parents now?" They nodded. "I can't wait to meet Emma in person, she seems like a great kid and Tony and Maggie are really enjoying being parents. Maggie's working as an investigative agent…did I tell you about that?"

Pete had to think about it, "Is that the pilot program that Carla's working under?"

"Yes, Carla along with Maggie, Dwayne Wilson, who was on Dad's last team, and a few others. They're doing great jobs and it really helps not losing good investigators when they can't be in the field anymore."

The agent riding shotgun interrupted, "Excuse me sir. Are we going to the big house first or your place?"

"Big house first please, I'll let the Ks know we're almost there."

He sent a text and nodded at the reply. "Good they're home." He made a noise as he read a second text, "Timmons, my whole family is currently at the big house."

"Yes sir; just got that intel."

They parked in the driveway and got out of the car. Tim opened the front door of the house and called out, "Hello, I have an Aunty and Uncle here to see some kids." As the pair walked into the house, they grinned and held their arms out to the wave of children coming at them. They were so busy hugging them they didn't notice there were three additional kids until the young ones backed off and were replaced by bigger people. Lina, Matt, Tea, Carla and Norm greeted their friends with more hugs and kisses.

Trina laughed as she and Pete finally emerged from the crowd. "I thought there were a few more McGees than I expected!" Pete grinned as he looked at each of them, "I'm sure glad I saw all of you last summer or I'd really be a pile of goo right now."

Hélène and Davos welcomed them then, a little more sedately as they'd just seen them in Greece in January. "Welcome to our home! We are the only ones in residence right now but Jethro and Rhea will be back while you are still here."

Pete looked around, "Wow, this place looks much bigger than the big house in Piraeus."

Davos chuckled, "It is bigger. We seem to have more visitors here. I believe the difference is because so many of us lived in or near Athens and now we are scattered across the continent and of course still in Greece."

Matt and Tim helped Pete bring in their luggage and Davos led the couple upstairs, showing them the guest room that had been prepared. While the couple took a few minutes to get settled Tim had his share of greetings from his family and friends. They'd originally thought to have drinks and meze on the deck but it was a little too chilly yet. Although it was officially spring the evenings were still cool especially close to the ocean.

The Russells returned to the main floor, finding the group in the living room. Pete grinned, "We smelled the meze and followed our noses!"

The kids hung out with the adults, knowing dinner would be served in just a few minutes. When Hélène nodded to them, Gemma, Andy and Anna set the table. With supervision from their father, Jorry and Sean brought the condiments in and even Zoe got into the action, carrying a stack of folded napkins to the table and helping Gemma place them around the table.

When everyone was seated around the table, Trina made sure to compliment the set up crew. "The table looks lovely, children!"

Gemma pointed to the centerpiece on the table, "Mama cut the flowers and put them in the bowl just right."

Lina smiled at her daughter, "Thank you Gemma!"

Tim looked at his wife, noticing she seemed tired again. He thought as he ate; she'd been tired all week. Wondering if she had some sort of bug she'd caught in Spain or on the plane home, he resolved to mention it to her later. The group enjoyed the camaraderie and the meal and everyone pitched in to clean up.

When they were home in their room, the kids tucked in for the night, Tim pulled Lina into his arms. "Sweetie, are you feeling all right?"

"I don't really feel sick but I am awfully tired, love."

Tim nodded, "Think it's time to see a doctor."

She agreed and crawled into bed with a sigh of happiness. "It feels so good to lie down, to sleep."

That worried Tim even more; he didn't remember her ever talking like that. Usually she was full of energy and they almost always had time for each other before they fell asleep. As he pulled the covers up, Lina burrowed into him and he smiled as he wrapped an arm around her.

They had a busy weekend with their guests. Tim ran errands with the kids on Saturday morning, Pete going with him and the boys to get their hair cut, pick up his dry cleaning and a few groceries. After brunch on the deck of the big house, they took a walk on the beach and Trina sighed happily as she took a deep breath of ocean air. "Ah, I've missed that, haven't smelled it since we left home."

Lina chuckled, "I thought you might be missing that, I certainly do when we're in Virginia!"

Pete looked at her, "So how are you going to deal with living there, miles from the nearest salt water?"

She shrugged, "_If_ we get transferred there, I'll cope, we all will." Tim returned with Zoe and the friends continued their stroll as the children ran and played around them. They had dinner on the McGees' patio that evening with their outdoor heater keeping them pleasantly warm. When Pete teased Tim about being spoiled Californians, his friend just smiled and replied, "Just enjoying it while we can."

"Do you have any new books in the works?"

"Yeah, got one going but it'll be awhile before it hits the bookshelves. It's tough finding time to write these days!"

What Tim really meant was that it was tough for all of his co-authors to find time to work together. So far they had the prologue and one chapter written and all that had happened shortly after their gathering at Christmas. Pete snorted, "I bet you thought once you came in from the field, you'd have all kinds of time!"

Tim shrugged, "Traded the field for management and politics, the fun never stops! There are days I'd throw it all in for a call out and a case to investigate."

"Guess that's not going to happen now, huh?"

Tim chuckled as he shook his head, "Can you imagine a Lead Agent arriving at a crime scene with his very own security detail?" He stretched his arms, "I know I'm still doing worthwhile work, indirectly I'm still taking bad guys off the street, but it's sure been an adjustment!"

Pete nodded, "Joel said the same thing, although at least he wasn't the Crown Prince." Tim made a derisive noise at that and the two men laughed.

When Pete asked Tim what he did as Assistant Director, Tim twisted his lips. "I've got several areas of responsibility and some of them tie into my work at SW. But I tell you, I inherited a mess from my predecessor. It took me days to figure out what was what and then I went back to Leon begging for help. But security clearance was a real issue, I can't delegate work to folks who have lower security levels. I struggled with it for weeks and I tell you, Pete, I came close to throwing in the towel and stepping back to the SSAIC position. Eventually I told Leon I needed help and asked him how he'd done it. Now I have three deputies and the work's getting done. I still have to approve everything and I have to retain some of the highest classified items for my eyes only but at least I don't have to do it all, nor does Leon."

"I don't understand why Leon didn't have that set up already! After all, he was Shepard's AD."

Tim made a face. "I think that Shepard was already on a downward spiral when she suddenly appointed Vance as AD. I believe the SecNav forced her into it as her personal agenda became more evident, more twisted and she started taking the agency down with her, at least with her actions in DC. I think Davenport wanted someone in place ready to step in if he had to remove her from office. She kept Leon an arm's length away from her power base in DC. Didn't give him anything to do, she'd rather do all the work than share any of her power. So Leon was doing the SSAIC work and was AD in title only until he was called to Washington for an op that's still classified. And before he could get going on that op there was an inquiry into how a certain arms dealer, the object of Shepard's obsession, came to be floating in the ocean with a bullet hole in his forehead. She was cleared but as I remember, the next thing that happened, before Vance could get back to San Diego, was Shepard's death."

"Wow! He's never said. He doesn't talk about her but there were so many rumors around the agency I figured he didn't need me poking my nose in."

Tim nodded, "Yeah and he wouldn't talk about her, but I was ringside for Shepard's tenure and while I was a junior agent, it was plain there were weird things going on. That's when Tony was on a yearlong undercover mission, without backup, that none of us knew about, not even Gibbs. We only found out about it when his car blew up, ostensibly with him in it. God that was a horrible day…I can still see the explosion. And then we had to process the scene. Wasn't until Ducky did the autopsy that we knew the dead guy wasn't Tony. And Shepard - never mind – enough of her." Pete patted him on the back and changed the subject.

Sunday was the western Easter and the kids happily hunted hardboiled colored eggs in their backyard after finding their Easter baskets full of treasures. Tim and Lina had changed the traditional baskets full of candy to ones full of nuts, fruits, a small gift and a little bit of candy.

Tim grilled chicken for their holiday dinner, using his dad's recipe for the marinade. The Hofstadlers, Matt and Tea joined them once again along with the Hardisters. Janeese Hardister insisted on bringing dessert and the others brought salads and side dishes for their meal.

Sunday night as they were getting ready for bed, Lina reminded Tim that she'd be calling their doctor in the morning for an appointment and promised to call him as soon as she knew when it was so he could block out the time on his schedule.

Matt had invited Pete to the Preston office on Monday, provided they didn't have any cases. Tuesday, he'd join Tim in his office for lunch. However on Monday when two of Tim's meetings were rescheduled, he grabbed his security detail, told Kath what he was up to and drove to Preston. He knew what Matt's team had planned for lunch, that hadn't changed in the last few months and he was early enough to pick up and pay for their order, adding a few more things for him and his detail. Nick Hardister told him later he saw the large black SUV rolling through town and wondered if he was running away from his office.

They parked in the back and his detail escorted him around to the front door. Whatever else he was now, he was still the Senior SAIC and as such had access to each of his offices. He keyed in his code and when the door clicked open, he elbowed it open, carrying the box of food. Rae spotted him and grabbed the box so she could give him a hug, squealing as she did. "Tim! I mean…" He shook his head, smiling and she grinned at him and then moved aside as Megan and the others joined them. Pete was in Matt's office and the two men came out to welcome their surprise guest. Tim grinned, "Had a couple of openings in my schedule, decided to play hooky and come join you. Hope it's ok if I crash your party?!"

His friends just grinned at him and Jo smiled, "More stories!"

They had a couple of convivial hours together over lunch, telling tales about each other and their teams. When Tim's phone alarm chimed, they all groaned. He smiled, shaking his head, "Sorry, I need to get back to work!"

After telling everyone goodbye, he sent a text to his security that he was ready to roll and slipped out the back door through the gated patio to the SUV. He went back to work with a lighter step after spending time with his friends, being Tim again.

Of all the changes in his work life, being the Assistant Director and therefore too 'lofty' of a position to really be friends or even friendly with anyone was what he liked the least. At times he wished the people in the Southwest office had known him better before Vance practically anointed him as his successor. At least they would have known him as a real person and a field agent, first. He'd come to the SSAIC job as a recent team leader and that plus his reputation had established his credibility with the folks in San Diego and with his outlying offices. But then he'd stepped up and had that damn ceremony smack in the middle of the office. People nodded at him now, wishing the 'Assistant Director' or 'Sir' good morning or good afternoon, but there was no longer any possibility of more than that. He thought to himself that he had stronger ties with the Navy Brass than with anyone in the office other than his assistance and then realized that was probably how it was supposed to be. No wonder Leon had never turned Gibbs away from his office; no matter the amount of distrust between the two men back in the day, it was an honest emotion. At least if things happened the way Pete and Lina seemed to think they would, at least there would be people aboard the Yard who knew him, people who knew _him_, Tim McGee.

At some point in his thought process he realized that he had many friends; many friends who loved him and whom he loved but that over the years, since he'd left the MCRT really, he'd become accustomed to making friends with his co-workers, his peers. Laughing to himself he wondered if he should give Owen Grainger a call.

When he got home that evening, Lina told him her doctor's appointment was for Wednesday morning. He made a note on his phone, he would somehow make a hole in his schedule so he could go with her.

Tonight they were having drinks and meze at the big house, on the deck overlooking the ocean, and then they'd all come back over to the McGee home for their dinner. Tim noticed the kids had the patio table all set and told them how proud he was of them for pitching in and helping. They thought of walking over to the big house but knew they'd probably want to ride on the way back so they'd driven the family minivan over.

The temperature was just perfect for their treats on the deck and Tim and Andy were helping bring everything out when Trina turned from the railing where she'd been watching a sailboat. Andy was just going back through the doorway and Tim saw Trina's eyes tracking him and go wide, followed by a shudder. She turned to the railing and grabbed it so hard her knuckles were white. Tim thought about what he'd just seen…Andy hadn't said or done anything, he was just carrying things to the table, walking; then he got it, his son was wearing his favorite sneakers, his favorite red sneakers.

Making some noise so that Trina would know he was there, he stood beside her and slowly peeled one of her hands from the railing and held it. "I know this is a stupid question but are you all right and is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head, "I'll be all right in a bit and yes, just please stay here with me. Ever since…ever since that day I feel safest when I'm with Pete or you. No one else."

"Trina…"

"It's been two years Tim, coming up on three. And I've had help, I saw Dr. Agnos daily and then weekly for over a year and I still go back every month or so. But I can't…I hate red, I can't stand to have it in the house, nothing red, no clothing – mine or anyone else's, no paint, no food - not even red peppers. I still have nightmares and I can't paint, it all comes out looking like my nightmares, slashing knives and red everywhere." She took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and then exhaled slowly. "Kyra's doing far better than I am, thank God. We talk to her every single day and Dimitri keeps an eye on her, did Pete tell you that?" Tim shook his head. "Even before we left. If he can't, his son or nephew does and of course Lukas does too. And Kyra knows it and doesn't mind, says if Pete or you, Ned or Bec can't be there than she's good with Dimitri and the others, she feels safe."

"Those of us who were there that day."

Trina nodded. "Yes and I should add Rusty in there too, I know I'd be safe with him."

Tim pulled her into a hug. "Trina, I wish I could make it go away."

She nodded, "Thank you."

Tim was thinking of Lina's worry paintings. She'd kept them up over the years, occasionally offering them for sale and she'd found a niche market for them in law enforcement and military families. It wasn't quite the same but it did help Lina with her fears and worries, it was at least worth a suggestion.

"What if instead of avoiding painting, what if you let it out, sort of embrace it? Sounds like immersion therapy I guess, instead of avoiding it you paint everything you feel, no matter how dark, how red, how nightmarish it is? Do you suppose that would relieve some of it?"

She lay her head on his shoulder, thinking. "I thought of that once, right after it happened. It took me days to just enter my studio and I never could pick up a brush. But I could try it again now."

"What if you tried while you're here, with us, safe?" Behind them he heard Pete and Lina's voices echoing the thought.

Trina nodded, "If I can use Lina's studio and she's there with me…and Pete's somewhere close or you…no, both you and Pete."

Lina had her hand on her friend's shoulder, "Of course, Trina, we can do that."

Before she turned to the others Trina whispered, "Please don't tell Andy."

"About his shoes?" She nodded and he whispered his promise.


	213. Chapter 213

Tim and Lina rose earlier than usual on Tuesday and had the studio ready when the Russells arrived. Trina had decided to start her work in the morning so that if it went badly she would have the day to recover rather than starting in the evening and facing more nightmares during the night. She and Lina set the first canvas up and Lina spoke softly to her, asking her what she felt, setting up a palette for her.

Trina stood staring at the blank canvas and then looked around wildly, her eyes finally settling on Pete and Tim. "You two are here, Lina's here, I'm safe. Kyra's safe." To Tim, this sounded like a version of what was probably an often repeated mantra so he and Pete just nodded. Taking a shuddering breath, Trina gripped a brush in her fist as if she were a toddler learning how to hold a crayon; dipped it in paint and slashed it across the canvas. Without pausing she did it again and again, changing to different colors, but mostly black, red and what Lina called 'bruise colors': purple and yellow. Again and again her brushes slashed against the canvas and then shapes started to appear, a small rectangle, a round disk, bloody feet, what might have been a shoe, a knife, all with slashes of red around and through each object. Then she stopped for a moment before she painted an outline of a red rope with the female symbol next to it. After she finished that she returned to the random splashes of red, purple and yellow.

She filled every square inch on that first canvas and then Pete and Tim took it off the easel while Lina slipped in a second blank one. Trina kept slashing and splashing the paint, occasionally stopping to use the brush normally. Disembodied toes painted red, purple and yellow, a small bottle that Tim figured was a bottle of polish, and again the red rope only this time she painted it, all red, and added a large knot. Again the female symbol made an appearance. She worked silently and quickly and when the second canvas was filled, she put the brush down. "I'm done."

They nodded silently and Lina found her voice, "We can do more tomorrow."

Trina nodded, "It feels…I don't know how it feels. Not worse." She gave them a little smile, "Thank you, that's a huge improvement."

Her protectors nodded and the two men left the studio while Trina and Lina cleaned up. Tim was amazed to find that it was just time to wake the children and get them fed and ready for school. He felt like half a day had passed already. Bothered by Trina's anguish, he was happy to have his attention diverted by his children. He remembered telling someone the day they rescued Trina and Kyra, he thought it had been Rusty, that time with his kids chased the blues away.

If the kids noticed that their parents gave them more hugs than they usually did on a school day in the middle of the week, they didn't mention it. Tim insisted on driving them to school and daycare that morning; he watched carefully until each child was safely indoors and carried Zoe into daycare.

When he got to work he was still feeling distracted and he decided to check in with his resident team, see what cases they were working on. He just needed a minute or two to feel like he was still an investigator, still Special Agent Tim McGee. When Jeff Andreson, the SFA, arrived, Tim wandered out of his office. The man looked up at him and smiled, "Morning!"

"Morning, Andreson. Haven't done this in awhile…but what's going on as far as the team?"

Jeff Andreson was a smart man; he'd been the SFA when Joel had arrived from London and remembered how hard a time he'd had giving up the field. He'd wondered about Tim, he'd certainly heard enough stories from Joel about his prowess as an agent, but his first couple of months had been crazy busy and the team had been on the run nearly the whole time. He'd noticed that once Tim had a new title, people seemed to either stay away from him or try to cozy up, to curry favor he supposed. He felt bad, there hadn't really been any time to bond and he knew from the Southwest grapevine that this guy was respected and loved by his former teams. He didn't know what had generated Tim's question but they did have a case that he could use some help with, at least a conversation.

He filled him in on the cases they'd worked recently and then picked up a folder, a cold case file. "Not sure how we ended up with this case but it's here and there are a couple of items I'm scratching my head about if you have some time."

Tim nodded, trying not to look as grateful as he felt. Jeff told him his dilemma and showed him the wording on the agent's handwritten notes in the back of the file. Tim blinked in surprise; it was one of Chris Pacci's cases. He tapped the file, "Chris Pacci, he was a lefty like me."

"You know him?"

"Never met him in person. When I was a case agent in Norfolk, my first year at NCIS, he called and asked me to retrieve some records on a cold case but he was murdered before I could get them to him. My dad knew him, worked with him, that's how I know he was left handed."

He looked at the paragraph again and told the SFA what he thought it meant. Jeff looked again, "Wow, that's…I had no idea that words could look so different just because they're written by a lefty or a righty!"

Tim nodded, "My oldest child, the one who looks like me?" Jeff nodded. "We adopted him but biologically he's my nephew. He's also left handed so I've been explaining everything I've learned about the differences to him."

"Is it hereditary? Is one of your parents left-handed?"

"There are several theories about how preferred handedness develops but nobody's really proved anything yet. I think about 24% is supposed to be hereditary but I haven't dug any deeper than that. As for my parents, my father was right handed but I don't know about my mother, I never thought to ask my grandmother."

At the confused look on the man's face he explained, "My mother died when I was a baby and my first father died when I was a kid. Jethro Gibbs, the dad you met a couple of months ago, adopted me and my siblings a few years ago."

"Wow!"

Tim chuckled again, "Oh yeah, we're complicated!"

Jeff thought and then asked, "Gibbs…that's the legendary Leroy Jethro Gibbs, isn't it?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah, he was my first team lead, worked for him for a decade."

"On the MCRT in DC?" Tim nodded again. "Had no idea; well, I know what Joel told me but I try not to be nosy outside of the job."

Now Tim laughed outright, "And I for one thank you for that."

"You were on _that_ team!"

"Yes, Tony DiNozzo was our SFA, he's now Team Lead at the Pentagon, and my first year on the team we had a former Secret Service agent as our junior; after her death the Director brought in Ziva David and placed her on our team."

"Is that the Mossad agent?"

"Yes, she served as liaison for several years, then quit Mossad, became an American citizen and a NCIS agent."

"Does she still work for NCIS?"

"No, she eventually went back to Israel, worked in their Diplomatic Corps for a few years and now works as a consultant to one of their representatives at the UN."

"You've kept in touch with her?"

Tim grinned, "Gibbs adopted her too so she's now my sister. Told you we're complicated!" He gave Jeff's shoulder a pat, "Thanks for letting me consult. Had an old case raise its ugly head and I needed to get it out of my head."

"What was it - would it be better to talk about it?"

Tim nodded absently. "I suppose - if you don't mind." Jeff made a noise which Tim took as an affirmative and continued, "It was a serial killer in Athens, one of my last cases before I transferred back to the States. We had a UA Marine who was a suspect; that's why we got called in but as we worked the case with the Athens PD, we realized he was more likely a victim. We stayed on it and figured out the killer's trigger; started calling our family and friends to warn them and found the wife and daughter of our retired Team Lead couldn't be reached. We found them, they were the last victims of the dirt bag; the daughter was ok, had a concussion but the wife…we were just in time and I mean just."

"And they were your friends?"

"Yes, still are. And the wife is still having problems dealing with the nightmares. Made me think how much help our victims, the survivors, need."

"Did she get help?"

"Yes and plenty of it but it's not enough, not yet."

Jeff nodded, "PTSD."

"Oh yeah. All right, I guess we'd better get to work…or I do, you're already working!" He absently patted the man on the shoulder again and returned to his office. A few minutes later, Jeff came in and said, "I gotta ask, what about the UA Marine?"

Tim realized he'd left that part out and told him, also mentioning the red rope to his SFA who looked at him with wide eyes, shook his head and went back to his desk. Tim felt immeasurably better after that, better than he'd felt since his first day in this office. He was still an agent, he'd worked cases, busted bad guys, he still had the experiences, good and bad; they hadn't been taken from him when his field status and title changed.

Later in the day he received a text from Pete that Trina was sleeping, the longest and most peaceful sleep she'd had in nearly three years. Tim smiled; maybe she would finally be able to find some peace.

When he got home that evening he found the children were over at the big house while his wife was in the house, waiting for him. She smiled at him, "Come upstairs with me please."

He laughed and flapped his eyebrows comically, "You never have to ask me twice!"

She gave him a little look and he followed her to their room closing the door behind him. But she didn't stop; she continued into the bathroom and then stood in the doorway, waving a white paper bag at him. "I may have the answer right here."

"The answer, oh to your fatigue…Lina?"

"Where were we approximately a month ago?"

He thought and then smiled, "Having wonderfully hot sex at a very nice hotel."

"Yes."

He looked at her and his mouth opened and closed. She shook her head, "I'm not sure yet but it'll just take a few minutes." Closing the door, she said, "I'll be right back."

Tim sat on the bed, in some sort of shock although he didn't know why, really. It's not like they were new to this! He smiled as he remembered the first time Lina told him she was pregnant, on Santorini for their delayed honeymoon. She'd been right then, right again with Zoe after their trip to Venice and now…well, they'd know in a few minutes.

Lina opened the door to the bathroom and joined him on the bed. "Three more minutes."

He took her hand, "Well, we did it, Zoe will be 3 before this baby arrives!"

"I could be wrong."

"You were right with Jorry and Zoe, no reason to think you're wrong now." She just smiled and he looked at her, "Have you been having any dreams, you know, like before?"

She jumped as the timer dinged. He didn't even have to look, he already knew the answer. "Oh boy, a December baby!"

"Yes, he or she will be due somewhere between the 13th and the 15th of December, no matter what the doctor says!"

He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "You were right about Jorrin's birthday too." He pulled back and looked at her, "You never answered my question about the dreams."

She nodded, "When I was in Barcelona, my dreams were about two babies."

"Two babies, not what gender?"

"Right, two babies."

"So it could be like Anna, Gemma and Zoe where you saw three girls and that's what happened."

"I suppose, but I have no idea if both or either of these babies are ours to begin with or if one finds its way to us or belongs to someone else."

He smiled, "Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. But Lina, I don't remember you being so tired with the other two. Or is that because you're already the mother of 6 young active children?"

"I suppose that could be, I'm not sure."

"So we should keep your doctor's appointment, get checked out."

She made a face but agreed, especially since he was going with her.

He suddenly grinned, "You bought soda crackers last week!"

Her mouth dropped open and she nodded. "I didn't even think of that! We ate that whole box when the kids were sick and I thought it was a good idea to have some on hand." She giggled, "I've been munching on them for days!"

Tim laughed, "We didn't even need the pregnancy test - you already passed the need for soda crackers test!" They spent several more minutes together, talking about the pregnancy and what having another baby would mean to them, including the probability of them needing more help. As much as each had resisted, they agreed to think about hiring a nanny.

They wanted to walk over to the big house but Tim pointed out that his security detail would have to trail them in the car going and coming home so they drove over instead. Before they left, Lina ate a few soda crackers while Tim watched, laughing.

When they reached the big house, they found that Trina had just woken, having slept the entire day. She smiled at all of them saying she felt good, much better than she had been feeling. The older kids were a little confused but their parents weren't upset or anything so they guessed it was some grownup thing.

The next morning found the Russells and the McGees back in Lina's studio and Trina once again let loose on a couple of canvases. Tim noticed she wasn't slashing and splashing quite as much, there were more stylized objects in her work. Her colors hadn't changed though; they were all red, black, purple and yellow.

Once they were done and the children were ready for school and daycare, Davos and Pete took them as Lina's appointment was the first one of the day.

Tim sat in the waiting room while Lina's doctor examined her. He was startled when he was ushered into the exam room where his wife was waiting. Lina smiled at him, "I want you here with me, Timotheos." He nodded and stood next to her, holding her hand.

The doctor smiled at them, "We'll run some tests but I haven't found anything other than the pregnancy. In my opinion, that's the cause of your fatigue and there are a couple of factors. One, from what you've told me you were the mother of a 1 year old when you became pregnant with your youngest child. You're now the mother of 6 children! No matter how much help you have, that's got to be exhausting! The second factor is that four years ago when you became pregnant with your youngest, you were of course four years younger. Now, 36 is by no means old or too old to have a baby but 36 with 6 children, a new pregnancy and a busy career is bound to cause some fatigue. As I said, we'll run a full panel of tests and in the meantime, I strongly recommend naps twice a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon and get a solid 8 hours a sleep at night - more if possible or if you don't feel less fatigued. And I know you will be contacting your obstetrician!"

Tim grimaced, "Unfortunately, our OB is in Greece where our two youngest were born."

Lina nodded, "I was seeing an OB-GYN here but she's moved away in the last few months. Any recommendations will be welcome."

The doctor nodded and wrote three names down on a prescription pad. Tim was ushered back to the waiting room while Lina got dressed. After her blood was drawn and other fluids taken, she joined Tim and they left. As they drove home, she chuckled, "Zoe's only having afternoon naps now but Mama is having morning and afternoon naps!"

He smiled, "Feel ok with that?"

"Yes, I do, I've been grabbing catnaps here and there but nothing regular. I hope this will do the trick."

He huffed, "And hitting the first trimester probably won't hurt either!"

"Yes, I'll start looking for an OB today."

He looked sideways at her as he drove, "After your morning nap!"

"Yes dear."

They both laughed at that. He walked her into the house and then kissed her goodbye as he headed to the office. They'd decided to tell their parents and figured they might as let Pete and Trina know too as they'd surely notice Lina's naps. They planned to hold off telling anyone else, including the children, until their first trimester was complete.

Tim's security detail drove him in and while he sat with a file open to review on the drive, he spent the time thinking about the pregnancy and having a new baby. He hoped the rest of Lina's pregnancy would be easier on her than this past month had been and idly wondered if this time she'd recognize when she was in labor. He thought about changing diapers and sleepless nights and bottles and then he thought about little fingers holding his and happy uninhibited squeals. The awe of watching a newborn's development, discovering shapes, sounds, words. Neither one of them had said a word about wanting a girl or boy. Tim really didn't care as long as Lina and the baby were healthy.

Much to their own surprise, they'd decided not to go to Greece this year. Lina didn't want to travel; she said her three weeks in Barcelona were enough. They were going to Virginia for Ainsley's and Jared Vance's high school graduations and they also wanted to spend time with Eva's family plus Kim and Evander were coming to visit. The entire west coast family was working on Rob and Ned and the DiNozzos to come west for a vacation.

As for the children, there were many things to do in California, including their own pool and beach. Tim and Lina thought they'd take the family up into the mountains for a day or two and there was a lot of California and the West they hadn't experienced yet. And the kids were getting old enough to want to do some independent things. Lina found a two week arts and crafts day camp that she believed Gemma would love; they thought it important that she participate in activities on her own, fearing that it would be too easy for their second oldest daughter and middle child to get lost in their large family.

Their church was partnering with another local church to provide weeklong summer camps, both day and overnight, also known as a residential camp, a term which privately made Tim shudder as the term 'camp' tended to do anyway. Andy and Anna wanted to go to the residential camp and their parents thought Jorry and Sean would have fun at the day camp although in different sessions; they wanted both boys to continue making their own friends and as with Gemma, develop their own interests.

The two churches had been having fund raisers throughout the community all year; their goal was to ensure that any child who wanted to attend camp would be able to. Tim and Lina had contributed resources to the fundraising, including being involved in a black tie formal auction of one of Tim's works, personally autographed and one of Lina's sketches, also personally signed. In addition Andy was doing jobs around the neighborhood, washing cars, mowing lawns, helping with gardening chores and had been saving that money for camp. Anna was a little too young to help around the neighborhood but she'd taken on additional chores at home such as folding the laundry and putting it away, for an increase in her allowance and saving that money.

At one point Tim and Lina had to settle a squabble about chores because with their camp goals the three older kids each wanted to do all the chores they could to earn extra money. Their parents drew up a list of standard chores, declared those off limits from the kids' fund raising schemes and then found some extra things, such as folding the laundry, vacuuming and washing the family cars, for which they'd be paid. The 'extra' chores had to be rotated so that each of the kids had a chance to earn more money but with the big house residents adding chores for them, things were working out all right. As for their youngest, Zoe's daycare was open 50 weeks a year and the two weeks they were closed were Thanksgiving and Christmas, so she was all set.

With a start Tim realized the car had stopped as they were at the office and he took the stairs up.


	214. Chapter 214

The Gibbses arrived home that week and Friday afternoon Tim and Lina told their parents about the pregnancy. Hélène was relieved as she said she'd been worried about Lina and they told her what the doctor said. Poppy started grinning as soon as Lina and Tim mentioned the word baby and Rhea was laughing, counting the number of grandchildren that would make for them: 12! Davos and Jethro were fist bumping; their wives just shook their heads while Tim rolled his eyes at his two fathers.

The Kalivas' decided to change their travel plans. Instead of flying home to Greece in July, they'd stay until the baby was born and possibly a little longer. They would have to leave the U.S. for at least a day when their 6 month visa was up but they thought they might take a few days and travel north to Canada, specifically British Columbia. Hélène had always wanted to see the city of Victoria and Davos wanted to visit Vancouver and some of the surrounding area.

That weekend was the Orthodox Easter. It was also a rare writing weekend; Tim, his dad and the rest of their "Deep Six" co-authors met on Skype very early Saturday morning and worked on their book, making good progress. They worked out the plot and details for another chapter and Tim told them he'd try to have a draft by the following weekend. Eva, Caleb and their kids arrived from London on Saturday and settled into the big house while they looked for a place to live. Tim and Lina had told almost no one that Kim and Evander, in the U.S. visiting Kim's family, were also arriving on Saturday.

The flight arrivals were a couple of hours apart, so Tim picked up Eva and her family while Matt and Damian were read into the secret so they could pick up Kim and Evander. When Matt pulled his car up into the driveway at the big house, right behind Tim's minivan, Evander whistled, "That's a mansion and I found it for them!"

Tim's security detail was there and they handed over their IDs for inspection. Kim was surprised, "They watch him on the weekends too?"

"He let them know there were going to be a lot of guests they hadn't seen before, even though they've already cleared both of you. Tim says it makes them twitchy and I can understand that."

While they waited, Matt turned to Evander, "It's a huge house, that's for sure. There are a lot of bedrooms and just a ton of space! And it's very handy for all our visitors. I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they see you!"

Kim shrugged with a smile, "They know we're in the U.S., can't be that much of a surprise!"

Matt nodded, "Yeah maybe, but to time it so that you, Eva and Tea are here at the same time as Pete? That's something! And I'm sure the Hofstadlers will be here too."

Evander chuckled, "That's everyone from one of Pete's teams…too bad Bec and Ned can't join us."

"Yeah, Tim's hoping they'll take vacation out here this summer."

Evander twisted his lips, "He told me they're not going to Greece this year."

It was Matt's turn to shrug, "Yeah, Lina wants to stay home and hopes everyone will come visit them. And with Damian and Adan just home, they feel the same way after being back and forth to Spain. I'm sure Adan and Tea must miss their families though." He smiled, "And with all of you here now, we probably won't get so homesick."

Once Security was satisfied with them, they walked to the front door and rang the bell. Tim opened the door with a grin and pulled first Kim and then Evander into his arms. "So good to see you two! Welcome to Preston!"

When his son didn't come back from answering the door, Jethro got curious and wandered toward the foyer. He wasn't worried; he knew Tim's security detail was never far away, just…curious. He smiled when he saw Kim and Evander, "Hey, this is great! Welcome!" He gave both of them a warm welcome and then looked around. "Are you just staying for the day? Where's your luggage?"

Matt pointed to the car, "It's still in the car, wasn't sure where they wanted to stay." Jethro smiled at the newest arrivals, "Up to you, but we'd love to have you stay here!" He led them to the family room where the others were gathered and Pete, Trina and Eva jumped up in surprise. "Kim! Evander!"

Caleb was upstairs helping Athos and Alitta settle in for their naps and heard exclamations. He kissed his children and hurried to the family room, smiling when he saw their friends. Pete was overjoyed when he figured out that Tea and Carla would also be there on Sunday. He laughed as he pointed to Tim and Lina, "You two set this up!"

They shook their heads, "It was Kim's idea and we loved it!"

"And no else knew?"

Matt chuckled, "They needed a second pickup at the airport so Daim and I were told but that was just the other day."

Pete turned to Jethro, "You didn't know?"

He shook his head, "We just got home this week; we've been helping with our East Coast grandkids so no, didn't know."

Davos and Hélène started chuckling and Pete swiveled around to them. "You two knew!"

They nodded, "Yes, because Melina and Timotheos wanted them to stay here."

Andy had been watching his dad and Uncle Pete; he figured out Pete was a really good friend to his dad; he thought he was partly like a brother and partly like an uncle. He again wished he'd known his family when they lived in Greece. Anna told him all the stories she remembered but she and Gemma had been new to the family then too. Now he thought maybe he'd ask Uncle Pete or Aunt Trina to tell him how it was. And he'd take notes; someday he wanted to write a book about his parents; how his dad left the top team at NCIS to go to Greece where he met his mother and from what Andy knew, had a very happy life.

The plan was for everyone to gather to celebrate the religious holiday. Tea and Adan went to church in San Diego before driving up to Preston. They'd had their IDs checked and Adan was just helping Tea out of the car, taking the platter of homemade meze she'd made, when Tea looked up and saw Kim walking down the path from the front door. Tea blinked twice but the image she saw was still Kim. Squealing, she nearly knocked her husband over as she launched herself at her friend, holding her tight.

"Kim! Oh, I hoped we would see you soon and you're here with Pete and Trina and Eva and Caleb, oh this is so wonderful!"

Kim returned her embrace thinking how great it was to see so many of her friends and former co-workers all together like this. And then she was a little surprised; she held Tea at arm's length and looked at her.

"Tea…?"

"Yes, we are telling everyone at dinner."

"Wow, that's…wow, congratulations!"

"Thank you, we're so excited!"

"When…no don't tell me anything else, I want to find out with the others." She thought for a moment, "But Eva's going to hug you and so will Tim, Matt and Pete and they'll know, well Matt might not but the others will!"

Tea laughed, "Then we will tell them when we walk in."

They walked toward the front door and had just about reached it when a van pulled in and Tea turned, "That's Carla and Norm!"

Kim smiled, keeping her face turned away. His arms full, Adan stopped to give her a kiss before going ahead into the house, greeting Eva and Caleb and the others.

The triplets, now 7, ran down the path, stopping long enough to say hello to their aunties Tea and Kim. Cammy looked puzzled as she associated Kim with Greece but she shrugged and ran into the house. Carla came next and made it part way to them before she figured out who the woman was with Tea. "Kim? KIM?"

Turning her head, Kim grinned at her friend and they closed the distance between them. "Oh I can't believe you're here! Yes, I can, this is a very Kim thing to do, to come be with us while Pete and Trina are here. Oooh!" She hugged her friend and then turned her head, "Hi Tea, Happy Easter! Looks like the Easter bunny brought us all a real treat!"

Tea laughed, "Yes indeed!"

XXX

Eva was tired of waiting; Adan had come in but Tea had not. She headed outside to see what fun she was missing and saw her three friends and Norm who was still unloading their van. She ran to the women and they pulled her into their hug.

Tim spotted Eva going out the front door and Adan, Caleb and Evander in the kitchen and decided she'd gone to find Tea and Kim. He made eye contact with Pete and Matt, giving them a slight tilt of his head and the three of them walked outside, saw their friends and joined the hug.

Norm hadn't just been lurking, he'd been looking for their camera and when he found it he took photos of the group hug from six angles, one from behind each of the group.

As they finally came inside, the others cheered and grinning, they took a bow. Then Tea split off to stand with Adan, "We have an announcement to make!" She looked at Adan who smiled and together they said, "We're having a baby!"

The happy news brought forth more cheers and it was several minutes before the noise subsided and the couple answered their friends' questions. "We are past the first trimester; the baby is due October 25th. We have decided we don't want to know the gender ahead of time, we remember how much fun that was with Jorry!"

Jorry, who was in the room, sitting on the floor with his siblings and the triplets, looked mystified and just shrugged as the other kids looked at him; he had no idea what their Aunty Tea was talking about.

Tim and Lina grinned as they cheered, both of them thinking that their baby would have a playmate close to the same age. Tim wondered whether Lina's 'two babies' were Tea's and Lina's babies, especially since she'd dreamed of them in Barcelona while working with Adan. He was already working with Damian on another large project, this one in Southern California so they wouldn't be moving back to Greece for at least a year and knowing Damian he'd have another project lined up by then for his favorite landscape designer.

With all the happy news and the wonderful company, Pete and Trina smiled the entire day. More photos were taken to add to Pete's album of team photos. It was a joyous day for the entire group.

Kim and Evander were staying for the week and wanted to take in the sights as well as hang out with their friends. The Russells were also staying through the week although they would rent a car and drive to Pasadena on Wednesday, spending the night with the Hofstadlers. Matt invited them all to lunch at the office on Tuesday, knowing that Tim planned to be off that day. Laughing, Tim threw in an offer for lunch at his office on Friday, knowing Matt had his quarterly evaluation in San Diego that day and they accepted. After they'd settled all that, Kim sat staring at Tim. He looked at her, "Have I got spinach on my teeth or did I spill?"

She shook her head and said, "You're the Assistant Director!"

He nodded, "Yes?"

"I just…I hadn't thought about it, I mean I did when you were sworn in and your photo was in "Stars and Stripes" but…this is real, we'll go to your office and people will call you 'Assistant Director'. "

He nodded, "Yeah, it happens, although I get more "sir" than 'Assistant Director'."

"How's that feel?"

Tim shook his head; this wasn't the time or place to tell them how much he disliked both forms of address. "Please don't call me either of those. Matt and Carla don't, my SFA Jeff doesn't, Preston office doesn't, Tea doesn't when she's in the office…I'd really appreciate being Tim to you all."

Kim smiled at him and patted his face. "All right. You'll always be Tim to us anyway." He smiled his gratitude.

His father was watching and listening and frowned; he hadn't realized Tim was still unsettled with the change and resolved to find some private time to talk with his son. He inwardly sighed, while he and Rhea had been happy to help with their Powell grandkids and of course with Emma, soon to legally be Emma DiNozzo, he always felt the pull to Tim, Lina and their family. He'd worried about being away for so long, especially with Tim's new title, duties and, his father now suspected, how he still felt about all of it.

Sunday night, the local folks including the McGees had gone home and most of those staying at the big house had either retired to their rooms or were in the family room watching a movie. Jethro had already told Rhea he needed to talk with Tim and wanted to do it as soon as possible. Over the last few months he'd talked with her about his frustrations and worries and she was glad he was doing something about it. He sent a text to Tim asking if he had some time to talk. When Tim replied yes his father hopped in his car and drove the 3 blocks to the kids' house. Tim opened the front door and Jethro, noticing how tired he looked, followed him into the kitchen where a pot of coffee was brewing. "Lina turn in already?"

"Yeah, she's exhausted. She's supposed to nap twice a day, at least, and she only got one today."

"You're worried about her."

"Yes and we have to find a new obstetrician before we can find out anything else."

"You been working?"

Tim nodded, "Have quarterly evaluations, need to keep on top of them."

"For the whole…everyone?"

"I personally only evaluate the Team Leads and heads of departments who report directly to me. But yeah, I have to approve everyone's."

"Timothy, that's a hell of a lot of work!"

"Yes."

"I guess no one can help you with those."

"You're right. Next time won't be so bad, this is my first go round and I don't know most of these people. Really the only ones I do know are Matt and the Preston staff, Will Brown and his agents in Petrero and their support analysts – and the agents in Button Willow. I've met everyone but a meet and greet doesn't tell me much, except maybe who the suck ups are!"

They both chuckled at that and Jethro wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders. "So you're probably feeling pretty overwhelmed with those and then surprise, new baby's on the way, uh oh, Lina's not feeling too great and yay, all my friends are here to visit and spend time with me!"

Tim tilted his head, "Pretty much. And the ongoing things: spending time with my wife and kids, spending time with each of them not just as a group. And helping them with schoolwork and projects. I won't give that up; I will not be an absentee father or husband!" He said it with such fierceness that Jethro knew that was his biggest fear. He realized Tim hadn't finished yet. "Keeping in touch with the sibs, grandparents…and I haven't even met Emma in person yet! Or seen Rob and Ned and they've been home for three months! Dad…"

"Yeah, I see, Timothy."

"I always thought I was pretty decent at time management but I don't know, this might be the thing that takes me down." He huffed, "The only upside to this job is that I'm out of the field so Lina and the kids don't have to worry. Except if I don't find a way to handle it all I could keel over from a heart attack. "

He felt his father's hand at the back of his head but he got a rub instead of a smack and he shook his head, "I'm just tired."

"Aren't your deputies doing a lot of the work?"

"Yes, but we're all still coming up to speed on everything, figuring out who can do what and just what the various duties are. And these evaluations, which are part of my SSAIC responsibilities, are killing me right now. "

His dad nodded, "I remember Leon nearly drowning his first few weeks until he started delegating to his department heads and senior leads."

"Yeah?"

"Sure, I had a few extra responsibilities; Balboa, Carter and O'Brien still do." He looked at Tim, "How did Joel handle things…oh, he wasn't the Assistant Director."

"No, he wasn't and Leon knew he was a short timer. Lucky dog."

"Huh, so you really don't want the job?"

"This one? I don't know yet, it's really too soon to tell. The Senior SAIC thing is fine, I don't have a problem with that; it's the addition of the AD stuff that's killing me."

"So all of this could be part of getting settled in, getting to know the job? You and the deputies?"

Tim shrugged, "Haven't had this much on my plate since…" He stopped to think but his father knew and supplied the information.

"Since I transferred you from Norfolk and you went from being a case agent with a year under his belt to a new probie field agent?"

Tim huffed again, "Yeah; one who was raising two minors, living on a probie's salary in a one bedroom apartment with no furniture because we couldn't afford any, with two thrift store suits decent enough for work and no money to buy anything else - and trying to juggle teen care with the job. Oh and no car."

"I forgot about that."

"Lucky for me the Metro runs almost 24/7 and Jimmy Palmer is a night owl. He drove me home many nights and the rest of the time I survived on public transportation and the local thrift store held onto any suits they got in my size."

"I should have realized that, I could have helped you."

Tim made a noise, "If you'd known, that would have meant I'd failed - I did everything I could to keep all of that from you, DiNozzo, Todd and the others, except for Jimmy. I just wanted to fit in, be valued for how I handled the job, not as a former homeless guy with two kids."

His father sighed, "I understand that now, son. You really had no furniture?"

"Nope; we had a furnished place in Norfolk but couldn't find one that I could afford in the DC area. Friend of ours from the camp, Barry, you met him at Geo and Bec's wedding…he works on Silver Spring PD and he found the apartment. We slept on the floor, sat on the floor, ate on the floor until we could buy three chairs from a thrift store. Then someone threw away a set of TV trays and we took them. I found Sarah's rollaway bed on a Facebook swap meet group and Barry drove me to the people's house to get it. Then I found someone giving away a double mattress and Barry helped me get that too - and Rob and I shared it but we still slept in our sleeping bags, no sheets or blankets. We had three plates, bowls, mugs, forks, knives, spoons, one saucepan and one frying pan and that was it for kitchen equipment. After that we bought clothes and then cheap cell phones as I really needed the kids to keep in touch with me; it was weeks before we could afford anything else. Another cop bought a new TV and was going to donate his old one so Barry took it and gave it to us. We used friends' computers or went to the library and the kids did their homework there. I started gathering scrap pieces of electronic equipment and built my first computer and then built more and sold them. My first typewriter came out of a dumpster; I fixed it up to write on and the kids scrounged scrap paper so I could use it to write. I took scrap paper from the agency too but I was so afraid that someone would see me!"

"I remember seeing you with boxes."

"Yeah, we used the paper boxes with the lids to keep our clothes and books in. We stacked them up, they held up pretty well. Then gradually we were able to afford a few things. A table to eat, write and study on, then a dresser for Sarah, a double one that Rob and I shared. After we got the beds, the chairs and the table were the biggest things; by the time I made junior we pretty much had everything we needed. And then I sold "Deep Six" and we haven't needed anything material since then."

"So you did all that, you accomplished all that during your probie year?"

"Yeah."

"You raised your sister and brother, went from homeless to owning a TV and building computers to sell and then selling a novel…in one year while learning a complex job and living on a very demanding schedule, relying on public transportation and the kindness of a new co-worker."

Tim shrugged, "We hadn't been homeless since we moved to Cambridge for MIT but we didn't have much money, yeah."

"Son, you need to cut yourself some slack. Breathe once in a while; you're still getting settled in as the SSAIC and now the AD! I'm glad you're taking some time off Tuesday; you need to do that more often. You must have months of leave left on the books."

Tim was still processing so Jethro waited until his kid finally spoke. "I'm not losing my mind or my ability to manage my time; I'm just still new to the job?"

"Yes, except lose the "just", don't make light of what you've accomplished."

Tim nodded and gave his dad a tired smile. "So I won't be this tired or overwhelmed forever."

"Tired, well I'd say you've got 18 more years of that, that is if your unborn child ends up as your youngest and by that time you might have grandkids, so… and as for overwhelmed, I imagine that will come and go."

"18 years, well, at least I'll be retired by then!"

His dad pulled him in for a long hug and kiss on the head. "I've told you before and I know your grandparents have too, I'm proud of you for who you are, not for what you do. I love YOU, Timothy, not your job or whatever successes or failures you have in your life. I'd love you just as much if you were still homeless. Although I pray that never happens to you or anyone else."

Tim tucked his head into his dad's shoulder and his father locked onto him, holding him tight. "Here for you kiddo, whenever you need me, wherever I am." He felt his boy nod into his neck. "Something I want you to remember. You're going to feel the weight of the world on you; seems like it's in your nature. You need to respect that and just let yourself be. Know that about yourself and just be you. You do that with the kids, you lie on the floor and let them crawl all over you, you hug and kiss them, love yourself the same way. You are Timothy, a wonderful human being. You're a good husband to Melina and an equally good father to Andy, Anna, Gemma, Sean, Jorrin and Zoe and will be to your newest sprout. You're a good son to me, good whatever you are to Rhea, good son-in-law to Davos and Hélène, good brother, brother-in-law, grandson, godson, nephew, cousin, uncle and friend. We need you, all of us and we also need you to need us, let us help you, all of us, we're your family and we all want to help you as much as you help us."

He felt Tim's nod and sat contentedly, still holding on, marveling at his own life, that he'd end up with a wife he loved and cherished with all his heart, 6 kids and their partners, 11, soon to be 12 grandkids and a very large family. And all due to this man, his son that he held in his arms. When he felt Tim stirring, he spoke again, "Think you can sleep now?"

A sleepy voice answered, "Yeah" and Jethro chuckled, kissed him again, "Ok, then I'm gonna let you do that while I head to my own bed."

"Dad?"

"Yes son?"

"Thanks…you're the best, ever!"

"Thank you Timothy, you're the one who brought it out in me."

"Tony too…and Ziva."

"Yeah." He waited until Tim went upstairs; once he heard Tim's bedroom door close, he let himself out the front door, locking up and nodding discreetly to the night guard.


	215. Chapter 215

Tuesday morning Tim turned his phone alarm off with glee, knowing he didn't have to get up for work. And then of course he couldn't go back to sleep, eventually remembering the kids had to go to school. Lina was still asleep so he snuggled for a few minutes before he got up and went through his morning routine and woke the kids. Once the kids were out of bed, their father knowing all too well that just waking them was not a guarantee, he started breakfast.

He drove the kids to school and daycare and then swung back home to pick up Lina and their visitors. Athos and Alitta stayed at the big house with Trina and the Grands while Pete, Eva and Caleb, Kim and Evander joined Tim and Lina for a driving tour of the area. They'd drive to Balboa Park so Caleb could get a good idea of the drive time to the Museum of Man where he'd be working, drive around the city a bit and head back north through the neighborhoods of Del Mar and Preston. Even though they too were invited for lunch at NCIS, Lina had work she needed to do and Caleb and Evander had plans so they'd be dropped at home while the others went to the Preston office for lunch.

They were all impressed with Balboa Park and the look of the museum and Pete wanted to know when the exhibit would open. Caleb told him there would be a "sneak peek" the first and second weeks of June so that the schools could bring their students before the end of the school year and the Grand Opening gala would be after that. Pete nodded, that might be before they were leaving for home; he'd have to see if they could swing back here for the Grand Opening. It would be fun; he knew Tim and Lina would be back from Virginia in time to attend. He thought back to the days when Caleb had been a grad student, when he'd started taking the team newbies for tours of the museums and the agora. It still amazed him that they were all, or most of them, here right now and how far they'd come – literally.

Evander had done some research on residential areas and gave Tim excellent directions to the two or three neighborhoods that might do for their friends. Tim knew Tea and Adan were hoping they'd find something in Del Mar while he and Lina were hoping for Preston but they'd all be happy with wherever their friends settled. Eva's eyes widened as they drove through the streets and she looked at Caleb, this seemed too upscale for them, too expensive. Evander felt rather than saw the look and said, "I know this looks expensive but you're moving here from one of the most expensive cities in the world. There are three houses in these neighborhoods that are well within your budget."

Eva looked relieved while Caleb just nodded, remarking, "I've never lived in a house. I grew up in an apartment, a big one but still an apartment, and Eva and I have always lived in an apartment or flat. This could be a new experience."

Tim then gave them a quick tour of downtown San Diego and then Old Town which they found charming and interesting. From there they drove north again, exiting at Del Mar and driving through a couple of neighborhoods there. They stopped at Tea and Adan's for a tour of their duplex. Caleb jokingly asked if the other unit was available and Tea shook her head. "I have not heard anything but I will ask them if you'd like!"

Eva looked around; while it was charming she thought it might be a little too tight with the two children. They could share a room but there wasn't enough space for their toys or for the kids to play inside.

Tea rode back to Preston with them as she was working in the office that afternoon and would get a ride home with Matt; if the team caught a case, Adan would pick her up. They stopped at the McGees and the big house to drop off Lina, Caleb and Evander and then headed downtown.

Parking in the back as Tim's security detail preferred, they walked around to the street entrance. When Tim punched his code in, Kim's eyebrow climbed, "You still have your code here?"

He nodded at her saying, "I have one for each of my offices."

"Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense."

It was the first real reference to Tim's position that he'd made since their conversation the other day and Kim had to think about it, their Tim really did have a lot of different responsibilities now. Tea patted her arm as they walked in, "Try not to think about it; I think he's really enjoying just being himself today."

Rae greeted them and Matt quickly joined her. "Welcome to the Preston office!"

He introduced Rae, Megan, Terrell, Jo and his SFA. Megan and Kim were excited to meet each other in person and the agents were of course hoping for more stories over lunch.

And more stories they got. Pete had remembered more since his initial visit and Kim, Tea and Eva had quite a few to tell. Not all were office stories, they talked about dinners at the Flying Pig, their 4th of July trips to Aegina, their parties at the Russells and told the Preston folks far more about the stay on the island the previous summer than either Matt or Tim had relayed. Tim felt twinges of regret as they told stories about Aegina; he was really going to miss going to Greece this year. However Lina didn't want to go and the kids had so many things going on not to mention his own crazy schedule; he figured he'd take a day off once in a while, there was no way he could keep up otherwise. He determinedly put it all out of his mind as he enjoyed their lunch.

XXX

Leon frowned as he read Pete's e-mail. He liked the good news, that Tim had evidently figured out something that was helping Trina but he really didn't like the news that the McGees weren't going to Greece this year. He had questions but Pete wasn't the one to ask. He looked at the time and sighed, he didn't want to interrupt Tim during the one day off he'd taken recently.

Pulling a file from the stack on his desk he paused, looking at the stack. Jackie had trained him well; early on in his career he'd started taking at least two full weeks off, back to back, every year and basically walked away from the job for those days. As he'd advanced through the agency ranks, he'd found that downtime increasingly important. He'd thought Tim felt the same way but now…

He looked at the time again. He'd be tied up at the Pentagon until late this evening and he wanted to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. This time he had no reservations about interfering in the man's personal schedule; when he'd agreed to become the AD, their lives, professional and to some extent personal, became intertwined.

Still he shook his head at what he was doing, scrolled through his contacts, found the one he needed and made a call. When the call was answered, he spoke quickly, "Nothing's wrong."

Gibbs sighed in relief, "Appreciate that Leon."

"My excuse to call you was to get a sitrep about the volunteers but we can do that later. I'm really calling to find out why Tim and Lina aren't going to Greece this year. Have to tell you I'm really concerned about this, he needs to take time off and not in dribs and drabs."

Tim's father sighed again, "Yeah, I've been worried about that myself. Lina doesn't want to go and Tim, being a good husband, is going along with that."

"So what are they doing instead and I know this should not be any of my business Jethro, but I don't want him to burn out and frankly it is my business now."

"Leon…ah hell, he's my kid I can't just let this sit. He's having a tough time, Lina hasn't been well and he's worried about her, he's already not able to spend as much time with her and the children as they're all used to and he's…well, he's not doing too well. He manages to leave the office but then he comes home and works. He was fine with taking on the SSAIC, but now… I spoke with him the other day and he admitted he's still getting settled in to both positions, but how long does that last? And again, it's not the SSAIC job, he says he was starting to get the hang of that, it's the AD on top of it. And geez, I've said far more than I should have."

Vance swore under his breath; this is what he'd been afraid of happening down the road but he'd had no clue Tim was already this stressed; he should have been paying more attention, he used to be a good investigator, damn it! "He's never said anything to me."

"Come on - have you ever seen Tim back away from a challenge, say no to anything you asked him to do? It took him a decade to leave my team! And in Timspeak, which I'm afraid he learned from me or at least I reinforced it, telling you any of this would mean he'd failed not only you but the agency."

Vance swore again, this time aloud.

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"Talk to him about getting through the first months on the job. He was in Cybercrimes when you stepped up so he doesn't know all the crap you had to go through. That might help. And yes, please do talk to him about taking time off. Now I gotta go, it's time to pick up Zoe."

"Thanks Gibbs. We'll figure it out."

"Good!"

They disconnected and Vance pulled out his favorite thinking tool, a legal sized notepad and a pen. Apart from his own needs, he would not let Tim McGee crash and burn on his account. He admitted his selfishness in wanting the man as his successor and probably pushing him into the AD position too quickly. He'd originally planned to leave it for a year, not the 6 months he'd told Tim, but he'd gotten sick and tired of Craig's constant whining. Now he thought from the sounds of it that at the very least he owed both Craig and McGee an apology.

He thought about his own time as AD; Tim's theory of Leon's time as AD was essentially correct. When he'd been the AD, Director Shepard had kept him as far out of the loop as possible. Now that he thought about it, Shepard hadn't given him many responsibilities at all, certainly none of any consequence. Until he'd figured out there was a mole and been called to Washington and then getting caught up in the whole 'who killed Rene Benoit' fiasco, he'd just been doing his job as SSAIC. He sighed; this introspection was too late but he'd talk with Tim, see what he could tell him or do for him that would help.

XXX

After their lunch, Tim and the visitors headed back to the big house where they found Zoe playing with Athos and Alitta. Pete and Trina were meeting the Morrises somewhere so the others took Zoe and went for a walk on the beach**. **

As they walked, Kim and Eva subtly worked on Tim and finally he stopped, raising his forearms up in a gesture of surrender. Maybe not so subtle. He called the kids back, they'd been letting them run ahead, and started talking.

"I'm ok, or I will be okay. Dad and I talked and I realized that I'm still settling into both jobs. I'm sorry if you've been worried, I've been distracted, overwhelmed and worried about Lina."

"What about Lina?"

"She's…well she needs rest and we'll be following up with our doctor this week. I've just felt like everything was out of control. I want to be with my family, my wife and kids. I want to spend time with you all. I want to see Rob and Ned and meet Emma, visit Geordie and Bec and everyone else. And one day is all I can spare from my stupid jobs to be with you." He huffed, "And now I sound like my 6 year old!"

They chuckled at that. Zoe wanted a cuddle with her daddy and he smiled as he drew her up into his arms. "This is what I want, more Zoe time!"

He felt better after that, letting his friends know how things really were with him. Once he started to relax they all did and they spent the rest of the afternoon walking and talking on the beach, just enjoying the company.

XXX

Lina had driven up to Newport Beach for a meeting about a new project. When she got home she found the house empty and sent a text to her husband, wondering where everybody was. He replied that they were on the beach, including the kids who were now home from school.

She was tired and told him she was going to take a nap and then join them. There were a couple of things she needed to discuss with him but they could wait. She'd seen how tired he looked last night and thought she had a partial solution, if he'd go for it.

When Lina woke up, Tim was lying beside her and she cuddled into him. "Ah, this feels good!"

He exhaled, "It sure does…I miss being able to do this, I miss us."

She nodded, "Me too. But it will get better, Timotheos, I know it will! And there's something else we need to talk about, well two things really." She took a breath, "One, I have an appointment with one of the obstetricians the doctor recommended – Thursday morning."

He nodded in relief, "Good, I'm going with you."

She smiled and gave him a quick kiss, "I knew you would. The second thing is, I have been thinking about our decision to skip going to Greece this summer. I was so tired when I said that but when I think about it now I realize that we need to go. We need that time away, the time together and now more than ever you need time off!"

He sighed as he pulled her even closer, "I can't even begin to tell you how relieved I am."

"But Tim, you never said! That's not fair; you can't just let me have my way all the time!"

"I don't Lina; but you were the one that was away from home for 3 weeks and the kids want to do all these things and…"

She interrupted him. "We are a team, my husband, our family is a team and we are the leaders. And a team works together; you are just as important as everyone else in this family, this team! Do not push away your wishes as if they are not as important, without even letting us know!"

He nodded, "I'm sorry, Melina, I've been so worried about you and feeling out of control, it was just easier to agree and I didn't realize that I'm as overwhelmed and tired as I am. "

"Ah, I'm sorry I snapped at you my love, I was just so shocked to find what a difficult time you've been having and I didn't even see it."

"I didn't want you to see it. And honey, I don't really see how I can spare two weeks, but I can go into the office there and work."

She held his face, his dear face and kissed him deeply, "I hope you will not do that, but we'll figure it out. And I'm fine my darling - or I will be in a little less than 8 months! We are a pair, aren't we?"

They cuddled some more and eventually both fell asleep.

XXX

As Leon rode home that evening, he received a text from Gibbs that said, "T doesn't know I spoke w. you, will tell him later. Don't call him tonight please." He sighed, that was fine; he was exhausted anyway.

XXX

After their nap, Lina and Tim drove back over to the big house and were swarmed by their children as they entered. Laughing, they hugged and kissed each one of them, "Mmm, we love you too!" The kids were reassured although Andy looked at them carefully. His father pulled him into his arms, "We have some grownup stuff going on." Andy just nodded.

Kim and Eva had also had naps and were glad to see their friends looking much more relaxed. Evander, Caleb and the Russells had returned and Matt, Damian, Tea and Adan joined them for dinner. Tim looked at Matt, "No call out today, huh?"

Matt shook his head, "No and we needed to catch up with paperwork anyway." The others chuckled wondering how many times they'd heard or said that over the years. They had drinks and meze on the deck while Davos and Jethro handled the grill. By the time dinner was ready, the ocean breezes had picked up and it was too cool to eat outside so they migrated back to the dining room and the large table there. Kim looked at it, "Davos, this table looks as big as the one you made Tim and Lina!"

Davos and Jethro looked at each other and grinned. "It's bigger, Kim. Jethro and I made it our first year here. We figured we should have a table as large as theirs – in case we have to double up you know." His co-builder nodded, "If the entire family ever gathers here, we'd need this table plus their patio table and ours!"

Andy looked around, "Where would we put them all?"

Pete smiled at him, "We did it at our house, Andy. We made a squared off "U" shape with several tables, I think it was 4."

Andy laughed when Evander, Caleb, Matt and Tim groaned in unison, "No it was 6, Pete and we remember moving each one of them." That was from Evander and Caleb added, "We used three across and two down and the sixth one was for all the food." Tim nodded his agreement, swallowed the bite he'd been chewing and commented, "Did that both times we had that setup. But first we helped move all the living room furniture out of the house."

"Wow!"

"Yes, the Russells have a long driveway, so they moved their cars out there and we carried their couch and chairs to the garage." He looked at Pete, "Maybe we could have a party at your place this summer so Andy can see for himself?"

Pete started to agree and then realized what his friend had said. "Really, you guys…I thought…?"

The McGee kids looked at their parents, "We're going?"

Lina smiled, "Yes, we are, we decided this afternoon."

Tim looked at his kids, "You can still go to your camps, either before we go or after we get back."

Everyone at the table was cheering; happy they were going back to Greece for vacation. Lina leaned over to Evander, "And of course we'll need a place to stay!"

He grinned and held up his phone, he'd already started looking. "Two weeks and are you on the mainland or Aegina?"

Tim and Lina looked at each other, "Yes for two weeks and not sure yet about where."

Lina shook her head, "Aegina. If we're on the mainland you'll try to work."

He grinned, "Ok, I surrender! Evander, we'll need a place on Aegina please."

He nodded and entered the information. "All right, all in one place or separate for the Ks and the Gs? Two bedrooms for the children or more?" He put his phone down, looking appalled, "I'm sorry, I just assumed…"

The Gibbses and the Kalivas' had already exchanged looks, silently agreeing and now Davos spoke for them, "Yes, we four are going. I would think a separate place would be best, it would be wonderful if we had the places we had last year."

Jethro spoke, thinking aloud. "The DiNozzos and the Colonel might want to come with us, don't know about the Perrys, Powells, Mallards, Penny or the Palmers but I'll bet the Hubbards and the Cranes will go!" He looked at Hélène, "Think your kids will come down?"

She smiled, "They'd better! And I'm sure Alexis and Cole will want to go with us."

Davos frowned and Damian quickly added, "Yes, and then Cole can visit his family; where do they live, Melina, near Larissa, isn't it?" She just nodded as her mouth was too full to answer.

His father's face cleared and Kim had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Rob and Ned?"

Tim and Matt shook their heads and Matt said, "No, Ned won't want to take two weeks off this soon, not with a new team."

Tim continued, "I think we might still get them out here for a week when we get back or maybe right after we get back from Virginia, then they can see Caleb's exhibit too. We can talk Ned into that."

Lina laughed, "We'll send out an e-mail tonight."

Pete was deep in thought. "You're flying to Virginia for Ainsley's graduation, right?"

Tim nodded, it was quiet for a second and then Rhea jumped in with a question for Eva; Lina, who was sitting across from Pete, reached out under the table with her foot and gave Pete a tap on his toes hoping he'd drop the topic. Pete did so, wondering when he'd gotten out of practice at not blabbing everything in front of young children. He felt better when Tim gave him an amused smile.

When they were through with their meal, Tim, Pete, Caleb and Evander did the cleanup and Tim explained to his friend. "Sorry man, but we're not taking the four younger kids to Virginia and we haven't told them yet. Andy has his transition ceremony, from elementary school to middle school on that Wednesday, we'll have a family party for him and then Thursday night, Lina, Andy, Anna, Dad, Rhea and I are taking the red eye to DC. Hélène, Davos, Matt and Damian are going to stay at our place with the younger four and they'll have some special treats while we're gone. Ainsley graduates Friday afternoon and then there's a family party. Jared is graduating Saturday morning - you're going to that, aren't you?" Pete nodded and Tim continued, "We're not going to the ceremony but we're invited to the house for a brunch afterward. We'll fly home Sunday. That much in a few days would just be too much for the younger ones and frankly, I think they'd be bored stiff at the graduations and that would not be a good thing! We'll see how they do at Andy's transition thing, but we think that will be enough."

Pete nodded, "I was going to suggest you just fly on to Greece from there but then I remembered that no matter why you didn't want me to go any further, you don't ever mention even a vague possibility in front of small children who would most likely take it for gospel truth."

Caleb chuckled and added, "And the less likely the possibility, the stronger the belief and want, right?"

"Oh yeah."

Tim added, "Anyway, Anna and Gemma won't be out of school for another two weeks after the graduations so we can't go to Greece that early. But if we can get enough people going, maybe we can get a charter again."

"How many do you need?"

Tim smiled, "The more the merrier! The more people we have, the lower the price per person."

"It would be nice if Tea and Adan could get home to see their families before the baby comes." Tim nodded.

"And would Matt be able to come this year?"

Tim smirked, "I happen to know his boss pretty well and I think we could work something out."

Pete barked out a laugh while Evander and Caleb stood looking at them. Then Evander smiled, chagrined, "Sorry, I knew that, I just wasn't thinking." Caleb nodded.

Tim laughed, "Guys, don't worry about it!"

The group enjoyed the rest of their evening and planned to meet again on Thursday. The Russells were headed to Pasadena the next day, Kim and Evander were going sightseeing while Eva and Caleb were taking their kids to Disneyland. Lina had presented them with the map and list of attractions that Anna had drawn up for their first visit and the couple was more excited about going than Athos was. At 18 months, little Alitta would be happy going anywhere with her parents and brother.

XXX

Wednesday morning, Pam buzzed Leon, "Tim McGee's on Line 1". Leon looked at the time; he had been waiting until he knew Tim would be at the office to call him. "Good morning. Are you at the office already?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk with you before the place gets populated. Have you got a few minutes?"

"Yes, tell you the truth I was waiting until a civilized hour to call you."

"Oh, well…"

"No, you called, you go first."

"All right. First of all, I thought I'd better check with you about your vacation schedule. We were going to stay home this summer but now we've decided to go to Greece after all. And I really need to talk with you about how the heck you got through your first months on the job as Director because I've been feeling like I'm drowning! I know we're just new but wow, it's all pretty overwhelming and frankly I can't figure out how to take two weeks off when I can barely keep my head above water now. And I'm sure that's not something you want to hear but well…there it is."

"Timothy, I'm glad you told me that, thank you. First of all, you don't figure out how to take two weeks, you figure it in as part of your routine, every year you need to take a minimum of four weeks off and at least two weeks of those four have to be consecutive. And no 'day here, day there'…that's fine for this week when you have visitors and they're doing other things or if there's a field trip for the kids or a long weekend with your wife, but you need time away from it all. That's a direct order…my wife gave it to me years ago and I've never strayed from it, so now I'm passing it along to you. Now as far as you being overwhelmed, do you have any specifics?"

Tim had organized his thoughts and facts before he called and now he relayed them to his boss. Vance nodded to himself, these were the same sort of challenges he'd faced as a new Director and he said that to his AD. He had Tim pull up his list of responsibilities and they went through it, making several adjustments, mostly to the deadlines and security levels Tim had extracted from the information he'd been given. When they'd finished, Tim asked, "Leon if I may ask, who helped you?"

Vance chuckled, "Tom Morrow. He was there when I was sworn in, did you know that?"

"No, but I'm not surprised, I heard that you were his choice to succeed him."

"Yeah, I didn't know that until Davenport told me the day he asked me to step up as Director. Tom was very supportive all those years later when it actually happened. In fact he told me it probably worked in my favor because he was no longer new to his job and had more time for me. But yeah, he's the one who helped."

"That's good to know."

Vance sighed inwardly, "Tim, I'm sorry to hear you've been overwhelmed. I pushed you into this too soon. I originally planned to wait a year but I got…well, never mind why I did what I did, but obviously I wasn't taking anything but my need to replace Craig into consideration. When I heard through the grapevine that you weren't going overseas this year, I was afraid the AD position was the reason. When I was made AD, it was…" Leon told Tim SecNav Davenport's fears, Shepard's reaction and his lack of any responsibilities in the job and Tim realized his suppositions had been correct. "I appointed Craig a few months after McAllister's bomb at the safe house; I gave him some responsibilities, things I needed help with, that couldn't be done by my Lead agents here - and then…well you know what happened. After I returned to work and he went back to his office, I still needed help and delegated more work to him and over the years a few more responsibilities were moved to him. And yeah he wasn't happy but I didn't pay much attention to him until we got you back here. So here we are. This should help; it's pretty much what Tom had me do."

"Yeah, I think it will; it buys us time to get up to speed on all this. And for me to get the quarterly evals done! I told Dad that it'll be easier next time because I'll know the agents."

"You know, he's another source for you, Tim. I'll authorize his helping you if that works for you."

"My dad? Sir…I hadn't even thought of that! I'll talk to him about it, at least on the evals, that'd really help."

"Good! Now, about my schedule, I haven't made any reservations yet, but here's what I was thinking…"

They figured out their probable schedules and then Vance paused before he continued, "One more thing…no sneaking into the office to work while you're in Piraeus. I know you did that on your paternity leaves and I let it go but no more! A leave is a leave, no work, Timothy!"

Tim sounded bemused, "Huh, how did you know I was planning…never mind. We're staying on Aegina so that Lina can make sure I won't work. And God willing, I'll have another chance to do a paternity leave your way as Lina's pregnant. But she's only 5 weeks and having some problems so we've only told our parents."

"Congratulations and I hope things improve."

"Thanks; she's never had problems before so we're in uncharted waters right now."

"Been to the OB yet?"

"First visit tomorrow morning."

"And you're going."

"Of course. All right, I'm going to take a look at this."

"And when you're feeling more in control, you and I are going to have a chat about communications."

"Sir, all respect - in my defense I didn't and don't want to be the guy whining to the boss. You didn't exactly say that about Craig but that's the message I got, that you expected me to do this without any trouble."

Vance sighed, "You're right, I made a mess out of the whole thing… and _this_ is what I want, Tim, open communications! Push back when you need to; I need you to let me know when I'm out of line - only please don't wait so long. I'm human, I make mistakes and I don't want to make any more with you."

"Copy that Leon."


	216. Chapter 216

CH 216

Tim looked at Vance's adjustments, nodded and then frowned. Why the blazes hadn't the man made these changes before he dumped it all on Tim? Or even when he appointed Craig? It seemed like the position and the appointments hadn't been well considered either time; when it came down to it, Leon Vance hadn't given it much more thought or done much better at handling it than Jenny Shepard. He had a passing thought that, just like his leaving Gibbs' team 7 years ago had caused ripples far beyond his own move, nothing would have happened this time until he – or someone – pushed back enough to catch Vance's attention.

In Tim's opinion, that was not a good way to run anything. He wondered if it was human nature to just hang with the status quo until something or someone triggered an absolute need for change. He mentally shook his head; he didn't have time for philosophical thoughts or to worry about blame. And at this point it didn't really matter, he had the changes he needed, he just had one more thing to do. He picked up the handset for his desk phone.

XXX

Gibbs smiled to himself as he hung up the phone after talking with Tim. He was happy to have lunch with Tim and wouldn't mind helping him with the evaluations. They'd always been his least favorite part of the job but this would help Tim and these were not Gibbs' agents.

Trina and Pete had made breakfast for everyone staying at the big house so now he and Rhea finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes, while Lina and Davos took the grandkids to school and daycare. The Russells would leave for Pasadena in another hour or so, Eva and Caleb had flown out the door with the kids as soon as they'd finished eating and Kim and Evander had waited until they figured the worst of the commute was over before they headed out. Jethro figured he'd leave in another hour; he'd have his run on the beach first. He normally ran before eating but that just hadn't happened this morning. He changed and was heading downstairs again when Pete appeared in the hallway, also looking like he was ready for a run. "Like company?" Jethro gave his friend a tilt of his head.

They did their warm-ups on the beach and then set off. As they jogged, Jethro setting the pace, Pete looked at him, "Is Tim all right? Kim, Eva and I talked for awhile last night after they left, they're worried about him."

Tim's father shrugged, not sure how much he should say and so only revealed what the others already knew. "He's talking with Vance this morning; he's pretty overwhelmed, hoping Leon can help him."

Pete stopped moving, "Bad?"

"Yeah, he's got the help he needs but they're all learning it together and the deadlines for the AD stuff plus the SSAIC stuff are overwhelming him."

"Oh geez, I had no idea. He never said." Pete looked worried. "Jethro, we...I feel like we've pushed him into this, all the way."

"Yeah, I know Pete; several of us feeling that. But he's going to figure it out, one way or another and he knows he doesn't have to go any further. I'm having lunch with him today."

"Good; I hope Leon can help."

Jethro nodded, "Pretty sure he can; he went through the same sort of thing when he became Director. C'mon, let's run, do us both good."

They continued their run, looping around a large rock that Gibbs used as his halfway point. As they walked back to the house Jethro shook his head, "Pete, don't worry about Tim. Just be his friend and if you can get him to talk that'd be good. He's had some other things going on, hoping it will all work out."

Pete just nodded, "Ok."

"Have a good time with Carla, Norm and the kids and let it go. We'll all still be here tomorrow."

Pete sighed, "All right, thanks man."

They separated upstairs to go to their rooms. Jethro was still getting ready when he heard the couple walking downstairs and Davos wishing them a good trip. He finished dressing and grabbed his keys, running downstairs to Rhea's studio to kiss her goodbye and called out to Hélène and Davos as he left.

At NCIS he checked in through security and then treated himself to an elevator ride instead of the stairs. He nodded to the SFA and his team and said hello to Tim's assistant as he walked through the room to his son's office.

Tim was staring at the outline he'd made for his dad and smiled as the man walked into his office. "Hey Dad, thanks for coming in, sure can use the help. I was thinking we could get takeout and eat here."

Gibbs grunted, "Work while we eat?"

"As long as we don't get food on the evals, yeah. Here are the takeout menus."

Gibbs was thinking how much he and Tim were alike in some ways; work comes first, just get it done! He looked at the stack of takeout menus that Tim threw onto the work table and exclaimed. "Wow! Forgot about this." He looked through them, asking, "What's your favorite?"

"The Greek deli, but I'm going bland today with a turkey, cheese & avocado sub, you know my digestive system!"

Jethro nodded, that was a good idea. He also picked a submarine sandwich and Tim called them in. Jeff, the SFA, overheard them talking about food and with a quick knock, poked his head in the doorway, "My turn to pick up our lunch, want me to get yours too?"

"If it's convenient, we're at the Sub Hut."

"That's good; I'll pass that on my way back."

"Yeah, thanks. Here you go… oh and Jeff, it's under Reese today."

His SFA chuckled and took off.

"Reese?"

"Yeah, I rotate using several names. Security doesn't want me to use McGee, Gibbs, DiNozzo or David."

"Because we all worked together?"

Tim tilted his head, "Worked together and put a lot of bad guys away."

"Ok…they do know we use our real names in our private lives, right? And that all the calls you make and names you use can be traced back to you?"

Tim shrugged, "I might have pointed that out to them a few dozen times, yeah." He rolled his eyes at his father who just shook his head.

They sat at Tim's work table; Jethro looked at the stacks of files and gave a low whistle. "All those huh?"

"Yeah, I was deciding how to split them up. Here's what I was thinking…" He told Gibbs who agreed and they went through the files, dividing them between them.

By the time his dad got up to leave that afternoon, they'd made a huge dent in the stack and Tim had decided to take Thursday off; Kath was busy rescheduling everything. With the reschedules, he'd asked her to make the meetings happen online; that would save everyone time. He'd been trying to do that for months but the Brass had resisted. He figured by now he'd proved himself to them more than once and it was time for them to start making concessions; he was doing things his way starting today. His friends were only in town for a couple more days and he wanted to spend more time with them. In fact, the two men had spent the last few minutes planning a party for them all on Friday night.

Tim teased his father, "I can't believe my former boss, Agent "Work until you drop" Gibbs is encouraging me to take time off AND is helping me plan a party… at work!"

Gibbs snorted, "That's "Work until you bleed" Elf Lord! Dropping is no excuse!"

They laughed and those who could hear them outside Tim's office smiled, it was good to hear laughter from their boss. He'd grown quieter and quieter in the last few months and most of them thought he worked too hard, knowing he took work home with him nights and weekends and was almost always the first one in the office in the morning.

Before Tim left he sent an e-mail to Vance with the results of the day. Then he wrote another one to his Team Leads and department heads, copying Vance that he would be off the following day.

Security had driven him that morning at his request; he'd wanted the time to think, not have to focus on driving. That evening as they pulled into his driveway he heard his cell buzzing at him and pulling it out saw that Joel had sent him a text. He shook his head; the Russell-Morris grapevine was intact. Joel could wait; he was off duty and he just wanted to be with his wife and children.

XXX

In his home in Virginia, Leon Vance spent some time chatting with his son about his plans for graduation and the summer. Jared had been disappointed that his family could no longer go to Greece at the same time as the McGees, which meant he wouldn't get to see Ainsley and the others, at least not on the beaches of the Mediterranean. It had seemed a moot point when his dad said the McGees, etal, weren't going to Greece this year anyway. Now Jared's father was happy to tell him the McGees were going to Greece after all, but he didn't know who all was going and that he and Tim still could not be on vacation at the same time. Leon wondered if he could send his son to Greece with the McGees, he could stay with the Russells who would be home by then; he'd join his kids after the McGees were home. He didn't say anything, he'd check with Pete and Trina first but that way Jared would be able to spend time with their extended family and friends. He was working part-time but Leon wanted him on what might be one of their last family vacations.

After the chat with his son, he wandered back to his home office and this time he had two e-mails from Tim. He smiled at the first one, glad the younger man was heeding his advice and taking another day off. Then he opened the second e-mail and his smile grew into a grin, proud of his AD for moving right away to bring his father in to work on the quarterly evals with him. In one afternoon, they'd made a lot of progress.

XXX

Tim and Lina were hosting dinner for their visitors that night; after a quick swim they added the extra leaves to the dining table and started getting it set up. Tonight they would feast on a simple dinner of Tim's homemade chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice, black beans and a green salad. He'd made the enchiladas over the last month or so and then popped them in the freezer after they were baked. They'd been taken out of the freezer the previous night and now were back in the oven bubbling with their toppings of green or red sauce, chopped onion, sour cream and cheese. The Spanish rice, also homemade, had been in the big slow cooker all day and their smaller slow cooker had black beans simmering away with savory bits of onion and fresh crushed garlic; the house smelled wonderful! They'd invited the Hardisters to join them but Nick had gotten called out so Janeese would be the only one. The big house folks, Matt, Damian, Tea and Adan were invited to come over early enough for a swim as the McGee pool had a dome while the big house pool did not. By the time most of them had a dip, dried off and were once again dressed, dinner was ready. Andy and Anna had learned how to scoop and slice avocados and they'd prepared bowls of those, drizzling lemon juice over them to keep from turning; Tim grated more cheese to add, Lina helped Gemma spoon additional sour cream into other bowls, Poppy made a salad and the younger ones carefully carried things to the table, supervised by their mother. Lina had also made a flan for dessert but that was a surprise.

The table was decorated with lovely Mexican pottery bowls filled with flowers. To the side of each bowl were candles standing in small candleholders of similar design to the bowls. As Lina remarked to Tim, their Greek dishes melded perfectly with the Mexican colors and theme. Once they had the table set, complete with plates and colorful napkins, Lina took photos to send to their favorite pottery shop owner. When everyone was seated, Andy and Anna carefully poured beverages for everyone, the rice was scooped into a large serving bowl, the beans into a smaller one and the enchilada casseroles were put on trivets on the table. Dinner was served.

The meal and the gathering was a huge success. Their visitors regaled them with tales of their adventures that day and Athos, usually a quiet soul like his parents, was bubbling over with stories of their trip to Disneyland. Even little Alitta was babbling about Mickey. Kim and Evander had also had a wonderful day and showed the photos they'd taken. When Tim asked them what they were doing the following day, the two couples looked at each other and smiled, "We're going to the zoo!"

Tim grinned, "Do you mind if Lina, Zoe and I join you?" Their faces lit up as they realized Tim was taking another day off to spend with them. As they finished their feast, they made plans. Evander was taking Caleb and Eva to look at houses in the morning and that worked well as Lina and Tim would be at their doctor's appointment and Kim had made plans to spend the morning with Tea. They'd all meet back at the big house at 11:30, have lunch and then leave for Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo.

Plans made and plates nearly licked clean, the group sat back, pleasantly stuffed. Tim looked at Davos; the two men smiled at each other and excused themselves for a few minutes. While they were gone the table was cleared and just as that was finished Tim came back in. "We have a wonderful dessert waiting for us but we need some exercise and fresh air first. Everyone grab a sweater or jacket and come on outside."

Chuckling and explaining the Russells' tradition to Janeese Hardister, the group followed Tim's directions. They laughed when they saw the volleyball net set up on the green patch and the croquet wickets set up on a meandering path around the garden.

Caleb nodded, "I'll referee, who wants to keep score?"

Lina raised her hand, "I will!"

The kids, Rhea, Tea, Janeese and Hélène wanted to play croquet so they started their game while the volleyball folks separated into teams and started their play.

When Lina's phone alarm chimed, she called time, a tie for the volleyball game and Gemma was declared the winner of the croquet game. Once the dessert dishes were on the table, Lina presented the flan.

XXX

Tim and Lina were awake early the next morning, both of them thinking about their doctor's appointment. Tim was still worried while Lina was feeling confident that the doctor would tell her there was nothing wrong with her pregnancy, that she was tired because of everything going on in her life. Truthfully, she didn't feel all that badly, although she'd had a few little twinges that worried her. She was still fatigued but the naps were helping a bit.

Lina liked the new doctor, Dr. Chase, right away, Tim was too concerned about Lina to make any sort of decision, he was just glad they were here. The woman asked Lina how she felt and she started to say she was a little tired. Then she looked at Tim's face and she amended her statement to a lot tired, all the time. They told the doctor when they'd conceived and about the tests their family doctor had run last week. She nodded; she'd seen the results of those already.

"As soon as you called to make the appointment and sent us permission, we got your records and copies of the tests Dr. Gilroy ran. And those show that you're anemic which is what's causing the fatigue and the anemia itself may be caused by your pregnancy. I'm glad you're here at 5 weeks so we can quickly get that taken care of. And I know it's earlier than you probably experienced with your previous pregnancies but we're going to do an ultrasound today. Now…I understand this is your third pregnancy but your records show you have 6 children?"

They explained about the adoptions and the doctor smiled, "That's lovely! Ah and I see so your two youngest are your biological children. And the very youngest is almost 3, that's good, nice spacing for a new baby and your body has had plenty of time to recover from your previous pregnancies." Tim had to work hard not to turn and smirk at his wife as it had been his insistence they wait until Zoe was three. He successfully avoided the smirk and watched as the ultrasound was set up and Lina was prepped.

Finally the doctor moved the wand over Lina and she frowned a little before her face went blank. Tim tensed and Lina looked at him in concern. The doctor stopped, "We need to do a transvaginal ultrasound instead." She patted Lina. "We can do that now if you have time."

Lina nodded and the Doctor continued talking as she cleaned Lina's belly and then moved the equipment around. "Your HCG and the pregnancy test show you as positive for an intrauterine pregnancy. However, I'm also seeing evidence of an ectopic pregnancy; that is a fertilized egg that has implanted outside the uterus. I need to do the transvaginal ultrasound to verify that. A combination of intrauterine and ecotopic pregnancy is called a heterotopic pregnancy. Once it's confirmed we'll discuss what to do next."

By now Lina was gripping Tim's hand. He remained while the doctor did the transvaginal ultrasound and afterward they were shown the images from both ultrasounds. They peered at the first one and saw the tiny gestational sac in Lina's womb. In the second image they saw a tiny blob that was the ectopic pregnancy.

Lina got cleaned up and then the two of them met with Dr. Chase. "First of all, I have to tell you that discovering this so early in your pregnancy will be helpful. Ectopic pregnancies are not uncommon but heterotopic pregnancies, where both an ectopic and an intrauterine pregnancy exist, are rare. By the way, an intrauterine pregnancy is a normal one, that's the medical term for an embryo viably implanting itself in the uterus as yours has, Lina. Most ectopic or tubal pregnancies resolve themselves in a miscarriage - they are not viable; there will not be a live birth – not from the ectopic. And I believe it is the root cause of your anemia and the twinges you mentioned. Now here's the thing, if you decide you want to proceed with the intrauterine pregnancy then we need to surgical remove the ectopic pregnancy. If you're willing to abort the intrauterine pregnancy, then we can do both at the same time."

Tim wanted to pick up his wife and make a run for it but he knew that wouldn't do any good, this would still be happening to them. Lina was frozen so Tim asked the most important question, "What are the risks to Lina?"

"There is a risk of heavy blood loss during the surgery, depending on exactly where the ectopic embryo is implanted, but we can prepare for that. There is also the risk of unintentional miscarriage of the intrauterine pregnancy during surgery to remove the ectopic."

Lina finally spoke, "But that's not a given? We don't have to abort?"

"No, it's a choice but please be aware that it may happen spontaneously during surgery or within the following weeks."

Tim swallowed again, "Are there numbers, percentages of that happening?"

The doctor sighed, "Yes there are. However the only ones I would recommend you take into consideration are the ones that match your situation to at least 70%. I'll see if I can get those for you."

Tim nodded, "And how long do we have to make this decision?"

Dr. Chase shook her head, "Ectopics can go at any time and those twinges Melina has had may be the warning signs."

"And if we let it go on its own, so to speak, the danger to the normal pregnancy is greater?"

"Not just to the pregnancy, to Melina's health."

Lina had been listening but she'd also been thinking very hard. Now she shook her head, "I don't want to abort both if we can help it. Yes, if it becomes necessary, we'll do so. I won't risk my health or my life – I will not do that to my husband or the children we already have. But I'd rather have the surgery to remove the ectopic and leave the normal pregnancy alone and then we'll hope and pray for the best."

Tim nodded his agreement, "Doctor, say we have the surgery and it's successful and the intrauterine pregnancy is still intact. Then what?"

"Then we'll keep Melina in the hospital for 48-96 hours post surgery and we'll do another ultrasound to see how things are going. Once we clear that hurdle, you'll be on bed rest for the rest of your first trimester. You're at 5 ½ weeks now, so that leaves 6 ½ weeks till you've completed your first trimester. If everything looks good, I'll take you off full bed rest at that time, but as a precaution you'll be on restricted activity for the rest of your pregnancy." She paused, "Do you have help with your children?"

Lina nodded, "Yes, both sets of grandparents and Tim's grandparents if we need them."

Tim agreed, "They live nearby but we also have a bedroom downstairs they can stay in; maybe they'll rotate. They've done that before."

"Actually, I'd rather have Lina in the downstairs bedroom; is there a bathroom nearby?"

"Yes, it's attached."

"Good. Now…we can talk about post surgery life later. Just to confirm what you've said: you want to proceed with the surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy and protect the intrauterine pregnancy?"

Lina and Tim verbally agreed, also asking, "Doctor, how soon will this happen?"

"If you don't mind waiting for a few minutes, I'll be able to tell you. I'll be doing the surgery and yes, I have done this surgery before."

Lina looked at her, "May we ask the success rate?"

"Yes of course. I've done 5 of these surgeries and 3 of them resulted in successful deliveries. Of the other two, we lost one intrauterine embryo during surgery and the other miscarried several days post surgery."

They stepped out into the waiting room and sat, trying to be patient, still reeling from the shock. They talked quietly about what they'd need to do; that is what Tim and the rest of the family would need to do. Lina's job was to follow the doctor's orders to the letter.

When the nurse summoned them, Dr. Chase was preparing an injection. "I've scheduled your surgery for Monday morning at 8:00. In the meantime, I'm going to give you an injection for the anemia; we need to get that taken care of. I've made arrangements for the lab at the hospital to test you again on Saturday to see where we stand. If the anemia is not significantly reduced, we'll postpone the surgery for 48 hours and give you another injection; however I do feel that this one will take care of it. By waiting until Monday, we can also ensure we have a few units of your blood type available, just in case. I'm a firm believer in being as prepared as possible!"

She gave Lina the injection and continued with her instructions. "I've included everything in here." She handed Tim several pages of printouts. "But from now until you go to the hospital for labs on Saturday, you're on complete bed rest. Up for potty breaks only. You may sit up for 10 minutes at a time and no more than 30 minutes every hour. Now, what do you like to do?"

"I'm an artist; I paint, sketch, sculpt, frame, design and make clothing and jewelry – so I also sew. I…look online for design ideas, design online, and manage my website. I also like to read, watch movies and I'm learning how to knit."

The doctor looked at her and then down at her patient profile. "Melina Kalivas. Oh my." Tim smiled proudly. "All right, well your fans and I'm one of them, are going to have to wait for new creations from you. You may hand sew, knit and sketch. But no easels, sewing machines or jewelry work, no paint, no glue in the bedroom and I want you to limit your time online. You need to be as stress free as possible."

Lina opened her mouth, closed it again and then spoke, "What about the children? I can't stop being their mother!"

Dr. Chase looked at them, "How well behaved are your kids?"

Tim chuckled, "We have two four year old boys who can create chaos sitting still and a 6 year old daughter who sometimes gets a little too adventurous. But they're good kids, all of them and they'll want to help."

"Ok, good. Yes, of course you can see your children and talk with them but keep them as calm as possible. No kids bouncing on the bed or worse, on Lina. They can certainly come in and watch a movie with you, sit and read or play games as long as they're not racing around and they keep their voices low and I'd prefer they not sit on the bed."

Tim nodded, "Church manners, they can do that and we'll bring in their bean bag chairs from the family room."

"Oh good description! Does that help, Lina?"

She nodded. "I can listen to them read, help them with their homework, things like that. What about their work table, can we bring that in? They have a little table in the family room that they use for craft projects and sometimes homework."

"No on the table until after your surgery, then let's talk about it again. Yes, for the rest of it. Now more instructions: no sex, I'm sure you've both figured that out already! No spicy foods, no caffeine or alcohol of course, and watch your sugar intake. You'll need to have a balanced diet; there are links on the printout to help Tim and your folks figure out what to feed you." She paused before continuing, "You may have a shower on Saturday before you go to have your labs done, but I don't want you alone in the bathroom. When you get to the hospital for your labs on Saturday, you'll be riding a wheelchair from and to the car. Tim, you can take her in through the ER; that's an easier access and they'll be expecting you."

He nodded and made a note on the printout.

"Any questions?"

Lina nodded, "Yes, we have plans to fly to Virginia for a graduation, what date is that, Timotheos?"

"We planned to leave on May 29th, but we don't have to go, Lina."

"That's good, Tim because Lina can't."

He nodded, having already anticipated that. "What about after our first trimester? We planned on going to Greece in early July."

The doctor looked at both of them. "For how long?"

"Two weeks."

She nodded and pointed to a calendar. "Let's set your trimester completion date as June 18th. We'll talk again after your surgery but IF the embryo continues to develop and grow and is still with us by June 18th, I'll consider it. Although I realize that's cutting it close for flights, etc."

Tim shook his head, "We're flying on a private charter."

"Oh, I like that, so then is there a place where Lina can stretch out, lay flat?"

"Yes and my grandfather will be with us, he's a doctor."

"Even better! Ok, a doctor is a wonderful thing and being able to stretch out flat is also good. Let's wait until after your surgery, see how you do." They nodded. "Tim, it's time to take Lina home and put her to bed. Now, Melina, if there is anything, _anything_ that happens between now and Monday, have someone call me immediately. Bleeding, pain, more twinges, headache, dizziness, additional fatigue, anything. I'd rather you call me and have it be a false alarm than you thinking it's nothing and then we have problems."

She noticed that Tim was trying to keep some expression off his face and Lina rolled her eyes at him, "You may as well know that I am not the best at figuring out what's going on with my body; I can be absentminded. With both pregnancies, I did not realize I was in labor until Tim decided we should go to the hospital to see what the doctor said. In both cases I thought it was just Braxton Hicks."

"And how long were your labors?"

Tim quirked a smile, "Less than 5 hours each and she slept through part of them both times."

"Oh my! Well then, yes, Tim, everyone who is helping to care for her should be aware of that."

He nodded. "They will be!"

The doctor had the nurse bring in a wheelchair. "You can borrow this until after the surgery; just drop it by the office if you will."

"Thanks!" He looked at his wife, "Your turn!"

She huffed, "Yes, I know."

"Wish we'd thought to bring the ramp."

"From Greece? I can walk…"

"Nope, I'll carry you inside, my bride." She gave him a little smile and the doctor chuckled, "Don't get too romantic! Remember, no sex!"


	217. Chapter 217

Thanks to everyone for the reviews, favorites, alerts and reading!

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* * *

><p>CH 217<p>

Lina sat in the wheelchair and Tim rolled her from the doctor's office to the car, helping her inside. As he got in she sighed, "I can't believe this is happening to us."

Tim nodded, holding her hand. "I know, sweetheart, but we may do all right and the important thing is that you're all right."

As they drove, Tim raised the subject of child care, "Honey, 7 kids is a lot and with a baby, plus Zoe, Jorry and Sean, that's too much. And not just for our parents but for you, you'll have to curtail your work for the next few weeks and we don't know if that will last for your whole pregnancy. What do you think of moving forward with hiring a nanny? Even part time?"

She nodded, "I was just thinking of that. Our parents are wonderful helping with the children but I know we both worry about them not having time away to be themselves. And…I feel horribly selfish saying this but I miss my work. I don't want to be away again but I do want to be able to work and with everyone on different schedules, especially after school, it's more difficult. Yes, I agree we should hire a part-time nanny."

Tim held out one hand and they shook on it. "Ok, I'll get to work on finding services and we'll have to tell our parents."

She laughed, "That may be the hardest part!"

"You're right! But we don't have to face them right now; why don't you make a list of what you want from upstairs?" She nodded and took her phone out to get started.

Once home, he plucked her carefully out of the car, remembering doing so on their first date when her feet hurt from working and a long walk; he'd given her a pair of his socks from his go bag when her feet got cold. His security team was there and one of them opened the front door for him. He nodded his thanks and carried Lina to the downstairs bedroom, placing her carefully on the bed. "Your new home, my lady."

"_Our_ new home, my husband!" She waved the instructions, "This says I can share the bed!"

He nodded, "That's good!"

They looked around and realized the kids were at school and daycare.

Tim shrugged, "Just as well; gives me time to get everything set up in here."

"Here's my list."

He looked at it and nodded, "Ok, I'll get started! Do you want anything to eat or drink first?"

"No, I'm fine for now."

"I guess we should call our parents."

"Yes, let's do that first and then Mama can help you find things."

"Uh, in our bedroom Lina?"

She giggled and Tim thought there was nothing so sweet as his wife's laughter, whether it was a giggle, a chuckle, that light laugh that still made him weak in the knees or a full out belly laugh. "You're right, no parents in our room!"

He sat on the bed and called his dad. "Hey Tim, you guys home? Everything all right?"

"Yes we're home and no, everything's not all right Dad. Are the others there and if so could the four of you please come over? We're in the downstairs bedroom."

"We're on our way son."

Tim helped Lina get comfortable under the covers while they waited for their parents to arrive. They heard the Ford coming to an abrupt halt and then the slamming of car doors.

He looked at Lina, "I'm going to head them off at the pass."

She wasn't quite sure what that meant but just nodded as Tim went to the front door. He opened it quietly and said to the four anxious faces. "It's not life threatening. However, Lina is on full bed rest and cannot have any stress. And I know full well that every word I'm saying is causing each of you considerable stress. Please try to be calm as she wants both of us to explain this to you."

They took a few minutes to calm down and then followed Tim into the downstairs bedroom. "Davos, Dad, would you please bring chairs in for the five of us?"

They nodded and headed to the dining room. Once everyone was seated, Lina started the conversation. "My fatigue is caused by anemia. And the anemia is because I am not only pregnant with a normal pregnancy, but also with an ectopic or tubal pregnancy. I will have laparoscopic surgery on Monday to remove the ectopic embryo and it is possible that the normal pregnancy will go forward. But the odds are not good for that happening. We were given the choice of aborting both pregnancies but we agreed we want to try to save the normal one. Having said that, I will not endanger my life, I will not do that to my husband, children or you. If there is a choice between the intrauterine pregnancy and me, my instructions are to save me. I will not do what Lily, Tim's mother, did: gambled with her life and the hearts of her baby son and husband – and lost!" She shook her head to clear it, "But the surgery is not that dangerous for me. And we want to do everything we can to prevent the ectopic from rupturing before the surgery and keep the other embryo viable - alive. I will be on complete bed rest from now until the surgery on Monday and then if the regular embryo survives, I will continue on bed rest through our first trimester, which ends on June 18th."

Hélène scooted her chair closer and took her daughter's hand in hers. "All right, my darling. We'll get you, Timotheos and the children through this." She looked up at Tim, "My son, what do we need to do?"

Tim was still shell shocked from Lina's outburst about his mother but snapped back into focus.

"Lina is allowed out of bed only to go to the bathroom. The doctor gave her a shot for the anemia and she needs to be tested on Saturday to see if it's under control. If it is, the surgery can proceed on Monday, if not she'll have another injection and wait 48 hours. Now as for what we need…." Tim outlined everything they'd thought of and their parents nodded patiently.

His dad stirred, "You'll be staying down here with Lina?"

"Yes."

"How about if we rotate staying upstairs? We could stay in the guest room."

Tim smiled, "Yeah, if that's all right with you four; that would really help."

The six of them made a list of what needed to happen on a daily basis and the Grands nodded in satisfaction as they saw both Lina and Tim relax a bit.

When Tim saw their parents were dealing with it, he looked at Lina and she nodded with a smile, might as well get it over with. She decided to take the plunge, they might take the news better coming from her.

"We're talking about bringing in a nanny to help."

Without any hesitation, all four of the grandparents said, "No!" Tim had to turn away to hide his amusement and then gave the four of them a look to calm down.

Davos ignored him, "These are our grandchildren, why would you bring a stranger in?"

Tim fielded that one, speaking softly, "You all need to calm down, no stress remember? Davos, we would hire a part-time nanny because we want the four of you to have your own lives too. We love your help, all of it, but 6 children including 3 under 6 plus a possible new baby – that's too much!"

"But they're not here all the time - they're in school and Zoe's in daycare."

"And then there are the afterschool activities so they do not need us fulltime, Melina, Timotheos."

Tim nodded, "And a nanny can drive them to all their activities so you can…oh I don't know… have lives of your own?!"

His father nearly growled at him, "No one but us or another family member, except for Ziva, drives our kids anywhere."

Davos patted his shoulder, "Now Jethro, it is not a done deal."

"Not the driving, that's…" Jethro stopped as he realized he was about to tell the children's parents that anyone else driving them was non-negotiable and as strongly as he felt it was not his decision to make. What had he said to Leon? He could counsel and console…but he was the grandfather, Tim and Lina were the parents.

Tim gave his dad a one-armed hug, giving Lina a look and seeing her agreement. "All right; we wanted to put the suggestion out there, get your opinions."

Once they had everything else figured out, Tim went upstairs to pack Lina's things and Davos and Jethro went to the kitchen to make lunch. At Lina's insistence, Tim and Zoe would go to the zoo with the others this afternoon; she would be resting anyway.

Tim packed the non-clothing items on Lina's list first, in one bag and then packed a second bag with the clothes she wanted. It took him awhile to find the yoga pants but she'd told him a couple of different places to look and he found them on the second try. He looked at them, hoping she'd need to wear them again. Once he had everything on the list in the bags, he took them back downstairs and put them away for her. He'd bring his own things down later.

Lina watched him putting her clothes away. "Tim, what will you tell the others?"

He looked at her, "The truth, LinaMelina, or do you want me to just tell them you're anemic?"

She thought about it before deciding, "Yes, that's best for now. I just don't feel the need to share this with everyone, not yet, maybe never."

Tim nodded, understanding what she was saying. He thought about the family. "I'll send an e-mail to the family later."

She started to make a face but realized that would be the least stressful for the two of them so just nodded instead.

He stuffed some things in a day pack and then sat down on the bed next to her. "All right, we'll be back 4-ish, I'm sure Athos, Zoe and Alitta will be tuckered out by then."

"That's good. Now…why don't you take the double stroller? That way the girls can both ride if Zoe gets too tired or even Athos."

"Good idea, sweetheart."

While Lina laid down for a nap, Tim went to dig the double stroller out from the garage, still feeling massively reluctant to leave his wife. He was wrestling the beast into the car when his mother-in-law and father found him.

Hélène patted his back, "You enjoy yourself at the zoo, Timothy. Davos and I will stay with Melina this afternoon and your father and Rhea will pick up the children and take them back to the big house until you get home."

He smiled, "Thanks, Mama. Now I need to fetch Miss Zoe!" His dad looked at him, "Mind if I ride with you?"

Tim looked at him, "Not if you're gonna give me a bad time, I don't need any more stress either!"

Dad shook his head, looking chagrined, "I'm sorry son and no I won't give you a hard time, promise."

They left the others and headed off to pick up Zoe from daycare, then went to the big house to meet the others. Kim looked at Tim and Jethro as they walked into the house, each holding one of Zoe's hands. She was busy telling them about a dragon someone had drawn at daycare that didn't look at all like Andy's dragons.

Frowning when she didn't see Lina, Kim started to ask but settled for, "Lina's not joining us?"

Tim looked up, "No, she's on bed rest for a few days."

The others just nodded. Eva had already told them she thought Lina was pregnant but it was obvious they hadn't yet made it public and they'd respect that.

They took the McGees' minivan as it was the largest vehicle and already had the car seats locked in. They got the kids situated, loaded up the adults and off they went to the zoo. As he drove Tim thought about car seats and vehicles. Years ago when they'd had four kids, he'd joked about buying a bus. Now he wondered if that really was an option! The minivan was already pretty full with 6 kids and all the seats; up until recently even Andy had had to have one. He'd finally hit 5 ft. and met the criteria for using the factory installed chest and lap belts so that was one less booster seat. He and Anna normally occupied the last row of seats with the four younger kids in the middle row. He figured they'd have to go to a full sized van now, they'd need to be able to seat 7 children and two adults and that meant 6 car seats including a rear facing infant seat. Plus cargo space of some sort. He snorted to himself remembering buying their first SUV from Caleb's brother so that Lina had room for her easels.

It was a beautiful spring day, warm enough to be outside in short sleeves but not so warm as to be uncomfortable. Tim and Zoe wore hats; he smiled to himself when Kim and Eva bought sun hats for themselves, Athos and Alitta from a vendor in the park. They had a wonderful afternoon visiting the various animals. Athos loved the giraffes, Zoe the primates and all three of the kids were enthralled with the zebras and the elephants. They practiced saying the word elephant; Alitta managed 'afant' while Zoe came up with elfants and Athos quite elegantly rolled the entire word off his tongue. When they got to the otters all three of the kids managed the word pretty well and Zoe repeated it frequently throughout the day, enough so that she had to be told to let it rest. When they visited the bear habitat, she spotted a brown bear and squealed, "Pooh bear!" making everyone around them chuckle. Tim's favorites changed every time he visited, although the kangaroos, koalas and the giant panda always seemed to be in his top 10. The birds were fun too but he wasn't crazy about the reptiles. He was not a fan of snakes, never had been.

Back in the park and on the lawn the adults spread out into a vaguely circular shape and had the kids run back and forth between them. That plus the fresh air and the fun of the day wore them out and the three of them slept on the short drive home. When they reached the big house, the kids were wakened and they all headed inside.

The Gibbses brought the McGee children to the big house after school and Andy and Anna worked on their homework while Gemma, Jorry and Sean were working on an arts and crafts project Rhea set up for them. The Russells were back from Pasadena and said they'd had a good time. After greeting his children and checking Andy and Anna's work and admiring the art projects, Tim quietly told Pete and Trina that Lina was on bed rest and asked them not to share the news with anyone else. Then he drove home. He found that Lina and her mother had had a quiet afternoon. While Lina napped, Hélène had worked to untangle Lina's knitting project. Lina insisted he go back to the big house for dinner and Tim reluctantly agreed, knowing their visitors would be leaving over the next couple of days.

The kids were a little confused when their dad returned without their mom or grandparents. Tim took them aside and told them the doctor wanted their mama to be very quiet for a few days and that her mama was making her dinner at home. Andy was scared but didn't want to scare the others so he didn't say anything. Anna thought it might be something like the flu they'd all had last year and when she said that, Andy relaxed a little while his sisters and brothers nodded.

The group had a pleasant dinner, catching up after their time apart. The Russells had thoroughly enjoyed visiting Pasadena, seeing the Rose Bowl and the routes of both the Tournament of Roses and the Doo Dah parades. The Hofstadlers lived in a refurbished Craftsman style California bungalow which had been enlarged while staying true to the original architectural style. Pete said he'd seen Craftsman style homes before but never one of the famed bungalows. Norm had given them a tour of the Cal Tech campus which they found impressive and they'd also stopped in to see the El Segundo office where Carla worked. Pete grinned, "They have a closed board!" Tim smiled as Matt said, "All of our offices have closed boards, Pete, and when our SFAs and juniors become Team Leads, their offices will too. See what you started?" Former Team Leader Russell beamed, he liked that thought a lot!

The rest of the gang brought the others up to date on their trip to the zoo and Athos told them all about the various habits (habitats) they'd visited.

The McGees didn't stay long after dinner; it was not only a school and work day on Friday, the children still needed to be told the rest of the story. After a brief and private discussion with the Gibbses, Tim bid everyone a good night, loaded the kids into the car and took off. When they got home, Tim gathered the kids in the family room. "Ok sweeties, your mama is sick, you know that. She's going to be ok, but it's going to take a while. And while she's sick, she can't climb any stairs, so we've moved into the downstairs bedroom and your grandparents are going to take turns sleeping upstairs in the guest room."

The kids looked at him and he could see they were all scared, but Andy most of all. "We're going to go in and see her in a minute but I need to tell you some new rules, rules that will help her get better." They nodded at that, they wanted to help.

He told them about being very quiet, using their church voices when they were with their mother, not sitting on the bed or jumping or anything. Andy realized these rules weren't anything like what had happened with his grandma and that gave him some hope. The littles giggled when Dad said he'd be following the rules too. He told them that on Monday, he'd be taking their mother to the hospital and she'd have surgery to help her and she'd stay there for no more than 4 days before she came home. They wanted to know if they could see her while in the hospital and he said yes.

Once he felt they understood the rules, he peeked into the room and saw Lina sitting up and waiting to see their children. Taking Zoe by the hand and reminding Jorry and Sean of the new rules, they walked into the room. Remembering not to sit on the bed, they climbed up onto the chairs still in there and one by one had hugs with their mama.

Once they had all had hugs, Lina calmly told them that she had an illness called anemia and that part of her getting better was that she'd have to stay in bed remaining quiet with quiet people around her (that part came from Tim) and she was also taking medicine.

"Now, I'll be eating dinner in here and you can visit with me as long as you're very quiet. No bouncing up and down, no talking loud and no yelling! You can watch movies with me or read. The doctor said no paint or glue, so we can't do painting or gluing art projects in here but we can read stories, you can color and I can help you with your school work. How does that sound?"

They nodded, still looking upset and worried. Lina and Tim held out their arms to all of them, Lina being very careful with the kids who ended up with her, "Did your daddy tell you about my surgery?" They nodded. "Good, now I don't want you to worry about that. I'll come home a few days later and then I might have to be on more bed rest, we'll see. While I'm in bed, I can read, watch movies, knit and play games, as long as they're not noisy or upsetting."

Andy looked at his dad; he looked okay, a little upset but not like he'd been when he heard about his brother or anything.

Anna looked at her parents, "Um, are we still going to Greece this summer?"

"The doctor says probably yes, we'll know more by June 18th."

Andy leaned down, kissed his mother and then ran from the room, returning with his dragon calendar. "Can we mark the 18th so everyone will know how many days there are left?"

Tim ruffled his hair, "Absolutely, that's a great idea, son!" Andy circled the date in red. He pointed to it and looked at his younger siblings. "This is the day Mama goes to the doctor to see if she can get up. Every day we can mark off that day so we'll know how many more days we have to wait."

They looked at the calendar, saw the big red circle and nodded. Jorry scooted over and put his finger on each day, counting out loud.

Their dad added, "We can mark off each day right before we go to bed." They smiled, they liked that and since Jorry had done the counting, Gemma got to mark off that day. At the bottom of the page, Andy wrote who'd already gotten to do something so each would have a turn.

Finally they kissed their mother good night and went with their dad to get ready for bed. When Zoe wanted to go kiss Mama again after her bath and story, Tim decided that was a great idea; instead of Lina going to each child as they usually did, each child could go to Lina for an individual goodnight hug and kiss.


	218. Chapter 218

9.02.15 Yay, the server's back up so all of us writers can post again! Here's #218 and I'll post #219 later.

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><p>Friday morning Tim was helping the kids get ready for the day when there was a knock on the front door; then he heard a key in the lock and the door opening. He called downstairs "Be there in a minute!" as he finished brushing Zoe's hair into the pigtails she usually started off with. He smiled, a hair clip clenched in his teeth as Rhea appeared beside him. "Let me finish that, don't you need to get going?" He said, "Yeah … le' me jus' ge' this done."<p>

Zoe giggled at her silly sounding daddy as he got the clip fastened.  
>Finished, he kissed the top of his little girl's pigtailed head and then gave Rhea a quick hug. "Thanks, I'm just gonna say goodbye to Lina - Andy and Anna have the cereal and juice on the table for breakfast."<p>

She smiled, "We'll handle it, now go!"

Tim stopped to kiss Jorry and Sean goodbye for the day. Grabbing his things, he ran down the stairs and kissed everyone else goodbye before flying out the door. He stopped as his security detail already had the car door open for him; apparently they were driving him this morning. He nodded, "Yeah, that's a good idea."

"Agent Gibbs suggested you might think so."

Tim tried not to roll his eyes at that. "I haven't had a chance to update you."

He told the lead agent that his wife was ill, having surgery and on bed rest for at least the next two weeks and that if things didn't go as planned he might need to have an emergency ride home at some point.

Timmons nodded, "Then we'll be driving you to and from, sir. Will she have someone with her during the day?"

"Yes, the Gibbses and Kalivas' will stay with her and get the kids to and from school and their activities."

"Good."

Tim relaxed on the way in, knowing Lina and the kids were in good hands, although he still wished he was home with his wife. He reached for his phone to check his e-mail, thinking to distract himself. Last night they'd sent out an e-mail request to his grandparents for a Skype call Saturday morning, explaining that it would just be the five of them on the call, no siblings or parents. Now he smiled when he saw the affirmative responses from Penny, Gram and Grandfa. He shook his head when he realized he hadn't seen the Mallards since January and Penny since Christmas.

Everyone on one continent was fine but with everything going on visiting had been next to impossible. First they'd had to miss the baptism and then the Russells' plans had changed and they'd missed Easter although to be honest neither he nor Lina had even broached the idea of flying to the still-buried-in-snow East Coast for Easter. Lina hadn't wanted to go anywhere after returning home from Spain anyway.

When Tim reached his office he was pleased to find his deputies just gathering for their meeting. They met via video chat nearly every day and he was curious to see their reactions to Vance's changes which he'd sent out on Wednesday.

"Good morning! Before we get started, I want to know your gut feelings about the changes to the plan that I sent out and also hear any questions."

Rose Peters, the most outspoken of the three, grinned, "I'd love to know what you had to say or do to get these…in my opinion they're going to make a huge difference for us."

The other two smiled as Tim chuckled, "I'd tell you but then…you know."

She shook her head, "Yeah, not going there!"

One of the others, Richard Owens, formerly Team Lead of the Hawaii office and currently the SSAIC of the Central Office (Great Lakes) complex, had questions and notes he'd made and the group spent some time going over those. Tim's third deputy, Julian Bashon-Martin, formerly of the London team and currently Team Lead in the Tampa office, had two additional questions.

Once they had all their questions ironed out, they went over the most pressing matters, got their assignments for the following week and agreed that with the changes, they could reduce the number of meetings to three times a week for the next month and once they had everything firmly under control, they'd reduce to once or twice a week with e-mail and direct calls in between as necessary.

Satisfied they were headed in the right direction, Tim disconnected from that call and tackled the rest of his work. Matt came in at 1100 for his quarterly evaluation and Tim smiled; he loved that except for the months before he'd arrived in Athens and the months Matt had been in the El Segundo office, he'd participated in each of his friend's evaluations. Because he worried about his objectivity for the same reason, he'd asked Blumquist, the SSAIC at Marine West to do the evaluation for his friend and brother-in-law. It was a reciprocal arrangement as Blumquist had a Team Lead in one of his sub offices who was a close friend. In exchange for Matt's evaluation, Tim had evaluated Blumquist's agent.

The evaluation was quick and well received as Tim had anticipated. By the time the rest of their group arrived for lunch, they were done and going over their plans for Lina's birthday lunch on Sunday.

Tim had called their new obstetrician and explained the plan, asking if the party should be cancelled. He'd originally thought to have it Friday night when all their friends were still there but had changed the plan when she'd been so exhausted. Now he was glad he hadn't mentioned it to any of their visitors!

The doctor had approved the celebration although she was happier when it was moved to lunch rather than dinner and it would be held at the McGees' home. The 'locals', now including Eva, Caleb and their kids, would be there but the Russells, Kim and Evander were departing tomorrow. Kim and Evander were going back to the Midwest for a few more days with her family before flying home on Wednesday and the Russells were traveling to the East Coast where they'd visit the Vances and other friends and do some traveling around the area before the college graduations at the end of May.

After giving the gang a quick tour of the office, they had lunch at a nearby restaurant, one of Tim's favorites. The group had already shrunk a bit as Evander, Eva and Caleb were looking at houses again. They'd looked at four already and would see two more today, one in Preston and one in Del Mar. Tim was fairly certain they'd go for something in Del Mar as that would shave time from Caleb's commute and save on gas money as well. And he supposed it would be good for Tea to have them close by, especially after her baby was born.

Lunch was convivial and the food tasty. Remembering they were having one last dinner together that night, no one overate and all too soon, they were on their way. Matt walked back to the office with Tim and his ever present security detail, gathered his belongings and took off for his own office. After checking in with Lina Tim got back to work.

Lina made it through Friday without any twinges or any other changes. The kids spent time with her before and after school, bringing their work in for her to see and quietly telling her about their days. Friday was supposed to be the night of the party for their visitors. The party went forward without Lina but first she, Tim and the kids had an early dinner in the bedroom. While it was fun, they decided they wouldn't do it every night, it could be their Friday night treat. Soon after they'd finished, their friends arrived from the big house and settled in the living room for coffee and dessert.

Caleb announced they'd found a home and the couple showed the photos they'd taken that afternoon. It was furnished and move-in ready so once their belongings arrived, they could get settled in and really start their new lives in California. As Tim had predicted, the house was in Del Mar, fairly close to Tea and Adan's duplex.

When the party broke up, each of their friends went in to tell Lina goodbye. Pete and Trina kissed and hugged them all; they'd see the McGees in Virginia in a few weeks and Kim and Evander at home but it was difficult to say goodbye to Lina, Tea, Eva, their spouses and kids. After Tim and Evander said goodbye to each other, Kim took Tim's face in her hands and held on for a minute. "We'll see you in a couple of months, in Greece…at home, got that?" He nodded with a smile. She moved to Tea and Eva and pulled her two friends into her arms, "You take care of each other." They promised and then she moved to Matt, "You take care of yourself…and them - ok?"

Matt understood she meant Tim and Lina and nodded quickly. She turned and ran out the door where Evander was waiting for her. Poppy would drive them to the airport in the morning.

XXX

Saturday, the kids went to the big house for the afternoon while Tim and Lina went to the hospital for the lab work. He noticed that Lina was starting to sound more like her normal self; her voice had regained some of its vibrancy and she wasn't sleeping as much. Tim sighed, he was so worried about Lina, he'd hardly thought about the two pregnancies.

Saturday afternoon, back at the house, he sat in the living room, finally forcing himself to think about the two embryos. With Jorry and then Zoe, they'd referred to them as "babies" as soon as the pregnancy tests had been positive, but he wouldn't do that this time. Especially not with the ectopic embryo as there was no chance of life for it. It was a fertilized egg that had gone wrong and had to be removed. The other one- he'd hope and pray that it would survive - but his focus would remain on Lina. He felt someone sit next to him and looking up, he saw Hélène. "Timotheos, it's all right to mourn."

He shrugged, "The one that will be removed never had a chance. It could never develop into a fetus, never be a baby."

"Yes, I know. I don't know why that can happen, why God would let that happen but it does happen sometimes."

Tim nodded, "I can't…I understand the science but I'll never understand why any God would do that or allow it to happen."

"We are imperfect."

"And yet…" He sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm so worried about Lina and I'm afraid to hope for the other one, the normal embryo."

"But if we lose it you'll mourn."

He nodded. "Yes, I will mourn because that one could be our baby, our child."

She nodded, "It's important not to give up hope my son. I know you are focusing on Melina and I'm glad for that. But you cannot shut off your feelings, Timothy. You know you can't."

He nodded. "I just want to get her through the surgery. If there's a chance, then…"

Hélène sighed, "Yes, I too hope for that."

"But I'm afraid to count on it."

She nodded and drew him to her for a long embrace. "We'll get through this."

He knew that, he just didn't want his wife to hurt and he didn't want to lose their baby. It was too late, the minute that pregnancy test had shown positive, he'd thought of it as their child; maybe their future child but their child nonetheless. The thought was out there, he couldn't take it back.

He didn't say it aloud until Sunday when his father took him for a walk on the beach after church. The kids were home swimming with Nonnie and the Uncles and the Kalivas' were getting Lina's birthday lunch ready. Tim admitted it was a relief to be with his father, where he could just be his son for an hour or so.

The two of them walked for awhile and then Tim let it out. "Dad, I…I'm scared. I'm scared for Lina, I don't want her to hurt and…I don't want to lose our baby. It's not a baby yet, I know, but I want it to be. I don't want it to die because of that stupid fertilized egg that has no business being where it is and can't ever be anything more than a blob…it's alive and growing for no reason. NO REASON!"

He sat down abruptly on the sand and pulled his knees to his chest. He looked at his dad who folded down onto the sand next to his son, "It's hurting my wife and child, potential child. But I can't do anything about it. I have NO control over it. I can't make it go away."

His dad nodded, "And we're used to having some control over bad things."

"Yes, we track them down, we arrest them and sometimes we have to stop them more forcefully. Or we take medicine to make it better. But this is something…I contributed. My swimmers fertilized that egg, the one that's causing the problems, the one that could kill our baby."

"Tim…"

"I know I'm being irrational."

"Doesn't matter son, I'm glad you could say it to me." Tim nodded and leaned into his dad. "I hate waiting. But waiting means Lina is getting stronger and every minute our embryo can hang on is good."

Jethro kissed his son's head. Like every parent since Adam and Eve, he wished he could make it better. They didn't talk much after that, just sat quietly, Tim leaning into his father. Finally he took a deep breath, "Thanks Dad. Now I need to go be with my kids, pass along the strength you've given me."

His dad just ruffled his hair. "We'll get through this. I don't know what the outcome will be, but we'll get through it."

Tim nodded. "And we need to keep celebrating the lives we have, the children we have already. Dad, I'm going to tell Andy what's going on. Lina and I talked about it and we think it's for the best. He'll still be scared but at least he'll know what's going on. And we thought about telling Anna, but I don't know, she's still so young."

"You want to keep her protected for a little while longer."

"Yeah, except she didn't start out that way. Maybe that's why though."

"Except she knows something is wrong."

He turned to his dad, "What would you do?"

His father shook his head, "I don't know, Tim. Except…they're your two oldest and you trust them with a lot."

Tim nodded, "I'm afraid if I tell Andy and not Anna that'll create a problem; nope I'm going to tell them both."

"Want me to go get them, bring them back here?"

"Yeah, but let's meet at your place, on the deck."

"Ok, be there in a few minutes." Jethro gave his kid another kiss and headed off to the McGees.

Tim also got up, brushed off as much sand as he could and walked over to the big house, empty as everyone was over at his place preparing Lina's party. He wandered out to the deck, putting his thoughts in order, so he could tell the kids what was going on without too much information.

The kids were there in minutes and his dad just nodded and headed toward the kitchen. He smiled at his two oldest. "I asked Poppy to bring you over here for a couple of reasons. First of all, I want to thank you for all the help since your mama's been on bed rest, believe me your mother and I – and your grandparents – really appreciate it and we're very proud of both of you."

They just looked at him and he pulled them both into a hug. "We're having a tough time right now, it happens in life and you've both been through tough times already - before we became family. Anna, I don't know whether you ever knew why people mistreated your family so badly and Andy, I don't know what you were told about your grandmother's illness or your parents' deaths. In the here and now, your mother and I have decided that you're old enough to know what's happening and why. That is if you want to know." He looked at the two little faces and saw fear and determination in both. The three of them sat on the porch glider.

"First of all, I don't know what you know about having babies. I'm just going to tell you a little bit. This is not information to share; it's just for you; it's family business and really for grownups but we decided you're both old enough to know, ok?" Andy's eyes were wide while Anna looked thoughtful. They both agreed and he continued.

"You know babies grow inside their mothers." They nodded. "And you know after Fiona's birth that babies being born hurts the mama but they get better."

They nodded and Anna added, "I remember our nanny goat having babies. She made lots of noise."

"Yeah, I bet. What happens is the mama has what's called an ovum inside her. Think of it like an egg. When the ovum is fertilized, it travels through some tubes and attaches itself inside the mama's uterus. That's an organ girls have and boys don't. Eventually the mama finds out she's pregnant. That fertilized egg is the start of a baby. "

He paused, "Are you with me so far?" They nodded and he was relieved to see that neither of them looked grossed out, that was a good sign. They didn't have any questions so he continued. "Now, I said the egg that's going to eventually be a baby travels through the tubes and ends up in the mama's uterus. But sometimes something goes wrong and a fertilized egg ends up stuck in a tube or someplace else it's not supposed to be."

Andy looked at him, "And that's bad?"

"Yes. That fertilized egg is in the wrong place and it won't ever be a baby. It'll grow a little bit but because it's in the wrong place, it can cause problems for the mama." He took a deep breath, "And that's part of what's wrong with your mama. A fertilized egg is in the wrong place and it's causing some problems. And before it got stuck, another fertilized egg went all the way through the tube to the uterus." He turned to the children. "Your mother is pregnant but we can't just leave that bad egg in there. It could rupture the tube and hurt the other egg and your mama. And because the bad egg is in the wrong place, it's made your mama hurt and it's caused the illness we told you about, the anemia, which is why she's been so tired. The doctor gave her a shot for it and I believe she's starting to feel more energy, that's good, huh?"

They nodded and Andy asked, "What about the bad egg?"

"The doctor is going to take it out tomorrow at the hospital. Now, the thing is the tube where the bad egg is and the uterus where the good egg is are very close together so the surgery has to be done very carefully. Your mama will be all right, her life is not in danger."

He'd said it before but now he saw Andy relax a little more.

"What about the good egg?"

"That's where it gets tricky. A fertilized egg at the stage where our good egg is now is called an embryo and that's spelled e-m-b-r-y-o. It's very tiny and delicate and at the same time also very strong. When the doctor does the surgery, she'll be very careful not to disturb the embryo, the good egg, at all. And that's why Mama is on bed rest now, so the embryo, the good egg, can continue to grow and get strong. Now, it's possible the embryo won't make it through the surgery and if that happens, your mama will still be all right. We'll be sad but your mama will heal and we'll be all right. If the embryo does make it through the surgery, the doctor wants your mama to continue to stay quiet and still, to give the embryo more time to grow bigger and stronger."

He stopped again and Anna asked, "Is it always like this?"

"There are two answers: sometimes and no. The 'no' is because the bad egg thing doesn't usually happen when there is also a good egg, the doctor told us that is rare. And the sometimes is because lots of mamas sometimes have bad eggs and sometimes they don't even know about it until it gets too big and hurts them. But usually they're all right; the doctors can help them get better. "

Andy nodded, "When Fiona was born I asked Mama some questions and she said it's different for every mother and every baby."

"That's right, it is. Andy, how was it when Sean was born, do you remember?"

He blushed and nodded, "We were watching a movie and Sarah's face got all red and the couch was all wet; she told Grandma she'd had an accident. But Grandma said her water broke and we went to the hospital."

Tim laughed a little, "You know that's sort of what happened when Jorry was born! Your mama and I were in the car on the way to Uncle Pete and Aunt Trina's for Thanksgiving and she made a noise and said she was sorry, she'd had an accident. But it wasn't, it was her water breaking so we went to the hospital instead of Uncle Pete's house!"

Anna told Andy, "When Zoe was born Gemma, Jorry and I were at the beach with Grammie and Grandfa. Poppy called and said we had to go to the hospital right away because Mama was having the baby and Daddy wanted us there. We got there just in time too!"

Tim smiled, "Jorry and Zoe were both born very quickly!" He looked at Andy, "That's unusual but it was nice for your mother."

Andy leaned into him, "So Mama will be all right but we might not have a new baby." Tim kissed the top of his head, "Or we might have a new baby and yes, your mama will be all right."

Anna looked like she had a question she didn't know if she wanted to ask. Tim kissed the top of her head too, "Go ahead, sweetie."

"Why did the doctor pick June 18th to say if Mama can get up?"

"That's an excellent question! I told you the fertilized egg in the uterus becomes what we call an embryo." They nodded. "And mamas carry that embryo inside them for 9 months before they have the baby, like Mama did with Zoe and your sister did with Sean." They nodded. "Anna and Gemma weren't around for all of your mama's pregnancy with Zoe but Andy, maybe you remember with Sarah, that at first she looked normal and then her tummy started getting bigger?"

He shrugged, "She left us before that, her tummy was already big when she came back."

"Ok, but then it kept getting bigger?"

"Yeah."

"Because the embryo starts to develop into a tiny little person. It goes from smaller than this," He pointed to a fingernail, "to the size Fiona was when she was born, and Sean and Zoe. And each of us too - this is how each of us got started! It takes time for the embryo to become the next stage, called a fetus and then into what we all call a baby. All that takes nine months. At the start, an embryo looks kind of like a blob. Then it starts to grow more and it grows a head and then hair on its head, arms and legs start to grow and then the organs we all have inside us, our hearts, lungs, brains, kidneys, until finally it has everything it needs to be a human being and is born." He paused to take a breath. "The doctors have divided those 9 months into 3 parts, called trimesters."

Both kids repeated the term and Anna spelled it out.

"What's 9 divided by three?" They told him and he took it a little further. "So there are the three parts and how long is each part?"

They giggled as they said three months each.

"Good! Now when the embryo is at its tiniest, that's when it's the most vulnerable, when things could happen to it. It takes about the first three months for it to be developed enough to be called a fetus. So we call that first three months the first trimester. And in our case, the embryo will finish its first trimester on June 18th. "

"So then it'll be a fetus?"

"Yes."

"And then we won't have to worry about it anymore?" Tim mentally crossed his fingers as he knew he'd worry until he held their child in his own two hands. But without hesitation he said, "That's right. Things could happen but the danger from the bad egg will be gone by then and the fetus won't be in any more danger than any other unborn child."

"Do we have to call it a fetus?"

"You can if you want to, but if the embryo makes it that far, I know your mama and I will call it a baby. It's not really a baby yet, in scientific terms it's a fetus until it's born, but mamas and papas usually call it a baby."

"Oh. Then if our…the embryo becomes a fetus, when will it be born?"

Tim smiled, "Let's figure it out. It takes 9 months and we know that June 18th is the end of the first three months. So when do you think it will be born?"

He watched as first Andy and then Anna figured it out. "December 18th!"

"Yes, very good!"

Anna shook her head, "This is complicated Daddy, I'm glad you didn't tell the littles."

Andy nodded, "They're okay with what you said the other day."

Their father nodded, "That's what we were hoping. Also knew you two were struggling with it."

Andy smiled, "Mama will be fine and we might have a new baby. We just have to get through this part."

Tim smiled back at him, "That's right son."

The three of them talked for a little while and then Poppy joined them. "Hey are you three getting hungry? We've got chicken on the grill over at your house, it's time for your mother's party!"

The kids jumped up and Tim was surprised to find he was starving. The four of them piled into Poppy's car and drove home, Tim dreading this party that wasn't a party. He'd wanted to postpone it until at least following weekend but Lina insisted and it was her birthday so a party they would have.

The doctor had given permission for Lina to sit in the recliner in the living room for her birthday lunch as there were too many people to all squeeze into the bedroom. Tea, Adan, Eva, Caleb, the kids, the Hofstadlers, the Hardisters joined the McGees, the Gibbses, the Kalivas' and the Kalivas-Watsons in celebrating Lina's birthday. Lunch was light and simple and there were birthday cupcakes with ice cream. Lina wore a paper birthday hat and the house was decorated but once she'd had lunch and managed a couple of bites of cupcake, turning down the ice cream, she thanked everyone and, per the doctor's orders, Tim carried her back to bed. The others cleaned up and spent a few hours in the pool, trying not to worry.

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><p>I can practically see those eyes rolling…yes, the info about the ectopic and fertilized eggs is very basic and the terminology might not be exactly scientifically correct, but it suited my purpose which was to explain their mother's situation to an 8 and 11 year old without getting into just how those eggs got fertilized or any more details.<p>

Sources: WebMD and some other medical sites.


	219. Chapter 219

9.02.15: Still catching up from the server that was down for 24 hours; posted #218 earlier today, so if you missed it, go back and read.

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><p>CH 219<p>

Monday morning, Tim and Lina left early for the hospital. While the surgery was scheduled for 8:00 AM, she was required to be there early. They already knew the anemia was under control; Dr. Chase called them Sunday evening to let them know the lab results looked good and they could proceed as planned. They decided to take that as a good omen, a hopeful sign.

After helping get the younger kids ready for their day, Davos and Hélène joined Tim at the hospital. Tim's parents had kid duty today and they hoped that all the children would be able to see their mother after the surgery. Andy and Anna were not attending classes and were at the big house with the Gibbses, working on assignments from their teachers.

The procedure started precisely at 8. Dr. Chase told them that while the average laparoscopic procedure takes 75 minutes, she needed to use extra caution and care. They were told to expect anything from 2 to 4 hours. Lina would be under a general anesthetic, her vitals, including that of the other embryo would be closely monitored.

Tim spent most of the time pacing around the hospital. Twice he brought coffee back for Hélène and Davos but had none himself. He was hyper enough, he didn't need any caffeine. Back in the waiting room around 9:30, he smiled when Nick Hardister came in and invited him to go for a walk. After Lina's parents promised to contact him if they heard from the doctor while he was gone, he agreed to the walk and disappeared with Nick. He huffed when he noted the agents discreetly trailing them. "They drove us here today and I've forgotten all about work."

Nick chuckled, "I can only imagine. I stopped to let them know the route we'd take for our walk."

Tim shook his head. "Man, I'm really out of it!"

"No, you're focused on your wife and children, as you should be, my friend."

"Thanks Nick. Have to say the fresh air feels good."

"Yes, it does, doesn't it? And my doctor would be thrilled to know I'm actually walking! So, how much walking will we do in Greece?"

Tim smiled, "I'm really glad you're going with us! Mostly we walk on the beach and around town. There are hiking trails, my brothers and I walked those the week before Lina and I were married. I haven't been back on them since. They were nice though, not too strenuous. There's also horseback riding, museums and the rest of the island to see. Plenty water activities, sailing, jet skis, catamarans, fishing, waterskiing and of course swimming – and you can take the ferry to the mainland to play over there too."

"And the town?"

"There are several on the island but we've always stayed in the main one. It's not huge and we really like the people. There are lots of great restaurants, shops, tavernas." He chuckled, "We always seem to see the florist, the woman who did all the flowers for our wedding, first and from there the word spreads that we're back. There's a children's store that stocks plenty of baby and toddler items, I swear the owner keeps track of all the kids so she can estimate what to have on hand the next year. And our pottery store…" He told Nick the story of their dishes and his friend smiled, appreciating the connections the McGees had to the folks on the island. By the time he wound down, they were back in front of the hospital and patting his shoulder, Nick waited for Tim to enter before he turned toward his car, giving a subtle nod to the security detail.

Tim felt better after the walk and appreciated Nick's diversion. They were all looking forward to their vacation this year; he just hoped Lina would be able to enjoy it. Before he went back to the waiting room, he finally got a cup of coffee.

True to her estimate, the doctor appeared in the waiting room two hours and 27 minutes after she'd started the procedure. She smiled at Tim and the couple she was sure were Lina's parents.

"Melina did very well, she's in recovery now and you'll be able to see her in a few minutes."

The three of them breathed sighs of relief and Tim introduced the Kalivas' to her. She shook their hands before continuing. "We were able to remove the ectopic pregnancy without destroying the fallopian tube. We cut into it, did everything we needed to do and then stitched it back up. We will need to keep her here for a few days to watch for bleeding or infection, that's standard procedure and she will be sore while that heals."

Tim still looked anxious and she smiled at him. "The intrauterine pregnancy is still intact; we watched it closely and did another ultrasound before we finished up. It's still looking good. The next 48 hours will be crucial and then of course as we discussed, we'll keep a close eye until the end of the first trimester…June 18th, right?"

Tim nodded, blinking back tears. Their ba…embryo had made it through, they had a chance. The doctor got a text, smiled and made a gesture with her head, "Come on, I'll take you all to her." On the way Tim mentioned that their children would be in that evening to see her.

She stopped, "That's fine, but I prefer all 6 not be in the room at once."

Tim nodded, "We figured two at a time."

"Nah, three at a time is fine, don't want to make any of them wait too long!"

"Great, thanks!"

She turned to the Kalivas' and to their surprise, told them in perfect Greek how impressed she was with their daughter and son-in-law. They beamed and thanked her while Tim's ears got a little red.

She winked at Tim, "My paternal grandmother's name was Astraia Apostolos. She was born in Athens and moved to the U.S. when she was 14. She made sure all of her children, grandchildren and even the great grandchildren spoke fluent Greek, knew the traditions and how to cook the best Greek food." She smiled, "I don't get to go every year, but we do still celebrate Orthodox Easter." She reached out and patted Hélène, "I feel like I've had a little visit home!"

"Do you ever visit Greece?"

She nodded, "Not often enough but yes we do. My husband is also Greek, on his mother's side, and we go every few years."

Hélène nodded and smiled as they were ushered to Lina's side. She was very drowsy but knew they were there, returned Tim's kiss and greeted her parents. "Tim, they said the baby…"

"Is still with us, love."

"Oh thank God!"

"Yes, we're doing a lot of that!"

She made a noise, "I want to see our children and Damian and your parents and…everyone."

Tim soothed her, "You'll see the children tonight, sweetheart. And Damian and then everyone else - when the Doctor says it's all right. But you've just had surgery; you're going to have to take it easy for awhile."

She sighed and then asked for her papa and Davos stepped forward. After a few minutes they went back out to the waiting room. They'd been told once Lina was in her room they could spend time with her.

Tim called his parents first. "Dad, is Rhea there?"

"Yes, son, go ahead." Tim opened his mouth to tell them everything was fine when one of Lina's nurses hurried into the room, looking around. Seeing him, she motioned and he didn't like the look on her face. "Something's happening, I'll call you back." Tim disconnected and followed the nurse.

He found Lina on her side, a bloody mess as she moaned. Dr. Chase was there and looked at him sadly, "I'm sorry, she was fine and then she cramped up suddenly. We'll do an ultrasound but I'm 99% certain we've lost the embryo."

Tim leaned down to kiss his wife. "I'm sorry sweetheart. " He sat in the chair next to her and gently wrapped his arms around her, both of them crying. Hélène and Davos came in and kissed both of them before leaving the room knowing their daughter and son-in-law needed time alone together to absorb the news. Finally the nurse quietly asked Tim to leave as they'd need to clean Lina and do another ultrasound.

Tim stood in the corridor while his wife was bathed, her bed was changed and she was given a clean hospital gown. When a portable ultrasound machine was rolled into the room, he followed it; he needed to be with his wife. The technician started to say something but Dr. Chase shook her head and Tim took his place by Lina's side, holding her hand. The embryos, both the ectopic and the viable one, were gone. There would be no first trimester ending June 18th, no Christmas baby in December, no baby snuggling, no happy squealing, no first word, no first step, no…anything.

The medical people eventually left but Tim stayed and the couple held onto each other, mourning their loss. Lina eventually fell asleep but Tim remained, he couldn't bring himself to leave her. Finally he did; he needed to see their living, breathing children and tell them their mother would be all right. Hélène and Davos would also need to sit with Lina. And he had to tell his parents and, his shoulders sagged, everyone else.

When he walked out into the corridor, Hélène and Davos were there waiting and they kissed him and held him close. Then he felt the strong arms of his father around him and that did it, he lost it. His dad got him to a chair and sat next to him, still holding him. It was some time before Tim noticed that his father and Rhea were also crying. He kissed his stepmother and dear friend, "She'll want to see you." Then he looked at the grief in her eyes and realized that she knew firsthand how this felt. He pulled her into a hug, "I'm so sorry Rhea, I didn't know."

She nodded, "Thank you, Tim. It was years ago."

"Has time helped?"

"In some ways. Being a grandma has helped the most." He again kissed her cheek and the three of them were quiet for a few minutes holding on to each other. Tim almost jumped when his dad spoke. "Shannon miscarried after we had Kelly. It was horrible, I felt so bad and so…powerless."

Tim nodded and kissed him too. Then he sighed, "Are the kids all home and are they ok?"

"They're all home now, yes. And they're mostly all right, they know Lina's ok but that something isn't right. When you hung up before you even spoke, we both knew something was wrong and the kids saw our faces. Andy and Anna…they're upset. Janeese and Damian are with them now and Matt will be over after work."

"I need to see them, I don't know if Lina will be up for seeing them tonight, but I need to see them and hold them, hear their voices."

"That's good, Tim. Lina will probably want to see them tonight but it's important they know ahead of time that she's upset, sad and not feeling well." Tim looked up at Dr. Chase and she rubbed his shoulder. "I am truly sorry."

He nodded, "I know, Doctor, thank you. How long will Lina have to stay here?"

"That hasn't changed; we still need to keep an eye out for post surgical trouble with that fallopian tube. It's going to be Wednesday or Thursday and we'll talk more about her care then, all right?" He nodded and the doctor patted his shoulder, "She'll sleep for two or three hours now."

He nodded again and turned to his parents, "Do you mind driving, I don't feel much like…"

His dad said, "We'll get you home, son and back again with the kids."

They let Lina's parents, sitting with Lina, know they were leaving. As they walked to the exit, Tim realized that he didn't have a car here anyway as his security team had driven them that morning. Timmons took one look at his face and after asking about Lina, offered his condolences.

When Tim climbed out of the car at home, the front door burst open and his kids rushed to him, Andy helping Zoe. Tim held his arms open, hugging them. "Listen to me, listen, all of you!" They stood as close to him as they could, their eyes wide, he could see they were scared.

"Your mama's going to be all right. We had a shock after the surgery but she's going to be all right. Let's go in the house and I'll tell you." He carried Zoe and they went into the family room. He saw Janeese and Damian as they walked in. Damian started to turn away but Tim reached out and touched his shoulder, "No, Daim, we're all sad, please don't feel you need to hide it." Nodding he joined them in the family room, sitting with Jethro and Rhea. Tim sat on the sofa and let the kids settle before he spoke. "Your mama is going to be all right, the surgery did what it was supposed to. But after her surgery something else happened, something sad. We thought we were going to have a new baby but now we're not. Mama is sad because of that and so am I. We love all of you very much and we're very glad you are our children; we're still sad about losing the new baby. And your mama hurts because of the surgery, remember we talked about that?" They nodded and he continued, "So she doesn't feel good and now she's sad and upset. I'm sad too and if you feel sad that's all right and if you don't feel sad, that's all right too."

Andy and Anna were holding on to him and he squeezed their hands as he continued. "It's okay to be sad or not be sad but I don't want you to be frightened. Mama will be home from the hospital in a few days, just like we planned."

"Daddy, can we see her at the hospital?"

"Yes, it might be tomorrow because she's very sleepy today but yes you will all get to see her."

Gemma frowned, "What happened to the baby Daddy, how come we won't get it? Did the foster people take it away?"

Tim shook his head, "No, this baby would have come from Mama, like Zoe did, Gemma. God must have decided he needed the baby in heaven with him." That was the only thing he could think to say that the children might understand.

Sean thought about that, "Is our baby an angel now Daddy?"

Tim hoped he wasn't steering them down a prickly path as he nodded, "I guess so, Seanie."

"Is it a girl angel or a boy angel?"

Before Tim could think of an answer, Rhea spoke up, "Baby angels aren't girls or boys; they are called cherubim or cherubs for short."

That seemed to take care of that question and Tim closed his eyes thinking of Rhea's own angel…and his dad's. Somehow it was comforting to think that his own lost child would be with Rhea's and Dad's.

The kids cried a little and Tim and Damian, Poppy and Nonnie cried with them. Tim wondered what to do about the rest of the family and their friends; the folks on the East Coast hadn't been told about the other embryo. He needed coffee and when he headed to the kitchen, Rhea and Damian came with him. He looked at his brother-in-law, "Need your advice."

Damian looked surprised but nodded; anything he could do to help. "If you hadn't known about the baby, would you want to know that we'd lost it?"

Damian nodded, "After she had Alexis, Chloe had two miscarriages, very early in both pregnancies. Lina and I were not told because the family felt we were too young. But we knew something was wrong, everyone was sad. We were nearly teenagers, close to Andy's age, and it upset both of us that we weren't told what was going on. So yes, as painful as it will be, please let them know, they'll want to grieve with you, with us."

Tim nodded and Nonnie added, "We hadn't told my family and I didn't want to tell them in a phone call; we wrote a letter."

Damian blinked as he realized what she was saying and then got up to give her a hug. "Thank you Daim. Tim, this might sound…strange somehow, but I'm glad you told the kids that God needed the baby in heaven. That was the only way my husband found to accept it."

Tim cleared his throat, "I'm finding it comforting too." They talked about the family a bit more and decided that an e-mail would be acceptable; Tim said he just couldn't handle a call of any kind and he was sure Lina wouldn't want to either.

When he called the hospital, he spoke with Hélène. Lina had woken briefly and asked that the children visit her. The doctor had already given her approval so Tim got the kids into the van, with Damian riding with him and they headed for the hospital, the security detail leading the way and Dad and Rhea following behind in the Ford.

As it turned out, Jethro had left a voice message for Ducky saying that Lina's surgery had successfully removed the ectopic embryo. But his voice sounded so rough, as if he were holding back emotions, that Ducky worried and when no one answered the house phone or their cell phones, he worried even more. He called the hospital and because he was on Lina's family list, was told that she was resting and that her parents were with her. The nurse he spoke with transferred his call to the phone in Lina's room and Davos answered. Lina was asleep again so he was nearly whispering. "Hello?"

"Davos, it's Donald. How's our girl?"

"She's sleeping right now Don, she's sore and very sad, upset."

"So…there was another embryo that has been lost? Our poor children."

Davos sighed, "Yes and I'm sorry to have told you this way. I believe the risks were so high with the surgery that they decided not to let anyone else know. I'm sure Timothy will be in contact with you soon, he went home to tell the children."

Ducky couldn't even imagine having to tell the little ones about their loss. He remembered how hard it had been for Maisie to tell him about Lily and he grieved for her still, knew he would for the rest of his life. He'd never met her but she was his child and he'd lost her. He and Davos said goodbye and he put his phone down. He wanted to help but didn't feel he had the right or enough information about anything to tell the others. He would have to tell Maisie though, she could read him like a book, always could and he wouldn't be able to keep this from her. Sighing and sending a prayer for his beloved Timothy and Melina, he went to find his wife.

XXX

Once they reached the hospital, Tim and Damian got the kids out of their seats and holding someone's hand. Tim carried Zoe and held Gemma's hand; Andy and Anna were old enough not to hold hands but today they were holding onto each other. Damian followed behind with Sean holding one hand and Jorry the other. They filed into the hospital with Poppy and Nonnie quickly catching up to them. When they reached Lina's floor, they stopped outside her room. The kids already knew they couldn't all go in but now their grandfather held the door open and they waved at her. She was overcome with relief and love to see them all healthy although frightened.

They visited in threes, four counting their dad and that was just enough. Zoe, Jorry and Sean needed to see and touch her, have hugs and kisses. She cried and then smiled when Sean told her that their baby was now a baby angel named cherib. Tim saw the look in her eyes and hoped that gave her some comfort. He was touched when Jorry said they needed to say a prayer for cherib and recited "Now I lay me down to sleep."

Gemma, Andy and Anna came in after their sister and brothers went for a walk with their grandparents. All three of them cried and Lina and Tim cried with them before Tim took their hands in his and they talked for awhile about Lina coming home and getting healthy, feeling stronger. They said a prayer together and then Tim could see that his poor wife needed to rest. They gave her a kiss and headed back to the hallway where they found the others. Damian slipped in for a few minutes, holding his sister's hand while she drifted off to sleep.

Three days later Lina was wheeled out of the hospital and whisked off to her home where her husband carried her to their bedroom downstairs and tenderly tucked her in. They'd move back upstairs when she was all healed and could handle the stairs with no problem. She'd had no post surgical problems much to everyone's relief. Being home was the best tonic for her and she was soon up and around although still sore and sad. While she'd been in the hospital, Tim had contacted the family and extended family to let them know about the additional pregnancy loss. The couple was surprised and saddened to hear that others in the clan besides Lina, Rhea, Dad and Chloe had suffered the same kind of loss: Liz, Penny, Edith and Kim had all suffered miscarriages.

As Lina healed physically she also started the long process of healing emotionally. Remembering Trina's success with 'immersion' painting, she started painting what she was feeling, in much the same way she'd started her 'worry' paintings. While she would always feel the loss, she was enough of a pragmatist not to blame herself or the doctor. She accepted her family's sympathy with good grace and when she learned of Rhea's, Jethro's and the others' losses, mourned with them, also finding a little comfort in the image of their little ones as cherubim.

Being able to move around without fear of the ectopic rupturing and starting to feel more energy - those were some of the things that helped her heal. Simple things like joining her family for dinner, watching the children in the pool, all of that helped restore her sense of equilibrium in the world. The day after her homecoming she walked into the dining room, smiled and then burst into tears when she saw Grammie and Grandfa waiting to greet her. They'd flown in earlier, determined to help.

As May progressed, Tim and Lina talked about the plans for the trip to Virginia. While the cause of Lina's problems was gone, the doctor felt the flights and short trip would still be too much for her. Tim really didn't want to be away, but they knew it was important to Ainsley and with Lina doing as well as she was, she thought Tim should take Anna and Andy and go. They discussed it with their parents and grandparents and decided that they'd go ahead with the plan. The Gibbses and the Mallards would also fly out while the Kalivas' would stay at the house with Lina and the younger children. As the group would be gone over a weekend, Matt, Damian, Eva, Caleb, Tea, Adan and the Hardisters would be on hand to help.

With Lina's health returning there was no longer a question about Greece, they were going. If ever there was a year when they needed to be there, this was it. Lina, Gram and Grandfa went to work the weekend after the surgery and the Mallards' arrival, planning the trip with Evander. What they hadn't realized was that most of the rest of the family hadn't yet been told they were going!


	220. Chapter 220

Ok, now we're caught up to where we're supposed to be, Chapter 220. Thanks for the reviews, you all are the best!

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><p>They figured it out when Geo called that weekend to tell them that he and Bec wanted to visit them in July; Bec and her SFA had finally figured out their vacation schedules. When Tim asked if they'd like to join them in Greece instead, he laughed at the cheers from his brother and sister-in-law. When the noise died down, he ventured, "So I'll take that as a yes."<p>

"Absolutely!"

"Good! We thought we'd get rentals on Aegina again, then we won't need cars, people can still share and we can take day trips to the mainland whenever we want."

"Great! Is Evander working on it yet?"

"He's looking for a place for us and is keeping eyes and ears out for other houses for anyone else who's going. We're hoping we can get the same places we had last year."

"Yeah, that was nice and we liked our place too. Of course, don't know whether the DiNozzos want to share again, we'd need an additional bedroom for Emma."

"I don't know if Sarah and James will come with us; I really do need to catch up with them!"

"Yeah, and I'm betting Rob and Ned probably won't be able to go either."

"I'll talk to them when I see them at Ainsley's graduation. Are you two coming up for that?"

"I am but Bec's on call that weekend."

"Don't feel bad, I'll be batching it too. Lina's not going to make the trip."

"We'll miss her but totally understand."

"Oh yeah. She's doing much better but the doctor says no; it's a long flight, a short and brutally busy weekend followed by another long flight. We're flying out on the red eye Thursday and will fly home Sunday."

"Yeah, I guess that could be kind of brutal. Uh…"

"She's healing but it's only been a few days and it's going to take time."

"Tim…really if there's anything we can do."

"You do it already, Geo. Talking as often as we do - that helps more than you could possibly know."

"You talk with Tony too right?"

"Yeah we talk during the week."

"And I hate to ask this but Rob?"

"Yeah, we've been talking nearly every week. More than we did when we were all in Greece."

"That's good; he's been keeping in touch with us too. Ziva…Sarah…"

"Ziva and I chat in the car when my security guys are driving, mmm, I'll say every couple of weeks - and she talks with Dad and Grandfa too. Sarah and I mostly keep in touch via e-mail; she's on the run between the kids, the project and her writing. James is hands-on with the kids and the house but he's got a big project going at work. I think George and Edith are there right now, so that should help."

Geordie huffed, "Life gets tougher with families, huh?"

"Yeah, it's a never ending struggle for balance…maybe struggle is too strong a word but it's definitely work!"

"You know Tim - the McGee Home was never supposed to be a one person project. I'll get in touch with Sari; see if there's anything substantial I can do. Doesn't seem right."

"That'd be good, Geo, I've been feeling bad that I'm not contributing either."

"Except keeping the funds rolling in Bro and that's a big contribution! Back to the fun stuff - are we flying charter and when are we going?"

"Yes on the charter and when is up to us. July 4th is on a Saturday – don't know if everyone wants to go before and spend the day on Aegina or wait and go afterward."

Bec came back on the line, "I vote we go before and spend the day on our island!"

"Ok, that's 14 for before the 4th."

"Fourteen?"

"Yep, Dad, Rhea, Davos, Hélène, Lina, the kids, me and you guys and I should add the Russells, Kim and Evander into that too."

"Who else do you think will go?"

"Let's see, Matt and Damian already said yes, probably Tea and Adan although they'll probably spend the time with their families and our neighbors the Hardisters want to come along too. I'm hoping the DiNozzos, Hubbards, Cranes, Palmers, maybe Ziva and of course our grandparents. But if we're short on people, we'll just charter a smaller jet and still have fun!"

"The Colonel will probably want to go too - he won't want to miss any time with Emma."

Tim sighed, "I can't wait to meet her!"

He and Lina already had an e-mail ready asking who wanted to go to Greece with them in July and sent that out after he got off the phone with his brother.

Lina sent him a text at work Monday afternoon to tell him that they'd heard from nearly everyone. When he got home they looked at the responses and smiled. The DiNozzos were in; they'd replied they'd both just gotten their time off for July approved and to count on the Colonel too. The Palmers weren't sure but promised to let them know very soon. The Hubbards and Cranes were in and to their surprise the reply from James said the Powells were doing happy dances about going. Ziva said she couldn't make the charter flight but would join them at least for the second week and then fly home with them. Unfortunately, the Macedonian branch of the Kalivas family wouldn't be able to make it. Ariston and Paolo were expanding their business and couldn't spare the money or the time off for both of them in July; that was their grand opening.

As anticipated, Rob and Ned said neither of them felt they could be away for two weeks; however they did ask if they could visit the McGees for a week after they were home from Greece.

The weekend following was Mother's Day and as hard as everyone tried, or maybe they tried too hard, it was a difficult day. The men and children of the family made a sumptuous brunch for Maisie, Hélène, Penny, Rhea and Lina. The kids made cards and drawn smaller versions of their parents' "Valentine's Day" surprise for their grandmothers and great grandmothers: colorful drawings, stories and poems of their favorite times with each of them.

They'd also drawn and painted a lovely card for Lina and presented the art project Rhea had been helping them with, large handmade paper flowers on long wire stems carefully wrapped and glued with strips of green paper. Each child made two flowers and put his or her own unique decorative touch on it. Tim's contribution was a vase hand painted to match the flowers and perfectly sized for the kids' gift.

Later in the privacy of their room he also gifted her with a gold filigree pendant with the children's birthstones. She gasped when she saw it, "Timothy, it's lovely! Where did you find this?"

He smiled, "I had an idea what I wanted and Rhea helped me with the design while you were in Spain. Then she contacted a friend of hers who also makes jewelry, it felt weird to be dealing with someone not you, but what else was I going to do!"

She laughed at that and he reveled in the joy of her laughter. She gave him a kiss that promised more for later; much later as she was still sore. Lina's 'promise' kiss led Tim to thinking about birth control; he was determined that she not go through anything like this again. He broached the topic with Lina and but she was dead set against him having a vasectomy or having her tubes tied. She swore it was the trip to Barcelona, the return and bad timing that had caused both pregnancies. She was so adamant about it that Tim backed off. But while Lina had been happy that she'd been pregnant, Tim had been worried about managing a household of 7 children. He thought having the wonderful 6 they had was perfect. Nevertheless he would have loved their baby and knew they would have coped.

At work the following week, Tim smiled when he saw an e-mail from Kim that said, "Details to follow…Evander's found houses!" That was very good news although he'd had every confidence in their friend's ability to conjure up whatever they needed. He mentioned it to Leon during their weekly call and his boss laughed. "He does have the magic touch, doesn't he? Have you talked with Joel or Carol recently?"

"It's been a few weeks."

"He found a house for them. It's perfect, great neighborhood, good size, well-constructed and cared for."

"Hey, that's wonderful!"

"Yeah and the great thing is, they've seen it before, been in it, know the people who lived there."

"Hmm, I know the old big house isn't for sale and Pete and Trina aren't selling…so it's either the Hofstadlers' old house or ours – or I suppose Damian and Matt's townhouse."

"Huh, I hadn't even thought of the Hofstadlers' or your brother's place, but yeah it's your old house."

"Seriously? That's pretty amazing!"

"Yes and now you'll have to act appropriately surprised when they tell you."

Tim chuckled, "I'll tell Lina and we'll both work on it."

"How's she doing?" Tim told him. "It's awful that she, both of you, have had to go through that but it sounds like she's getting better and that's good news. I wish I could go with you all to Greece. We're going over after you get back – or I am. Which brings me to my next question, are you chartering?"

"Yes we are."

"Any chance I can get you to squeeze Kayla and Jared in on the flight over? They want to go earlier and they'll stay with the Russells but I'd feel better if they were flying with all of you."

"Yeah, sure, I'll let Grandfa know, he'll be in touch."

"Thanks! The other question I have is…is there any chance of getting you out here a day earlier than you planned this month?"

"You mean when we're there for the graduations?"

"Yeah; we have a budget meeting on the Hill on Thursday and that week's item will be funding for the European offices. I'd like you to be my expert."

"What time's the meeting?"

"1100, it's a working lunch."

"That's a problem - we'd have to take the redeye Wednesday night and that's the night of Andy's transition ceremony – you know from elementary to middle school. We're having a family celebration after."

"Oh geez, yeah, you told me that. If I can get you a private ride that leaves at…say 23:00, would that work?"

"Yeah sure, if we don't need to be there more than a few minutes ahead of the flight we can make that work."

"All right, I'll get Pam working on it and we'll let you know!"

After they hung up, Tim decided he was going to keep whatever private ride, SecNav or possibly a flight on another agency's jet or who knows what, a surprise for Andy and Anna. For one thing, he didn't want the younger kids to be upset; he really did think they'd be bored at the graduation, he sure would have been at Gemma's age, and Lord knows what Jorry and Sean would get up to! Instead the four younger ones were going to Disneyland on Friday with their grandparents and Uncles plus Tea and possibly Eva, Alitta and Athos. Now he wondered if Lina would also like to go; they could take the wheelchair so she could ride if she got too tired.

When Kath buzzed him a few minutes later with a call from the Director, he looked at the time and smiled, amused.

Picking up the receiver he said, "That didn't take long!"

Vance chuckled, "It did not; we just needed to check the various schedules. All right, Secretary Porter will be in San Francisco that night and she's agreed to swing down to San Diego to pick you up. As far as your trip home, you can fly home commercial on Sunday as planned or you can wait and fly with her again on Monday. She's heading to Hawaii for meetings so San Diego will work as a stopover." Vance waited a beat and continued, "I know she'll want to talk with you about the budget meeting so you two can do that on the flight on Monday."

"Wow, that's a crazy travel week for her, back and forth like that!"

"Yeah, she wanted to stay over on the West Coast and fly to Hawaii from California but she has too many things cooking back here at the end of that week."

"If you're sure it's all right, I'd just as soon wait and come home Monday. Anna can miss another day, we'll get her assignments before we leave and I can take a day."

"Yes, I'm sure it's all right and no, you are not taking a day, not on Monday! Friday's fine but not Thursday or Monday, those are work days!"

Tim made a noise, "Any idea what time we'll be getting in on Monday?"

"Let's see…with the departure time from here and the time difference I believe it would be early afternoon so you'll have time to go into the office or work from home."

Now Tim chuckled, "All right then, we'll fly with the Secretary on Monday. Thanks for setting it up."

"Thanks for agreeing to come to the meeting with me!"

Tim shook his head, still amused, as they once again disconnected and he went back to work. When he got home that night he and Lina discussed the new plan; she was still upset that she couldn't travel to the East Coast with him. He'd mentioned the possibility of her going to Disneyland but after checking with Dr. Chase she told him no; she was feeling better but knew even before she spoke with the doctor that it would be too much for her. She was excited for Andy though, knowing how thrilled he would be to fly on the private jet again.

"And it's perfect timing, he'll remember it along with his transitioning party!"

The month rolled on as Lina continued to heal. They'd found some online support groups for people who'd been through a miscarriage and joined, finding that it helped some. She also started back on her design work although she understandably put aside her designs for maternity and baby wear.

They'd already made arrangements with Anna's teacher, Miss Finn, to get her assignments for the days she would miss; the woman also agreed not to mention the extra days to her student just yet. The weekend before the trip, Tim and Lina pulled Anna and Andy aside. "There's been a change in plans. The Director needs me to go to a meeting with him on Thursday so we're going to leave very late Wednesday night, after Andy's ceremony and party. Also, we're coming home Monday so Anna, you'll miss school Thursday, Friday and Monday. We've already told Miss Finn and she doesn't have a problem with it; she'll give you your assignments on Wednesday."

Both kids smiled, excited about the trip. They were sad their mama couldn't go but she was getting better, smiling and talking, so they weren't worried anymore. "When are you going to tell Gemma, Zoe, Jorry and Sean?"

"Tonight!"

They nodded, that was good, their sisters and brothers would have all week to be excited about going to Disneyland.

"Mama, are you going to Disneyland with them?"

She shook her head, "No Annalanna, the doctor said no, it would be too much. But that's all right because when you come back, it'll only be a few more weeks until we leave for Greece!"

They smiled at that, both of them very happy that they were going back to Greece and that most of their family was going too. After their chat with the two older kids, Tim and Lina gathered the younger ones in their bedroom. Tim started them off, "Hey kids, your mother and I have some fun stuff to tell you!"

Their eyes lit up and they grinned at their parents. "You four are going to Disneyland on Friday! What do you think of that?"

Gemma looked puzzled, "What about school? And how come Anna and Andy aren't going?"

"You'll have the day off on Friday and your sister and brother are coming with me to Ainsley's graduation."

"Oh, we don't have to go?" Tim had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing; apparently Gemma had not been looking forward to the graduation or the trip. "No, you don't. You can stay home and play, have fun at Disneyland with Pappouli and Yayaka, the Uncles and Aunt Tea."

"Do Athos and Alitta and their mama get to go?"

"Maybe, you'll have to check with Aunt Eva."

Gemma was satisfied with that answer but had one more question. "Ok, Daddy. Mama, are you going with us?"

"No, sweetheart, the doctor said no. Maybe next time!"

The kids were sad about that and were reminded about Greece which cheered them up again.

Jorry looked at his dad, "When you go to Ainsley's graduashun are you gonna stay at Penny's like before?"

"No son, this time we're going to stay with Grammie and Grandfa!"

"How come?"

"Because Penny's house is being changed around."

The kids squinted in confusion and he smiled, "Do you remember at Christmastime how we talked about kids from the shelter and camp coming to live at Penny's house?"

The kids all nodded. "Well the house has to be changed first. There will be more rooms upstairs and the downstairs will be changed too."

"That's a lot of work Daddy!"

"Yes Seanie, it is and it's already started, so it's too messy for us to stay there."

"Oh." The boys and Zoe nodded, accepting that but Gemma had another question. "Then where are Audrey, Adam and Evan sleeping? And baby Fiona, Aunt Sarah and Uncle James – and Penny?"

"Do you remember the new houses we saw at Christmas? The ones that looked like tinker toys?" The boys nodded enthusiastically, they'd loved the idea of big huge tinker toys!

"One of those is all finished being built, it's a house now and the Powells are living in it. And Penny is staying at Grammie and Grandfa's house."

"That's good! So we could stay in Aunt Sarah's new house sometime?"

Tim managed a covert glance at Lina and saw her slight nod; she agreed this was not the time to tell the kids that they might live in the other 'tinker toy' house someday.

"Yes, sometime." That seemed to satisfy the kids and their parents sat back in relief.

The transition ceremony Wednesday evening was very simple. First the principal spoke and then the class stood together on the stage of the auditorium and each student's name was announced. Once that was done, the kids sang a song, the audience clapped and cheered for them, their teachers and principal congratulated them and that was that.

Andy was happy that his mother was there with them; other than doctor appointments it was her first public event since her surgery. Home again they busied themselves with getting dinner on the table while Lina lounged on the sofa, watching. Dinner tonight was Andy's choice: lamb and veggie kabobs grilled on the barbecue with garlic potatoes, the recipe Tim had learned to make his first month in Greece, coleslaw and Grammie's apple crisp for dessert. They relaxed over dinner, the travelers were all packed and ready to go and they'd arranged for transport to the airfield.

When dessert was served, Andy was surprised to find gifts coming his way. He smiled, "I didn't know I got gifts!"

Uncle Matt chuckled, "But this is an accomplishment, Andy, moving into middle school. The next time we do this for you, you'll be moving into high school." Neither Andy nor his parents were sure they wanted to think about that just yet.

Dinner over, Lina went to lie down while the dishes were done. The younger kids kissed everyone goodnight and the travelers goodbye before going upstairs for their nightly rituals. The adults lounged in the family room with Andy and Anna, watching a movie. Tim was with Lina in their room and they were drowsing when his phone buzzed. Rousing, he looked at the time, 2200. "Hello?"

"Timothy, it's Secretary Porter and I do apologize but we're early - we're just landing at the airfield."

"That's all right, ma'am, we're all together and ready. We'll call our transport and be there as soon as we can. It'll be at least 30 minutes."

After he disconnected he told the others and they started moving. Grandfa called their transportation provider and told them they needed to be picked up earlier than planned, as soon as possible. He was smiling as he disconnected, "They're on their way."

The two kids were just waking up and were still too drowsy to realize what was going on. Poppy went to make sure all the bags were in the foyer while Tim and Lina told the kids it was time to leave. The Kalivas' were staying at the house that week, upstairs in the guest room; as her husband and the others prepared to leave, Lina was very glad her parents were there with her.

Tim's security detail would escort them to the airfield and then drop back as his security would be handled by the Secretary's team on the flight and by the Director's team while he was in the DC area. The local team had already vetted the transportation company and the driver so when the vehicle pulled in, Timmons checked to make sure it was the same driver, then checked the trunk and inside the vehicle. When the agent sent Tim a text telling him his ride was here and clear, the group brought their bags out and the driver stowed them. Andy and Anna each got to sit by a window and Andy made a surprised and happy noise when the vehicle turned in at the airfield. "Dad! This isn't…are we going on…" He snapped his mouth shut and his grandfather, sitting next to him, kissed him on the head, "Good, Andy, you did good!" The driver was allowed through the gate and instructed to pull up to a building across the tarmac. The luggage was retrieved; the driver took the generous tip with a smile and went on his way. As he turned out of sight the group was welcomed by Secretary Porter, her assistant and the flight crew. "That was good timing, not quite 30 minutes, I'm impressed!"

Andy's eyes were gleaming; he remembered flying on this jet when he and Sean were brought home from Monterey. Anna remembered the Secretary from her father's swearing-in and her visit to their home last winter and smiled shyly at the woman. Their luggage was stowed and Anna held onto her dad's hand as they walked up the steps into the jet, Andy in front of them and grinning the whole way. This was so cool!


	221. Chapter 221

Despite his efforts to stay awake, Andy soon lost the battle. His dad was sitting between Anna and him and as he felt himself falling into sleep he curled up into his dad's side. On the other side, Anna had already done that and Tim smiled as he drifted off to sleep, content to have his children burrowing into him. Around him, the others also slept.

They woke when the plane began its descent. Once on the ground they said goodbye to the Secretary and waited patiently for their ride. Uncle Jim soon arrived in the family van and helped them load the luggage and get settled in their seats before taking them to the Mallards' brownstone in Georgetown. Claire was there and thanks to a text from her husband, had breakfast nearly ready when they walked in. It was just 0600! After greeting Claire and their two very sleepy cousins, they sent word to Lina and the Kalivas' to let them know they'd arrived safely, ate their breakfast and then after thanking the Hubbards for their thoughtful hospitality, moved like zombies toward their rooms. Andy was sharing with his dad while Anna and Penny were sharing a room. Tim made it as far as hanging up his suit, setting his phone alarm and kicking his shoes off before he face planted on the bed. Andy was already asleep again.

Tim was awake by 1000, he needed to shower and change before Vance and his ride picked him up at 1045 for the meeting on Capitol Hill. And coffee, he needed lots of coffee. While he waited for the coffeemaker, he opened the door to the freezer and stuck his head in. That certainly woke him up! Behind him, he heard a bark of laughter and turned to find his grandfather. "I was coming to give you an energy drink but I see you've found a more immediate remedy!"

"But the drink will help later, Grandfa, I'm sure!"

"All right, here you go." His grandfather handed over two small bottles of energy drinks. "Drink sparingly; you do want to sleep when you get back!"

"I will, need my wits about me for this meeting though."

His grandfather patted him, "Now Timothy, I know once you enter those 'hallowed halls' your mind will snap to attention!"

"Thanks, I sure hope so!" He was on his second cup of black tar coffee when Vance's SUV pulled up.

One of the security team came to the front door where Tim met him. "Assistant Director McGee, welcome back to DC!"

Tim smiled, it was an agent he'd worked with years ago while still on Gibbs' team. "Thanks Gerry! Glad it's not snowing!"

"I know you're joking but we had flurries over the weekend!"

Tim just shook his head as he gathered his brief case and kissed his grandfather goodbye. He slid into the rear seat of the SUV, nodding hello to his boss. "Morning sir!"

"Morning Tim! Good flight?"

Tim chuckled, "As far as I know, I slept the entire way."

"Good! Now, here's the meeting agenda…" Vance briefed him as they rode towards the Capitol building.

Tim was full of awe as they walked into the Capitol building. He'd been here before as an agent, but never as a participant in the doings of members of Congress. He wasn't a big fan of professional politicians, but this was the center of the federal government! Leon noticed the younger man's eyes subtly taking it all in while the expression on his face gave nothing away. As they walked into the large room, Leon patted him on the back, understanding his awe and approving of his discretion.

Although he didn't let it show, Tim was amused at the budget committee's eagerness to know everything that happened with the NCIS teams in Europe. They asked him what countries he'd been to while investigating cases and how the local agencies and Interpol interacted with them. They wanted to know what political difficulties he'd run into and that one stumped him until he remembered the case either in Turkey or on Cyprus, he could not recall which. They'd been unable to extradite their suspect to their NCIS office because it was in Greece; once they changed their request to extradite to the JAG office in Naples Italy it was quickly approved. That had been their most troublesome, at least during his time. He described the willingness of the various Greek, Polish, German, Bulgarian and Croatian law enforcement agencies to assist them.

One of the committee asked him to describe a typical day as a NCIS agent in Greece. He had to resist saying he lived two miles from work; that was not relevant. He spoke about his meetings with the other offices, the directors of Mossad and Interpol, the local police chiefs or liaisons. Being called in on cases only to find the victim was not Navy or Marine; responding to a Navy sniper in Athens. Working with the Embassy on occasion, taking down a World War II criminal. That led to questions about "the terrorist case" and Tim sat back in his chair, "Which one?"

"You handled more than one?"

He nodded, "Yes. There were a few and most of them are still classified."

The speaker was referring to the terrorists at the University so Tim gave them a step by step description of their actions that day.

At first he wondered when they were going to get to the budget items but as the questions continued, they wanted him to talk about Bagram next, he realized they wanted to know the details about how the money was spent. Not just 'arrested XXX number of killers' but how and where and who else was along for the ride. When asked what the major difference was for him as a Team Leader in the U.S. as opposed to Europe, he sent an apologetic look to his boss and said, "Aside from the obvious, in San Diego I don't have to call my local CIA office for backup as we did in Greece." That caused a stir and then of course he had to talk about the drug cartel case, the first one, and the remedies for that situation: the increase in staffing and the volunteer pool. At some point a pitcher of water appeared in front of him while he was really coveting more coffee. Finally Director Vance spoke up, "If I may, Assistant Director McGee arrived on an overnight flight from California. Coffee would be much appreciated!"

The group chuckled as Tim's face lit up and he thanked Leon. He'd forgotten this was to be a working lunch and was pleasantly surprised when carts of food were wheeled in. They took a 15 minute recess to be served and then continued while they ate. One of the questions that came up was language and Tim told them how they'd made knowledge of one of the languages in their jurisdiction a plus when considering candidates for the team. "And what was your jurisdiction?" Tim rattled off the country names and the group looked surprised. "I understand from the cases you've talked about that an occasional sailor or marine will show up in Croatia or Cyprus, but all those countries?"

Tim explained the reasoning. If there was a U.S. Embassy or consulate in any given country then it was secured by Marines and therefore NCIS had a duty to respond. The U.S. Navy made goodwill tours to many countries with ocean or river ports and NCIS had a duty to respond. If terrorists threatening Navy or Marine personnel were suspected to be in any given country, NCIS had a duty to respond. And yes if Seaman John Doe went from his lowly post to visit his 5 times great granddaddy's homeland and ran into trouble or caused trouble, NCIS had a duty to respond. Finally the questioner returned to his original question, "What languages do you speak, Assistant Director?"

"When I left the Navy Yard in 2013, I spoke Greek, Italian, Spanish and a few words of Hebrew and Russian. By the time I returned to the U.S. in 2018, I'd added Polish, enough Bulgarian and Macedonian to get around, some Romanian, more Hebrew phrases and Bokasian which is basically Italian with a few twists."

"And you used all of those in your work?"

"No sir, I learned the Macedonian from my wife's uncle although I do think I used that on a case…once anyway…and Bokasian when we adopted two of our daughters from Bokas."

They asked him about the Greek nationals who'd worked in the office and Tim told them about Tea and Eva and their dedication to their work and the agency. "Just those two?"

"Well, Tea left her position when her husband's career took him out of the country so there's a replacement now; I don't know her well but the office manager speaks highly of her and she's very hard to please." That brought several chuckles.

"Assistant Director, what can you tell us of the other offices? And let me tell you what I'm looking for. Here in the U.S., we hear and experience agencies being reluctant to share information, to work together on a federal, state and local level. Did you find that to be true in Europe?"

"No sir, not at all. In Europe, spread as thin as we are, we were…are, 16 federal agents carrying out the agency's mission. As I mentioned earlier, we met formally twice a month and informally whenever we needed help. Let me expand on that." He told of the office down with the flu and of the car accident that sent a team's leadership to the hospital. "And it works across the board. When our team was sent to Afghanistan along with Rota, that is the team from Rota, the other two teams took our calls and our duties until volunteers could be put in place and then they remained on point for those volunteers. And sometimes we're gone, away from the office and home for weeks at a time. I believe the longest my team was away was four weeks. That happens here too, I was away from home for three - three and a half weeks on a case last year. In Europe, if we had a case that was going to take us into…say London's territory, we'd contact the team lead. Sometimes they had the band width to do the work we needed, more often we worked the case jointly or we crossed jurisdictions, that is our team would travel into the other office's jurisdiction and work our case with their blessing. And we worked with the CIA as I've already mentioned and with our Embassy in Athens, along with the European agencies. Further, within the four European teams, we cooperated to rotate holidays – we do that here too. For example, the year I started in Athens, it was our turn to work on New Year's Day. Another office had Christmas Eve, another Christmas Day and the third, New Year's Eve and we rotated so that no team got stuck having to always work on any one holiday. In Europe and in any NCIS office outside the U.S., we can't take American holidays off. Active duty Navy and Marine personnel don't take them off, nor do the host countries, so we work on Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Veterans' Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July and we're off, more or less, on the host country's holidays. The more or less is because if a case gets called in, whatever day it is, the team responds. The Athens team celebrated, still does, Thanksgiving the weekend after;" he chuckled, "it was a bit of a shock to me my first year back in the U.S. when I was actually off on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July."

"You said you celebrate Thanksgiving that weekend, what about the Fourth?"

He smiled, "The European offices have a little bit more elaborate way to handle that. We…they…all work on the Fourth, unless it's on a weekend and then only the team who's on call works. When the holiday falls during the week, the on call duties for the following weekend are split between two offices, Saturday for one team, Sunday for another. That way all four teams get one day to celebrate our country's birthday. We do a second split weekend later in the month and yes, the four Team Leads make sure that rotates too."

One of the committee blinked and commented, "I had no idea our foreign based agents aren't able to celebrate our holidays."

"Sir, if you questioned them all I doubt you'd find anyone who would complain - as long as nobody messes with the workarounds." That got a chuckle.

"What about asking for the volunteers on those days?"

Tim shook his head, "Speaking for myself and every Team Lead I've ever met, we would never call in a volunteer for a day off. It costs money to transport, house and feed volunteers and the threat of injury is too real to endanger a volunteer for a day off. There had better be a real need before one is requested and a day off is rarely a real need."

"Rarely?"

"There have been occasions when a team has gone too long without rest and sleep on a case. I could possibly see a need then, there is a point where exhaustion equals diminishing returns and that's not only counterproductive but dangerous. And something else…each team is accountable for their resources, including time and budget. We're a small agency and believe me we know the value of a dollar!"

They asked him more questions about the volunteer program and he spoke proudly of the dedicated volunteers who showed up and kept the teams running. "We're using the program in the U.S. now and from personal experience I know it works well here too. Last year, my senior agent's shooting arm was broken in two places while rescuing a FBI agent on a joint investigation and our volunteer coordinator had a volunteer senior agent in place within 24 hours."

Finally they wound down. Their last question to Tim was what state he was from. He looked puzzled and said, "I live in California."

"No, son, where are you from?"

There was no easy answer so Tim gave the honest answer. "I was a Navy brat during my early childhood. I was born at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland, moved to Puerto Rico as an infant, from there to Okinawa, then to San Diego and northern California, Alameda Naval Base. Then my father died and I ended up in Maryland."

"Whereabouts?"

Beside him, Vance could feel Tim's shoulders tensing and he gave him a nudge letting him know it was all right. "Baltimore, sir, my siblings and I grew up in Baltimore."

The committee member opened his mouth to ask another question, possibly where in Baltimore when another member snapped, "Honestly Steven, what does this have to do with his experiences in Europe?"

The other one looked annoyed but stopped asking questions and Tim relaxed. They went on to talk with the Director about budget items and they were back in the SUV heading to Georgetown within 30 minutes of Tim answering the last question. Vance waited until they were out of the vicinity of Capitol Hill and then he put his head back against the head rest and started laughing. "Director...Leon?" When the man could talk again, he slapped Tim on the back. "McGee, I should have brought you in to talk to those idiots years ago! That was brilliant! Those…bean counters have no idea of anything that happens beyond their noses."

"But was it helpful?"

"Damn straight it was helpful! I'll need to tweak my plans a little to lean in the direction of our foreign offices but I foresee the easiest budget approval ever!"

"So really you just wanted me to talk about Europe?"

"I wasn't sure how it was going to go. This bunch is cutthroat, they could just as easily pulled out Athens' budgets for the years you were Team Lead and grilled you on them. This was much more informative and you made more points than I ever dreamed possible!"

"And they won't try to change things to make them better and ruin everything?"

"Not to worry, nothing you said is actually in the agency regs, other than being on call and how the offices handle that has never been dictated by the Director."

Tim's phone buzzed; he looked at the caller id and then showed it to Vance who just shook his head. "If he asks, tell him the truth."

Tim nodded and accepted the call. "Congressman, what can I do for you?"

_"__I'm still curious, Assistant Director, whereabouts in Baltimore did you grow up?" _

Tim twisted his lips, shook his head at Vance and told the man who hemmed and hawed, thanked him for the information and got off the phone as quickly as he could. Tim rolled his eyes, "Oh well."

"Don't worry about it, Tim. It's not a secret and I thought you'd gone well beyond worrying about being treated as you were back then."

Tim looked at Vance and realized the obstacles and prejudices his boss and friend had had to face all his life and likely would have to always face as would his children and potentially his grandchildren. Tim had faced prejudice as a homeless person but he'd escaped that. Sadly race issues were not likely to be wiped out during their lifetimes. "You're right - I'm not going to worry about it!"

They reached the brownstone and Vance came in to say hello to whoever was home. Everyone was and the Powells were visiting so Leon met little Fiona and said hello to the rest of the gang. He winked at Tim as he left, "Thanks again, you're my hero McGee!"

Tim laughed as he shut the door behind his boss and turned to find his family waiting for an explanation. He held up his hand and then held out his arms to Sarah's kids and his own two. Then he looked them over, "Hmm, there's a niece here I haven't met in person yet! Am I finally meeting Miss Emma DiNozzo?"

The youngster giggled and he glanced quickly at Sarah, got a discreet nod and hugged Emma again. "Welcome to the family, Emma! We're awfully glad you've joined us!" She giggled again as she hugged him back, she already liked her uncle. She liked all her uncles and aunts and she loved it when she got to stay with Aunt Sarah and her cousins after school. Once Tim had hugged and kissed all the kids, he hugged and kissed his very own sister; Sarah holding onto him for a little bit. Then he held out his arms for his baby niece, cuddling her and trying not to think of the child he'd never get to hold while he told them about his crazy day. His dad came in, looking like he'd just woken up and kissed his son hello, then his daughter and then all his grandchildren.

Emma looked at him, "Poppy, you kissed Uncle Tim."

"Yes I did and I also kissed your Aunt Sarah. They're my children."

She nodded, "Grandpa kisses my mom and pats my dad's back. But Grandfather doesn't kiss my dad. He kisses my mom though but she turns her head so he gets her cheek."

Tim knew "Grandfather" was Anthony DiNozzo, Senior. He looked at his father and knew the man was trying to come up with something kid friendly to say. He stepped in, "Different families do different things Emma. Maybe your grandfather DiNozzo wasn't kissed by his father when he was a kid, so he doesn't kiss your dad. Poppy kisses your dad and us because that's the way we raised him."

Andy and Evan got that and laughed while Emma nodded and then shrugged, "Anyway, we don't have to see him very much. I'm 'llergic to something at his house, it makes me cough a lot."

Tim noticed her words, 'don't have to see him' and thought of Senior smoking cigars and nodded. "I have allergies too as do Andy and Zoe, my youngest daughter."

She beamed at him then and Tim wondered if maybe that made her feel more like part of the family. She wasn't so different from them; she had allergies like they did. He noticed that Anna was a little shy tonight and pulled her into a hug, wondering if she was trying to find her way with a new cousin who was already friends with Anna's best buddy Audrey or if something had happened between Anna and Audrey. He looked at his sister, "Are you staying for dinner…or are we even eating here?" He laughed, "I have no idea what's going on!"

Sarah grinned at him, "Yes, we're eating here; James is working late so you probably won't get to see him until tomorrow night."

"Let me guess, he's working late so he can be off tomorrow night?" She nodded. "Ok, that works! Are Tony and Maggie coming over?"

"After dinner."

Tim figured that meant they were both working on cases so didn't probe any further. He turned to the group, "Hey, I need to catch up with Andy and Anna, so will you please excuse us for a few minutes?"

They all nodded and the three of them walked up to Tim and Andy's room. Andy was relieved; he didn't know what was wrong with Anna although he'd tried to help anyway and now he was glad his dad was home to fix things.

"Anna, what's wrong honey?"

Anna shook her head, "I'm not being fair. It's not her fault."

"I'm going to take a wild guess and…Andy, you know this is between the three of us, right son? No telling Evan or Adam, not even Poppy. This is Anna's private business."

Andy looked at him, "What about Mama?"

Tim ruffled his son's hair, "Did you mention it to her already?"

He nodded and Tim smiled, "Telling Mama and me is fine, son."

He turned back to Anna. "It's hard, isn't it, when someone you think of as being your very best friend suddenly has another friend and you have to share, only you don't get to see your best friend very often so it's even harder. And you can't be mad at the new friend because that wouldn't be fair, she doesn't know you."

Anna nodded; her eyes wide. "How did you know Daddy?"

"I'm an investigator, honey." He sat down beside her. "You just met Emma today and she's known Audrey for a couple of months. Can you be patient until Emma gets to know you a little better?"

She nodded but her lip was trembling and Tim pulled her into his arms. "It's all right to be upset, sweet pea. Just let it out, then we can talk some more." He didn't want to make a big deal out of this; his little girl was very tired and undoubtedly missed her mother and then he realized. "Oh honey, I just realized, is this the first time you've been away from Gemma?" She nodded into his shoulder and he mentally berated himself for not even thinking of that; it was a triple whammy for her, away from her sister, away from her mama and he knew the kids were upset about Lina and the baby and then Audrey and Emma's friendship. He rocked her as she cried and remembered how much he'd missed Rob and Sarah when he went to FLETC, the first time they'd been apart. He looked over Anna's shoulders to his son. "Andyson, can you get my tablet out please and let's call home."

While Andy got the tablet, Tim told his kids the story of his first time away from Sarah and Rob.

"You know that photo of me with my old team, the one where you said I look like a kid?" Anna nodded and Andy smiled to himself as he dug through his dad's stuff for the tablet. "Right before then was the first time I'd ever been away from Sarah and Rob, since Sarah was Zoe's age and Rob was Davey Palmer's age!" They looked at him in astonishment and he nodded. "That's a long time, huh? Sarah was about as old as Callum is now and Rob was a year younger. And I had to go away for eight weeks training to be a federal agent."

"Where did they stay?"

"With Mrs. Ferguson, in the house with the big room we shared."

"Oh yeah."

"So I knew they were safe, just like you know Gemma, Sean and your mama are safe." They nodded and Andy gave him a tight little smile, yep, he'd been missing his little brother too. "We didn't have video chats then. We could e-mail people and you could instant message with them, but you couldn't see them like we can now."

"Did you miss them?"

"Yes, horribly! I was used to sleeping with Rob's long legs kicking me all night long and Sarah complaining about her hair and us boys leaving the toilet seat up and all kinds of things. I cried every night, I missed them so much."

"But you were a grownup."

"Yes and grownups cry, sweetie, when we're sad or upset and sometimes when we're happy. We talked on the phone every night, they told me what they'd done at school and after school and told on each other," he chuckled, "and some nights all three of us would cry together. Those were the hardest and longest eight weeks ever!"

Anna sighed. "I'll try to be patient, Daddy. Emma's nice, I just felt kind of left out."

"Tomorrow will be a little better, honey and then Saturday and Sunday. And then you'll get to spend two weeks with them and the four of you will probably be best friends."

Anna swallowed. "What are we doing tomorrow, Daddy?"

"I don't know yet, I'm hoping we can go to Penny's and go swimming."

"When's Uncle Geo coming?"

"Tomorrow morning and we'll see Uncle Rob and Uncle Ned too!"

"Oh I forgot they're here now!"

"Yep."

Andy tapped him on the shoulder, "Is it time to call home?"

"Yes!"

Andy pressed the Skype button for their home account and his mother's face appeared. "Hello my loves, oh I'm so glad to see you three, we miss you so much!"

Gemma appeared off to her side and Tim could see she too had been crying. "We're all here, kids. Tell you what… Lina, are you in the family room?" She nodded. "Maybe the kids could talk with each other and then we can have our turn last." She gave him a small smile, "That will be wonderful my love, I miss you!" Andy and Tim stepped away while Anna spoke with her sister and her mother. When they heard her giggling, Andy looked at his dad, they were both relieved.

"Ok Anna?"

She nodded. "Yes Daddy, Andy's turn now!"

She stepped away while Andy spoke with Lina and Sean. Tim heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Sarah. "Is everything all right?"

"We just realized that this is the first time in their whole lives that Anna and Gemma have been apart for more than a few hours."

"Oh geez!"

"And Sean and Andy. So they're saying hello to their sisters, brothers and Mama and then I get my turn."

"I wanted to let you know that I've had a talk with Audrey. She wasn't very nice to Anna today; she pretty much shut her out."

Tim sighed. "Ok. Anna's blaming herself and says she's not being fair to Emma."

"It's not Emma; it's Audrey and she will be apologizing but not until Emma goes home. I don't want her to feel she's done anything wrong."

"She's an innocent bystander."

Sarah nodded. "Yes and she's still getting used to having a mom and dad and grandparents. Throw in aunts, uncles and cousins and wow…that's a lot to take in! It's pretty overwhelming when you stop to think about it. And I think it's hard on the three girls with their different backgrounds. Hard to be accepted and to let someone else in…to share."

"And they are only 8 years old and have already had more than their share of troubles in their lives. All right, Sweet Pea, thanks, we will muddle through this!"

She nodded and gave him another hug, "And sometime this weekend you and I will talk."

He nodded. "Yes and I'm so glad you're coming to Greece with us!"

"How is Lina – and how are you doing?"

He shrugged, "She's healing and being able to resume some of her normal activities is helping. She's sad, Sari, we both are and so are the kids. We lost our baby and that's always going to be with us. But we're coping and we've joined a support group that's helping a bit. I think going to Greece will be the best thing we could do right now."

She nodded and then realized what he'd said. "You haven't mentioned your job, are you all right with that now?"

He nodded. "Yes. I was having problems but I got help from Leon, Dad, Tony and Geo. And that was happening at the same time as Lina's…situation."

"Tim."

"I appreciate your love and support, Sarah, believe me. But the job is fine, I just want my wife to heal and to find a way to deal with the grief."

"Oh Bro! All right, I won't bug you but I will say some prayers."

"Thank you." He turned to go in and found that it was his turn to say hello to everyone and talk with his wife. She gave him a bigger smile than earlier, "We'll be all right; you'll be all right and you'll all be home on Monday!"

He looked at her and realized they could speak in Polish and the kids wouldn't understand. Haltingly and using no names, he told her he'd spoken with his sister and that his sister's daughter would be apologizing to their daughter for her behavior today. Lina was quiet while she figured that out, signed a few words to clarify and then sighed in relief. She answered that was a very good thing and that she knew if their daughter was still upset the next day that he would help her and that they could call home anytime. He reminded her that their other children were going to visit the mouse tomorrow, she made a face and they both laughed. Then his tummy growled and everyone laughed. They ended the call and Tim looked at his kids. "Better?"

They both nodded, smiling as he said, "Me too! All right, let's go eat!"

Tim was proud of Andy; he stuck by Anna's side the rest of the evening. Maggie came by for Emma and kissed them all hello. "It's so good to see you all, feels like a long time!" Emma said goodnight to all of them and gave Anna a hopeful little smile. Anna smiled shyly and Tim held onto that, hoping things would be better for his little girl, for all three little girls.

Before the Powells left, Audrey and Sarah asked to speak with Anna and Tim. The two adults listened as Audrey apologized to Anna for being mean. Anna looked at her, "Why were you mean, Audrey? I thought we were friends!"

"We are, but you don't live here and Emma does."

"Does that mean you can only have one friend?"

Audrey looked confused and then just shrugged. "I don't know. I've never had more than one friend."

Anna's face was turning red and Tim knew that meant she was getting mad. He'd only seen it once before when Gemma had done something mean to her. Anna looked at her cousin, "I have more than one friend at home, I have…" she counted, "five friends and I'm nice to all of them. I don't understand why you can't be friends with both Emma and me."

She turned and marched out of the room. Giving his sister a wide eyed look, Tim kissed her good night, gave Audrey a hug and then went after his daughter. He was proud of her for sticking up for herself and he wondered if he and Sarah should just let the kids handle it themselves while still providing individual support.

He found Anna in his room. "Daddy, I know I'm only 8, but I don't want anyone to treat me bad, like with my first family."

He nodded, "That's good, Anna, I'm proud of you for saying that!"

"Why is she like that?"

"I don't know honey. She and Evan lived in a lot of different foster homes and they changed schools a lot. Maybe it's hard for her to trust people."

"But she liked me before!"

"I know. I think she's confused, Anna. And I'm proud of you for sticking up for yourself!"

She made a face and looked at him, "I feel sorry for Emma. She didn't do anything wrong and if Audrey decides to be friends with someone else instead, she won't know why!"

"Anna, you can be friends with Emma. You can be friends with Audrey or not be friends with Audrey and still be friends with Emma. Just like with your friends at home."

She nodded. "She's nice - I like Emma."

"Good! Now, do you think you could come downstairs and say goodnight to everyone?"

"Yes." She marched back downstairs a little ahead of him, the adrenalin obviously still flowing and following behind her Tim gave everyone a look that said, "No teasing, treat her with respect."

The Powells were gone so that took care of any awkwardness there. Andy watched his sister and then his dad who seemed to be having a silent conversation with Poppy. Finally his grandfather made a noise that Andy identified as sort of a huff, nodded once and sat back. He waited for his sister to sit somewhere and then moved over to sit by her. She smiled at him and he smiled back, that was better.


	222. Chapter 222

CH 222

When the travelers made their plans for Friday, the main thing was that they would all get to sleep as much as they wanted to Friday morning. No one, and they all looked at Poppy, was allowed to wake them up. He laughed and put his hands up in surrender. "All right, I promise! But besides sleeping, what do we want to do?"

Tim pulled up the local forecast and saw it was for a pleasantly warm day, no rain was expected. "Why don't we have a picnic somewhere near a river or creek?"

Grandfa gave his grandson a cheery smile, "Wonderful! How about Rock Creek Park?"

Tim's eyebrow shot up, he looked at his grandfather and then at his father and then father and son burst into laughter while Grandfa looked rather pleased with himself. The kids looked at their father and grandfather - swinging their heads back and forth as if watching a tennis match. Finally their dad stopped laughing long enough to say, "Over my dead body!"

That set them off again and it was Grandfa who finally put an end to the hilarity. "Jethro, Timothy, that's enough and we can't even explain! You're beginning to scare the children."

Andy shook his head, "No they're not!"

Grandfa leaned over, "Well they're scaring me!" The kids knew from what Grandfa said that NCIS stuff was involved and they'd never find out what it was. Then Anna whispered to Andy, "Uncle Tony will tell us!" He grinned, "Good idea!"

Penny shook her head at her grandson and Jethro. "What is with you two?"

Tim finally stopped and wiping his eyes said, "It's just that as a team, we spent a lot of time at Rock Creek Park and we were not having picnics."

His father made a face, "Well you did go swimming that time."

They both snorted and were off again. Finally they stopped to catch their breaths and Andy said, "Poppy, can we go look at your old house?"

"Sure! Didn't even think of that – and there's a park with picnic tables and a creek right down the street."

Tim grinned, "Yay!"

"Can Uncle Geo come with us?"

"Well sure, if he wants to."

"What about the other kids?"

"They have school tomorrow." Anna nodded, feeling sort of relieved.

Friday morning, Grandfa was the one who woke up early. He made himself some tea and then went for a walk on the path that wound along the creek near his home, leaving a note on the kitchen table. As he returned home, he saw a car turning onto the street and he sped up, knowing that was most likely Geordie. Grandfather and grandson hurried in out of the morning chill and then warmly greeted each other. Geo made coffee and cooked some eggs and toast, figuring the smell of the coffee might wake Dad and Tim. It was late after all, time for them to get up, nearly 0930!

His dad was the first one to drift down the stairs, eyes still only halfway open. Geo thrust a mug of coffee into his outstretched hand and his father patted his shoulder, "You're a good son, Geo." Then he seemed to snap out of it, carefully put his mug down and enveloped his son in his arms. "Mm, so glad to see you…been too long!" His father pulled back, looked at him, liked what he saw and smiling, gave him a kiss on the head.

"How's Tim and how's Lina?"

"Lina's better, gaining energy as we speak. Tim's tired but doing better. Something's going on with Anna and Audrey but I'm not allowed to interfere."

Geo snorted, "They're kids, Dad; won't they need to fix it between themselves?"

"Guess so. Saw Anna mad yesterday for the very first time."

"Good for her, everyone needs to know how to get mad and learn how to handle it; otherwise they grow up and don't know how to deal!"

"Huh, good point." Poppy finished his first mug of coffee and looked longingly at the coffeemaker.

Geo grinned, "There's plenty more there."

"I know but I need to pace myself."

"Wow, who are you and what have you done with my dad?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Figured out I don't really need as much caffeine as I did when I was working fulltime."

"Finally figured that out, did ya?"

"Yeah, so it took me a few years!"

"And a very smart wife."

His dad nodded, "Very smart!"

They looked up as Tim stumbled down the stairs muttering about smelling coffee and that it was cheating. He reached for the once again full mug in his father's hand and Poppy carefully released it to him. Tim inhaled half the liquid in the mug and then looked up, blinking. "Geo! Wow, didn't see you there!"

Tim handed the mug back to their dad and grabbed his brother. He relaxed in his brother's arms and their father suddenly realized that while his son loved many people, there was a much shorter list of people with whom he could fully relax: Lina, Geo, Liz, Dave, Hélène, Jim, Claire, Tony, Maggie, Rhea, Matt, Bec, Jimmy, Breena, Kim, Eva, Tea, Pete, Ducky, him and oddly enough, Leon. He figured he and Tony were on the list because the three of them had fought so hard to forge new relationships and because of their shared history, but he didn't think the list included Ziva…yet.

He knew Tim had trusted Geo since the day he'd met him in the bus station, Liz and Hélène were his mothers, Dave another father figure, Claire and Rhea were something like older sisters and dear friends, Jim a beloved uncle and friend and then he realized that nearly everyone else he'd listed had been on Pete's team after Carla's departure, when Tim was a new SFA. That made sense too although he wondered if he should include Carla, he wasn't sure about that. And surprisingly not Trina, something had changed there, but he thought that he could include Evander, Caleb and Adan. Not Sarah or Rob, he'd always be their older brother and feel some level of responsibility for them - and not after Rob had trashed their relationship. Oh sure, it was sewn back together but even if Tim had been able to get past being big brother and Timpa, the scars were still there and he wasn't sure his sons would ever be as close as they had been. Maybe someday, he could only hope and pray and after all he himself had put Tim through there was certainly hope for Rob and Tim.

Following his former train of thought, he supposed not James or Ned because they were the spouses of his younger siblings although he was close to both men. Not Davos because as much as the two men loved each other, Tim was still sleeping with Davos' daughter and the same reasoning went for Damian although they too were close. And Ducky was good, Tim had always been able to trust him even when things weren't perfect…but not Maisie or Penny. He thought about that and realized there were still some feelings there, maybe some faint sense of resentment or abandonment, possibly he felt their guilt. He shrugged, not happy with that thought and knowing there was nothing he could do but love them all.

By 1100, everyone was up, dressed and fed. Liz, Maisie and Penny were going to the Hubbards to help get ready for the party but Claire told the others to go do something with the kids and to take Dave with them too. Geordie took Tim to the store to buy stuff for picnic lunches while Poppy, Andy and Grandfa dug through the garage looking for folding outdoor chairs and a cooler. Anna and Rhea made lemonade and found a big plastic jug to put it in along with paper cups. By 12:30 they were in two cars, on the road to Poppy's old house and the park nearby.

Tony called to ask if Grandfa could pick up Emma; she had a half day today but he was still tied up with the ends of a case. They detoured to Emma's school and picked her up, explaining they were going on a picnic. She was glad that they were going someplace fun and she hoped she, Anna and Andy could be friends. She knew something hadn't been right yesterday but she didn't know what and Anna's smile at the end of the evening had gone a long way toward convincing Emma that she hadn't done anything wrong. Grandfa had Emma's extra booster seat in the car so he carefully secured it and then Emma was in and they were off to their house viewing and picnicking.

Dave met them at the house and the three kids explored Gibbs' house with Andy looking with longing at the basement, "I bet there's a lot of good stuff down there."

His father chuckled, "There are lots of good stories about your Poppy and the basement."

Anna looked at the house, "The house is lonely, there's no one living here."

Her grandmother nodded, "Not since the Powells moved out. Poppy and I need to clean it up and figure out what to do with it."

Anna looked around, smiled and then asked, "Who's that?"

Rhea looked but didn't see anyone. "Who, honey?"

Anna shrugged, "I thought I saw a girl; she looked like she was my age."

Emma nodded, "Her hair is sort of red and she was smiling."

Rhea didn't comment but that was another confirmation that Shannon and Kelly were still here in some way shape or form. They hadn't been living here when they died, but who knew how it was possible anyway! She felt the same way as Anna though, she almost ached for the life this house needed. It really was too bad none of the kids could live here. That sparked an idea and she tucked it away for later, needing to think it through.

They had a great time on their picnic. Anna, Andy and Emma got along very well and played together all afternoon. Poppy brought a baseball bat, ball and glove from his house and they played softball for awhile and then went wading in the creek before eating their lunch. Emma, Grandfa, Dave and Geo had been snacking all along so they weren't very hungry when the others had their sandwiches but they didn't mind. There were picnic tables with benches and they sat on those but eventually they put blankets down on the grass and sat after Grandfa made his grandsons promise to help him up. Emma cheered when she spotted her dad's car pulling up. "Daddy!" She raced into her father's arms and he scooped her up, "Hi Emmagirl! Having fun?"

"Yeah, we played softball and I got to pitch! And we went wading and skipped rocks and Uncle Geo showed us how to climb a tree!"

"Oh he did, did he? And yay for pitching, that's fun, huh?"

She leaned over and whispered, "I really like Anna and Andy, Daddy."

"That's good sweetie, I'm very glad to hear that!" He set her down as he approached the group, wanting to greet everyone. Tim's grin threatened to split his face and Tony was glad he'd decided to do his reports later and spend time with his family now. He kissed his dad and Rhea, Grandfa, kissed Anna and Andy and then grabbed Tim, pulling him into his arms. Poppy smiled to himself, yep, he saw the trust and love between the two; that was something all right.

After awhile, Geo joined the hug and the three brothers hung on, although it was really the two older brothers holding on to their younger brother who'd been having a rough time, enough to need some extra strong brotherly hugs. Andy sat on the blanket watching the three brothers. As always he wondered if he, Jorry and Sean would be like that but this time he decided they just would be. His grandfather sat next to him and Andy snuggled into his arms, "Me, Jorry and Sean are gonna be like that when we're all grown up."

"That's good Andy! You know if you're not, you can make your own family, like your dad has. Geo's been his brother since they were your age, but Tony's only been his brother for about 6 years."

Andy nodded, he knew that. "And you've been his dad for that long too."

"Well, I think I've been his dad for a lot longer, I just didn't know it!"

Andy sighed in contentment. The only thing that could make this better would be if his mom and the kids were here. "Poppy, can we go on picnics at home?"

"Sure, we can picnic on the beach or go to the park."

"Good. And in Greece?"

"I'm pretty sure we can find places to have picnics!"

"Everyone will be there then."

"Yep, just about everyone."

"When are Uncle Rob and Uncle Ned getting here?"

"They're coming from work so they'll probably go right to the school and we'll see them there."

"My dad says they're coming to visit us after we get home from vacation."

"I know, that's great, huh?"

Andy nodded. "And he says Uncle Leon can't be in Greece while we're there."

"Well, your dad and Uncle Leon can't both be on vacation at the same time anymore. If something happens to Uncle Leon, your dad has to take over the agency until he can get back to work. But I think your Uncle Leon's got something figured out. Not quite sure what though."

"Maybe he's gonna work in the office there. Then someone is still running the agency."

"Huh, you know, Timothy Andrew, you may just be right! Let's remember that, if you're right, we'll brag about you figuring it out." Andy laughed at that.

Tidying up their trash before leaving the park, the DiNozzos went home, Dave went to get Liz and the California visitors and Geo drove back to the Mallards where Maisie and Penny were waiting for them. They cleaned up and got changed, ready for Ainsley's graduation and party.

They found Callum waiting for them at the entrance to the field after they'd parked. "Hi! Mom and Dad have seats saved for everyone so I'll take you up and then come back out to wait for the others."

Laughing, they shook his hand, not wanting to embarrass him in front of everyone and then followed him to the bleachers. Rob and Ned were already there, sitting with the Hubbards and Cranes and the two men quickly made their way down the stairs to hug and be hugged. Once they were all welcomed, they continued up the steps where they greeted Jim and Claire, Dave and Liz and then settled into their seats. Claire told them she'd heard from Ziva a few hours ago, she'd had to change her plans at the last minute and wouldn't be able to join them after all. The DiNozzos were next to arrive and Emma and Anna sat next to each other, saving a seat for Audrey. The Powells finally arrived and Emma and Anna smiled and beckoned to their cousins. Evan and Adam slid in next to Andy while Audrey sat with Emma and Anna, a big smile on her face as they each gave her a hug. Emma and Anna had come to an agreement during the day that they would be friends together and with Audrey too so the hug was to let Audrey know that.

Sarah and James were one child short that evening as Fiona was home with her Powell grandparents; both beamed as they saw the welcome Anna and Emma gave their daughter. The Palmers were last in and they waved to the rest of the family as they got settled. Ethan and Steve were with them but Violet and Davy had also stayed home with a sitter. Tim couldn't believe how much Ethan had grown; he seemed to have shot up several inches since he'd seen them at Christmas. He grinned at his nephews and they grinned back.

Tim was once again thankful the younger kids weren't with them as even the adults were starting to fidget by the time the ceremony was over. They'd taken many photos of Ainsley and Tim sent several to Lina right away. Jim was recording the whole graduation and was a very proud papa, eternally grateful that he'd made the decision to retire a year ago and be home for Ainsley's last year of high school. She graduated with top honors as she'd made the honor roll every term of her high school years. When she walked across the stage, everyone in the family jumped up, whooping and cheering and she grinned over at them; they were hard to miss as her adult cousins held up a long banner that read, "Congrats Ains, we're so proud, love from your clan."

Geo and Tim were seated next to each other and during the ceremony, when no one around them had someone walking the stage, quietly talked about their own high school graduation.

By the time Geordie was a junior, Tim had made his way into the same grade. When they graduated the following year, Tim was 15 while Geo was nearly 18 and they'd asked Lu from the shelter to come to their ceremony. She'd let them shower and dress at the shelter that morning and then locking their cases in her car, drove the graduates, Sarah and Rob to the high school for the ceremony. As each of them walked across the stage, she, Sarah and Rob proudly whooped, hollered and cheered and both men remembered now how good that had felt, to have family there to cheer for them.

Tim had already had his scholarship and acceptance into Johns Hopkins and would take classes in the summer session to get a head start; he was excited to finally be taking the first step away from their lives on the street. Geo had to wait another three weeks for his 18th birthday and then he planned to enlist in the Marines; he too was excited to have accomplished his goal - the one absolute requirement his long dead father had told him was needed to be a Marine: a high school diploma. But first Geo had a surprise planned for the kids who had become his family. He'd done some research and found out that when he turned 18, he could apply to be their legal guardian. That would mean that Tim wouldn't have to use Rob's birth mother's name, Ellen Brill, for applications or report cards anymore and none of them would ever have to worry about CPS again. They would legally be Geo's family and no one could take any of them away from the others.

Sitting there in the present, waiting for Ainsley's class to get through their ceremony, Tim and Geo smiled at each other thinking how much that day had meant for the two of them and indirectly for Sarah and Rob.

After all the students had walked the stage, the speeches delivered to much applause, the school song sung one last time, the graduates walked off the field and the bleachers started emptying. Ainsley's family gathered below for a few minutes until everyone was together and then returned to their vehicles to drive to the Hubbards' home. Dave and Liz had the keys and with Callum led the way while Jim and Claire waited for their daughter.

The house was lovingly and cheerfully decorated with signs, banners and balloons congratulating Ainsley on her accomplishments. As the family wandered around looking at everything other guests arrived, cousins from Claire's side of the family, a couple of the Hubbards' neighbors, Ainsley's former soccer coach and Leon with Jared, Kayla and Ross.

A montage of Ainsley's school pictures was prominently displayed and Tim grinned at the gap-toothed smile of his 6 year old cousin's first grade picture. His kids, nieces and nephews were fascinated by the photos, having only met Ainsley as a teenager. Geo pointed to Ainsley's fifth grade photo, "Tim, Rob…look at this!" They looked and laughed as they called Sarah over. "What, my brothers?"

"Look at Ainsley's photo here." She looked and then shook her head and shrugged, "What? She's darling but what are you guys seeing?"

Tony and James had wandered over and now James cracked up. "Oh so now I know what side of the family that expression comes from!"

They all turned to look at Maisie and Sarah who looked at each other and said in unison, "What expression?"

Grandfa had also joined them and he saw it too. He tapped Ainsley's photo, "That one!"

Apparently the photographer or someone was making Ainsley impatient and she had a smirky smile with a look in her eyes that denied any sincerity. In Gibbs-speak, it was an impatient smirk with a stare to go along with it. He too had come over to see what his sons were teasing his daughter about and also recognized the expression. Claire walked by and looking at the photo, nodded, saying, "Fifth grade, when she discovered sarcasm and the smirk. Can't tell you how glad I was it didn't last long!"

Maisie grinned and winked at Sarah who huffed and gave her brothers, husband and father the very same expression.

They were just starting to serve themselves dinner from the luscious buffet when the doorbell rang and Pete and Trina Russell entered the house. "We're sorry to be late, we got lost!"

Tim smiled in relief; he'd been getting a little worried. Pete just smiled and hugged Ainsley. "Congratulations!"

She thanked him saying, "I'm glad you're here, I have to say it is a little strange to see you on this side of the Atlantic!"

He laughed, "Been getting that a lot lately!" He looked at Tim and Leon, "Hey are you two even allowed to be in the same place together?"

The two in question looked at each other, shook their heads and gave their friend eye rolls. Pete started to ask them how the meeting had gone on Thursday but they held up their hands. "We promised no shop talk today or tomorrow!"

Pete nodded in understanding while the two men chuckled as they received pats on their respective backs from Jim. "Thanks guys!"

The closest Tim got to shop talk that evening was telling Ned, Tony and Leon about the little riff on Rock Creek Park and all three laughed at the idea of spending personal time there. Tony chuckled, "That explains why Andy and Anna wanted to know what was wrong with the park! I figured it was agency related so I just said they should ask you."

Tim thanked him, "Nice to know they tried to do an end run around me and you stopped them! We'll have to have a little chat about that."

Tony frowned, "Will you punish them?"

Tim shook his head, "It's never come up before although they're both old enough to know better. This one's a freebie, next time, if there is a next time, will be worthy of some sort of punishment. I try not to talk business in front of them but that's tough when half the family works at the agency and they're both very curious!"

Tony nodded, "Emma's starting to be curious too, now that she's got just about everyone sorted out. We know we can't – and wouldn't – talk cases with her but we're so new at this, we're just kind of stepping lightly."

Tim nodded and they both looked at Leon who shook his head. "Just keep telling them you can't talk about it with them and that if they do overhear anything they're not allowed to talk with anyone about it but you. And be specific about the anyone…friends, sisters, brothers, cousins, whatever they call the Palmer kids, grandmothers, grandfathers or great grandfathers who aren't connected to the agency, uncles, aunts, friends of the family, teachers, their mothers…well, that's true for Tim's kids but not yours Tony." He paused, "It's actually true even for other people who work at the agency. Just because they know Matt or James doesn't mean that whatever the kids have overheard is suitable for their ears. Know what I'm saying?"

The two men nodded, "Yeah."

Tim leaned forward and said quietly, "I know Tony and I started it as a parenting question but we're apparently too close to talking shop Leon, as the elder Dr. Mallard is giving me the evil eye."

The three laughed. "Oops, all right. Change of topic. Huh…oh, Greece, how's that? Are the dates set?"

Tim and Tony shook their heads. "We have tentative dates of July 2nd and the 16th but not everyone has weighed in on it yet."

Vance nodded. "And we already talked about Kayla, Jared and Ross flying over with you, right?"

Tim frowned, "I don't remember Ross being in on it, but Grandfa is the one to ask. Are you going before or after?"

"Pretty sure after."

"And we'll talk about things before?" Tim sighed, "Geez it's hard to stay out of the office!"

"Yes it is and yes we will and barring any emergencies you can stay in California, there…done!"

Geo joined them and that helped as he told them about the classes he was taking. "I thought it would be really strange to be back in class, especially since I'm old enough to be the father of most of the students. Then I realized in the Corps we're in class a lot, maybe not an actual classroom, but there's always training going on. And there are a fair number of adults, including some vets like me and it's fun interacting with the kids, they have such different perspectives."

Tony snorted, "I can only imagine!"

"Yeah, us military types made a group decision not to try to 'season' the kids, they'll find out soon enough." When Leon wanted to know what he was going to do with his refresher courses, Geo smiled, "I want to teach history at the college level. I would hope not contemporary history - it would be really hard to ignore my own experiences - but the American Revolution through the Civil War, maybe through World War I."

Geo laughed as Tony was doing his best not to shudder. "It's ok, Bro, to each his own, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, never been one for history, memorizing dates and battles and presidents."

It was Tim's turn to laugh, "We had a great contemporary American history teacher in high school, Tony, it was the only class Geo and I had together. Our instructor did different voices of the presidents and cabinet members."

He paused and Geo chimed in with a lisping voice, "Rethipwocal twade agweements!"

The other two chuckled. "The what? And who was that supposed to be?"

"The Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934 and…" Tim and Geo stared at each other for several seconds and then Tim said, "Cordell Hull!"

"That's right - he was the Secretary of State."

They gave each other high fives while the others shook their heads. Leon chuckled, "I'm sure that somewhere your history teacher is smiling!"

Geo added, "We remember the lisp but actually, Mr. Hull was a very influential politician, some even say a statesman. FDR nominated him for the 1945 Nobel Peace Prize, which he won, being called the "Father of the United Nations" and his dealings with South American countries are credited for keeping the Nazis from gaining more of a foothold there than they did." He added, "Of course there are controversies about some of his actions."

Tony was musing, "I think I've heard that name in some movies."

Tim nodded, "Sure, probably, maybe Raiders of the Lost Ark?"

Tony shrugged, "Not sure, I'll have to look it up."

Emma and Anna approached the men with questions for their dads and they moved on after that. Before Ainsley cut her cake, she was called upon to tell everyone her plans and she grinned, "Well, I'm going to cut this cake and enjoy every single bite. And then…" She was shouted down and her grin got wider, "All right, all right. I'm going to Greece for a couple of weeks with some people I know…" That brought laughter and she continued, "And when I get back I'll be doing some volunteer work at the Baltimore shelter and camp, getting the kids ready to go back to school and I'll also be working at…" she named a chain of movie houses, "Taking tickets and working the concession stand. Exciting huh?" Now she laughed as her family and friends made more noise at her, "And then in late August, I'll be moving to my new dorm room at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. My major will be Public Administration and Public Service, specifically Social Work with a minor in education or health, haven't really sorted that out yet."

She looked at Tim, Geo, Rob and Sarah who were standing together nearby, "You four, Ethan and Steve are my inspiration. I want to help other kids get the help they need to get off the streets and into homes of their own, to live good productive lives as you all are doing, whether by learning a trade, going to college or serving our country or all of that. I've wanted this ever since we met you and I'm really excited to finally get going!"

They cheered and then Geo said, "You 'got going' the first time you volunteered there, Ains. You've been helping for years now."

She nodded her appreciation and added, "When I'm through with my formal education, maybe even before then, I hope to work with all of you at the McGee Sibling Home."

Smiling, they agreed and Sarah made a mental note to talk to their cousin about joining their board of directors. Standing with his parents, Ethan Palmer nodded to himself; he had some of the same goals as Ainsley although his were more directly tied to the sibling home.


	223. Chapter 223

CH 223

By Monday morning when they boarded Secretary Porter's flight to Hawaii with a stopover in San Diego, Tim felt like he should run across the country rather than ride and he vowed not to eat anything on the flight home.

He'd done nothing but eat the entire time they'd been here, from the breakfast Claire made them near dawn on Thursday, the food on Capitol Hill the same day, their picnic, the feast at the Hubbards' Friday night, another feast at Jared's brunch after his graduation on Saturday, dinner out with his siblings Saturday night and one last family gathering for brunch on Sunday. After their meal on Sunday Tony joked to Tim that they'd have to visit Archimedes again this summer but this time to let out the waistlines on the suits he'd made them during their last visits.

They'd had a good time; it had been great seeing just about everyone even though Tim really missed Lina and the younger children. Between Jared's brunch Saturday morning and their siblings' dinner that night, he, Geo and the kids spent several hours with Rob and Ned, driving to Silver Spring to take a look at their new home, a condo they were leasing with a possible option to buy, first stopping to show the kids the old apartment, at least the outside. Andy frowned when he saw it, "Dad, that's a long drive from the Navy Yard!"

Tim nodded, "Yep, it sure is and I didn't even have a car my first year on Gibbs' team. I took the bus or Jimmy gave me a ride home. But it was the best I could afford at the time and Rob, Sarah and I lived there quite happily."

Anna was surprised at that, "Uncle Rob, you lived here too?"

Rob smiled, "I sure did and so did Sarah. We were still in high school when Dad, only he was just Gibbs then, not our dad yet, picked your dad for his team."

"Wow! Like Ainsley's age?"

"Sarah was and I was a year younger, so not quite the same ages as Ainsley and Callum but close."

"And you went to high school here?"

"Yep, we both graduated from John F. Kennedy or JFK, High School."

"And now you live here again!"

Rob and Ned both laughed. "It's ok; we like it now that the snow is gone!"

Ned shook his head, "I'd forgotten how nasty winter can be!"

Tim nodded in sympathy, "Yeah, this one was one for the history books from what I hear."

Geo snorted, "We got way too spoiled living in Greece!"

Anna turned to him, "Uncle Geo, where did you live?"

"When they were living here?" She nodded and he smiled at his niece, "I was in the Marines by then, Annalanna, so I was living in barracks in various places. But I stayed in that apartment a few times. When I'd get leave, I'd come home and they kept an extra mattress in the closet for me."

Tim and Rob then explained the set up of the apartment to the kids. From the old apartment they continued to the couple's condo and Tim was impressed. "This is nice! I like the indoor pool and running track, plus there's plenty of room for the whole family when we visit."

The two men grinned at him, "Yeah, at first we thought four bedrooms was over the top but the price was too good to pass up - and then we realized that it would work great for McGee family visits: one room for us, one for you and Lina, one for the boys and one for the girls."

Tim nodded and laughed. "Works for me!" He looked around, "Looks like you two did way better than we did back in the day, huh Rob?"

"Different times!"

"There is that."

The kids wanted to see Ned's office so they had a quick visit to the NCIS office and Andy called to his dad when he found the 'closed' board on a wall. "Look Dad, the same as in Greece and Preston!"

Ned laughed, "And I'm sure Bec has one in Charleston too."

Geo nodded, "Oh yes she does!"

Tim snorted, "Carla and Matt persuaded their Team Lead to put one up in El Segundo. And I'd love to have one in San Diego but I haven't found a good place for it yet nor have I mentioned it to Andreson and it's really his team!"

Ned grinned at him, "Gibbs' training and Pete's closed boards!"

Tim chuckled, "The legends live on...!"

From there they drove to the hospital where Rob worked and had a quick peek inside, meeting a few of the people he worked with. Then they headed back to Georgetown.

At their dinner that night, they agreed, with Lina, Bec and Matt on their cells, that they'd leave for Greece on July 2nd, returning to the U.S. on the 16th. After they had that squared away, Rob and Ned asked if August 1st through the 8th was a good time for their visit. Tim had already cleared possible dates with the family calendar, although right now there really wasn't anything else planned, and was able to confirm with the guys. He knew the kids would like that; it was before they went back to school so they'd be home to have fun with their uncles.

They announced the dates for Greece at the family brunch on Sunday and when everyone including the Palmers agreed, Grandfa promised to set the dates with the charter company while Maisie said she'd let Evander know the dates were firm. There were fewer people this year, of course, but she was still having a good time working with Lina and Evander. Once again the McGees would have their own place as would the Powells and the Palmers and there would be various shares amongst the rest of them. Maisie read the names of the travelers and there were happy murmurs when she mentioned Nick and Janeese Hardister.

Poppy posed a fake frown, "Who's going to mind Preston? The Chief of Police, the NCIS Team Lead and the SSAIC will be in Greece together, better not let the criminal element know!"

Ned quipped, "Sounds like you don't just need house sitters - you also need a town sitter!" They laughed at that.

When there was another lull in the conversation Geo cleared his throat, "Uh, this isn't anything earth shaking or anything but I'm proud to tell you that Bec and I are now certified as foster parents. We're on the list!"

As the adults cheered and some of them exchanged fist bumps, Ethan, Steve, Audrey, Evan, Adam, Anna and Andy got up from the table and attacked Geo with hugs, saying "Thanks for helping us kids!"

Emma watched and then slipped out of her chair and joined the hug adding, "Thanks Uncle Geo! Now another girl or boy will have a home!"

Geo hugged them all back, "I can't wait!"

They'd already finished their brunch but Grammie and Grandfa dug through their pantry and came up with 3 bottles of sparkling cider which they used to toast Ainsley and Geordie.

When Poppy caught Rob and Ned having a quiet debate about something he gave them a look and they grinned and said to the table at large, "We're also in the process of certification."

Tim and Geo looked at each other and in unison said, "Four bedrooms!"

Laughing, they nodded, "Yes, that's the real reason for so many bedrooms!"

They also were toasted, cheers and were given hugs and love from their nieces and nephews. Rob held up his hands, "But we're not there yet! We have a few more things we have to complete."

Ned huffed, "Yeah, for one thing we need character references and it can't be from any relatives."

Dave and Liz, Breena and Jimmy raised their hands. "We're not legally related, we'd be happy to provide references!"

"Hey, thanks, that will be great!"

Tim nodded at his brother-in-law, "Ned, the agency will also provide you with one."

"Really? I didn't even think of that."

"Yes, we got one from them when we were certifying – Jimmy and Breena did too, right?" Jimmy nodded and Tim continued, "And it will be signed by Director Vance."

"Wow!"

"Yeah, it's pretty impressive!"

Andy looked at his dad, "I didn't know we're foster parents, I mean that you and Mama are foster parents."

Tim nodded, "We went through the process after CPS put you and Sean through that mess when we brought you home, son. And then we found that the process in San Diego County is pretty well setup town by town and we haven't had any calls yet." He turned to the others, "We watch at the shelters and Nick's always got his eyes and ears open; however CPS is really strong in southern California and we haven't found any kids on their own outside of the system." He smiled as he looked at his children, "And that's a good thing!"

He looked around at his family, "Sarah, Rob, Geo and I know this but I'm not sure if everyone does. Our books about our lives on the street have had a positive impact on agencies in various places, especially one of our main reasons for avoiding them, that as siblings we did not want to be separated. There are pilot programs keeping siblings together now running in…how many states?"

Sarah smiled, "22 states including Virginia, Maryland and California. And our foundation has applied to be part of the pilot program in Virginia."

Rob nodded, "We've already told our local office that we want to be part of the Maryland pilot program."

Geo smiled, "We did the same thing. South Carolina kicked off their sibling pilot program May 1st."

Emma and Adam looked a little anxious and the young boy asked, "Does that mean that only kids with brothers or sisters get a home?"

Sarah shook her head, "No, it does not. It means that some foster homes will be set up so that siblings can live together there but single kids will live there too and in the Virginia and Maryland programs, the kids who are fostering can ask for other children to be placed with them. You know that of the 6 of us siblings - raise your hand, guys" she pointed around the table for Emma's sake, "that's all of us here plus our sister Ziva - Tim and I are the only ones who have the same first parents, we are biological sister and brother. That means Rob, Geo, Tony and Ziva would each have been a single foster. If we were kids now in the new program, Tim and I could foster together and bring the others with us or if say Tony was fostered as a single then he could ask for the rest of us." The kids smiled, they understood now.

The writing group, sans Ziva, had had time to meet for a few hours; approved the last chapter Tim had written and presented their ideas for the next plot points. Tim came away from that excited about their book, they were really making progress now and would be able to work on it together in Greece, even if it meant lying around on the beach coming up with ideas. He'd suggested adding a set of secondary characters, another team made up of Matt, Bec, Ned, Maggie, Pete, Kim, Tea and Eva. Now Tim would write each of them, swear them to secrecy, he actually would not tell them of the collaboration although he was sure Maggie already knew, ask permission and let them choose their character names, within reason.

With their departure for Greece only weeks away and Rob and Ned's visit after that, Tim had little trouble saying goodbye when first Geo and then Rob and Ned left the Mallards' home Sunday afternoon. As much as he'd missed Bec and Ziva, knowing he would see them both the following month made up for that. Even saying goodbye to Penny wasn't as heart wrenching as usual. Of course, Tim mused, that could also be because he was on his way home to his wife and the rest of his children. He'd loved spending so much time with Andy and Anna and had been trying to figure out a way to do that with each of the kids.

XXX

Once the seatbelt signs were off, Tim was up on his feet and walking the next day. The Secretary joined him and Tim enjoyed telling her about the 'budget' meeting. She laughed as he told her the questions they'd asked.

"It took me awhile to figure out what they were looking for - I couldn't imagine why they'd be interested in a typical day of an NCIS agent!"

"They really asked that?"

"Yes, they did and I have to say that it sounded pretty mundane to me, but then it's my life! They wanted to know how calls come in and how quickly we respond and if we rush out like firemen…one of the congressmen actually said that…or take our time. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying we don't slide down poles! They loved hearing about how we handled specific cases; I walked them through the University rescue and the serial killer case. They wanted to know about Bagram but I told them I'd have to first get permission from the Secretary of Defense. We had a case my first year on the team where the corpse was mummified and we had to work in Germany for a couple of weeks with members of the London team and they were fascinated by that. It was very strange, almost as if I was being asked to gossip about the agency and our cases!"

She laughed at that too and then said, "Well, they were in a way. But Leon is still doing handsprings about it; he said you made more progress with them than any director, ever."

Tim shrugged, "While I'm glad to hear that, I just answered their questions. Someone must have come up with the idea to bring in an 'expert' on the European operations - I'm assuming that was Director Vance."

"Yes, it was but he wasn't sure how they'd approach it and the agenda they gave him didn't specify. And Timothy, you did far more than 'just answer their questions', you were realistic, calm and thoughtful without deflecting any of their questions and you were not the least bit defensive. You gave them a direct answer, the actual truth, when they asked about Bagram. Other people might have said they'd have to check and get back to them, you just told them what it would take to get permission. And you spoke English, not using a bunch of acronyms or agency terminology they aren't familiar with. They're not used to any of that. And, you gave them real life examples. It sounds a bit silly but they were very impressed with the workarounds the offices have made for the holidays, especially the Fourth of July. I think some of them had the idea that US agents posted in foreign countries are there for a good time and aren't the most patriotic of souls. You sure changed their minds about that, talking about '16 agents implementing the agency mission', why NCIS responds to problems and where - and celebrating our country's birthday!"

Tim had to clamp his mouth shut to keep from making any remarks about that but when the Secretary chuckled, he finally gave in. It was so obvious to him, but then he wasn't a politician. He didn't spend his days making deals that always seemed to hurt someone or blocking the other party's bills no matter how much sense they made and all too frequently not accomplishing much of anything the country really needed; creating an insidious sense of disunity and more dissension than anything else. At least that was the way he'd come to see it over the years.

The Secretary was continuing, "At some point you were talking about volunteers and someone asked why you didn't call them in for days off. I heard and this was from one of the committee, that you nearly growled when you said no one had better call in a volunteer without a real need and that a day off was not a real need. And that you were and I quote: "eloquently passionate" about the costs and accounting for your budget. They loved that, usually people are in there begging for more, certainly not passionately telling them how they will _not_ spend money!"

Tim shook his head with a smile, "Then I'm glad I didn't know how the meeting was going to be conducted! And it was worth it witnessing the director laugh. He waited until we were clear of the Hill and then he laughed all the way to Georgetown."

She nodded, she'd have liked to have seen that herself. She saw that Tim's son was waiting for him and giving him a pat on the shoulder, went off to her seat. Andy looked at Tim, "I didn't mean to interrupt!"

"You didn't, Andyson, we were through."

Andy smiled; he loved the nickname. Then he remembered the question he wanted to ask, "Dad is it ok if I read your books?"

"Which ones?"

"Oh! I've already read your Zubin Cai books, Mama said they were okay for me to read. Now I'd like to read your Deep Six books."

Tim had to stop and think, fast. There was nothing classified, the DoD liaison had approved them, and there was plenty of suspense but not too much gore…what about romance? Well there were certainly hints of Tommy and Lisa and then there was Tibbs' Army lady friend and uh oh, Amy Sutton. He sighed inwardly; sooner or later the topic of Abby would probably have to be explained to his children, especially to Andy since Hélène had spilled the beans about her last summer. Abby had been out of prison for some time now, was still on supervised probation, sober and was once again working, teaching forensics at a small private college.

"Yes, but promise me that you'll come to me if you don't understand something. Those books are a mix of our real cases and sometimes they're fictionalized, that is parts of them have been changed, and the characters are loosely based on real people. However, the situations they get into are not necessarily what really happened."

Andy gave him a funny look and said, "Dad, I've read books - and detective stories - before. I know what fiction is."

Tim smiled, "I know Andy; I've just never had my son ask to read my books before!" They grinned at each other.

The book matter handled, Tim settled in for a nap. He woke when the tantalizing aroma of coffee moved past him. When he opened his eyes, his father was standing next to him, waving a coffee cup very close to his face. "Wakey wakey, Tim! There's fresh coffee!" Tim gave his dad a look and started to get up but Poppy chuckled and held out the cup, "Just teasing, this is actually for you."

Tim briefly considered saying that it was mean to tease about coffee but instead just took the cup, giving his papa an appreciative smile. He smelled something else and turning his head toward the galley saw that the flight attendants were heating food; he hoped it was something breakfast-y. His hopes were realized and he was halfway through the delicious repast when he remembered his vow not to eat on the flight. He shrugged; it was too late now and slowly finished his meal, savoring every bite.

He'd slept longer than he thought as the jet started its descent soon after the breakfast trays had been collected. Andy and Anna were once again sitting with him and he gave each a quick hug, whispering, "We're almost home my loves!" They smiled up at him and settled in for the final part of their very long weekend away from the rest of their family.

Once on the ground, they gathered everything, double checking for books and sweaters (Madame Secretary said not to worry, she'd know who they belonged to!), then exited and laughed at the overcast skies, the 'June gloom' was upon them, the seasonal marine layers of fog that typically covered the area this time of year. They spotted Davos and the McGees' minivan and the group headed toward him. When Tim spotted another figure, no two, moving from behind the car, he grinned and pointed to them, "Gemma and Sean are here too!" The kids ran ahead and Gemma and Sean grabbed onto them. When Tim got there seconds later, he wrapped his arms around all of them, kissing Sean and Gemma and knowing he'd have Lina in his arms in a few minutes; they were home.


	224. Chapter 224

CH 224

By the end of the week they were back into the swing of things. Andy spent a lot of time with his grandfathers learning carpentry skills; they were working on a new project and the boy was thrilled that he got to help. While he was doing that, Anna and Gemma finished their penultimate week of school; Lina worked on her designs and Tim waded through what felt like several thousand e-mails of varying importance. He culled any messages that were not from his boss, agents, staff, brass or family members (he saw a note from Bec) and moved the culls off to a "Read Later" file. He met briefly with his SFA and caught up with the case they were currently investigating.

When he needed a break, he walked around the office looking for a spot for a closed board. He stood in the small kitchen alcove and looked at the bulletin board there, with the usual HR and legal notices, newsletters and a few personal items – someone selling a motorcycle, someone else had gym equipment for sale along with a pair of crutches and he chuckled at that. He took another look…if they moved this board over about 6 inches, there would be room for a second one, for a closed board large enough to hold results for all the SW subordinate teams. Satisfied, he returned to his office and got back to work.

Heartened by how much energy Lina had regained in the four days they'd been away, Tim went along to her final post surgical doctor's appointment on the 8th, nearly 6 weeks after the ectopic pregnancy had been removed and the miscarriage. The doctor did an ultrasound and found that everything looked good. The fallopian tube that had been affected was healing well. Smiling, the doctor told them all restrictions were lifted, Lina was free to do whatever she pleased but that she should watch her energy levels and continue to nap when tired. Her body had been through an ordeal and she was not yet 100%.

The kids' last day of school was the 10th and as they had in previous years the Grands and Greats sprang into action once the children were officially on vacation. They let them pick the order of their treats and since most of them had just been to Disneyland, a visit to the Mouse was not on the list. By popular vote, the first outing was to Knott's Berry Farm and all of them, Grands, Greats and kids, had a wonderful time. They spent the next day on the beach with their tired grandparents and great grandparents watching them. Lina thought about going with them but decided to paint instead. While she'd been on modified activities she'd roughed out a full sized sketch of a painting she wanted to do for Trina. It was a portrait of her friend painting in Lina's studio during their visit, during her last 'session' when she'd said she was done and embraced each of them. Her painting was in the background, barely visible as Lina wanted her triumph as the central motif, not her trouble. Now that she was free to resume her life, she started painting the sketch.

Sunday found the family back on the beach again, this time with both parents and chairs including a lounge chair for Lina plus a cooler full of sandwiches, drinks and snacks. Poppy brought his bat, ball and glove home from Virginia so they played ball, waded along the shoreline, raced up and down and generally enjoyed themselves. Tim and Lina remarked that it was a very good thing that their children never seemed to tire of the beach!

On Monday everyone but Zoe went off to one camp or another for the day sessions. With the decision to go to Greece, the summer schedule was too tight for Andy and Anna's residential camps but there were alternate day camps and the kids were fine with that. In fact after their time away from their mother and siblings, both kids were relieved. It had been hard enough to be away with Dad, the Gibbses and the Mallards, not to mention the family back east; neither child could imagine being away from all their family members for an even longer period of time. They could go to overnight camp next year…maybe.

Monday night's dinner was chaotic as each child wanted to talk about what she or he had done at camp that first day. After whistling to stop the clamor, Tim and Lina had a quick consult, got the kitchen timer, wrote numbers 1-6 on slips of paper and then tearing them up, put them into a hat. Each child picked a numbered slip of paper from the hat and that was the order in which they went; they each had 8 minutes to talk. Sean went first, Anna second and then Zoe, Jorry, Gemma spoke and finally Andy reported on his adventures that day. That worked well and they decided to do that every night while the camps were in session and maybe beyond. The kids thought it was funny and soon figured out they needed to talk fast and stick to what they were really excited about. Tim and Lina decided to expand it to 10 minutes apiece and also thought about taking a few minutes to talk about their own days.

By Wednesday they were all enjoying hearing about each kid's day, what fun he or she had, the things being learned and the new friends each was making. The Gibbses, Kalivas' and the Mallards joined them Tuesday night and got a kick out of the simple little system Tim and Lina had devised.

Realizing that everyone going to Greece needed to hear the full plan, Geo sent out an invitation for a Skype call the weekend following his return from Virginia. Along with those who'd heard it all the previous weekend, Ziva, the Thessaloniki-based Kalivas', Tea and Adan, the Hardisters, Kayla, Ross, Jared, Leon and Lydia Worden joined the call. After confirming the dates, Tim looked to Evander who smiled at his friend. "Maisie and I have the housing all set. She'll be sending out the addresses and share information."

There were cheers for that and Tony added, "Just so you know, I'm working with Pete and Evander to put together our transportation from the airport to the ferry. If anyone is going to want rental vehicles on the island, Tim, James, let us know and we'll see if we can cut some deals there too." He squinted at the window with the Kalivas' in Greece, "Nicolas, Peter, are you still planning on driving down?" They nodded and Tony smiled, "Great, then are you leaving your vehicles at the ferry?"

Peter grinned, "No, we've already made arrangements with Pete to leave our cars at their place."

Tony smiled, saying "Great! Ok, that's all I've got."

Grandfa smiled, "Well then, I shall give an update on our flight! Our charter is all set; we have 55 on our way over and 53 on our return as the Vance children and Ross will not be returning with us, however Ziva will be. And as you all know, Lydia Worden," he paused to smile at her, "asked to join us on the flight to and from and we've agreed."

Everyone nodded, they were fine with that. Tim looked at the time, "All right then, everyone! We'll see most of you in 12 days!" Lina leaned forward, "Trina, maybe you could warn our friend the florist that we're on our way!"

Trina laughed, "That's not a bad idea; we usually have to wait until the end of the trip til the stores are stocked!"

She turned to Pete, "Let's go over during the week and let them know."

He smiled, "Sounds good to me!"

"And ask George if it's ok if we stop in!"

Trina smiled back at Tim, "I already know the answer to that! And we'll warn the Flying Pig!"

With that, they signed off and Tim got breakfast started for his clan. He and his dad were going car shopping today, taking Sean and Gemma with them. With the kids getting bigger, the minivan was getting a little tight and Lina wanted more storage space now that she could paint again so they'd decided to look at full size vans after all. They wouldn't buy anything today but they wanted to test drive the new vans, check out the passenger and cargo space situations. Once Tim saw what was available in the latest models, he'd start looking for a slightly used model with a clean record. They weren't in any hurry and the model year would change in September but Tim wanted to know what they were getting into first. Sean and Gemma would be able to tell them how comfortable they were in their car seats and after spending those days with Andy and Anna, Tim had resolved to spend more individual time with the other children.

They planned to visit two dealerships today, to compare the two vehicles Tim had in mind. When they walked into the show room of the first place, a saleswoman approached them. "Good morning! May I help you with a specific model or are you just starting your search?"

Gemma was standing with Tim and she said, "Yes please, Daddy and Poppy want a big van."

Sean was hanging out with Poppy and he nodded. "Yeah, we need lots of room."

Tim looked at his dad and chuckled, "The kids have it right, we have a large family and need a van that seats at least 10; 12 would be even better."

"My, that is a large family! We have both 10 passenger and 14 passenger models here. There is also a 12 passenger one but we don't have it here. The others are out on the lot if you'll follow me." She started to turn and then turned back, "Will the rest of the family be test driving today?"

Tim shook his head, "No, Gemma and Sean here will be our kid experts. Do you have safety seats for them or should we take ours out?"

"If you decide on one of the vans, we can have the seats installed at the factory for you. We do keep a few seats here but it's best if you use what they're used to."

Poppy nodded and said, "I'll get them."

He looked at Sean, "Stay with Dad, ok tiger?"

Seanie grinned, "Grrreat!"

The saleswoman smiled, "What a lovely family! How many children do you have?"

"Six."

"Oh my, that's a lot of lucky children!"

Tim blinked, not quite sure what she meant and so just nodded and smiled politely. His dad soon returned with Gemma and Sean's seats, although Sean quickly corrected them, "That's not mine, that's Jorry's. He put a mark on it, see?"

There was a "J" colored on the inside of the seat and Tim bit his lip trying not to smile. The saleswoman shrugged, "Well, we can look for one to use amongst our inventory."

Poppy shook his head, "That's all right; Sean and Jorry are the same age and close enough to the same height and weight."

"All right, let's get these in; do you want to take the 14 passenger van out first?"

They nodded and the two men handed over their identification. While Tim would be the primary driver, Poppy also wanted to see how each van handled, get a feel for it.

They got the seats and kids in securely and after a quick nonverbal exchange, Tim took the driver's seat and Poppy rode in the very back to see how comfortable it would be for any extra passengers. Having seen from their agency ids that both were federal agents, the saleswoman, while a bit surprised, didn't think it was necessary for her to ride with them.

They drove down to the beach and around town and Poppy and the kids said it felt ok, it wasn't bumpy or noisy. Tim decided to do a quick run on the freeway to see how it handled and he was satisfied with that. They stopped in an empty parking lot and swapped drivers with Tim sitting behind the kids. Gemma and Sean thought it was funny having their dad sitting behind them and giggled all the way back to town. They liked the van all right; both said it was "fine". When they got back they tried the 10 passenger and Gemma said it felt crowded with just with her and Sean. Tim had the same feeling and mentally crossed off this model.

When they returned the saleswoman turned to Poppy, "So, what do you think? Are you and your partner ready to make a decision?"

He blinked at her, confused; Tim hadn't been his partner since the last case they worked together and…oh! He looked at his son whose eyes looked they were about ready to pop out of his skull. Tim decided to let the woman down gently; he guessed he could see how she could jump to that conclusion, although it was a rather large jump. "I'm not ready to make a decision right now, thanks. Once my dad here determines the best engineered vehicle, my wife will have the final say in what's the most comfortable as she'll probably be driving it more than I will. And I think we'd probably need to get all the car seats in, before we do anything." He smiled at her, "Thanks again for your time this morning, this has been a big help and my mom and the other grandparents will be happy to hear there will be room for them too!"

The woman covered her embarrassment well enough and when the older man winked at her as they were leaving, she went into the ladies' room and laughed at her mistake for a good 5 minutes. She would tell this story on herself for years to come!

In the minivan, Tim looked at his dad, "You're not going to tell Rhea I called her my mom, are you? She hates that!"

"I think under the circumstances she'd understand but no, probably not. It's a good story though!"

"Now I get why she said the kids were lucky…she thought…"

Tim stopped, remembering the absolute rule about not saying anything in front of young ears that you did not want repeated elsewhere. He just shook his head and grinned sideways at his dad who snorted and laughed to himself.

When they got to the second dealership, Tim carefully introduced the kids and his father and explained what they needed. This place had both the 10 and the 12 passenger vans on the lot and they test drove both of them, once again removing the kids' seats from the minivan and installing them in the vans. Both Poppy and Tim felt the 12 passenger was too cramped for two additional adults and the kids once again said they felt crowded in the 10 passenger. Tim thought the 14 passenger van also would offer more cargo space when no other adults were riding with them. This second carmaker did not offer a 14 passenger van so that ruled them out. Tim decided he'd look at reviews of the 14 passenger van and see if there were other carmakers that offered a similar model. In the meantime, he was more than willing to stop thinking about cars and starting thinking about Greece!


	225. Chapter 225

CH 225

Before they started packing for Greece, Tim and Lina put their dressy clothes on and went to the Museum of Man's Grand Opening for what they would always think of as Caleb's exhibit. The Gibbses, Kalivas', the Kalivas-Watsons, Tea and Adan and of course Caleb and Eva also went to the gala while the Mallards stayed with the children, saying they would see the exhibit when they returned from Greece. Lina and Rhea were proud of Caleb's work and a few times during the evening he included them in discussions of the exhibit and the Benaki. The local media was impressed not only with Caleb's work but that three leading experts on ancient and contemporary Greek culture were living in southern California. When Lina and Rhea heard that they laughed, they had no idea they were 'leading experts' on anything! The opening and the evening were a success and the exhibit pulled in visitors from all over. Caleb later reported meeting a couple from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, a couple visiting from New Zealand, another one from Seattle and on the same day a family from New Mexico who, after reading about the exhibit in a travel magazine, took a road trip to see for themselves.

Between work, the kids' activities and Lina's return to her work, the family managed to get through all the days that stood between them and the jet plane taking them to Greece. Andy and Anna remembered having to unpack after they'd packed too early last year and this year they just put aside what they wanted to take instead of actually packing it. Tim and Lina laughed privately when Jorry and Sean each put out one pair of shorts, one tee shirt, one pair of underwear, one swim suit and jammies and declared they were ready! Gemma was at the other end of the spectrum: she laid out 6 pairs of her favorite shorts and tops, four sundresses, three swim suits and her favorite sandals; she wanted to be ready for anything! With help from her older sisters, Zoe industriously brought all her clothes downstairs and let her mom pick, as long as she liked the colors, she was cool. As always, Lina was impressed and amazed with their little girl's willingness to pair colors not usually seen together; she really had a knack for it.

Finally they were ready! The boys had more clothes than they'd originally selected and Gemma had had to make tough choices in limiting her selections. They'd gotten in the habit of buying beach towels once they got to Greece, they'd just found it was more fun that way and each towel, as long as it lasted, might bring back some special memory.

Tim was ready with his usual vacation clothing and Lina was very happy to bring two new outfits her mother made as well as two new swim suits. When Tim saw the new outfits Hélène made for Lina, he added a couple of nicer shirts and slacks to his stash, deciding he and Lina should have dinner out together while they were there.

When the big day arrived the 16 of them piled into their airport transportation and sped down the freeway to Del Mar where they stopped to pick up Tea, Adan, Matt, Damian, Alexis and her boyfriend Cole.

The Hofstadlers weren't making the trip this year, Norm had committed to teaching a summer seminar he'd been lusting after since he'd started at Cal Tech four years ago and Carla didn't want to go without him. Nor did Eva want to travel without Caleb. His exhibit continued to do well and he was very busy; he tried to talk Eva into going but his heart wasn't really in it, he would miss them terribly. She reminded him that the contract for the exhibit had provisions for paid time off the following year and they could travel home then. When he wondered if they'd be returning home for good, Eva wasn't sure how she felt about that. London had been an incredible adventure and while Alitta was too young to remember anything from their lives there, Athos would. Now living in San Diego and being able to see so many of their friends was a blessing and Eva didn't want their adventure to end. Still, they'd only been here a few months; she might feel differently in a year's time.

With the big house, the McGee and Hardister homes empty of their people for two weeks, arrangements had been made for a couple of house sitters. They'd asked Caleb and Eva but Eva said she would worry too much about her children getting into the pool so they passed. Matt offered to ask at the NCIS office and in the end Terrell, his junior, was set to stay at the McGees' and also keep an eye on the Hardisters' house (along with the entire Preston police department) while Rae, who handled dispatch for the office, and her partner would house sit the big house. All three were thrilled to have private pools at their disposal.

XXX

At the FBO, the group was soon joined by Lydia, who was given a warm welcome. They went through their ID/security check, which Nick Hardister found quite thorough and then boarded the jet. As the newcomers in the crowd, the Hardisters were gently coached by the children as to the best seats. Jethro got on last; he and Tim liked to keep an eye on the luggage as it was being loaded and this crew was new to them. As he boarded, the door was closed and locked behind him and they heard the sounds of the jetway being moved. As Poppy walked to the seat where Rhea was waiting, he was given a high five by first Lydia, then Matt and finally Tim. Nick laughed to himself when he saw that, he'd worried about security but his friends the Feds did something about it!

The kids got settled in their seats, Andy reveling in not having to have a booster seat of any kind. None of the McGees could remember who sat between Mama and Daddy last year, so they picked numbers and Sean got the flight over and Zoe the flight back. Tim had the window seat going and Lina on the way home. Zoe opted to sit with Uncles Damian and Matt while Anna, Gemma, Andy and Jorry settled in next to each other telling their parents, "We'll change when the other kids get on."

Jorry and Gemma played word games they'd learned in pre-school while Anna and Andy read. After much discussion between his parents and his father re-reading every word for any situation they'd rather their son not read about at age 11, Andy was reading the first Tibbs book. Tim had been surprised to find there was really nothing he himself hadn't read when he was Andy's age.

Once they reached altitude, breakfast was served and after they ate and the trays had been cleared, Grandfa announced it was time for their first walk. Since there were so few of them aboard, they needn't worry about taking turns. They walked for a little while and then Poppy and Pappouli led them in their favorite "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes."

Nick laughed so hard he had to sit down and have a drink of water. Lina happily walked for nearly 30 minutes before returning to her seat. Even while the others touched their heads, shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes!), Lina walked. Lydia was also sticking with walking and when they passed, Lina stopped her. "Lydia, I'm glad you're flying with us!"

Lydia smiled, "Thanks, I couldn't pass up the opportunity, especially now that Joel and Carol are over there. I was glad you changed your minds."

Lina nodded, "I was in Barcelona for three weeks and when I got home I said I didn't want to go this year, I didn't want to leave home again! Then I became ill, was on bed rest for awhile and then had surgery. Poor Tim has been pretty tied up with the kids and worrying about me and of course work. Once I figured out how stressed he was and how much we both relax when we're in Greece, it was an easy decision to make."

Lydia's eyes widened, "I'm so glad you're all right now! I had no idea."

"Thank you, I'm feeling much better although I still have to pace myself."

"Then this vacation should do wonders for you. Are you staying on Aegina again?"

"Yes, it's easier with the children, the beach is right there and Tim can't just pop into the office to work."

Lydia chuckled, "Well, I may see you around then; I'm staying with the Morrises for a few days and we're planning on spending a day or two on the island - and then I'm going to rent a car and do some exploring."

"Then you'll be staying in our first home!" Lydia smiled as Lina explained Joel and Carol's purchase of the house that had been the McGees' first home together. "That's wonderful, I had no idea!"

"The people who bought it from us ended up renting it out and Rusty Mayhew and one of the other agents lived there for awhile. I'm guessing that's the connection that led the owners back to Evander when they were ready to sell."

Lydia shook her head, "That explains why Joel was so excited about finding a grow chart in the garage!"

Lina laughed, "We visited last summer so Andy and Sean could see where we'd lived and of course where Zoe and Jorry were born. We found that grow chart too and added the boys and Zoe."

"Oh that is too funny!"

They were still chatting when Grandfa caught up to them. "Lina my dear, I think you've had enough for now."

"Oh my, thank you Grandfa! Lydia, I'm sure I'll see you later!"

She turned back to her seat where she found Tim reading a story to Zoe who was perched on his lap and Jorry and Sean who were sharing the seat next to their father. She winked at them and quietly sat down for a rest. After they ate, she moved over to the bench seat and one of the flight attendants moved the end section up so she could sit up and stretch out for a few minutes, then she'd recline it and sleep for awhile. It was no longer required but it felt very good to stretch out.

Nick was watching a recording of a presidential speech when Gemma wandered by. She stopped and watched with him and when he looked at her she smiled, "She's nice."

"She is?"

Gemma nodded, "Yes, we met her. We went to the White House to see what it looked like and an old friend of Poppy's came and got us and took us to her. She talked to us a lot." She leaned in, "Her office is a funny shape."

"You were in the Oval Office?"

Gemma shrugged, "I guess. She was nice to Daddy and Poppy for the things they did in Greece, like when they saved all the people from the terrorists." She pronounced the word carefully. "And she liked all the dancing Daddy and Mama and Uncle Damian did. Then she got all happy and 'xcited when she heard Mama and Nonnie's names. She said one of Nonnie's paintings was going into the White House. And she likes Mama's paintings too."

"My goodness, you spoke with her for quite a while, didn't you?"

"Daddy said it was twenty minutes."

"I'm impressed, Gemma. Presidents are very busy people; she must have really liked your dad and Poppy."

"And Grandfa too."

"That is something!" Gemma nodded and pointed to the frozen image of the President as Nick had paused the recording. "She has a pretty smile and she was nice to me and Anna. Jorry and Zoe were too little to go so they were home with Penny or Aunty Liz, I forget."

"She has a grandchild now too."

Gemma smiled, "That's good, I bet she's a good Nonnie…or Yaya!"

"Some name like that, I'm sure." They talked for a little while longer and then Uncle Damian came along to give her a piggy back ride and she waved goodbye to her friend. The last words he heard from her were: "Uncle Damian, can we play horsey?"

Nick laughed until his ribs hurt when the normally quiet and urbane Damian dropped onto his hands and knees and played horsey with Gemma. Zoe, Jorry and Sean were soon asking for turns and Uncle Matt and Uncle Adan helped out. Tim got up to take photos and Damian looked at him, "Remember what you said, that I'm the brother who has never played a prank on you?"

"Yes, I remember and I will not share these with anyone outside of the family."

Adan laughed, "That's half the world!"

Tim nodded, "Ok, so I won't share with anyone not on this plane."

Damian groaned, "Who is not currently on the plane."

"Deal!" There was a click behind him and Alexis laughed, taking another shot on her phone while they all looked at her, "What? He didn't ask me!" Then she grinned, "Don't worry, Uncle Daim, I won't share either!"

Grandfa shook his head, "Damian my boy, I fear you may regret that!"

"I fear you're right, Grandfa! Grammie, do any of the rentals have a hot tub?"

Maisie was laughing so hard that it took her several minutes before she could respond. "Yes, my boy, one of them does; I'll have to look to see who is staying there."

Tim removed Sean from Damian's back. "All right, no more horsey! And what do you say to your nice horseys?"

"Thank you Uncle Daim, thank you Uncle Adan, thank you Uncle Matt!"

Tim helped his brother-in-law up. "Man, you're going to be a pretzel!"

"I forgot Gemma and the boys are no longer Zoe's age!"

"I guess! I'm sure Grandfa has something that will help."

Grandfa nodded, "We'll apply ice, or something frozen, for 20 minutes, an hour or so off and then 20 on again."

Damian started to turn and winced, "Pardon?"

"We'll put something frozen on your poor back to ice it down. And I do have a mild over the counter pain reliever that you should take next time we eat."

The attendants had been following the conversation and handed Grandfa a small bag of ice with a tea towel wrapped around it.

"Got it!" That was Maisie. "Damian, you and Matthew have the hot tub!"

"Thank you Gram, that's good news!"

Grandfa had Damian lay face down on another of the bench seats – across from Lina - and after finding out where the ache was the worst, applied the ice bag and then sat nearby, watching the time. After twenty minutes, he removed the ice bag and Tim took it back to the galley, telling the attendant, "The doctor says we'll need it again in an hour or so."

She nodded, "That's fine, we're not using that for drinks - that's for sure!"

They both laughed at that. She followed Tim to Damian's seat with a plate of crackers, cheese and a bottle of water so he could take the pain reliever. He smiled at them, "I'm ok now, that ice really helped."

"Does that mean you're not going to take the pain reliever?"

"Oh yes he is!" Hélène had just woken and heard what happened. Her son just smiled graciously and said, "Why yes, Timotheos, of course I'm going to take the pain reliever!"

The two men laughed and Tim went back to his seat, noticing that Gemma looked upset. He stopped, "What's the matter, Gemmalove?"

"I hurt Uncle Damian!"

"No you didn't Gemma. Uncle Damian wanted to play horsey with you, he just didn't realize that you're 2 years older than last time you played – and so is he. He's going to be just fine, honey. And we'll make a new family rule, no horsey after you're four, how's that?"

"Ok Daddy. I didn't mean to hurt him and I didn't think you and Mama would not like it."

"I know and Uncle Damian knows, honey. And you're right, Gemma, we thought it was all right - and you thought it all out, I'm so proud of you!"

He picked her up and gave her a big hug and kiss. "Do you want to sit with me for a while?" She nodded into his shoulder, "Yes but first can we please go tell Uncle Damian to feel better?"

"That's my good girl!" They went to see Uncle Damian who told Gemma he was already feeling much better and to please not worry about it, that he was an adult and should know better. She nodded, gave him a kiss and a very gentle hug. Her mama's sweater was still in the seat next to the window so Gemma crawled into the middle seat, waited for her dad to sit down and then she huddled next to him. "Hey sweetie, are you tired?"

She nodded, "I couldn't sleep last night; I was so excited."

Her dad leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Me too!"

They both giggled and then she curled up into him, he put an arm around her and they fell asleep.

They woke 30 minutes later when Grandfa announced it was time for another walk. Lina was lying down still asleep, so they walked quietly past her. She woke up anyway and smiled as Tim started to walk by. He stopped and sat on the edge of the seat as she scooted over and Tim pushed the button to bring the top section up again. He told her what had happened with Damian and she turned her head into his chest and snorted with laughter.

When she could finally speak again she said, "He did the same thing to Papa when he was Gemma's age!"

"What?"

"Yes, I remember; I was Anna' age, 8, and Damian was 6 and wanted Papa to play horsey with him. Papa said yes and then Damian kicked him, you know like you'd give a horse a light kick to move it forward, and down went horsey! My mother yelled at him – Papa – for being such an idiot and then put lots of ice on his back, I remember that too. Poor Damian was so upset he cried for nearly an hour." She paused before asking, "Was my father anywhere around, did he say anything?"

"No, I think he slept through the whole thing."

She bit back a smile, "I'll bet he wasn't really asleep!"

"Or maybe they've both forgotten."

She had a mischievous look in her eyes, "Perhaps."

He grinned at her, glad to see this side of his wife again, "Lina…"

She rolled her eyes, "Not on the plane. Possibly later if the opportunity arises."

When they landed at the airport in DC, the crew asked them to stay aboard. "We need to be airborne in 30 minutes; otherwise we'll have a 90 minute wait."

As they could already hear the baggage hold door opening, they had no doubt they'd be up again shortly. The jetway locked into place, the door was latched open and the first of the East Coasters boarded. It was the Powells and the kids spilled into the jet, hastily finding seats. "They said to just come in and sit, we're in a hurry!" Sarah followed the kids and James came last, carrying little Fiona. They got everyone buckled in while the rest of the group flowed in behind them. The DiNozzos came aboard followed by the Palmers, Bec and Geordie and then Penny. Next in were the Vance kids and Ross, Tobias and Emily Fornell, and last but not least the four Hubbards and the two Cranes. The last one in, Admiral Crane bowed to applause as he kept moving toward the seats. "They said 30 minutes and I believe we made it in 25! And yes, you Feds, I watched the luggage go in!" As if to emphasize his point, they heard the hatch to the cargo hold slam shut. The attendants checked everyone and once they verified all the seatbelts were properly fastened, they passed the word to the cockpit and the jet moved forward again. As they taxied, one of the pilots spoke, "Welcome to the rest of the clan boarding here! And congratulations on moving so quickly, I'm guessing you folks have traveled together before. I've never seen a group of 30, including a lot of kids, move that fast! And there's no luggage left on the ground, we double checked. So as you may have guessed, we made the 30 minute cut and we're third in line for takeoff. Next stop is Athens Greece!"

They cheered and then sat back and relaxed.

As they taxied, Tony called out, "Chief Hardister, Mrs. Hardister, welcome to the extended McGee-Kalivas-Gibbs-Mallard clan!" There was a general shout as the newcomers echoed Tony. Nick put his long arm up and waved. "We're Nick and Janeese and thank you, we're pretty excited to be here with you. We understand this is a crazy bunch and we're really looking forward to seeing that in action!"

Sarah called back, "No worries, you've been riding with the quiet section of the clan, just wait until the seat belt sign goes off!"

Tim called out, "That does NOT mean the kids can go wild! I'd like to welcome our nieces Emma DiNozzo and Fiona Powell to their first ever transatlantic flight AND their first trip to Greece!"

Emma grinned as the others shouted out their greetings. Sarah called back, "That's true for Emma but Fiona was actually with us last year!"

Afraid that might be a painful reminder to Lina or Tim, Sarah snapped her mouth shut. The jet started moving faster and everyone quieted for the takeoff. Tim handed Gemma a piece of gum and also popped one in his own mouth.

As always, once they reached altitude and the seatbelt sign went off, the group was up and bouncing around. The kids rearranged themselves and Tim walked around to make sure he knew where his children were. He found Zoe sitting with Geo and Bec and smiled, "There you are, sweetie!" She grinned at her daddy, who bent over and gave Bec a hug. "Good to see you, feels like forever!"

"7 months, that's not too bad."

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?"

"I just saw you man, weeks ago."

"Oh, was that you?" They laughed at each other and Zoe snuggled in.

While Tim was locating his kids, Jethro was doing basically the same thing, greeting his daughter, sons and in-laws and all of his grandchildren. "Wow, all 11 of our grandkids are aboard!"

Ducky was behind him and said rather smugly, "As are 11 of our grandchildren and our 11 great grandchildren!"

Tim and Lina were back at their seats and Tim was standing and talking with Tony; now the two of them looked at each other and lowering their voices, did their imitation of Poppy complaining that he could never catch up to Duck. As the DiNozzos were sitting in the row in front of the McGees, Maggie and Lina both heard and cracked up.

From another row came two sad voices, "They brag about the grandkids and the great grandkids, don't Poppy and Grandfa care about their kids?"

Nick's eyebrows rose and then he shook his head in laughter as Geo and Jim stood up, trying their best to look pitiful. They were shouted down and Jared was heard to say he was glad they were all as crazy as ever. Eventually the group settled down as they got caught up. Lunch was served about an hour later and afterward it was Jimmy's turn to announce it was time to get up and move. He had it organized so that they weren't tripping over each other. The recent college graduates announced the third annual relay races and once again divided everyone into age groups. Ainsley, Jared and Emily Fornell were thrilled to be grouped in with the college kids, although that group had shrunk in the last month as Phoebe, Ross and Stephan received their degrees. Kayla still qualified while the others decided to let Ross remain in the college age group, otherwise he'd be in a group of one aboard – "college graduate". After further thought, the 'college kids' decided they needed a new name and thus a new category was born in the group: 'young adults'. Sarah grimaced when she heard the term, she still thought of herself as a young adult although she was now in her mid-bordering-on-late 30s.

With all the different groups, the races took over an hour to complete and after that things settled down again. Jimmy let everyone snooze for a couple of hours before he had the attendants get on the speaker and wake everyone up again. After their walk this time, they spread blankets on the floor and Fiona had fun scooting around. At 6 1/2 months, she was nearly the same age Zoe had been when the McGees moved from Greece and her great grandparents had just as good a time trying to teach Fiona how to crawl as they had with the youngest McGee. Zoe and Davey Palmer also tried to help but Fiona was just as stubborn as her cousin had been. She giggled, cooed and squealed happily when Jorry and Sean joined the party but still wasn't about to get up on her hands and knees.

Tim and his Tibbs co-authors spent a few hours together working to finish another chapter. Ziva had e-mailed Tim her suggestions and they went over them, adopting two, plus one from Tony, one from Grandfa, two from Jimmy and one each from Poppy and Tim. They were really making some progress with the book, at this point they were more than a third of the way through. Tim suggested that it was time to bring Vance in with them and they were all in favor of that. It was a good work session and when they broke, Tim continued working on the chapter. Eventually he logged off his laptop and slept. The kids were mostly watching movies and cartoons; Geo, Bec and the newly christened 'young adults' volunteered to stay awake and supervise.

Tim woke again when he felt the plane start to descend into Greek airspace. He grinned at Lina who was back with him after spending a little more time on the bench seat lying down. "We're here! We made it back again!"

She kissed him and they cuddled, nearly squishing Jorry in the process. That woke him up and he looked around in confusion. "Are we there?"

"Almost son, almost."

Those who had been walking hurried back to their seats; put their toys, games, books and magazines away and buckled up.

Their landing was smoothly done and when the pilots walked out of the cockpit, they were given a standing ovation. They bowed, grinning. The jetway connected, they heard the hatch to the luggage bay open and the doors were unlocked and opened. As the elders of the group, Penny, Gram, Grandfa and Colonel Barnes were the first ones off and down the stairs where they stepped away to give everyone room and waited. Tim and Lina were in the next batch, Tim supporting his wife as they traversed the stairs; when they reached the tarmac, he leaned in for a kiss, "My love, we're here, we made it!" Their kids were right behind them and they gathered together in one big McGee hug.


	226. Chapter 226

Finding Home is quickly approaching one million words…WOW! Thanks for coming along with me and here's another 3,606 words of story to add on. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>CH 226<p>

When the group reconvened they were happy to find Evander and Pete waiting for them. After hugs for the two men, Evander stepped back before speaking, "Hello, everyone, welcome home to many of you and welcome back to the rest – and we do have two newcomers, Nick and Janeese Hardister, welcome to Greece! We have plenty of time before the next ferry so we don't have to rush. Because we're all together here - not scattered - I'm going to hand out house keys and directions now and then Pete will direct you to your transport. The luggage will be delivered the same way as last year – by bus. I understand Geo and Bec have volunteered to ride along with the luggage to the ferry dock. By the way, the rentals are all in the same neighborhood; we have many of the same places as last year, which I hope is to everyone's liking. All right, I'm going to get the families with young children settled first. Powells, including George & Edith, you're up first, James – here are your keys and directions."

The McGees were next, then the Palmers and DiNozzos, followed by the Grands and Greats, the Hardisters, Hubbards and so on through the crowd. The Hardisters were staying with the Grands and Greats and were glad that all they had to do was follow their lead. Lydia waited with the group until Joel and Carol pulled up. They greeted her and then found the McGees, greeted them and waved hello to everyone else before grabbing Lydia's luggage and taking off, not wanting to interrupt Evander's smooth operation.

At the dock the deckhands once again helped offload the luggage from the bus to the hold on the boat. Knowing they wouldn't be left behind, the large group waited for other people, non-members of the extended clan, to board before they followed. They were given a warm welcome by the veteran employees on the ferry and the Captain had all the children between 2 and 6 come to the bridge for a turn at piloting the boat. Photos were taken and Ethan remembered his first crossing, when Stevie had to be wakened for his turn.

The McGees were once again in the house on the path to the beach with the 'island big house' next door on one side and the DiNozzos and the Colonel on the other side, the town side. Sarah, James and their kids were across the street and the Palmers next door to them while the Hubbards were on the other side of the big house - and they had a pool. Continuing down the road, the Fornells had a small house on the other side of the Hubbards with the Kalivas-Watsons across the street from them, sharing with Geo and Bec. The Thessaloniki based Kalivas family were already there and they were in houses close by.

Tea and Adan had been picked up at the airport by Tea's father who was shocked at the number of people traveling on the fancy jet with his daughter and son-in-law. Remembering the dancers from the wedding, he greeted them enthusiastically. Alexis' boyfriend Cole had also been picked up at the airport by his parents and Davos lost his smug look when he saw the sad look on Alexis' face as she watched him being driven away. Jared and Kayla were staying with the Russells and of course Ross stayed with his mother.

There were two pools amongst the rentals this year, the Kalivas-Watsons – Perry household had the second one. Tim, Jethro and James were the only ones with rental vehicles. The McGees and Powells had the biggest vans available for rent on the island while the Gibbses had a sedan.

Once the luggage was sorted and the kids were in their rooms unpacking, Lina unpacked their clothes while Tim went to help the kids. Seeing that Andy, Anna and Gemma had everyone pretty well sorted out Tim reversed course to the kitchen and made a shopping list. The three younger kids stayed with Lina while the others went with their dad to the store to buy groceries. They bought enough food to last them several days and Tim threw in a few things that would do to make hot dishes or salads for potlucks. He'd already checked and his memory was correct, there was a slow cooker in the kitchen.

By the time they were home again they were hungry and Tim fixed them a snack. They were all fighting yawns by the time they finished and within a few minutes of eating their snacks the McGee family was sleeping off some of their jet lag.

That first day, Lina slept for most of the afternoon. Tim woke her up to eat something and then she went back to sleep. Wanting to walk on the beach with the kids, Tim sent a text to see who else was up for a walk and only heard back from the DiNozzos, so the three of them, the Colonel was asleep, and the seven McGees set out on the path to the beach, leaving Lina a note. Tim hated leaving Lina behind but their kids needed to run.

When they got to the path, he waited for his brother and family and then gathered them all around him. "Ok, McGees, do you remember the rules?"

Zoe shook her head while the others nodded. Jorry started them off, "Have to stay within sight of Mama and Daddy."

Sean added, "And we have to see them."

Gemma said, "No putting anything in the water, not even toes or fingers, without an adult with you and letting Daddy or Mama know."

Anna added, "When you're in the water, you have to have an adult with you at all times. If the adult gets out of the water, so do you."

Andy nodded, "No swimming underwater; if one of the adults tells you to get out of the water or that you're too far away from the shore, then you have to come all the way in…get out of the water."

Tim added, "And be prepared to stand still and let the adults see how deep it is where you are…and no standing on tippy toes!"

Andy added, "No one under 16 is allowed in a splash battle."

Tim and Tony looked surprised until Maggie told them, "That's Claire's rule."

"Ok, what about Zoe?"

"Zoe has to be with an adult or one of the older cousins, at least as old as Ethan, at all times."

Zoe made a noise, not sure she liked that and Anna said, "But Zoe, you always have a good time and everyone always wants to play with you – and you can play with Davey."

Zoe grinned at her older sister, she liked Davey; he was almost her own size.

"Hey, you guys got them all, that's great!"

Zoe frowned, "Is Mama going in da water?"

"Yes and she'll swim when she wants to and wade with you, so will I, sweetie!"

She clapped her hands, "You and Mama will help me make sand cashels!"

"Sure, Zoe, we'll all help you make those." He looked at the kids, "Ok, had enough rules?"

They grinned and nodded. He turned to his brother and sister-in-law, "Anything to add?"

They shook their heads but then Maggie nodded with a grin, "Emma knows the rules apply to her and…if you kids are going to run to the big rock, Emma can run with you!"

Tim laughed, "I bet Zoe and I can beat you all to the big rock!" He grabbed Zoe and took off. Eventually he slowed down and put her down so they could run together. He was pleased with all of the kids when they let Zoe win and she crowed with happiness, jumping up and down. "We winned, Daddy! We winned!"

"We sure did Zoe! Now what do you think our prize should be?"

His three oldest grinned, having an idea of what would happen next. "Treats!"

"Hmm, we'd better ask Emma's parents if that's all right, don't you think? "

Zoe didn't wait, she turned to her aunt and uncle, "Can Emma have a treat, please?"

Aunt Maggie nodded to the little girl, "Yes Zoe, thank you for asking. How about after we're done with the beach?"

Tim bit back a grin, "Yes, that's a good idea. So we'll play now and have a treat later!"

Gemma looked at him, "All of us?"

"Everyone who's here now, yes."

"Ok!" She turned to Emma, "Race you to the tree!"

The two girls took off with the rest of them following. Andy had the longest legs so he won - and then waited for his cousin and siblings. Zoe was walking toward him, still with Dad, so Andy walked back to them and with a look got permission to run with her to the tree. She squealed happily as she ran with her big brother. Tim stood there grinning like a fool; he hadn't heard that squeal in far too long. Tony patted him on the shoulder, "You ok, Tim? You look…I don't know how you look!"

Tim laughed happily, "She squealed, Tony, Zoe squealed, did you hear her?"

Tony shook his head but Maggie nodded, "I did Tim, I remember her doing that before. And Jorry too."

He nodded. "Jorry stopped squealing like that when he was about 3. Zoe's squeals have been getting fewer too." He smiled, "I love those squeals, they're so happy, so uninhibited."

Maggie's turn to pat her brother-in-law's shoulder, "Did Sarah and Rob squeal like that when they were little?"

He nodded, "Sarah did when she was tiny, when Patrick and I took care of her. Rob didn't when we first met him but eventually he did."

"And you probably did too."

"Hope so! Of all the wonderful things babies and toddlers do, I think that's my favorite." Tim's smile slipped a little bit as he thought about the little squealer they'd lost. Maggie didn't notice but Tony did. He didn't say anything but sure wished he could help.

The kids ran up and down the beach with the three adults taking turns with Zoe. Tim laughed, "I remember last year - one day we told Jorry and Sean they had to stay with us and then James and I went after the older kids. When we came back, the two boys were running circles around Lina and Sarah."

He called out to Jorry as his son barreled into him, running at full speed. "Ow, hey easy, Jorrin!"

Jorry's eyes widened when he heard his name. "Sorry Daddy."

"Apology accepted son, just be careful, ok? Hey do you remember being here last year with Seanie and you two running circles?"

Sean had caught up and he laughed, "Yeah, Daddy, we did this…."

He tugged at his brother and they started to run circles around their father, aunt and uncle. Zoe laughed and then ran after them and Tim shook his head. "Whatever works to have fun!"

The three of them laughed as the other kids joined the circlers.

Eventually the kids started to slow down a little so they decided it was time for their treat. Tim gave Zoe a piggyback ride and they found the path that cut through the sand and buildings into town. When they reached the 'treat' store, Emma smiled, "Yay, ice cream!"

They picked their flavors and when Tim reached for his wallet, Tony stopped him. "Hey, why don't you let us get this one?"

For one very brief second, millisecond even, Tim thought about arguing but common sense won; if his crazy brother wanted to pay for ice creams for his 6 kids and him, who was he to argue? "Thanks…I need to get one for Lina too."

Tony grinned at him as Tim consulted with his kids, "What flavor shall we get your mama? Think she'd like her regular or something different?"

He let the kids decide the flavors, knowing Lina loved just about anything. Back outside, he kept an eye on his three littlest ones but the boys and Zoe did fine, it was Gemma whose ice cream started to slide off the cone; but Andy helped her catch it in time. "Thanks Andy!"

Sean giggled, "Mine did that last year, 'member? Uncle Pete saved it!"

Andy looked at Anna and they looked at the rest of their siblings and in unison they said, "Thank you Uncle Tony, Aunt Maggie!"

Tim had his mouth full but after he swallowed he thanked them too. Once they'd finished, they started for home and this time Zoe walked, holding Emma's hand and telling her about something at daycare. Their parents weren't sure if Emma knew what Zoe was telling her but both girls had big grins on their faces. When they came to the DiNozzos' house, Emma told Zoe this was where she lived and she had to go inside now. Zoe nodded wisely and leaning forward gave Emma a kiss. Gemma and Anna also gave her a kiss while all three boys hugged her. From the look on Emma's face, Tim figured that smile might just last all night.

When the McGees entered their own house, Lina was still asleep. Grinning, and motioning to them to be quiet, Tim led them on tiptoes to Lina's bedside. He took the lid off her ice cream container and passed it several times under her nose.

Lina was awake; she heard them come in, shushing each other. When she smelled something delicious going back and forth under her nose, she reached up and grabbed the wrist that held it and then opened her eyes. "Aha, got you!"

The kids laughed happily, loving that Mama had played a trick on their dad. He smiled too and helped her sit up so she could eat her delicious treat. She looked at it, "My, these are interesting colors! What flavor do I have?"

"Three flavors Mama, we picked them!"

"Oh that was nice of you, Gemma! Now, let's see, this one looks like…"

Before she had to guess, Zoe blurted out, "Ublegund!"

"Oh yum, ublegund! " The kids giggled again and she looked at the next flavor, "And this looks like…" She looked at her kids and guessed, "Root beer float?"

Andy and Anna did a high five, they'd chosen that flavor.

"Let's see then, this one must be…"

Sean and Jorry were nearly dancing with excitement as they'd picked this flavor. "Orange and cream, Mama!"

"Oh boy, I can hardly wait to eat this. But I think I should wait, I hate to eat in front of you!"

Zoe frowned, "No, Mama eat it now! We aweady ate ours."

Lina smiled again and dipped the spoon in, "Mmm, then I'm just going to try a combination bite here." She closed her eyes at the first bite. "That's very good, lots of root beer, some ublegund and some orange and cream. MMM!" She opened her eyes again, "Thank you very much!"

Tim finally spoke, "Uncle Tony and Aunt Maggie treated us all!"

Her eyes opened wide, the grands and greats were generous with the treats but for the McGee or Kalivas siblings, it was rare unless they only had one or two of the kids with them.

"Oh, that's very nice; I'll have to remember to thank them! Now, tell me, what have you been up to? Did you take your daddy someplace fun?"

They giggled and sat on the floor as they told her about racing down the beach and Zoe proudly announced that she and her daddy had winned! Lina smiled at all of them and the other kids knew they'd made her proud just like their dad. That felt really good!

Lina ate part of her ice cream and then decided to save the rest of it because she was hoping for a really good dinner. She laughed as Tim escorted her to the family room, right off the kitchen, so that she could listen to the kids play and hang out with him while he got some veggies ready for something he was making. After he chopped, diced, sliced and shredded, he put it all in a bowl and slid it into the refrigerator. He turned around to see her watching him with a loving look. "How did I ever get so lucky?"

He shook his head, "I'm the lucky one, LinaMelina!" He sat next to her and kissed her with a gentle passion. She gave a throaty chuckle when they parted, "I'm glad I had a long nap, hope the kids go to sleep early!"

He smiled at that and they turned to look as Zoe came running into the room laughing, followed by Gemma. "Come on Zoe, you need to take your turn!"

XXX

There might not have been as many people as last year, but they had just as much fun. They were all in rental homes, except for whoever might come over for the Fourth, and the houses were all within a two block radius so there were more potlucks, barbecues and progressive dinners.

That first Friday night was their first barbecue, at the Russells of course and Tim walked over with Lina and the kids, carrying the bowl of veggie salad he'd made. Lina was exhausted; she'd been on her feet enough today and she was, like most of them, jet lagged. When he took her home after they ate, Chloe followed them, telling him "You go back and relax with the children and the others, Tim. I'll sit with my sister."

He agreed and headed back across the street. He found Andy practicing his Greek with Uncle Nicolas, Tad, Zander and Dmitri while the girls, including Gemma and Violet were having a good time together. Zoe and Davey were toddler talking and having a good time playing with Ainsley and Kyra while Jorry and Sean were on Uncle Geo and Uncle Tony's shoulders respectively, playing bullfighter. He grinned and sat down tiredly, it sure felt good to relax! Pete handed him a bottle of lemonade and he chugged it down and reached for another. "You look like you haven't relaxed in…well since we saw you."

Tim huffed, "Not sure I have, not like I can do here! It's been a roller coaster, that's for sure! It's better now that Lina's up and around."

Pete nodded, "I'm glad, she looks better than she did when we were there. I know it's been tough and heartbreaking, Tim."

Tim sat for a minute before responding, "Yes, it has been. I know, we know we'll be all right but it's hard to deal with. I'll be working or doing something and think about the baby and then remember."

He shook off his mood, saying, "I have questions for you."

"For me? About what?"

"Oh, mostly how on earth to handle having kids at home and still retire. And have kids in college and be retired. You know - simple things like that!"

"Ah, thinking 12 years and 5 months ahead?"

Tim laughed, "Oh yeah!"

"Well, the good thing is we have 12 years and 5 months to talk about it!" They both laughed and then Tim looked around, "Do you know when Kim and Evander are coming over? I was hoping to see them tonight."

"Team caught a case last night, they've busted it but Rusty asked Kim to stay late tonight to help get it wrapped up, so they'll be over in the morning. But that's ok because Evander sold a house this afternoon so they can both relax and enjoy their weekend."

"Oh good, I hope they stay over. We offered them our spare room."

"Yeah, that's what he said. And Rusty, Lynne, Jake and …shoot, I've forgotten her name again."

"The newest agent?"

"Yeah…uh…starts with a D."

"Deborah, Darlene, Diane, Dana, Daphne, Deidra, Denise, Dulcinea…"

"Denise, that's it, Denise! And…Dulcinea, haven't heard that since the last time I saw "Man from La Mancha" or listened to the sound track! Anyway, we invited them for our Fourth celebration tomorrow. "

Tim nodded, "Good! It'll be great to see them again and meet the newbie. I'm going to loan the kids out one night and take Lina out to dinner but other than that, no real plans. Just kicking back and relaxing."

"Well, we'll certainly make sure you both do plenty of that!"

"Hey, got another question for you and we could have done this by e-mail but I wanted to see your face when I asked. Writing a story and I'd like to base a character on you along with Bec, Matt, Ned, Maggie, Kim, Tea and Eva. You ok with that?"

Tim grinned as Pete's face lit up. "Wow, really? Yes, absolutely I'm ok with that, more than ok! Hope the others are saying yes too!"

"Good, I'm glad and yes so far. While we're here let's come up with a good character name for you."

What Tim didn't tell Pete was that the characters were already in the Tibbs story, written in as the 'new' MCRT team and other NCIS employees working with the former MCRT; that is Tibbs' old team. The characters reflected their real life doppelgangers in personalities and skills; all Tim had to do was change the names to whatever his friends wanted.

* * *

><p>Note: translation from Zoe-speak: ublegund = bubblegum, at least I think that's what Jorry said it means! ;)<p> 


	227. Chapter 227

CH 227

The writing group met early on the Fourth in the extra room at the McGees, the room where Rob and Ned bunked the previous summer. Tim wished they'd been able to come, even for a week. Oh well, the decision to come to Greece at all had been fairly last minute and they were basically living on Ned's income as Rob wasn't paid much during his residency; Rob's big brother should just be happy they would see them at all this summer.

With the help of several caffeinated beverages, the group got a lot done that morning; they'd already hammered out another chapter since meeting in Virginia and since then had outlined three more. After Tim presented a rough draft of one of the chapters that had been outlined, they'd each had a chance to read it before the meeting today and submitted their changes. Reviewing the suggestions together they agreed on two as submitted, modified another and tweaked the fourth one so that it added a wonderful twist to the plot. That idea was Tony's and the group was very enthusiastic about it.

If they stuck to the outlined plot and so far they'd done that very well, they had about half the story blocked and several chapters written. There was still more to come, more chapters to write plus the traditional Deep Six epilogue. They'd meet again next week after Ziva's arrival and with any luck they'd have another chapter or two done before they left for home. And as Jimmy said, "We'll all be on the same flight for several hours - we might be able to get several chapters done!"

Tim laughed, "I was afraid it would take us years but we could finish it before the end of this year!"

Tony looked at their dad, "We'd better get it done in the next few months, who knows how long Tim will be available to write!"

Tim made a face and decided to ignore that. "All right, when we get home, I'll contact my…our…publisher. In the meantime, you guys and Ziva need to decide on your author names. No profanity or double meanings, please. My readers start as young as 11…Andy's already reading the first book."

"Andy's reading them?"

"Yep, he asked me when we were in Virginia and I re-read them, didn't see any situations he wouldn't already know about." He shrugged, "I already had to explain the whole fertilized egg/ectopic thing to him and Anna, so I wasn't too worried about what was in Deep Six! Besides, I read far more adult stuff than Deep Six when I was his age!"

His dad snorted, "That's because there was nobody watching what you checked out of the library!"

Tim chuckled, "Actually in Baltimore the librarians knew me fairly well. Even though we rotated branches, we were at one or another of them almost every day after school. There were a few times a book was removed from my checkout pile because it was too old for me. And I had to be careful because of Sarah and Rob anyway. They were always curious and both were reading before they were five."

When he stopped speaking he noticed it was awfully quiet and Tony and Jimmy were staring at him.

"What?"

"You told Andy and Anna specifics about Lina?"

"Yes, I told them about the pregnancies and the surgery and why their mother was on bed rest. Andy's grandmother died of cancer and he was with her through all of it. He was terrified that Lina was dying too. And Anna lost her birth mother and everyone else but Gemma and their cousins and it's still with her, always will be. So yeah, I sat them down and explained how things should be and how they were. I did _not_ tell them how the eggs got fertilized!"

Tony shook his head, "Man, that must have been rough, Tim, I never even thought about you telling the kids specifics."

Jimmy nodded, "Me neither and I really should have."

"As I said, they were both scared, actually Andy was terrified and Anna only wants the truth, always. Even if the truth is 'I don't know'. Kids are naturally curious and my kids, or at least our two oldest, are pretty well attuned to what's going on around them; they know when something's wrong, even just 'off' a little. Usually if we aren't visibly worried or upset then they're okay. But in this case that didn't work for either of them."

Tony wrapped his arms around him, "Wish we could have been there for you!"

Jimmy was patting him on the back. "Me too."

"You guys were plenty supportive and it's hard to know what to do from 3000 miles away. And really, there wasn't anything you could have done other than what you did!"

Jimmy opened his mouth but from behind Tim Grandfa gave him a look so he changed the subject back to their book. In addition to their author names, they needed a title and a summary for the book jacket. Tim told them his summaries were usually collaborations between author and publisher. He thought they should put together a little history for the back jacket, telling them it could be as vague, real or fictional as each of them wanted.

Talking about the back jacket info made him think of Patrick's journal but he resolutely put that out of his head. Except…the others were talking and his brain immediately took off down that path. He must have gotten lost in his thoughts because the next thing he knew…

"Tim?" His father was right in front of him.

Tim started talking right off the top of his head, "Know what I want to do next, as far as books?" They shook their heads. "I don't know if we can find a way to make this a group project, unless we each take part of what you did on the actual case."

His father got in front of him again, nearly growling, "No."

Grandfa just looked at him. "Absolutely not."

"You don't even know…"

"Yes, I do, we do. Duck and I have been afraid of this ever since you found the boys." Dad's tone softened, "Son, it'll put you right back in that emotional hole you work so hard to stay out of and God knows what it would do to your grandmothers, uncle and godparents – not to mention Sarah, Andy and Sean. It was difficult enough when you all _had_ to go through it."

Tim sighed, "I hadn't gotten that far yet."

Tony looked at him, "Not a good idea, Bro."

Tim shook his head, "Sometimes I just want the truth out there; lay it all out. Let people see what they allow…oh God." He stopped and turned away, shaken not only at his thought but that he'd said it aloud.

Jimmy remained quiet, he knew they were talking about the McGee case and he too thought it was a terrible idea.

Grandfa wrapped an arm around Tim and held him until he felt his grandson roll his shoulders, always a good sign. "What on earth made you think of it?"

"The back jacket info about Gemcity. It was part of what led Patrick to the phony private investigator. It was so generic he decided he needed more information but didn't have the time to do it himself." Tim turned away again and his grandfather followed him, talking softly to him; his hand on his back.

Tony and Jimmy started to leave but Gibbs shook his head. "No, don't go. This belongs to all of us, everyone in the family. Timothy?"

"I'm all right Dad, or I'm getting there." He looked at his brothers because for all intents and purposes that's what Jimmy was, had been for a while now. "It hits me every now and again, since we found out about Patrick. I get really angry or really sad, sometimes both. Mostly I write it out or swim it out or work it out but like losing the baby, it's never going away completely and Dad and Grandfa always seem to know, they're always there to help."

Jimmy and Tony nodded, both wincing at the mention of the miscarriage. Tony knew that his brother and sister-in-law were hurting but he really hadn't understood that as parents the loss was deep and lasting. To some degree both men understood Tim's anger and sadness from their own experiences and remembering how private a person he'd been in years past, they appreciated his willingness to share. The two approached for a hug and Tim closed his eyes, savoring their support. As they ended the embrace, Tim huffed, a little embarrassed, "Maybe we should call the book, "Group Therapy"!

Tony and Gibbs made noises, "Yeah, that's a title for a bestselling crime procedural!"

"How about 'Deep Six, Tibbs Rides Again'?"

Tony liked that, "Or 'The Tibbs' Gang Rides Again'!"

Jimmy frowned, "What was the last line in the last book?"

"Uh…'They walked to the elevator'…"

Tony shook his head, "No…I used to have this memorized, let me see if I can still do it."

He thought for a moment and then stood straight, shoulders square with his eyes closed, reciting the words.

'_The four of them rose, knowing this was it, their last action as a team; gathered their belongings and turned toward the elevator to find Plucky, Pimmy and Amy waiting for them. Smiling and linking arms, the seven of them walked into the elevator. Facing front they smiled again at their friends and colleagues gathered close by. Then the doors slid closed and Tibbs' team disappeared into history.'_

"Wow Bro, great memory!"

"Thanks! I used to wish that's how it had gone instead of…you know. But it's also very cool that you wrote it that way after everything that did happen."

Tim huffed, "After everything that happened and after everything we went through together, I wrote it as a tribute to who we'd been as a team and who we were becoming as a family. Maybe it sounds a little cheesy but it came from the heart."

Tony smiled, "Doesn't sound cheesy to me, Tim!"

Jimmy agreed, "Not to me either. What if we put together the title from something in that last part? What about…"Facing Front, Tibbs and Company Together Again. Or something like that."

Tim thought about it, "Maybe…'Facing the Future, Tibbs and Company Together Again'?"

His father shook his head, "Team, not Company. 'Facing the Future, Team Tibbs Together Again'."

Tony shook his head, "It's not dramatic enough!"

Tim laughed, "Ok, how about 'Confronting Evil, Tibbs and Team Stand Together' or 'Saving the Future, Tibbs and Team Stand Together'?"

They all nodded. "Yes!"

"Which one?"

Jimmy and Gibbs liked 'Saving the Future', while Tony and Grandfa liked 'Confronting Evil', saying it made them think of James Bond.

Tim chuckled, "Ok, let's see what Ziva thinks." He also liked the simpler 'Tibbs Rides Again'; that would work as there were several references to Tibbs (and Rango, Mike Franks' Deep Six character) as cowboys throughout the books. He was thinking of another entry: 'Saving the Future, Tibbs and Team Back in Action'.

Everyone left but Tim, Poppy and Grandfa and they followed their noses to the kitchen where the McGee clan's breakfast preparations were in progress. Since today was the Fourth, they started the celebration by including ham, blueberry jam and milk (red, white and blue) with their scrambled eggs and toast. The rest of the big house residents joined them and they had a chance to hear Nick and Janeese's take on their first day in Greece.

Nick laughed, "I know you warned us about jet lag and we've seen you and your visitors go through it. But oh boy, nothing can prepare you for that wall you suddenly hit! I felt like a baby again, needing a nap every two hours."

Janeese agreed, "It hit me too but then I'd wake up and think I'm in Greece, why am I sleeping!"

They'd appeared on the beach with the Kalivas' the previous day and had been properly amazed at the setup the group had put together of umbrellas and a sun shelter.

Nick chuckled, "I'm glad you told us not to fight it because I don't think I could have! And last night at the barbecue? I'd forgotten how funny Pete and Jethro are – and Davos too and it's so much fun to meet everyone else we've been hearing about! And to see the ones we already know. The only thing is…" Nick leaned forward, "Nobody's been real crazy."

Jethro laughed, "They're holding back because of the jet lag. Now that Pete and Trina – and I suppose Kim and Evander – have been over to the U.S. and back, they understand a little better."

Tim nodded, "We'll get there. Today we'll be on the beach all day; we'll cook hot dogs and burgers and have some special treats. Then when it gets dark we'll set off our fireworks and give this side of the island a free show."

Lina nodded, "We've only missed the Fourth on the island one year, last year, but the Russells came over so that counts and makes this our 7th annual Fourth of July celebration here!" She looked at Tim, "The first one was before we were married. The team was still recovering from a tough case where they'd all been injured. I think Matt was still using a crutches or a cane, I know we had a wheelchair with us and Tim had just gone back to work, on desk duty, he was also using a cane. Pete and Bec were back in the field but we still had TADs here covering for Tim and Matt, so they came with us."

Tim continued, "Three years ago, Lina was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Zoe and Trina tried to talk us into staying home, I mean all of us, but Lina said no, she wouldn't miss it, so we came over!"

Davos laughed, "There was a special pool going on that day, for Lina to have the baby on the island!"

Lina smiled, "But Zoe was a good girl and waited two weeks to make her appearance." She mused, "I was pregnant with Jorry our second time over, the year after our wedding. Janeese, you'll have to come with us for our ladies' walk through town today and during the week. I'm sure the store owners expected us again this year and have stocked up on all sorts of fun things. Tim bought dishes here shortly after he moved to Greece, when he and Grandfa found out they were grandfather and grandson; that was Tim and Ducky's first trip to Aegina and those are the dishes we still use; every year we buy a few more." Tim and Grandfa bumped shoulders, remembering that day.

Gemma piped up, "Lots of hot dogs and burgers today and…oh, I forgot that's a surprise!" She looked upset until her father whispered to her, "You didn't say it; you're all right sweetie, you stopped yourself!"

She beamed at them. "I can't tell you but it's fun!"

Over the year since their last visit, Lina had made or purchased red, white and blue swim suits for everyone in the immediate family and they made sure to wear them that day. They also wore "Happy Birthday U.S.A.!" t-shirts that Lina and Rhea had silk screened for them and everyone wore those over their swim stuff. They'd brought two for Nick and Janeese who were touched and thrilled that the Fourth was so well recognized and celebrated here. And as Jethro told them, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

It was a little too breezy to go in the water and they decided to walk through town first to see what was new. Tim grinned when he saw the florist's shop, "Melina, look!" There was a red, white and blue bouquet in the window and a sign that read, "Happy Birthday America!" and another one that read, "Welcome Home!"

They smiled, knowing that was directed at them. There was a customer inside the shop and the florist walked out with her and then greeted them warmly. "Melina, Timotheos, welcome back!"

The kids were nearly vibrating with excitement, wanting to practice their Greek with her but waited politely until the Hardisters had been introduced. "Oh this is your first time to Greece? Welcome, welcome!" She shook hands with both of them. They thanked her and she finally turned to the children and said, "Now, let me look at how much you've grown!"

Each of them said hello in Greek and she beamed. "Ah, that's wonderful! Now, today is a special day for your country. Tell me - are you here to stay for a while or just for the day?"

"To stay and we're in the same place as last year."

"Wonderful! I have bouquets ready for you and your parents when you come back through."

"Thank you! We'll be back in a few minutes, we just wanted to show the Hardisters and see for ourselves what's new."

"Excellent!"

They continued on down the street. Lina pointed out 'their' pottery shop and smiled at Tim, yes, they'd be ordering more dishes again this year. Jorry's ears got a little red, he'd dropped a plate recently and he still felt bad. His dad swept him up, "Hey buddy! Don't worry about it, it was an accident and now we'll get a new one."

"But it won't be the same."

"Nah, it'll be better because you'll help us pick it out!"

The little boy smiled, "Ok Daddy."

When they passed the children's store, the boys started to hurry and Lina laughed, "It's all right, I won't make you go in there!" The three of them turned around, grinning as they'd been teasing her. As they went past, the store owner called out a greeting and Tim told her the ladies would be back later. She nodded, smiling. Two of the restaurants were open for cleaning and the proprietors called out greetings. One of the hotel shuttles passed them and the driver recognized them, beeped and waved. Tim laughed, "Hon, that was Constantine, remember he was one of the staff who danced at the wedding?"

"Oh yes, crazy Constantine!"

Poppy smirked, "He may be crazy but oh boy can he dance!"

The Hardisters had seen all the dance videos, some of them several times and Nick thought the guy looked familiar, "Is he the one who was so wild, picking up the shot glasses from the floor with his tongue?" They nodded and he grinned, this was fun!

Eventually they reached the end of the main street and turned back. They stopped in at the florist and she handed over two lovely red, white and blue bouquets, one for each house. Tim reached for his wallet and she waved him away, saying in English, "Please, if it weren't for all the business you brought me when you got married, I would have had to close my doors. You two are my good luck charms - please enjoy these."

They thanked her and told her they thought of her whenever they looked at their crowns. She giggled, "Thank you but you should be thinking of each other!"

As they walked back to the house, Tim told the story of their florist offering to finish their wedding crowns for them, giving Lina some much needed free time right before their wedding. When the Hardisters were puzzled by the crowns themselves, Hélène explained the tradition.

The group split to their separate houses to gather the rest of their beach things before they headed to the water. Dad and Rhea came over, saying Davos and Hélène would be down later, they were both fighting yawns. The kids, Lina, the Gibbses and the Hardisters left for the beach while Tim grabbed his laptop. He wanted to write for a little bit while the house was quiet and the muse was with him.

When he finished that sometime later he grabbed the rest of his own beach stuff, slathered on more sunscreen and headed down to join his family. He smiled as he saw Lina wading along the shoreline with Zoe and he snapped a photo with his cell. There was still a little morning mist left in the air and it made the scene almost ethereal: Lina and Zoe walking hand in hand, their youngest in her pretty white with blue flowers sunhat and red, white and blue swimsuit, talking and showing her mother the rock she'd found.

He spotted Gemma, Jorry and Sean in the shallow water with Uncle Jim, Callum and Aunt Claire while Andy was out a little further with his Uncle Dave, Evan, James, Geo, Matt and Damian. He turned away from the water and saw that Anna was sitting under an umbrella with Bec, Maggie, Emma, Sarah, Fiona and Audrey, having a giggle. He snapped a shot of them before they saw him.

Ethan was sitting in the sand building a sand castle with Davey and Violet was helping to supply water for the moat. Breena and Maisie were watching, smiling at the trio. Looking around for Steve, Tim finally spotted him with Tad and Adam, sneaking up behind Anna, Emma and Audrey. He watched and laughed as the girls jumped and then took off after the boys. He was proud when Anna suddenly stopped and looked back, looking for her parents. Catching her eye, he waved and she grinned, saying something to her cousins. They turned and walked back, the boys following.

As he continued walking he spotted Nicolas, Margaret and their two boys as well as Chloe, Peter and Alexis walking toward the central gathering spot. He called out and they stopped to wait for him.

Nicolas grabbed Tim by the shoulders, "Is everything all right? We spoke with Mama and Papa earlier and Mama said you were working!"

Tim nodded, "Yes, but working on a book, not working on my job! As far as I know everything is as it was when I left the office the other day."

"Ah, that's good! We were afraid there was some international crisis that needed your attention!"

Tim laughed, "Nah, there are plenty of other NCIS agents that can handle those for the next two weeks! My boss gave me a direct order, no work!"

Margaret looked pointedly at Nicolas as she said, "That's a very wise boss!" Her husband smiled, "I'm in negotiations to open one of our stores in Macedonia and my wife is afraid I'll be working while on vacation. If I do, it will only be one quick phone call."

Chloe was looking down the beach, looking worried and Tim thought he knew who she was looking for. "Tad's with Adam and Steve, they're having a good time sneaking up on Anna, Emma and Audrey. Lina's having a little walk with Zoe."

They nodded and Nicolas continued an earlier thought, "Timotheos, Melina says she is all right."

"She is; she had a rough time until the doctor took care of…things," he didn't know how much Zander and Dmitri had been told, "She's still recovering but she just needs to rest when she's tired, she can swim, walk, eat out. I guess it might be hard to see that she's better but believe me, she is."

His brother-in-law patted his shoulder, "I know that was frightening."

Tim nodded, thinking of Chloe and Peter and decided to be careful with what he said. It was hard enough to talk about much less be responsible for opening up old wounds for someone else. He finally replied, "Yes it was. I'm so thankful Mama and Papa have been with us. I know it's hard that they've been away for so long, but having them with us is a true blessing."

"And your parents."

He smiled, "Yeah, they're wonderful. The four of them rotate helping Lina and taking care of the kids after school so they each have time of their own. "

Margaret frowned, "Not before school?"

"No, I'm home then so I get them up, dressed and fed and sometimes I take them to school or daycare although most of the time our fathers do that."

Nicolas nodded, "That's right, Lina told us you are not called out on cases anymore so there's no more leaving home at 3 in the morning." He paused, "We're hoping we can visit next summer after your trip here?"

"Sure, come back on the plane with us!"

Chloe spotted Damian in the water, "Look, there's Daim and Matthew!"

Tim chuckled, "Ask him how his back's holding up."

"Matthew or Damian?"

He grinned, "Daim, but you didn't hear it from me!"

"Oh ho, a story!" Nicolas chortled, "I can't wait to tease it out of my baby brother!"

Tim turned back, walking with them. Zoe was now helping Davey and the others with his sand castle while Maisie and Breena kept a close watch on them. Fiona, her blanket and toys had now moved next to Breena, her godmother, so that Sarah could have a swim. The baby girl was sitting up watching her cousins and making happy noises.

When Tim got close enough, he could see Lina stretched out on the lounge chair in the sun shelter. He remembered her joy at being able to travel home to Greece and chuckled to himself. Twelve years and five months remained until they could move back for good. He thought about their youngest; Zoe would be fifteen and the boys would be seventeen when he retired, they'd have to really plump up the college fund over the next few years so there would be no worries. He shrugged and seeing that Lina was sound asleep, turned toward the ocean and his children.

* * *

><p>The lines Tony recites are from (shameless plug) one of my other stories, "Fade to Black". For this story I changed the names to match what canon's told us Mr. Gemcity used for names in his books. A warning if you haven't read it and are going to…Tim and Gibbs have a <em>very<em> different relationship in that story although except for the concept it's _almost _worthy of a "T" rating on fan fic net. I'm considering writing a sequel to that. Someday.


	228. Chapter 228

CH 228

Once the sun burned off the last of the mist, it got hot quickly and most of the group jumped into the ocean or found spots under an umbrella or inside the sun shelter. Kim and Evander arrived, walked over from the ferry dock and were greeted with shouts by everyone and with hugs by several. After checking with the McGees, they took their overnight bags to the house, quickly unpacked in the spare room, changed into their suits and were back on the beach in minutes.

The next ferry brought the NCIS team, already in their swim things. They'd take the last ferry back tonight. The new agent, Denise, was astounded when it appeared the stories Rusty and Lynn told her were true and not grossly exaggerated as she'd thought.

As the sun edged past noon, Pete and Jethro started building the fire to grill the burgers and hot dogs for lunch. Once again Tim and James drew a large circle around the fire pit. "Everyone listen up! No children under 9 are allowed within this circle unless he or she has an adult with them. That does not mean there's an adult just standing there, the grownup has to know the kid's there. Got that?"

The kids all nodded; Emma's eyes widened as this was another rule. Audrey nudged her, "That's ok- they did that last year too. And next year we'll be old enough to go in on our own."

"Yeah but is that for all day?"

Anna tilted her head in thought, "It's while Uncle Pete and Poppy are cooking and the fire's hot. It's the same rule as not getting near the barbecue last night, but this is in the sand. And they'll cook our dinner there tonight so yes, we have to stay away all day."

"Ok."

"Uh huh, and they're really more worried about the younger kids." The three 8 year olds nodded wisely, turning to look at the 'younger kids'.

They enjoyed their lunch, complete with veggies and salads and then they went back into the water. An hour later when Jimmy called out "Shade break" in English and carefully in the Greek Lina taught him, everyone got out and stood dripping on the shoreline. The veterans knew what was coming next and the kids were giggling. Trina and Kim had disappeared a few minutes before and Hélène and Nonnie were working on something deep inside the sun shelter. Lina had been swimming and was now on the beach with Tim, smiling and waiting for their treat. The Hardisters were mystified but as always knew it was better to just go with the flow.

Finally Trina and Kim reappeared and slipped inside the shelter. A few seconds later, Grandfa and Fiona, the oldest and youngest American citizens there, were called to the front of the shelter. Fiona squealed as her great grandfather carried her toward the large sheet cake that said "Happy Birthday U.S.A." on it in red, white and blue. Poppy carefully lit the three candles, representing past, present and future and Grandfa blew them out with baby Fi watching curiously. Maggie and Tony stepped forward to start the cake cutting and Emma's eyes got big again when she saw the cartons of ice cream her aunts were bringing out. "Cake and ice cream on the beach?"

Ainsley laughed, "Yes, Emma, welcome to the clan's Fourth of July celebration - on the beach in Greece!" Emma giggled, loving the surprise.

The Hardisters were also laughing, loving the birthday cake and the surprise of having ice cream on a beach. Ethan warned them, "Better stay in the shade once you get your ice cream because it melts really fast in the sun." Heeding his warning, they stayed in the sun shelter to enjoy their treat; they'd just finished when Grandfa walked out of the shelter and said, "Break's over!"

The younger kids waited impatiently for an adult to head into the water with them but Tony, Geo, Tim, Uncle Jim and James grabbed Nicolas, Evander and Peter and off they went, the kids jumping through the waves or being carried through them. Andy asked his cousins, "Think they'll have a splash battle?" Tad shook his head, "Not yet, they usually wait until us kids are kind of tired out." Andy nodded, he'd forgotten about that. With a nod from their mothers or grandfathers, he and his cousins soon joined the others in the water.

Lina, Maggie, Breena, Bec and Sarah took Fiona for a walk on the beach. Sarah looked at her sisters-in-law, "This is pretty cool! You know when Tim told us he was transferring to Greece I never thought I'd get to be here every summer!"

They laughed and Maggie added, "At least you started out here related to Tim! I came here as a volunteer and here I am, part of the family and I also get to come back every year."

Lina laughed, "Isn't it funny, we are all Jethro's daughters-in-laws, except for Sarah of course." Breena smiled happily, she and Jimmy loved their family, regarding both Ducky and Jethro as father figures although her kids called Jethro 'Uncle Gibbs'. She'd seen the change in Jimmy over the years, he'd gone from feeling like a cousin to one of the McGee brothers and he loved it.

As they returned to their enclave, Lina and Breena smiled at each other when they spotted Zoe back at work with Davey building something in the sand while Jimmy helped them. Lina looked for the rest of her children and saw Jorry and Sean in the water; actually they were above the water. Sean was perched on Uncle Nicolas' shoulders while Jorry was on Uncle Geo's and they were having some sort of watery game. Gemma, Anna, Audrey and Emma were playing in shallower water under the watchful eyes of their fathers and Uncle Peter. Uncles Dave and Jim were also in shallower waters, with Nicolas' boys, Tad, Andy, Adam and Evan, playing with a beach ball.

She frowned when she saw there were two swimmers in the deep, too far out for her liking but as she thought that, Poppy blew his whistle three times, the family signal to come in. Everyone but the swimmers came in and Lina thought they might not have heard. Geo and Nicolas grabbed paddle boards and jumped back in the waves while Poppy blew the whistle three times again. This time Lina saw a head pop up and she shook her head as she looked around, it was Chloe! She didn't see Alexis anywhere and figured mother and daughter had decided to have a swim together.

The two swimmers started to head in while Geo and Nicolas continued their paddle toward them. Lina winced; Nicolas would give them both hell! As the oldest sibling he was as much in charge of his sisters and brother as their parents. Margaret joined Lina, "I'm glad they're all right, but really, what were they thinking?"

Margaret was not much of a swimmer. She waded in the ocean and would sit on the edge of a pool but she was not enthusiastic around water. Lina replied, "When you're swimming in the ocean, it's easy not to notice that the waves are carrying you farther out than you think. That's one of the reasons we're so strict with the children."

Margaret nodded, "And now you have an example!" She huffed, "At least they're adults! We'd all be having heart attacks if it was two of the children." Then she shook her head, "But Alexis is their child, it really doesn't matter how old she is, does she?"

Lina just shook her head. Hélène joined them and Lina slipped her arm around her mother's waist. "They're all right Mama, see, they're not even getting on the boards with Nicolas and Geo."

"Your brother will be reprimanding them and I intend to do the same thing! I will not have you children, any of my children," she looked at Margaret, including her, "put themselves at risk like that!" Margaret slipped her arm around her waist as well and the three women watched as their loved ones reached the shore.

Watching everything going on, the Hardisters were relieved and impressed by quick actions, the organization and the knowledge that someone had been watching everyone in the water and that there was a pre-arranged signal, even if it wasn't heard right away. The children were standing watching and they noticed one of the little Greek boys, they decided it was Tad, wrapped in an uncle's or maybe it was his father's arms. The kids had separated into their family units and were mostly huddled around their parents, watching as the swimmers and their rescuers approached the shore. By now both women were hanging onto the boards.

Tim frowned when he heard Nicolas' voice, he was yelling. He looked over at Lina and caught Rhea's eye. She signed that she'd stay with Lina, calm her down and he should take the kids. He nodded and turned, "All right, everyone why don't we take a walk down the beach." The kids gathered with their parents, Penny and Poppy; Zander and Dmitri were given permission to join their Uncle Tim, Uncle Damian and cousins, Aunt Bec, Uncle Matt, the Hardisters, the Cranes, Palmers, Pete, the Powells with Fiona in her backpack on her daddy's shoulders, the DiNozzos along with Uncle Jim with Zoe on his shoulders, Callum and Ainsley and off they went, walking down the beach away from the spectacle.

Seeing that Peter was too shaken, Grandfa stayed behind with Jimmy's medical bag to check the swimmers and Tad wouldn't budge, he didn't want to leave his mom, sister or dad. Geo dropped the paddle board on the sand, caught the bottle of water his grandfather threw him and ran to catch up with the walkers. When he joined them, the crowd stopped and the kids cheered, "Yay Uncle Geo!"

He shook his head, "That's a lesson for all of us, whether you are Fiona's age or Grandfa's. The ocean is pretty and looks like fun but it hides its dangers and it's not really our friend, it has no mercy. It can sweep you out to the middle of nowhere all too easily and it might be too far for anyone to reach you. You're swimming or playing in the water and don't even notice that the waves are carrying you out further. Kids, everyone listen up! ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings, always! When you are in the water you have to be able to see people on the beach…have to see their faces, what they're wearing, not just figures standing there. And if you can't see detail, let someone know. You know to raise your arm as high as you can, right?" The kids nodded, they'd been told that. Geo nodded, "Good! We can't spare any of you, any of us, we love our family too much to lose anyone."

He nodded for emphasis and then suddenly sat down, hard, in the sand. Bec, Penny and Poppy were at his side immediately and Poppy motioned to Tim and Tony to continue with the kids. As the others continued their walk, Geo shook his head. "I'm okay; it just sort of hit me. They were even farther out than we thought; farther than they looked from the beach. Dad, if you hadn't spotted them…if they'd had any trouble we would not have been able to reach them in time." He added, "Nic was crying when we reached them and he cried and yelled all the way in. I felt like yelling too but I figured one of us had to be calm, had to navigate." He wiped his eyes. "Please God this is the closest we'll get to a disaster! We've already had enough loss." His father took the bottle of water from him, unscrewed the cap and gave it back to him, "Drink it slowly. Yeah, I know you're all right, son, just give yourself a few minutes, will you please? "

Geo nodded and hugged Bec closer. His father continued, "You did good out there, Geo, so proud of you, but I was damn scared too. Those boogie boards…"

"I know they're toys, Dad, not meant for rescues, but there was no way we could get out there and back without something."

Penny nodded, "You're right and from now on, we'll have something with us."

Bec finally spoke, "We can rent a couple of surf boards. At least they're sturdier." They nodded and eventually Geo finished the water and got up.

XXX

Back at the shelter Lina was feeling overwhelmed and a little trapped but Rhea, Grammie, Trina, Claire and Dani joined her, Rhea saying. "Come on, I could use a break at the house. And then maybe we can walk through town."

She nodded and walked to the path with her escorts. They were almost back to the house before the sounds of Nicolas' and Davos' voices faded. Lina shuddered, "I'd forgotten how loudly both of them can yell!"

"And both at once, yikes!"

Lina chuckled, "You should have heard them when Nic was a teenager and they yelled at each other! We'd stuff cotton in our ears."

"I'm just glad Chloe and Alexis are all right."

Lina shook her head, "I'm glad we left because I wanted to shake Chloe and yell too! We've lived near the ocean our entire lives, she knows better and so does Alexis! And they put their rescuers in danger too."

Suddenly she paled and Claire grabbed her, speaking in a calm voice. "Come on, time to lie down. You've had a shock, we all have; Mum, would you please put the kettle on for some hot tea? Rhea, could you look through their stash? I remember Tim saying he'd brought all their herbal teas from home…something calming would be great."

Rhea nodded and she and Maisie hurried to the kitchen while the others helped get Lina into the bedroom and onto the bed. Claire stayed with her, rubbing her hands while Dani unfolded the light blanket at the end of the bed and covered Lina with it. Maisie popped back in, "The teakettle's on, I'm going next door to get Don's medical bag, he's using Jimmy's on the beach today."

Claire nodded, that was an excellent idea as she wanted to take Lina's blood pressure. Dani was still in the room and Claire took her aside, "Could you see if you can quietly break Tim free from the crowd and bring him home? Penny, Jethro, the DiNozzos and the Powells can handle the kids. Lina will be calmer if he's here with her."

Dani nodded and headed back to the beach.

While Dani was gone, Maisie returned with the medical bag and Claire pulled the BP cuff out. "Lina, I'm going to take your blood pressure." Lina nodded, she wasn't about to argue with anyone. Claire smiled as she wrapped the cuff around her arm. "Dani's gone to get Tim. Poppy and Matt, Penny and Bec, Sarah, James, Maggie and Tony…lots of people to stay with the kids."

Lina frowned and guessing, Claire said, "They can come in to see you in a few minutes, but we need to get you calm first."

"All right."

Her BP was a little high but not high enough to cause any alarm. Rhea appeared with a cup of Lemon Balm tea and Lina sat up to drink the tea. She wanted to protest that she was fine, not an invalid but she could feel her body still trembling.

XXX

Dani walked out onto the path and looking to the right saw the crowd of adults and kids strolling along. She called Tim's cell and when he answered she said, "It's Dani, nothing is seriously wrong but Claire would like you to come sit with Lina at the house; everything that happened was a bit overwhelming for her. Can your dad and Penny take care of the kids?"

"Yeah, let me tell them and I'll be there in a minute."

"Tim…don't hurry, we don't need any more upsets today."

He nodded, "Understood, thanks Dani." He disconnected and looked to see where Penny and his dad were. Matt was next to him and Penny was just beyond him. "Penny, Matt, would you please watch my kids for a few minutes? I'm needed at the house, but nothing is seriously wrong. Please just keep calm and keep the kids calm."

The two nodded and Tim started to turn and then thought better of it. Andy and Anna were fairly close to him and he moved over to them. "Hey you two. I'm going to sit with your mom for a bit. She's all right, but she got a little overwhelmed. Aunt Claire's with her, you know she's a nurse, right?" They nodded. "Yeah, so there's no need to worry and maybe we can see her together in a little while. In the meantime, stick with Uncle Matt and Penny." His kids nodded, he was calm so they were calm. "Ok Dad."

Then he walked away, taking his time, keeping his shoulders relaxed but he was sure either Andy or his father, or both, were watching him. Finally, he made it to the house and hurried into the bedroom.

Claire had just taken Lina's BP again and smiled as she saw Tim's eyes frozen on the cuff. "It wasn't too bad the first time I took it and it's even better now. I bet after you've been here awhile it'll be even better."

Lina laughed and Claire smiled at the expression on Tim's face. "Now Claire, why would you assume my husband makes my blood pressure go down?"

He smiled as he sat down on the bed next to her and gathered her in his arms. "LinaMelina, have I told you recently how much I love you?"

She giggled, "Not since this morning. That must be at least 6 hours!"

He laughed and pulled her closer. "That was pretty scary, sweetie."

"Yes but then I realized we could have lost Nicolas and Geordie too."

He shuddered at that and grabbed on to reality, "But we did not lose anyone, Melina. None of our loves died or were hurt today. Although Chloe and Alexis' ears might be blistered by now."

"Are Papa and Nicolas still yelling?"

"Papa is; I think Nicolas either lost his voice or is taking a break."

"And Geo?"

"He doesn't yell much, his serious voice is scary enough."

She poked him, hard.

"Ow! He's all right, sweetie. He sat in the sun for a few minutes; Bec, Dad and Penny stayed with him and had him drink a bottle of water. He told all of us about the dangers and he really got through to the kids…all of us."

While they talked, everyone but Claire left the house. She gave them a few more minutes before going back in the room. "Ok, last time, let's see how you're doing." Lina held out her arm and waited patiently while Claire wrapped the cuff and took her BP. "Much better! Ok, you still need a rest and as I'm sure emotions are still running a little high out there, I recommend you stay in here for another hour or so."

Lina nodded, saying "I want to see the kids."

Tim agreed, "Sure, honey, I thought after your rest but if you want to see them now then that's what we'll do." He smiled at Claire, "Would you mind staying another few minutes while I get them?"

She shook her head, "Not at all. And I'm sure they know to be quiet?"

Tim and Lina both laughed, "Oh yeah."

Claire watched out the back of the patio as Tim stepped outside the gate and stood still with a big smile. All 6 of his kids ran down the beach, Andy and Anna half carrying Zoe. They swarmed him and he hugged and kissed each one. "C'mon, your mama's feeling better and she's missing you! I missed you too." They walked in the door, Tim carrying Sean on his shoulders and Zoe in his arms. "Ok, you guys hanging on? "

"Yes Daddy."

"Ok, remember quiet voices. Mama's heard enough loud voices today."

Gemma whispered, "Yaya was crying."

"I know sweetie, we'll all be sure to give Yaya, Pappouli, Aunt Chloe, Alexis and Uncle Nicolas some extra hugs when we see them. "

"Were they bad, Daddy?"

"Tell you what, let's see your mama and then we'll sit and talk about what happened, all right? And you can ask questions."

They nodded, that was good. Claire patted Andy on the head as they passed by and she slipped out the back door, suddenly needing to see Jim and her own children even if they were mostly grown.

By the time Tim, Lina and the kids returned to the beach after their chat about the incident, things were much calmer. Some of the adults and the older kids were in the water, although no one was swimming or in very deep. The younger kids were playing along the shoreline and Jorry, Sean and Zoe hurried to join them.

Pete and Jethro got the fire going again in the late afternoon and grilled chicken and 'dogs' for dinner. Tim and Lukas each made batches of garlic potatoes while Kim and Tony made some of their favorite side dishes. The McGee children were happy again and that helped their cousins.

After they ate and cleaned up, they played on the beach. No one went back into the water that evening, at least no further than the shoreline, even though it was plenty warm enough. Tim knew his kids had hoped for a splash battle today but he'd told them that he was very sure at least one would happen in the next few days. He reminded them that sometimes a good night's sleep would sweep some of the upset feelings away.

As dark descended upon them, Geo and Jim got the fireworks set up and then fired them off. All the troubles of the day were forgotten as colorful bursts appeared over the harbor. Tim had always thought of them collectively as 'The Ones That Do That Shooty Thing', or 'The Ones That Scream' and 'The Ones That Kind of Sparkle Out', but this year Uncle Jim gave them the names of each kind of firework as it appeared in the night sky. First was the Peony, the kind that burst and radiated little stars in a circle with flashing stars in the center. Next was the Chrysanthemum which burst into streams of light that formed a circle and then quickly faded. After that came the Willow, which burst much like Peony and Chrysanthemum but when the streams of light faded, the very ends of the streams still glowed, making a shape like a weeping willow. The next to last kind they had was the Fish. When the firework shell burst, little streams of light squiggled away, looking like fishes swimming away. They had several repeats of all of them and the kids – and adults – had a good time 'ooh'ing' and 'aahing' at each one.

The NCIS team hurried off to the ferry as soon as the last burst of color had faded, calling out their thanks and goodbyes, they'd be back one day the following weekend. The sun shelter had already been returned and the beach where they'd played all day had already been cleaned of their trash. Once the fireworks were done, the group packed up the chairs, blankets, towels and children and headed back to their houses. They'd make another sweep across the beach and pier tomorrow to make sure there was no debris left.

Papas Theo was happy to see them at church the next morning and welcomed Nick and Janeese. The conversation led to an invitation for lunch and the word went out that Sunday lunch was a potluck at the McGees and their special guest would be Papas Theo. He turned out to be a godsend as he played with the children and showed Tim and the others some additional dance moves. He spoke enough English to tell a few stories and without knowing it he lifted the slight uneasiness that still hung over the group.

By midafternoon they were all back in the groove, kids and adults in the water, sand castles being built, Lina back in the water with the others. The Morrises and Lydia arrived after lunch, having decided to spend a few days on the island and were loudly welcomed when they appeared on the beach.

The first time Grandfa called for a shade break, everyone cheered. The Kalivas' grandsons played just as hard as their cousins and friends, Chloe and Nicolas teased each other and with Alexis thanked Geo for his help and consideration. Tim grinned when his tough Marine brother blushed as Chloe and Alexis kissed him in thanks.

It was getting towards 4 when Poppy and Davos waded into the water, grinning like fools. There was a general shout and all the boys and men over 16 headed for the waves, Callum excited that this year he could participate, while Ethan fidgeted, he had one more year before he would be allowed. Jared, Ross, Nick Hardister, Matt, Damian, Nicolas, Peter, George, Jim, Dave, Joel, Lukas and Pete joined them and they all stood looking at the women.

Bec gave the battle cry, "C'mon, we can't let them have all the fun!" Lydia grinned as she followed along with Maggie who was thrilled to be able to join them this year along with Sarah who'd been pregnant last year. Chloe, Alexis, Ainsley, Breena, Kayla, Dani, Kim, Kyra and Trina also joined in and when they all stayed in relatively shallow water, Margaret shrugged and joined them, much to everyone's surprise. Not to be outdone, Rhea, Penny, Janeese Hardister, Carol Morris and Hélène also waded in.

Ethan, Liz, Lina, Grandfa, Gram and Edith Powell were the beach crew watching the kids; they moved one of the beach umbrellas closer to the water so they could watch in the shade. This year it was Liz who recorded the first splash battle of the season.

The battle was already in progress as the women joined but slowly and steadily the women gained on the men. They splashed and played for an hour before Grandfa, Ethan and Gram declared the women the winners and the waterlogged players slogged to shore, where they were handed cups of fresh water which they were advised to drink, not throw! The kids on shore were hoarse from calling for their favorites and Lina's sides were sore from laughing and she yelped when Tim stood over her, dripping. "I'm going in next time! That looks like so much fun!"

"Next year or maybe your first one will be at home."

She grinned, "That sounds like fun!"

He looked at her and she shook her head, "Oh no you don't!"

"Mmm, maybe I do!"

He scooped her into his arms and with a yell rushed back into the water, Lina laughing. Their kids stopped to watch their crazy parents; the Gibbses and K's also watched and smiled; glad to see their Tim and Lina smiling, laughing and having fun.

* * *

><p>Personal Note: For any readers with family or friends impacted by the horrible fires here in California, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. We need rain so very badly after years of drought…over this past weekend (Sept. 12 &amp; 13th) the home I lived in while writing the first stories I posted on here (The Quilt through Pirates…) very likely burned to the ground in the ValleyLake fire and much of the little town I shopped in, where I mailed my beta's Christmas present, where my hair stylist had her business…is gone, wiped out in the firestorm. There are 68 major fires currently burning in the State of California. Thanks to our wonderful, brave firefighters from here, across the nation and the world!


	229. Chapter 229

No one but those with children had thought ahead to dinner that evening so they decided to once again have a potluck, this time on the beach. The grocery store was still open and this year the clerk smiled as the visitors purchased all of their picnic items (they'd stocked extra), all their charcoal and a lot of the fresh meat and vegetables. The owner made several calls early Monday morning to local farmers and suppliers for more of everything, once again their annual visitors had nearly wiped him out! Pete and Jim dug two fire pits and they roasted a variety of meat and vegetables. Lukas had frozen two additional batches of garlic potatoes; he and Jared ran back to the house and got them out of the freezer and those were set off to the side of the fire pits to thaw and heat. All of their cake from the Fourth was gone but the store had day old pastries from the bakery and the group snapped those up and a few frozen pies for dessert.

The Russells had the LED lanterns and brought those out and as dusk fell they could still see. Their meal was fun, somehow they always managed to turn odd bits of food into a gourmet feast, although as Rhea said, she thought it was more the fun of gathering and making it – not to mention the company. The Hardisters said later that they'd laughed the entire afternoon and now they believed the 'crazy' stories!

Talking about the 'old' days made Tim, Pete, Matt and Bec very nostalgic and checking the time, they called Ned to say hello. They reached him at the office as his team was on call this weekend and they'd had a case. He was happy to hear from them and laughed at the stories of the splash battle. He was sent a copy of the recording while they were on the phone and he promised to show his teammates who weren't sure they believed his wild tales. The recording also went to Leon with the title: Splash Battle, #1, 2021. He laughed as he watched it, noting that more of the women had joined in this year.

Kim and Evander stayed over as they were taking Monday off, planning to return to the mainland in time for Kim's class Monday evening. George was holding his classes an hour earlier this week and next to accommodate his friends, his students and so he could also spend more time with the visitors. Pete had also negotiated a later ferry run so that the group could visit the class and eat with them at the Flying Pig afterward rather than before. This year Tony had worked with the group to make their meal selection for Monday night. It was all set; they could have dinner together and still make the last ferry back to the island.

As Lina wanted a few things from the flea market, she, Rhea, Tim and the three oldest McGee children would take a midafternoon ferry to the mainland to do that before meeting the others at George's studio. Knowing the three younger kids would have more fun staying on the island, Poppy and Uncle Dave would take Sean and Jorry for a short hike to a pond on the island for some fishing. Zoe would play on the beach with Davey who was also staying behind while his parents and siblings went to the mainland. After their afternoon of fun, the four youngsters would hang out with the Kalivas' while Poppy and Uncle Dave cleaned up and then hopped an afternoon ferry to join their wives and the rest of the group.

Tim thought it was a little strange, in a good way, to spend the afternoon with Rhea without his dad. While he hadn't known her as long as Lina had, he'd already considered her a friend before she was introduced to Gibbs. And he'd classify them now as close although it was a relationship that resisted a clear definition: friend, family, a touch stepmother, his father's wife, which were two different things in his mind and his kids' grandmother.

They took the ferry to Piraeus and then a taxi from there to the Metro. Andy said he didn't think he'd taken a taxi before, at least not in Greece, and as always both he and Anna were interested in everything. Gemma was excited about shopping and although she enjoyed the ferry ride, she regarded it as a means to an end rather than the adventure her older sister and brother considered the trip.

When they got to the Metro station in Athens, Tim stopped them before they headed for the escalator and had them look out onto the flea market, just as his Uncle Jim had on their first visit here 7 years ago. Anna and Andy were tall enough but he held Gemma up so she could see. The little girl smiled, "Lots of places to shop!"

Rhea chuckled, "Yes, shopping but remember we're here to look for the things your mother wants."

Gemma nodded but Andy said, "Will we have a little time to look for other things? I thought I'd look for Christmas presents. I brought money and Uncle Nicolas helped me change it."

Anna nodded, "Me too."

Tim and Rhea looked at Lina who smiled back and said, "Of course!"

When they got to the flea market, they split up: Anna and Gemma went with Tim and Lina and Andy went with Rhea, the two groups agreeing to meet at a certain vendor's booth in an hour.

Anna and Gemma wanted to get one of the 'Family' plaques for the DiNozzos and Tim and Lina looked at each other, trying to remember whether anyone had ordered one for them. They finally decided it would be easier to ask the vendor and the four of them made their way to his stall. When reminded about the various plaques he'd done for various members of the family, the man nodded, he remembered them all. When Tim asked him about the DiNozzos, he looked through his orders and shook his head, he had not been asked. Grinning, Anna and Gemma presented the list of names for the DiNozzos' plaque. The man smiled, he was happy to do another plaque for another part of this large family. He promised to have it ready by Thursday and they paid him, Tim cautioning him that it might be one of the others picking it up. The vendor gave him his contact information so Tim could let him know who that would be. As they walked away the girls told their parents that Andy and the 'littles' had been in on this too but that their older brother really needed Rhea to help him with something.

Rhea and Andy were also having a good time; they'd found everything on their half of Lina's list and were now looking for the item Andy hoped to find for his dad's birthday. They laughed and waved as they saw Maisie and Claire at the yarn vendor. Rhea looked thoughtful, "You know, Andy, there are people here who are incredible craftsmen, if you can't find what you want, you can probably special order it and they'll ship it home for us." Andy nodded, that sounded good but he really hoped to find just the right piece so he could work on it himself.

There were a few stalls with wood craftsmen, besides the 'Family' plaque vendor, and as he and Rhea walked, he spotted just what he'd hoped to find. It was the right size, now he just needed to figure out how to make it and how to get it home. With Nonnie's help, he told the vendor what he wanted to make and why and the man was impressed. He took out a pad of paper and Andy drew the general outline of what he wanted and the vendor added a few details. Andy nodded, that was perfect! They'd already separated the piece of wood that Andy wanted; now they went on a hunt to find complementary smaller pieces of wood for the interior pieces. Using her artist's eye Nonnie also helped with that and finally they had them all. Andy and the vendor came to an agreement about the price and then Nonnie asked if he could ship it to the U.S. As it turned out, the craftsman was the husband of the yarn vendor, when he told them that his wife had shipped to the U.S. previously, he mentioned sweaters and that he and his wife could figure it out. Nonnie laughed and then translated for Andy before explaining the family connection to the vendor. They settled on a fair price for shipping and gave the big house address as that's where Andy would work on his project. He was so excited, he couldn't believe he'd found just what he wanted!

When the group reconvened at the end of the hour, they were well satisfied. Tim, Lina and the girls had ordered 2 beautiful shawls for Nonnie and Yaya from their yarn vendor and found some toys for Jorry, Sean and Zoe that would be fun Christmas presents. They'd also found something for Andy and Tim hoped that both girls could keep the secret!

Andy mentioned that they'd seen Gram and Aunt Claire at the yarn vendor and Tim was very proud of his daughters for not saying a word. For all their shopping, they had no bags as everything they'd purchased would be shipped home and that would make it easier to keep all the secrets!

It was a little early to head to the studio so they contacted Poppy, the Cranes, the Mallards and the Hubbards and found they were all fairly close by. Tim found the address of the small café near the Metro where Uncle Jim left his wallet years ago and it had coffee and ice cream, two essential menu items for this family. When Rhea and the McGees arrived there to meet the others, they laughed as they found Poppy with cups of coffee and tea at a large table. He handed his wife and son each a coffee, tea to Lina and then went to the front with the kids to get their ice cream. The others soon joined them and claimed the rest of the hot beverages. They relaxed over their drinks while the children enjoyed their treat.

Back at the Metro station in Piraeus, they had planned to take taxis to the studio but found that once again the Russells were making their family wagon available. Pete was waiting and they managed to squeeze the McGees, the Mallards and the Cranes in while the Gibbses and the Hubbards said they'd go ahead and take a taxi. Pete shook his head, it was only a short drive to the studio; he'd take this bunch over and come back for the others. They found shady places to wait as he drove off. He was back in a few minutes and they climbed in, grateful for the air conditioning.

George was happy to see them all; he and Dimitri planned to get to the island over the next weekend but it always made him feel good to see his former students and friends back in his studio. Tim had written to tell him he'd had to give up his classes as he no longer had any time to spare and now his former instructor was glad to see that he looked like he was still following a good solid exercise routine. Andy and Anna watched the students, fascinated, and were thrilled when George asked them to demonstrate their moves.

After class, they squeezed into various cars, Pete again making two trips, and headed to the Flying Pig for what had become the annual gathering of the old group. With the children there with them, they weren't quite as crazy as usual, but everyone had a good time and Nick and Janeese said later they'd laughed so hard they could barely eat their food. Dimitri and George joined them and told the couple plenty of stories, although both were careful with what they said in front of the kids. The "Dance Troupe" banner had been resurrected and was up on the wall of the back room along with several photos of the original group of George's students at their FP gatherings and how it changed over the years, including shots of the larger groups from their various visits. Checking out the banner, the kids made a request, one that sounded suspiciously like a challenge: that the "Dance Troupe" show their stuff. The ones who were there agreed, although they'd need practice and would have to work with Damian to do that. Kids and dancers agreed that the weekend would be a good time and George and Dimitri promised to dance with them.

Kim and Evander bid their friends goodbye afterward, they'd see them again that weekend. The brothers Avramidis helped ferry their friends back to the boat dock and also bid them goodnight but not farewell. As they were the only passengers on the ferry ride back to the island, the group kept their "joie de vivre" spirits going.

The vacationers continued their carefree life on the island the rest of the week. Tony and Maggie took Emma and the Colonel sailing one day, much to their delight. The Cranes went on a sunset dinner cruise and reported seeing dolphins. Uncle Jim and Uncle Dave also rented a sailboat and several of the children joined them for sailing lessons. Others rented jet skis, went hiking, rented bicycles, played miniature golf, visited the museums and shopped their way through town. Tim made reservations at one of their favorite island restaurants and the Hubbards and Cranes came over to stay with the kids. As Lina finished dressing, she remarked that it was fun getting dressed up and going out; Tim glanced over at her and stopped in his tracks. She was radiant, the color was back in her skin, her eyes were clear and bright, he swept her into his arms and it was only the kids chattering outside their room that interrupted them. Laughing, Lina tenderly wiped her lipstick off of Tim's face and then her own, they patted their hair back into place, straightened their clothes and decided they'd better go. They drove the few blocks into town so they could have a moonlit drive afterward. They ate on the terrace, wrapped up in each other. They did go for a drive afterward but neither could say where they'd gone. It was a wonderful evening that brought them back to their first days together.

XXX

As anticipated, Damian agreed to 'get the band back together' and they set up several practices for their show that weekend. The first practice would have been pretty dismal if they hadn't all been laughing so hard. Geo hadn't done any Greek dancing in years while Tim and Matt had done some but not recently and they were woefully out of practice. Damian recruited his family, parents, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece and nephews to help whip them into shape while Lina coached from the sidelines, occasionally stepping in to demonstrate a step or a movement. By their third practice they were performing almost as well as they had on the first video and by their fifth one they were doing pretty well. Kim reported that she and Evander had been practicing in the evenings and Tim was happy to report that Tea and Adan had been in touch to let them know they'd be on the island over the weekend with Tea's parents; Adan and possibly his in-laws would join them in the dance. If adding more people who knew the dances well didn't exactly make Tim, Matt and Geo any better at the steps, it at least gave them more experts to follow. The older kids and young adults also practiced with them.

It was Wednesday before Lina finally walked through town on her own shopping trip, accompanied by several of the other women. They had their usual fun going in and out of the shops and Janeese told Nick later she was no longer surprised when so many of the shopkeepers seemed to know the group. The owner of the children's store was not disappointed when the women arrived with Fiona in her stroller, Zoe and Davey sharing another one. Lina didn't stay in there long this year, she found it too painful. Rhea left with her and they headed for another favorite store. Sarah explained to the puzzled shop owner what had happened and the woman frowned, saddened to hear of the loss.

Aside from the incident at the store Lina was thoroughly enjoying their vacation and was able to forget for hours at a time. Being able to hang out on the beach, swim or wade along the shoreline with the kids or her husband was wonderful.

The day the uncles took the older kids for the sailing lessons, the Gibbses, Geo and Bec took the four younger children and Tim and Lina found themselves alone for the day. At first they thought they'd rent a car and drive to another part of the island but then Tim realized that Lina had only had one brief swim since they'd been here. The Hubbards were going to be away from the house most of the day so the McGees took their beach gear, including Lina's lounge chair and a cooler full of snacks and spent the day in the Hubbards private backyard. They swam for several laps and then rested in the shade, enjoying each other's company.

Lina smiled at her husband, "We see each other every day and sleep together all night but these moments when we're truly alone together are precious, aren't they?

He nodded, "Yes sweetie, I feel like that too. And that was a big part of why we came this year, to have time together, relaxing time."

She nodded, "The children are having a wonderful time. And I'm glad they're doing some different things – learning how to sail, although I still think Andy is too young for a jet ski."

Tim nodded his agreement and Lina continued, "Nic and Margaret want to take all of them on Monday."

"All of them, all day?"

She laughed, "Yes, most of the day anyway. They've invited Damian and Matt so they'll have plenty of adults."

"And the kids will be more comfortable with the uncles. You know, this will be a good chance for them to get to know your brother and Margaret better – and Zander and Dmitri too. How do you feel about it?"

"I agree with you, Timotheos. Those were the first thoughts that popped into my mind."

"If they're going to be gone, then why don't we rent the car and drive over to that beach then?"

She smiled, "That sounds like a wonderful idea! And how about if we ask Nicolas and Margaret for dinner that night?"

He shook his head, "No, that's too much for you in one day, love. How about we have a combined McGee-Kalivas lunch the next day? We can maybe ask the Cranes and the Hubbards to watch the kids…oh, that won't work."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not just our 6, there are 18 kids…ours, Sarah's 4, Emma, the 4 Palmers, Tad and Nicolas' 2. They'll need more adults than that!"

She shook her head, "You're right, all right, potluck on the beach for everyone then."

"On Tuesday."

"Yes."

"All right, I'll talk to Dad, Papa and Pete about it." Tim had a look on his face.

"Timotheos?"

"I'm just wishing we had more time to spend with everyone. I'm glad we just saw Pete and Trina and Kim and Evander at home - that helps."

"Yes and we saw the Morrises – and Lydia – which we didn't really expect. You're missing your brother and Ned."

He huffed, "No, love…well yes, but really I'm missing you!"

"Oh you are the sweetest man!"

They cuddled for a while before Tim pulled back and looked at her, "Want to go back to the house?"

She gave him a wicked look, he uttered a low growl and they both laughed as they grabbed their belongings and headed back to their place as quickly as possible. They spent the afternoon in bed making love as if it was the first time. It had been like that every time they were together on this trip, a heady rush of passion and tenderness.

Kim and Evander, Tea and Adan, the Avramidis brothers and the NCIS team visited over the weekend. While Evander worked, Kim rode over on the ferry with the brothers, Tea, Adan and her parents on Saturday morning. Evander arrived on a later ferry with a big smile, he'd sold another house! To celebrate his success, they had another splash battle followed, eventually, by one of the group's 'all in' potlucks. The recording of the splash battle was of course sent to those missing from the group.

Before their potluck they were still in the water and on the beach when they heard the ferry approaching the dock. Poppy's phone buzzed, he squinted as he looked at the text and then smiled at his kids. "Ziva's here - on the ferry!" There was a mad dash for shoes of any kind as the McGee siblings and the Gibbses headed for the dock. Ziva's face lit up when she saw them all and once she was down the gangplank she burrowed right into their hugs, giving Poppy, Rhea and each of her siblings a kiss. "Oh it has been so long!" She laughed, "I could not make it to from New York to Virginia for Ainsley's graduation but here I am in Greece! And we thought living in the U.S. would make it easier!" She looked around, "I cannot wait to meet Emma and see how big baby Fiona is and all the other children!" She reached out to Tim, "How is Melina?"

"She's doing pretty well Ziva, being here with everyone really helps. You'll see her, she's on the beach - just about everybody is." Geo took her suitcase and they headed back to the beach. Poppy still had his arms around his daughter as Rhea told her, "You're staying with us in the big house, it's the same one as last year." Ziva nodded, grinning, "That will be wonderful, thank you!"

The parade was met by the Mallards and Penny who greeted their granddaughter quite happily before giving way to the children who were behind them, trying to be patient. They knew not to swarm Aunt Ziva as she held out her arms to them. After kissing each one of them, she looked up to see James holding a beautiful baby and Maggie standing with a young girl who was trying not to fidget. "James, Maggie, hello! And this must be Emma, hello, I'm your Aunt Ziva! A much belated welcome to the family." She put out her hand to shake Emma's hand and the youngster grinned at her. Ziva whispered, "I have a welcome to the family gift for you in my suitcase, I will give it to you later."

Emma nodded and gave her newest aunty a kiss on the cheek. Ziva gave her a light hug and then said, "And is this your cousin Fiona?"

Emma nodded, "She's almost 7 months old!"

"Oh my, that went fast!" She played with Fiona's hands for a minute and the baby squealed happily. Ziva smiled, "I remember Zoe and Davey doing that too."

Davey peered up at her and held his arms up to be held. She picked him up and danced with him for a little bit. When Zoe wanted in on the action, she did the same thing and in return Zoe gave her a kiss.

After greeting Lina and the others, Ziva continued down the path to the big house with her grandfather and father. She quickly unpacked, changed and then the three of them headed back to the beach. As they walked, Grandfa frowned, "Ziva what flight were you on from New York? Jethro and I looked online as we were trying to guess when you'd get in."

"I apologize; I should have told you but nothing had been confirmed yet last time we spoke. I left New York before you left for Greece; I have been in the Middle East for the past week, working. So I am all over my jet lag!"

"That's good! We want to spend as much time as possible with you, dear girl."

She smiled, "And I with you! Now tell me, are there plans for the holidays yet? "

Poppy shook his head, "No, we haven't gotten that far yet."

"Is Lina still not well? She sounds like herself although she is not as vibrant as usual."

The two men chuckled as the older man replied, "She is far more vibrant than she has been, believe it or not. This whole thing with the ectopic pregnancy, the anemia, the surgery and then the miscarriage really knocked her down. She is much better than she was but I have to say I'm glad she's still taking it easy."

Ziva was concerned but decided to wait and observe. "And how is our book going?"

Grandfa grinned, "Marvelously, Ziva, and we've gotten more done here as well as on the flight over. And we'll work this week while you're here."

She nodded, "Good, I am looking forward to that!"

They'd reached the beach enclave by then and she was warmly welcomed by those who hadn't yet had a chance.

That night, they cranked the music up and then the dancers got busy. The kids loved it and the Greek cousins jumped right in with the rest of the family. The others joined and everyone had a wonderful time. The Hardisters had seen the dance videos several times and they'd seen Damian, Lina, Tim, Matt and the Ks dancing at home so they knew some of the steps and also jumped right in. The McGee children knew some of the steps and joined in, pulling the rest of their cousins and friends with them. Even baby Fiona danced, held tightly in her father's arms. Lina and Tea watched and laughed as they took turns recording the dance, sometimes laughing too hard to hold the phone steady.

Luckily all the weekend visitors were staying over so nobody had to run for the ferry or the hydrofoil Saturday night. After church the next morning, Papas Theo teased them about the dancing. "I heard there was a party down among the rentals last night and that some fine dance steps were executed!" He paused, "You know, I would have been happy to help you out!" They laughed as he stomped his feet to show them. He joined them for lunch once again and regaled them with more stories.

Pete listened to his stories while watching the reactions of their friends and family. He and Trina were having a wonderful time with all their friends and their two younger children while missing their two eldest. Stephan and Phoebe hadn't been able to spare the time to come home this summer; Stephan because he was taking summer courses to jump start his medical training and Phoebe because she'd been accepted at FLETC and was halfway through the course that would train her to be a federal agent! She hoped to be offered a job at NCIS as she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps as a field agent. During her college years she'd taken MMA classes and worked with local police departments in their community programs. She'd even gone on a few ride-alongs although she reported that nothing much had happened. Still, it had given her more of a look at real life law enforcement work. Her parents were proud of her and her siblings. While Trina was not horribly enthusiastic about Phoebe's career choice she was determined to be supportive. She just hoped Lukas and Kyra would find careers that didn't put them in danger. Lukas was studying art history, he had always been the most artistic of her children and Kyra wanted to be a forensic scientist although she was also taking accounting courses and making noises about also wanting to be a professional chef. When Trina had mentioned the forensics and accounting to Tim when they visited, his eyes lit up.

"A forensic accountant, that's excellent. Maybe along with the general forensics?" Trina had shrugged and Tim thought he'd talk with Kyra about it when he saw her.

Pete watched Tim now and saw that both he and Lina looked rested and relaxed that evening; that was good. He thought Lina looked better than she had when they got here, certainly better than when they last saw them in California. They'd needed the break from their busy lives. He supposed it also did their children good to spend time with the family and extended family without having to rush off after a brief visit. This gave the kids a chance to see the combined McGee-Kalivas clan as a whole and that was important. He remembered Andy saying he really hadn't figured out who was who until he'd met them all last summer and he thought that was probably true for young Emma DiNozzo this summer. She'd been shy with them when they arrived but she'd relaxed over their week here and was now at ease with everyone.

He watched the agents; he was glad Rusty had worked with Tim, Bec and Ned before their departures. The young Team Lead showed very little interest in leaving Greece and Pete wondered if he'd stay as long as he had. That would really be something, he tried to remember the kid's age when they first spoke with him, back when they transferred Bec onto the team and then thought about him still being here as Team Lead when the McGees moved home in 12 years. That would certainly break his record! He'd noticed there was some extra warmth between Rusty and the newest agent, Denise. He believed that she had some Greek in her background and chuckled inwardly, thinking about his own history: coming to Greece to work, meeting a Greek American woman and never leaving. Now wouldn't that be something if Rusty and Denise made the same connection!

He was startled when Tim appeared next to him. "Wow you looked like you were a thousand miles away!"

"Actually I was right here but I was 12 years in the future."

Tim grinned, "And 5 months. We'll probably move after Christmas so the kids can start school in January. Everyone but Andy and maybe Anna will still be at home."

Pete chuckled, "Yeah and although Andy and Anna might not be at home, they might come with you."

"That's fine with Lina and me as long as they're working on establishing their own lives. Rob and Sarah lived with me into their 20s."

Pete nodded, "I always forget about that. I know you raised them from toddlers but I don't think about you still being Timpa once you started at NCIS." He suddenly laughed, "I just realized that by the time Zoe is grown you will have raised 8 kids, Timothy!"

Tim just shook his head. "Eight wonderful people, Pete. I love watching them grow into themselves, to see each new discovery. I still get a kick out of that with Sarah and Rob. Sarah's such a warm loving mother, I never would have guessed that would happen – she always said she was never going to have children. And the work she's done on the Sibling Home is phenomenal, she just ran with it! And Rob - he's done some growing up; I think the year in Greece without any of us around and having a successful relationship must have helped."

"That's good - I guess each of us matures in our own way and in our own time."

Tim chuckled and patted his friend on the back. "Can't speak for anyone else, Pete, but it's sure true for me, I'm still working on it!"


	230. Chapter 230

CH 230

Sunday night, Tim arranged for the kids to have dinner and spend the evening with their aunts and uncles while he ordered two of his and Lina's favorite meals from another favorite restaurant on Aegina and put a large number of the LED candles he'd brought with them on the table and around the dining area. She was taking a nap when he slipped out to get their dinners and he managed to get the table set, beverages poured and their dinners plated and put in the oven to keep warm before he woke her with a kiss.

"Mmm, Timotheos…come here."

He chuckled, "Cuddling will have to wait my love; I have a surprise for you!"

Her face lit up, she loved surprises. She looked at him and then listened, "I don't hear the children."

"That's because they're not here, LinaMelina. They're having dinner with aunts, uncles and cousins." "Oh! Well then…is that my surprise?"

"Part of it, yes. Come into the other room with me."

She rose and followed him to the dining area and her eyes widened as she saw the table. There was a low bowl with flowers and the table was strewn with additional flower petals (not roses, Tim was mindful of Andy's allergies) and lit with several LED candles scattered around. The whole room had a soft glow and she smiled, "It's beautiful, very romantic my love! And what feast have you made us?"

"I have not! A romantic setting and food brought home from the restaurant."

"Wonderful! Oh, this is lovely!"

He pulled her chair out for her and she sat and watched as he pulled the plates from the oven and brought them to the table. They ate slowly, enjoying being together and the sumptuous feast which Tim topped with an elegant chocolate mousse.

After dinner, he put some music on and they danced slowly for a little while. Then he scooped her up and carried her back to bed where they made sweet love. When she fell asleep he quickly cleaned up the kitchen/dining area and was writing on his laptop when there was a quiet knock on the door. He opened it to find Tony, Geo and Matt each carrying one of his little ones, with Gemma, Anna and Andy holding hands and yawning. He thanked his brothers and tucked the kids into bed.

He was up very early the next morning as the writing group was again meeting in the spare room. With only slightly less coffee and tea than they'd had during their first session, they had Ziva's agreement on everything they'd done, put the stamp of approval on the chapters Tim had written and worked together on rough drafts. With what they had in outlines and rough drafts, they really only had 4 or 5 more chapters to go. They decided to meet every morning this week to see if they could get it done and then they'd do anything still left to do, hopefully just the epilogue, on the flight home. Tim presented their ideas for titles and they took a blind vote. There was a tie however, so there was no firm decision that day. Ziva had an idea for the cover art: "What about the team walking toward a sunrise, rather than a sunset?" They all liked that, they could have profiles of the six of them walking out of the shadows toward a rising sun. Tim made a note to let the publisher know and they finished up with their work for the morning.

The group had decided not to go back to George's studio and the FP that evening. With their departure for home later this week, everyone wanted to cram in as much beach-ocean- fun times together as possible. The McGees spent Monday playing on the beach, in the water and strolling and rolling through town while their friends played with them or went sailing, hiking, horseback riding, biking or jet skiing. The Hardisters took the ferry back to the mainland to see more of Athens, feeling a little guilty that they'd seen so few of the historic sites. The Gibbses took the ferry with them, rented a car and drove up to Nafplioni for a romantic overnight getaway.

They had a potluck that night and Nick and Janeese told them what they'd seen that day. They'd spent some time at the Benaki and climbed the Acropolis, saw the agora and admitted that after that headed for the flea market. They said next time they'd likely rent a car and do some day trips. The others just grinned, appreciating that they were already planning for 'next time'.

The Gibbses returned mid afternoon Tuesday and dived right into the preparations for a progressive dinner that evening. Just about everyone was still on the beach late that afternoon when they heard the ferry. They weren't expecting anyone so other than noting that the ferry had arrived, no one said anything. Tim was just getting out of the water with Jorry; he and Geo had been playing with the kids, when he glanced down the beach and grinned in surprise, "Hey!"

The approaching couple called "Hey" back and joined the group. It was Kim and Evander, they'd come to spend the evening and would leave on the first ferry out in the morning. They already had their swimsuits on and were quickly in the water. Jethro and Davos looked at each other and grinned. They gave the couple a few minutes to enjoy their swim and then gave a battle cry. Knowing what that meant, the kids under 16 climbed out of the water and stood on the shore as the men and women ran into the ocean for what would probably be the last splash battle of their vacation.

It was quite a splash battle and it was declared a three-way tie by Lina. Plenty of photos had been taken and the whole thing was once again recorded by Lina and sent out to their friends. Once the group had dried off, they cleaned up their trash, returned the sun shelter for the night, packed up and headed for their houses to finalize preparations for their progressive dinner. This time they'd start at the DiNozzos for drinks and meze, the latter freshly made by Hélène, Chloe and Margaret. They'd then proceed to the Russells for their meal of barbecued lamb and vegetable kabobs. Following that they'd head back to the beach for a walk and then end their dinner at the big house with dessert provided by the Gibbses, Penny and the Mallards. The McGees, Powells, Palmers and the others had chipped in to help pay for everything and also provided the paper plates, cups, napkins and plastic cutlery for their feast. James, Jimmy, Uncle Jim and Tim also took on the responsibility of figuring out how many tables, chairs and benches would be needed at each place and moved furniture accordingly. The high schoolers and young adults pitched in to help with that. That was great because it all had to be moved back afterward!

They had a wonderful time although they had to have two walks on the beach due to the group's meze consumption. It was a huge hit and they were all so full when they left the DiNozzos that Dr. Jimmy proclaimed an extra walk. They used the same rules Stephan had established, the Gibbses led and the Russells brought up the rear, kids under 7 held an adult's hand, those under 4 were carried back and there were even more flashlights.

Back at the Russells and feeling a little less stuffed, it didn't stop them from enjoying every bite of the lamb and veggie kabobs and various side dishes that appeared. They took their time, relaxing over their main course and it was nearly 90 minutes before they rose and once again went for a walk. This time it was a leisurely stroll and they returned to the big house to find a dessert bar set up for them. There were cupcakes, fruit pies, cookies, and berries with whipped cream and underneath the counter, a cooler with containers of ice cream buried under ice. They ate their fill knowing whatever was left from this feast would be their last dinner together Wednesday night. Everyone but the McGees said goodbye to Kim and Evander that night, knowing they'd be gone before any of them were up and around the next morning.

The couple left early Wednesday morning, kissing and hugging the McGees. Kim thought it was actually harder this time because they'd already had their trip to the U.S.; they wouldn't see their friends in person until next summer.

Once they'd gone, the furniture moving team made sure it was all returned to the correct houses and that all the mess was cleaned up. The writing group met one last time before the flight; people who had held off shopping until the last minute visited the stores; the families with young children packed everything but what they'd need that day and the next, houses were tidied and searched for any stray personal belongings and then they headed for the beach for one last day. The vendor who rented them the sun shelter everyday smiled sadly as they took it to the beach for the last time. Along with the rest of the shop keepers and business owners in town, he looked forward to the group's arrival every year and dreaded their departure. It was barely midsummer; there would be plenty more visitors to the island, but none were so generous and as…fun…as this group.

They'd just gotten the sun shelter up and were settling the coolers, chairs, Fiona's portable crib (really an old fashioned play pen) and towels inside when they heard the ferry arriving. Once again, they weren't expecting anyone but as Tim emerged from the shelter he heard a familiar voice calling, "Ahoy there, can anyone join this crowd?"

As he looked up his jaw dropped open and then he grinned and welcomed his boss to the party. "Bit late aren't you?"

Vance roared with laughter and Tim chuckled, "Thought we weren't supposed to be on vacation at the same time?"

"We're not, I'm officially working in the Piraeus office today and tomorrow. When you go back to work on Friday, I'll officially start my vacation."

Tim shook his head and the two men had a hug. "Very sneaky, I'll have to remember this. When did you arrive? You could have come over on the weekend!"

"Nah, I didn't get in until yesterday. I was going to come over but decided I'd better put in an appearance at the office first."

"Did they know?"

"Mayhew did and they were just coming back in from a call out when I walked in. Kim was packing to leave for the day – to come over here – and I briefly thought of pretending I wasn't coming over here but she's too smart for that. In fact she tried to talk me into coming over with them, but I'd made an appointment with the Ambassador and I sure didn't want to cancel that! So she promised to keep it to herself and off she went."

"And you?"

"Had my meeting with Madame Ambassador and then crashed at Pete and Trina's for about 12 hours! And now here I am!" The others had spotted him and were gathering around now. Andy and his grandfather were chuckling and Leon raised an eyebrow. Gibbs nudged his grandson whose eyes got big before he finally said, "Poppy said he thought you might have figured out a way so you and my dad could both be here and I said maybe you'd come over and work in this office."

Gibbs added, "And I said I'd brag about Andy's smarts if that turned out to be what you did."

Leon laughed and gave the kid a high five, "Congratulations, Timothy Andrew, you've figured me out! Yes, until your dad goes back to work, I'm working at the office here and then I'll officially be on vacation but I couldn't resist visiting today." He leaned in, "I really did do some work today." Andy blushed and Poppy ruffled his hair. "Well come on, are you guys done with the beach or what? And where's Lina?" Tim smiled, "She's asleep in the sun shelter." Leon and Tim walked over, the others greeting their friend and boss. Emma remembered him from a visit to her mom's office and smiled hello while her cousins hugged the guy she thought might be her mom and dad's boss. Leon smiled at the new DiNozzo, shaking her hand and greeting the others. He hadn't seen the little McGees since February and was amazed at how big the boys and Zoe were getting. When Zoe told him she was almost "free" he figured out that was three and shook his head. He had a quiet conversation with Lina and came away feeling better about her health, he'd been very concerned there for awhile as he was sure they'd all been.

Anna asked if they were allowed to take his picture and he laughed and then stopped to think. "You know, that's a good question Anna. Maybe with my kids, Dani, Ross and the Russells, how's that?" She nodded and then looked at her Nonnie who smiled and handed her phone over, trying not to roll her eyes. They gathered that group and took the photo.

Those who were watching might have noticed that Dani stood next to him but no one said anything. Lina smiled to herself, she knew her friend had had a thing for Leon since she'd met him at Pete's that first Christmas after his wife had died. Trina had also figured it out and they did their best not to scheme but with Jared and Kayla now gone from the nest, Leon might be ready to date again. Dani hadn't been sure what impact Kayla and Ross' relationship might have but she'd decided to just relax and see what happened. In the meantime, she and Leon kept in touch via e-mail and Skype.

Most of the group was oblivious to all this and just enjoyed the fun of Leon's sneaking in a vacation day while Tim was also here. The writing group had a quick meeting with Leon who was happy to be brought into the story once again.

The clan had an excellent day on the beach and in the water. Wanting the kids to sleep that night, the leftover desserts, including the ice cream, made their way to the sun shelter where they were devoured. By late afternoon everyone was gathered on the beach and Tim looked up from where he was sitting with Lina under the sun shelter when Pete approached him. "Timothy, Melina, we'd like to see you both."

Lina had been resting for awhile so she joined Tim on the sand where they found everyone gathered, grinning at them, and Uncle Dave spoke. "We've realized that if it weren't for Timothy, most of us wouldn't know each other – and we certainly wouldn't be the family we've become. Melina, when you and Tim met and fell in love, it brought us all together, one big and almost always happy family. We can't separate the two events, Tim finding Jim and me and you and Tim meeting, they're intertwined, always will be. Then when you made the brilliant decision to get married on this island, even in late November, you sealed our fates! Tim, I know it was first Pete's team, then yours, then Bec's, Ned's and now Rusty's who came here, still come here for your Fourth celebrations and you added us into the mix. And then came the children, all of these wonderful, beautiful children! We're not sure how to say this except very simply, thank you! We…all of us here…have friends and family we never would have known without you two. We wish you the best of luck and health and look forward to next summer when we can be together again – and maybe Leon can sneak in another day or two!"

The crowd cheered while Tim and Lina laughed and hugged whoever was near them. Eventually they went back to swimming and beachcombing while Tim and Lina tried to figure out what had brought all that on. They finally asked Uncle Dave who chuckled, "I was talking with Nicolas about the new store and then I asked what country Ariston and Paolo were expanding their business to and he told me the UK, specifically Manchester. He told me they hadn't realized until the Ks were there for Sarah and James' wedding how big the Greek expat population was there. And that let us to realizing how unlikely a family we are, how we know these things about each other when most of us have lived our lives complete strangers living thousands of miles apart in different countries, on different continents and really started out having only you two in common.

"It's pretty amazing when you think about it. Tim, you left DC, arrived in London, stayed with James who then took in first Rob and then Sarah. You moved on to Greece, met the Russells and the others and through the Russell kids, met Lina. Two days later you found Jim and me and from there it all snowballed. And look what we have: your marriage and children, Maisie and Don finding each other again, Sarah and James' marriage and children, Jimmy and Breena bringing Ethan and Stevie home, Matt and Damian, Ned and Rob, Jethro and Rhea…it goes on and on. You used to talk about the ripples from Ariston's disclosure to Davos and they were many, I'll grant you that. But I think, Timothy, that the ripples from your decision to leave DC, to leave Gibbs' team and Leon's determination to help you, I think those ripples are ultimately affecting even more people. Anna and Gemma, Andy and Sean, Emma, Adam, Audrey and Evan…where would they be if all this hadn't happened? And I know it hasn't always been easy but Tim, Lina, look around you, this is all thanks to you two, your love, your generosity."

He chuckled at the two of them. "Ok, I'll stop with the schmaltz, but you did ask! And what I've said is the honest truth!" He kissed each of them and then waded into the water for a swim. Then Zoe and the boys wanted their parents and that distracted them from their thoughts as Tim found Geo and they took the boys out for a dip while Lina and Zoe went for a stroll, letting their toes get washed by the wavelets at the shoreline. All too soon it was time to take the sun shelter down and return it, to clean up their trash, pack up their belongings and head back to the houses for their dinner of leftovers. Leon had decided to stay the night; he'd brought a 'go' bag just in case and now he feasted on the lamb and vegetables and lamented missing the meze and dessert.

After their last dinner together, full of more photos, laughter and fun, the group split up to return to their vacation homes, finish packing and get ready to leave, saying their farewells to those they were leaving behind in the morning. The Kalivas' siblings, minus Damian, were leaving on a later ferry and Dani and the Russells were staying on for a few days.

Back at the house, Tim and Lina tucked their kids into bed, kissing them and reminding them they'd be back next year. They walked out to the kitchen to see their fathers in the backyard, building a fire in the fire pit. The two of them joined them and soon enough were joined by Hélène, the Hardisters, the Cranes and Tobias, Maggie and Tony who explained that the Colonel was home with Emma, Geo and Bec and the Hubbards. They sat quietly chatting about this and that, enjoying the last few hours of their vacation. None of them were surprised when Leon and Pete slipped in. "We were going for a late night walk on the beach and smelled the fire."

Tim smiled, the planned gatherings were always fun but he really loved these spontaneous ones. Leon was glad he and Tim had talked all those weeks ago, his friend was more relaxed tonight than he'd seen since… well, since last year when they were all here. Jackie had been right all those years ago and he was glad he'd passed down her 'direct order' to McGee.

When Tim saw that Lina was tired he stood up. "You're welcome to stay, just please whoever is last please make sure the fire is out! Lina and I need to get some rest, after all we have a long day of sitting tomorrow!"

The others wished them good night and as Tim followed Lina inside he looked back to see the group disbursing and his dad and Davos extinguishing the fire.

As they'd said before, one of the many good things about a charter was that you could set your own arrival and departure times, although with an international flight, attention also had to be paid to times your destination airfields were open! That said, their flight would leave between 10:30 and 11:00 AM, depending on air traffic. That meant they would take the 8:30 ferry to the mainland and be at the airport in plenty of time.

Geo and Bec were aboard the school bus when it came for their luggage the next day and after everything but their carry-on bags were loaded, they climbed on the hotel shuttles that had once again arrived to transport them to the dock. They waved goodbye to whoever might be looking as they rode through town and when they were all aboard and the ferry reversed out of the dock, it gave a long blast. Tim was amused to see that Leon was with them; his boss just smiled and said, "I really do need to work!"

Tim nodded, "Believe me, I totally understand! But you are going to follow the rule, right? Come Friday, you're off duty for two weeks."

His boss gave him a big smile, "Oh yeah!" Then he got serious, "SecNav knows where I am and if you have any questions or problems, let her know, she's very good about helping. And you can always…"

At Tim's raised eyebrow, Leon chuckled, "I was going to say, 'wing it'!"

Tim nodded, "Sure why not!"

"Tom Morrow will be available in a pinch."

"Okay."

"And your dad or Rick."

Tim shook his head as he laughed, "Lord, Leon! I'll be fine and I promise not to break the agency while you're away! You sound like me the first time we had a babysitter for Jorry!"

"Uh…"

"Yeah!"

"I know you'll be fine, just wanted you to know some resources."

"Appreciate it, Director!" Laughing at each other, the two headed inside for coffee.

The boat docked, Leon said goodbye and hopped into a taxi for his trip to the office. The luggage was offloaded onto yet another bus with Geo and Tony accompanying it; their transportation arrived and they climbed in for the short trip to the airport. There they found Lydia, Cole, Tea and Adan waiting for them and after going through their version of security, boarded the jet. As they boarded, Tony started singing a folk song written by John Denver in the 60's: "Leaving on a Jet Plane". Maggie joined him and Maisie, Jim and Jimmy hummed along as the group got settled. They got the kids settled, buckled up and sat back as the doors were closed and locked and the jet rolled down the runway, headed back across the Atlantic.


	231. Chapter 231

Thanks to HarmonFreak1, my beta, co-author and good friend...you totally rock!

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><p>CH 231<p>

Tim later thought it was probably the busiest transatlantic flight he'd ever had. The writing group was determined to get as close to finished as possible on the trip across the Atlantic and they spent several hours working on their book, only stopping when the flight attendants came to ask if they had time to eat lunch. They'd made great progress and were confident that they'd have the book done in another few months, long before any of them had expected.

Tim and his father spent most of their non-writing flight time with Sarah, Ziva, Geo and Tony. The Mallards would leave the flight in DC and would re-join the western clan shortly before school started. Penny would continue on with them and stay for as long as they needed her.

All too soon, and none of them ever thought they'd say that about an 11 hour flight, the jet started the descent into the DC area. The westerners hugged and kissed the easterners and promised to let them know when they got home. Nick and Janeese watched, noting Tim's mood change as most of his family members deplaned. Nick frowned as he noticed one of the families hadn't gotten out when he expected them to, or at least not all of the family. One of the family members noticed and winked at him and he relaxed, seeing that this was likely a surprise for the McGees. It was; when the door closed, Tim looked at his uncle, aunt and cousin. "Uh, Unca Jim, Aunt Claire, Callum?"

"We're going with you, Tim. We three are staying at the big house and Ainsley will stay with Mum and Don." Claire looked over and smiled at him, "Hope that's ok?"

Lina and Tim grinned at each other and joined their kids in a cheer. "YAY!"

They walked, ate, talked and walked the few hours it took them to fly across country. Tim took advantage of the time to continue writing although he also spent time with his children and the others. Soon enough they were once again descending, this time into San Diego County airspace. Once they got the rental vehicles, they loaded up and started the short drive home. Reversing the drive of two weeks prior, they dropped Tea and Adan, Alexis and Cole, Damian and Matt in Del Mar before continuing on to Preston. The vans stopped at the Hardisters' home to drop off them off and then stopped at the McGees long enough to drop Lina, the children and the luggage off and get everyone and everything inside. Penny and Rhea stayed with them along with the empty van while the other one continued on to the big house for everyone else. Once they had people and luggage inside the big house, they returned the vans and drove back to the house. Now they were home!

Jim laughed as they pulled into the McGees' driveway, "You guys have this down to a science!"

Tim and Davos gave him tired smiles while Jethro replied, "Oh yeah. It's much more fun when Duck rents limos for us but it's expensive to do often."

Jim frowned as Tim started to get out. "Looks like you have company!"

Tim looked and shook his head, "You didn't see them and Dad will explain. See you guys tonight for dinner." He kissed the three of them, waited for Rhea and Penny to come out, kissed them and then went inside. It was time to collapse for a few hours!

Jim blinked in surprise as Jethro told him the suits he 'hadn't seen' were Tim's security detail. "And as soon as they've checked in with him, they'll be over to check you four out." He looked at Penny, "I can't remember whether you've been here since Tim was sworn in as the Assistant Director?" She shook her head. "Their job is to protect Tim from all threats and that protection extends to his family. It didn't take them long to figure out that whoever is visiting the big house might as well be staying with the McGees, so they'll be over. Penny, they're expecting you but Jim, they weren't expecting you. Tim sent them a text from the jet but he never got an acknowledgement so they may not have received it. Just have your driver's licenses ready for them and Callum's passport will be fine."

Jim whistled, "Wow, that's really something. Do they go everywhere with him?"

"More or less. When he was driving himself to and from work and didn't have any stops, they kept a tail car on him. He dropped Rhea and me off at the airport once and since he didn't go in, they didn't. But when he went in to pick someone up…they went in too. When Lina got sick and Tim was so worried, I persuaded him to let them drive him to and from work, that lets him get a little more rest and they can get him home faster in an emergency."

"That all sounded so frightening. I'm glad she's so much better although of course losing a child is horrible." They were out of the Ford now and walking back into the big house.

Rhea nodded. "Her life wasn't in danger but she was so exhausted, Tim started worrying shortly after her return from Spain."

Jethro shook his head, "And on top of that Tim felt like he was drowning in work. It was not the best time any of us have had."

Penny frowned, "I had no idea it was that bad, Jethro."

He nodded, "I know Penny; Tim didn't want anyone to worry about him."

Her eyes narrowed, "But it's better now, right? I know Lina is; I mean Tim's work."

Jethro nodded and gave her a little smile. "I wasn't the greatest boss to Tim but I try very hard to be a good dad. I helped him where I could; he spoke with Leon and they got things straightened out."

Penny patted him on the shoulder, "You are a good dad, Jethro - to all of them." He nodded his appreciation, reeling inside as that was high praise from his kids' grandmother!

Claire and Callum had already taken all the Hubbards' luggage upstairs so Jim helped Davos and Jethro and then found Claire in their room. "Oh boy that was a long day!"

She laughed, "And it's only mid-day here! We're reliving our lives!"

Jim shook his head, "Now I can't believe they came to Ainsley's graduation. All that flying and disruption for three days!"

"Five days, dear, they ended up on the private jet, remember?"

"Yeah, but still."

"James Stirling Hubbard, you know how important family is to Tim!" He nodded as he lay down next to her, kicking his shoes off. "Ye…." was the last thing he tried to say as he drifted off to sleep.

XXX

Tim woke up a few hours later, curled up around his wife. He looked at the clock, 1500. He'd gotten as far as taking their main dish for dinner out of the freezer and he wasn't going to worry about anything else until later. He closed his eyes, sinking back into sleep.

Anna woke him two hours later. "Daddy, wake up!"

"Huh, what's wrong Anna?"

She giggled, "Nothing but we're all awake."

"Ok honey." Tim rolled over, "You hungry?"

"No, we had crackers and cheese already. Andy sliced the cheese for us."

Tim nodded, "Good. All right, I'm up."

He padded into the family room where he found the rest of the kids coloring and watching one of their favorite movies. He hugged and kissed them all. "Did you guys sleep at all?"

Gemma nodded, "Yes, we only woke up a little while ago and Andy made us snacks."

Tim smiled and ruffled Andy's hair. "Way to go big brother!" He looked at the others, "You were all so quiet, thank you! Good job!"

"Is Mama still asleep?"

"Yes; how about we let her sleep for another hour?" They nodded their agreement. "Ok, time to start getting things ready for dinner. Let's see, I'll need things from the garden."

Six faces lit up, they loved digging up or picking things from the raised beds to help their dad. "Hmm, I'll need three carrots, one big round onion, a mashed potato bowl full of green beans, a big storage bag of spinach and one garlic."

They'd learned it was easier for the kids if they described the bowl or bag by what it was most commonly used for rather than saying a serving bowl, big bowl or plastic bag - Sean and Jorry's use of a garbage bag to pick spinach had convinced them of that! And the 'round' onions were to help distinguish from the green onions.

He handed them the "mashed potato" bowl and then watched as they hurried outside to get the vegetables. While he waited for them, he checked his phone for messages. They'd invited the Hardisters for dinner and Janeese had said they might take a rain check as they were exhausted and like him, Nick had to return to work the next day. Sure enough, there was a message saying they were going to pass on dinner and would see them over the weekend.

Their dinner needed an hour to cook; it was an extra large family sized frozen commercially sold lasagna so he lit the oven and took their large salad bowl out. As the lasagna was a little too bland for their taste, he would sauté the onion and garlic and add the mixture for a few minutes toward the end of its time in the oven. The rest of the vegetables would go into a salad.

Once the kids returned with the vegables, as Zoe called them, he let them wash the carrots and green beans and then showed them how to gently rinse the spinach and pat the leaves dry. Andy peeled the carrots while Anna and Jorry broke the green beans into smaller pieces and Gemma, Sean and Zoe carefully tore the spinach up into bite sized pieces, taking the stems off first. He thanked them for their help and got his chopping mat out to chop up the onions. Andy got his sauté pan out for him and then the kids retreated to the dining room to watch their dad chop and cook. He didn't like them too close when he was using oil, he was afraid they'd get burned by a pop of oil. He finely chopped the onion and threw it into the pan to cook while he used his garlic peeler and then minced the garlic. He only used four cloves, not having any idea how much garlic the Hubbards would like. When the onion was almost done, he added the garlic and pulled the pan off the burner a couple of minutes later. He drained the onion-garlic mixture and set it aside. The oven was ready so he slid the lasagna in and set the timer.

He turned to say something to the kids and saw he'd lost his audience. He smiled; he bet that meant Lina was awake! He hurried into their room to find the kids sitting on the bed chatting with their mama. He smiled as he eased in next to her, pulling Jorry and Sean over to him, this was nice, all of them together for a few minutes. They were still chatting when the doorbell rang 40 minutes later and Tim put Gemma and Zoe down, he'd been rotating the kids, and found the big house crowd. Rhea grinned at him as she held up a frozen pie. "Oh yum, that's perfect, Rhea, thanks!"

His dad and father-in-law were making clanking sounds and Tim's brow furrowed and then cleared, "Lemonade?"

"Yep! Didn't know if you had any and we can't let you go cold turkey!"

"Awesome, thanks! Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes…" as he said that the timer rang and he excused himself, heading to the kitchen to add the onion-garlic mixture to the lasagna. The dish itself was hot and bubbling; he pulled the rack out far enough to sprinkle the mixture over the top and then quickly worked it into the sauce.

Claire had followed him into the kitchen. "How on earth did you do all that?"

He laughed, "That's what freezers are for! It's one of those pre-made family style lasagnas. We usually try to keep one or two things like that around for nights we don't feel like cooking. And the salad is almost ready - I just have to shred the carrots…"

Like magic, Andy appeared, "Can I do it, Dad?"

"Yes son."

Andy got the chopper out, washed his hands and with his dad and aunt watching, carefully put the chunks of carrot in, closed the top, held down the button and watched them shred. When it was done, he unplugged the chopper before he took the lid off and carefully moved the carrot shreds into the salad bowl which Tim had gotten out of the refrigerator. He finished and looked at the orange and green veggies, "No tomato Dad?"

"Not tonight, Andyson. The lasagna sauce is all tomato-y, that's enough."

Andy nodded, that was a good thing to remember. "Dressing on the salad or on the table?"

"Hmm, what do you think?"

"On the salad because we only have one kind of dressing!"

Tim chuckled, "That makes it easy!"

"I'll wait until you say."

"Ok, how about you let the others know it's time for them to set the table?"

"Sure, inside or out?"

"As my sous chef, how about you choose?"

Andy smiled and said, "Inside" as he headed off to tell his siblings while Tim found the grocery list and added salad dressing to it. Claire was impressed, "He's a lot of help, isn't he?"

"Oh yeah, they all are but Andy's old enough to really help me cook – and he likes it. He wants to make dinner for us; maybe we can do that while you're here."

Claire smiled, "That'll be fun! So you do all the cooking?"

"Now yeah but Lina and I usually cook together or alternate. When she got sick she lost her appetite and then she was tired so I started doing it. Luckily, the folks help us out with the grocery shopping; they eat with us a lot and sometimes they cook for us, which makes it nice. And as I said, the kids all help. We have a vegetable garden out back and all I have to do is tell them what I want and they go get it. Then they wash them and if there's something that can be done without a knife, they can do that too. Andy peeled the carrots tonight while Gemma, Sean and Zoe tore the spinach up for me and Anna and Jorry broke the green beans up."

"And they'll set the table too?"

He smiled, "Yeah, they love doing that."

Claire shook her head, "That's wonderful, Tim, all of it! I had to fight my two to get them to do anything!"

Tim chuckled, "I suppose it'll change but for now they all like to pitch in to help." He leaned over and whispered, "You should see Jorry and Sean push the vacuum cleaner around, it's hysterical!"

"They do it together?" He nodded and she giggled, "Oh I'd love to see that!"

"Saturday morning is cleanup time if there aren't any games or events we have to go to - come on over. I vacuum but they love to do it so I let them do the family room."

The table set, the lasagna done, Tim and Andy measured how much salad dressing to put on and then Andy poured it on the salad. Dinner was served!

When they said grace that night, Tim was sure to say thanks for their safe arrival. As they started eating, he casually mentioned what the kids had done to help and they giggled. Jim loved the lasagna and said so a couple of times before Davos, sitting across from him, extended his leg under the table and tapped the top of his foot to stop him. His wife would not be happy if he praised someone else's cooking too much, he'd certainly learned that during his marriage. Jim abruptly stopped and had some salad which required chewing and being quiet. Claire laughed to herself, wondering who had told Jim to stop. Tim stepped in before anyone else could say anything, "Hope you like onions and garlic! This is a pre-made lasagna and while it's handy it's a little bland for our tastes so I add sautéed onions and garlic."

Claire smiled mentally thanking their nephew. "I like this very much. I think I'll try it next time I make it. How much of each did you put in?"

Tim told her, reminding her that this was a family size and she nodded, she'd cut back the amounts but it was certainly something new to try. Davos and Jim smirked at each other while they continued eating.

Their pie was ready by the time they finished eating so they ate that and then Claire, Jim and Callum cleaned up, at their insistence, and got the dishwasher running. Tim and Yaya took the younger kids upstairs for their nightly routine, bringing them back down for goodnight hugs and kisses with their mama and everyone else before being tucked into bed. The older three weren't far behind, they said goodnight to all and had hugs and kisses with Mama before dragging themselves up the stairs. When Tim went up to tuck them in, he found all three of them sound asleep, a very rare occurrence.

The others left shortly after that as everyone was tired and they knew Tim had to work on Friday. He laughed when he glanced at the clock after they left; it was only 7:15! He locked up, set the security alarm, brushed his teeth and crawled into bed with Lina who was already sound asleep, setting both his phone alarm and their old alarm clock for the next morning.

He woke right before his dual alarms went off and shut them down so they wouldn't wake his wife. Staggering into the bathroom he had a wonderful hot shower that woke him long enough to get dressed and inhale two cups of coffee and some breakfast. He turned off the house alarm, resetting it before walking out the front door where his trusty security detail waited to drive him to work. He smiled at them, "Good morning, Timmons, Esposito!"

"Morning, welcome home."

"Thanks!" He made it into the car and got his seat belt fastened before promptly dozing off again.

Somehow he made it through the day. He e-mailed Rusty Mayhew when he got in to make sure Leon had actually left on vacation. He got a quick reply, "He was out the door as soon as he heard me say I had an e-mail from you! I heard him say, 'Tell him he's it!' and next thing I know, Pete's old wagon is peeling out of the parking lot."

Tim laughed, glad for Leon's sense of humor which too few people knew about. He said hello to everyone, gave Kath the gift they'd brought back for her and after pouring another cup of coffee, tackled his e-mail which would include the Director's e-mail for the next two weeks. He hoped it wouldn't be much more than he usually saw as he was already copied on a lot of Vance's e-mail. As Leon's Executive Assistant was also on vacation, Tim had been given full access to everything he'd need and the Director's phone calls would be forwarded to his number here. Kath was ready and she had a temporary assistant to help her.


	232. Chapter 232

CH 232

That first day back from vacation was a blur for Tim as he, Kath and Ally the temp fielded phone calls and he waded through e-mails. As the day thankfully drew to a close, Kath answered one last call and told her boss, "Secretary Porter on Line 1".

Tim firmly told himself to remain calm as he picked up the headset. "Hello, Madam Secretary."

"Hello, Timothy, just wanted to see how your first day has gone."

He chuckled, "It went well, thanks! Aside from a conversation with Senator Holman, the rest of the calls were strictly internal agency business."

"Excellent! Now…I know I'm not supposed to know, but did you see Leon in Greece?"

"Ma'am?"

"Oh you're good! However, I was talking on his cell with him and heard Agent Mayhew say he had an e- mail from you."

Tim laughed, "Busted! Yes, he surprised us; he got there just in time for our throw together dinner."

"Throw together?"

"On our last night, we combine the leftovers from all of the kitchens and have what the kids call a "throw together" group meal. We'd had potlucks, barbecues and a progressive dinner Sunday, Monday and Tuesday so we had a lot of little bits of this and that. It's fun, although Leon missed the meze and dessert pastries which are his favorites."

The Secretary laughed, "Now I wish I could find a way to sneak a visit in while you're all over there!"

Tim chuckled, "Hmm, arrange for one of the Navy's finest to be in port and then call a spot inspection? The island is only an hour by ferry, less by helo."

She chuckled again, "That's good; I'll have to remember that. All right, I'm glad your first day as Acting Director went so well! Let me know if you ever need help or advice…I'm really good with the advice!"

"Thank you, I'll do that. Have a good weekend, ma'am."

"You too, Timothy, go float in your pool and catch up on your sleep – but not both at the same time."

Tim chuckled as he hung up and then looked at Kath and they both laughed. "I guess we'll have to get used to people with big titles calling over the next couple of weeks!"

She nodded, "We'll manage."

He smiled, "Yes we will!" Happy to have survived the first day with the agency intact, Tim closed down for the weekend and joined his security detail for the drive home.

The weekend was very quiet as the entire McGee family dealt with their jet lag. They ate, slept, walked on the beach, slept, ate some more, slept and swam in their pool. By Sunday they were feeling a little more 'with it'. Tim and Hélène had managed a trip to the grocery store on Saturday, buying food for both houses so after church on Sunday they had a picnic lunch together on the beach. Callum loved the beach and Tim overheard him wondering aloud whether he could finish high school by taking night classes here and spend the days on the beach. He looked at his cousin, "You want to stay here and take classes at night?"

"Yeah, then I can be on the beach all day."

Tim bit back a smile, remembering Jim's comments about Callum wanting to join the Navy and be a NCIS agent. He finally said, "You know if you join the Navy you'll be near water most of the time and beaches some of the time."

"Yeah, I was just thinking that."

"And you can also pick a college that's near a beach."

His cousin nodded. "Like UCSD."

"Sure, but there are a lot of them, Callum! Santa Cruz, Pepperdine or Santa Barbara here in California, Eckerd in Florida, Flagler, Palm Beach Atlantic, Monmouth in New Jersey, Texas A&M in Galveston…those are just some of them! There are many more around the world. Of course, it depends what you want to learn and I'm sure it takes a lot of self discipline to study when there are waves breaking right outside your window. "

Callum smiled, "I want to be a Marine Biologist."

"Wow, that's awesome, I didn't know that! Then beaches make much more sense!"

"Yeah, but you know, my dad retired so he'd be home for our last years of school, I wouldn't want to skip out on him now. He's a pretty cool dad."

Tim nodded, "Yeah I bet he is; he's a pretty cool uncle too!"

They shoulder bumped and Callum laughed, "That was fun thinking about finishing high school by taking night courses." He looked at Tim, "So how much longer do you think you'll be out here?"

Tim shrugged, "No idea. We love it here, it'd be great to just stay, raise the kids here."

Callum shook his head, "Nobody in the family thinks that's going to happen."

Tim sighed, "Yeah, I know, just wishful thinking on my part."

"You don't like Virginia, DC or Maryland?"

Tim chuckled, "Virginia and Maryland are beautiful and all three are full of history; it's the weather I'm not crazy about. I was resigned to snow, rain, heat and endless humidity until I moved to Greece. I've been spoiled for a lot of years now."

"My dad says it builds character."

The two looked at each other and laughed. Tim huffed, "I guess if I'd lived in uncomfortable weather when I was little I might not be so fixated on it. But I spent my early years in Puerto Rico, then Okinawa, here in San Diego and Alameda which has good weather although it's like here, it can be chilly in the early summer with the fog. Okinawa is humid but I don't remember ever feeling cold, not freezing cold anyway. Mostly we didn't think about the weather. And when Sarah and I ended up in Baltimore, it was just…part of the misery I guess. Like I said, it was just something to put up with until I moved to Greece." He laughed, "No matter where you go, there's weather to deal with, not like we can ever escape it! But studying Marine Biology, I imagine the best schools are in the warmer areas of the world."

Callum nodded, "Yeah, I just need to figure out which ones to apply to!"

Tim patted his cousin's shoulder, "Now that's a great problem to have! I'm excited for you Cal!"

"Thanks coz!"

They spent most of that afternoon on the beach. Under the shade of their two large beach umbrellas, the adults and Callum took turns napping so there was always one of them keeping an eye on the kids. Zoe was feeling a little clingy and was never far from any of her adults that day. She willing went for a dip with both grandfathers and later went for a swim with Yaya and Auntie Claire but as soon as she was back on the sand she made a beeline for her mama and daddy. Her 3rd birthday was coming up that Wednesday and she'd have a party at daycare followed by her family party on Saturday.

Feeling rested, refreshed and ready to face the week, Tim went into work early on Monday. While he was busy all day, and thankful to Jeff and team for getting lunch for him and Kath, he handled everything without any problems. He had been curious to see what kind of internal e-mails came across the Director's desk and kept an eye on them. There were notes and reports from department heads and his fellow SSAICs and a few reports from teams aboard the Navy Yard. There were a lot of items from HR; when he looked he found changes of address, changes in status such as marriages and divorces, name changes, births, deaths, retirement paperwork, requests for leaves of absence or transfers, letters of commendation and all of these seemed to arrive on a daily basis. He wondered if they would be easier to handle if sent weekly or monthly. After he quickly paged through them again he thought about how Vance ran the agency. Although on the surface he would seem to be detached from the daily lives of his employees, Tim knew that was far from the truth. He had a knack for remembering family events, Andy's transition ceremony, for example, and those little personal touches really helped in their busy and often dangerous lives. Tim had experienced it with his family's case but it had taken him awhile to realize it wasn't just case related or limited to those Leon knew personally. He didn't know if it was Jackie's influence or something Vance did naturally but he liked it. In his SSAIC position, he was already making a habit of writing brief notes to his employees when they got letters of commendation, when they busted a tough case, conquered a difficult challenge and even sometimes when something hadn't been successful. Between the kids' flu and her trip to Spain followed by her health problems this year, Lina hadn't been able to contribute as much as she usually did but she continued to encourage him to reach out to his employees just as he had in Preston and Athens.

XXX

Zoe loved her daycare birthday party and was very excited about her family party coming up that weekend. She told everyone she saw that she was 'free' (three) now and informed her parents she was now a big kid. Her party Saturday was a lot of fun. The 'big kid' had loved mermaids ever since they'd painted the kids' room at Uncle Damian and Uncle Matt's house and that was the theme this year. Of course having a pool right in the backyard made it very easy. Their friends and family were all in attendance for the pool party and Zoe played happily with Alitta, Athos, her siblings and the triplets. Between Lina, Hélène, Eva and Claire they'd made mermaid costumes for Zoe and Alitta and partial mergirl or merboy costumes for the older kids to wear and that made things even more fun. They had burgers, grilled to perfection, for lunch along with Zoe's favorite 'vegable' salad. The cake was in the shape of a mermaid with pretty colors for the icing. Zoe had requested her favorite ice cream flavor, 'ublegund' (bubblegum) and she enjoyed that while most of the others enjoyed chocolate or vanilla.

The pre-schooler was excited about her gifts too. She loved the Play-Doh caddy with all sorts of fun ideas, a few floor puzzles and smaller puzzles for her age group and a "My Crafty Kit" just perfect for her. There were also washable crayons and coloring books as well as blank paper for her to create her own masterpieces. There were books that would help her learn to read, books with messages and an animal alphabet print to help her learn the alphabet. Her grandfathers made her wooden blocks to build whatever she wanted; there was a Butterflies Matching Game that looked like fun, a lot of fun things from her siblings and from her parents, a three wheeled scooter. She squealed at that while Tim tried not to shudder; he was sure this was a disaster waiting to happen but Lina thought it would be good for her as Zoe hated being left behind. They would keep it locked up so that she couldn't take it out by herself.

After she opened everything it was obvious she was torn between playing with all her new things and returning to the pool. Luckily there were age appropriate pool toys amongst the gifts and those won the day. The adults rotated being in the pool with the kids and every so often a 'shade break' would be called.

The next week flew by as they waited for Rob and Ned to arrive. Andy made a delicious dinner for them one night, with the help of his 'sous chef' Anna, and the family was very impressed. Lina, Rhea, Claire, Penny and Hélène helped get the children ready to return to school, taking them shopping and making sure they had all the supplies they'd need. Jim and Callum visited Tim at his office and also had a tour of the UCSD campus. During their stay they'd also tour UCLA and Pepperdine.

With Tim and Lina in the downstairs bedroom, they figured Rob and Ned would want to stay at the big house; however the McGees' upstairs guest room was readied just in case. When the couple finally arrived at Baggage Claim, they were warmly welcomed by Poppy and Tim. Ned spotted the security detail as he and Rob came down the escalator; he gave them a Gibbs-like tilt of the head and then ignored them. He muttered something to Tim as they hugged and his brother-in-law chuckled.

On the way to Preston, the guys decided they'd stay with the McGees for part of their stay and at the big house for the rest. Tim bit back a smile, wondering how long that would last. His children were well behaved but they were children and there were 6 of them.

As Poppy approached Tim and Lina's house, Tim cleared his throat. "My security detail has cleared both of you but they'll still need to see your ID."

Rob looked like he was going to argue but remembered what Ned had told him weeks ago: "Tim is the Assistant Director of the agency, the whole agency. He probably has a security detail with him all the time now. They're going to have to vet us first – yes I know you don't like that but everyone that visits him or the California big house has been through it. And once we get there they'll likely want to see our IDs."

He wondered how his brother was dealing with all that. He'd seemed fine when they'd seen him in May and there hadn't been any security then. As he pulled his license out and handed it over to one of the guys, he said that aloud, "You didn't have any security with you when we drove out to Silver Spring and Baltimore that day."

"Yeah, I did Rob; there was a tail car the entire day."

"Wow, they're good, I never noticed."

Tim smiled, "That's part of their job, to be unobtrusive."

"So was it these guys?"

"No, Director Vance's team did the honors while we were back east."

"What about when you were in Greece?"

Tim nodded. "Yep, they were there."

"These guys?"

"No, not this detail, they took some vacation time too."

"Tim, that's…"

"Strange, I know Rob. And it's not really personal; it's to keep the agency intact."

"Are you used to it?"

"Mostly, but I hope I never get totally used to it."

Rob's license was handed back to him and with a nod the agent said, "Welcome to California, Dr. Mallard." He said something similar to Ned, adding, "I know you're on vacation, Agent Dorneget but it's always good to know there's another agent around."

Rob had been so busy thinking about Tim's security stuff that he hadn't really looked at the house yet. Now as they walked to the house his eyes widened, "Wow this is a lot bigger than it looks in pictures!"

Ned chuckled, "Tim, is this one of those 'McMansions'?"

Tim laughed, shaking his head, "No, we'll show you one of those – up on the bluff past Dad's place. Now, be prepared, the kids might swarm you!"

The two men grinned as Tim opened the door and their nieces and nephews poured out of the house. "Uncle Rob, Uncle Ned!"

Zoe wasn't sure she remembered them so she went to her father instead. Once she was safely in his arms, she was willing to check out the uncles. Tim looked at his brother, "I think she just wanted to be taller…you know, up!"

Rob nodded, "I can understand that. Hi Zoe, I'm Uncle Rob."

She grinned at him, "Hi Uncle Rob, I'm free now!" Once his arms were unencumbered, Zoe went right to him and immediately gave him a kiss. They cuddled for a little bit and then she squirmed to get over to Uncle Ned and repeated the process. By this time they were inside and Zoe was placed back on terra firma. They hugged and kissed Lina. She smiled, she couldn't believe she hadn't seen them in over a year! Rob looked good, rested and the little furrow between his eyes was relaxed. Ned looked well too; there was no sign of strain or stress on his face. She laughed as she patted Ned's face, "You've lost your Greek tan."

He nodded, "Yeah, I have to work at a tan now."

Rob smirked and Tim put his arm around him, "Can't believe you guys are finally here! Come on, I'll show you to your room and give you a tour of the upstairs."

Grabbing their bags, they followed him. They stowed their bags and then were shown where their bathroom was and where each child's room was. Tim smiled when he showed them Zoe's room. "She's just moved in here, she and Jorry have been sharing all this time."

"And now she has her own room…oh she's into mermaids, huh?"

"Very much so. She was even a mermaid for her birthday."

"The room looks great!"

"Thanks; Dad and I did the walls and trim; Rhea did everything else."

"Lina looks much better than I was afraid she would."

Tim nodded, "Being able to go home for a couple of weeks really helped. She still doesn't have all her energy back but she's getting there! Come on, I'll show you the master bedroom and my office."

Ned blinked when he saw the master, "You two don't live up here?"

"No, we moved downstairs when Lina was sick and we haven't gotten around to moving back up here."

Tim opened his office door and they took a peek inside. Ned grinned at the painting, "I remember seeing that in your den in Piraeus."

"Yeah, I thought of taking it into the office, but I like having it here, kind of keeps me grounded."

They went back downstairs and saw the rest of the house. Both of them were impressed with Lina's studio and loved the family room with the kids' family murals.

Lina came up behind them, "Do you two want some time to unpack or rest and are you hungry?" They laughed and admitted they were hungry.

She smiled, "That's good because everyone's on their way over for lunch."

"Great!"

The others soon arrived and Uncle Jim helped Tim put lunch, gyro pitas, together. While they were doing that, the visitors ran upstairs and changed out of the clothes they'd worn on the plane. The group ate outside in the shade provided by the awning. After they'd eaten and caught up a little more, they decided it was time for a swim. The kids were already in their suits and waited impatiently for the adults to get ready. They had a lazy afternoon floating and playing in the pool, not getting out until Matt and Damian showed up around 6:00.

The Hubbards left early Sunday morning for their flight home after a wonderfully relaxing month, first in Greece and then in Preston. Callum was excited about the colleges they'd seen and all three of them were satisfied with the time they'd spent with the family and sightseeing. Tim told Callum that at least part of the family would attend his high school graduation and his cousin grinned, "Thanks, Tim that will mean a lot, same as it did to Ains!"

"Have a great senior year Cal!"

After the Hubbards' departure, the family headed for the beach and Rob marveled at its closeness. "Man, you should just stay here forever!"

Tim nodded, "I'd like that; we both would."

"But…"

Tim shrugged, "Yeah…we'll see." The brothers went for a long walk and came back feeling better about their relationship than either had in a long time. Rob had indeed grown up and out of his somewhat narcissistic phase and Tim thought the distance had served them both well. They'd worked at keeping in touch and that meant something too. Not wanting to talk about his own career, Tim quizzed Rob about his. "I know you're almost done with your residency, have you been applying for jobs? Do you want to stay with Johns Hopkins or have another place in mind?"

His brother smiled, "As a matter of fact, I got this in the mail Friday."

He handed his brother a letter and Tim glanced at it and gave a low appreciative whistle, "Wow Children's National Medical Center! That's great, Rob and I'm assuming that since you brought this with you this is a good offer?"

Rob nodded, "Yeah, it's a great offer and it's what I hoped for! I have some other offers but I'm really excited about this one. The only problem is that it means a commute."

"Yeah, I know it's in DC."

"We talked about it on the plane. Ned's already had to give up one office for me; I don't want him to do it again."

"What is he thinking about?"

"He wants to see if there's anything at the Navy Yard."

Tim nodded, keeping very quiet for a minute or so. "What if you took the job and did the commute for a few months? It might take him awhile to find something."

"Yeah we thought about that too and we talked about renting a little studio or a share room for me during my shifts."

Tim reached for the letter, still in Rob's hand. "May I see that again?"

Rob gave it to him and Tim looked at it. "You two need to talk to Dad and Rhea about this."

"Of course!"

Tim smiled, "Not just for the job, Rob. Tell them the whole thing."

"Uh, ok."

Tim just smiled at him and reaching up, ruffled his hair. Continuing their walk they talked about any and everything.

They had Tim's enchilada dish for dinner that night with Spanish rice, black beans and a green salad, the same menu he'd served for Kim, Evander and the others during their visit. A large chunk of Ned's childhood had been spent in Arizona with his grandparents and he loved Mexican food. He praised Tim's cooking, "This is excellent! And the tortillas are homemade, aren't they?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah, they just taste better to me and they're pretty easy to make."

Lina smiled proudly, "We grew the tomatoes, the peppers and most of the greens in the salad; Tim and the kids are our gardeners this year!"

Sean looked sad, "We hadda buy the rice and the black beans."

Andy nodded, "But we're growing the black beans next year, we looked it up online."

Jorry added, "And avicadose."

Tim smiled, "Yeah Adan's going to help us with an avocado tree! I'm excited about that, I love them and they're really good for you."

Rob smiled, "That's wonderful, fresh fruit, legumes, vegetables and produce are so much better for you!" He looked at Sean, "I don't think you can grow the rice here though, you'll have to keep buying it."

Sean nodded, "That's okay."

The pair borrowed Tim's car and did some sightseeing on Monday, stopping by the office to have lunch with Tim. Rob was a little overwhelmed by the size of Tim's office and the nameplate on the door: 'Assistant Director-SSAIC T. McGee'

"Wow, that's really something!"

Ned looked around with a smile, proud of his brother-in-law. He happily met the team, telling them, "Your set up here reminds me a little of HQ. The way you have the bullpen set up."

"You worked there?"

"Yeah, I finished FLETC and was hired right as the recession hit, I was one of the last newbies brought in before the hiring freeze and then I didn't have a spot as nobody was leaving or moving around much. I worked evidence and finally got on Gibbs' team when Tim left for London and then Greece. When Gibbs retired from the field a year later, I transferred to London and then Tim poached me."

"He what?"

Ned laughed, "I was on the London team and the Athens team made me an offer too good to pass up. Best decision I ever made – Rob and I reconnected and I ended up taking the team lead spot after Tim and then Bec left."

"And now you have Bethesda."

"Yeah, Rob's done his medical training in the U.S., London and Athens – he wanted to finish his residency in the U.S., so here we are."

Jeff looked at him, "Does everyone in Tim's family have such interesting backgrounds?"

Ned had to stop and think and then nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. Have you met Geo and Bec?" He shook his head and Ned grinned, "She has the Charleston office and Geo is a Marine, finishing his 20 in the reserves. How about Tony and Maggie?"

"No…is she the one that's an investigative agent?"

"Yeah, she was the Team Lead for the MCRT at HQ, had been Gibbs' SFA and took the spot when he retired from the field. Dirtbag blew her shoulder out a little over a year ago."

"That the incident where the other agent was gut shot?"

"Yes, Dwayne Wilson, he's also an investigative agent. That's my former team."

"Wow and Tony? Tim talks about him, I know he's been a big help, makes him laugh."

"Yeah, they're tight. He's also a Gibbs' alumnus and adopted son – and married to Maggie."

"Big family!"

Ned nodded, "Yeah and I'm an only, raised mostly by my grandparents. It's a lot of fun though."

"So where is Rob in the family?"

"Youngest of the 6 siblings."

"And Tim's the oldest?"

Ned shook his head, "No, Tony is. But when they were growing up, it was just Tim, their sister Sarah and Rob. Geo hung out with them but Tim was always in charge."

"That's right I forgot about that; I read their books before I met Tim."

After lunch, they had a peek at the new closed board and then the visitors went on their way for more sightseeing.

With Leon back at work on Monday, Tim took Tuesday off and spent the afternoon with Rob, Ned and Poppy watching the San Diego Padres trounce the Washington Nationals. Wednesday the guys, Penny, Eva, Carla and the Gibbses took all the kids to the Zoo and a great time was had by all.

Wednesday night, Tea and Adan, Eva and Caleb, Matt and Damian joined them at the big house for a barbecue. Tea was about eight weeks away from her due date and reported that they had everything ready for the baby. When Lina asked about a bassinet or cradle, Caleb and Tim smirked at each other. Tea shook her head, "It's only a few steps to the nursery, I'll go to the baby or we'll bring him back to us."

Adan noticed the smirks and started to ask but Caleb quickly shook his head and he stopped. Then Tim winked at him and Adan realized his friends had been through this and they would likely help him find a bassinet if they needed one. He'd been getting pretty nervous as Tea grew bigger. Being pregnant was one thing and Tim and Caleb had given him lots of advice, but actually having a baby, a tiny infant dependent on them, that was really scary. But people had done it since the beginning of time and he figured they'd be fine…eventually.

Damian had two more projects for him after their current job was finished so they wouldn't have to move anywhere for awhile. Tea's mother was coming to stay with them for the first month or so after the baby was born and his mother would come after that.

Thursday, the guys borrowed Tim's car again and drove up to LA. Ned had lived there before he'd gone to FLETC and he wanted to show Rob his old stomping grounds. They came back early to avoid the worst of the commute traffic and with Penny, Poppy and Lina took the kids to the beach. Other than their previous trip to the beach and swimming in the pool, this was the first outing Lina had been on with them. She walked with them down the beach, her arm tucked into Rob's. When Rob asked her how she was really doing, she laughed, "I feel fine. My last anemia test came back negative. I don't really understand how having 6 children can tire me out so much when I'm not doing anything with them! Tim gets them up, feeds them, dresses Zoe, during the school year he or your dad take them to school and my parents or yours get them in the afternoons, bring them home or take them to the big house for a few hours so they don't have to be quiet for me. But I'm getting there, every week I have more and more energy and the trip to Greece really helped."

Rob nodded, "I can only imagine. And do you and Tim get to spend any time together, just the two of you?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, we do."

Poppy caught up with them at that point and asked to steal Rob and Ned for a few minutes. Lina smiled, Tim told her about his idea and she hoped that's why Jethro and Rhea wanted to talk to the couple.


	233. Chapter 233

CH 233

Rob had already talked with his dad and Rhea about the job offer from Children's National Medical Center and was baffled when Dad wanted to see the letter. That had been a couple of days ago and he wondered what was up when his dad and stepmother sat them down on the beach.

"Rob, you seem pretty excited about this job offer. Think you're going to take it?"

"Yeah Dad, if we can figure out the logistics."

His dad nodded and Rhea grinned at them. Ned smiled back and then had an idea what they might be about to suggest. He didn't say a word but gave Rob's hand a squeeze, this could be really good.

"Think we can help you out. The house in Arlington is empty and we've been trying to figure out what to do with it. It's livable, needs updating but everything works. I checked out the address where you'll be working and the commute from there to the house would be about 15 minutes. What if you stay there on your duty shifts? Then Ned won't have to worry about you driving after a 36 hour shift. And Ned, if you transfer back to the Navy Yard, or wherever you end up, we'd like you two to consider the house your home."

Rob's mouth fell open and he looked at Ned who was grinning.

"What…how…whew!" Rob stopped and took a deep breath and Ned decided to help him. "We'll pay you rent."

"Maybe, or maybe you just pay the property taxes and upkeep. What we thought we'd do - say next spring - is go back there and do some work on the house, remodel the kitchen and bathrooms, see what else you'd like done. Until then, just keep it going and let's decide what kind of payment you can do. Hate to have you paying on two places at once."

Rob looked at Ned and saw his acceptance. He had one question, "How many bedrooms is it? We'll still want to pursue the foster parenting."

"There are three bedrooms upstairs and there's a guest bedroom with a bath downstairs. The master bedroom has its own bathroom and then there's one shared by the other 2 bedrooms. There's also the basement that you could something with if you wanted."

Ned's eyes widened, "Desecrate your basement? No way!"

Gibbs laughed, "I haven't lived there in five years Ned, and Rhea and I don't plan on living there."

"What about…uh."

Rhea laughed, "Yeah, 'uh'. We'll see but we're both interested in working at the McGee Home, so we'll probably live on site. Penny has four full sized wings downstairs and one of them is intended for us."

"Oh, that's right. Wow, so yes, thank you!"

"Great! We'll give you the keys before you leave and you can go look at it when you have time. Sarah and James left some of their furniture there so you can talk to them about that."

They thanked Rob's parents and spent the next hour excitedly discussing their new plan and at dinner that night told the whole group. Tim grinned and Rob looked at him, "That's why you made a big deal about me talking with Dad and Rhea!"

Tim just blinked trying to look innocent and Rob laughed, "Boy does that not work! Thanks Bro!" Tim beamed at that.

Friday morning the pair dropped by the Preston office to have coffee with Matt and then drove up the coast with the Gibbses. They were back in time for dinner and were pleased when everyone they knew in the area gathered at the big house for dinner again. Although they were sad about leaving, they were both excited about Rob's job offer and the opportunity the Gibbses were giving them.

They left early Saturday morning, with Tim and Dad driving them back to the airport. They hugged and kissed goodbye and promised to plan to go to Greece next summer or come back here for another visit. Tim hung onto his little brother, hoping it wouldn't actually be a year before he saw him again.

XXX

In Washington, DC, the head of Security arranged for a meeting with Director Vance. When he arrived, he handed the Director an envelope addressed to Timothy McGee. Vance looked at it, realizing it was open. "What's this?"

"Mail room brought it to us; they've verified the contents are safe and per your previous instructions I read the letter; it's conciliatory. It's a letter from Abigail Sciuto to 'Special Agent' McGee." The man used his fingers for air quotes when speaking the title.

"Interesting, so she may not be aware of his current position. You say you found it conciliatory?"

"Yes sir, she apologizes profusely, begs his forgiveness."

Vance sighed, "What's her status?"

"As you know, the FBI continues to monitor her and reports that since her final release from prison she's kept out of trouble. She continues to report to a probation officer and a doctor who monitors her medication; she is subjected to random testing and she's cleared each one, she's been straight on her medication for several years now. Her supervisors at the university are pleased with her work and her demeanor. From all reports, she no longer exhibits any of the extremism that marked her illness."

"She still decked out as a Goth?"

"Yes sir, although her department chair has worked with her to modify her attire somewhat, most noticeably she no longer wears a collar nor is her hair worn in pigtails."

"I'm almost glad to hear that, hope that means her personality that is her original personality is intact."

"Yes. Sir, do you want to handle the letter or shall I contact Assistant Director McGee?"

"One question first…does the FBI know she's written him?"

The man nodded, "I contacted SSAIC Sacks as I wasn't sure, but they'd seen the envelope, took it through several scans, opened it and read it. Sacks said he spoke with Fornell about it and was advised to send it over."

"All right, so everyone but me has weighed in on this."

"Sir?"

Vance looked at the time. "I'll contact the AD; you can leave this with me. Thanks." The man nodded and left. Vance decided to go ahead and read it since everyone else had.

It was just as he'd been told. Abby reported that she was much healthier, she was clean and sober, no longer drank caffeine and was working at a private college. She wrote that she had no memory of what she'd done but had seen the videos and photos and did remember being extremely angry. Vance finished reading and then sat for a moment, torn between calling Dr. Mallard or going directly to Tim. That decision didn't take long but it was a bit early to call his friend. He put the whole thing aside for another hour. Finally he judged it was late enough to call him at home.

"Good morning Leon. Everything all right?"

"Yes, just wanted to tell you something before you left for work."

"Ok."

"You have a letter from Abby Sciuto. The FBI has been through it, handed it off to us. Our Security took a look and brought it to me. I've now read it and there's nothing inflammatory or negative in it. But I didn't want to just send it on to you."

"Wow, that's a surprise. Is she still in Louisiana?"

"Yep, her status hasn't changed, she's still on probation, her meds are being closely monitored."

"What's she want?"

"To apologize and wish you the best."

"Huh, how about that! Yeah, Leon, go ahead and send it over. Might be time to put this whole thing to rest."

"All right. Now that I've told you about it, how about we scan and send it to you so you don't have to wait for the mail?"

Tim chuckled, "Thanks, I'd appreciate that."

"Great, I'll ask Pam to do it right away."

After they disconnected, Tim finished dressing, thinking about Abby and the old team in general. Things had changed so much since he'd left DC for London, he had no idea what she knew of their lives or how she'd react to everything. When he arrived at the office and read the letter he sat for a few minutes, wondering how to respond, what did he want to say? That her actions were barely a blip in his life? That she'd paid the price for what she'd done? He thought he'd forgiven her years ago, her life was ruined enough but did he want her involved with his family? Although he knew the answer to that one, he decided to put the whole matter aside and got to work.

XXX

With the departure of all their summer visitors, Lina resumed work on some of her projects that had been sitting idle for most of the year. She hadn't finished Trina's painting yet so she worked on that as well as her other sketches and designs. The best of their vacation photos were printed and organized and then she selected the ones she thought their parents would like. She'd long finished the boys' memory quilts and had started to make some for Anna, Gemma and their Tsimagoj cousins, although she'd had to 'cheat' a little bit. Ariston sent her some of Besiana and Jak's clothes they'd outgrown, which she'd use for her girls and in turn she'd picked out a few things from Anna and Gemma's clothes that would do. Her mother, Rhea and the Greats had also donated some cast off clothing and Lina had washed it all. Now she started cutting quilt squares.

The boys' memory quilts had ended up with squares from their grandmother's clothing, the fabric Lina found in the house and some old shirts she'd found in one of the boxes they'd brought home. She thought they might have belonged to Patrick but didn't mention it to anyone but Rhea. She was applying the same methods to the girls, Besiana and Jak's quilts.

Remembering Anna and Gemma's comments about Grandma Hope and their first grandmother knowing each other in heaven, she dug out the remnants of Hope's old clothes and patched together several quilt squares for the girls and their cousins. It was the closest she could get to paying tribute to their first family. Within a couple of days she'd enlisted help from the others and between the four women they managed to cut all the squares needed for at least two quilts.

XXX

The school year started two weeks after Rob and Ned's departure with Gemma starting first grade, Anna in third and Andy starting middle school. Jorry and Sean started kindergarten, one in a morning class and the other in the afternoon, and Zoe, their little Zoe, started pre-school. The boys in kindergarten and Zoe in pre-school just about killed Tim, he could not believe their little ones were starting school. He was sad as he walked his baby girl into class the first day and when he saw the same sad faces on other parents, he felt only marginally better.

The start of classes worked for Lina as she continued working on her projects. While the children were at school she worked on what she wanted but she'd also been unable to do a lot with her kids and when they were home she spent the time with them. Trina's painting was finished and would be shipped in time for her birthday. She poked around her maternity and baby clothes designs before deciding she was not ready to resume those yet; she might never be. Her list of projects 'in progress' was considerable; she reviewed them and decided to concentrate on Christmas gifts.

Someone would be hosting a baby shower for Tea but Lina knew she couldn't handle it and made a note to talk to Eva and Rhea about it. She asked Maisie and Claire to make some of their knit items for Tea's baby on her behalf, telling them she would pay them but she was just not ready to look at baby things.

When she felt bad about her reluctance, she got her easel out and did some sketching and painting. The result was a stunningly beautiful, sad and somewhat eerie portrayal of three cherubs playing together on a cloud with a fourth one in flight, approaching them from below; near the bottom of the scene were the sad faces of their human parents looking up.

XXX

One of the things Tim had on his mind these days was a topic he and Lina had discussed when they'd first discovered the pregnancy. And that was childcare, more specifically a nanny. While the care of six children wasn't as mind boggling as 7 or 8 would have been, he felt that Lina's career was being shortchanged. He thought about hiring a part-time nanny, how bad could that be? He or she could pick the kids up from school, drive them to their activities and then bring them home after, staying with them until dinner time. That would free Lina more time for her work.

As they sat on the patio together one evening after the kids were in bed, Tim raised the subject. "Hon, I think we need to revisit the part-time nanny. I know you're much better but you still don't have time for your work. And the kids' schedules are getting crazier."

She sat in thought and then nodded, "When we talked about it before, we thought Nanny would start at whatever time the first child is done with school and I liked that. We will take them to school and have them to ourselves in the late afternoon."

Tim pursed his lips, "I'd like to change that. I think we should add housekeeping onto the duties. I've looked at various descriptions for nannies and it can include household chores. Lina, neither of us has time to clean, grocery shop, spend time with the kids and with each other. If we offload the cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping, we'll have more time with the kids and each other."

"All right, to tell you the truth I've been thinking about that too. We'll need to tell the children and our parents."

Tim huffed, "This time we'll tell that we're doing it, not ask their opinion."

Lina chuckled, "I already know that Mama and Rhea are in favor of it."

"Yay, then the battle's won. Our fathers are smart men; they know to listen to their wives!"

They laughed and relaxed as they planned their next steps.

XXX

The first decision they made, nanny-wise, was to go through an agency. After they made a list of them, they looked at reviews and ruled out a few of them. Then Tim had a chat with his boss. "Leon, I know it's been a few years, but did you background the nanny service before you contacted them?"

The man chuckled, "I sure did. I figured I'd pay for it but my security team said it came under family security and Jarvis agreed, so the agency paid for the background check of the service and on Lara when I hired her." He paused, "Going for a nanny, are you?"

Tim sighed and told him the issues. "Makes sense and she can drive the van, pick them up or if your father or father-in-law insist, they could still pick the kids up after school. Gotta tell you Tim, Andy and Anna are at an age where they're going to get more and more involved in afterschool things. Not just their MMA classes but all kinds of things."

"Yeah, Claire told me that too."

"So somebody will be doing a lot of driving around, you may need the nanny _and_ your folks!"

Tim chuckled, "That will probably make them happy! All right, Leon, thanks for your advice, I'll have my security run the list."

"Tell them to contact my guys if they have any questions."

"Will do, thanks again!" Tim hung up feeling better. He grabbed the list of nanny services they'd made and called Timmons. "When you get a moment, come to my office please. Nothing's wrong."

"Be right there." He was in the office in less than 3 minutes; Tim figured he ran up the stairs. That was probably a matter of routine for him, huh, he should do that too. He closed the door after him and Tim gestured to a chair. The man sat and looked at his boss. "We're looking into getting a nanny for the kids and we're going to use an agency. Here are the ones we want to talk with; I know you'll want to run backgrounds on them."

Timmons nodded, "Thanks, we'll get right on it. How…?"

"We'll interview the services and decide which one we like best. Once we pick an agency, we'll tell them we need either a list of candidates up front or a lead time of 3 days for each individual so you can background them."

Timmons nodded, "I know DC did this for the Director a few years ago, might have to pick their brains."

Tim smiled, "Great! I already picked Vance's brain about the process; I'm sure they'll be expecting you to contact them." He paused before continuing, "And Timmons? Our folks don't know yet."

Timmons quirked a smile, "I can think of one of them who's not going to be happy – good luck with that!"

"Thanks!"

Timmons took off with the list and Tim gathered what he needed for his next meeting, relieved that was off his plate for now. He thought about their first go-round with the issue of hiring a nanny; that had not gone well! It was just after they'd taken the pregnancy test, before everything else had been discovered.

At the time they'd dropped the whole matter to focus on Lina's health issues. Now, they'd thought about not mentioning it to their parents yet and then laughed at themselves, sure that Poppy probably already knew that they were thinking about it. When Penny was away that weekend, visiting a friend in Santa Barbara, they asked their parents to stay for a few minutes after the kids had gone to bed Saturday night. They'd had Mexican food again and now Tim served them Mexican coffee. When his father gave him a look, Tim gave him one right back.

"Need to tell you about some changes we're making. We're going to hire a nanny. First of all, the agency will deep background the Nanny services we've selected and then will also deep background each individual before we interview them. He or she will not be a live-in and for the purposes of this conversation I'm going to refer to a female Nanny. Her primary responsibility will be the children however she will also have housekeeping responsibilities, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, probably the grocery shopping and possibly running errands. As the kids get out of school, she'll pick up each one and take them to their afterschool activities, home or wherever they need to be.

"We've talked with Carla, Claire, Pete and Leon about the kids' afterschool activities and each of them advised us that as the kids get older they'll be involved in more and more of those. That's a lot of scheduling and driving and that may occasionally need to be a joint effort. Nanny will be off the clock and out of the house before we sit down to dinner and unless there's something big going on that involves all the adults in the family, she'll have weekends off."

Lina took over for the next part. "As for our reasoning – both of us believe that 6 children are just too many for the four of you to handle full time on an ongoing basis. We know the extraordinary support you've given us over the last few months was absolutely necessary and please don't think we're ungrateful, we're certainly not! However, we both strongly feel that you need to have your own lives - time to yourselves and with each other. And we're not cutting you off from your grandchildren; we just want to make sure that you don't spend 90% of your time taking care of them! We want you to be their grandparents, not their caregivers. And we hope you'll still stay with the kids on a weekend now and then so that Tim and I can have some time away."

Tim nodded and added, "We never intended Lina's career to take a backseat; yes, it's been necessary due to the recent situation but this is a two career family, always has been and Melina Kalivas needs more time to do the work she was born to do. And that's not feasible without some paid help with the kids and the house."

Lina continued, "We thought about daycare as a solution for the children; however while it provides wonderful care and activities for young children most of them won't take school age children. Andy is already beyond any daycare's age limit with Anna and Gemma close behind and Sean hates daycare. We thought of the afterschool programs and on days when they don't have other activities, that might be fine but we don't want to approach this haphazardly, we want one solution for all of our children. And since we had already decided to hire a housekeeper, a nanny who could do both makes sense."

Finished, they waited and were heartened by the smiles they got from Rhea and Hélène. Davos and Jethro looked at their wives, at each other and then nodded.

Rhea spoke, gesturing to the others, "We've talked about this several times since you first brought it up. While your fathers are still somewhat reluctant, they do understand and appreciate that you're looking out for your children, yourselves, the four of us and Penny, Maisie and Don. You're right, we haven't minded pitching in but we do need time to be ourselves and time together as a couple. Just as you two do!"

Tim smiled, relieved. "We want you and the Greats around as long as possible!"

His dad finally stirred and then spoke, "I know you don't like talking about this but tonight we need to. Once you're upstairs at the Navy Yard, this would have to happen if there's to be any chance at all of Melina continuing her work and I know we all feel the same about that! I understand the thought you've put into it and your reasons; I know I was…reluctant before but it's better that you get this set up now so everyone's used to having a nanny around and not have to deal with it when you're knee deep in moving issues and new to the position."

Tim was so happy and relieved to hear the words that he grabbed his dad and gave him a big kiss. His father ruffled his hair, "I trust you two to do the best thing for your children, that you're thinking of their welfare – and of your own as a couple and as individuals."

Davos nodded, "We've never experienced this in our family before but I agree with everything you've said. And you know your mother does!" As Hélène was still smiling, they didn't even need to ask.

Tim and Lina breathed sighs of relief and then kissed each of their parents. "Thank you! We know you love the children and that we all want what's best for them. This way we feel they'll be home more and with each other, with plenty of time to be with their friends and have their activities. While we would love to, we know we can't be with them 24/7 and we believe this is the best solution. And it also means that you can go see your other children and grandchildren without worrying."

Poppy smiled, "Told Rob and Ned we'd try to get back east in the spring, do some work on the house."

"Great!"

Hélène nodded, "You know we love it here, this is as much home, sometimes I think more so, as Thessaloniki. But we do need to spend time with Chloe, Nicolas and their families too."

"Absolutely! And you need to continue your travels. There's a lot of world still to see."

Poppy suddenly laughed, "Just thinking about where to install the 'nannycam'!"

Tim rolled his eyes, "Dad…we'll let my security team worry about that!"


	234. Chapter 234

Awesome Season 13 premiere! Don't worry, no spoilers here.

* * *

><p>CH 234<p>

Having started the ball rolling on their biggest issue, Lina and Tim relaxed. When Timmons cleared three of the four nanny services, they decided to jump in and not wait any longer.

Tim spoke with Leon about what questions to ask the service and was bemused to find the man had no memory of interviewing the service agency. When he realized that would have been shortly after Jackie's death, he let it go.

Before they did anything else, they sat the children down and told them what they were doing and why. They explained to the younger ones that a "Nanny" was somewhat like a babysitter although she'd be with them every school day and would have to be obeyed. The kids weren't too upset by it; their parents thought they really wouldn't understand until the nanny was in place.

Having talked with their children the next step was to start interviewing the agencies. They met with each of the three, knocked off one and finally selected one of the remaining two. The good news was that they liked both agencies so they could always go back to the second one. The agency they selected readily agreed to provide a list of candidates ahead of time; they apparently were comfortable with security issues. Within two weeks they were beginning the process of interviewing nannies.

It was a strange experience. In their work lives Lina had interviewed potential clients and potential docents for the Benaki while Tim had interviewed hundreds of witnesses and several agents for team positions as well as interrogating suspects. However, this was for their children and was much more intense and personal.

They paid attention not only to the answers to their questions but to the reactions to the questions as well as each candidate's demeanor, body language. Some were easily crossed off the list, either because they seemed too strict or too lenient, too stiff or too 'happy go lucky'. The couple figured once they had someone they liked, they'd see how the kids did with them, also keeping in mind that whoever they chose would not move back east with them, should that situation ever happen. Graduate students in their mid-20s with flexible hours, training and experience in childcare quickly became their favorite candidates, with the added bonus of the candidate likely wanting to move on with their own chosen careers in a few years.

Their first candidate was Gary who failed to impress them with the obsequious attitude he apparently employed to hide his large ego, lack of any real follow through to their questions and from they could tell, a serious lack of imagination and people skills. He heard all of the children's names and repeated them but in his answers to their situational questions, consistently ignored Sean even when the question specifically identified him. Before they moved on, he was asked why he was ignoring one of the children but he denied it. While he was telling them why he wanted the job he repeated himself, again dropped all reference to or inclusion of Sean, got stuck on one topic and contradicted his own words at least twice. When asked to repeat the children's names at the end of the interview, he again left out Sean. As they watched the little man scurry out the door, a big smile on his face as if he'd aced the interview, Tim told Lina that he guessed they'd gotten their worst nightmare over with, they could only go up from here!

Next was Ashlee who addressed her remarks to Tim and tossed her hair a few too many times: crossed off! They liked Jessica but her schedule wouldn't allow for enough flexibility. Brian seemed okay; they put him on the Maybe list which Lina said was really the "No Objections but Nothing Stands Out" list. He was a little goofy but they thought that might have been nerves. They hoped.

Next came Deanna. Lina had no objections to her but Tim said she was 'too dramatic' and she had let slip something about avoiding the sun. Tim probed the remark by saying he was easily sunburned and always wore a hat and sunscreen. She shook her head, saying she flat out avoided it, that she didn't sunburn easily, she just didn't like "all that light". She was a cross off and Tim briefly considered telling her she should move to someplace that didn't get as much sun as San Diego, Seattle perhaps.

Following that were Brady, Chelsea and Nicole. Chelsea went on the list for a second interview and to meet the children, their first candidate to make that list. Nicole went on the "Maybe" list because she was in the process of transferring and wasn't yet sure of her schedule. Apart from that, they liked her. There was nothing wrong with Brady except that he reminded Lina of someone she'd worked with and didn't like. To be fair, they put him on the "Maybe" list. After that they met Lauren, Hanna and Josh and all three of them were added to the second interview list with Chelsea. Then they stopped; they had four good candidates, a possible fifth if Nicole's schedule gelled. Of all of them, they liked Hanna and Josh the most but were careful not to let the children know. First they'd have the prospects meet the children and spend some time with them and then they'd have them pick the kids up from school one day, with one of the Grands along of course.

Rather than have the first meeting with the 'meet the kids' candidate be in the family minivan, Poppy picked them up one day and took them home where they found someone named Lauren with their mama. She was nice; she introduced herself to them, and repeated their names. She offered to fix them a snack and then cut up apples for them to have with peanut butter, one of their normal afterschool snacks. They sat at the table with her and Mama to eat. Anna and Gemma asked Lauren questions and the young woman was perfectly comfortable answering them. Things were going fine until Lauren asked them what they'd done at school that day.

She was met with silence and then Andy said, "We talk about that at dinner when our dad is home."

Gemma frowned, "We get 10 minutes each and we listen to each other and Daddy and Mama ask us questions."

She tried to soothe them but Lina had to step in. It was a silly little incident, certainly not devastating but Lina and Poppy (who was nearby) both noticed that Zoe didn't offer a kiss when the young woman left. For the kids, that was a big tell.

The other three candidates had their visit and some were more popular than others. Sean didn't like Josh but wouldn't say why and the children liked Chelsea but she was a little too diffident with them. Nicole's schedule was finalized so she came in and the kids liked her pretty well. Last was Hanna and finally, as in one of Zoe's favorite fairy tales, she was just right.

The young woman was hired and started the following week. Poppy and Davos took turns driving with her that week and said she was fine with the kids and behind the wheel; she'd even told one of the kids he or she was whining although Davos wouldn't say which grandchild. All the kids liked her; she was fun but firm and wasn't the least bit fazed by their sometimes crazy schedules. She didn't scream and run the first time she was introduced to Tim's security detail; she didn't say anything until she had a chance to speak with Lina and Tim. "Is there anything I should watch for when I'm driving the children?"

Tim nodded, "Make sure you have the detail in sight. Have a cell phone handy to call them if you feel there's anything different or weird going on."

He'd explained his position and she was fine with that. She already understood that her clients' lives and jobs were not up for any kind of discussion or mention. Of course the fact that her uncle was a FBI agent might have helped.

While all this was going on, time inevitably passed and they flipped the calendar page to September. That meant the arrival of the Mallards, the Labor Day holiday, a day off for Tim and the kids, Sean's 5th birthday, Tea's baby shower and another item to cross off the "to do" list: the purchase of their new van.

The holiday came first. Hanna had the day off and the family made, in Anna's opinion, "a wonderfully delicious" picnic lunch. They headed to the beach with the grand and great grandparents and were soon joined by Alexis, her boyfriend Cole, Matt and Damian. They played in the waves, in the wavelets breaking along the shoreline and took shade breaks under their beach umbrellas (three in number that day) when Grandfa said so. Anna said if everyone else had been there it would almost have been as good as Greece. Poppy and Davos grilled hot dogs and burgers for an early dinner that night and after they finished the kids played while the adults sat and watched them. It was a lovely late summer's evening.

The purchase of the full sized van was next on the agenda. Tim and Lina, Sean and Gemma went back to the dealership where they'd first test driven the 14 passenger van months ago and Lina had a chance to drive it. Both kids and Tim (in the far back) still found it comfortable and Lina was happy to find that it was as easy to drive as their minivan.

When they came back from the test drive, the salesman asked them if they were ready to buy. Rather than replying directly, Tim asked if they had any used models of the same van. With a distinct change in attitude the man said he'd check and disappeared. Tim was sure that the answer would be no or that he wouldn't bother returning and pulled out his phone to search for himself.

He found what they wanted in Encinitas and made a call to the dealer there who agreed to hold it. When they spotted their salesman working with another customer, they left him a note on his desk telling him what they'd found and that he could have shared commission, the two dealerships were owned by the same company, his loss. They signed it "Watch for our reviews!" Two hours later they drove home in their slightly used, accident and major repair free, fully loaded 14 passenger van.

Sean's birthday was the 19th and he talked for days about the party he had at school. His family party was a lot of fun too with lots of pool and beach time and all of his favorite treats. One of the favorite parts of the McGee kids' birthdays was the wearing of the Birthday Crown. Lina had made it years ago from a gold stretchy material and each of their children delighted in wearing it on his or her special day.

His parents and grandparents sat back, watching Sean wear the crown and listening to him, finding it hard to believe that this bright healthy happy trusting child was the scared little boy they'd met 18 months ago. Tim and the Greats had never stopped trying, but they'd never found or heard from Sean's mother Sarah. They hoped that meant she was working to get clean and sober although Tim and Lina were coming to the realization that she couldn't be found because she didn't want to be found.

After Sean's party, Tim spent some time with his father and grandfather, talking about Abby's letter. He'd told Lina about it the day he'd seen it. While she understood his desire to put the whole thing behind them, she wasn't horribly enthusiastic about him getting in touch with her. When Tim told Dad and Grandfa their responses were restrained. When he told them he would write her some sort of response and might go so far as saying he forgave her, they tensed. When he questioned them, Grandfa shook his head, "I'm not questioning your generous heart Timothy and we've known this was likely to happen at some point. But I'm loath to have you open yourself up to more contact with her. Neither your father nor I see that as a good thing, not for you, not for the family and sadly, not for Abby. There have been too many changes, too much water under the bridge. And with Abby, or at least the Abby we knew, any mention of forgiveness would seem an invitation to resume her place in what was our little family. Not only would she not be welcome, it would likely be far too overwhelming for her."

Tim was nonplussed and just sat looking at the two of them. "You're saying the two of you wouldn't welcome her? But you loved her, both of you did, like a daughter."

His father looked at him and Tim thought he looked exasperated and somewhat frustrated. "Tim…son…do you really think your grandfather or I – or Tony, Ziva or Jimmy - could ever forgive her for what she planned to do to you? She wanted to kill you!"

Tim looked at them, "She hurt you too."

"Damn straight she hurt us…scared the crap out of all of us."

Tim nodded, "I knew that when it happened; I guess I've just…put it all aside since then. I didn't want it to affect our lives any more than it did then."

Grandfa patted his knee, "We don't know who the real Abby was. When we looked back at our history with her, we saw incidents that now seem like flare-ups if you will or signs that her mental balance was already in jeopardy."

Tim swallowed hard as his father said, "She lied to me about her stalker boyfriend, blamed that on you when it was her fault and even worse, what happened in Mexico. Security about shoved me into a chair to make me watch the footage of what she said and did to you after that coked up dog mauled you. Her behavior, like a crackpot, trying to figure out that OCD scientist, that was another clue. You were her favorite target and that was at least partly my fault for believing her. Not again, never again. You're my kid; I don't care how old you are, I am not willing to risk you with her."

Grandfa added, "Or with any of the family."

"So if I respond, I should say I forgive you but I don't want anything to do with you?"

Grandfa sighed, "Must you respond?"

"You don't think she deserves some sort of response? She's done her time and she's leading a clean life; now she's asked for forgiveness. And I have forgiven her, why would I not tell her that? Seems like that would be cruel."

"Yes, I see your point even though I must point out she was cruel to you as your father has said." Grandfa sighed "He's right Jethro."

"I know."

"Timothy, is there anything that you could say to her that would make her understand you don't want any contact with her?"

"Yeah, I could say that. I could say I forgive her for her crime but that I will not have any further contact with her."

His father nodded, "That's clear." Grandfa agreed and Tim rolled his eyes at the two of them. But when he told Lina she threw herself into his arms and he realized how much of a worry it had been.

XXX

The following weekend was Tea's surprise baby shower and Lina and Tim steeled themselves for it, telling each other they were happy for their friends and they do their best to focus only on that. Despite Lina's hopes that Eva would host it, Athos and Alitta had been ill which left their mother no time to prepare for the party and the shower ended up at the big house. Tea, Adan and Tea's mother, Maya, who had arrived earlier in the week, had been invited for a barbecue and were surprised when they drove up and saw no other cars outside the big house. Adan shrugged, "We must be the first ones here."

What they found out later was that Jethro and Davos had directed the other guests to hide their cars around the neighborhood. So the couple was shocked when they walked in the house to find their friends and the children waiting for them, along with cake and many gifts. Even more surprising were the Skype calls with the Russells, Kim and Evander, Tea's father and Adan's parents. They stayed online as the gifts were opened. Tea's smile was so wide it looked painful when Jethro and Davos carried out the bassinet they'd made. Adan gave a sigh of relief, "I hoped you two were making one for us!"

Caleb laughed, "From our conversation?"

"Yes, that smirk you and Tim gave each other!"

Eva patted Tea, "You don't have to use it, Tea but it's so much easier!"

There were all kinds of gifts and the couple was touched as they opened packages with sleep sacs, caps, booties and two little sweaters knit by the family's knitting trio: Maisie, Claire and Margaret. "Oh, these are lovely, thank you so much!"

Lina and Rhea had been taking photos of their friend throughout her pregnancy and Poppy made a frame for them. When Tea opened the package, Rhea said, "This is for your little one, to see how your life was while he or she was on the way!" Lina bit her tongue and held onto Tim's hand.

Tea's mother brought the family christening gown and Tea held it up for all to see. There were plenty of onesies and packages of diapers and all kinds of practical and cute things, not knowing the gender hadn't slowed anyone down! Lina had remembered how handy some of the items had been for her babies and ordered things online, sent here to the big house; she found that less painful than choosing items from a brick and mortar store.

Tea's mother beamed the whole time, happy to see her daughter and son-in-law so affectionately treated here, so far away from home. Tim wasn't surprised when his two fathers also presented Tea and Adan with a rocker they'd made for the couple, telling them they'd stain or paint it whatever color they wanted. Tea had cried for a little bit, she was happy and feeling so blessed and then said she wanted the same stain they'd used on Jorry's crib. Little Alitta had recently transitioned to a single bed and her crib was given to their friends. Tea found a chest of drawers at a flea market and they bought a changing mat for the top, so with the rocker and the bassinette, a small table and lamp and a throw rug, the nursery was ready.

Somehow Lina and Tim got through the shower, concentrating on their friends. It wasn't until that night after the kids were in bed that they had a cry together remembering their initial happiness that their own baby would have a playmate so close in age.


	235. Chapter 235

CH 235

By the second week in October Rob let the family know that he'd accepted the job at National Children's Medical Center and he and Ned were now spending days off working on the house in Arlington. They drafted Tony and Unca Jim to help them in the yard one weekend and hired a chimney sweep so that they could safely have fires in the fireplace. Jim also checked around the house and took them to the hardware store to buy new filters for the furnace, showing them how and when to install them. He'd checked the attic and basement for any signs of rodents and Rob reported there were none, the house was tight as a drum.

Ned told Tony, who told Tim, that he was relieved that Rob wouldn't be driving between DC and Silver Spring in the dead of winter, especially if they had as much snow and ice as they'd had the previous winter. Ned was keeping his eyes open for anything at the Navy Yard and had once again contacted Vance to request a transfer.

XXX

Aboard the Navy Yard, Leon nodded to himself as he hung up from his chat with Dorneget. It was time. He circled a date on the calendar and sat back, looking at it longingly. Then he smiled, he had a lot to do between now and then, not the least of which was getting everyone in place, that is all those who needed to be moved sooner rather than later. He took out his cheat sheet and studied it, yes, he was still happy with the choices.

He set up the first move that afternoon. His Supervising Team Lead in Savannah Georgia was retiring at the end of November and Vance had been holding off letting the man's replacement know about the new position. He looked at the time, it was still a little too early to call; he'd do the paperwork now and put the call in to the about to be transferred agent in an hour or so.

When he finished the paperwork it was still a little early so he decided to call his AD to let him know about the changes. Tim already knew about the retirements but Leon hadn't mentioned just who he had in mind for promotions and replacements.

XXX

When Kath came in to tell him Vance wanted to have a video chat with him and then closed the office door behind her, Tim gladly put down the file he was reviewing and opened the chat.

"Afternoon Leon!"

"Hey Tim, am I interrupting anything?"

"Just catching up on some file reviews."

"Probably ready for a break then."

"Sure, what's up?"

"I'm about to notify some agents of their promotions and reassignments and wanted to go over them with you first."

"Are they the ones replacing the retiring Team Leads?"

"In part, yes. The first one is in Savannah, the Supervising TL position and I'm promoting Childers into that slot. There are two satellite offices and it'll give her the same kind of multi-team experience you had in Preston."

"Wow, that's great and I know she'll do an excellent job!"

"Good, I'm glad you like that! The second one is Dorneget, I'm promoting him back here as team lead of the Cold Case team. I ultimately want him on a MCRT but I want him here sooner rather than later and he's just told me about Rob's new job."

"Good, I was hoping he'd call! That's great news…but how…you had this in mind already didn't you?"

"Yep, well the move, not this specific position."

Tim chuckled, "Did he tell you they're fixing up Dad's old place?"

"No, that's great! Perfect for the two of them."

"Might be more, they're now certified as foster parents."

"Good for them…that's all of you McGees except for Ziva, right?"

"Yeah, she hasn't said anything about it and she's still traveling between 30 and 40% of the time so that would be difficult."

"Yes, can't yank a kid out of school constantly and might not be exactly safe travel anyway. All right, next up on my list is Matt."

Tim had his fingers crossed that his friend wouldn't be moved too far away. But when Leon told him he realized what he was up to. "Sir, that would mean eventually…I'm guessing…Matt in my spot here, Bec in a SSAIC slot? With Ned and Maggie aboard the yard...and Tony?"

"Back here, just waiting for a slot."

Tim swallowed hard. "You've probably got a slot in mind but it would be great if he could get…" Leon interrupted him, "Exactly."

"Wow, Leon! All of them!"

"Yes. Rose Peters will have Central, Jane Melankovic has the Northwest, Childers the Southeast and Watson the Southwest, and Cassie Yates has the Far East - that should give you a good solid base. Each one has earned the new position and be in place before I leave here. Any others you'd recommend?"

"I do, but first I have a question about you moving Peters to the big chair at Central…what's happening with Owens?"

"Mmm, he'll be in touch with you."

"Ok…you know he's one of my deputies."

"Yes, I do. So, back to your recommendations, - you have one for me?

"Yes, two actually: Lydia Worden and Julian Bashon-Martin."

"All right, I might have to do some shuffling. Tim…Lydia's in your shop already!"

"Yeah, but she's overdue for more. Tamara Middleton too, where is she going?"

Vance chuckled, "Yeah, I was getting to that…Singapore SSAIC."

"Excellent!"

"Thank you. Prior to El Segundo she was SFA in Manila, so she's familiar with the territory. Any ideas for Worden?"

"Little Creek."

"Leading to…?"

"Know you have Matt in mind for here but what if he took the Northeast or swapped with Peters for Central and Lydia took the Southwest?"

"Ah, are you thinking that she would be a good AD?"

"It's either her, Richard Owens or Rose Peters and I think Lydia has more…drive."

Leon chuckled, "Special Agent McGee, are you thinking that far ahead?"

"Director Vance, I have no idea what you mean."

The two of them smirked at each other.

"All right, go back to Watson. Why not the Northeast?"

"His family is in the Midwest and it would be a better travel base for Damian, not that we're responsible for those kinds of considerations."

"And Peters?"

"She has family in Montreal and might perhaps maybe be seeing someone in that area when they can spare the time, not that I just said that."

Vance shook his head, "And I thought _I_ was sneaky and underhanded. Back to Watson again, why not the Southwest?"

"It's more the reason for Worden to be here. I'm finally getting it, the balance with having an AD here on the West Coast. And while I'd love for Bec or Matt to be AD, it can't happen if they're related to the sitting Director."

"Well well, you said it without choking on your tongue. Yes, I see…and Central would get Matt closer to the East Coast geographically and with flight time. Which will be easier for holidays when the Ks are with you."

"I bow to the master!"

Vance huffed in amusement, "All right, we can do that. Watson has El Segundo followed by Central at which point I'll move Peters to NE. Huh, I'm going to have to talk Buck Crandall into staying on until then…ok, now Bashon-Martin?"

"He's TL in Tampa now, but I…oh, he's not on the 'list'."

"If you mean the list of folks who need to be moved now, you're right."

"Ok, he can wait then. Have a question."

"Go."

"Winters, you have any plans for her?"

"Such as?"

Tim shook his head, "Such as I don't want her anywhere near me or my territory."

Vance looked at him, "I don't think I've ever heard you say you don't like someone."

"Because personal feelings don't count as long as you can trust them in the field and work with them. She may have a decent closure rate but she's horrible to work with and from what I've found out a royal pain to work for. Of course that was before I ran into Joaquin Davis and his little tricks so make that very difficult to work for and a royal pain to work with."

"We were repaid for Davis, came out of his pension after we showed him the evidence and told him we'd take him to court."

"For his time off, not for the agents whose careers he trashed."

"Yeah, there is that - although it was their choice to keep their mouths shut."

"Yes, I know but still…"

"All right; Winters…tell me."

Tim told him and saw his boss shaking his head. "I can't believe she's still up to that. I gave her a direct order, hell that was a condition of her taking London!"

"Apparently she suffered an attack of amnesia between here and the UK."

"And this was from?"

"Dorneget, Worden, Bashon-Martin and second hand from James. And none of the information was solicited." Tim relayed how the information had been given to him.

"Explains the revolving door we had there. She asked to come home, you know."

"Not surprised, never seemed to enjoy the job at all. She has the political skills of a tree stump; _Gibbs_ could run circles around her with his eyes closed and not that I claim to be an expert but you know it takes at least halfway decent people skills over there."

"Mm, so where shall I put her?"

"The Hoover Building? Langley? Interpol? No scratch that, we need their goodwill."

Vance laughed, "Ok, I get it but I'm going to delegate that to you. Take a look at her file and give me a real recommendation."

"Will do! That's it from me."

"And from me. And now I'm going to start calling agents!"

"Thanks Leon – have fun!"

"Planning on it – why don't you join me for Middleton and Worden?"

"Sure, love to!"

Tim disconnected and got busy looking at Winters' records. He frowned as he read the letter from Vance to the then Pentagon Team Lead. She might not be going anywhere _in_ the agency, she really had disobeyed a direct order, a written one at that. He'd have to look at the regs, he thought he had some leeway but wanted to make sure. He should call for an inquiry but wondered whether it was even worth it after all this time. Her work practices hadn't exactly been against regs, he would have reported that, hell Ned, Lydia or Julian would have reported it, but obviously none of them had known about the direct order. He would recommend that she be given two options: termination or demotion to a junior. They'd tell her why and if she ever made SFA again…well, she wouldn't, not while he had any say in the matter and it would have to be thoroughly documented. But first he needed to check the rules and regulations and make sure their evidence was solid.

XXX

Vance smiled as he made the call to Bec Childers, he was happy that Tim was getting the hang of being his AD and he was very happy with the changes he'd suggested. He couldn't wait to see what he came up with for Winters; that had been a disappointment to hear. He trusted his agents to follow direct orders, especially one as rule bound as Winters and rarely checked back unless there was an obvious problem. And as long as cases were being successfully closed, he hadn't been overly concerned about the revolving door of agents in the London office.

When Childers answered, Vance immediately told her that nothing was wrong and she thanked him. "However, I have some information that I believe you'll like."

"Sir?"

"The Supervising SAIC/Team Lead in Savannah is retiring November 30th and I'd like you to step up into that post."

"Director, that's…wow, yes sir, I accept the position!"

"Wonderful Agent Childers, congratulations! You'll have two satellite offices, Howarton and Chalmers plus your own team in Savannah."

"Yes sir! You said November 30th?"

"November 30th for the outgoing STL, December 1st for you, although you two can work it out as the 30th is a Monday. If it were me retiring, I'd just take a personal day on that Monday and leave the office to my replacement and if you take over the 30th, that's fine. I'm sorry it means moving so quickly and at that time of year but the man is insistent on retiring then."

"That's all right, Director, we'll manage."

"I'm sending you an e-mail with your team information and links to their recent case reports."

"Sir…how soon will this be made public? I know I can tell my husband and parents, but the family…"

Vance chuckled, "You can go ahead and tell your own family and your in-laws, Agent Childers; just ask the Feds among them to keep it to themselves until they see the promotions list."

"All right, thank you sir!"

"No need to thank me, you've earned it! If you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail."

"Yes sir!"

Vance hung up and sat back for a minute, boy that felt good! He looked at the time, too early to call Middleton, Watson and Worden; he wanted to wait until it was closer to the end of their work day. He'd contact Dorneget next.

XXX

Ned was just leaving the office when his cell buzzed with a call from the Director. He looked at the time; he'd spoken with him just an hour ago! He answered, "Dorneget."

"Agent Dorneget, I have a spot for you here at HQ. It's not exactly where I want you but it'll get you back in here and that will do for now."

"Sir?"

"Team Lead of the Cold Case team."

"Director, that's great, thank you!"

"No need, as I said it's not where you'll ultimately be but it'll get you back here. And Ned, I know it hasn't been 12 months but I'm using my authority as Director to make this promotion."

"Sir…I really appreciate it, I won't let you down! When's my report date?"

Vance let his smile show in his voice, "I know you won't and it's November 30th. I'll send you an e-mail with your team information and links to their latest case reports. And Ned, if you want to come in and meet them before the 30th, that's fine, just give me a heads up."

"Yes sir!"

"Congratulations Agent Dorneget and welcome back to the Navy Yard! Oh and it's fine to tell the family, just ask them to keep it to themselves until the promotions list is published."

"Understood, thanks again!"

Leon's next call, after he had Tim on the line with him, was to Tamara Middleton. It was midday on the west coast but he took a chance she'd be in the office and not out chasing dirt bags and he didn't want to wait any longer. She picked up the phone, "Good Afternoon, Director!"

"Good Afternoon, Agent Middleton; Assistant Director McGee is on the line with us too. Do you have a few minutes or are you knee deep in a case?"

"Just wrapped up our latest, sir, reports can wait a little bit and good afternoon, Agent McGee!" She could hear the smile in Tim's voice as he answered; she knew he preferred the 'agent' title, "Hello Agent Middleton!"

Vance continued after Tim's greeting, "I'm making some changes in the offices and one of those changes has your name on it. You've done a wonderful job and AD-SSAIC McGee and I agree that you're ready for more. I want to promote you to the Senior Special Agent in Charge of the Singapore office."

Middleton felt behind her for her desk chair and sank into it. "Director, Tim…that's…oh my…yes I accept!"

"Great! The current SSAIC there is retiring effective January 4th, which is a Monday here and a Tuesday there. I'll let you two figure out the details."

"Directors, I just sent a request in for personal leave - to spend the December holidays in Singapore."

Vance chuckled, "That's good and now your airfare will be paid! I just hope you can get everything ready by then."

"Oh, I'll make that happen, no problem! Sir, do you know who my replacement is?"

"Yes, he's my next call; if he accepts, it's Matt Watson."

"That's wonderful, I'm so happy for him and for the teams!"

"I thought you'd be pleased. I'll let you and Watson work out who to tell when and how."

"Yes sir, thank you both!"

"You've earned it Tamara! I'm sending you an e-mail with information about your teams and recent cases; HR will send you the transfer package. I can help you with questions about the team info but you'd best go to HR with questions about transferring."

"Understood, Director."

They disconnected and Tim dropped off. Vance leaned back in his chair, dang he loved doing this! He started to pick up the phone to call Matt and realized he hadn't thought about his replacement in Preston. He turned toward his computer to send an e-mail to McGee but found one waiting for him. Chuckling, he opened it and nodded in agreement with Tim's recommendation that Harry Strausborg, current SFA for Blumquist's team in Yuma, be promoted into Preston and that Lydia's SFA be promoted to Team Lead in her office.

He liked the idea of Strausborg but it meant he needed to notify Blumquist beforehand. He'd call Watson first, then Blumquist, Strausborg and then Lydia. The folks at Little Creek could wait until morning to hear about Lydia, he wanted to get his other calls done tonight.

He called Watson. "Director?"

"Nothing's wrong, Matt. You sound like you're in a car."

"Yes sir; Agent Okoro and I are just returning to the office after interviewing witnesses."

"Can you talk or are you driving?"

"Okoro's driving sir. We're about 3 minutes out from the office."

"All right, why don't you call me when you get back?"

"Yes sir, I'll do that; talk to you in a few minutes."

Vance poured himself a cup of coffee while he waited. When Pam buzzed him, he picked up the call. "All right, Agent Watson, I have some news for you. We're making some changes around the country and I want to promote you to Supervising Team Lead in El Segundo, with Petrero and Button Willow reporting to you."

"Director, that's…thank you, yes, I accept!"

"You've earned it Matt! And don't forget with the 100+ miles between Preston and El Segundo, you'll get the transfer package again."

Matt chuckled, "Thanks, I had forgotten that! Do you know who will be taking this team and when?"

"Yes, but I haven't had a chance to speak with his SSAIC yet as he'll be coming in from another territory. I'll let you know as soon as that gets done - that SSAIC is my next call. As far as the report date, it's January 4th. However, you'll want to talk with your SSAIC and Middleton soon as she'll be on vacation over the holidays and will report directly to her new duty post. "

"All right then I won't keep you and we'll figure it out, thank you, this is good news, Director!"

Vance grinned as he hung up, two more calls, three if they called Lydia tonight and then he'd be done! When he reached Blumquist, the SSAIC was gracious about losing Strausborg and happy for the man. The Yuma Team Lead was out on vacation so they called Strausborg together and the agent was very happy with the news.

Leon's last call was to Lydia Worden but first he called Tim and together they called Lydia. She answered, "Afternoon, Director."

"Afternoon Agent Worden. Assistant Director McGee is also on the line."

"Good afternoon Lydia!"

"Hello Tim. How can I help you two?"

"Lydia, we want to promote you to Supervising Team Lead for the Little Creek office. You'll have responsibility for three teams, one in Little Creek and the other two in satellite offices."

"Little Creek…VA? That's...yes, I accept! When do I report?"

"March 1st 2021, the current STL is retiring February 28th. We'll be sending you information about your teams and HR will send you the transfer package."

"Thank you, both of you…oh, do you know who will take the team yet?"

Tim spoke, "Who would you recommend?"

"My SFA, she's ready and I'll work with her between now and then to make sure we have a smooth transition."

"She's got it then and Lydia, we would not expect anything less from you! I'll swing by next week, I'll let you know the day and offer her the job."

"That works, thanks Tim!"

The calls done except for Little Creek, Vance told his AD goodnight and after hanging up, headed for home. Oh yeah, this had been a good day!

* * *

><p>Ooh boy, there are a lot of changes coming up in NCIS and for our friends, time for an update! The newest changes are again in bold italics and characters no longer in the story have been removed. <strong><em>I've also organized the offices so that the subordinate offices (where applicable) appear with the Office in Charge (I made that term up, like it?)<em>****. ****_And sigh, as Tim is no longer in Athens and this is a Tim-centric saga (!) I've moved the Athens office in with the other NCIS offices._**

Tim's immediate family:

Wife Lina (Melina) Kalivas;

Children in order of appearance: Donald Jorrin (Jorry), Anna, Gemma, Zoe Langston, Timothy Andrew (Andy), Sean Michael (Sean); also referred to as the McGees.

Tim's siblings, their spouses & partners:

Sarah McGee, husband James Powell; Children in order of appearance: Adam, Audrey and Evan, Baby Fiona Jacqueline; family is also referred to as the "Powells";

Dr. Rob Mallard, **_partner _**Ned Dorneget;_** also referred to as the 'junior Mallards';**_

Captain Geordie Gibbs Perry, wife Agent Bec Childers; also referred to as the "Perrys";

Agent Tony DiNozzo, wife Agent Maggie Barnes, foster child Emma; also referred to as the "DiNozzos";

Ziva David; **_:)_**

Patrick McGee Blair, wife Laurel Lee Cassidy, both deceased (also birth parents of Timothy Andrew Blair McGee, Sarah Hope Blair and grandparents of Sean Michael Blair McGee).

Tim's Parents, Grandparents, etc:

Biological Parents: Lily and Dan McGee (both deceased pre-story; **_for more information about them, see story "At What Price" on my profile_**);

Adoptive Dad: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Poppy to his grandchildren; wife Rhea Ortiz;

Stepmother: Rhea Ortiz Gibbs, Jethro's wife, Nonnie to Gibbs' grandkids;

**_Paternal grandparents: Penny Langston (McGee), Admiral Nelson McGee (deceased pre-story);_**

Maternal grandparents: Gram - Maisie Stirling Hubbard Mallard; Grandfa - Ducky/Donald Mallard;

Godparents: Uncle Dave (retired Admiral) and Aunty Liz Crane;

**_(Maternal)_** Uncle, Aunt, Cousins: Uncle Jim (retired Captain) and Aunt Claire Hubbard, children Ainsley and Callum.

**_(Paternal) Uncle: Mark McGee (deceased pre-story)_**

Tim's in-laws:

Lina's parents: Davos Kalivas and Hélène Theodori, grandparent names: Pappouli and Yayaka (or Yaya);

Lina's siblings:

Damian Kalivas, (nickname Daim, pronounced Dame), partner Special Agent Matt Watson; also referred to as the 'Kalivas-Watsons';

Chloe Kalivas, husband Dr. Peter Rodino, children Alexis and Tad;

Nicolas Kalivas, wife Margaret Mitropolous, children Zander and Dimitri;

Other family/Extended Family:

Jimmy and Breena Slater Palmer, children Ethan, Stevie, Violet and David; also referred to as "the Palmers";

**_Dani and Ross: international business owner, single mom and her son Ross; originally Pete, Trina and Lina's friends and Lina's housemates, later also Bec and Ned's housemates; _**

**_Charlotte: Bec's cousin and maid of honor at her wedding to Geordie;_**

**_Joanna Teague (formerly known as Mrs. Dorneget)_**: (Season 12) **_canon name of Ned Dorneget's mother; _**

Colonel Barnes: Maggie Barnes' father, Tony DiNozzo's father-in-law;

George and Edith Powell: Sarah McGee's father and mother in law; parents of James Powell; Granddad and Grandmum to the Powell children;

Sarah Hope Blair: biological niece of Tim and Sarah McGee; daughter of Patrick and Laurel, sister of Timothy Andrew, first (birth) mother of Sean Michael.

Hope Blair: adoptive mother of Patrick McGee Blair, grandmother to Sarah Hope Blair and Timothy Andrew Blair, great grandmother to Sean Michael Blair; (deceased);

NCIS: Worldwide Offices:

DC/Navy Yard: **_(also known as HQ or Headquarters)_**

Director Leon Vance, children Kayla and Jared; deceased wife Jackie;

Executive Assistant Pamela Cook;

Agents: Rick Carter; Jim O'Brien

Investigative Agents: Maggie Barnes, Dwayne Wilson;

**_Team Lead, Cold Case team: Ned Dorneget, partner of Dr. Rob Mallard (see Tim's siblings);_**

Medical Examiner: Jimmy Palmer; unnamed assistant

**_IT: James Powell, Manager, _**husband of Sarah McGee. (**_see Tim's siblings_**);

Also in DC: FBI: Tobias Fornell and daughter Emily.

**Athens: **

Office Manager Kim, husband Evander (international real estate agent);

Eva, husband Caleb (works at the Museum of Man in California) and son Athos, daughter Alitta; Note: Eva is now located in San Diego but still works for NCIS: Athens, albeit remotely;

Agents: Rusty Mayhew, Team Lead-SAIC, Lynne, Jake, **_Denise_**;

**_Tampa: _**

**_Julian Bashon-Martin, SAIC/Team Lead,_****_Deputy to the Assistant Director; _**

**_Little Creek, VA:_**

**_Lydia Worden, Supervising Team Lead/SAIC; _**

**_Savannah, GA: _**

**_Bec Childers, Supervising Team Lead/ SAIC - husband Capt. Geordie Perry (see Tim's siblings);_**

**_Central (aka The Great Lakes office)_**

**_Current: Richard Owens, Senior Special Agent in Charge (SSAIC); Deputy to the Assistant Director;_**

**_At Unnamed office subordinate to Central: Rose Peters, Supervising Team Lead/ SAIC; Deputy to the Assistant Director;_**

**_Singapore: _**

**_Tamara Middleton, Senior Special Agent in Charge (SSAIC);_**

**_Far East:_**

**_Cassie Yates, Senior Special Agent in Charge (SSAIC);_**

Rota: Stan Burley, wife Patricia;

Marseille:  Roger Martinez, wife Marla;

**_Northwest (aka the Seattle office)_**:

**_Jane Melankovic,_** **_Senior Special Agent in Charge (SSAIC);_**

**_ Subordinate Office: Bremerton and unnamed others_**

Pentagon: 

Anthony DiNozzo Jr., Team Lead/SAIC;

Lyle Sharp, Junior Agent, Unnamed agents;

Marine Corps West: Blumquist, Senior SAIC;

Sub office Yuma, AZ: Maya Maradona, Team Lead;

Southwest (SW) (aka the San Diego Office):

Timothy McGee, Assistant Director and Senior SAIC;

Jeff Andreson, SFA (and de facto Team Lead) of SW team;

Tea – as substitute dispatch operator, formerly with NCIS: Athens. (Also see husband Adan under Damian's consultants);

Offices subordinate to the SW office (others are unnamed):

**_ El Segundo, CA:_**

**_ Matt Watson, Supervising Team Lead/SAIC, partner of Damian Kalivas (see also Lina's siblings);_**

Carla Hofstadler, Investigative Agent (former Athens' SFA) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy;

**_ Satellite Offices (subordinate to El Segundo):_****_ Petrero, Button Willow. _**

**_ Preston: _**

**_ Harry Strausborg, Team Lead/SAIC;_**

Office Manager: Megan Peters;

Dispatch/Phones: Rae Leavitt;

Unnamed SFA, Junior Agents Terrell Okoro, Joanne Day;

Retired Agents:

Pete Russell: wife Trina, kids Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas;

Joel Morris, wife Carol Morris;

**_At the Museum of Man in San Diego:_**

Caleb (husband of Eva);

Damian's consultant staff at architectural firm:

Adan (landscape designer), (see also wife Tea under Southwest Office);

Evander (international real estate broker), wife Kim (see also NCIS: Athens)

Melina Kalivas (mixed media artist)

**_Other characters:_**

**_Dr. Chase: Lina's OB-GYN in Preston_**

**_Hanna: nanny to the McGee kids_**

**_Maya: Tea's mother, in California to help with her new grandchild_**

Kath Robinson: Tim's assistant at SW office;

Cole: College student boyfriend of Alexis (see Lina's siblings: Chloe);

Admiral Moaker: Admiral concerned about a drug ring on aircraft carrier; former pain in the neck to Admiral (Uncle Dave) Crane;

Barry: friend of Tim, Geordie, Sarah and Rob from the homeless camp. He's now a police officer with Silver Spring PD, was at Geordie & Bec's wedding;

George Avramidis – In Greece: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Master/Instructor;

Dimitri Avramidis – In Greece: the "DCP" or the Deputy Chief of Police, Athens;

Archimedes – everyone's favorite tailor in Piraeus, Greece;

"Ted" Edwards and Jack Hughes – CIA agents and friends of Tim, Pete and the Athens gang;

The Ambassador: U.S. Ambassador to Greece and good friend of Melina (Lina) Kalivas;

Nick Hardister: Chief of Police in Preston, CA, also next door neighbor and friend to the McGees;

Janeese Hardister: wife of Nick, sometimes babysitter for McGee children, friend and neighbor;

Lu – one of the shelter managers in Baltimore; she helped the McGee siblings when they were growing up there;

**_Nate – grizzly old guy at the transient camp in Baltimore; keeps an eye on the kids;_**

**_Juanita – grizzly older woman at the transient camp in Baltimore; with Nate keeps an eye on the kids; new kids frequently stay in her tent._**


	236. Chapter 236

LAX is Los Angeles International Airport.

* * *

><p>CH 236<p>

As he rode home that night, Tim's head was still spinning from all the changes Vance had in play. He wondered if Leon realized he'd given his AD a clue as to when he'd be retiring. He relaxed as he thought about it.

After he greeted Lina who noted that he was home early, he looked around and she laughed, "They're at the big house with Hanna, they'll be home in about 20 minutes."

"Good, have something to tell you…well lots of things but one big thing!"

"I'm intrigued!"

"Vance promoted several agents today, getting them lined up to be put in positions of more responsibility as their next step. Like bringing me home from Greece to handle multiple teams before I could take Joel's job."

"All right."

"He agreed that Lydia could have the SW office after the promotion he gave her today."

"The SW office…oh! When you're…when he retires?"

"Yes. And there's more, we actually talked about it but not when…However!"

She was laughing now, "Just tell me!"

"Agents aren't normally eligible for promotions more than once in a 12 month period. The promotion Lydia was told about today is effective 3/1/2021."

She looked at him and smiled, "Does that mean…"

"Yep, she won't be promoted again until at least 3/1/22, so he's not retiring until then."

Lina kissed him, "Yay, two more winters here!"

Tim laughed, "That was one of my first thoughts too!"

"So who else was promoted, anyone I know?"

He huffed, "Almost everyone you know!" He told her about Bec, Ned and Matt as well as Leon's plans for Tony. "Oh that's wonderful Tim! He's putting everything together for you!"

He nodded and then as they heard the van pull in he said quickly, "Can't tell the kids yet, and you need to act surprised when you hear!"

She poked him in the arm, "Hello! I've been a NCIS wife for more than 6 years now!" His reply was lost as the kids came in and charged toward him. As he was still kissing and hugging them, his cell buzzed and Andy fished it out of his jacket pocket for him. Tim looked at it and nodded. "How long until we eat, uh…what are we eating?"

"Yaya made us a slow cook dinner!"

"Yay for Yaya! Ok, can we wait about 15 minutes to eat? Aunt Bec, Uncle Ned and Uncle Matt want to have a Skype call and…" He heard a car drive up and answered yes to the request for a Skype call. "All right kids, let's go find out what your aunt and uncles want!" He had his laptop and handed it to Andy to set up at the dining table. He opened the door as Davos was about to knock. "Come on in, we're just getting the laptop set up."

"Do you know what's happening?"

"Yes and no one is hurt or in any trouble."

"Thank you."

The Kalivas', Penny, Gibbses and Mallards followed him to the dining table and Tim finished booting up his laptop and bringing up Skype. He had to work not to grin as he saw windows with Bec, Ned and Matt – and the rest of the family.

"Tim!"

"Hi guys." All three of them started talking at once and Tim held up his hand. "Whoa! One at a time. Bec, you first."

"We're moving to Georgia, I've been promoted to …" she told them about her promotion. They hardly had time to exclaim over that before Ned spoke, "And I've been promoted to HQ, to…" He explained his new job. There was quiet after that and they all looked at Matt. "My promotion is to El Segundo."

Everyone turned and looked at Tim who smiled enigmatically. "Congratulations to each of you; you deserve it!"

Tony looked at his little brother, "Anything else you can tell us?"

"On condition that none of this be disclosed before the promotion list comes out."

"Tim?" That was from Sarah and he shook his head, "I'm not involved; well I knew about them but there's no change for me. However, Lydia was also promoted today…" He told them where and continued, "And also Matt's former Team Lead, Tamara Middleton in El Segundo; she's going to Singapore in the same position I have."

"Assistant Director?"

"No, as Senior Special Agent In Charge."

"Is that it?"

"That's all the news that affects us."

He smiled as he caught Tony's attention and rubbed his eyebrow. After Bec and Ned and their partners promised to keep them updated with moving details, the easterners dropped off the call. Matt stayed on and Damian moved into view. Lina looked at them, "That's a very long commute, Matt."

He nodded, "We're going to move. Don't know what we'll do with the house yet. Maybe rent it out for awhile."

Damian added, "With my travel schedule, being closer to LAX will work better, there are more nonstop flights. We have no idea where or what we'll find to live in but we've only had a couple of hours to absorb this."

Tim nodded, "For the record, I didn't know about any of this until today."

Matt grinned at him, "Knew that when you weren't on the call with Vance."

"Yeah, I was on the call with Lydia but she and Tamara are the only ones not related to the family."

His father was standing right behind him and carefully reached up and gently patted the back of his head. Tim grinned, realizing Dad was telling him to stop talking. He shook his head, there wasn't anything secretive about these promotions; they were all well deserved.

As Hélène had made more than enough, the Grands and Greats stayed for dinner. Tim had a good time, knowing his father and grandfather were itching to interrogate him. He wasn't going to say anything about the effective date of Lydia's promotion, that's what they got for gossiping about him!

With the kids' help Tim, Penny and his dad cleaned up the dinner dishes. Tim knew it had to be killing the man not to be able to talk about it while he himself was relaxed. When they finished, he grabbed Zoe to get her ready for bed. "Sean, Jorry, you have 30 minutes until story time!" The boys nodded at him as he and Zoe walked upstairs, followed by his father. Zoe told them more about her day, repeating something her teacher had said. Tim just looked at his father who rolled his eyes and nodded, he got it: Zoe was past the age where you could safely say anything in front of her.

Finally the kids were all either in bed or upstairs reading. The evening air was still warm enough to sit outside so while the others watched TV in the family room, Tim, Dad and Grandfa slipped outside to the patio with their favorite after dinner beverages.

Poppy didn't waste any time, "So what are you not telling us?"

Tim shrugged, "I knew Leon had some moves planned; he likes to do that every few years and I already told you there were a lot of retirements coming up. Today was the start of the rollout of replacements for the retirees. He went over the list with me and then he made the calls."

"Still, there's a reason why he did these promotions first!"

"Sure there was. Ned spoke with him earlier today about finding a spot at HQ because of Rob's new job. While Bethesda was fine, I don't think it was Ned's dream location. And the spots Bec and Matt are filling will be vacant very soon, so they needed to be told. The move to Singapore for Middleton's is big, that's going to take some time for her to handle; once she was told that Matt was replacing her, he needed to be told. And he's certainly earned the spot…all of them have. Lydia was a surprise and I hate losing her from my shop but she has the expertise Little Creek desperately needs. The guy Bec is replacing is adamant about retiring Nov. 30th, Leon's been trying to move it up to the first of the year but heard late yesterday that he wouldn't budge, thus Bec's promotion. So it's timing; all the transfers but Ned's are due to retirements."

His grandfather started laughing, "You know we expected some grand announcement at the end of their call…something akin to 'yes and while all of you are moving, I shall be ascending to the center seat at HQ'."

Tim shook his head, "No and if I ever say anything like that please stop me!"

His father looked at him; he knew there was more and that he wasn't going to be told. While he wasn't crazy about it, he knew Tim was doing his job. He nodded and pulled his son in for a hug. "You don't talk like that, Duck's just teasing."

His grandfather joined the hug as Tim laughed, "I know Dad…but as much as I love and trust you both, there are things I cannot tell you."

"Are you saying we're not playing fair?"

"I'm saying that there's already enough speculation and I shouldn't have to tell either of you what a bad idea that is and how much I dislike it."

"Even within the family?"

"Can you absolutely guarantee that anything I tell you will stay in the family? And need I remind you of: 1) how many people are in our family and 2) that not all of the Federal employees in the family have the same security clearance? And 3) I would be violating the oath I took to tell you some of the things you want to know?"

They both sighed, looking unhappy and Tim looked at them; now he was getting irritated. "Does that make me the bad guy? Are you disappointed in me as a son or grandson? If you are, well tough, you're the ones who trained me and helped me into this! Now excuse me, I'd like to spend some time with my wife."

Rhea was the only big house resident still there, the others had gone home. She looked at Tim, "Did you tell them to butt out?"

He huffed, "Yeah I did. I was already told last year that one of them repeated something I said, so no more of that! Luckily it wasn't anything that did any harm but it sure taught me a lesson."

He looked at her, shook his head, kissed her on the cheek, took a deep breath, turned and walked back out to the patio where his father and grandfather were still seated, now looking glum.

"I'm sorry - I shouldn't have gone off on you two like that. I love you both more than I can express and you're a huge part of my support system; you're wonderful to me, Lina and the children. It's just…"

His grandfather made a face, "How can you trust us to be your support system if we can't keep our mouths shut?"

His father sighed, "Trust is very important; I lost yours once and I sure as hell don't want to do that again. And it's a two way street…we need to trust you, we need to let you do your job and that means keeping things to yourself and again, being able to trust us so we can support you."

Tim nodded and sat down between them. "Thank you for understanding that. I guess we're still finding our way through this, huh?"

His grandfather gave him a small smile, "And I do apologize for my slip up, Timothy."

"It's all right, Grandfa but next time…for either of you and Lina knows this too, if you do slip up, please let me know! It probably won't be anything but I do need to be told."

His father rolled his eyes, "Of all people, you'd think the two of us would know that!" He snorted, "Of course I was used to being a functional mute, now I have to talk and things get said."

Tim smiled and gave them each a kiss. "Love you both. Rhea's waiting for you, the others went home."

"Come on Duck, our boy's kicking us out!"

"With much love, yes I am!"

The three walked inside together where the two older men kissed Lina goodnight and left with Rhea. Tim sank down into the loveseat next to his wife. "OY! I hope by the time the next step happens we'll have this figured out!"

"Rhea told me what you said and did."

He nodded. "I got irritated with them - sometimes they're like two little boys rubbing their hands with glee to see what they can pry out of me. And we can't do that or I won't be able to tell them anything!"

"Did you settle it?"

"Yeah, I apologized and so did they."

"Good, now come to bed, I am in desperate need of a back rub!"

He grinned as they headed for their bedroom. He loved giving Lina back rubs or foot rubs or anything else that involved touching, it almost always led to more physical exertion.


	237. Chapter 237

LOL, I should have known someone would ask me what the original piece of gossip was that slipped from Ducky, and a few of you did! I used my trusty timeline document which (theoretically) summarizes each chapter and found it in Chapter 180, a conversation between Tim and Davos.

* * *

><p>CH 237<p>

It was a couple of weeks after Tea's baby shower before Jethro and Davos delivered the bassinette, rocker and some of the larger gifts that hadn't fit in the expectant couple's car. When the two older men carried the bassinette into the master bedroom Tea looked at it and shrugged. "Lina and Tim used one for Jorry and Zoe?"

"Yes. When Jorry was born, Lina didn't want to but once she decided it was more practical, Tim had the bassinette all ready, wrapped up in her studio. It was Eva and Caleb's and I think they got it from someone else. After Jorry was sleeping through the night, Tim gave it back to Caleb, no idea whether Alitta used it or not."

Adan nodded, "Yes, she did and when she was through with it they loaned it to friends in the UK and left it there."

Davos smiled, "Good thing we made a new one then!"

They put the rocker in the nursery, helped Adan carry the other gifts in and then left.

Tea sat down in the rocker, "This is perfect! I can't believe they did all this!" Her eyebrows rose as she felt a contraction. Adan stood still, "Are you in pain love?"

She shook her head, "No, it's Braxton-Hicks."

He smiled, "Lina thought that too – both times!"

Tea chuckled, "Yes I remember that some of our Thanksgiving dinner was in the back of their car when Jorry was born!"

Tea's mother hadn't heard that story so they told her. In the weeks she'd been here she was becoming more and more relaxed. Remembering all the good things they'd heard about the Kalivas-McGee family was what reconciled Tea's parents to her moving here. Now her mother was finding she liked the country far more than she expected; the people were friendly and warm and she hadn't seen or heard of any drive-by shootings or wild behavior since she'd been here. When she attended church in Preston, she was heartened to find it full of warm, welcoming people, along with the people she already knew, and that some of the children spoke Greek.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a gasp from her daughter. "Oh! Adan, Mama - that was a real contraction! Ow that hurt! Adan, help me up please, I have a lot to do still!"

Adan looked at the clock to time the contractions as he helped Tea get up. She wanted to move around, there were baby clothes that still needed washing and putting away. With her mother's help, she pulled all the clothes out that needed washing and got them going. Her mother talked her into leaving the rest, "Everything else can wait, Tea. I'll get them dried and fold them. You need to conserve your energy for your labor."

Tea nodded and then made another noise and Adan looked at the clock again. "20 minutes." She paced and puttered as the time between contractions decreased. By nightfall she was down to 8 minutes between and was very uncomfortable. They called their doctor at 7 minutes between and he advised them to wait until the contractions were 5 minutes apart. In the meantime, Adan sent Caleb and Tim a text and soon both Eva and Lina called to talk with Tea, to see if they could distract her for a few minutes.

Finally they headed to the hospital. Eva and Caleb would join them as soon as their children were asleep; the Gibbses were coming to stay with them. The Kalivas' would stay with the McGee kids so Tim and Lina could also go for awhile. They figured the couple was going to need all the support they could give them.

Tea's baby was born at 5 AM Sunday; a beautiful little girl they named Hallie, a Greek name meaning 'thinking of the sea'. When Lina and Tim, who'd returned home before midnight, heard the name they smiled, thinking of Tea's love of mermaids. Adan reported that mother and daughter were well although Tea was of course sore and exhausted. They'd be in the hospital for a day or so and Tim planned to visit them on the way home from work on Monday.

XXX

While the agents who were retiring or being transferred were busily packing up their lives, the rest of the agency conducted business as usual. The promotions list was usually published on a quarterly basis but with two key changes happening before the end of the year, Vance decided to put out a 'special edition'. Besides, there were already several teams who knew there would be changes at the end of that month which meant rumors were probably already flying. Tim smiled when he saw it in his e-mail one Friday morning. After printing it out, he posted it on the bulletin board, with Lydia, Matt and Tamara's names highlighted. Jeff and one of his juniors came in while he was there and took a look, "Wow, three from our shop, great!" Jeff looked again, "Tim, who's going to replace Matt?"

"Harry Strausborg, from Yuma."

"Oh, Blumquist's territory."

Tim nodded. "Yeah and I never asked who was taking Strausborg's place."

They looked down the list and saw it was being filled by an agent from the Southeast office.

The junior laughed, "It's almost like musical chairs!"

Tim nodded, "Only here we usually don't remove any chairs!"

He looked at the spot that had been Winters' and nodded when he saw the name of the agent who would now lead that team. He'd done his due diligence, he'd verified the reports from Ned, Lydia and Julian, interviewed the rest of the agents who had been on and off her London team, written his report and sent it along with his recommendations.

He'd struggled with those. He hated to see a good investigator tossed out because of her petty rules and in light of her hard work, almost incomprehensible actions, but that wasn't the point. She had disobeyed a direct order, broken her promise and then lied about it. The disobedience of a direct order was a firing offense and lying to one's boss was never a good thing; breaking one's word with the Director was even worse.

His first recommendation was termination. The woman had 20 years in; she'd started in an administrative role while in college and she completed her degree at night and on weekends. Once she'd gotten her degree, she'd worked her way up to Intel Analyst and from there to a field agent. She'd worked hard and then she blew it; gave it up because she evidently couldn't trust her staff, no matter who they were, to act like adults.

His second recommendation was that the agent be relieved of her team and demoted to a junior agent with the condition that she have professional counseling for her erratic behavior. Vance had contacted him after receiving his report and after much discussion, decided to let Winters choose her fate. She chose the demotion; Tim was relieved and cautiously optimistic that the counseling would help her. She was now a junior in one of the smaller offices and was required to report her counseling sessions to HR.

XXX

Tim sent a response to Abby saying exactly what he'd told his father and grandfather he would, that he'd forgiven her the crime but would not have any further contact, explaining the complete and necessary lack of trust, his unwillingness to repair whatever illusion of a friendship she thought they'd had, pointing out her cruelty toward him while they were working together and citing those incidents. He typed it up, printed it and an envelope with her name and address and the vaguest return address he could think of and gave it to Timmons with instructions to route it so that it couldn't be traced back to him. The return address on the envelope read "McGee, General Delivery Washington DC" with the most commonly used zip code. Timmons sent it off in a dispatch to the Security team in DC who then mailed it to Louisiana. Tim also let Ziva, Tony, Jimmy and Ned know.

XXX

After Rob and Ned got the news of the promotion to the Navy Yard, they started packing up the condo; they wanted to be in the house before winter set in. While they were chatting online with the Gibbses, Dad asked if there was anything they absolutely had to have before they moved in; they said a new refrigerator and then laughed as Rhea snorted coffee (luckily it was not hot!). They had everything else covered but both of them hated the ancient icebox. Dad told them to pick out what they wanted and to let him know the details; he'd order it online and have it delivered on a weekend they knew they'd be there. They decided to move the weekend before Thanksgiving, that would give them the rest of the month to clean the condo and Ned could handle commuting for a few days. If he had to stay late on a case he could still stay at the condo, they'd leave something he could sleep on and the utilities would be in their names until the end of the month. They'd been lucky; the agent transferring in to take Ned's place liked the condo and was going to sublet it from them until the lease was up in February.

XXX

Bec and Geo wished they could fold up their little house and take it with them to Georgia. Sure, it was a rental but they'd loved decorating it to suit their tastes. Geo laughed, "I can't believe I'm complaining about moving, I've spent my entire adult life on the move!"

Bec nodded, "And you're restless when you're not moving!"

After she was told of her promotion, the two of them contacted Evander and he started looking for housing to suit them in Savannah. While both of them wanted to be near the beach, Geo worried about hurricanes, so they researched a little more and ultimately decided to drive down for a weekend to take a look around. Geo still thought it was funny that they were being transferred to the place where he'd originally thought they'd spend lots of weekends. They smiled at the breeze when they arrived and Geo said, "You know, everyone's going to want to spend winters with us once Tim and Lina move to Virginia."

Bec smirked, "Another big house!"

They both laughed again. Evander had provided them with a map showing the different areas in a circle around the NCIS office and they spent Saturday driving around deciding which ones they liked most. When Bec mentioned buying rather than renting, Geo looked at her, "How long do you think we're going to be here?"

"I don't know, a few years."

He shook his head. "Bec, he's positioning you – us."

"Who - Vance or Tim?"

"Vance. You remember when he told Tim he was sending him to California? He told him he needed experience with multiple teams and that was so he could take over from Joel. Now he's promoted you and Matt to multi-team offices."

She stood in thought for a minute before adding, "Not just us. Lydia Worden is moving to a multi-team office. There are a lot of retirements."

Geo nodded, "Yeah, a lot of retirements, but why you three? And Ned too. I'm sure you all deserve the promotions, but think about the timing. I bet Vance is getting everyone positioned so that in a year or two he can promote you and Matt and Lydia to the SSAIC spots and maybe Ned to one of the bigger teams aboard the Yard and I imagine at some point Tony will be moved back to the Yard too. Then you'll all be in place to support Tim as Director when Leon retires."

"But why wouldn't he wait…?"

"Can you imagine the scuttlebutt if Tim promoted you guys? It could do some serious damage to his credibility - if the regulations even allow it! But if Vance does it first, then it's all done, in place."

She shook her head, "I'm impressed, I hope I would have realized all that - I'm just glad you did. Think Matt knows?"

Geo chuckled, "There's one way to find out, ask! But hon, we cannot talk to anyone besides Matt and Ned about it, especially not Tim or any of the others. This has to stay 'classified'!"

"Right. Wow, that's a lot to think about! So, I guess we should rent again."

Geo nodded, "Yup, we can buy when we move to Mayport."

She laughed at him for saying that but then nodded, thinking about the possibility of returning to Mayport Florida, really the Jacksonville Metro area, to run the Southeast office. It would be full circle for her as that was where she'd done her probie year. Right now it sounded pretty daunting and she was glad her brilliant husband had figured it out; she'd have time to get used to the idea if it did indeed become reality. They had fun that weekend and let Evander know which areas they were interested in.

XXX

Matt and Damian were also out looking, although they knew the El Segundo area far better than their friends knew Savannah. Evander was working with them to find another house in the area. They'd let him know which areas they wanted to live in and he'd sent them a few listings and made appointments for showings. They looked at several places of varying types: condos, townhouses, detached homes, with pools and without and finally found one they both liked, this time a 4 bedroom house with a 'granny' unit along with a large private patio, hot tub and medium sized pool.

They liked the idea of the separate unit as they thought Hélène and Davos would want to stay over when they visited rather than make the long drive back to Preston the same day. And they hoped that Matt's parents might stay longer if they had their own space. After touching up a few things, for instance the brilliantly painted children's guest room, their Del Mar house was on the market.

XXX

Evander smiled when he saw the e-mail from Bec and Geordie; according to his local sources in Georgia there were a couple of places about to hit the market that he thought they'd like. Although he didn't know why Director Vance was suddenly moving agents, he was happy that Bec, Matt and Lydia had contacted him for help. Matt and Damian had already found a home and he hoped he would be able to help Bec and Geordie as well.

XXX

While Tea's new baby and the transfer-move situations were playing out, the McGees thought about what they wanted to do for Christmas. The Kalivas' planned to leave for Greece the week in between Christmas and New Years and the family briefly toyed with the idea of flying to the East Coast to see everyone. Then Tony told them that Senior had asked them, including the Colonel, to spend Christmas with him; with the three couples just moving, this just didn't seem like the year for a big Christmas reunion. The Mallards would fly to Virginia in early December, stay a month and then return to California. Penny was going to stay in California through the winter and the Gibbses would also remain there until spring when they'd go back east for a few weeks. Tim was torn as to what to do. December was going to be a tough month for Lina – and him – as that had been their lost baby's due date. He couldn't decide whether they should do something totally different – like go to Hawaii – or stay within the comforts of their home.

The more he thought about going away, the more he liked it. However, that would mean Tea, Adan, Eva and Caleb, Matt, Damian, Norm, Carla and possibly the Hardisters would be on their own for the second year running. Maybe they'd have their traditional Christmas at home, or the big house, but do something different afterward. Remembering they had originally planned to take the kids to the mountains last summer, he started playing around with that. Once he had some information he asked Lina and found she was thinking along the same lines, she wanted a family getaway after Christmas. What she said was that she'd like to leave for the entire month of December but realized that wasn't likely to happen.


	238. Chapter 238

CH 238

Tim was concerned about the children. They'd been through their mother's troubles, their father's job had changed leaving him less time with them, they were doing fine with Nanny Hanna, but now their Uncles were moving and wouldn't be around as much. At least he had the relative comfort of knowing there would be no move for them for another year.

Jorry's 5th birthday was coming up fast and Tim wanted it to be as special as Sean's had been. He figured they'd have a quiet Thanksgiving and then who knew what for Christmas. There were a few things arranged; he'd bought tickets last spring for one of the kids' favorite Christmas events, "the Polar Express", he and Lina would take the kids along with whichever of the Grands and Greats wanted to go. They'd also see the Parade of Lights at the harbor and of course their annual trip to watch the migration of the whales. That would be enough, there would be plenty of other events going on locally, the school play and the community tree lighting for instance. The Christmas gifts were all purchased or made and were safely tucked away at the big house.

Tim remembered the chaos of last Christmas with Fiona's precipitous birth the weekend before and how much fun it was for all of them to be together or nearly all together as Rob and Ned had still been in Greece. He couldn't believe that wasn't even a year ago, this had been an incredibly busy year!

With everything going on, it was Tim's birthday weekend before he even saw it coming at him. Saturday morning he took Jorrin, Sean and Andy to get their hair cut and then ran some errands with the three boys. Back home, they found that Gemma and Anna were at a neighborhood friend's for lunch; Pappouli had walked them over. After they had their own lunch, Zoe and the boys helped him do some gardening in the backyard. While it was still plenty warm for most of the vegetables in the raised beds, some of them had reached the end of their life cycle and it was time to tear them out. Once that was done, they dug the dirt a little and then covered it to keep any stray seeds out and keep the soil warm. They'd plant their winter veggies in a couple of months.

Gemma and Anna came home mid-afternoon, walked home by their neighbor and the family spent some time playing together. The day passed normally and Tim really didn't think much of it. When Lina went inside for a rest and the kids decided to watch a movie, he headed upstairs to write for an hour or so. The kids had asked for enchiladas so Tim had pulled one of his batches out of the freezer last night and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.

When he came downstairs to put their dinner in the oven, he blinked and then blinked again. Somehow in the 90 minutes he'd been upstairs, the house had been visited by the Birthday Fairy. Banners and signs hung on the wall wishing him a Happy Birthday and there were birthday balloons floating on the ceiling. The dining table had all the leaves in it and was all set, complete with freshly cut flowers. He grinned at his family and then his grin widened as he spotted Matt, Damian, Carla, Norm, Eva, Caleb, and all their kids plus Nick and Janeese and to his further surprise, Tea, Adan and Tea's mother. His kids were giggling and finally they all yelled, "Surprise!" He greeted everyone, he hadn't seen Norm and Carla in awhile and the last he'd seen of Eva, Caleb, Tea and Adan was at the hospital weeks ago.

He looked at Tea, "Hope you didn't forget anyone at home?"

She laughed and pointed upstairs. "She's sound asleep and we have the baby monitor."

"Great, are we her first outing then?"

Tea nodded. "Yes, other than the doctor's. We didn't want to miss your birthday!"

He chuckled, "I kind of forgot about it!" He looked around, "I was just coming to put dinner in the oven..."

His wife grinned, "You can have that tomorrow night if you want but tonight we're eating Greek!"

Matt rubbed his hands together, "Oh boy, meze!"

They all agreed with that. Tea's mother Maya had insisted on making meze for all of them while Hélène made the entrée and Eva made some side dishes, including the vegetable casserole she and Caleb made Tim for his first birthday celebration in Greece.

When Tim saw the familiar dish on the kitchen counter, he smiled and said to his friends, "Who would have thought that we'd ever be having this together - in California?" Eva and Tea hugged him, remembering his first ever surprise party.

Eyebrows raised, he smiled at Lina, "Wow, so tonight's the night!"

She nodded, "Yes, my love, 7 years ago today!"

Adan laughed, "And we saw it happen!"

Matt nodded, "I was sitting right next to him. He saw her up on the stage with Trina and changed places with…Lukas I think, so he could sit next to her."

Eva laughed, "And they wouldn't leave until after we did!"

Tim nodded as he kissed his wife. "Never did have a clue how that play went!"

Gibbs barked a laugh, "I remember you telling me about it, you told the kids "good job" but all you knew was you'd met this wonderful woman."

Andy had many questions but this was one he could ask now, "Why wouldn't you leave, Dad?"

"Because I wanted to talk to her by myself, this goddess I'd just met; I didn't want to share and our whole team was there; it was a high school play and Stephan, Phoebe and Ross were in it."

Nick raised an eyebrow in a familiar request to continue.

Lina answered, "So we went for coffee and talked until early in the morning."

Matt snorted, "But that didn't count as their first date!"

"We'd just met!" Tim grinned, his arms around his wife, "We had our first real date the next night."

Lina chuckled, "We had a very romantic dinner and then went for a walk, only I'd worked at the Benaki all day and my feet were killing me. And this man…he found a cab willing to take us three blocks to his car and then he pulled a pair of socks out of his go bag so my feet wouldn't get cold. And when we got to my place, he carried me to the door!"

Janeese sighed, "Oh that is so romantic! Tim, did you propose that night?"

He chuckled as he shook his head, "No, although it took a lot of will power not to. But no, I waited."

Davos clapped him on the back, "He came to Thessaloniki, to our house, for Easter, to meet us; he asked us for our blessing and then proposed to her."

Tim laughed, "I asked all the married men I knew how they'd approached their future fathers-in-law and all of them just told them to be myself and that worked." He looked at his grandmothers. "The weekend Lina and I met was also the weekend I met Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim." He smiled at his family and friends, "That was the best weekend! Melina and I met and then I had two surprise birthday parties; the next day I reclaimed my family and here we all are!"

They had sparkling cider with Maya's delicious meze and Tim and Lina told the kids more about their courtship. Finally Hélène announced dinner and they sat at the dining table for their feast. They had a wonderful evening and because it was Saturday and not Sunday, there was no rush for their guests to head home to prepare for the work week. Finally when some of the children fell asleep in the family room, the Hofstadlers, accompanied by Penny, gathered their three, who were of course wide awake, and headed over to the big house for the night. They'd join the others for church and brunch on Sunday before heading back to Pasadena. Caleb and Eva were next and Tim carried Athos while Caleb carried Alitta to their car. Tea, Adan and Maya departed soon after baby Hallie had been fed and the Hardisters followed them out the door. By midnight the house was quiet.

XXX

As Tim celebrated his birthday, his youngest brother and partner moved from Maryland to Virginia, to the Arlington house. They'd brought a load of boxes and all of their clothes over Friday night after work, staying over at Penny's, and the new refrigerator was delivered first thing Saturday morning. Sarah and the kids were with them when the new appliance arrived and they all cheered as the antique fridge left the building. While they'd disliked having to use it, they were happy to have found an antique/junk dealer who was thrilled to take it off their hands and even paid a few dollars for it; money their father could put toward the new beauty.

Once it was up and running, Ned and Rob returned to Silver Spring. They'd rescheduled their move to this weekend in part so their tenant could get his family in and settled before Thanksgiving.

The couple assembled a move crew for the heavy lifting: Tony, James, Uncle Jim, Callum, 2 of Ned's team and a couple of Rob's friends from the hospital and they quickly got organized. They had a rental truck, Uncle Jim's van and a full sized pickup truck that belonged to one of the NCIS agents. They split into two groups, loading up the van and pickup and sending them off to the house to be unloaded with James, Callum, Uncle Jim and the pickup owner while the others stayed at the condo loading the rental truck. That worked well and it only took two trips by each group to clear the condo.

Sarah and James had painted the master bedroom and bath during their time in the house and the color was fresh and neutral enough to suit Rob and Ned. Once the furniture was in and the bed set up, the crew was done in there. The rest of the crew, Sarah, Maggie, Claire, Liz and the kids, put the kitchen together, hung curtains and unpacked boxes of books, loading them into the bookshelves. Ned and Rob provided large deli trays of cold cuts and chips with sodas, coffee and tea for lunch at both locations and Claire had two large casseroles she'd made for dinner. It was a wonderfully smelling recipe she'd been given as a young Navy wife years ago.

Liz Crane had taken the young woman under her wing when Jim was first in Dave's command and on their first transfer had given Claire the recipe for "Rome Chowder", telling her that it had been given her by the wife of Dave's first CO. It was a Crane family tradition to serve it the first night in their newest home as the Navy shifted them around the globe.

It was very simple although both Liz and Claire had updated it extensively over the years. The original recipe called for ground beef, elbow macaroni, canned vegetables, canned tomatoes, canned gravy and a cheese-like product, along with chopped onion, canned pimentos, celery salt and a few spices – definitely a recipe created in the 'mass produced canned everything' era of the 1950s and early 60's! Both women now used fresh vegetables, fresh tomatoes, made the gravy or their own sauce, skipped the cheese or used freshly grated, with fresh onion, garlic and a few additional spices to give it more flavor.

Once the condo was cleared out and everything moved into the house, the 'move crew' collapsed, glad to be done with the heavy work! They took turns washing up and then sat on whatever they could find to enjoy their dinner: the casserole, salad and garlic bread. No one stayed long after they finished eating as they were all tired and knew Rob and Ned would want to get settled in.

The two men exchanged a kiss after their last helper left and Rob said, "Welcome home to us, no more moving!"

Ned laughed, "Let's hope not!" He grabbed Rob's hand, "Come on, let's see what they did upstairs!"

XXX

When Tim woke Sunday morning, the actual anniversary of his birth, he realized he was having a birthday weekend as everyone but Tea and family were joining them for brunch today at the big house. It was fairly early and Lina was still asleep so he threw on a robe and padded to the kitchen for coffee. He was just enjoying his first cup when his cell buzzed with a text from his dad, "You up?"

He answered and then waited…but there was nothing else. Three minutes later his laptop chimed with a Skype call and he grinned as he answered and saw Pete, Trina, Dani, Kim and Evander on the screen. They sang Happy Birthday to him and then wanted to know about his party the night before. It was a great way to start the morning and he was still chuckling at Pete when he signed off. He turned to pour more coffee only to find his kids had sneaked up behind him. They swarmed him for birthday hugs and when he came up for air he discovered Lina had joined them. Leaning over the kids, he kissed his wife good morning. They were all still hanging out on the sofa together when Tim's phone buzzed. It was in the pocket of his robe and he had his arms full of Lina and Zoe, so Jorry dug it out and tried to hand it to him. Andy saw the problem, took the phone and held it up so his dad could see the text which said, "Get the kids ready, we'll be there in 30 minutes to take them to church; you & Lina have the morning to yourselves." Tim smiled to himself; that was a wonderful birthday present, time alone! He looked at his kids, "Hey, you get to go to church with Pappouli, Yayaka, the Uncles, Poppy and Nonnie this morning! You'll have them all to yourselves!"

"Oh!"

"Everybody upstairs to get dressed! Zoe, I'll be up in a couple of minutes to help you."

She started to frown and then caught Andy's face and giggled, "Ok, Daddy!"

Andy thought he'd gotten away with his funny face to distract Zoe but as he got up from the sofa, his dad pulled him back and gave him a big kiss. "You're the best son and brother anyone ever had, Timothy Andrew. And while I thank you for all your help, I don't want you to feel you're responsible for your sisters and brothers."

Andy snuggled with his parents for a minute before saying, "I'm still a kid so there isn't much I can do, but I can help with Zoe and the others and I like helping."

Lina cupped his face in her hands, "I never met Patrick, but I believe you are a true son of both your fathers." The young man blushed with pleasure as he kissed them both before running upstairs.

Tim shook his head and Lina laughed, "I don't know why you are so bewildered about where he got those traits! He's you, my love! He couldn't be any more like you than if I gave birth to him!" She continued, pondering aloud, "You and Patrick must have been very similar in personality. Or maybe the traits are a genetic tendency. Has anyone ever said you're like the Commander?"

Tim shook his head, "Not really. I think Sarah's probably more like him; Patrick and I were…are more Lily's children."

"And so is Andy. Your Stirling-Mallard traits are what drives you both." She paused again, "And I wonder if Sarah Hope is also more like the Commander…driven…haunted by an obsession."

"The Commander with his dead wife and Sarah Hope with her guilt?"

She nodded; he sighed and then smiled, "We'll never know, love and I am going to go help our youngest and then let's change the subject because we'll be alone!"

He gave her another quick kiss and then ran up the stairs to 'help' their youngest child.

The kids were ready when their grandparents arrived and Poppy and Nonnie drove the van. Tim watched them leave. "We're finally alone, what shall we…" He never finished the sentence as his wife untied the belt to his robe.


	239. Chapter 239

Hey, we slid over a million words last chapter, yay! Thanks to all of you for reading Tim's saga and keeping it going!

* * *

><p>CH 239<p>

Brunch was at the big house and all of Tim's favorite breakfast and lunch foods were offered. He had minced meat souvlaki after he'd devoured French toast with fresh strawberries. He groaned after he finished the souvlaki, "I can't eat anymore!"

Gram shook her head sadly, "That's too bad Timothy; I guess we'll just have to eat all of your double fudge cake and peppermint chip ice cream without you!"

"Wait, I just need exercise, that's it!" Everybody agreed with that so they put the food away and went for a walk on the beach. The weather was a little cool today and they all wore warmer clothes. Tim's birthday gift from his Mallard grandparents was a new pullover knit by Gram and he pulled it over his head, stopping to look at the tag at the neckline, "Made with love by Gram for Timothy McGee"

"Ah, that's so sweet, Grammie, thanks!" He finished pulling it on, blinking at something, he wasn't sure what. They walked the short distance to the beach; when they hit the sand, Tim yelled go and the kids took off. Jorry and Athos ran until they spotted something on the beach, a shell or rock. Jorry turned around and smiled at his dad who nodded, he could see him just fine. Andy, Anna and Gemma and the triplets were still running but then looked back and stopped as they were getting a little too far away. They turned around and raced back, surprising Sean who had his socks and shoes off, his pant legs rolled up and was wading along the shoreline, looking for cool stuff the waves might bring in. Zoe was with him although she wasn't in the water. She liked to play "chicken" with the water, a never ending source of amusement to her.

Tim looked at Andy running and thought about running on the beach in Alameda, the body of water would have been the San Francisco Bay. Suddenly he remembered doing that, running with Pat, little Sarah toddling after them. He could see it, he felt like he was there, he was small and running with Pat and Sarah.

His dad was right next to him in the here and now; Tim grabbed his arm for balance. "Tim what is it, are you ok?"

He wasn't sure but then he looked at his arm, his own arm, encased in the new sweater, the same color, he thought it was the same color. But the same color of what? And this was way too big; his arm was much smaller than that. He saw an empty room with chalkboard and lines of desks; he was racing up an aisle toward one but there was nothing there, no sweater, not underneath or anywhere. He licked his lips, "Grammie."

"Tim, I'm right here, what is it son?"

Tim looked around, startled. He was on a beach and surrounded by his family, his adult family. He reached out toward his grandmother, "Grammie, this isn't the same…my new sweater…there was another one like it. When I was a kid." He paused, verbalizing what he'd just experienced, "I lost it, at school. I left it in the classroom and it was gone when I went back for it." He described vividly what had just happened.

His grandfather got next to him. "Timothy, tell us about that sweater and looking for it."

Tim's eyes darted around, stopping on Maisie. "Grammie, the sweater, was it the same? The same color as this one? The one I lost? I'm sorry, Grammie, I know you made it just for me, green to match my eyes you said." He told them what he'd just seen.

Maisie and Penny looked at each other, eyes wide and not knowing whether they should be hoping or dreading what was happening. They leaned into each other and finally Penny said, "Tim, do you remember the other sweater from Christmas?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, sure Penny, it was Pat's and it was brown to match his eyes."

He looked at his grandmothers, "But Pat didn't lose his."

Grammie took her grandson into her arms, "It's all right love."

Lina couldn't believe what was happening while Grandfa was growing more curious and Poppy was getting concerned. He opened his mouth to say something but Lina shook her head at him, asking, "Timothy, how old were you when Grammie made you the sweater?"

He smiled, "7, I was 7." He looked at them all and then sank down in the sand. When they started to go to him, Lina shook her head again and held her hand up, "He's thinking."

He sat there for a few minutes before looking up at his grandfather, "Grandfa…I'm remembering."

His grandfather nodded, he'd suspected that. "How old are you?"

"Forty three today."

His grandfather leaned down and put his hand on Tim's face. "The sweater, Timothy, tell us what you can about the sweater?"

"It was greenish-blue, like this one…but it was smaller of course. I wore it to school after Christmas vacation, when Grammie and Grandpa Drew were still there; they wanted to see me wear it." He paused and then looked up at his Gram, "At least I didn't lose it that day!"

"Was it a pullover or a cardigan?"

"Pullover just like this." He looked at his grandfather, "What's happening to me?"

"I'm not sure yet, my boy, but you have just had a flashback to the moment when you were looking for your lost sweater and I believe you're regaining at least some of your childhood memories."

Ducky spoke slowly, hoping to help his grandson calm down a bit. Tim looked at his family, his wife, his dad, stepmother and then at his grandmothers. He blinked rapidly as more memories flooded into his mind. He let out an anguished cry as he jumped up and pulled his grandmothers to him. "I forgot you. Oh God, I'm so sorry, how could I forget you? And Unca Jim, Aunty L and Uncle D and…I'm so sorry."

His grandfather again had a hand on his back, "Timothy, tell me what you're feeling, what you're seeing?"

"Penny, Grammie, Jim, Dave, Liz…Grandfa, I remember them from before. I can hear their voices talking to me when I was a kid, when Patrick and I were kids. They're big, much bigger than me, than us. And right before, I was watching Andy run on the beach and I remembered Pat and me running on the beach in Alameda, with Sarah toddling after us. That's new."

He thought then of his own kids and looked up sharply but saw that Norm, Carla, Eva and Caleb were farther down the beach with all of the children. He kissed Penny, "I remember Grandpa Nelson; he had a funny accent."

"He was from Maine, sweetheart."

"Grandpa Drew always listened to us, always wanted to know what we were doing, what we were learning."

Maisie nodded, "Yes, my sweet boy."

Tim relaxed his shoulders whispering, "I remember!" as he sat back on the sand only there was a blanket there now. He took a deep breath, "I'm all right; I'm here with you, all of you. I'm 43 today; I'm married to the most wonderful woman in the world, Melina Kalivas who is a world renowned artist. We are parents to 6 amazing children. And two of our kids…" Now his eyes filled with tears, "Two of our kids started out as Pat's. We believed he was dead, but he was alive until 11 years ago. Andy is his biological son and Sean is his grandson." He turned to his wife, "We have two biological children, Donald Jorrin and Zoe Langston and two more wonderful daughters, Anna and Gemma."

She nodded with a smile; he smiled back and then tugged on his father, who was holding onto him again. "You're my dad, you used to be my boss and then we adopted each other and Sarah, Rob, Geordie, Tony and Ziva. You're my dad, Rhea's your wife, my stepmother and friend; Davos and Hélène are Lina's parents, my other parents. Damian is her brother and Matt is Damian's partner, two of my best friends." He looked at his grandfather with a little smile, "Toddler Sarah is now the mother of 4, married to another of my best friends, James and they live in a house on Penny's land." He took a breath, "And Unca Jim is married to Aunt Claire and I have two cousins, Ainsley and Callum. We went to Ainsley's graduation last spring…"

His grandfather stopped him, "That's fine, Timothy, you're all right now. Can you tell us anything else about your flashback or the 'new' childhood memories?"

Tim thought, "I look like Andy, only younger and our ears are a little different." Maisie and Penny chuckled; it was the biggest difference they'd noticed. "The summer before I turned 7, we got transferred to Alameda and Gram and Grandpa Drew came for Christmas with Unca Jim. Dad was home too." He frowned as he looked up at Penny, "Uncle Mark was there, I think he surprised us or at least he surprised Pat and me." Penny nodded. "I've never seen him before, Penny, just photos, no memories. Now I know what he looked and sounded like. He picked us up and swung us around, I remember that. You were away; you and Grandpa Nelson were stationed in…" he sat in thought for awhile, "I don't know that; it was someplace Dad said was too far away for us to visit."

Penny nodded, "We were in Australia for a year."

"You went to some place with big statues, huge…oh, Easter Island? You sent us a postcard. I remember that we laughed because Sarah said they weren't Easter bunnies." He looked wide eyed at his grandmothers, "She was younger than Zoe!"

"Yes sweetheart. That was later though, when we sent you the card; we were on an expedition, a vacation. You were 9 by then and Sarah was almost three."

His grandfather took his pulse, "That's good and your breathing has improved."

"What happened?"

"As I said, I believe that was a type of flashback, Timothy, perhaps triggered by the sweater or Andy running on the beach. You said you've remembered a few things in the last few years; for some reason, more of them came at you today. You had us concerned for the least little while but you're fine now. You're alert and your vitals are strong and steady. Now…have you hurt your head at all recently, bumped it even?"

Tim shook his head, "No and I haven't been dizzy until this afternoon."

Grammie spoke up, "Was it when you pulled the sweater on?"

He thought about it, "That triggered most of it, that was the biggest part I guess, but I think it was before. Lina…"

"What I said about you and Andy and Patrick?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I was trying to remember more about how Pat acted, we must have been somewhat different."

Penny sat in the sand next to him and he leaned into her with a smile as she wrapped her arms around him before she spoke, "Not really, Timothy; you two were as alike in personality as two siblings could be. In personality at least, you certainly didn't look alike."

"I look like Gram and Grandfa and he looked like you and Grandpa Nelson."

"Patrick, Sarah, Sarah Hope and Sean look like Langstons, really more like my mother's family and of course there's some McGee influence in there too. And Jorry is a wonderful mix of you and Lina, although his dark hair and skin tone probably gets a boost from the Carew and Langston genes too. Zoe's probably the closest to a McGee of all of you."

Tim nodded and then stood up again, pulling Penny up with him and then turned to Maisie, "My new sweater is the same color, isn't it?"

She nodded, "As close as I could get. I was poking through one of the boxes I brought home from Greece, one from that storage shed with all your belongings, and I found a photo of you in that sweater. I took it to my favorite yarn shop and we got as close as we could to the color."

Tim smiled, "And now I have you back in my memories, thank you!"

His grandfather frowned, "Timothy, if you have any more flashbacks like that, I want you to get checked out."

"All right Grandfa but not today, right? It's still my birthday and we haven't had cake yet." Tim deliberately used his 'puppy dog eyes' and his grandfather laughed, patting him on the back, "All right my boy, as long as you are in the here and now."

Tim nodded and then looked at his family, "I love you all very much, whether we knew each other when I was a kid or just met in the last few years. Dad, I guess you and Grandfa are somewhere in between there!"

Without warning he turned back to the beach and gave a sharp whistle and the children, his and Lina's and the others, ran back to them, followed by the rest of the adults. "Come on everyone, I want my birthday cake now, I have a lot of cake to make up for!"

They had their cake and ice cream and cleaned up a bit before the Hofstadlers said their goodbyes as it was late afternoon and they had a couple hours drive ahead of them. The others left soon after and then it was just the family. Tim smiled, "I want another piece of cake!"

Penny looked at him, "Well, you're 43; I guess that makes you old enough to have more if you want it!"

Sean's eyes got big, "I havta wait until I'm THAT old?" He slumped down and Tim laughed, "Seanie, she's teasing me! I was old enough when I was 18."

Sean lifted his head, "Daddy, that's still a really long time!"

"It is but how about you just enjoy being a kid?" Tim sliced up some small pieces of cake and brought them back to the table with the coffee pot. As he poured another round, Damian frowned, "I thought you were only drinking…wait, is this decaffeinated coffee?"

They laughed at the horror in his voice.

Tim smirked at him, "Yes."

Damian started to make a face but then shrugged and drank it. He smiled, "I've been drinking it all day and it hasn't hurt me yet!"

Matt huffed, "You might even be able to sleep tonight!"

They were still relaxing when Dad's laptop chimed and he motioned to Tim. "Can't think who would be calling _me_ today, Tim."

Grinning, Tim joined the call, knowing it was his siblings. It was and he spent several minutes talking with them, hearing about Rob and Ned's move with their 'move crew' (Tony held up the ice pack he was applying to his shoulder) and the house that Geo and Bec had found in Savannah. When they wound down he told them about the flashback and his returning memories; there was silence as they all stared at him. Rob was the first to speak, "Tim, a flashback? You need…"

"I know; I already promised Grandfa, Rob."

"Promised what?"

"That if I have another flashback, I'll go to the doctor's, get checked out."

Tony frowned, "Why Bro? Aren't they just memories?"

"Yeah but it all kind of came rushing at me today and in one of them I actually felt like I was there, not just looking at it."

"Yeah, I guess that's a little weird."

Eventually they signed off and the McGees helped clean up the rest of the kitchen before saying goodnight.

The next morning Tim was in the middle of his weekly conference call with his agents afloat when Kath slipped a note to him, Dr appt. 3:30. He just nodded and kept going, thinking he should have known his grandfather would make sure he got checked out.

It wasn't until they left for the appointment that afternoon that Tim realized he didn't know if he was going to see Dr. Gilroy, their regular doctor, or if Grandfa had something else lined up. He cleared his throat, "What doctor are you taking me to?"

Timmons looked at him, "Are you really all right? Dr. Mallard said you were, said it was a precaution but he wants you to have an MRI." Tim nodded, by now used to his grandfather and father occasionally interacting with his security team, telling them an abbreviated version of what had happened.

Esposito nodded when he finished, "We're taking you to the hospital for the scan and you'll be seeing a Dr. Bobby Caldwell." Tim sighed, well, he'd promised so they might as well just get this over with.

Dr. Caldwell, who made him think of what his dad must have looked like years ago, listened as Tim told him what had happened on the beach yesterday, mentioning the earlier moment when he pulled the sweater on and also reporting his conversation with Lina that morning. The doctor checked his vitals and his eyes carefully and then Tim went for his MRI. That took longer than Tim anticipated but finally he was through. The doctor had told him it would be at least 48 hours before he had the results and his office would call to make a follow-up appointment with Tim.

Tim was a little disgruntled as he left the hospital. He really didn't think this needed pursuing; he was fine and didn't care all that much about why these memories popped up now. As far as he was concerned, it was the suddenness of what happened yesterday that had caused him to be a little dizzy and acting differently; trying to incorporate the memories into his current life. He had no intention of trying to find out why. He might be a little curious as to the timing, why at this point in his life, but nothing more than that.

XXX  
>Lina had been busy all day. When Tim described his memory of running on the beach in Alameda with Pat and Sarah, Lina knew she had a new project. She dug through all their photos of Tim, Pat and Sarah, together and separately; looking in particular for any shots of them running or in motion. There were a lot of photos as the Hubbards, McGees and Cranes had taken hundreds of shots of the kids over the years. In the seven years since the 'discovery', all the photos had been digitized and were online, a massive, family-wide effort.<p>

It took her most of the day but she isolated 17 photos of the boys that she could use for models of motion and appearance. She had photos of toddler Sarah as well but hadn't found any in motion. That was all right, she could use Zoe as her model.

Next she needed to see the beaches in Alameda. She found those readily enough and picked the one she wanted. She'd already made a generic sketch of two young boys and a toddler girl running on a beach, now she needed to sketch it again using the boys' photos for them and find some recent shots of Zoe to use for Sarah's motion. She smiled, hoping to get the sketch done before the holidays. It would probably be months before she could devote any real time to it but at least she would have it started.

XXX

As Tim wasn't particularly worried about the results of the MRI, he also wasn't particularly concerned about the doctor's office calling for a follow up on Wednesday. Really he wasn't, but Tuesday certainly did seem to drag. He met with his deputies and Richard Owens stayed on after the others dropped off the call. "I need to talk with you about something."

"Of course. Is everything all right?"

"No, not really. I've been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and one of the things I'm told I should do is find a less stressful job."

"I'm sorry to hear about the MS, Richard - that's got to be tough."

"Thank you, but you know, with all the information online, my wife and I were sort of prepared for it." The man huffed, "Or so I thought; turns out there's really no good way to hear something like that. I showed my doctors the job description for the investigative agent position and they've agreed it fits their criteria. I'll be applying for a spot; I should have the forms to you tomorrow morning."

"Excellent, I'm glad to hear you're applying! We certainly can use your expertise and experience. I can tell you some of the experiences so far…I have permission from three of our participants to talk about why they joined and how they feel about the job. My sister-in-law became an investigative agent after a suspect blew out her shoulder joint; another friend joined the program after he was seriously injured in the same incident – he recovered completely but his wife nixed him going back into the field. Both of them love the job, they're using the experiences and expertise they've built over the years and feel they're contributing a great deal to the cases they're involved in."

"That's great to hear, thank you! It's strange to go from hearing you go over the quarterly reports about the program to considering becoming part of it. And I don't know anyone personally that's involved."

"We can fix that. Maggie Barnes, Dwayne Wilson and Carla Hofstadler are the three Investigative Agents you can contact; as I said, all three have previously agreed to speak to anyone with questions or concerns about participating in the program. Maggie is my sister-in-law, Dwayne worked on Gibbs' team after I left and Carla is a dear friend."

"Were all three injured in the line of duty?"

"No, Carla is the mother of triplets and decided not to return to the field."

"Oh, ok. The other thing, of course, is the question of me continuing as one of your deputies."

"I'm assuming that's your question, because it's not mine. As long as you want to and your doctors are all right with it, I don't have any issues."

"That's a relief, Tim. I wasn't sure with the security clearance and taking a step down…"

"Job class isn't…wasn't a consideration when I chose my deputies, Richard; the Director and I were more concerned with how each of you do whatever job you are assigned and frankly yes, your security level. But there's no need to change that, you'll continue to have two titles: Deputy AD and Investigative Agent and I suppose two security levels. If there are issues, we'll work them out as we go."

"Thank you! I really enjoy the work you've assigned me and I'd miss it if I had to give it up."

"I'm glad that's good news for you – it sure is for me! Now, is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, thanks Tim, this takes a load off my mind!"

They disconnected and Tim frowned, thinking of the tough road his friend and colleague had ahead of him. Thinking of one way he could help, he went online and made a generous donation to one of the fundraising sites for research into the cure for Multiple Sclerosis.

Wednesday came and went and there was no call from the doctor's office. Tim mentioned it to his grandfather who nodded, "Sometimes it takes longer than anticipated."

"I wasn't worried before, should I be?"

"No, no dear boy, I'm not anticipating finding anything out of order, I just want to rule out any physiological problems."

"Covering all our bases?"

"I suppose so, although I see it as protecting my dear one, Timothy."

He finally had a call on Friday and it was Dr. Caldwell himself. "Tim, I just wanted to let you know your MRI looks fine, there's no need for a follow up with me. And I've already let your grandfather know. If you experience any more flashbacks, please contact me and we'll discuss other ideas but from my perspective you're fine."

"Thanks Doctor!"

It was a good day; Tim also approved adding Richard Owens to the Investigative agent program, finding him a spot on a team in the SE offices and authorizing a transfer package for him.

They were pleasantly busy over the weekend, getting ready for Turkey Day that week. Their local family and friends would join them at the big house for Thanksgiving Day, although the Hardisters wouldn't be joining them this year, they were spending the holiday with their newly engaged daughter.

The turkey was already in the McGees' big freezer and would be moved to the refrigerator at the big house early in the week as it would take several days to thaw. Tea and Eva would bring their favorite vegetable dishes and Tea's mother would once again make meze. Carla and Norm were bringing the mashed potatoes and Tim told Lina he was going to search for jars of cheese spread to make stuffed celery. What had started as a joke 7 years ago had now become a Thanksgiving staple.

By popular demand, Gram would make a triple batch of her apple crisp while Tim would make the pumpkin pies and he and Gram would work on the stuffing and gravy together. Matt and Damian were bringing drinks and Grandfa would make the Greek braided rolls the whole family loved. Even though it wasn't her holiday, Hélène wanted to contribute and planned to make additional pastries for dessert.

Lina, Rhea and Penny were responsible for the table décor and were having fun with their decorating ideas. Wanting to keep it simple, they bought cranberry colored paper tablecloths and then Lina and Rhea drew the figures they wanted scattered around the table. After that Penny and the kids cut them out, colored them and working very carefully, glued them onto the paper tablecloths. Andy wondered a little at some of what they were doing but when he asked Penny, she told him it was a surprise for his parents.


	240. Chapter 240

CH 240

Tim was busy at work the days before Thanksgiving and was late getting home both Monday and Tuesday nights. Wednesday he closed all of his offices at 2:00, though his field teams were on call, and when he got home he got right to work on his pumpkin pies. They'd had jack o' lanterns lining their driveway at Halloween and afterward cut them up, removed the seeds and freezing the chunks of pumpkin.

Today he first made his pie crusts and then pulverized the now thawed chunks of pumpkin in the food processor. Once he added the rest of the ingredients, he left it all in the mixing bowl overnight so the flavors would really meld, he'd bake the pies in the morning. After that he chopped celery, onions, walnuts, poultry seasoning and a little garlic for the stuffing. He put the mixture in a bowl in the refrigerator to add to Gram's stuffing tomorrow.

Anna and Andy were his helpers with the pie shells and the pumpkin; both liked cooking and helping him in the kitchen. After they cleaned up the kitchen they went outside for a few minutes to cool off. The three of them stepped onto the patio and Tim looked around. "Where's the patio table?"

Andy shrugged, he didn't know and he didn't want to say anything in case it was part of the surprise. Anna just shook her head, she had no idea. Tim thought maybe Davos or his dad had taken it for something and decided to ask them in the morning. He wasn't going to worry about it tonight!

He did mention it to Lina that night but she didn't know either and thought maybe they were going to use it to put the food on the next day, which certainly sounded plausible.

The next morning, he lit the oven, retrieved his pie crusts and the pumpkin mixture, doled it out between the shells and then slid the pies into the oven to bake. Then he made the family a 'weekend' breakfast.

The kids came tumbling downstairs and he kissed each one, wishing them a good morning and Happy Thanksgiving. He sent a text to his dad saying the same thing and to let him know they had plenty of coffee if anyone wanted to come over for a cup or two.

The kids went back upstairs to get dressed and he went to see if Lina was awake. She was not only awake, she was up and getting dressed. The family sat down together to eat their breakfast and had just finished when the doorbell rang and the timer for the pies rang.

While Tim took the pies out but left the oven on in case he had to put them back in, Andy ran to the front door to call out please wait. Hurrying to the foyer, Tim turned the alarm off and looked through the peephole to see his dad, Rhea, Penny, Gram and Grandfa. Opening the door, he smiled, "Still got hot coffee and we'll make tea, come on in!"

His dad grinned at him, "Ok, but what about all these other people?"

He turned and pointed and Tim's jaw dropped as his siblings and their partners moved into view and up to the door. "Surprise! Happy Thanksgiving!"

He stood there grinning like a fool and then grabbed whoever was in front of him, Sarah, and pulled her in for a hug. "I can't believe it, all of you? Wait, where are all the kids?"

Penny laughed, "Over at the big house with the K's, the Powells and the Colonel."

"Geez, come on in!" He turned to call Lina and the kids only to find Lina right behind him looking as surprised as he'd been. "Oh my goodness!" She held her arms open and Sarah moved from Tim to her sister-in-law and next came Ziva, Rob, Tony, then Geo and Bec, then Jimmy, Maggie, James, Ned and Breena. "I can't believe you're all here! Wow…come on into the living room."

His kids were still at the table, Lina had told them to wait and now they cheered, jumping up and down as their aunts and uncles came in. "Wow! Mama, Daddy, you surprised us!"

That was Jorry and Tim shook his head, "No, Jorry, they surprised Mama and me! We didn't know anything!"

Once everyone had been properly greeted, the McGees were told the story. Sarah started "We've been planning this since August. We were afraid we wouldn't see you until next summer and decided it'd be fun for all of us to come see you!"

Geo continued, "We flew in last night. Dad borrowed Nick's van, Rhea had some of us in the Ford, Davos drove some of us in the Mallards' car and we rented a van for the rest of us."

Tim counted, "That's…23 of you!"

Tony beamed, "We chartered! Grandfa helped us set it up and Ziva, Geo and Bec had to fly to DC but it was still cheaper for everyone."

"Ok, so you can't all be staying at the big house!"

James grinned, "Actually, we Powells and Palmers are staying next door to you!"

"At the Hardisters?"

"Yes!"

Lina laughed, "No wonder Janeese was cleaning like a mad fiend before they left for their daughter's!"

"And the rest of you are at the big house?"

They nodded and Ziva said, "I am sharing with Penny."

Tony laughed, "The Colonel and I are sharing a room and Maggie and Emma are sharing."

Geo nodded, "The Ks are staying with Damian and Matt so Bec and I have their room, Rob and Ned are next door to us and George and Edith are across the hall."

Tim just shook his head and then looked at his dad, "So you did take the patio table! You and Davos."

"Davos, Nick and I moved it before they left. It's a good thing you worked late Monday and Tuesday or you would have noticed sooner."

Andy chuckled and then shook his head when his father asked him if he'd known about the surprise. "Kind of, I knew there was a surprise but I didn't know what it was and I didn't see who took the table so I didn't know."

His grandfather and his federal agent aunt and uncles grinned at him, "An investigator in the making! You weren't asked who you thought took the table so you didn't have to answer the question that way."

Andy shrugged and his dad ruffled his hair, "You did good kiddo!"

Anna reminded him to look at the pies and he excused himself to check them out. They were done so he turned the oven off and moved the pies up above 'little kid' reach to cool. Tony noticed and laughed, "So Jorry and Sean can't reach them?"

Tim nodded, "Or Zoe."

"What if they climb on a stool?"

"We measured for that." His brothers thought that was pretty funny.

Sarah wanted to see Zoe's 'new' room so they trooped upstairs where Tony made a beeline for his office. He rattled the door. "Wanta see if you've changed anything!"

Tim snorted, unlocked the door, reached in to turn on the overhead light and followed Tony in. He came to a sudden halt as his brother stood staring at their portrait. "That is so cool that you did that."

"We fought to be together, Tony. We fought to be Gibbs' boys, his sons, and brothers to each other."

Tony nodded, "I know, it's just still…so cool."

Ziva spoke from behind them, "I too think so, my brothers." When they finally turned to go, they found the others had already gone downstairs. The three of them marched down the stairs together and their dad looked up with one of his half smiles, "I sure found a way to keep my three musketeers together, didn't I? I just adopted you!" They laughed at that.

Eventually the siblings, their parents and grandparents walked back to the big house, taking the kids with them. Promising to be over soon, Tim cleaned up the kitchen while Lina went out to cut fresh flowers for the table. He waited until she came back inside and then loaded the pies, the stuffed celery, the mixture for the stuffing, the freshly cut flowers and a few other things into the van. When Lina was ready, they took off for the very short drive.

They were happy to see their nieces and nephews, the Colonel and George and Edith when they walked in. The kids swarmed them and then Tim drafted the older kids to help him unload. He handed the items from the floor of the van to the older kids and they took them to the kitchen for him. Ethan had seen the crib in one of the downstairs bedrooms and asked about it. "That's for Tea and Adan's baby girl, Hallie. She was born in October, so she's pretty tiny still."

Emma grinned, "That's sweet!" They smiled back at her and Tim noticed how much more at ease she was then all those months ago when he'd first met her. He looked around, "So, if all of us are here, what are Unca Jim, Aunt Claire and the cuzs doing? I can't believe they didn't come with you!"

"Really, where would they stay?"

"We'd find room for them!"

A voice behind Tim said, "That's good, nephew because we need a place to lay our weary heads." Tim grinned, turned and grabbed his uncle. "Yay! Unca Jim, you're here!"

The Hubbards were welcomed and then Lina demanded an explanation and Claire gave it. "We came with them on the charter, but we wanted you to see your siblings this morning."

Jim laughed, "So we had our own separate surprise; that was fun!"

"Where are you guys staying?"

"Last night we slept on the pullout couch and the kids slept over at the Hardisters, bunked in with the boys and girls."

Tim looked at Lina who nodded before he said "You two can sleep upstairs at our house the rest of your stay, the master is empty. We haven't gotten around to moving back up there yet."

Lina added, "It's clean!"

While saying they really hadn't minded the pullout, the two agreed to stay at the McGees. Geo and Bec volunteered to move to the pullout and that meant Davos and Hélène could have their room back.

Tim turned to Ned and Rob, "Is this why you two were so determined to move early?"

The two grinned at him, "Yes, it was the original reason and then the new TL showed up and asked if we could be out early."

He turned to Bec and Geo, "And are you ready to go? You're starting down there on Tuesday!"

Bec shook her head, "We're ready to go but the house in Savannah won't be ready for three weeks so we'll use the temporary housing allowance and stay at a residential hotel. Our place is all packed; I'll leave early Monday and drive down. Geo will supervise the movers on Wednesday, everything will go into storage until the house is ready, and then he'll drive his truck down with everything else we'll need for the next few weeks."

Poppy was frowning, "How long a drive is that?"

Geo shrugged, "It's a little over 2 hours. And chill, Dad, we'll take two cars on Monday and then I'll drive back Tuesday and back again on Wednesday or Thursday. And I have a secure cover on the back of the truck so if I need to stop I won't worry about our stuff being stolen."

Maggie and Ziva looked at Bec who rolled her eyes at them and the three women laughed. Tony had a smug look on his face and Tim looked at him, "What?"

"We're making an extra stop on the way home; we'll fly into Charleston to drop off the Perrys before we go on to DC."

"The power of a charter, bro!"

They were hanging out in the living room and Tim realized the dining table and their patio table were not in sight. Remembering something Rhea said when they found this house; he peeked into the family room and nodded to himself. There were three tables set up in there, two with enough chairs and benches for everyone and one off to the side, no doubt for the big platters and dishes of food. He looked at the table coverings and then motioned to Lina, "Hon, come look." She joined him in the room and smiled as she saw the paper tablecloths with colorful figures of Pilgrims, Indians, turkeys, apples, pumpkins and ears of corn placed on each one. "They did a wonderful job with this!"

Hearing giggling behind them, they turned to find their kids watching. Penny was standing behind them and laughed, "We talked about adding cutouts of jars of cheese spread and stalks of celery on there but somehow those never got made!"

Tim laughed with her and then realized he was supposed to be putting together the stuffing and gravy. He excused himself and headed to the kitchen but Gram waved him off, "No, you go enjoy your sisters and brothers! Edith is helping with the stuffing and I'll make the gravy once we have drippings from the turkey. The apple crisp is all made." She leaned forward, "I made so much I'm pretty sure we used the entire supply of fruit from several trees, maybe even the whole orchard!"

Tim grinned, "That's all right Grammie; you make the best apple crisp in the world and I know we'll eat it all!" He leaned forward, "I made three pumpkin pies, I was going to freeze one but now I wish I'd made more!"

Penny had wandered in and grinned, opening a cupboard to show two additional pies. "We'll be fine, Timothy!"

"Good, if we don't eat them tonight we can have them for Jorry's birthday!"

"Oh that reminds me, do you mind if we move his family party up to tomorrow rather than Saturday? The charter is leaving after midnight Sunday morning and I thought it would be more fun to have it before everyone starts packing up to leave."

Tim nodded. "That's fine; he'll like having everyone here and we won't see everyone at Christmas. We are hoping we'll be able to go east for Easter."

Grammie patted his face, "Now don't worry about that! We have a big family, we'll figure it out!" She shooed him out of the kitchen.

The kids were getting restless and they had another four hours to wait for the turkey, so they gathered parents, most of the grandparents, made sure everyone had sweaters on, jammed towels into day packs and headed down to the beach. When they reached the sand the others took off; Lina hung back and Rob and Ned slowed to walk with her. Tim sped off after Zoe who was running after her older cousins. Callum got to her first and grabbed her up in his arms, "Hey little Cuz where are you going?"

She giggled and pointed, "Chasing 'dem!"

"Hmm, that looks like fun but you know the rules!"

Her eyes got big, "But you were 'der and Unca Tony and…"

"It's ok, but how about you and I chase those guys together?"

She looked up at her dad who'd caught up to them. "Zoe. You remember the rule?"

"Adult with me, all the time."

"Yep."

She pointed at all her aunts and uncles scattered across the beach and her dad nodded. "I guess it was pretty obvious to you, huh sweetie? Scared me though!"

"C'n I run with Callum?"

"Yes, he is now officially an authorized adult for you."

"Huh?"

Tim laughed, "Yes, Zoe, run with Callum! But stay with him!" The two took off and Tim watched, laughing. Geo, Jimmy and Tony joined him. "She's a feisty little one!"

He snorted, "She's the youngest; she has to be feisty!" Tim put his arm around his brothers, "Thanks you guys, for coming all the way out here, can't tell you how much it means to me, to us."

"It was fun planning it, kind of sneaking around."

"Did Dad know the whole time?"

Tony shook his head, "No. We talked with Grandfa, Gram and Penny first and got the charter going and then told Dad and Rhea."

"That's just awesome!"

"We got lucky when the Hardisters decided to go out of town! Otherwise the kids would have been sleeping on the floor."

"Which reminds me - Carla and Norm usually stay over, but where…?"

"They're staying for Jorry's party tomorrow but decided to get a motel room."

"Ok, good."

Maggie, Ziva, Breena, Bec and Sarah had circled back to Lina so Rob and Ned left her and caught up with the others. Tim stopped to watch the kids, he wasn't worried as Ainsley, Callum and James were with them but they were a little further down the beach than usual. As if he'd whistled or called out, Andy stopped, turned around and waved to his dad. Tim just nodded and continued walking and talking with his brothers. He heard another voice and turning around to look in the other direction saw Matt and Damian running toward them while behind them Alexis and Cole strolled down the street onto the beach, hand in hand. "Ah, so Matt and Daim didn't know either?"

"Nope, we asked Papa and Mama not to tell them."

Tim thought it was oddly sweet that his siblings sometimes called his in-laws Papa and Mama; he felt it was a measure of how close they were. He'd also noticed that all the kids called the Grands, including the Kalivas', Powells and the Colonel, their grandparent names whether that person was that child's actual grandparent or not. The exception was the Palmer kids who called the Gibbses Uncle Gibbs and Aunt Rhea. The same went for aunts and uncles, all the kids referred to them as Aunt or Uncle no matter if they were related or not.

Matt and Damian caught up and spent a few minutes welcoming the surprise visitors. They were followed a few minutes later by Caleb with Athos and Alitta. "Hello everyone, what a great surprise!"

"Hey Caleb, Athos, Alitta! Is Eva at the house?"

"Yes, Tea and Adan were just arriving and she wanted to see the baby. It's been two whole days, you see."

They laughed and then Caleb turned his kids loose, after reminding Athos to stay with his sister and to remember the rules. Callum was walking back with Zoe and Alitta, remembering them from the summer, attached herself to them. With a nod from his father at the change, Athos ran down the beach calling out to Gemma and Violet.

Tim and his entourage turned toward the women, thinking it was probably time to get back to the house. Tim turned again to see what the kids were doing and then whistled. The kids turned around and started running down the beach toward him and he chuckled, "Uh oh, guys, brace yourselves! We're about to be swarmed by a pack of hungry kids!"

The men stood waiting, braced in the sand and teasing each other. Tony was laughing; he said that the way Tim rounded up the children reminded him of cowboys herding cattle. Tim looked thoughtful and then nodded. "Yup, gotta say you're not far off there! Works for now, I'll have to change it up as they get older."

The kids slowed down a bit as they approached so the men were 'attacked' with hugs rather than tackles. Once they had everyone together, they headed back to the house.


	241. Chapter 241

CH 241

Eva, Tea and Adan were at the house and it was fun to watch their faces as they saw Tim, Lina and the siblings enter. The meze was served and the group enjoyed the treats; however with the large meal ahead of them, Hélène and Maya had been frugal, not filling the platters too terribly full of meze.

The children set the tables with shallow bowls of Lina's fresh flowers, salt and pepper shakers shaped like turkeys and Pilgrims, a place card for each diner, festive Thanksgiving napkins and a collection of cutlery and dishes from both the big house and the McGees. Everyone had a long stemmed water goblet that they would later use to make musical notes. It was a fun little family tradition that Penny's family started when they were young and had been carried forward by Dan and Lily, migrated to the Hubbard family and decades later to the larger family.

Finally everything was ready and the group stood at their places at the long set of tables. As they stood, Andy, Anna and Gemma told the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. As they finished, Poppy brought in the turkey to show them and then placed it in front of Grandfa, the elder of the family, for slicing. While he made neat precise slices, the cooks and their helpers brought the rest of the food: bowls of gravy, mashed potatoes, plates of stuffed celery, several hot vegetable dishes, bowls of savory stuffing and plates of braided rolls. The older kids, from Ethan down to Adam, carefully poured water into all the water goblets. When Grandfa was done carving the turkey, the platter was placed on the food table and everyone filed around it to fill their plates. Once seated again, they joined hands and said grace with Gram leading them. As they finished the prayer, there was silence for perhaps three seconds before there was a clatter of forks and knives on plates as the meal began. As they ate, Tim and Eva had fun telling the others the story of the stuffed celery and Penny explained the 'musical' water glasses.

Tim sat back after he'd eaten everything on his plate. He wanted more but he'd wait a few minutes before he filled it up again. He looked around the room, smiling at his family and friends. This was more than he'd ever expected to have and he was grateful for all of them, from Grandfa all the way down the line to one month old baby Hallie. When there was a lull, he picked up his water glass and rose. "One thing we haven't done yet is express what we're thankful for. I know we're all thankful for our two countries, the U.S.A. and Greece, our freedom and for those who work so hard to keep us free. On a more personal level, I'm…beyond thankful for all of you and for those who aren't with us today. In my dreams as a kid on the streets, maybe even before that, I never imagined such a loving, thoughtful and well, huge family. I'm thankful for my wonderful wife and children, all of my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, all the sibs, their partners, children, cousins, our extended family and friends and the health of all of you. I never thought life could be this sweet, this wonderful!" He raised his glass and looked at all of them, "To us, to family!" The kids followed the adults in raising their glasses.

Grandfa got up and looked at his grandson, "I was going to make a grand speech, young man, but you've started us off, so here is mine in a nutshell. I'm thankful for our freedom and for my dearest Maisie, our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, for the parents of my grandchildren and the partners of my children and grandchildren. Along with our dear friends, who have also become family, I love you dearly." He raised his glass and they drank; after a hurried question to his Aunt Claire, Ethan stood up. "I'm thankful for all of you and those who aren't here…Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz and our friends in Greece. And I'm thankful that people like my parents and our aunts and uncles, really everyone here, have gone out of their way to help kids who have no one, to give us what we need: food, clothing, respect and acknowledgement, homes, love, family - and safety. What you've done and are doing has made a difference to the 12 of us, including Uncle Rob and Uncle Geo and I know there's more to come." He raised his glass and then sat down. After that, they went around the table and everyone said one thing they were thankful for that year.

After they'd stuffed themselves a little more, Poppy spoke, "Ok, has everyone had enough for now? I think it's time for the water goblets! Penny, you're on!"

Penny got up, "All right, now, does everyone still have a little water in your goblet?" They nodded. "Dip your index finger in the water like this;" She held up her glass and dipped her finger in the water. "And then carefully run the finger that's wet around the rim, the top of your goblet." Tim had Zoe on his lap and showed her while the rest of the adults helped the other kids. Zoe's eyes lit up when she heard a pretty tone coming from her glass. "More, Daddy!" They did it again and the others caught on. They did that for several minutes before Poppy got up again. "Great, that was fun! But we don't want to wear out the game; we'll do it again at other holidays, how's that?"

They nodded and then winced as Steve pressed a little too hard and got a screech from his goblet. Gram smiled at him so that he knew there was no harm done, and then addressed everyone, "All right, now I think we should put the food away and then go for a walk."

They agreed and many helpers quickly had the food covered and tucked away in the refrigerator. Then they were ready for a walk and out they went, the younger kids holding onto their adults and the older kids leading the way. It was hard for little Alitta, Zoe and Davey to keep up so they were carried to the beach by Ainsley, Ethan and Callum and then, with a reminder to keep in sight, they took off. The adults followed leisurely after them, Tim holding Lina's hand with his siblings surrounding them. Sarah groaned, "Oh, I'm so full! That was soo good! Did you guys eat like this for every Thanksgiving in Greece?"

Tea giggled (Adan had stayed behind with the baby), "Yes, we did! Every Thanksgiving and every other time Pete and Trina had a party!"

Sarah grinned, "Now I know why Stephan Russell always makes us exercise before dessert, it must just be habit!" She continued, "I really like having Greek dishes in with the traditional American ones. I know you do that on other holidays, but Thanksgiving is usually very traditional, people don't like changing the menu at all!"

Tim smiled, "That's true, but I bet most families have some traditional dish that isn't American. And besides, the Pilgrims were British and didn't they live in the Netherlands before they set sail?"

Tony had dropped back to join the group and nodded, "I don't know about the Pilgrims but when I was growing up, we always had an antipasto plate before our turkey dinner."

Maisie was also nearby and smiled at her grandchildren as she added, "I always made a favorite Scottish dish of Drew's and Claire still makes it for Jim and me."

Sarah nodded, "That's interesting, I've never heard of anyone adding in recipes from their ancestors, at least not for Thanksgiving!" She looked at Maisie, "So why didn't we have that today?"

Maisie smiled, "You did but I think you thought it was something the girls brought."

Tim and Lina laughed as they'd known it wasn't Greek but didn't know who'd made it and had just enjoyed it.

Lina said, "We should have an international dinner! We could do that tomorrow night – we have Scotland, Israel, England, Italy, Greece and the U.S. well represented here."

Tim added, "And three kitchens to cook in!"

Sarah looked at him with a slightly panicked look in her eyes and he said, "Maybe Edith or George has a favorite recipe they'd share – and who knows, maybe they'd want to make it themselves!"

She smiled, "Good idea, thanks!"

Tony grinned, "Oh, I'm in! I can't wait to make one of my favorite dishes!"

Maisie grinned back at him, "And Donald and I'll make something Scottish and don't worry, no matter what he says it won't be haggis!"

Jimmy smiled, "I'm part Swedish; we could do something with that." Breena nodded in agreement, knowing she had the Palmer family Swedish meatball recipe stored online although she pretty much knew it by heart.

Penny looked thoughtful, "I have some of my mother's recipes here, I brought them with me to sort through and digitize."

"Are those English recipes, Penny?"

She smiled, "No, no, my birth mother, not my stepmother."

"Huh?"

"My mother died when I was 4 and my father remarried, to a wonderful woman who raised us and loved us as if she'd given birth to us." She stopped and smiled at Tim, Tony, Jimmy and Sarah, "Just as you're doing with the kids. But my own mother was Welsh, her parents emigrated from Wales."

Tim looked at her, "You're kidding - we're part Welsh too? Wow, we truly are representatives of the British Isles!" Then he had another thought, "Was your mother's name Rose?"

She shook her head, "That's my stepmother."

"Uh oh, then our family tree is wrong, I need to change that to your birth mama. What was her name?"

"Eirys;" she spelled it, adding "Eirys Carew Langston. She was born in 1915 in Gallia County, Ohio and died in 1943 from pneumonia. My maternal grandparents were Brice Carew and Eilwyn Bowen Carew. They emigrated in the early 1900s, I don't remember what year; I'll have to get that for you."

Tim recorded it all on his phone. He had more questions but he'd wait and ask her later. Not everyone was excited about genealogy.

Sarah was grinning at him, "Our ancestors were Welsh, Irish, French, English and Scots!"

He nodded, "Yep and from what I've read about Wales and Ireland that could also mean a smattering of Spanish or Italian. The Romans were in Wales and the Spanish sailors frequented both Ireland and Wales."

"We should have our DNA done."

He chuckled, "That would be interesting!"

"Didn't Robbie do that?"

"Do what Sis?"

"Get your DNA done?"

"Yeah I did and I started checking some things out but then, you know…real life."

"So who were your ancestors?"

"Uh…let me see, almost 50% African-American, and then mostly French with some Spanish and a tiny bit of Native American thrown in."

"Wow, that's really interesting!"

He nodded, "Yeah and I was working on seeing if I could find out more about Ellen and maybe who my father was when I got sideswiped by exams or something and never got back to it."

"Huh, you should get back to it, Bro!"

"Sure, when I'm not working, moving or you know, trying to spend some time with Ned!"

Their dad came up behind him and gave his neck an affectionate squeeze. "Hope there won't be any more moves for a while, Robbie! How's the commute?"

"Excellent, thanks Dad!"

Ned joined them with Jorry on his shoulders. "I've got the birthday boy here!"

"Hey kiddo, are you having fun with Uncle Ned?"

He grinned, "Yeah!" The rest of the group was also returning from their walk and the wind had picked up so they decided to head back to the house. Poppy gave Sean a piggyback ride while Zoe rode on Damian's shoulders, Davey rode on Jim's, Alitta on her father's and Jorry remained on Ned's. Tim was feeling a little odd without any of his little ones when he felt a hand slip into his and Gemma smiled up at him. "Hi Daddy!"

"Hi Gemma! Did you have fun on the beach?"

She nodded, "I love the beach and it's fun with our cousins and friends here!"

"I bet! It's fun for me to have my brothers and sisters here too!"

Another small hand took his and he smiled down at Violet. "Hi sweetie!"

"Hi Unca Tim!"

Back at the house, they devoured the apple crisp as if they'd never eaten dinner and had just slightly less generous portions of the pumpkin pies. When Hélène brought out baklava, there was a general groan. She laughed and started to remove it but was shouted down. In the end, she wrapped most of it carefully and put it away as nobody had had room for more than a bite or two.

The kids, all 21 of them, not counting Fiona or Hallie, dispersed to the living room to watch a movie, with Ainsley, Callum and Ethan clearly in charge. The adults continued at the table, having coffee, tea or a brandy, planning their international dinner for Friday night. Jorry's birthday party was at lunchtime so the cooks would have plenty of time in the morning and after the party. They'd eat here again and they planned the dishes so they'd have a balanced meal and would use disposable plates.

While the others planned it out, Tim started gathering dishes. They'd already run the dishwasher once while they were on the beach and they'd do at least one more load to get them all done. Jim, Rob, Bec and Geo hopped up to help him and between the five of them they stacked the dirty dishes, emptied the dishwasher, put the clean dishes away and got another load going. They were proud when they got all of the dessert dishes in and started it. The baby started crying and Tea went in to change and feed her while Adan started gathering their belongings to head for home. Their holiday was drawing to a close. Eva and Caleb left next, carrying Alitta while Athos could hardly keep his eyes open. It wasn't especially late but this had been a very busy day for all of them. Tim, seeing that Lina was tired, went to gather their children and found Zoe, Jorry and Sean asleep. He picked up Zoe while his brothers helped him with the other two and they got them in the van. Andy, Gemma and Anna followed them outside, climbed in and then Lina joined them. Inside, James and Jimmy were rounding up their kids while Sarah gathered Fiona from the portable crib and Breena gathered all their things. Poppy folded up the crib and brought it out to their rental, tucking it in the back. He'd kissed each of the children as they walked or were carried past him and now he kissed his big kids goodnight too.

Tim waved to James as he turned into his driveway and then watched as Jimmy pulled up behind James. He was a little surprised when a car pulled into the driveway after him and then realized it was Jim and Claire, he'd forgotten all about them staying in the master bedroom! He pulled into the garage and started taking his sleepy kids out of the van. Andy took Jorry and Sean by the hand and his dad whispered, "I'll be up with Zoe in a few minutes, Andyson."

He nodded and then called to Gemma and Anna who climbed out of their seats and followed their big brother upstairs. Tim got Zoe out and his uncle appeared by his side and gently took the little girl from him. "You get Lina, I'll take Zoe upstairs."

Nodding his thanks, Tim helped Lina inside where she woke up enough to get undressed and ready for bed; Tim ran upstairs and found Uncle Jim in Zoe's room looking for her jammies. He chuckled, "I've got her, Uncle, thanks!"

"Ok, guess I better go find Claire!"

"She was just coming in when I was coming upstairs." Jim nodded and headed off down the hall. Tim checked on the other kids, they were all in their pajamas; he tucked each of them in, kissing them goodnight. Back downstairs, Lina was still in the bathroom, so he slipped back out to the garage to make sure the garage door and the doors to the van were closed. He thought he'd left the driver's door open but it was closed; shrugging he went back inside.

Remembering he was providing a Greek dish for their dinner Friday night, he pulled packets of frozen chicken from the freezer and somehow stuffed them into the very full refrigerator to thaw. That done, he went to bed thinking about their wonderful day.

XXX

Tim was still sleeping the next morning when a little giggle drifted into his pleasantly unconscious state. He felt a poke and then a whisper, "Daddy? You awake yet? Daddy?" There was another giggle and poke and he became aware enough to wrap his arms around the little body that woke him up. He opened one eye to find Jorry tugging at his blanket; "Come on, get up, it's my birthday!"

It wasn't his birthday until the next day but as they were celebrating that day, Tim didn't suppose it mattered. He'd hoped to sleep later today as it was a day off, but birthdays are very important when you're 5! He wrapped his arm more securely around his boy and lifted them both off the bed. "Couldn't wait any more, son?"

The new 5 year old shook his head, "No!"

Tim chuckled, pulled the covers back over Lina, grabbed his robe and carried Jorry to the kitchen. "You know what, stay here, I have to go to the bathroom before I start breakfast." Jorry nodded, that was important; he could wait for that. When Tim returned he lifted Jorry onto the island. "Now, what would you like for breakfast this morning?"

"Pancakes and eggs!"

"All right, you got it! Is anyone else coming to breakfast or is it just you and me?"

Tim meant Jorry's siblings, Mama, Aunt and Uncle and was surprised when Jorry dipped his head and did his best to look very cute and innocent. He hadn't quite mastered his father's 'puppy dog' eyes but he was close and Tim gently tipped his chin up with his finger. "Who?"

"I called Pappouli and Yaya and they're bringing Poppy, Nonnie, Penny, Grammie and Grandfa."

"Oh, you did, did you? How soon will they be here?"

"I don't know, Yaya said she would wake 'em up."

"Uh oh."

"I just wanted them here, Daddy, for my birthday."

"All right, son, we'll talk about it later. How about you go upstairs and make sure your sisters and brothers are awake? But wake them gently, Jorry, no pinching, hitting or yelling."

"Ok." Tim waited until the boy ran up the stairs before he called his mother-in-law. She answered, "Timothy? Did Jorrin really call here or was I dreaming that?"

"Yes, our birthday boy just woke me up and told me he called you, so it was not a dream! I'm making pancakes and eggs, so come on over when you're ready."

"We'll be over very soon, he was very clear he wants us there for his birthday breakfast."

"All right, see you!" Tim hung up and hurried back to the bedroom to get dressed. He woke Lina up to tell her about Jorry's 'birthday breakfast', she thought it was funny and sweet, and was back in the kitchen just as the rest of his brood drifted downstairs. Anna and Gemma had Jorry with them while Andy came down with Sean and Zoe, all of them in their pajamas and robes. Tim finally looked at the clock; it was only 6:30!


	242. Chapter 242

Note: Harmonfreak1 and I (aka 'gottahaveharmonfreak) posted a new chapter of "An Eternal Love" recently…take a look!

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><p>CH 242<p>

The kids got the table ready while Tim found the Birthday Crown. He quickly got the pancake batter ready while Andy took the eggs and carefully cracked them into a mixing bowl. "Is it just us?"

"No, your brother called your grandparents so Pappouli and Yayaka, Poppy, Nonnie and the Greats will be joining us."

Andy's eyes got very big and Tim could see he was trying not to laugh. "Hey, I bet you and I were both pretty anxious to get the party started when we turned 5!"

Andy just nodded as he got the cheese out of the refrigerator and the grater from the cabinet. He whispered to his dad, "We better hope everyone that's staying there doesn't come!"

Tim looked at him, his mouth making an "O".

"Nah…well your Aunt Ziva is sharing with Penny."

"Dad - weren't Uncle Jim and Aunt Claire supposed to stay with us last night?"

Tim looked at his son; he'd forgotten they were here. "They did, they're upstairs in our room. Hmm, I need you here…Annalanna?"

"Yes Daddy?"

"Unca Jim and Aunt Claire are upstairs in our room, would you please go up and knock on the door, tell them we're having Jorry's birthday breakfast in about 20 minutes?"

She nodded and ran upstairs. Andy cracked more eggs in the bowl and Tim turned the oven on to keep the pancakes warm until everyone and everything was assembled. Gemma and Sean got the butter and the jam and with Zoe carrying a bottle of syrup, took it all to the table. Jorry was starting to look anxious so Tim called him to the kitchen and made a little ceremony about putting the crown on him. That did the trick; his little boy was smiling again. Once Tim had two batches of pancakes cooking, he got the coffee going and then helped Gemma pour juice in a lot of glasses. Lina joined them and kissed them all good morning with an extra kiss for the birthday boy. The teakettle was ready so she made herself a cup of tea and poured Tim a mug of coffee before sitting at the table. She looked at all the place settings, then at Tim and they both started laughing.

Anna was helping Gemma put things on the table; freshly washed and cleaned strawberries in a serving bowl were now there along with a bottle of chocolate syrup and a small bowl of powdered sugar. Lina shook her head, "Oh well, nothing like letting the whole family know our bad habits!"

Tim had another two batches of pancakes going and the first two were keeping warm in the oven when Jim and Claire joined them. "My goodness, birthdays start early here!"

Tim nodded, "Have to make every moment count on your special day!"

Jorry nodded with a grin. He tugged on Jim's sleeve, "Look, I'm the king for the day!"

"Oh, a crown, wow, that's really something!"

The doorbell rang and Jorry took off running to answer it. Tim growled, "Donald Jorrin, STOP!"

He stopped in his tracks and Tim quickly reached him, "Ok son, you need to calm down and put your normal Jorry thinking cap on. Do you ever answer the door?"

"No Daddy…but I didn't wanna wait."

"I know, but if the alarm went off the police would come to see what's wrong. And they might be missing their own breakfasts." There was more behind the rule against the kids answering the door but Tim didn't feel like getting into it now.

"Oh…sorry."

Tim took his hand, "I know you are son, try to calm down a little, ok?"

Jorry nodded but Tim could see he was upset. He picked him up and gave him a kiss, straightening the crown which had gotten a bit twisted around, "It's ok, Jorry."

He quickly turned off the alarm and opened the door to the Grands, Greats and Ziva. They greeted the birthday boy who was soon giggling again as he was carried to the table. Tim went back to the pancakes and when he had enough for two per person stacked in the oven, he got the eggs going. Everyone had something to drink so once the eggs were ready he put them on a platter and turned around to find Ziva there. "I will take those. You bring the pancakes and then go eat with Jorry. I will make more."

Tim opened his mouth to protest and then shut it and kissed her on the cheek, "Thanks sis!" He was given a hero's welcome when he sat down. "Yay! The cook gets to eat!" Lina poured him a cup of coffee, Poppy passed him the butter and the syrup and Claire scooped eggs onto his plate. He had butter and syrup on one pancake and strawberries and chocolate syrup on the other one. His grandfather laughed, "I've never seen you do that before!"

His kids giggled and Tim blushed, "It is - or was - a well-kept secret."

Jorry grinned as he spooned strawberries onto his pancakes, adding a spoonful of powdered sugar to the top. Penny excused herself and nearly ran to the kitchen where they heard her laughing.

Gram winked, "She's had too much sugar already!"

Poppy snorted, "That's who they get it from!"

After breakfast, Jim and Penny did the cleanup and then the big house folks kissed Jorrin and told him they'd see him later at his party. The McGees and Hubbards retired to their rooms to make their beds, brush their teeth and get dressed.

As Lina and Tim made their bed, she said, "I'd like to start our Christmas decorating on the 1st this year. I don't know how you and I will feel later in the month and I don't want the children to miss any Christmas!"

"We're already planning on doing the outside this weekend while I'm home."

"Oh, wonderful! But I don't want the tree to go up until next weekend; we can do everything else but the tree and the nativity scene."

"Works for me!" They had a cuddle, finished dressing and rejoined the children who were just trooping back downstairs again. Jorry was holding his crown, "It keeps falling off!" Lina motioned him to move closer to her and then she pulled the birthday crown firmly down around his head. She'd made it from an elastic material so that it wouldn't fall off, like the bottom band of a knit cap, but it wouldn't work right if it was just perched on the top of his head!

The morning passed quickly. The gang staying next door at the Hardisters came by and they decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood so that everyone could see Jorry's crown. Aunts and Uncles, Emma and the triplets arrived to join them. After making sure the younger kids were holding older hands, the large procession of kids, from Fiona in her stroller to Ainsley holding Zoe and Davey's hands, set off with Jorry leading his loyal subjects, his father and mother beside him. That was fun and it reminded some of them of Christmas caroling here and in Piraeus. The adults thought about starting it up, especially after seeing a few of the neighbors putting up their house and yard decorations but Lina passed the word asking that they hold off, that today and tomorrow were to be about Jorry's birthday.

They went two long blocks before heading home. The day was warming up nicely and Jorry heard his parents say the magic words "swim". When they reached home there was a quick consultation with all the parents, then Jorry was consulted; he grinned and nodded. Tim lifted him onto his shoulders so the 5 year old could make the announcement. With his dad prompting him, Jorry called out, "Hear ye hear ye! My loyal su'jects, we're going to the BEACH to SWIM!"

Amidst cheers the crowd scattered to change, slap on the sunscreen, grab towels and whatever else they might need and head to the beach. Geo grinned at Tony as they walked back to the big house, "We thought about Turkey Day and Jorry's birthday, did you think we'd be going swimming in the ocean?"

Tony shook his head, "Walking on the beach, sure, maybe being brave enough to stick my feet in or swimming in the pool if the dome was up, but not actually getting IN the ocean! I thought Maggie was kidding when she put our swim stuff in the suitcase!"

Cammy, Jase and Will and their new friend Emma were so excited that they ran back to the big house, although they were careful to wait for adults before crossing the streets. Lina called Eva, leaving a message that they were on the beach and that it was warm enough to swim if they wanted. Caleb was working today but Eva and the kids would be joining them. Damian, Adan and Matt were also working, it was the Preston team's day of the four-day holiday to work; Alexis and Cole would be by in the afternoon and Tea had called earlier saying they would join them for dinner that night.

Within 30 minutes, the group was on the beach, completing the crowd with the Grands and Greats. There were 5 large beach umbrellas set up in a circle that Grandfa hoped would provide enough shelter for them and the McGees also had 2 umbrellas that fastened onto the back of chairs or loungers. Jorry was perfectly happy moving his birthday party to the beach so with a little work the 'enclave' grew some birthday décor. Streamers were fastened to the insides of the umbrellas and Poppy and Pappouli found a board to which they glued and taped a Happy Birthday banner and then found a way to display it for all to see. They had an annual permit to grill on the beach, depending on the county burn status for any particular day, so after checking to make sure that day was indeed a 'burn' day, they brought two of their lighter weight grills (the two of them had somehow managed to accumulate a few grills of varying types and sizes) down to the beach. Coolers and more chairs appeared and the group was set for the day! Or several hours, at least, those who were preparing a dish for that night's international dinner would have to come and go but there would be plenty of adults left on the beach to watch the kids.

Anna was the first child in the water, accompanied by Uncle Geo and Aunt Bec. Andy, Adam, Will and Evan, accompanied by Uncles Rob and Ned, were next and followed Anna's example of getting wet right away. Anna's best buddies, Audrey and Emma plus Gemma, Violet, Cammy and Jase were next, bringing their parents with them. Lina decided to sit with Grammie, Breena, Claire and Rhea for a while before going in the water and the five of them sat under one of the umbrellas, watching the swimmers and idly chatting.

Andy and Evan carefully watched their fathers, uncles and grandparents, hoping to see signs of an incipient splash battle. When Ethan joined them he grinned, "It'll be this afternoon when it's warmer and everyone's had a chance to play."

Andy sighed, "I can't wait until I'm old enough!"

Evan nodded, "Me too!"

Ethan looked at the two of them, "Me three! You guys are almost 12, right?" They nodded and he shrugged, "Who knows, maybe Aunt Claire will lower the age limit to 13 or 14!"

Andy huffed, "Twelve would be better!"

"Yeah, but I don't think that's gonna happen. Thirteen wouldn't be too far off though."

While they'd been talking, Poppy and Pappouli got closer and closer without them noticing and now popped up out of the water yelling "Surprise!" The boys yelled and then laughed. Penny and Hélène, playing in the shallow waters with Zoe and Davey were just glad they'd been warned.

The marauding grandfathers soon swam away to find the birthday boy and his best buddy, Sean. They chuckled when they saw they were building a sand castle and were covered in sand. They'd been paddling around in the water when they decided to build the 'hugest' castle anyone had ever made. Their grandfathers found cups and buckets to help and pretty soon Zoe and Davey were also involved. Even Fiona helped a little bit. At 11 months, she was having a good time with all her siblings, adults and cousins. There was always someone to play with her and she laughed and squealed just as Jorry, Zoe, Davey and Violet had done before her.

A couple of hours later, Grandfa called 'Everyone out!" as it was time for Jorry's party – lunch, cake, ice cream and gifts! They dried off as best they could before lining up for their grilled 'dogs and burgers. Nonnie made her special potato salad, she always gave it a touch of her native New Mexico, and there were also some fresh veggies. After they'd decided to have their international meal that night, they'd lightened up on the lunch plans. The highlight of course would be Jorry's chocolate swirl birthday cake with his favorite flavor of ice cream, a throwback called marble fudge, oh and the birthday presents.

After enjoying lunch, Rhea, Poppy, Claire and Jim hurried to the house to bring the cake, ice cream and gifts down to the beach. Jorry would open his gifts from his parents and siblings at breakfast on his actual birthday but there were plenty of other intriguing looking packages to open! His 6 candles (including one to grow on) lit, Jorry took a deep breath, made a wish and blew; remembering not to spit like Andy told him and got all the candles out with one blow! Then he sat down next to his mama's chair and looked at all the packages and cards. "That's a lot!"

His mother nodded and said very softly, "Remember to thank each gift giver, son."

He nodded, "I will Mama!" His plate of cake and ice cream was brought to him but everyone else lined up, it was easier that way. Finally they all had what they wanted and they sat to watch the little boy open his presents. He'd gulped down his ice cream – he didn't want it to melt – and had a few bites of cake before handing it to his mom so he could get busy. He smiled and ooh'd and ahh'd as he tore off wrapping paper and bows to reveal toys, books and some clothes. Alexis found UCSD tee shirts in children's sizes online and gave him one and that was really cool! Nonnie and Poppy got him the hoodie he'd seen last time they were at Sea World. Grammie made him a new pullover for church because the one she'd made him last year was too small now. He looked at the color and smiled, saying to his dad, "It's the same color as your new one!"

Tim nodded, blinking rapidly at Jorry's sweater as he suddenly remembered standing next to Patrick in his brown sweater while he wore his new green one. They were fidgeting and Dad told them to hold still so he could take the picture. Grandfa was at his side in a second but Tim just shook his head, it was just a memory returning not a flashback. He was getting used to these memories occasionally sliding into his consciousness. Jimmy and Rob frowned and looked at Grandfa who shook his head, no need to worry; however Uncle Jim and the rest of Tim's siblings saw what happened and exchanged looks with each other, they'd ask later. Gram and Penny discreetly moved closer to their grandson and sat next to him, each with a hand on his back or arm. He smiled and gave each a kiss as Jorry continued opening gifts. Eventually everything was opened and he nicely thanked everyone again. He wanted to try the sweater on but Gram stopped him, "Why don't you wait until we're in the house, Jorry? Then it won't get all sandy." He nodded and gave her a kiss.

Rather than walk everything back up to the house, Poppy drove the Ford down and everyone helped load Jorry's gifts and what was left of lunch into the car and then he, Sarah and George took it back to the house and unloaded. Poppy had Tim's keys so they put the gifts into the van. It was still early afternoon, they weren't planning to leave the beach anytime soon, just wanted to get the gifts and garbage out of the way.

When they got back, Tony, Gram, Jimmy, Penny, Edith and Ziva were getting ready to go grocery shopping for their feast that night. The various cooks had figured out which recipes would be easiest to prepare together in the kitchens. Tim already had his offering in his slow cooker and would need to add ingredients in another hour. He'd left his recipe on the counter, so Edith and Ziva, who would be using the McGees' kitchen, offered to do that for him, they figured they'd be back from grocery shopping by then. Edith was making a vegetable dish called Bubble & Squeak which didn't require the oven but did need a cook top, which would be in contention at the big house. Ziva was making an Israeli salad which she'd put together shortly before their meal although she'd wash and prep everything when they got back from the store. Breena would also be using the McGees' cook top for their Swedish meatballs; Jimmy would grocery shop, Breena would do the actual preparations.

Gram, Grandfa, Penny, Rhea, Tony and Hélène were using the big house kitchen although Davos would be grilling as his wife was making marinated lamb kabobs. Grandfa was making a Highland Toffee they'd have for dessert and then Gram would make the vegetable dish called Clapshot which wouldn't take long to make on the cook top. Penny's dish would take a bit longer as some of the ingredients had to chill for a bit but she also would not need the oven.

Tony had to make a tough decision as he had many favorite dishes but finally settled on an olive and pesto flatbread with fresh mozzarella. As they walked into the grocery store he was still toying with the idea of also making toasted basil pesto gnocchi. Ultimately he decided to make the gnocchi for their next family gathering and he could teach Emma how to make it too, that would be fun! The flatbread was also simple to make and easier to do at the big house than transporting everything over to the Hardisters. He needed the oven and would share it with Rhea who was making a traditional Mexican flan, a recipe her mother and grandmother had made many times when she was growing up.

In the car coming back from the store, Tony asked Penny and Gram about Tim's blinking episode; Jimmy and Ziva nodded, also concerned.

Gram shrugged, "He's all right; you know he had an MRI. He started remembering some things after we found each other but just odd bits and pieces – Patrick's striped shirt with the jelly stains and oh…running on the lawn, but they were isolated incidents. And he told you what happened at his birthday with the sweater. And now Jorry's sweater, it must be the color or…"

Penny added, "Or just that you made him the sweater and now made Jorry one. With Tim's sweater it was like opening a door to his childhood and things hit him all at once and that was pretty overwhelming."

Gram continued, "Ever since then he'll suddenly blink and we'll know another memory has surfaced. He'll tell us right away what it is so I guess we've gotten used to it but it is a little…disconcerting."

Edith frowned, "But there's nothing wrong with him?"

Maisie shook her head, saying, "No, and he doesn't want to pursue finding out what's going on, not now anyway. Don wanted to push him but Jethro told him he didn't think that was a good idea right now. With Lina's illness, her long recovery and whatever goes on at work, I'm sure Timothy doesn't want to add anything else to his plate!"

Tony nodded and then said what he was thinking, "He's been under a lot of stress this year, first when Vance made him the Assistant Director and yeah, I know that's going well now, but it's still a lot more responsibility and then with the scare with Lina and her long recovery. I can't even imagine!"

Jimmy pursed his lips, "Don and I have talked about it, he was pretty worried at first but not anymore. Still, Tony's right, Tim's under a lot of stress. It's just…disconcerting to see in person."

Ziva smiled, "He is one of the strongest people I have ever met but yes, I agree, it has been a rough year for him, for them." She looked at her adopted grandmothers, "I am grateful they have all of you to help."

They'd reached the McGees' house so Edith, Jimmy and Ziva took their groceries and waved goodbye. Breena was waiting for them and smiled happily when she saw that Jimmy had found Lingonberry jelly and remembered the egg noodles. Once in the kitchen, they first put Tim's ingredients into the slow cooker which smelled heavenly, and then finding everything they needed got to work in a companionable silence. Jimmy stayed to help for a few minutes before walking back to the big house.

Tony didn't need to start his flatbread for another few hours and although he offered, none of the others needed help, so he threw his swim suit into the dryer for a few minutes, then changed and walked back down to the beach.

The cooks came and went throughout the afternoon. Andy and the other boys were keeping a close watch on Uncle Tony as they didn't want him to miss the splash battle. He didn't say anything but his federal agent family members teased him about being under the boys' scrutiny. He laughed, "Well, you know I've always wanted to be a role model!"

That sent Tim, Ziva, Maggie and Ned into gales of laughter and then he of course pretended to be insulted. Once they figured out the kids were anxious for a splash battle, they went to work planning it out. Rhea was at the house making her flan so Tony had about an hour left before he needed to get to work on the flatbread; now was as good a time as any. Ziva was their messenger to Poppy and Davos and then Hélène passed the word to the others. Dr. Rob called a shade break and everyone got out and then suddenly nearly all the adult men ran for the water yelling like banshees. The boys laughed in surprise - they'd been outmaneuvered! Penny was back on the beach and she looked at Sarah, Maggie, Carla and Bec and then realized Ziva had also returned and Alexis had arrived. Making sure there were enough adults on the beach to watch the kids, Ainsley went along as the women joined the battle already underway. Claire, Eva, Norm, George and eventually Edith and Breena were left behind to watch nearly 20 children but since they were all on the shore watching the fun, that wasn't a problem. Rhea arrived about halfway through the battle and found Norm recording it while the others took plenty of photos of the first ever Preston McGee clan Splash Battle. Eventually the watchers declared a tie and the water logged warriors waded into shore to the cheers of the kids.

Tony dried off and headed back to the house to make his flatbread. The rest of the group hung out on the beach, helping Jorry and Sean with their "Hugest" sand castle. It was indeed quite large and Tim made sure he took several photos for the boys. They'd dug a very deep and wide moat in the almost certainly vain hope that the tide wouldn't wipe out their castle but as Uncle Jim pointed out, they could just build another one the next day.

Leaving Andy and the older girls with his folks, Tim borrowed the Ford, taking Lina, Zoe, Jorry and Sean home for quick showers and clean clothes. Ziva, Breena and Edith arrived a few minutes later and they finished their dinner offerings and then loaded everyone and their dinners into the Ford for the short drive back. There they found that Tea, Adan, Matt, Damian and Caleb had arrived and all the kids were cleaned up. The group was now seriously shifting into dinner mode; the tables were once again set, this time with Happy Birthday paper tablecloths and the group gathered in the big house family/dining room.

First up, the three appetizer offerings were proudly presented: Tony's Italian pesto-basil flatbread, Ziva's Israeli salad and Penny's Welsh Glamorgan sausage which, she explained, had no meat despite it being called a sausage. The group had some of everything and from the happy faces and noises they made, thoroughly enjoyed each bite.

They tossed the paper plates and brought out more for their meal. Then Tim and Hélène brought in the main entrees: the Greek chicken and the marinated Lamb kabobs, with Rhea's surprise offering of Spanish rice; Jimmy and Breena proudly presented their Swedish meatballs while Maisie and Edith followed them in with the Clapshot and Bubble and Squeak which were explained to the group. The Hofstadler, Powell and Palmer kids weren't as accepting of vegetables as Athos, Alitta and the McGees but once they saw how much their friends and cousins liked both dishes they helped themselves and ate just as heartily.

Even though they had plenty of food and ate heartily, none of them were as uncomfortably full as they'd been with the turkey yesterday. When Grandfa wondered if anyone wanted dessert, they made so much noise that he laughed and held up his hands in a sign of surrender. He, Rhea and Gram disappeared into the kitchen, returning with the Highland Toffee, the Flan, yesterday's baklava and shortbread.

Poppy had bites of each and then leaned back with his coffee, watching their clan. This was the first time since Tim and Lina's anniversary vacation in Greece that all of them had been together like this. And maybe, considering the changes to the family in the last two years, it was really the first time. He glanced at Tim, frowning at what he saw.


	243. Chapter 243

CH 243

Jorry was wearing his new sweater that evening and when he walked downstairs, Lina was concerned that it might trigger another memory surge for Tim. Tim felt Jorry should wear his sweater if he wanted and he knew it would please Maisie. He tried to reassure Lina, saying he felt the memories were going to keep popping up whether the sweaters were worn or not. In fact he would also wear his new sweater.

At dinner that night, Tim was chewing on a delicious bite of lamb when another memory hit him. This one was a girl at school, she must have been his age as he was looking directly at her face as she spoke, admiring his new sweater and asking if it was lambs' wool. He remembered her name was Amy; she had blonde curls and said that her grandfather had a farm with lambs on it, only she called them "lambies". He smiled and then drew back as his father was standing right next to him and everyone was quiet, watching him. "Oh man, again?"

Anna looked around; she was curious and not especially worried as her father seemed fine. "What were you remembering Daddy? You were smiling."

Tim was thankful his daughter wasn't frightened. "I was 7 years old, Anna, and I was at school, in the hallway. I had my new sweater on, the one that was the same color as this and a girl in my class, Amy, asked me if it was lambs' wool. She told me her grandfather had a farm that had lambies."

The kids looked at each other, what was wrong with that? They shrugged and went back to eating. Penny suddenly said, "You liked her! I remember Pat teasing you about her."

Tim laughed, "Busted for a 36 year old crush!" He looked at his dad who was still standing there, "I'm ok, Dad, just another memory popping in."

Duck and the other docs didn't say anything so Jethro returned to his chair. He guessed they'd just have to get used to this, he just hoped Tim didn't have a 'surge' in the middle of a meeting or while driving. But so far they'd happened when family members were around. He just wondered why it was happening now.

The McGees, Unca Jim and Aunt Claire made it an early evening considering the hour they'd been awakened that morning. Before they left for home the former members of NCIS: Athens made plans to surprise Skype the Russells in the morning. They'd have to do it fairly early as Carla and Norm needed to get home, but none of them minded and it would be later than Jorry's breakfast had been that morning. Most of them would make the call from the McGees while Matt would join in from home.

Tim had the coffee ready when the others arrived the next morning and they relaxed while they synced up with Matt. When they were all in front of the camera, Tim sent a Skype request to the Russells and they grinned when Pete answered. "Hey Tim, Lina…HEY! And you're all in one…no, two places? What's going on?"

They told him and he laughed, "What a great surprise for the McGees and for us! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, it's good to see your smiling faces! Here, let me bring the laptop into the dining room so you can say hello to Trina and the others."

They called hello to Trina, Kyra, Lukas, Ross and Kayla…huh. Tim had not realized that Kayla was in Greece again…or still. They spotted Rusty, Lynne, Jake and Denise, saying hello. Denise looked surprised, "I didn't know you all lived in the same area!"

Tim grinned, "We don't; this was a surprise reunion. Normally we're on opposite sides of the U.S."

After chatting with the agents, they looked for Pete who came back into camera range and moved the laptop so they could talk privately. Lina frowned, "Where's Dani?"

Trina appeared, looking amused, "And she thought no one would notice! She's in the States, went to spend Thanksgiving with a friend."

Lina lifted an eyebrow and Trina smiled but they both knew better than to mention a name. Bec also got it but kept her smile to herself. The friends talked for a few minutes before signing off when Carla had a text from Norm that he and the kids were outside in the car. The Hofstadlers left and Lina invited Bec and Ned to stay for breakfast. Jim and Claire were up by then and brought Zoe downstairs with them. The girls, Andy and Sean were next and Tim finally handed the spatula to Claire while he went up to check on Jorry. He was just waking up and was very happy to have a Happy Birthday kiss from his dad.

After breakfast, Jim and the kids loaded the dishwasher while the adults talked about their plans for the day. Ned and Bec hemmed and hawed until they finally told Tim and Lina that there was to be a siblings' lunch that day. Tim looked at Lina and they grinned at each other, they were going out with other adults…to a restaurant!

Now knowing that the day was going to be a busy one, Tim and Andy got the Christmas lights and the ladders out of the garage. Just like clockwork, his father, some of his brothers, Jim and Davos joined them and got busy. Evan, Ethan, Callum and Jimmy sauntered around the hedge that separated the Hardisters' lot from the McGees' and immediately asked to help. Tim's goal had been to get the lights up but with all the help, they managed to get the yard decorated too.

The tree and storage tubs of ornaments were taken out of storage but nothing more was done with them. Even Jorry and Sean wanted to help and Tim was reminded of Tom Sawyer getting his friends to paint the white picket fence. James and George watched but as they'd never done any Christmas yard decorating they had no clue what their crazy American family was up to. By 11, they were done with the entire outside of the house and Tim thanked them all and then dashed inside for a shower and change of clothes.

The McGee and Kalivas siblings and their loves had a wonderful time at lunch; the gang of them laughing their way through their meal. Knowing that for all of them with children a leisurely afternoon was a rarity, no one hurried. They talked about everything under the sun, steering away from shop talk as much as possible although a few times they had to be reminded; Damian, Breena and Rob had no problems calling them on it. Tim and Tony were watching Ziva, they were sure she had something to share although they had no idea what and they'd asked Breena for her help. They were just catching their breath after laughing at Geo and Tony's antics when Breena suddenly turned to Ziva. "So, when are you going to tell us?"

Ziva looked at her friend in astonishment. "What?"

"When are you going to tell us what's up with you?"

Ziva opened her mouth to deny there was anything 'up' but instead a laugh escaped. The others demanded to know and she grinned at her siblings, her sisters and brothers, how wonderful was that? "All right, if you must know…I really should tell our parents first, don't you think?"

Now she was having fun, teasing them by drawing it out as long as possible. Sarah made a noise, "Ooh that means a sweetie!"

Ziva gave up gracefully; she'd been dying to tell them anyway. "Yes, I am seeing someone. His name is Brian Metzger, he's American and he also works at the U.N."

"Wow! That's wonderful, do you have pictures?" Ziva pulled up the photos of Brian on her phone. "Here…"

Tim frowned as he went through them, "There are a lot of photos, how long have you been seeing this guy and where in the U.S. is he from?"

She smiled as she'd known her brothers – and Poppy – would grill her about Brian. "We used to see each other – you know, we'd walk past each other - at the UN all the time and then when I flew from DC to NY after our return from Greece, he was on the same flight. He's a linguist and a Navy Lieutenant in the reserves. He's worked at the UN for 5 years."

Tim, Tony, Jimmy and Ned stared at her and she looked at them, puzzled, "What?"

"You used a contraction…three times and there were more before!"

"Ah yes, well I did say he's a linguist. I'm learning quite a bit from him."

"Another one! Ziva, we tried for 8 years!"

She gave them a particularly Ziva look, "Yes I suppose you did; I guess I didn't have the right motivation."

The others laughed and she smiled happily. Then she told them Poppy and Grandfa already knew, she'd told them a month ago. That caused another uproar which just made her laugh harder. "Really, why would I tell you one by one when I knew we'd be here and I could tell you all at once? And besides, I didn't want to miss this!"

Maggie snorted, "Your interrogation?"

Ziva nodded happily, "Yes!"

Rob looked at her and thought he understood. "Ziva, I think I get it. You're really enjoying having sisters and brothers to tease you, to drive you crazy, aren't you?"

She grinned at her youngest brother, "Yes, Robbie, that's exactly it! I'd forgotten how much fun it is."

Now it was Sarah's turn to snort, "I'll check back with you in a few years!"

Ziva shook her head, "No Sarah, like Tim before he found the Uncles, I craved family; I just didn't understand that. I thought it was work or peace of mind, but it is family I need, I believe most of us need, and now I have peace of mind and my work isn't all I have, not all that I am. I am also a daughter, granddaughter, sister, sister-in-law, niece, aunt and cousin. And it's all wonderful!"

Jimmy made a mental note to let Ethan know that Ziva really should be added to his list of people given love, security and safety by their family. If ever any of them had been a lost soul, it had been Ziva.

XXX

When they'd heard about the siblings' lunch, Ainsley, Callum and Ethan came up with a similar idea for the kids: a cousins' lunch on the beach. However when the temperature that day was a little too chilly for another outdoor picnic, they moved the party indoors to the family room at the big house. Giving the Grands and Greats a break, Claire and Jim were the adult chaperones although they quickly found they weren't needed as the kids were used to Ainsley and Callum being in charge and recognized that Ethan was also now "old". After all, he was in high school so he must be almost grown and therefore old.

They had turkey sandwiches for lunch and had a wonderful time. As they ate they came up with an idea for something fun for that evening and brought Claire and Jim in on it. Once they had adult approval they started planning. After the kids cleaned up the kitchen and had the dishwasher running, Claire took three of them to run errands. The others went back to the family room to continue their preparations.

By mid-afternoon parents, kids, grands and greats had reunited and decided to bundle up and go for a walk on the beach. Lina, Penny, Gram, Grandfa and the senior Powells opted to stay at the house, saying they'd get their fresh air from the deck. The beach group didn't last long as there was a storm on the way in and the wind was really starting to pick up. They walked down the beach a bit but turned right around when the sand started blowing around them. Zoe and Davey were scooped up into their grandfathers' arms and the rest of the kids ran to the edge of the parking lot while the adults followed quickly behind them. Back at the house they were treated to a roaring fire and hot chocolate, coffee or tea in the family room. Once warmed up, they set up several games and had fun trading around playing those the rest of the afternoon. Rhea, Jim, Grandfa and Gram were playing bridge when they noticed that the kids weren't playing the board games anymore, in fact most of them had disappeared from the room.

They were further surprised when the door opened and Zoe and Davey marched hand in hand to the front of the room. "We hava 'nouncement." Giggling they ran back to their chairs and Jorry and Sean marched up. "We're making dinner tonight." They left while the adults grinned, wondering who was coming next. It was Gemma and Violet, "Don't worry; we're not using knives and things if we're not 'sposed to."

Next up were Anna, Emma and Audrey who were already giggling, "Our meal is a surprise but we know you'll like it."

Adam, Evan, Steve and Andy were next, "There are vegetables, we promise to eat them if you will!" Tony and James squirmed a bit as neither of them were big fans. Ethan, Callum and Ainsley were last, "We're supervising so no peeking into the kitchen!"

The adults applauded and the kids all took a bow. Then they shooed their parents, grands and greats out of the room and put a sign up on the door, "No one over 20 allowed!"

The kitchen was bustling as Ainsley, Callum and Ethan got everyone organized. They were making a Rachel Ray recipe that Ainsley found online called "Worms and Eyeballs" which was "an Asian-inspired spaghetti and chicken meatballs" dish. It was supposed to be spicy but they'd tone it down as they knew some of the adults didn't like too much spice. They were also making rolls and a salad brimming with fresh vegetables. Once they had their menu sorted out, they'd made a list of what had to be done, step by step and then assigned steps to each person so that each child had at least one step to do in their dinner preparations. For Davey and Zoe, that meant they got to help wash the salad greens, dry them and tear them into bite size pieces for the salad. Andy and Evan would help Ethan cut and chop the red pepper, garlic, ginger and snow pea pods. Jorry and Sean would help make the salad and the rolls; Gemma, Adam and Violet would measure the carrots and bean sprouts, vegetable oil and tamari. Anna, Emma and Audrey would measure the garlic, ginger, scallions and hoisin sauce and make the salad dressing as well as help stir the bucatini, a hollow spaghetti and the "Worms" of the recipe. Andy and Steve would drain the large pot of pasta when it was done. Everyone would help make the 'Eyeballs' or meatballs, mixing the ground chicken, garlic, ginger, scallions, finely chopped red bell pepper, hoisin sauce, salt, and pepper together and then rolling the meatballs out on waxed paper before transferring them to a cookie sheet and roasting them for a few minutes. Shortly before the Eyeballs and Worms were done, the vegetables would be stir-fried by Steve and Adam. As the kids progressed through the steps, the three oldest ones kept their eyes on their cousins, making sure every step was followed; they also handled anything going in and coming out of the oven.

As their dinner neared its completion in the kitchen, the kids put two large table cloths on the tables and then carefully carried plates, glasses and cutlery in. As Andy and Steve drained the noodles, Gemma, Violet, Zoe and Davey were sent to the living room where the adults were hanging out. When they had everyone's attention, they announced, "It's time to wash your hands and then come to the family room!" While hands were washed, Audrey and Adam added the Worms to the vegetables. Then Emma poured in the tamari sauce while Evan and Violet tossed the Worms and veggies to combine and evenly coat them. Callum carefully transferred the Worms/noodles to three big serving platters, Ainsley removed the Eyeballs from the oven and the three of them divided them up between the three serving platters. While they did that, the younger kids took plates of freshly baked rolls and large bowls of salad to the family room. The sign was taken down and the adults were welcomed and advised to take their seats. The water goblets were already filled and there were three extra pitchers of water on the tables. The children proudly carried in the meal they'd made and placed the three platters on the table. Then they stood behind their chairs, grinning happily as they were given a standing ovation by their parents, grandparents and great grandparents. Finally Ainsley whistled and Callum said, "It's time to eat, the food's getting cold!"

Everyone enjoyed the delicious meal and the kids had fun relating their parts of preparing it. When it was time for dessert they laughed as Penny's two pies, the rest of Jorry's birthday cake (with his permission) and the rest of the Highland Toffee were served. They lingered at the table after dinner as everyone but the McGees, Matt, Damian, the Grands and Greats would be leaving in a few hours. They made plans for Easter and Passover at Penny's and that made them all feel better. Ziva told the others about Brian and promised to introduce him to the family.

With the clock ticking, the adults did the dinner cleanup, happy to find that the cooks had already cleaned up the kitchen. Then they retired once again to the family room where they stayed together, talking and playing a few games until Lina started yawning and Zoe and Davey were discovered curled up together on the loveseat, both sound asleep.

Leaving the younger kids, the Palmers, Powells, Ainsley and Callum drove over to the Hardisters, finished packing and then loaded the rental vehicles with their luggage and went back to the big house. The McGee kids were sleepy but no one wanted to be the first to leave.

Eventually it was time for the travelers to leave and after many hugs and kisses, the kids got in the cars, luggage was counted and loaded in, then counted again, heads were counted and finally the caravan left for the airport and home. The McGees left first after Tim, James, Jimmy and Tony made a funny little show of making sure they each had the right children with them.

It had been a marvelous surprise holiday and weekend; Jorry would remember his 5th birthday for the rest of his life, and now it was time to return to their everyday lives.

* * *

><p>Note: The kids' recipe came from: parents recipes  cooking / with-kids / rachael-rays-fun-family-recipes /


	244. Chapter 244

CH 244

The storm that been brewing on Saturday hit full strength on Sunday and the McGees hunkered down at home, happy to eat leftovers and stay warm and dry. Tim and Lina laughed at their wimpiness as this would probably be a drizzle in other parts of the world; yeah they were spoiled. It was nearly noon before they remembered it was their wedding anniversary and toasted each other with sparkling cider. Andy and Anna were finishing up the holiday homework they'd started last week while Gemma, Jorry, Sean and Zoe were content to watch a movie. They were all tired from the fun over the holiday weekend. The Grands and Greats called to wish them a happy anniversary and to let them know everyone had reached home safely. Other than making sure they had clean clothes for the week and straightening up, no one in either house did anything of much consequence.

By late Sunday afternoon the McGees were starting to perk up and they watched "Mary Poppins" which the kids hadn't seen before, although Gemma had seen the play one year for her birthday. They had a fire in the fireplace and it was so warm and cozy that they ate dinner in there too – grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Outside the wind was still howling and the rain pouring and Jorry smiled, "I'm glad I already had my birthday!" Tim chuckled, "Me too, son!"

By Monday the storm had moved on and the family headed out to their weekday routines of school and work. Poppy took the kids to school, Lina started the finishing touches to a project, Rhea started a new commissioned painting, Penny slept in and Tim rode into work with his security team. With everyone busy, the week sped by and on Saturday, the first Saturday in December, they had their ride on the "Polar Express". The next day was the 6th, the official start of the Christmas season for the McGee family.

Tim got the tree in place and they spent hours decorating it. Another tradition they'd started the first year Anna and Gemma had been with them was that each year one of the children got to put the tree topper, a star, on the very top of the tree. This year it was Sean's turn and he hopped about in excitement as he waited for his dad to check the light to make sure it worked. Finally, _finally_, he held the star as he was lifted onto his dad's shoulders. He carefully placed it on the top of the tree to the cheers of his mother and siblings. Once he was standing on his own, his dad plugged the light in and they admired it and the rest of the tree lights. Andy watched as his mom put a check by Sean's name, next Christmas it would be his turn!

The Mallards left for Virginia that week which was sad but they'd be back in a few weeks and the California folks were happy that Grandfa and Grammie would be with the Powells for Fiona's first birthday.

The week after they left was tough for another reason as they passed the due date when their lost sprout would have been born. Tim took the 15th off work to spend the day with Lina. They drove up the coast to Newport Beach and spent the day walking around, shopping and sightseeing, successfully distracting themselves, both proud they hadn't cried. When they got home they found Yaya helping the kids make pancakes and eggs for dinner, it was, Jorry announced, 'comfort' food. And when they sat down and held hands to say grace, the tears finally arrived as the kids added, "Please bless our cherib" at the end of the prayer. What Tim and Lina hadn't expected was the feeling of relief – and release – after the due date had passed. They didn't know why but found they both felt that way and were thankful although neither would ever forget their loss.

The McGees, Grands and Penny attended Fiona's party via Skype and laughed at the tiny girl as she smashed her slice of birthday cake into her face. She made a face, not sure if she was going to laugh or cry but when she saw smiles and heard laughter she giggled and then squealed happily.

Before they left, Grandfa had extracted a promise from Tim that he would pursue counseling for his memory surges. While Tim had tried to appear nonchalant he really was a little freaked out about it and had no problem making the promise. That week he had a dental appointment late one morning so worked from home. He'd had another memory pop the night before and he decided it was time to start figuring out what was going on. He took a break and dug through his endless list of contacts for the number he was looking for, plugged it into Skype and hit the icon to request a call. He thought he'd probably be leaving a message but to his surprise, the good doctor answered. "Timothy McGee after all this time!"

"Hi Doctor Cranston, thanks for taking the call."

"I couldn't pass it up! How's your family…and where are you?"

Tim chuckled, "The family's all fine, there are a lot more of us now and we're posted in San Diego."

"Wonderful! When you say there are a lot more of you, you mean children or more lost relatives?"

"Both! Let's see, Lina and I had Jorry in 2015 and in 2017 we adopted two little girls from a small country in Europe and a few months later Lina gave birth to our youngest, Zoe. We moved here the following year and a year later we adopted two boys who are biologically my – and Sarah's - nephew and great nephew. In the meantime…you know Gibbs adopted us all?" She nodded. "We adopted Tony as our brother because his father is still alive and eventually Ziva came back into our lives and Dad adopted her too."

"Wow!"

"Yep; she's now living in New York City, working at the UN and we see her at most of the family gatherings. Tony's married to a wonderful woman, Maggie, who's also a NCIS agent and they've adopted a young girl, Emma, who is 8, the same age as my oldest daughter. Oh and my sister and her husband adopted two boys and a girl and Sarah had a baby girl last Christmas."

"I can't even imagine - that's a huge family!"

Tim laughed, "The more the merrier!"

"And have you returned to Greece at all?"

Tim nodded, "Every summer for two weeks; most of the siblings, grandparents, great grandparents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends go with us."

"Wonderful, ok, now I'm caught up…oh wait, I'm not…explain your adopted nephews-sons!"

Tim explained the Patrick situation and the doctor shook her head. "Unbelievable. Your poor family! So, I'm assuming you called me today for a counseling recommendation or do you want to come see me?"

They both chuckled and Tim told her that yes he was calling to ask for a recommendation in California and told her why.

"Have you ruled out any physical problems?"

He huffed, "Yes, Grandfa, Dr. Jimmy _and_ Dr. Rob were here at Thanksgiving so oh yeah you betcha - I had an MRI."

"All right, this is strange even for me, but since I'm so familiar with your history, would you consider counseling with me?"

"Really? By phone…or Skype?"

"Skype, we need to talk face to face. It's unusual but I'm…reluctant to have you go elsewhere." She made a wry face, "I guess that's a roundabout way of saying I want to help and I'm intensely curious to find out what's behind this."

Tim smiled, "That would be great, thanks, I never even considered that a possibility!"

"Well, it's a first but have to keep up!" They set a Skype appointment for early the next morning before Tim left for work and then disconnected. Tim sat back feeling a huge relief. By the end of the week, Dr. Cranston had Tim keeping a log of what happened before a memory popped up, what was happening physically and emotionally. He kept notes on his phone as best he could and was interested to see that every time it happened, something positive and/or something that made him happy…some positive action or emotion occurred at some point shortly before.

That weekend the family drove to Point Loma for their annual whale watching. They spotted several whales and it was exciting to watch them play as they moved through the water. With the kids now on Christmas vacation, they had all kinds of fun. When Tim suggested ice skating, the kids looked at him and Jorry said, "I don't know how." His brothers and sisters nodded, they didn't either and neither did their mother. Tim smiled, "Then how about some lessons? I bet the ice skating rink has classes and I can help too."

"You know how to ice skate?"

"Yep, I do! We learned in Massachusetts when I went to MIT."

The closest rink was in Encinitas and offered lessons for ages 2 and up, so off they went. Tim went with Zoe for her class while the other kids were divided into age groups, Jorry, Sean and Gemma in one group, Anna and Andy in another and Lina in the over 18 group. They had a blast learning how and Lina laughed the whole time, which made them all smile. After class, they practiced on the ice and Tim helped each of them. Zoe was soon skating with no fear and loving it, finally she could do something better and faster than the others! The others did fine too, although Lina required more help from Tim than the children did. They had so much fun they went back several times over the holidays and Anna declared she wanted an ice skating birthday party. Penny and Poppy had ice skated as kids and Rhea was willing to try, so they came along a few times. Rhea had a hard time on her own, even after her class, but as long as Jethro stuck with her she was fine and enjoyed herself. She remembered roller skating as a kid and they thought that would be fun too.

A few nights they drove around looking at different neighborhoods with the houses all lit up; sometimes there was too much traffic to get to the block they wanted. Then they'd park on the main street and either walk over or look from their windows. They had their favorites and the younger kids were disappointed when Hanna took them by those during the day and the inflatable figures were slumped over, there was no 'snow' blowing or angels flying.

Gemma, Jorry and Sean wrote letters to Santa while Mama helped Zoe write hers and then they made a trip to the mall to sit on Santa's lap. Anna had figured out the mythical figure last Christmas but hadn't said anything and Andy knew before he and Sean came to live with them.

Despite their earlier misgivings Christmas Eve and Christmas Day turned out to be a lot of fun. The Hofstadlers, Matt and Damian arrived midday on Christmas Eve and settled in for the holiday at the big house. They'd have dinner at the big house that night and at the McGees' on Christmas night.

The kids were excited on Christmas Eve but as Santa hadn't yet visited, those who still believed, including the triplets, were on their best behavior. As they'd done in previous years, the kids were allowed to open one gift apiece and that was fun to watch as they took turns. The McGees left fairly early as Tim and Lina had a few things to do after the kids went to bed. Poppy and Pappouli would bring over the kids' new bikes after they got the signal from Tim. He and Lina had started out getting one for Andy and then realized that everyone but Zoe needed a new one, the kids had outgrown them. Once the new ones were delivered, they'd gather up the old bikes, polish them till they gleamed and take them to the local shelter with big bows on them Christmas Day. While the guys were doing that, Lina would dress Zoe's new doll in the clothes she'd made for her and putter with some of the other gifts. This year the bikes were the kids' Santa presents, except for Zoe's new doll and extensive wardrobe, and then they'd open gifts of clothes and books from their parents and of course gifts from their grandparents and uncles.

By midnight the bike exchange was complete and after setting up the living room, Tim and Lina crawled off to bed. They were wakened at 7:00 by Tim's cell phone. He glared at it before grabbing it from his nightstand and answering it. Then he laughed as the caller was Andy! The youngster had a cell phone for emergencies and decided this was about to be one. "Dad, can we come downstairs yet? The boys and Zoe have been awake for an hour and I don't think Anna, Gemma and I can keep them up here much longer!"

Tim laughed so hard he started coughing but finally he said to wait 5 more minutes, he'd tell them when it was ok. He threw on some clothes and dashed out to the living room to record the unwrapped bounty. When Lina joined him, they called out "Merry Christmas, Santa's been here!" That was the signal for the kids; Jorry, Sean and Gemma came running while Zoe was firmly held and helped down the stairs by her oldest brother and sister.

Finally they were all downstairs and looked at the big red bows. Gemma picked one up, "Oh they have our names on them!"

Each child went looking for his or hers and when Anna found hers she grinned, "There's a clue, it says to find the thing in the garage with my name on it."

Zoe's didn't say that but she'd already found her doll and was happily playing with it. Tim scooped doll and daughter into his arms and they went to the garage where the kids yelled in happy delight at their new bikes. Andy was so excited he ran to his parents and hugged them both. "Dad, Mama! This is so awesome, how did you know?"

Jorry's had a horn and he beeped it, "Cool, I got a horn!" Sean did too and the two of them hit their horns a few times before Mama put a stop to it. Gemma's bike was purple, her favorite color and she wanted to take it out and ride it. As they were all in their jammies, robes and slippers, they decided to wait until after they got dressed.

Anna smiled as she spotted two additional bikes. "Look Mama, did Santa bring those for you and Daddy?" They nodded and said yes, and then covered their tracks by saying they'd seen them earlier that morning, technically true as it had been just past midnight when they'd last looked at the bikes.

They went back inside to open the rest of their presents and then cleaned up the living room. The kids got to leave one present each downstairs to show the others when they came over, otherwise presents went upstairs to their rooms. Except for the bikes, of course!

Daddy and Mama made their favorite breakfast, pancakes and eggs and they all sat down together. When they said grace they remembered to wish the baby Jesus a Happy Birthday. After breakfast they cleaned up the dishes and then went to get dressed.

The Grands, Alexis, Penny, the Uncles, Norm, Carla and the children came over after lunch, opening more presents. When they'd done that and the kids had had some time to play, they cleaned up and got ready for their trip to one of the local shelters. They piled into several vehicles, the bikes spread out between the Hofstadlers' van, the McGees' larger van and the Ford. When Tim had called the shelter weeks ago about the bikes, he asked how many kids there were, what ages and sizes and what each one might need or want. Then he, Dad, Davos and Nick put together a flyer for bike donations and today when their kids' bikes were delivered, there would be also be a delivery from "Santa" and he would see to the delivery of a bike, treats, a toy or book and clothing for each child, in accordance with the Toys for Tots program along with a few additions from the McGee clan.

Tim grinned as they pulled up to the shelter; he was as excited about this as he'd been about his own kids' bikes. They waited for Santa and Mrs. Claus to pull in behind them with the trailer full of bikes, pulled on their Santa's elves hats that Lina and Hélène made them and with the kids helping, started moving the bikes in through the backdoor of the shelter.

The shelter kids were in the main room, gathered around the Christmas tree and Tim smiled to himself, remembering that one happy day each year when he, Geo, Rob, Sarah and the other kids would get a present. The group got all the bikes indoors first and then Santa led the way into the main room, his bag stuffed with the other gifts for the kids. There were excited murmurs and Andy looked at his dad, "They don't yell and scream like we do."

Tim nodded, "That's right, remember last year how happy we were when some of the kids smiled and laughed?"

"Oh yeah."

Calling out Merry Christmas, Santa sat down and took out his list of names while Mrs. Claus and the Elves handed out treats. There was quiet as the kids waited and he looked at them, "Now I understand that you have all been very good children this year! I'm very happy about that and very proud of you and I have gifts for each of you! Let's see…"

He read off the first name, Cailey, and a girl about Zoe's age jumped up, "That's me, Santa!"

"All right, Cailey, here you go, Merry Christmas!"

He handed her a package and she took it, thanking him and then gasped when one of the elves showed her a bike that had her name on it. "That's for me?"

Santa nodded, "Yes Cailey, it's all yours!" She went back to Santa and kissed him and behind his beard, Nick smiled, he loved doing this!

Taking the bike and her package, the little girl wheeled it over to a table where her older sister was sitting. Santa called the next name and by the fourth or fifth child the kids started hoping they might all be getting bikes! Finally they were done and the gifts for the adults were passed out. The shelter manager had already taken the food supplies the McGee clan brought with them, including the food for their Christmas dinner: large hams and aluminum pans of mashed sweet potatoes, green bean casseroles, several pies and platters of rolls, pastries and other baked goods, fresh fruit and several gallons of milk for the shelter guests.

They stayed for a while, the kids talking and playing together and the adults chatting with their parents and guardians. Santa and Mrs. Claus were very popular and had to answer a lot of questions about where they lived and if the elves lived with them.

Tim was concerned when it appeared that Cailey's older sister was far too young to be her legal guardian; she looked like she was a year or two older than Andy. But the shelter manager told him the older girl was 15 and an emancipated minor, as such she was allowed to be her sister's guardian. Still, Lina approached the girl, Tanya, and gave her their contact information. "I know you're emancipated and that's wonderful, but if you ever need an older person to talk to or need help, please give us a call. We're certified foster parents; my husband," she pointed to Tim, "and his sister and brothers grew up in a shelter and homeless camp; he knows how difficult things can be."

Tanya thanked her, saying, "We can't go to foster, I'd lose my emancipated status and they'd take Cailey away from me, we'd be separated and I'm afraid our mother would find her and take her. She's…awful."

Lina shook her head, "No you wouldn't be separated, Tanya. Our home is set up for siblings and there are others now too. I don't know about you losing your emancipated status, but if you'd like, we could look into that without revealing your name. I won't promise anything but at least we could ask."

That surprised the girl and she looked at the paper Lina had given her. "Thanks, I'll think about it."

Lina patted her hand. "Even if you just want to come for a home cooked meal or need to talk, sweetie, there are no strings attached."

By midafternoon they were back home again. They had a bite to eat and then relaxed in the family room. Tea, Hallie and Adan, Eva, Caleb, Athos and Alitta arrived around 3:00 and Nick and Janeese, sans their Santa & Mrs. Claus outfits, arrived shortly after. They had a wonderful afternoon and evening, caroling around the neighborhood, playing games, opening more gifts and eating until they needed another walk!

XXX

Two days after Christmas, the Kalivas' left for Greece, leaving their very sad family and housemates behind. They'd join them in Greece that summer and return home with them then. With Damian and Matt's move and her grandparents' departure, Alexis was homesick and spent a couple of weeks with her aunt, uncle and cousins, commuting to school. Eventually she decided she missed seeing Cole whenever she wanted and moved back to her dorm room, but it was fun to have her with them and distracted them from missing Yaya and Pappouli quite so much.

Tony and Maggie called New Year's Day. They'd returned from their Christmas on Long Island with his father during the week but had gone straight back to work. Tim smiled as he saw who was calling, "Hey Bro, Maggie, Happy New Year!"

Then he frowned as he saw Tony's face. "You all right?"

"Yes, but no. There's no immediate problem but…"

Tim remembered their concerns about Senior's health. "Is it Senior?"

Maggie nodded while Tony replied, "Yeah, he's not doing too well. He had pneumonia right after Thanksgiving and was in the hospital for a week and he's still…fragile I guess is the best word."

"Aw, Tony, I'm sorry to hear that."

"We're trying to convince them to head to Florida for the winter, I'm afraid the cold up there will be too much for him. But you know, he's stubborn, has to do things his way. Any other time he'd be on the first flight out, but I suggested it so…no."

Tim shook his head, "Wow."

"Yeah. Hey on the flip side, we had dinner with Ziva and Mr. Brian Metzger!"

"And…?"

Maggie smiled, "I like him. He's down to earth and just kind of a regular guy." She laughed, "He asked me a lot of questions about Dad and Grandfa, I think he's nervous about meeting them."

Tim chuckled, "Well, wouldn't you be? But he's got time to figure it out, as far as I know that's not happening until April."

"Right. So how was your Christmas?" Tim told them about the bikes and Nick dressing up as Santa for the shelter.

"Wow that's great you were able to get enough donations!"

"I know, the town really came through." Maggie excused herself when Emma called for her.

"And you…have you been all right?"

Tim smiled at his brother, "Yes, Big Bro, I'm fine. I've had a few more memories pop back in but nothing as…powerful as I did over Thanksgiving. I have talked with Dr. Cranston about it though."

"You talked with Dr. Kate's sister…from California?"

"Yeah, I called to see if she could recommend someone out here and we ended up talking; she decided we could do it via Skype." They talked for a while longer and Lina popped in to say hello before they disconnected. The McGees, the Gibbses and Penny spoke with all the siblings that day, wishing each a happy new year, amazed that the year was now 2021!

XXX

As January progressed and when the weather cooperated, the McGees spent weekends riding their bikes on the local bike paths, Zoe on her toddler seat on her dad or mom's bike. They'd talked about getting her a toddler bike like Cailey at the shelter got for Christmas, but put off the purchase for now.

Some of the paths ran along the coast and those were the most fun. When they realized that they couldn't fit the bikes and the kids in the van, they found a used trailer, like the one Santa had used, to haul the bikes in. When Jethro, Rhea and Penny realized how much fun the family was having, they bought bikes for themselves and a bike rack for the Escape. They frequently joined their kids and had a great time. Penny loved her bike, she had a basket and she and Rhea painted her bike in psychedelic colors, calling it her 'tie-dye' bike. Lina told Tim she was happy they'd found a new hobby. "I worried about the kids not having an ocean beach nearby when we move. Now we can find bike paths in Virginia, DC and Maryland."

He nodded, "And those will be along plenty of waterways. Might not be ocean but there are many rivers, lakes and streams. Maybe we can learn to canoe or kayak too." He chuckled, "We could do that here, now! And then we'll be all set for river waters when we get back there." He paused, "You know, we could all take snorkeling lessons; that would be fun for our vacations. Or sailing lessons, I'd love the kids to know how and not just 'ride along'."

Lina grinned, "All right, let's do that! Sailing lessons first, that'll take longer, and then snorkeling, although I'm not sure anyone needs lessons for that!" That sounded like a challenge to Tim and within a couple of weeks, he and the 5 older kids were taking sailing lessons. Zoe was too young but since Lina was not taking the lessons, she had been sailing most of her life, mother and daughter did something special during each lesson. There were 4 sessions and the family was divided by age groups – the 2 older kids were in one class, while Gemma, Sean and Jorry were in another class and Tim was in an adult class. Anna and Andy had already had a day of sailing lessons in Greece from Uncles Dave and Jim but were happy to learn more. They all had a wonderful time and Tim still reveled in being able to be on the water without being sick. At the end of the classes, they each took a test and passed with flying…sails.

While they were biking and sailing, the Mallards returned and were thrilled to find the family involved in their new hobbies. February brought Anna and Andy's birthdays. Anna still wanted an ice skating party and had convinced her friends to learn. By her birthday, Anna was doing some pretty fancy maneuvers on the ice and learned more during her party, having a wonderful time.

Andy also wanted to do something different and asked if they could find a baseball game to go to. The San Diego Padres' spring training was in Arizona, so that ruled them out. Tim was surprised to find there were no minor league teams in San Diego County, the closest ones were north and east of Los Angeles, minimum drive time two hours each way. Finally he found that UCSD had a flourishing team, the San Diego Toreros, with games scheduled through May. In fact there was a game scheduled the weekend after Andy's birthday, against the Washington State University Cougars. Andy was glad to hear there was a local team they could see and asked if he could ask three friends. As individual game tickets were only $5 apiece for Andy's age group and $10 for adults, his parents agreed and Tim bought 8 tickets, four for the kids, and one for his dad, one for Matt who loved baseball, one for Penny who also loved baseball and one for him. Lina and Rhea begged off and Grandfa and Gram had made a date for that Saturday with an old friend who was visiting the area. Before they went to the game, Andy, his dad and friends studied the team and their stats. That was fun and Tim thought if they enjoyed the game, maybe the whole family would want to go to one.

The 8 of them had a great time at the game, yelling for their new favorite players and talking stats. It was a close game, tied at 3 runs through several innings which made it more fun, but then the Toreros' center fielder slammed one out of Fowler Park with the bases loaded in the 8th inning, bringing in four runs and the Cougars couldn't get past that. The group had pizza after, celebrating the win, and Andy said it was the 'best birthday' ever.

February rolled right into March, which meant Gemma's birthday late in the month followed by the commemoration of the lives of the girls' first family, the boys' Grandma Hope and the celebration of their adoptions.

This year Gemma's birthday outing was to play miniature golf. The course was very creative and perfect for Gemma and her friends. Tim, Lina and Eva had taken all the kids a few weekends before when Caleb was tied up at the museum and Athos had fallen in love with the game. At Gemma's party he played with such a fierce concentration that Tim teased Eva that maybe they should sign him up for golf lessons. She laughed and then looked thoughtful. For most of her life, golf had been viewed in her native country as a rich man's game but when the Greek economy started floundering, the government sought to bolster it by growing the tourist industry. They found they could bring more tourists in if they had golf courses to offer and so the viewpoint gradually changed. Now there were several courses around the country and the island of Crete boasted a golf academy.

After Gemma's birthday came the commemoration and the adoption celebrations. As they'd passed their sailing classes quite recently, they decided on a family sail and the Gibbses, Penny, the Mallards and the Uncles came along. They rented a 40 footer and spent a wonderful day on the bay and ocean. Each of the sailors had a turn at the wheel and even Zoe got into the act, standing on a chair and helping her Poppy steer the boat. They took their lunch with them, dropping anchor in a small cove so they could eat and have a swim.

They'd told Besiana and Jak what they were doing and Besiana said she didn't think their first family had ever seen the ocean; Andy thought Grandma Hope would have loved it, as long as she trusted that everyone knew what they were doing. It was a wonderfully carefree family day and although the activity would have been foreign to the rest of the Tsimagoj family and possibly Grandma Hope, the McGees thought they would have liked the family aspect of the day.


	245. Chapter 245

CH 245

A week after the family sail the group flew to Virginia for Easter. They'd talked about spending the holiday at Geordie and Bec's place in Savannah, but Bec's team was on call Easter weekend. They'd still manage a visit though; Tim and Lina felt bad they'd never had a chance to visit Geo and Bec in Charleston so when the couple offered an open invitation to visit them in Savannah they decided to take advantage of already being on the East Coast. They'd spend Friday through Thursday in Virginia and then fly to Savannah to spend the weekend with Geo and Bec, returning home on Monday. The kids would miss a day of school but had assignments from their teachers. It meant missing the Orthodox Easter with their family and friends at home, but the pull to see Geo and Bec in their new home was stronger.

The Gibbses would stay behind in Virginia for a couple of weeks to help Rob and Ned at the Arlington house. Discovering they had a knack for renovating, the men had already finished the kitchen and were about to take on the bathrooms, glad Dad and Rhea were coming to help. Ned had also enlisted Liz and her green thumb to help with the backyard; she'd already helped them with the front. They wanted to enlarge the current deck, build a raised bed or two for growing veggies, figure out which low maintenance perennials would work, leave room for a play area for future fosters and plant more shade trees. And they didn't want to compromise the large trees already there; both had been planted by Gibbs' first wife and daughter as seedlings and there was no way they'd take them out.

The McGees, Mallards, Penny and the Gibbses laughed at their reactions to flying commercial; they were so spoiled by the charter and private jets they'd been traveling on! They took a redeye to DC Thursday night and that helped as the kids slept most of the way. Uncles Dave and Jim picked them up at the airport in the Hubbard and Powell vehicles.

Tim and Lina were excited about this visit as they were going to stay in their house, the one that Damian designed for them on the family property. They'd told the kids but didn't think they really understood. Dad and Rhea would stay in their suite at the main house along with Penny, of course and the Mallards would return to their home in Georgetown.

After dropping the Mallards off at their home, the vans pulled onto the property and Tim looked at their place. It was closer to the main house than he remembered but then last time they were here the property was covered in snow and the house was really just a skeleton…like a giant tinker toy, the boys had called it. Penny and the Gibbses were in the Powells' van with Uncle Dave and they stopped at the main house while Uncle Jim drove to the McGees' temporary – and future - quarters.

Lina smiled as she saw that their nearest neighbors were the Powells; that would be lovely! She liked what they'd done with their front porch, there were chairs, a small table and a glider and…what looked like a large dead plant. Except for that it looked very welcoming. When Lina pointed to the porch, Tim laughed at the plant. "That's my sis! But the house looks great, very homey!"

The driveway split in two and Jim veered to the left toward the McGees' house. "Here you go, welcome to your home for the week! I think we have everything you need; Sarah and Claire stocked some groceries for you. Come on, I'll give you a hand."

Lina and Tim smiled as they led the kids into the house. Andy loved all the wood while Anna went to look out the windows. "Look, I can see Penny on the back porch, she's waving to us!"

Gemma was looking at the furniture, "Is this all we're gonna have?"

Tim smiled at his daughter, "That's on loan to us this week, Gemma, wasn't that nice of everyone to loan us a couch and chairs and a TV? And the tables…" Tim chuckled as he realized that their dining table was Claire's portable craft table pushed up against Grandfa's card table. There were chairs and a bench to sit on.

They'd rented beds for the week and everything else had been loaned by the various families: a well-loved couch, tables, bench and chairs, an old recliner and big pillows the kids could sit on. The family had also cobbled together a working kitchen: a portable two burner cook top just like the one Tim had used in Piraeus when he was living at the office, a large toaster oven, a coffeemaker, cups and mugs, two saucepans and a large skillet, a microwave, various cooking implements, stacks of disposable plates, bowls, napkins and cutlery. The construction crew had brought in an old refrigerator for their use and left it when they finished with the house. The power was on and they could feel that the furnace had been on; they were set for the week. Tim and Uncle Jim got the luggage upstairs, with help from Lina and the older kids but left it in the hallway as the master was the only clearly defined bedroom. Sarah and Claire had had the delivery people put 3 single beds to a room, figuring the kids would be more comfortable sharing in a strange house. They thanked Jim who handed them the keys to the house and took off, saying he'd see them later in the day.

The kids quickly picked the 'boys' room and the 'girls' room and they helped move the luggage into the appropriate rooms. There weren't any dressers but there were plenty of hangers in the closets and the kids got busy while Tim and Lina found the master bedroom. It was as large as their Preston room, complete with an attached bathroom. They smiled when they saw the towels hanging neatly and then realized their beds were made up too. Once again, their family had outdone themselves in their thoughtfulness.

Tim and Lina hung up their clothes and then went exploring. This floor, the second floor, had 6 bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus the master suite. When they'd worked on the design, Lina teased that when Andy, Anna and Gemma were teens, they'd commandeer two of the bathrooms and the younger boys and Zoe would use the other one. Tim's office was also up here, they took a peek but it was just a bare room although it was larger than his Preston office. They followed the stairs up one more level and found the attic. The walls were finished and the room was plumbed and wired although they weren't sure yet what they'd do with it. They thought it would make a great winter playroom or eventually bedrooms for their two eldest or they might take it themselves for a huge master suite. Lina had briefly considered having her home studio up there as the light was wonderful, but in the end decided she didn't want to haul easels and canvas up and down the stairs.

The kids were wandering around downstairs and they joined them, admiring Lina's studio off to the side of the house where there was more natural light, fewer trees and no neighbors; Rob and Geo's parcels were on the other side of the main house.

Apart from the foyer, living room, kitchen, a large area for a family table and Lina's studio, the downstairs also had a half bath, a large family room, 2 guest bedrooms with a Jack and Jill full bathroom, a large pantry and formal dining room. The door from the kitchen to the side yard was the one they'd use to go back and forth to the Powells'. There was a sliding patio door off the family room that led to the back of the property. The plans called for a large deck or patio with some landscaping and a garden on the sides and back but that would all be done in the future.

When they'd worked with Damian on the design, they realized they'd likely do some formal entertaining here so the dining room was large enough to comfortably seat a crowd (Damian pointed out they needed room for 50+ for the family anyway); however there were also pocket doors discreetly tucked away to make the room more intimate.

The kitchen was designed with a large island, room for an industrial sized oven and refrigerator with an area for a table large enough for the immediate family; the living room was designed to host cocktail parties or a crowd of kids. As far as the immediate family was concerned, they'd likely spend their time in the family room with its fireplace and large windows.

The children loved the house although they were confused as to who would live there. Andy started to ask and then looked at his dad and reframed his question, "Is this going to be our house someday?"

His father nodded, "Yes. It's actually our house now; your Uncle Damian designed it for us. We'll probably be transferred to DC in the next few years and we'll live here."

"And we can swim year round still because of the indoor pool, even when it snows. And Poppy and Nonnie will live at Penny's and Yaya and Pappouli…?"

"They'll also live at Penny's; one of the suites was built for them. The fourth one is for Granddad and Grandmum right now and then if Grandfa and Gram want to move over, the Powells will stay with Aunt Sarah and Uncle James when they're visiting. Or…I think there's room to add another suite."

"Wow, you guys thought this all out!"

They nodded and the kids chattered excitedly. Anna was looking out at the trees. "We can explore out there, can't we Daddy, Mama? Is there a creek?"

They smiled, nodding again and the kids' eyes widened more. "Can we ride bikes on the driveway?"

"Yes and there are many bike paths and hiking trails around, so we'll have lots of exploring to do."

Andy's eyes shone, "Can we have a fire pit like we do in Greece?"

Tim and Lina looked at each other and shrugged, "Sure, why not! But remember there are other people living on the property. Penny, the Grands and the Powells, plus the foster children when we open the Home. So we might have a big fire pit that everyone can sit around."

The kids just grinned; this was getting better by the minute! Lina watched them, thinking aloud, "While we're here this week, why don't you each make a list of what you'd like to have on the property, remember it should be usable and fun for everyone, not just us McGees, and we'll give it to Aunt Sarah."

"Is she the boss here?"

Tim nodded, "Yes Gemma. She, Uncle Damian and another architect planned the changes to Penny's house and then Sarah made sure it happened. She's also been working with Social Services to get us licensed so we can start bringing kids in."

"Wow, she is the boss!"

"She's done a lot of work and done it very well. All of us have been helping where we can. Uncle Jim and Aunt Claire have been a big help to her as have Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz, Uncles Rob and Ned, Uncle Tony and Aunt Maggie. And of course Uncle James, Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Breena, Ethan, Ainsley and Callum."

Gemma smiled, "That's almost everyone Daddy!"

"It sure is Gemmalove!"

"Who's gonna live in the house with the kids?"

"There will be staff for overnight so family members can stay in their own homes, but the family will be in and out during the day, especially on the weekends which are really tough for kids with no parents. Aunt Sarah, Uncle James and the cousins will rotate with Uncle Tony, Aunt Maggie, Emma and the Colonel…huh." He turned to Lina but she just shrugged, "I don't know where he'd stay. I suppose he could use one of our downstairs bedrooms. For that matter, they can all stay here if they'd like, it might be easier for them the weeks they're on rotation."

Tim nodded, "Yeah that would be good!" He continued, "Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Breena will rotate in as well as Uncle Rob and Uncle Ned and then when we move back here, we'll rotate in too. I think Uncle Geo and Aunt Bec will spend some time here every year but I don't know whether they'll live here."

"Ok…what about Uncle Daim and Uncle Matt?"

"They'll come visit us and we'll go visit them."

"But they won't live here?"

"No, they're not planning to."

They walked around the yard and then over to the main house. Most of the downstairs renovation of Penny's house was finished, including the kitchen; it had been reconstructed to handle the number of children the McGee Family Home would be licensed for plus the staff. They'd changed the name some time ago, realizing that 'Sibling' was too limiting. They wanted the kids living there to be part of a family and along with the future foster children, it was also the McGee clan's family home.

As they entered, they found Penny was taking a nap but the Gibbses were awake and making a second breakfast; Tim couldn't help noticing the stack of plates and the cartons of eggs and brick of cheese. "Expecting company?"

His dad gave him a look with a half-smile, "Uh yeah!" They laughed and Tim grabbed the bread to make more toast.

The group sat down and attacked their breakfast as if they hadn't eaten in three days. Lina grabbed the platter of scrambled eggs and Rhea the toast and they put together a plate for Penny but otherwise there wasn't a crumb left. Poppy patted his stomach saying, "Traveling always makes me hungry!"

The kids nodded in agreement and then started telling their grandparents about their new house. Dad smiled at Tim and reaching over gently squeezed the back of his neck, glad to hear he was finally willing to talk more about his future. After the kitchen was cleaned and a note left for Penny, they looked around the house to see the changes and then the Gibbses walked back to their house with them. They'd both seen the plans and were impressed with the results. Poppy had met the contractor two years ago, right before the project got started and now he nodded to himself, Sarah's instincts had been spot on with the man's skills and attention to detail.

From the McGees' house they continued walking, exploring the woods and finally hearing the creek. As they approached the water, with Zoe, Jorry and Sean held firmly by adult hands, Tim smiled happily as memories flooded into his consciousness. His dad walked beside him, "More memories? Will you tell us son?"

Tim nodded and smiled at his kids who were waiting, half curious and half impatient to get to the water. "I was thinking what a wonderful place this is; I'm looking forward to living here, exploring with the kids, wading, having barbeques, riding bikes, hikes, having a second childhood I guess. I remember running through the woods with Patrick, shouting about being the first one to put my feet in the water. We were laughing, it was summer vacation and we were here. I was 6, Pat was 5 and I don't think Sarah was born yet. Penny and Grandpa Nelson were in San Diego and brought us home with them - and we got to stay the whole summer!" He looked at his boys, "Do you remember the room you boys stayed in when we were here for Christmas?" The three nodded and he continued, "That's the room Pat and I stayed in whenever we were here. And that summer was the best summer ever! Unca Jim was home and he took us swimming in the river, hiking and camping and Uncle Mark was around for awhile too, he took us to see "Star Wars, the Return of the Jedi", that was so cool! And then Unca Jim took us to see "War Games" and we weren't even old enough! Awesome - that was just so much fun!" He laughed, "My dad was here for a leave and found out about the movie and we were afraid Unca was gonna get in trouble but he didn't."

Jorry scrunched up his face, "How come you call Unca Jim "Unca" and Uncle Mark "Uncle"?"

Tim thought about that, "I don't know that, Jorry, let's ask Unca Jim when we see him."

"Ok Dad!" Tim turned and smiled at his wife and parents. "Good memories!"

Lina noted that, "They've all been good memories."

"Yeah and they always come at me when I'm happy and relaxed."

Rhea looked at him, "So what does Dr. Cranston say about that or is that too personal?"

Tim shook his head, "No, not at all Rhea. She thinks it's that I'm at a really good space in my life and my subconscious is allowing me to have my old life back, the good parts anyway."

"And the not so good?"

"Don't know if those will ever come back and I know what happened so I'm fine not regaining those memories."

"Dadddd, pleaseee!"

Tim chuckled, "All right Sean…come on guys, let's get to the creek, I know where the path is now. But before we go, remember the rules!" Each of them nodded practically dancing in their excitement. "Ok, now that we're here, the path should be just about….here!"

Tim gave a triumphant yelp when he found the path which was hidden by bushes and tree branches. "Ok, let me go first and Dad, if you'll come with me, then we can use Rule 9 to get the worst of the brush out of the way."

When they got to the creek, the current was moving too swiftly for any of them to go in and Tim and Poppy held each child over the water so they could at least get their toes wet. They offered to do the same for Lina and Rhea but they laughingly declined.

After they had their shoes back on, Lina turned to the children, "No one comes down here without an adult who is at least Ainsley's age – and each one of you has to have an adult." They nodded.

When they got back to the house they saw Sarah's car in the Powells' driveway and yelled, "Hello neighbor!"

Sarah peeked out their front door, "Hey, welcome! We'll be out as soon as I change Fi."

She and Fiona joined them a few minutes later, Fiona in her stroller so her mom could hug and kiss the family. She invited them in for a drink and then Fiona got to show off the things she'd learned since they'd seen her in person in November. She ran everywhere and Zoe had fun catching her, usually she was the one running so that was fun; she liked having someone younger than her around! After that, Fiona helped her mom show off their house, especially her room which featured a classic Winnie the Pooh theme.

Sarah apologized for not being home when they arrived. "Sorry, I had an early doctor's appointment and I didn't want to change it." She was trying not to grin. Rhea's eyebrows flew up, "Anything you want to share?"

"Mmm, no, not right now. Everyone's coming for dinner tonight so maybe then." She looked at Tim, "Did James call you?"

He nodded, "Yeah, last night before we left."

"Good."

That was all she'd say and then Penny joined them and that was the end of that strange little exchange. The kids were still restless and they decided to go for a swim before lunch. They changed into their swimsuits, grabbed towels and ran to the outside door of the pool house. Sarah punched in the code saying, "We need to figure out a way to get from our houses to here during the winter. The breezeway is great from the big house but doesn't do us much good."

Tim nodded, "Yeah, guess we didn't think of that. And we can't very well build a breezeway across the property!"

Poppy looked up, "Maybe a bridge?"

Tim thought about it, "Cost a fortune to have it engineered."

"Yeah, that's true."

Rhea looked around, "Could it be something like your dome, only a tunnel? You know, you could put it out when winter starts and take it down once the snow stops in the spring?"

Sarah snorted, "Or June, whichever comes first."

Tim grinned at them, "Maybe, we'd have to figure out how to keep it from being buried in the snow. Let's think about that."

They had fun in the pool. With all the kids except Fiona knowing how to swim in some fashion, Tim and Lina raced with them. With Zoe, Jorry and Sean, they raced back and forth across the width of the pool in the shallow end while Gemma, Anna and Andy raced the length of the pool and back.

When they were prune-y, tired and hungry, they got out, dried off and headed to the big house for lunch. After they ate, Sarah and Fiona walked down their common driveway with the McGees, splitting off to head to her house for Fiona's nap. Jet lag was catching up with the McGees and they ended up sleeping too.

Tim woke up late in the afternoon when his phone buzzed at him. When he answered it was Emma, "Unca Tim? Are you all still asleep? Aunt Sarah says to get up or you won't sleep tonight and we want to play with our cousins!"

Tim laughed and told her they'd be over in a few minutes. After waking Lina with a lingering kiss, he laughed as he scrambled off the bed. She called after him, "You'll regret teasing me, Timotheos! That's a promise!"

He woke the kids, Lina joined them and the family walked over to the Powells. Andy grinned, "This is cool, having them so close!" While the kids hung out together, their parents and grandparents did the same, just talking and catching up. James called to say he was on his way home and that Maggie and Tony were right behind him and that was their cue to head to the big house to get dinner together.

Tim knew one thing that would be shared tonight and he hoped he was right about a second one and had his fingers crossed for a third. The group was having a simple dinner, spaghetti and meatballs with salad and garlic bread; James, the DiNozzos and the Palmers arrived as Tim and Lina were adding the meatballs to the sauce. Rob and Ned, the Hubbards, the Mallards and Cranes arrived shortly thereafter. The group took their time, having a leisurely Friday night dinner. However Tim could see that Tony was nearly vibrating. Finally when everyone had more or less finished, Tim opened his mouth to ask but his dad beat him to it. "All right, spill!"

Sarah, James, Tony and Maggie laughed as Tony got his news in first. "I've been promoted to Team Lead on the center spot MCRT aboard the Yard!"

Tim smiled so wide his face hurt. "Way to go Bro, I'm so proud of you, so happy for you!"

His dad wrapped his arms around Tony, a little choked up. "So proud of you, Anthony!"

Tony leaned into him and the others smiled, glad to see him accepting Poppy's pride in him. That hadn't always been easy for Tony. Everyone was happy for him and proud of him, knowing how hard he'd worked to get there. For Tim, Maggie, their dad, Grandfa, Jimmy, Ned and later Ziva it translated to Tony taking Gibbs' former spot. Yes, Wilson was the only one on the current MCRT who'd worked for Gibbs, but that and the location were enough.

Following that announcement they had dessert – fresh berries and ice cream and then Sarah and James looked at each other, grinning, "We have news to share too. We're pregnant, we've completed our first trimester and it's a boy!"

There was more outcry and Lina and Tim were glad they'd had a hint earlier. "When are you due?"

Sarah grinned at Dad, "On Dad's birthday!"

"Yay!"

Rob frowned, "Sarah, are you going to Greece? You'll be 7 months pregnant!"

She nodded, "You and Grandfa will be along, right and Jimmy, you too?"

He nodded and looked like he was going to say something but just gave Grandfa a look.

"The doctor says I can go; it's a charter with all three of you and Claire."

Grandfa cleared his throat, "Even with Fiona's abrupt and early arrival?"

Sarah blushed, "Well, it turns out I was copying Lina, I was in labor longer than I thought and Fi has never really presented as premature. We think now I was pregnant before I thought I was."

Breena smiled, "Happened to a friend of mine that way."

Grandfa looked at Rob and Jimmy for their agreement and they nodded their assent; "All right but we'll have every possible emergency item we can think of aboard. We'll have oxygen anyway and we'll bring a small mask and some sort of incubator."

"But I had Fi at what we thought was 8 months, not 7."

"Yes but you will be 7 and a half months pregnant on our return." Grandfa patted her hand, "We will be thoroughly prepared."

Lina smiled at Jethro, "That's wonderful that you'll share your birthday with your newest grandchild!"

Tim relaxed, to him that meant the baby wouldn't arrive until his due date. Then remembering what else might be forthcoming he looked at James who smiled and nodded at him. "We have one more thing to report and Tim knows because we spoke about it. I've had a job offer outside of NCIS, in DC, but for a full management position at a tech company, triple my government paycheck with room to grow. Sarah and I discussed it and as I said Tim and I talked. Today I accepted it. I'll give notice on Monday and start the new position at the end of the month."

"Wow, what company?"

"Oh, sorry!" James named a well known tech company and the group congratulated him. "Wonderful!"

"It's a difficult decision to leave the agency but as you know, as manager of IT, I've gone as far as I can go unless I transfer to Cybercrimes and that's not for me."

Rob laughed, "Hey, you'll be a civilian, a non-Fed, good to have another one in the family! Way to go Bro!"

Ned looked at him and they grinned at each other before turning back to the others, "We have something to share too. We're getting our first fosters on Monday! Two little girls, sisters, the youngest is 4, her name is Sasha and her older sister, who's 7, is Melody."

They all cheered and the kids who'd been fosters gave both men hugs. "Thank you!"

Poppy and Nonnie beamed, "Can't wait to meet them!" Tim and Lina nodded, "And we'll get to meet them right away too!"

"Yeah, when are you leaving for Geo and Bec's?"

"Friday morning."

"Great, we'll figure it out then."

Gemma was beaming, "Melody is my age and Sasha is Zoe's!"

Zoe looked at her, "I'm three."

"But you're almost four."

Zoe agreed, grinning as she practiced saying 'Sasha' and 'Melody'.

That was all the family news, other than to say that Ainsley would be home tomorrow. They confirmed that Poppy and Grandfa were picking Ziva and Brian up from the airport in the morning and bringing them to Penny's. Sarah looked at the two men, "He'd better still be alive when you get here!"

Rhea chuckled, "Not to worry, I'm going with them."

Tony shook his head at them, "We met him at Christmas, had dinner with them. He's a nice guy; he'll treat her right and fit in well."

His father pursed his lips and then smiled when Rhea put a hand on his arm. "All right sweetheart, I'll be good!"


	246. Chapter 246

CH 246

With the time difference/jet lag, the McGees were still asleep the next morning when Ziva and Brian were due to arrive. Tim finally woke around 10 and found the kids also starting to stir. He let Lina sleep while he started breakfast and sure enough the smell of their favorite pancakes and eggs brought his brood downstairs. After the kids set the table, Anna and Jorry went back upstairs to wake their mother. The family had just finished eating and were clearing off the tables when there was a knock on the front door. Lina gave Tim a wide eyed look and took off upstairs with the girls while Tim and the boys shrugged. It was Ziva and Brian of course and Ziva felt badly when she realized her brother and family were dealing with jet lag. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right Zi, we're awake; we just finished breakfast!" He kissed and hugged her and then held his hand out to the red headed, blue eyed slightly freckled guy standing next to his sister. "I'm Tim and I sure hope you're Brian!"

The man chuckled, "I am and it's good to finally meet you."

"Come on in, my wife and daughters are upstairs getting dressed but the boys and I are here!" Ziva greeted the boys and then introduced them to Brian. He was friendly but not effusive, just the right touch for them. Tim smiled, "You have brothers, Brian?"

"Two brothers, three nephews."

Tim laughed, "Oh you fit right in then. My family is balanced, we have three girls and three boys but until our sister Sarah had baby Fiona last year, I'm told the family as a whole was unbalanced."

Ziva huffed, "And Sarah and James are upsetting that balance again!"

Tim nodded, "Well yes, but did you hear Rob and Ned's news?"

Ziva shook her head and Tim told her. She smiled, "More girl power, yes!"

Tim showed them around the first floor of the house, not even trying to explain why they had loaner furniture and obviously didn't live there. On their way through the kitchen, they stopped for coffee and then Zoe appeared. She grinned at Aunt Ziva, gave her a big hug and kiss and then looked at Brian and said very plainly, "Good, you're here. Aunt Sarah told Poppy not to kill you."

Tim closed his eyes and then shook his head, smiling, "Anndd…this is our youngest, Zoe. Apparently we forgot the cardinal rule last night; never say anything you don't want repeated in front of young children!"

Behind him he heard the boys giggling. Lina, Gemma and Anna came back down and were introduced. When Lina was introduced as Melina Kalivas, Brian's eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed. Tim laughed, "Yes, she is that Melina Kalivas."

Lina rolled her eyes at him while Brian looked at Ziva, "You never mentioned that!"

"She is my sister first and I didn't want you to get hung up on my being related to a famous artist."

Tim shook his head, "Ziva, you're really talking like an American now!"

She grinned, "Thank you!"

They were shown the rest of the house, with apologies for the unmade beds and Brian looked around. "I know you live in California, this house looks new. Are you moving here or is this someone else's house?"

Tim grinned, "No, it's ours and yes it's new, we've never stayed in it before and the furniture is rented, on loan or donated. And yes, we live in California. We'll probably live here someday as I've been told to expect a transfer back here."

"Oh, I see…sort of."

Tim laughed, "Have you heard about what we're doing with the main house, the McGee Family Home?"

"Yes."

"When we first started planning it, back when Sarah, Rob, Geordie and I were kids on the street, we envisioned us living in a big house with the foster kids. But by the time we had the resources to get it started, Lina and I were married and Sarah and James were engaged. We figured out pretty quickly that if we all lived in the house together there would be no room for the foster kids! So the contractor who's doing the renovation work on the main house built these two houses for us."

"Oh, now it makes sense. And the other brothers?"

"Brother Geordie is married to Bec, a NCIS agent, who's posted in Georgia; they won't be back up here anytime soon. Brother Rob and his partner Ned work in DC, Ned's also a NCIS agent, but they're renovating our dad's old house in Arlington and I have no idea if they have plans to live on site, although both brothers have lots here. Rob will work here; he'll be one of our doctors, that's been his dream since we were kids. Brother Tony has never mentioned living here although he and Maggie have been working with Sarah. And our brother Jimmy and his wife Breena have also never mentioned living here but they've had foster kids and will work here too. Jimmy, Rob, our grandfather and a couple of other doctors already run a weekend free clinic near a shelter and transient camp in Baltimore."

"And your doctor brother uh…Rob…is getting fosters next week?"

"Yeah, that's great, isn't it? Same age as Gemma and Zoe; they're pretty excited."

Brian chuckled, "When Ziva and I started dating and I asked about her family, she handed me two books and said to read them, that everything in the family was pretty much based on what happened in them."

Tim nodded and looking at Ziva, said, "That's true! And my sister, speaking of books…"

"Yes, today or tomorrow?"

"Before dinner tonight, at 5:00 at Penny's – we don't have enough chairs here; then we can see what we need to do next."

"Great!"

There was a knock on the side door and with a nod from Lina, Andy opened it. Evan, Audrey and Adam were there. "Mom sent us over to see if you're up. Do you want to go for a walk with us?" Evan looked over and smiled, "Hi Aunt Ziva, I didn't know you were here already!"

"Come on in kids."

They greeted their aunt and were introduced to Brian. Tim's phone buzzed with a call from Tony. "Hey Emma wants to know if she can come over and play with your kids – and Audrey of course."

"Sure, bring her over; I'll let the kids know. Audrey and the boys are here too right now. Ziva and Brian are here."

"Great, uh, did you say anything?"

"Nope, that's all you Bro!"

"Thanks man!"

Brian thought his family was somewhat chaotic but this was just too much fun to watch. Six kids, three cousins, another cousin arriving to play and all the brothers, well almost all the brothers would be there later. They were still chatting when there was another knock on the side door, Sarah. "Hey, I sure hope my kids are here!"

Evan blanched, "Oh sorry Mom, we were meeting Mr. Metzger."

"That's fine; call or text me next time if you're not coming right back." She came in and met Brian. "I'm glad to see our father didn't eat you alive on the way from the airport!"

He laughed, "He and your grandfather did a good job of grilling me, but your stepmother…is that right? Rhea?" They nodded. "Anyway, she was clearly protecting me. If they went too deep on a topic, she'd clear her throat and they'd stop."

Sarah, Tim and Lina grinned at him. "You got off easy!"

Lina added, "Rhea's only a few years older than Tim and very close to Tony in age so we don't often refer to her as their stepmother. And she's one of my best friends; I'm the one who introduced her to Jethro."

"Ok, got it. And is really ok to call him Jethro?"

Lina nodded and Sarah added, "James, that's my husband, does – and Maggie, Ned and Bec. He's Poppy to our kids, Dad to us and Jethro to his kids-in-law."

Tim snorted, "Trust me, if he didn't want you to call him Jethro he wouldn't have mentioned it."

"And your grandfather?"

"He said to call him Ducky, right?"

"Yes."

Lina shrugged, "I rarely call him that. I call him Grandfa and occasionally Donald."

Ziva's eyes grew big and she looked at Tim, "Before I met Grammie, I never heard anyone call him Donald."

"Penny does as do Lina's parents, Jim, Claire, the Cranes and sometimes Jimmy and Breena."

"Yes, but only Jimmy worked at NCIS with us!" Tim conceded the point and then changed the subject before Brian ran screaming from their complex family.

The boys were now dressed but they were waiting for Emma to arrive before they went for their walk. Emma and her dad were soon there and they greeted the new arrivals, telling them, "Maggie got called in on a case; Wilson's been on vacation this week so she's working his desk and then next week we're off so he'll cover for her. She'll be here this afternoon though."

Ziva had been watching Tony's face and then looked at Tim, whose eyes were twinkling. "Tony, you have news."

He grinned, "Yeah, Zi, I got a promotion to Team Lead for the center spot at HQ!" Her smile was as happy and proud as Tim's was. "You're taking Gibbs' spot?"

He nodded and the three of them hugged, "Oh, this is so wonderful! I'm so happy and proud of you!"

"Thanks, me too!" They laughed at that and then Ziva said, "Poppy must be over the top proud!"

Tim nodded, "Oh yeah, he was nearly in tears last night when Tony told us."

Tony looked at his brother, "You knew; you knew before…you did the eyebrow."

Tim nodded, "When Leon consulted me about the other changes, I asked and he told but said he had to wait for the right spot, so then I knew it was our team, our old bullpen. When we were talking the other day he casually mentioned he'd be calling you, so I knew it was happening now."

Tony shook his head, "I heard Agent Bristol was moving on, but I thought maybe Ned or…" Bristol was the Team Lead brought in to replace Maggie after she and Wilson were shot.

Tim shook his head, "Nope, was always going to be yours, just like it was before." The conversation probably didn't make much sense to Lina, Sarah or Brian but the former teammates understood.

Emma tugged on her dad's arm, "Dad, can we go please?"

"Sure Emmagirl! Come on guys!"

Tim chuckled as he noticed that his brother was wearing high tops. "Play a little this morning?"

Tony grinned, "Oh yeah, every Saturday morning that I can make it."

Tim nodded, "That's good, there's a hoop here now; maybe we could play with the kids later? Be great to see you in action and would love my kids to know how to play." He paused, "It's not my game but I'm better at it than I am at football and I'd like them to know more than just what I can do." Tony readily agreed and they asked Brian if he played. He tilted his hand back and forth, "I'm more of a baseball guy but I'm not horrible at basketball." Tim grinned, glad to have another baseball fan around.

Fiona was napping but James was with her, so Sarah came along as they headed out for more exploring through the woods. They had a great tramp through the trees, the Powells and Emma showing them their favorite paths and secret hiding spots. There was a tree that Emma and Audrey liked to climb and pretend it was a house; they pointed out the various "rooms" and a clearing with a patch of grass where the kids liked to picnic. Evan and Adam pointed out their favorite climbing tree and Jorry and Sean's eyes gleamed while Andy looked at the height, there was a low branch that he might be able to get to without getting too scared but he hoped it wouldn't have to happen now. Tim cleared his throat, "Who taught you to climb?"

Adam grinned, "Dad and Grandad; we're only 'sposed to climb when one of them or Cal, Ains or Ethan is with us."

Brian said, "Looks like you kids need a tree house!" The Powells, Emma and nearly all of the McGee kids liked that but Ziva, Tim and Lina noticed Andy was not enthusiastic. Ziva decided not to ask or say anything and Lina shot her a small smile.

They continued their exploration for close to another hour, the Powells zig zagging through the woods to show them other favorite spots. Finally they turned back to get some lunch. Afterward, Tony, Tim, Brian and Poppy headed to the basketball 'court', a patch of pavement off the driveway where they played and then watched the kids play, giving them some pointers. Tim hadn't ever seen his dad play but he and Tony played well together and Tim enjoyed playing more than he ever had. He supposed it was because he was so relaxed, it was just for fun and possibly because Brian played at about the same level as he did.

Tim and Lina figured that Andy was going to be at least as tall as Tim and he was much better coordinated; Tony said later he showed promise, as did Adam, Jorry, Sean, Anna and Emma. Audrey's aim was off and Evan wasn't quite as well coordinated as Andy but they all had a good time and that's what mattered.

The afternoon went quickly and shortly before 5, Tim and his co-authors gathered at Penny's. Over the months since they'd worked together at Thanksgiving they'd hammered out another three chapters and they'd been sent the final drafts three weeks ago. They had a few easy changes which they all approved and then they looked at each other, they were so close! Grandfa pursed his lips, "Children, what do you say we get our outlines done for the last two chapters and plan to meet in Greece to finalize them? Timothy, do you think you'd have them done by then? That's only 3 months off."

Tim nodded, "Yes, sure I can have them done. Is everyone going?"

They all looked at Jimmy and Ziva. Jimmy held up his hands, "Yes, of course we're going!"

Ziva nodded, "As am I and Brian will come with me."

Her brothers cheered at that and she smiled happily. Jimmy cleared his throat before addressing Tim, "We figure this is the last trip to Greece before you move back here, so yeah, it'd be good to finish it on the beach."

Tim looked at them all, "Huh…?" He shook his head, laughing. "Ok, let's just go with finishing the book in Greece." Then he paused, unwilling to let it go. "Are you thinking I wouldn't be able to go _if_ we 'move back here'?" He used air quotes for the euphemistic phrase.

Tony shrugged, "Not sure you can go on vacation with any of us."

"Nope, that is not an issue. You're my family; we're not going to worry about that. And uh…a sitting Director's Assistant Director can't be related to him or her so that would not be a problem."

"Even someone who's not legally related?"

"Might be a little wiggle room there but not something I could see happening."

"Ok, so not Matt or Ned." Tim mutely shook his head and everyone but Dad and Grandfa exhaled sighs of relief. Dad rolled his eyes at Tim while Grandfa wisely changed the subject, "It's not just the last two chapters; we also need to do the epilogue. And have you all got your names ready and any information for the jacket?"

Tony grinned, "You did say our jacket info could be total fiction, right?"

Tim hooked an eyebrow with him, "Sure we'll just use a disclaimer; something like the information below may or may not be true. What did you have in mind?"

"Former NFL quarterback."

Tim huffed, "Nice. After today I was expecting former NBA center."

Jimmy grinned, "Ziva could say former assassin." Ziva gave him a look that years ago would have had him running for the elevator as she said in what Tony used to call her Mossad ninja voice, "Or it could just be assassin."

Jimmy grinned again as they all laughed. Tim said, "I want something cool then, maybe I'll say Dark Lord." He looked at his father and grandfather. "What about you two?"

Gibbs looked at them all, "I'll tell you when it's time."

Grandfa chuckled, "I haven't the foggiest!"

They were still kibitzing about the jacket information when Rhea knocked on the door, they were in the Kalivas' suite, to tell them Rob, Ned and Maggie had arrived.

They joined the rest of the family, welcoming the latecomers. Over dinner the kids and Rob's siblings teasingly quizzed the couple about their preparations for the foster children and what they'd do in certain situations. Ziva was happy about that as it kept everyone from further grilling Brian. He relaxed as he listened to and watched Ziva's family, they really were something!

After the kids were asleep that night, their parents put the Easter baskets together. As Ziva and Brian would be home while the others were in church, they volunteered to hide the Easter eggs. After James admitted he'd gone a little crazy hiding the eggs in the woods last year, they never did find them all, Penny was consulted and it was decided to hide them around the perimeter of the main house. Penny also brought out a huge basket that the kids could put the found eggs in.

Sunday morning most of the family attended church together, everyone dressed in their Easter best. The Palmers were with their Slater family and of course Geordie and Bec weren't there. The Powells and McGees, Penny and the Grands took up a couple of pews; then the Hubbards and Cranes arrived and then Gram and Grandfa came in with the DiNozzos and the Colonel, Rob and Ned and took the pew behind them. The kids' parents had agreed that each child should remain with his or her parents for the service and the children had been told ahead of time. They'd also been warned against whispering to each other or too much fidgeting. Overall the kids did very well; of course strategic placement of their elders certainly helped!

The egg hunt was a lot of fun and the older kids were careful to help their younger siblings and cousins with the hunt. After they'd gathered all the eggs, they had their holiday feast. It was easier to have their big meal midday, clean the kitchen and then play the rest of the afternoon.

After they finished, the group headed outside for a walk in the woods. Unca Jim, the Cranes, Mallards and Penny were updated with Tim's newest reclaimed memories and Jim laughed at Tim's memory of the 'forbidden' movie he'd taken them to. "I remember that! Your dad was not thrilled with me but you and Pat were so excited about having seen it that I guess he didn't have the heart to be mad."

Tim and Jim dropped back from the crowd a little and Tim asked why Jim had been "Unca" and Mark McGee had been "Uncle". His uncle shook his head, "I don't really know that there was a reason except that I was the youngest of both families, Mark was a couple of years older than me. And you were the one who called me "Unca" when you were learning how to talk. In fact, I think all of us - Mark, Dave and I were "Unca" then and again when Patrick and then Sarah were first talking, but it only stuck with me." He grinned, "Of course, I was also the family goofball, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and you and Pat were my little buddies. Mark – and the McGees in general – were a little more formal and focused. Mark was going to Annapolis and he just wasn't around you as much."

Tim nodded, it was difficult to picture Penny as formal but he knew from what he'd heard that she'd been different when her sons and her husband the Admiral were alive. He was glad he'd reclaimed a few memories of his McGee uncle and grandfather.

After the walk in the woods, the group headed for the pool house. The kids were all in the water in minutes while the adults followed a little more sedately. Tim, James, Brian, Jim and Tony played with the kids but did not try to swim. After nearly two hours, Grandfa told the kids to get out for a break; Sean looked confused, "Grandfa, there's no sun in here, why do we need a shade break?"

The adults chuckled as Grandfa replied, "You're right Sean, there's no sun shining in here but you still need a break and we grownups would appreciate some room to swim for a few minutes without dodging mermaids, jumpers, underwater tea parties, pirates, sharks and those of you walking on your hands!"

The kids got out, letting everyone know they were not happy; whining and complaining until their parents told them to knock it off and to get dried off, they were not going back in the pool.

While they dried off, the three sets of parents had a quick conversation, knowing they had to continue to present a united front. Once they agreed, the McGees gathered their brood and marched them back to their house, the Powell family on their heels. The DiNozzos were using the Kalivas' suite to change and leave their belongings, and they too headed off. The rest of them stayed behind to have their swim.

Once Tim, Lina and the kids had changed out of their swim suits, there was a McGee family meeting that was being echoed at the Powells' and in the K's suite. Tim pursed his lips, he was disappointed in his children and he had no qualms about letting them know. Lina felt the same way, possibly even stronger. Tim started things off, "You know your mother and I are usually very proud of you, each of you and we tell you when we are."

They nodded, most of them realizing they were in trouble. Tim continued, "It works both ways, when we're not happy with your behavior we let you know and I'm sorry to say this afternoon is one of those times." He'd thought to ask them why but didn't feel like playing guessing games right now.

Lina continued, "We're disappointed in you children, each of you! When did you become selfish whiny children? Using the pool is a privilege, one that can be removed at any time – either here or at home! You know your father, grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts and I like to swim. How is it that you children – all of you – thought you had the right to complain about sharing the pool with us?"

There was dead silence and then Andy ventured, "We've never had to get out before." The kids nodded.

Tim shook his head, "That's no excuse! Your great-grandfather told you why and it doesn't matter whether it was the first time or you'd heard it several times, there was no reason to whine and complain about it. Do you realize that your bratty behavior was directed to all of the adults there? Grandfa, Grammie, Penny, Poppy, Nonnie, Grandpa Barnes, Aunt Ziva and her friend, Uncle Jim, Aunt Claire, Ainsley and Callum, not to mention the DiNozzos, Powells, your mother and me. Each of you will apologize to each of them, got it? And you've lost pool privileges for the rest of today and tomorrow and if this happens again when you're with your cousins, we'll have to reconsider letting all of you play together."

Lina nodded, adding, "From now on, you will share the pool with the adults. This is how it'll work, kids swim for an hour then adults get a half hour to themselves in the pool. And if there's any more whining there will be more consequences."

Tim continued, "One more thing, adults may also be in the pool when you kids are, as Uncle James, Uncle Tony and I were today, playing with you. They probably won't try to swim but they have every right to be in the pool."

The kids were upset, mad and ashamed of themselves and didn't quite know how to fix this. Andy realized that as the oldest he should be the first and his parents wanted each of them to apologize. He sat up and squared his shoulders, "Mama, Dad, I'm sorry for acting the way we…I…did, it won't happen again." Tim and Lina looked at each other, trying not to smile and then said, "We accept your apology son." He sighed in relief and sat back as Anna and then the others each apologized. When they were done and each apology had been accepted by their parents, Andy and Anna asked permission to walk with their siblings over to the main house to apologize to the Grands, Greats, Aunts and Uncles. Tim nodded, "I'll walk over with you."

In the main house, Ziva and Brian, Rob and Ned had been briefed by Poppy as to what was happening with the grandkids and that they would each be receiving an apology.

Rob nodded, "Tim does not tolerate whining, Sarah and I learned that when we were little."

Ned shrugged, "My grandparents hated it too. But kids are going to do it every now and then."

Brian and Ziva agreed but the four of them recognized that these were not their kids and as Ziva said, "With 6 children – and 4 for Sarah and James, I understand that behavior like that has to be shut down quickly."

Ned and Rob looked at each other, "Guess we'll be dealing with that pretty soon too!"

When the McGee children came in hand in hand followed by their father, they were still upset and embarrassed. Andy, Anna and Gemma had a quick discussion on the way over, not sure how to go about this and decided to apologize to whoever they came upon first. That was Rob, Ned, Ziva and Brian who listened and then gravely accepted their apologies and hugged or in Brian's case shook hands with, each of the kids.

The Grands, Greats and the Hubbards were next and they'd gathered in the kitchen so the whole thing could be over and done with. Each of the McGee children said his or her apology, naming each person there and each apology was seriously accepted before hugs were given. Eventually everyone had either said or received an apology and Tim and Lina hugged each of their children. "Now, let's not do that again, it was too hard on everyone!"

The kids nodded in agreement. Gemma looked at her siblings, "We forgot to think whether that was something Mama and Daddy would like or not."

Jorry, Sean and Zoe nodded solemnly. Tim thought about the kids being old enough to know right from wrong but he thought they'd all had sufficient talks today. This hadn't been the worst transgression in the world, but he, Lina and the others wanted to make their points and nip it in the bud. There were 11 of them now; however with Rob and Ned's two foster children, the Palmers' 4 (not that Ethan was liable to be whining with the younger kids) and Sarah and James' new baby that would make 18 children in the family. And 18 kids whining would be enough to set anyone's teeth on edge!

By the time they sat down for their light dinner, the cousins had also said their apologies and the storm was past. The pool was off limits to the children tomorrow but other than that, no more needed to be said.


	247. Chapter 247

CH 247

Rob and Ned started their family leave on Monday when they brought their new foster daughters home. They'd met Sasha and Melody a couple of times recently, spending some time with them; now the young girls were excited to go to their new home. The new dads asked them to call them "Papa" (Ned) and "Dad" (Rob) and both girls were comfortable with that. They loved their rooms and happily put their clothes away before they had a tour of the rest of the house. They were excited to live in a house with a yard; when they'd lived with their mother it had been in apartments, never a house and there had never been a yard with trees and flowers. After they had lunch, the four of them went for a walk around the neighborhood and the girls saw the school where Melody would go. The pre-school that Sasha would attend was just down the street and the four year old was relieved to see that she would be close to her big sister. That night they got to meet their foster grandparents, called Poppy and Nonnie, and were told there were several other children in the family, they'd meet them during the week. They'd never had grandparents before and were a little shy but by the time Poppy and Nonnie left after their first meeting the girls felt comfortable enough to give them hugs.

XXX

Early Friday morning the McGees headed to the airport for their flight to Savannah. They were sad to say goodbye to everyone; they'd loved staying in their new house, all of them had had fun and they would miss Poppy and Nonnie who wouldn't return to Preston for a couple of weeks. The McGees had been the first of the cousins, aunts and uncles to meet Melody and Sasha and quickly made friends of the two girls. Now they were excited about seeing Geordie and Bec and their new place in Savannah.

It was a short flight and as they moved down the escalator to Baggage Claim, Tim grinned as he saw his brother. Geo grinned back at him and then held his arms open as his nieces and nephews rushed to say hello. When he was finally able to, he welcomed Tim and Lina. "Glad you made it! C'mon, let's get out of here, I rented a full size van so we'll all fit." He looked at the kids, "Hmm, some of you can come with me to get the van. Who wants to go?" Sean and Gemma were the first two with their hands up; winking at his brother and sister-in-law, Geo held out a hand to each child, saying, "We'll be back in a few minutes."

With help from Lina and the older kids Tim got their luggage on a cart and pushed it outside. When the van pulled up, the rest of the kids climbed aboard and then the baggage was loaded. As he drove, Geo talked, "Thought I'd take you on a quick tour of Savannah, before we go to our place to settle in."

"Sounds good!"

"The local team caught a case yesterday but Bec says they're wrapping it up today."

"Yay, Bec, yay team!"

Geordie took a quick swing through Savannah, showing them the historic district and some of the fun things. "Don't know if you had anything in mind for tomorrow but we thought it might be fun to go to Hilton Head for a sail on Sunday."

Tim rolled his eyes at his brother and in the back, Lina laughed. Geo realized he'd opened his big mouth in front of the kids and gave his brother a sheepish smile.

Tim just shook his head, amused, "Yeah, sailing to or from Hilton Head on Sunday would be fun!"

Anna added, "Then we can say we've sailed on the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Mediterranean!"

When Jorry called out, "Yay us!" they all laughed. Tim smiled as they pulled up to the house, it was a fairly new single story ranch that he knew had three bedrooms and a den plus three bathrooms, perfect for foster kids or visiting family. Lina admired the tropical landscaping in the front yard before asking, "Geo, are we your first visitors?"

"From my side of the family, yes. Bec's cousin Charlotte and her little girl came down in January and her parents were here in March."

They brought their luggage in and found their rooms. As they had in Virginia, the boys would share a room as would the girls while Tim and Lina would sleep on a pull-out couch in the den. One of the guest rooms had a double bed and the other one had a queen sized bed that the three girls would share; the Perrys had borrowed a rollaway bed for the boys' room so the visitors were all set.

After a quick lunch, they changed into their swim clothes, slathered on the sunscreen and piled back into the van for the drive out to Tybee Island and the beach. The kids were happy to see the ocean again, they'd missed it in Virginia. Tim and Lina were amused when Uncle Geo had the kids tell him the beach rules. After a wonderful afternoon of playing in the water, jumping the wavelets and building a sand castle, the group got out to dry off and brush off some of the sand before leaving.

Bec was home already, their case successfully closed as predicted. She was glad to have a few minutes to put her feet up and have a large glass of tea before the gang came home from the beach. Geordie would grill hot dogs and burgers for dinner tonight, with some side dishes thrown in and ice cream for dessert. There was a community barbecue tomorrow night and, depending on what else they did and where, she and Geordie thought it might be fun for all of them to go. She smiled when she heard the van pull into the driveway. Standing at the front door she welcomed each niece and nephew with a hug and kiss and then gave their parents each a big hug. "It's so good to see you! Welcome to Savannah!"

Tim looked at her sympathetically, "Rough one or stupid – or both?"

She nodded, "Both, the stupidity of people sometimes…"

Rolling their eyes at each other, they chuckled before she continued, "Hey I got my leave approved for July so we're a go for Greece."

"Yay! Are you two going to share with Matt and Daim again?"

"Maybe, if Evander can find a bigger place. Charlotte, my cousin, wants to go, so we'll need another room for her and her daughter. And I don't know if the guys would be comfortable with a toddler."

Tim saw the kids headed to the backyard and excused himself to join them.

Lina smiled, "You never know! How old is she?"

"She'll be two this month."

"Oh how fun! Fiona will love having someone close to her age to play with!"

"Are Tea and Adan coming?"

"Yes, although they'll spend most of their time with their families as only their mothers have met Hallie in person."

"What about Eva and Caleb?"

"No, they're going to housesit for us and do some fun things on the West Coast. They have a paid trip home they'll take next year – with us, I hope!"

"Do they know where they're going next?"

"They're staying in San Diego for another year! The exhibit has been such a success that the Museum of Man petitioned the Benaki for another year and they agreed. It's bringing them much needed revenue. Rumor has it that either the de Young Museum in San Francisco or the National Geographic Museum in DC may be next in line for the exhibit."

"Wow, that's really something, isn't it! And the whole exhibit is centered around Caleb's dissertation, isn't it?"

Lina nodded proudly as Geo interrupted them with fresh beverages. "More iced tea for my bride and ice cold lemonade for Lina." They thanked him and their conversation moved on to the rest of the family.

Tim and the kids were out in the backyard. He'd hosed them down to get the rest of the sand off of them and now they were playing in the sprinklers Geo had running on the shaded back lawn. When Tim spotted his brother starting his dinner preparations, he moved the kids away from the sprinklers. "Ok, my water babies, time to dry off, looks like Uncle Geo is starting dinner and we don't want to drip on their floor!"

Eventually the kids were dry enough to go inside to get dressed. Knowing Geo was planning on grilling, Tim looked to see if there was anything he could do but it was all set so he went inside to help. Geordie smiled, "You're so good with them; some might think you'd been raising kids all your life!"

They both snorted and Tim said, "I never feel like I get to spend enough time with them and they're growing up so fast."

"Hard to believe Zoe's almost four!"

"Yeah, that's the toughest one to swallow, our baby growing up. Next thing you know she'll be in kindergarten and it snowballs from there."

"She gonna stay the baby?"

Tim nodded. "We're not planning to have any more but you never know about fosters."

Tucking that statement away for later thought, Geordie nodded, "We had to start all over again with CPS when we moved down here; not quite from scratch but it feels like it. We're approved again and on the list but we're not getting any calls."

Tim huffed, "Don't know if that's a good sign or not, huh?"

"Yeah, either there aren't any kids that need us or we're being passed up."

"They running the sibling program down here?"

Geo shrugged, "Not sure. We asked and got a whole big lecture on the 'big picture' and were never told yes or no. I sent an e-mail to our social worker back in South Carolina the other day, see if she knows anything. There's nothing online about it, I checked. But then the content of their website here is…sparse."

"You know, Dad, Tony and I worked with D'Arcy McKinna back in the day. She's moved to the National Office and might be able to help."

"D'Arcy McKinna, thanks man!" He leaned in and spoke softly, "We may end up raising Bec's little cousin Lucy. Charlotte's got some health problems that are getting worse. She's worried that she'll have to be in the hospital for an extended period of time for treatment. Then we'll take the baby."

"Baby's father not involved?"

Geo shook his head, "After her last serious relationship broke up, Char was fed up and decided to have a child on her own. She went to a sperm bank. That was before her health problems started."

"And her parents?"

Geordie shook his head. "Bec's uncle died a few years ago; Char's mother married a much younger man and they're traveling the world. And she says she doesn't want her child raised by her mom."

"Ouch!"

"Yeah. She's named us Lucy's guardians, so at least that won't be a problem."

"Does she live around here?"

"Not too far, less than a day's drive. Right now her employer is allowing her to work from home as much as she needs and if they're willing, she'll move down here for her treatment."

"So you'll be Uncle Mom?"

Geo chuckled, "Yeah, looks like it. Tell you the truth, one of the reasons she wants to go to Greece with us is so Lucy can get used to our family. Just in case."

Tim shook his head, "I'm impressed with her preparations as sad as they are. Do you guys feel she's being realistic?"

Geo nodded, "Bec went with her to her last couple of doctor appointments and yeah, it's pretty dicey."

Tim thought of his own mother, "Then I'm glad Charlotte and Lucy have the two of you – and will soon have the rest of us!"

Geo nodded as the two of them put hamburger patties together, "New topic! We made a list of things we thought would be fun for all of us to do this weekend. The sail on Sunday is actually a "Pirate Ship" cruise in Hilton Head; we made reservations, easier to cancel than to try to get aboard at the last minute. The ship is called the 'Black Dagger' and the kids get to be part of the pirate crew and they..._we_ hunt for a sunken treasure chest. Takes about 90 minutes, thought it would be something different for all of us."

"That sounds great, Geo! How far away is Hilton Head?"

"Mm, depends on traffic, less than an hour; it's only 32 miles. There's some nice beaches there too, fewer people."

"Ok, that sounds great for Sunday!"

"Yeah and tomorrow there are a few things to choose from. One's called the Bull River Cruise and that'll take us close to dolphin pods and all kinds of fun things. There are also all kinds of historical parks and gardens here but I wasn't sure how interested the kids would be in the Civil War, statues, flowers or antebellum stuff."

Tim nodded, "Andy and Anna maybe but not the younger kids. The boys would probably like the cannons and war stuff but I doubt the girls would be too excited."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what we thought. We did find a place called Oatland Island Wildlife Center that's sort of a woodsy nature preserve with rescued animals of all kinds. There are wolves that we can view from a glass enclosure, turtles, all kinds of birds and chickens along with some 19th century buildings. It's supposed to be interesting and relaxing. We were told to make sure that everyone wears sneakers or hiking shoes and uses a bug repellant of some sort."

Tim nodded, "That sounds like fun! We found a lady in northern California who makes a roll-on bug repellant made from plants and herbs that Andy, Zoe and I can use – and everyone else too. The three of us can't use any of the commercial products."

"Oh yeah, I remember from the camp, you were pretty miserable!"

"Yep, it's probably better now that there are commercial products without DEET in them but we know the natural stuff works and we help keep a small business going. We order enough from this lady for all of us for about a year at a time. Really came in handy in Virginia!"

Geordie huffed, "Got an e-mail address for her? We should order some too."

Tim chuckled, "Sure, I'll send it to you. So - are you thinking the Bull River Cruise and the Oatland place for tomorrow?"

"Up to you and Lina. Oh and if we're back in time and feel like it, there's a community barbecue tomorrow evening. It's in a park and there's a pool with a lifeguard."

"Oooh, a lifeguard! That makes me very happy!"

"Yeah there are supposed to be games for the kids too."

"Even better! I'll run everything by Lina after dinner."

"Nah, I'm good here, why don't you go talk to her now?"

"All right, if you're sure you don't need my help."

"You can wash up afterward."

"Works for me!" He found Lina and told her the various options and she agreed with his choices. "Those sound like fun for all of us!"

Although there were a lot of bugs, Bec and Geo had invested in a large tent like structure made of a mesh that kept even the gnats out. With a wink Geo said it was a 'portable' screened in porch. Tim didn't comment although inwardly he thought it was a very good investment as Mayport would likely have even more bugs than Savannah. He hated tents and had avoided them since he, Sarah and Rob had moved in with Mrs. Ferguson in Massachusetts, but tonight it was evident it was either deal with the tent or the bugs. He sat at the end of the table by the zippered door and found it didn't bother him too much.

While they ate, the kids took turns telling their uncle and aunt what they'd done in Virginia. Andy started it, "Did you know there's a creek, an actual creek that runs through the property? It's running too fast now but Dad says that once the snow is all gone, the current will slow down and we'll be able to wade in it!"

Sean added, "We can ride our bikes all over the driveway and Mama and Dad took us on bike paths through woods! Not our woods but other woods. There were so many trees that it was dark! And next time we get to go to a river too!"

Anna nodded, "And there are all kinds of trees to climb and paths to walk by our new house. And the cousins are our next door neighbors with Aunt Sarah and Uncle James and Emma stays with them after school so we got to see her too!"

Jorry nodded, "It's fun to have Adam and Evan right there." Sean nodded his agreement.

Gemma smiled, "And Poppy, Nonnie and Yaya and Pappouli can live there too…with Penny! And Grandfa and Grammie. Almost everyone is there!"

Zoe nodded and looked at her aunt and uncle, "'Cept you."

"Well, but we can come visit, that'll be fun! And you can show us your tree forts and the creek and everything."

Anna clearly had something on her mind and finally she asked, "Are you ever going to live there?"

"I don't know, Annalanna, but we'll build a house that we'll stay in when we visit."

Anna smiled, "That's good! Uncle Daim can design it for you!"

After that, their parents told them what they'd be doing the next day and watched the kids' eyes light up at the mention of the cruise and maybe seeing dolphin pods and walking through woods to see animals. Jorry and Sean's eyes shone when they heard they might see wolves. "Real ones?"

"Yes real live wolves. We'll be inside a building of glass so we can see them and they can see us, but they don't have to worry about us attacking them." The little boys giggled at that.

Tim, Lina and the kids cleaned up the dinner dishes after they finished eating and got the dishwasher running. Then they chased the kids outside and had them race each other around the lawn until they could see Gemma, Jorry, Sean and Zoe were tiring. They tucked them into bed, giving Anna and Andy an additional hour to stay up. While the two bookworms read, the adults played cards, laughing so hard that Andy came over to see what they were playing. "Can I learn?"

"Sure, both of you can if you like, but not tonight. Time for bed now."

The two of them kissed the adults goodnight and headed off to their rooms. Tim and Lina waited about 15 minutes and then went in to tuck them in.

The next morning they set out early for the Bull River cruise, the kids excitedly talking about what they hoped to see and do. The cruise was a big hit as they did indeed see more than one pod of dolphins and Gemma wondered if they were the same dolphins from Greece. The crew made the cruise a lot of fun for the kids and they learned all sorts of interesting things about the waterway, fish, dolphins and other water creatures.

After they were back on dry land, they drove to a park with big shade trees and tables and had a picnic lunch. They played on the grass afterward and then packed up and headed for Oatland Island Wildlife Center. Tim was surprised at the low admission price and made a mental note to go online and make a donation. They took the brochure and headed for what Sean called the 'wolf house'. Telling the kids they might have to wait to see a wolf, they waited patiently for several minutes before first one then two of the fiercely majestic animals appeared. They were beautiful animals and most of the kids ooh'd and ahh'd over them. The exceptions were Jorry and Sean who were scared and hid behind their parents, only peeking out to take quick looks at the big bad wolves. Zoe was of course fearless and spent several minutes face to face, with the protective glass in between, talking to Bert and Ernie Wolf. Jorry kept exhorting her to come join them but she ignored him. Finally the wolves left and the McGees continued on their way through the preserve. They stopped to let a large turtle trundle across their path and were followed through almost the whole preserve by several very vocal chickens. Tim had noticed mentions of snakes on the brochure and was very glad they didn't encounter any, even though Geo promised to protect his little brother. The setting was beautiful, very woodsy and rustic. The old buildings were interesting but not as much fun as walking along and encountering a turtle or an ostrich. Eventually they came to the end of the trail and after taking more photos of the kids with Geo and Bec in front of the sign, they piled into the van and took off.

The barbecue late that afternoon was also a lot of fun as they met some of Geordie and Bec's neighbors. Lina and Geo stayed with the kids in the pool while Tim and Bec played softball. After they ate their hot dogs and potato salad, the kids participated in the games. Andy and Anna played volleyball while Gemma played tether ball and the three youngest played 'Red Light, Green Light', giggling the whole time. They left fairly early as Sunday would be another day filled with fun.

Knowing the kids would be over the top excited about the pirate ship, they weren't told until the van made the turn for the dock the next day and the kids saw the black sailed ship. As all 6 of them squealed with happiness and excitement, Geo gave his brother and sister-in-law a look of gratitude for not telling them sooner.

Approaching the dock, they were stopped by pirates who diverted the children to a booth where each one was given a pirate name, a pirate 'tattoo', some pirate gear to put on and taught how to talk like a pirate. Once each of them had sworn their allegiance to the Pirate ship, the 'Black Dagger', they became officially part of the Crew. The goal was to find a sunken treasure chest and they had maps to help. But first they had to find the guy who knew about the treasure and had stolen the key. Then they'd blast him with water cannons, get the key and celebrate their victory.

Needless to say the kids had a blast, the treasure chest was found and the Crew celebrated with music and dancing before heading back to port, each young pirate getting his or her share of the loot. Tim laughed so hard his sides hurt and they took copious photos during the 90 minute treasure hunt.

After that the scurvy mates, er that is the children headed for Coligny Beach with their adults. It was a beautiful beach and they spent the afternoon playing in the water, feasting on another picnic lunch and having an ice cream treat. All too soon it was time to pack up and head back to Savannah. All 6 of the kids fell asleep in the van on the way home and their adults smiled knowing they'd long remember their special weekend seeing turtles, wolves, dolphins and playing pirate.

They were sad again while they were packing to leave but then remembered that Uncle Damian was picking them up at the airport at home and they had a lot to tell him. Everyone kissed Uncle Geo and Aunt Bec goodbye the next morning as they left the house. Tim and Lina extracted promises from the couple to let them know if there was anything they could do to help Charlotte or Lucy. Tim drove the van to the airport, dropping Lina, the luggage and the kids off before returning the rental vehicle. Although they missed their grandparents on the way home, the flight went smoothly and Uncle Damian welcomed them home.

Once they had everything inside, the whole group drove down to the shore and had a walk on their very own beach. They'd had a wonderful time in their new house in Virginia, at Uncle Geo & Aunt Bec's in Savannah and now they were glad to be home in California with the California family again.

XXX

Tuesday morning Tim headed in to work early. He had a meeting scheduled with his deputies to work on a task they'd recently been assigned. As he walked in, he greeted the team and Kath. They smiled and commented that he had a nice tan. He was tempted to tell them he'd gotten it on a pirate ship but then he'd need to explain and he could do all that later.

Once they were all online, Tim greeted his deputies, "Good morning! Are you ready for our first ever quarterly evaluation and review of open cases?"

They nodded that they were ready; the four of them had split the cases and done their own reviews. Richard got things rolling, "I only found two cases where I thought the team had missed something or dropped the ball. However, in both instances the teams were re-directed to higher priority cases." He paused, "What surprised me were the number of open Unauthorized Absences. Either I got them all or something's going on."

The others shook their heads and Tim spoke, "Richard, that's odd because I had pretty much the same thought, there are far too many open UAs." He looked at the other two who were nodding. "Let's break this down. Julian, how many?" He gave a number, followed by the other two and finally Tim added his. He frowned when he looked at the total, "27 for one quarter. That's 27 Navy and Marine personnel gone missing - and still missing - over the last three months, four months now. I would expect a few but 27 is far too many. Let's look at previous quarters, go back to fourth quarter of 2019 so we have enough data to make a decent analysis."

Although they hadn't done the previous years' reviews, they had access to the reports. Each of them pulled up a quarter and reported the numbers. The fourth quarter of 2019 had 2 open Unauthorized Absences agency wide. The first and second quarters of 2020 also had 2 UAs open each. Third quarter went up to 4, fourth quarter of 2020 was 12. That was a substantial increase, but the jump from 12 to 27 was even more alarming.

Tim frowned, "This is not good. Ok, let's go through the cases: track offices, names, gender, age, date of the UA, where the person was last seen, their rank and position and where he or she left from - base, home, ship, aircraft, etc. I'll alert the Director but I'd like to have as much data to give him as possible." He thought for a minute, "I'll bet we're not going to find one specific area; our teams and the Brass would have noticed. And if we have this many missing people, is it just NCIS? What about the Coast Guard, other services - or civilians? Are this many people really just walking away or have they been forced…kidnapped?"

They logged off to work individually and Tim decided to let Vance know right away. Leon answered sounding a bit surprised, "You're in early, hope nothing's wrong."

"Unfortunately, I think there is." He told the Director of their findings, what data they were now gathering and his concerns that this might not be limited to NCIS. He heard the concern echoed in Leon's voice. "27 personnel reported UA and still missing over the last four months? We need to figure this out, this is now our top priority. How soon will we have that intel?"

"90 minutes."

"All right, call me when it's ready and let's get moving on this. I'll need to let SecNav know."

They disconnected and Tim got to work on his portion of the data. His deputies, his team, had their findings to him within an hour. He combined it into his own report, sorting it by date and location before sending it to Vance and then calling him. Leon was looking at the data as he answered the call.

"Tim, this…we've got missing personnel in just about every jurisdiction."

"Yes. And it seems to have started in the second half of last year, at least that's when the numbers started to climb. For the first two quarters of last year, we had 2 open UAs, then it jumped to 4 for the third quarter and tripled to 12 at the end of the year and has doubled again now. Whatever this is has gained some serious momentum."

"Thoughts on what it is?"

"Hate to say it but unless we have 40 something people suddenly so unhappy with their service lives that they're walking away and hiding even from their families…the only things that I can think of that fit are cults, serial killers or trafficking."

"Damn…yeah, you're right. We'd find bodies or clues if it was a serial killer and this would have to be one astoundingly mobile killer; of course it could be more than one killer."

"Look at the ages, they're all young, in their 20s, women and men. And…" Tim thought about it, "why haven't their families noticed, complained? We'd better check next of kin too."

"I'm meeting with Secretary Porter in 2 hours. Any other information you can get me before then will be helpful. And Tim, you've got this. Pull whoever you need together to work it, you'll need a task force. You and I will talk again after my meeting." After ending the call, Tim looked out at the bullpen, "Jeff, join me for a minute." His SFA/Team Lead came in, closing the door after him. "You got a case going?"

"No, we just finished our reports on a triple homicide."

"Good." Tim told him of the discovery and his need for a task force, continuing with, "I want your team on this, I'll bring Preston in too and your two teams can alternate working this and responding on any new cases. El Segundo and likely every other team will be on this too but Preston is the closest to us for rotation purposes. If it gets too much, we'll get some volunteers in, but we're all hands on deck for this. The Director has just made it the agency's top priority and I have a horrible feeling we won't be the only agency investigating it. The UAs are spread across the U.S., Europe and Australasia, we could end up working with the Coast Guard, FBI, Interpol and other international law enforcement."


	248. Chapter 248

Notes:

UA = Unauthorized Absence; also refers to Marine and Navy personnel who are absent without authorization, e.g. 'each UA'.

DON = Department of the Navy; DOD = Department of Defense

* * *

><p>CH 248<p>

Tim assigned the San Diego team the task of looking into and contacting the next of kin for each UA. He knew if a Navy or Marine friend or member of his family went missing he'd be hounding NCIS to find him or her. If the missing people were alone, no legal family, then there had to be a way that information was reaching whoever was responsible for this. That meant a leak of private information somewhere along the line. He thought about that and made a note to check the USN and USMC departments responsible for personnel records of their missing folks. There were too many missing to call them 'crimes of opportunity'.

He sent an e-mail with a brief explanation to the SSAICs whose teams had last investigated the open UAs and asked them to cross check the cases for any commonalities, personal notes, etc. and to send their results to him as soon as possible. He stressed that Director Vance had made this the agency's top priority.

Before Vance's two hour deadline, Tim was able to send more information. Preliminary random checks on the list of UAs showed that 11 of the 12 they'd looked at had no family or partners; their next of kin showed a friend, former girl or boy friend, neighbor or shipmate. One had a teacher from his high school listed and that individual said he wasn't even aware he'd been named as the Marine's next of kin but that explained the earlier calls from the kid's CO and NCIS and no, he had no idea where he might be, he hadn't spoken to him since the last time the Marine was in town on leave, some 18 months previous. The 12th one showed a great-uncle as next of kin but when contacted, he stated he hadn't been in contact with the young officer in several years, not since he'd graduated from college; he also told them there was no other family and he didn't know any names of the young man's friends.

Vance sighed when he was given the information. "I was afraid of that, you know if these people had family or strong connections with friends, those folks would be beating down our doors."

"My thought too. Here's what's happening as far as the task force and what we're working on…" Tim filled his boss in on the work he'd done talking to most of the SSAICs in the U.S. on a conference call and the SAICs in Europe: Stan in Rota, Roger in Marseille, Rusty in Athens and the latest SAIC in London. He also had calls in to Tamara Middleton and Cassie Yates in the Asian offices but it would be another hour or so before they started work.

"Good, you've not only started pulling your team together, they're already working."

"I want to contact the Coast Guard, FBI, Mossad and Interpol…any other agencies? The CIA for example, not that they'd ever admit to having missing staff, but they might share intel on any chatter they've heard…hmm, that means NSA too."

Vance made a noise, "How about this…you still in contact with your CIA buddies in Athens?"

"Yeah, we e-mail every once in a while. I can ask them if they're aware of anything. I'm assuming we want to keep the investigation – and the news – quiet and away from the media. If we have any chance of finding and rescuing these people, we'll need to be stealthy."

"Yes, consider it classified to the level of your teams. And…no. Hold off contacting anyone outside of NCIS until after the meeting with Secretary Porter. I want you there; prepare for a video chat."

"Yes sir."

"Last question for now, who handled the review for the open cases last year?"

Tim twisted his lips, "Former AD Craig's name is on it."

"Huh, yeah that's right, he agreed to keep the responsibility until the first of the year. And the first jump was in third quarter…two to four doesn't look too alarming, but four to twelve…that certainly should have gotten his attention."

Tim decided to keep his mouth shut. He cared more about finding their people, hopefully alive and preventing any more from being taken than placing blame.

He'd no sooner gotten off the line with Vance than the Southeast office SSAIC called. He'd just seen Tim's e-mail; to say he was horrified was an understatement. "How many and for how long?"

"We believe it started in August last year and escalated toward the end of the year."

"We investigated…let me pull up our figures."

Tim had the figures for the SE complex of offices in front of him but knew if it was the SW office he'd want to have the slight comfort of looking at his own report, reporting his own figures.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, uh…"

"Tim's fine."

"Tim, yes, we had 2 in this jurisdiction during the 4th quarter last year and…2 in 3rd quarter."

"And your average is 2."

"Yes. Is this happening all over the country?"

"The U.S. and several of our overseas jurisdictions."

"My God, this is awful."

"Director Vance has deemed it a classified investigation and I'm leading the task force. Right now the information is restricted to NCIS but we expect other agencies will want to be included."

"The FBI for one."

"Yes and probably Interpol and other law enforcement entities."

"Anything we can do to help!"

"Thanks, yes, as I said in the e-mail, please have your teams cross check for any information that's not in the case files. And…I'm sure I'll be calling on you for resources. Uh sorry, have to go...our boss is calling for a video chat." He quickly accepted the invitation to a video chat and found he was looking onto a conference table, facing Secretary Porter and Vance.

As he'd anticipated, the Secretary grilled him about their findings this morning and what work had already happened. When he finished she shook her head, "Is there any hope of finding those poor souls alive?"

Tim cleared his throat, "This is going to sound…cold, but I think once we figure out who's doing this, it might depend on how well the ring, if it is a trafficking ring, or cult handles their business; if they keep good records as to who joined in what location or was sold where and to who, then we should be able to find them." Unspoken words hung in cyberspace as each of them thought of the horrors their missing people were being subjected to and the probably slim odds of finding them alive.

Vance sighed, "The group that handles the kidnappings may be just the first tier." Tim nodded, he'd had that thought too.

"All right, I don't think I can stomach talking about the details of the case anymore. As to the investigation, Timothy, yes as Leon has said, the lead is yours. You two work out who is contacting which agencies outside of NCIS, you have my approval. I'm going to take this up the line to State and that should help getting intelligence and cooperation from the CIA and FBI. If you run into reluctance to share, let me know. Will you contact Interpol?"

Tim nodded, "Yes I have some contacts there from my time in Europe and I'll work with our Senior Agents in Charge in the Australasian offices to bring in the various national law enforcement agencies if necessary. I'm also going to contact Mossad's Director Elbaz."

They spent several minutes going over logistics before Tim dropped off the call to get back to work. He spoke with SSAICs Middleton and Yates and got them engaged in the investigation. He left a message for his contact at Interpol. Leon would contact the FBI and remembering the CIA's praise for SFA Tim McGee during the nearly aborted operation in Nice years ago, he told Tim the 'spooks' were all his but if he met with any reluctance, to let him know. Tim put in a call to the CIA Director, leaving him a message with just a little of their suspicions of a human trafficking ring – just enough to rouse the man's curiosity. He also contacted NSA and was pleased when he found the Director already briefed.

He'd been copied on the notice the SecNav directed to the Brass and knew he'd have visitors in the morning. By 1730 he'd done everything he could for the day. He'd spoken with the CIA director and been assured of their 'complete cooperation'; Tim had some thoughts about that but perhaps the State Department had already had their say with them.

This was not a case that would be solved today, although it did need to happen as quickly as possible. He was on his way home, reviewing files, when his phone buzzed with a call from a familiar name. He smiled as he answered, "Tim McGee."

"Assistant Director McGee, this is SAC Sacks in San Francisco."

"Hey Ron, no need to be so formal…please!"

Ron chuckled, "Ok, hi Tim. I've just been briefed on this mess. We're searching our records but just figure we also have more unsolved missing persons and kidnappings than usual. Your Director gave my Director the initial profile so we're running with it and I am now your West Coast task force member from the FBI. Do we need to meet in person?"

"Good, Ron, welcome to the task force. As much as I'd love to see you, I don't want anyone wasting time traveling. For the larger meetings we'll use MTAC, for the smaller ones we'll be on video chats."

They spoke for a few minutes before disconnecting as the car pulled into the McGees' driveway. He made a determined effort to smile as he closed his laptop and slid it into the carry case; he would do his best to put this away until he left home in the morning. He would _not_ think of the men and women who were unable to go home, who were likely trapped in situations too horrible to consider.

When he walked in the door he was greeted by his kids and he hung onto them for just a little longer tonight. Lina, coming up behind them, saw a look on his face she hadn't seen in a long time, a look that told her he was working on a particularly nasty case. She made her way through the children and taking his face in her hands, kissed him wholeheartedly, reminding him he was home. Arm in arm, their children surrounding them, they headed for the dining room where their dinner was ready.

After the children were in bed, she gave him a look but he shook his head so she knew it was classified. She noticed he didn't attempt to work which meant he was working hard to separate work from home. In her experience with his work, that meant it was so big and ugly that he needed to compartmentalize it. They made love that night and fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms.

His phone buzzed with a call at 0500, waking them both. He grabbed the cell and walked into his office to talk with his Interpol contact and the head of the organization. The message he'd left the day before had been detailed and the man had had time to do some research before talking with his superiors. Interpol would work with NCIS and Tim's contact, Boi Tran, would be one of his liaisons. He reported that a simple search of their databases showed unusually large numbers of missing person cases scattered across their member nations.

Once in the office, he checked through the updates he'd received and began to pull in more resources. Ron Sacks called to let him know the number they believed they were looking at using the profile he and the deputies had created yesterday. Tim felt this…beast was so large it could easily get out of hand and decided to treat it the same as any other case. He put his best people on it, assigning interviews of COs, shipmates, bunkmates, anyone who could tell them anything about the missing person. They needed something – anything – just one little piece of information that would give them a lead, a clue. He split his teams into the older cases and the newer cases, hoping against hope that the newer cases would provide the link they needed.

In the meantime, life continued. The case was now a joint case between NCIS, leading several U.S. agencies, and Interpol, leading the rest of their 188 member countries. He went home to his family every night, held onto them and few of them knew what he was dealing with. Matt, Bec, Tony, Ned, Maggie and the AD deputies had some idea as they were involved to varying degrees but only Vance and Secretary Porter knew the full scope of what Tim was handling.

Time marched on. The Gibbses returned home while April gave way to May and Gibbs immediately knew something was up with his son. He wanted to help but realized that was up to Tim.

Shortly before the McGees and Gibbses were scheduled to leave for Virginia for Callum's graduation, Tim's security team locked them down, there'd been a credible threat to the family. When the threat turned out to be one guy, a former sailor with a grudge who was surprised, once he sobered up, to find himself in as much trouble as he was, Security and Tim, none of the others knew, took a deep breath and moved forward. It did mean, however, that the trip to Virginia was off. Timmons told him bluntly that his presence at the open air ceremony would put too many people in jeopardy.

Feeling horrible, he told Lina and the kids and then spoke with Callum, Claire and Jim, telling them a version of the truth. The McGees ended up watching the ceremony via phones and tablets held strategically by his siblings and attended the party via a very long Skype call.

In the meantime the clan began to complete their plans for the annual trek to Greece. Gram, Grandfa, Geordie and Evander were handling it again this year. Tim didn't say anything to Lina and she wondered, worried that he wouldn't be able to go, especially after they'd had to cancel their plans for Virginia.

The week after Callum's graduation, Tim called his boss to give him the latest status. After they'd talked, Leon asked him how he was doing and Tim hesitated. In DC, Leon shook his head saying,

"You're going to Greece, Timothy! Look, I know it was tough to skip the graduation, but other than ringing the entire football field with security, having sharpshooters on the roofs and a helo watching for unfriendly snipers, it wasn't defensible, nor could we justify the cost of doing what it cost, not for your cousin's high school graduation. But Greece…more specifically Aegina…you're not going to the back of beyond, we'll find you if we need you. Rusty can call you, hop a ferry or call one of the shopkeepers on the island, they always seem to know where we are! Security knows the place well by now, they've dealt with it before; they know the nooks and crannies of the island, they always monitor the boats coming in and out, the CIA monitors flights in and out of Athens. And our security folks trust the local law enforcement on the island and the mainland; you know Dimitri isn't going to let anything happen to you and yours, nor is the Piraeus chief.

"I'm taking my vacation right after yours, going to do the same thing we did last year. Look at it this way, if you don't take a break, then you're losing yourself to this case and that's a victory for the bad guys. You need a break, it'll help clear your mind and who knows - you may come up with something we've missed or maybe someone else will. And there's one more thing, I just opened an e-mail that you should also have…the numbers are down."

"What?"

"They're down, the open UAs for NCIS are down over the past 6 weeks, since we started the task force."

Tim opened his e-mail and looked at the figures. "That's good but it also tells me whoever's leaking the personnel info heard about the task force and got spooked."

"And that narrows our search down to those who have that level of security clearance."

Tim took a breath, "Oh boy, I didn't even think of that, you're right I do need a break." He paused, "It'll be interesting to see if the numbers are down across the board or just in NCIS or the US."

"Yep and I expect your Interpol liaison will give you an answer to that in the morning."

Tim huffed, "All right Leon, I got it, guess I'll see you in Greece!"

"Plan on it!"

Tim got busy, refining the search parameters for the leak and sending them off to the Team Leads charged with finding the traitor(s). When he got home that evening he gathered Lina in his arms. "LinaMelina, I'm going to Greece with you."

She gave a sigh of relief and then pursed her lips. He kissed them softly, "I'm not working unless there's a break in the case. Rusty knows where to find me."

"He's working on it too?"

Tim nodded, "Yes."

"Timotheos, an international case?"

He just nodded, pointing to the front door. "It lives out there as much as possible, not in here."

She smiled, "I know, my love, you've worked hard at that and we've all tried to help."

"The kids know?"

"Andy, Anna and Gemma do. The 'littles' know something's up but since we're behaving normally so are they…although 'behaving' is perhaps not the right word!" They laughed at that.

In his next meeting with Vance and Secretary Porter, Tim asked permission to share case details with his father. While remaining a part-time employee of the agency, he was still the volunteer coordinator, Gibbs' security clearance was lowered when he left the field. Tim pointed out that the man's years of experience would be useful and that he himself needed a sounding board, someone who wasn't directly involved. After a longer discussion than Tim had anticipated the SecNav finally agreed to Gibbs' being read in and faxed Tim a letter to give to his father, adjusting his security level for the duration.

The letter tucked safely in his pocket, Tim sent his dad an e-mail before he left work asking if they could spend some private time together that evening.

When Jethro saw the e-mail, he hoped it meant Tim would be able to talk with him about whatever was going on. The fact that he apparently now had clearance to do so also distressed him. He'd known something was up, was disturbed when the Virginia trip was cancelled but didn't say anything. In his usual manner, he'd listened to what wasn't being said in various conversations and was further dismayed by his suspicion that all of his Federal Agent children were involved. For a case to be that widespread, it must be pretty big and/or deadly. He was prepared to support Tim in whatever way needed.

Tim had initially thought he and his dad could have a quiet walk on the beach but Timmons quashed that hope. When Tim's security team had been read in on the case, they tightened and increased Tim's security. Now Timmons pointed out, once again, that as head of a task force whose goal was to stop a trafficking ring of unknown size or location, he was an even higher level target than previously. The children, still escorted to school by Gibbs, were now also shadowed by NCIS agents. There was a detail on the campus every day; thankfully all their schools were housed on one campus.

When Tim got home early that evening, he found Lina had invited his dad and Rhea for dinner. When the Gibbses arrived, father and son headed upstairs to Tim's office. The first thing Tim did was hand his dad the letter from the Secretary of the Navy. Gibbs took a quick look, nodded and put it in his pocket. "Good, hope this means we can talk."

Tim nodded, "It does; means I have permission to read you in on what's going on." He briefed him on their discovery and gave him a quick summary of the length and breadth of it, who was involved and what little they'd turned up so far. Following in the footsteps of everyone else who'd been brought in on the case, Gibbs was horrified. "How long has this been going on?"

"We had a breakthrough on that, thank God. The CIA helped us track down two of the 4 missing UAs reported 3rd quarter last year and they were walkaways outside the U.S. - but the other two have vanished just as the other 39 have. Based on that, we believe the kidnappings started in August last year."

"And everyone missing matches the profile?"

Tim made a gesture, "35 of the 41 do, so others may also be walkaways; we have a team of NCIS, FBI & CIA and every other agency we could find, including the National Park Service, working to find those who don't fit. There are always a few. We're lucky we figured it out first, the FBI has much higher numbers and is using the same resources."

"Any word on who's providing the personal information?"

"We just got the updated lower numbers and were able to add the security clearance levels needed to get at the personnel records or information. So we're closing in on that, we sorted clearance levels with access of any kind, even indirect access to personal records. For the whole government, Dad, not just Navy and Marines."

"Because of the FBI numbers?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah and their records show the increase starting around the same time as ours…as does Interpol's. And the kidnappers are being just as cagey with the civilians, keeping to the profile."

"Probably more than one traitor scouring records then."

"Yeah, we're figuring at least one in the DON and/or the DOD as the Coast Guard, Army and Air Force also have missing people and at least one, probably two, elsewhere."

"And that's just in U.S.?"

Tim nodded. "Yes. Interpol is working with the rest of their member countries, doing similar searches." He sighed, "It's horrible and I know human trafficking has been around forever but the scale of this…"

"How are you doing with it?"

"Better now that I can talk with you about it. Some days it's overwhelming but I've learned to try to put it aside when I come home. Honestly, I think that's what keeps me going."

Tim made a little noise as his dad pulled him in for a hug. After a few minutes Jethro whispered, "I want to work this with you."

Tim shook his head. "No, you can't. My security is ramped way up because I'm leading the task force, I'm now a higher profile target; I need to know that you'll be here for Lina and the kids if anything happens to me. And there's already been a threat, Dad, that's why we cancelled Virginia. It turned out not to be related but we don't know anything much about the dirtbags yet, where they are, who they are."

"Of course…"

"Not if you're actively working the case Dad; that would put both of us in the crosshairs."

"Tony, Maggie, Ned, Bec, Matt…"

"It's their job and none of them are 100% involved, we're keeping names to an absolute minimum and if we need volunteers you'll be called in, but only for that. Tony and Maggie agreed to a security detail for Emma and the Colonel; Geo, Rob, Alexis and Damian each have one too although I'm not sure they know about it, scratch that, I'm sure Geo does! And yes, there are now agents shadowing Lina and the kids and all of you wherever you go, I know you already figured that out. For whatever we think we know about the traitors leaking information, they could be anyone in any government agency, including NCIS."

"So you can talk to me about it and I can tell you if I have an idea but I can't actively or openly work with you."

Tim nodded, "That's the deal I had to make with Vance and SecNav just to be able to tell you about it."

Gibbs made a face at his son who recognized his reluctant acceptance of the situation. "Dad, you being here, giving me your support, being able to talk it over with you, that's worth everything to me; that's gonna help immensely. Secretary Porter was reluctant to involve you at all – she didn't want to increase our family's security risk even more. I told her I was afraid that if we didn't read you in that you'd go around us and Leon backed me up – and I am not willing to put you at risk. You've already done more than enough time putting your life on the line and you've got a lot of kids and grandkids who need you. Now, how about we go see if dinner's ready yet?"

With a sigh, Gibbs agreed to the restrictions, trusting Tim's instincts and respecting his need to protect their family. He gave him another hug and a kiss on the head as they walked downstairs, feeling better when he saw his son's shoulders relax.

Tim felt immeasurably better now that he had the ear and support of his father and mentor. When he reached the office the next morning he found a list of 17 persons of interest for the leaks. He pulled together a subgroup comprised of Ron Sacks, Maggie and Lydia Worden and they got busy determining who the traitors were. With assistance from the government's top profilers, they built profiles of the head(s) of the ring and of the traitors who were passing information and narrowed that list down to 7. Not wanting to tip their hands just yet, they obtained warrants and engaged a forensic accountant. Four of the 7 came up clean and finally they had a solid break in the case: three government employees who had access to the appropriate information and in addition to their regular checking and savings accounts had a bank account offshore. The accounts had been opened during the past year and each had quarterly deposits.

The task force didn't stop there; because the international agencies were struggling to determine where the leaks came from for the other countries involved, the U.S. investigators followed the offshore deposits to their sources, hoping to pinpoint the leaders of the ring and bust them all.

None of this happened in a vacuum…the sun continued to rise and set and the school year for the McGee children inevitably drew to a close. This year there were no theme park visits and the children amused themselves swimming either in their pool or at the big house every day; Hanna was good at suggesting games and projects for them. They learned how to roller skate and practiced at a large rink, never guessing that some of the other skaters were there to protect them.

One weekend, Tim, Lina and the Gibbses piled everyone into the van and drove up into the mountains where they swam in an ice cold lake, rode bikes on paved trails, listened to ghost stories, roasted marshmallows and ate s'mores around a roaring campfire. They were guests at a private mountain resort that was in fact a secure compound, one that had been in use for decades by high target government officials and public figures.

Sunday night, Tim rode back down the mountain with his security team while Lina, his parents and the kids stayed behind for a week of fun. He'd join them again Friday night, spend Saturday and the family would return home very early Sunday morning. After that, they'd only have a week before their departure for Greece.

Happy that his family was safe, Tim relaxed as he climbed into the agency SUV and buckled his seat beat for the ride into work on Monday. He exchanged a few words with his security detail about their weekends and then let them get to it. He was reviewing notes for a meeting when he heard Esposito swear. Seconds flashed by as Tim noted they were at a dead stop, Timmons was on the phone requesting immediate backup and then Esposito yelled at them to get out and away from the car. Tim unbuckled the belt and flung open the rear door, briefly looking out and saw a large pickup charging at them at full speed. It was so close he could see the driver's concentration. As Tim pulled himself into the position he'd been trained to use he also felt movement from the SUV and heard Esposito set off the alarm, alerting the drivers of the cars in front of them. Then Tim hit the pavement.

XXX

Jethro and Rhea fixed breakfast for the family Monday morning; the kids and Lina doing the cleanup. While there was a communal kitchen, they'd decided to have breakfast as a family and perhaps have dinner with the other guests. They were going on a hike this morning, taking their lunches with them and would likely spend the afternoon in the pool.

He and Rhea were sitting in the morning sunshine, having a cup of coffee when the door to the camp office opened and the camp host, a man who Gibbs knew to be the head of security, walked out and toward them. Jethro squeezed Rhea's, "Sweetheart, I need Lina out here, but not the kids, ok?"

Rhea opened her mouth to ask a question, looked at her husband's face and went inside without a word. By the time the security chief reached the cabin, Lina was with her father-in-law.

Jethro nodded to her and taking her hand gave her what he hoped felt like a reassuring squeeze but neither let go. The man stopped in front of them saying, "Ms. Kalivas, Agent Gibbs, if you would join me in the office."

They walked back to the office with him and stood, refusing seats, as he talked. "We've just had word from NCIS security that there was an attempt on your husband's life this morning. A vehicle rammed his car, with him and his security team, while they were stuck in traffic. Ma'am, your husband is alive, he was unconscious at the scene but regained consciousness on the way to the hospital. I spoke with Agent Jeff Andreson who reported he has a concussion and is badly bruised, but no breaks and no internal injuries; the doctors will keep him overnight and release him in the morning. There's a helicopter on the way to take Agent Gibbs to him."

Lina frowned, "What about Timmons and Esposito, his security team? And I'm going too."

"We don't have any word on the security detail and ma'am…"

Her eyes flashed as she snapped at him, "My husband is hurt; I'm going with Jethro. My mother-in-law will stay here with the children or is this compound no longer safe?"

"Security here has not been compromised and we have additional personnel on the way."

"Then our family will be safe. I'm going."

Jethro pulled her aside, "Daughter, I'm not going to argue with you but do you remember what Timmons told Tim about Cal's graduation? That it wasn't worth the risk to everyone else."

"You're saying I'll make things worse?"

"Not worse, but they'll have to substantially increase security at the hospital. And Lina, the kids are well grounded but they'll be terrified if we both leave."

She looked at him for a long moment before replying, "And Tim will be furious with both of us. Me for risking my life and you for 'letting' me."

Her father-in-law kissed her cheek. "I promise to take good care of him. And I'll bring him to you tomorrow so you can coddle him to your heart's content."

She nodded. "See that you do!"

"Come on, we can tell the kids together." She nodded again and then grabbed his arm; he saw unshed tears in her eyes. "Jethro, I…he…"

"I know, Melina."

Calmly they told the children and Rhea that Tim had been in a car crash, Rhea and Andy noticing they hadn't used the word accident, and he had a concussion, a bad head bump, which meant that he would spend today and tonight in the hospital. NCIS was sending a helicopter for Poppy who would stay with their dad in the hospital and bring him to the camp in the morning.

The helicopter arrived and the kids each gave Poppy two kisses, one for him and one for their dad. They watched solemnly as it lifted off. Andy believed that his father wasn't hurt any worse than what his mother and grandfather had told them and that Poppy would bring him to them in the morning. He looked at his mother and thought she'd probably wanted to go but hadn't wanted to leave all of them. He would help as much as he could; knowing that the rest of the kids would follow his and Anna's lead, he quietly took her hand and squeezed it. When Anna squeezed back he said, "Mama, maybe we could play in the pool today. It's kind of hot for a hike."

Anna added, "Yes and we can teach Zoe, Jorry and Sean how to stand on their hands underwater."

They'd planned to teach them in their pool at home before Dad told them about the trip to the mountains. Lina kissed her two eldest, "Yes that sounds like a good idea. And then when your father and grandfather get back you can show them!"

Rhea smiled, "I can help."

The kids nodded, glad their Nonnie was here with them.


	249. Chapter 249

Note: Big chapter today and I'm told some readers don't like huge chapters. Rest easy, I've re-worked the rest of the story so the chapters aren't quite so large.

* * *

><p>CH 249<p>

The helicopter arrived and the kids gave Poppy two kisses, one for him and one for their dad, and then watched solemnly as it lifted off. Andy believed his father wasn't hurt any worse than what his mother and grandfather told them and that Poppy would bring him to them in the morning. He looked at his mother, thinking she'd probably wanted to go but didn't want to leave them. Squaring his shoulders, he nodded to himself, he'd help as much as he could. Knowing the others would follow his and Anna's lead, he quietly took her hand, squeezing it. When Anna squeezed back he said, "Mama, maybe we could play in the pool today. It's kind of hot for a hike."

Anna added, "Yes and then we can teach Zoe, Jorry and Sean how to do handstands underwater."

They'd planned to teach them in their pool at home before Dad told them about the trip to the mountains. Lina kissed them, "Yes that's a good idea. And when your father and grandfather get back you can show them!"

Rhea smiled, "I can help."

The kids nodded, glad their Nonnie was here with them.

XXX

While the helo flew over the trees, Tim's father had a full briefing. After hearing the details of the crash, he asked and was told about Timmons and Esposito. "Agent Timmons is in about the same condition as your son: concussion and contusions. I believe he also has a broken or badly sprained ankle. Agent Esposito…" The security agent took a deep breath, Ray was a friend. "Didn't make it. We retrieved the interior camera, he was able to maneuver the vehicle; looks like he moved the SUV, jammed on the brake and had the emergency brake on so the impact would be lessened for the cars around him. He not only saved the lives of the Assistant Director and Timmons but possibly the lives of other drivers and passengers." The agent swallowed hard and nodded once when he felt Gibbs' hand on his shoulder, "He was a good man."

"The best."

"His family…outside of NCIS?"

"Director Vance is notifying them; they repatriated to Cuba when things changed a few years ago."

Gibbs remembered Tim talking about Esposito's visit to the island, how excited he was to meet his great grandparents and other relatives. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he asked, "The driver?"

"Banged up but didn't require a trip to the hospital. His truck was rigged for interior safety while inflicting maximum damage to other vehicles; from the preliminary reports it sounds like a frigging tank. He's in custody, Agents Watson and Andreson will be interrogating him at 1400."

Jethro nodded, knowing Matt and Jeff would do an excellent job; after all, Tim had trained Matt. Finally letting himself think about his son, he internally sent thanks for his and Timmons' survival and said more prayers for Esposito and his family. Although a relatively short flight, it felt like hours before they landed on the pad atop the hospital. Inside he found Tim had already been admitted; Jethro was glad to see the level of security for him and Agent Timmons, also an overnight guest.

He smiled as he walked into his son's room; Damian was sitting with Tim, his hand on his arm. He gave the young man a hug and a first ever kiss on the head. Daim looked at him, "I couldn't leave him alone; Matt arranged this – I'm allowed to see Timmons too."

"You're a good brother, Daim, thank you."

Jethro walked to the other side of the bed, inspecting his child. There was gauze on his forehead from a cut they hadn't heard about, a cervical collar around his neck, bruises on his face and arms. Damian told him there were more on his torso and legs and that his knee, the one injured 7 years ago, was swollen but other than the cut on his forehead, no lacerations. Both Tim and Timmons had CT scans; if there were signs of spinal or other injuries, they'd also have MRIs but the doctors weren't expecting the need.

Damian went to see Timmons, whose wife was on her way home from a business trip to Seattle.

Jethro sat, gently taking Tim's hand. Leaning forward he spoke to him. "Tim, it's Dad. You're going to be all right son. Lina and the kids are fine, they know you're all right. Daim's here too, he's been sitting with you." He smoothed the sheets, making sure not to bump any bruised areas. Wishing he would wake up, he bent and gently kissed an unbruised portion of Tim's cheek. When he sat back, he smiled as Tim's eyelids fluttered, slowly opening. Tim squeezed his hand, "Dad."

"Hey son."

"Lina, kids and Rhea are ok?"

"Yeah - and looking forward to seeing you."

Tim blinked, "Gus? Ray?"

"Timmons is here, Damian is with him right now. He's in about the same shape you are. Esposito didn't make it, son."

Tim closed his eyes, quiet for a couple of minutes before he managed to say, "He saved us Dad. Ray and Gus saw the truck at the same time; Gus called for backup but Ray said there was no time, told us to jump. I saw the truck, Dad, it was going full speed; the guy knew what he was doing."

"Ray maneuvered the SUV and they think jammed the brakes so it would lessen the impact to everyone around you. And Tim, the dirtbag survived. Matt and Andreson are interrogating him today."

Knowing Tim was exhausted and wanting to give him support and privacy, Gibbs sat on the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around his son. Tim turned his head into his father's arms and let himself mourn his friend, colleague and protector. Gibbs held him quietly for long minutes until he heard even breaths and knew he was asleep. Damian returned, saying Mrs. Timmons had arrived and the two men sat silently together. A nurse came in to check vitals, encouraged to hear Tim had been awake and alert. She marked it on the chart, checked Tim's knee and left. Minutes later a doctor appeared, introducing herself and telling Gibbs and Damian if her patient continued to do as well as he was, he would indeed be released in the morning. After her visit, Gibbs left to give Vance an update and find a way to contact the camp to speak with his daughter-in-law. Vance was relieved to hear the news and gave him a number that would patch him through to Lina's cell without compromising security. He also told Gibbs all his NCIS kids knew of the crash and had been reassured that Tim escaped serious injury; Leon didn't know whether the rest of the family knew anything. Before they disconnected Jethro asked if it was possible for Damian, Timmons and his wife return to the camp with him and Leon answered in the affirmative. The next call was to Lina.

No matter what she'd been told, Lina was scared and worried. Rhea was with the children making lunch, leaving her to pace endlessly, remembering those awful days 7 years ago when Tim and the team were missing. She'd been frightened enough when she realized how serious the threat must be to mandate the kind of security measures offered by this...camp. She'd dreaded the week, hating being away from Tim. After lunch Rhea urged her to start one of her worry paintings. She thought she might later, but she'd spent too much time away from her children. Instead she hugged and kissed each child and then she and Rhea gathered their art supplies to help the kids express their own feelings.

When Jethro called, she tried not to cry as he spoke. She smiled a little when he told her about finding Damian with Tim, his vigil also including Timmons and then her heart broke as she heard that Ray Esposito had died protecting her husband.

XXX

After Gibbs spoke with Lina, he and Damian discussed making calls to Eva, Tea and Carla, knowing Matt was too busy and who knew what they'd heard on the news. Knowing Jethro would be calling the family, Damian volunteered and was not surprised to find Tea at Eva's house. Carla had heard about the attack from Matt as he ran out the door that morning and knowing her friends would want to know, she'd called Eva and Tea. Now when they heard Tim was alive and not seriously injured, Eva cried and Tea sighed in relief, telling Damian the media had reported one fatality but no names for anyone involved. They told Daim they'd alternate visiting Tim; as Hallie was napping and Athos would soon be home from school, Tea would come first.

While Damian was reassuring their friends, Jethro called Tony who picked up immediately. "Dad, you with Tim?"

"Yes. He's doing okay; he's got a bad headache and he's sore and sad, bruised up. They'll release him in the morning and we'll head back up to the mountains; Damian is going with us. Does everyone else know?"

"They don't. We Feds had a quick chat and decided not to tell anyone until we heard more. How's Lina doing?"

"Terrified, worried, torn between staying with the kids and coming with me. I guess I'll call Duck and…"

"Dad, we'll call the sibs, we just didn't know if you'd want to."

"Wish I had a laptop so I could show them he's breathing."

"You can do that from your phone; Damian can help you."

Gibbs snorted, "Hope I would have remembered that at some point, son."

"Been a bad day. Sorry about Esposito, how's Timmons?"

After updating him, Gibbs hung up and Damian found the video chat app on his own phone. First they called Lina and she, the kids and Rhea saw Tim although he was still asleep. While Gibbs did that from Damian's phone, Damian set up the video chat with the East Coast and the Thessaloniki family from Gibbs' phone, nodding at everyone as they joined the call. "Gibbs will be here soon, he's just talking with Lina and the kids."

Lina, the kids and Rhea joined the family chat so that they were all together, at least in cyberspace, while they broke the news to the others. Tim woke in time to say hello, greatly relieving his family. Tea and Janeese arrived while the family was still online and fussed a bit over Tim. Carla and Norm drove down after work and were there when Eva and Caleb arrived. Damian had a call from Kim and Evander while Jethro had one from Pete and Trina; they were able to say hello to Tim and the others. It was a reunion of sorts, although an unfortunate one. They'd all met Ray Esposito and Gus Timmons and were sad about Ray's death.

XXX

Although reassured by seeing and hearing her husband, Lina couldn't bear the thought of sleeping without him and Rhea felt the same about Jethro. The two women huddled under a quilt on the sofa all night long, neither one sleeping much.

XXX

By 8 AM Tuesday, Tim had seen Timmons who was also being released; while Gus thanked them for the offer of sanctuary he really just wanted to go home. With Tim's discharge papers and instructions for his care in Jethro's pocket, the three men, Damian was indeed joining them, were transported to the Navy base and then flown to the mountain compound. Except for the transfer from car to helicopter, Tim slept the entire way, waking when the helo touched down. He was helped out, frowning as he spotted the wheelchair he'd need to ride while his knee strain healed. He'd been very happy to hear it was just a painful strain with no breaks or tears; physical therapy in the form of swimming was recommended once the swelling was gone. He'd see their family doctor next week. Now he quipped to Lina, "I thought we were done with these!"

She kissed him again, saying "Me too but it's only for a few days." The kids had been cautioned to be careful with their dad and they gave him kisses and very gentle hugs. Then they pounced on their uncle and grandfather while Tim smiled, glad to be with his family. He stayed awake long enough to have some toast and soup before falling back to sleep.

XXX

While the others were caring for Tim, Matt and Jeff Andreson had a great deal of success interrogating the murderous driver. When told his main target had survived, his right eye twitched and his left leg started jiggling, a sure sign of nerves and fear. They didn't mention that his survival and arrest was not released to the media; the news continued to report one fatality and names had still not been released. They waited patiently continuing to question him until his nerves overwhelmed him; he asked for protection and then spilled what names and information he knew. With that information, the task force split into shifts, working 24/7, determined to nail the bastards.

By Wednesday, Tim was calling for status reports which cheered his staff although they knew there was a long way to go before bringing their missing people home and the miscreants to justice. While Tim was more or less cabin-bound, the other adults alternated taking the kids out and around. They went biking on Wednesday, Zoe riding with Poppy, stopping at a cool mountain waterfall safe enough for them to slide down into the pool of water below. After they played in the water and ate their picnic lunch, they once again climbed on the mountain bikes and headed back to the resort. The other days they hiked and swam, always with extra security along. By Friday it was safe to return home and were told there'd be a service for Esposito on Saturday; the head of NCIS security contacted Tim personally to advise him the service was safe for him to attend. By the time their transport arrived late Friday morning, the family was packed; more than ready to go home.

XXX

Tim, Lina, Andy and Anna, Poppy and Rhea, Matt and Damian, Carla and Nick Hardister attended the service on Saturday while Janeese, Eva, Tea and Hallie stayed with the younger children. Andy and Anna were insistent on going, pointing out that Agent Esposito had protected them too; they wanted his family to know he'd helped them. After a brief discussion with Security, the kids were approved. Leon and Tim spoke at length about Leon flying out but in the end the decision against him attending was made by Secretary Porter. She wasn't enthusiastic about Tim attending but knew that would be a futile argument.

The family arrived early at St. Joseph's Cathedral, and Tim spent a few private minutes with the Esposito family. When the rest of the family was also invited to meet with them, Andy was relieved; he'd been prepared to stand in front of everyone to tell them what their friend and protector meant to their family but saying it in private was much better. Anna presented them with photos of Esposito grinning, surrounded by the McGee children and one from Christmas that included the triplets, Athos, Alitta and Hallie. She also had a picture the kids had done together for his parents, of their friend in heaven receiving his halo and being given a star of his own for his work and sacrifice. Each McGee signed the back with love and thanks. Weeks later, Ray's parents received a handwritten note from Tim, telling them his Gemcity penname and that he would dedicate his next book to their son.

The service was crowded with NCIS agents and employees, federal agents from many agencies, Navy and Marine Brass, local police departments, sheriff and Highway Patrol as well as Ray's friends and family. With so many people there were no speakers except for those involved in the service but guests who continued to the reception were asked to write their thoughts in the Memory books provided.

Tim returned to work on Monday, glad to find more progress made over the weekend as the teams pulled together the information needed to bust the people named by the man who murdered Esposito. In addition the sources for the deposits into the traitors' offshore accounts had been identified. Moving very quietly, waiting until he was alone, one of the suspected traitors was taken into custody by the FBI and kept isolated. Tim and Matt flew to San Francisco on Tuesday to handle his interrogation.

Tim took his time with the man, laying out all the charges, ensuring the traitor understood what he was up against, that is, among other things, charges of treason and domestic terrorism. That meant either a death penalty or a life sentence spent in the maximum facility at Guantanamo Bay. The traitor was in his 40s with a family who would have to live with the consequences of his crime. Once broken, he started talking, giving them new information and names; in the Observation room Matt and Ron sent several texts. By the time Tim limped out with his cane, those names were being scrutinized and warrants were being prepared.

While the Task Force handled the newest information, the extended McGee family and their friends prepared for the annual trek to Greece. Almost everyone was going this year and Tim was pleased that Lydia Worden would be joining them for what he thought might be the last time the two of them would travel together. Rose Peters was the interim leader for the Task Force while Tim was away; she'd promised to contact him with any breaking news of consequence.

Tim left work Wednesday night, feeling guilty but knowing the work would progress without him, he was as expendable as anyone else. By the time he got home, he had shaken off the mood, looking forward to the trip. Security was increased even more and Timmons insisted on going with them. There would be other agents on the island but Timmons was feeling itchy about trusting anyone else, especially with the children. Two of the agents would be housed with the McGees, others would be at the 'island big house', scattered with the other vacationers and in town. While Tim's regular security would join them on the charter, the other agents would travel via 'Air Marine' and some of them were already there, doing reconnaissance. Rusty alerted Dimitri Avramidis, the Piraeus Chief of Police, the police presence on Aegina and Ted and Jack before listing the extra security details as temporarily attached to NCIS: Athens.

Matt, Damian and the Hofstadlers arrived Wednesday night after work, staying at the big house. Early Thursday morning, the Gibbses, McGees and Hardisters piled their luggage into the Hardisters' van while Matt and Daim put theirs in the Hofstadlers', climbing in with the triplets. The Hardisters were alone in their van for the moment, Tea and her family would join them along the route to the airfield.

The Gibbses climbed in the back of the McGees' van with Andy, then the rest of the kids climbed into their car seats, Lina and Tim got in and away they went. The caravan first went to Del Mar to pick up the Hardisters' passengers before continuing on. This year, they'd arranged for secure parking at the FOB so they could leave all three vans and not have to mess with rental vehicles and the additional security measures those would mean. They met Alexis, Cole and Lydia at the FOB and as soon as the luggage was sorted, their passports and paperwork verified against the flight manifest, they boarded. Stranzel and Uhl, the new security agents, boarded last, watching the luggage as it was loaded. The hatches were closed, locked and the jet rolled down the runway.

The first leg of the flight was quiet as the kids slept and the adults read or also napped, enjoying the peace and quiet and knowing it wouldn't last. When they reached the airfield in metro DC, they heard they had 50 minutes so everyone but the security team stayed aboard. When they'd gathered in San Diego, Timmons knew everyone. Here in DC the new guys climbed out to meet the Palmer family, Brian Metzger, Rob and Ned's two foster daughters Melody and Sasha, Emma DiNozzo, Colonel Barnes, Bec's cousins Charlotte and Lucy and the two eldest Russell offspring Stephan and Phoebe Russell. Stephan was taking a break from his med school studies and Phoebe was now a NCIS field agent. Just finished with her probationary year, she was taking leave before reporting to her new team as their junior.

Once again beating the deadline, the jet took off for the longest leg of the trip. When they were at altitude, Rob and Ned brought the girls around to meet the Hardisters, Matt, Damian, Tea, Adan, Lydia and the Hofstadlers. Melody was excited that there were more kids her age: the triplets were not quite eight, Gemma was seven and Violet was almost six and a half. Sasha was happy to see Zoe again, as they were only a few months apart with Davey a little behind them.

Gemma and Violet were doubly happy that Melody was along as they'd miss their buddy Athos this year. Eva and Caleb would go again next year if they were still in the U.S.; however this year they were housesitting for the McGees as Athos and Alitta now knew how to swim. Afraid this would be their last year abroad, they'd decided to take road trips around California and the West while school was out. Once their housesitting duties were done, they'd head north to Yosemite and San Francisco and also had a trip planned to the Grand Canyon.

While everyone got settled and caught up with each other, lunch was served, followed by their first exercise of the flight. It was fun having Stephan and Phoebe back with them along with Jared, Callum, Ainsley and Ethan.

Tim spent time with his godparents, aunt, uncle and grandparents, reassuring them that he was all right. He'd brought the cane to help with the stairs but his knee was much better, his headaches were gone and the bruises fading although they would be visible once he switched to his vacation attire: shorts, tee shirt and because of his knee, sandals instead of flip flops.

After a nap, the writing crew gathered at the back of the plane; despite their hard work and creativity they were still not done with the book although they had only to write the last piece of the last chapter and then the epilogue. They'd put it off knowing it would be more fun to finish it together and then announce it to the rest of the group, most of whom still didn't know. And for this last stretch, they'd also include the 'secondary' teams.

The flight landed in Athens and the group waved happily at Evander, Davos, Hélène, Pete, Trina, Joel and Carol Morris who were there to welcome them along with Adan's parents. With a few exceptions they had the same rentals they'd had in previous years on the island. Matt and Damian had moved to a smaller cottage so the Perrys would have room for toddler Lucy to run around and Charlotte would be more comfortable on the days she didn't feel up to going out. They'd be next door to the Powells, handy so Fiona and Lucy could spend time together. Rob and Ned were first time renters and were in the cottage the DiNozzos had occupied before the Colonel and Emma joined them. Ziva and Brian had a cottage to themselves.

Joel and Carol said hello to everyone before sweeping Lydia away; they'd travel to the island later for several days. Adan's father waved to everyone after he'd greeted his son, daughter-in-law and little Hallie; he knew his kids were regarded as family by some of this group and he still remembered the dancing at their wedding.

Evander smiled as Jethro and Pete whistled to quiet the crowd; he waited a minute and then started calling out names for keys. Once Tim had their keys, he checked his phone for any updates on the case.

There was one, from Rose Peters, and it said "Stop checking, you're on vacation! If we need you, we'll go through Rusty."

He laughed to himself, looking up as a school bus drove onto the tarmac and the group got busy loading the luggage. Davos and Jim volunteered to ride the bus and soon disappeared in the direction of the ferry dock. The others chuckled as more school buses turned onto the tarmac, ready for transport. Grandfa smiled, "It's only a few minutes' ride and this is much easier than the vans!" They climbed on and were quickly at the dock.

Rob and Ned were having a great time, not only were they returning to Greece for the first time since Ned's transfer, they were thoroughly enjoying watching Melody and Sasha's reactions to everything, starting with the flight and then meeting the rest of the extended family. School buses weren't new to the girls although riding them with grownups was and both girls were excited about riding on a boat! Poppy and Nonnie spent a lot of time on the flight and on the boat with them. That was fun and quite necessary: the girls knew the Virginia family pretty well – the Powells, Palmers, DiNozzos, Penny, Mallards, Hubbards and Cranes but they'd been brand new to the family when they'd met the McGees and their Gibbs grandparents and they'd only just met the Perrys, Ziva, Brian, Damian and Matt on the flight. They were still confused as to the relationships but on the flight over the other kids assured them that they'd get to understand the family better during vacation.

The McGee kids and their cousin Alexis cheered when they got on the ferry and spotted Besiana, Jak and their dads. The cheering got even louder when their Greek cousins, aunts and uncles boarded right behind them. Alexis made a beeline for her parents and little brother and the rest of the crowd smiled at the happy reunion. The 'new kids' watched and then Melody tugged on Ned's hand. "Papa, are those people ours too?"

He chuckled, "They are Aunt Lina's family from Greece and Macedonia. They're part of our extended family. Got your map?"

Melody nodded and pulled out an updated copy of the family 'map' Ethan had made years ago. Papa told her a few of the names; she found them on the map and traced them to Aunt Lina. But the two older kids, Bes…something and Jak, were also connected to Anna and Gemma. Papa nodded when she pointed it out, "Yes, they're biological cousins."

He explained how the four kids had been adopted and Melody squinted, not sure she understood and then decided she'd figure it out later or ask the cousins. Then Sasha came back from the restroom with Dad and they walked up the stairs to the upper deck.

Geordie was up there with Lucy in his arms, showing her the ocean. She squealed and clapped her hands when a sailboat nearly flew by and Geo laughed, remembering his brother's love of the kids' squeals when they were little. James appeared at the railing next to him, Fiona in his arms. "Hey Geo, thought our baby girls should spend a little time together."

Fiona and Lucy stared at each other and then Fiona smiled, leaned forward and patted Lucy. Lucy giggled and a friendship was born.

Pappouli and Yayaka had their arms full of Jorry and Sean; Andy and the girls were hanging out with their cousins and the DiNozzos and Lina was with Chloe so Tim took Zoe and Davey up top to look for mermaids, dolphins and whales. They smiled as they saw Geo and James with the family's current toddlers. "Ahoy there, mates! Spotted any whales?"

Geo smiled, "Not yet, but we did see a sailboat!" Lucy babbled something and Zoe looked at her uncle. "She says it was flying!"

The men smiled and nodded, glad to know they had a toddler-speak interpreter with them.

As they entered Aegina's main harbor the group reformed into their family units. After they docked and the gangplank was secured Ned, Matt and Tony made sure the right luggage went onto the school bus and then Matt and Tony went with it, taking Evander's list of renters and their rental addresses. The rest of them climbed aboard the other buses and trundled off to their vacation homes.

It didn't take long for the McGees to get settled in, they knew where everything went. They waited somewhat patiently while the new security team (Timmons was staying next door) checked out the house before following their usual arrival routine. Suitcases sorted, clothes unpacked, gather in the kitchen for a quick snack and then off to the grocery store. Pappouli and Yayaka came over to stay with the three older kids while Tim and Lina took Sean, Jorry and Zoe with them. They'd noticed one addition to their vacation home, a red wagon they found in the spare room and loading the three kids in, pulled it to the store. As they shopped they greeted some of the townspeople and a few of their group; the locals commented on the three children, how big they were getting and were pleased by the kids' responses in Greek. The groceries rode home in the wagon, pulled by the children, with a little help from their parents. Back home, Yaya had helped Anna, Gemma and Andy find and wash the slow cooker and the various pans they'd need for their dinner that evening. Working together, Tim and Lina got their entrée into the cooker and then set the timer for the next insertion of ingredients. As none of them were sleepy yet, they decided to take a walk on the beach. Tim and Lina chuckled when they got to the path and the kids automatically stopped.

"What?"

The kids grinned as Andy told their parents, "This is when you remind us of the rules!"

Lina's eyes sparkled, "How about this year you tell us?"

They remembered all of them, including Claire's rule about the splash battles and at the end Zoe hung her head, "And I hafta have an adult with me all the time." She looked up at her parents, "Do I still? I'm almost 4!"

Her parents nodded but her dad added, "Yes, you still have to but we'll take you further into the water this year, how's that? And don't forget your adult can be a big kid: Alexis, Ainsley, Jared, Kayla, Kyra, Lukas, Ross, Besiana, Callum, Ethan, Stephan or Phoebe."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled, "That's lots of big kids…yay!"

That taken care of, the kids looked at their parents again and giggled at the look on Dad's face, they knew he was up to something. Tim looked at Lina, "You race the kids to the big rock!" She grinned back at him, "You're on!"

She grabbed Zoe who squealed in surprise and they took off, the rest of the kids racing after them. Andy passed Lina, he'd had a growth spurt this spring and won the race, Tim limping in last with his cane. Once at the big rock, Tim kicked his sandals off and the kids cheered, finally noticing the towel Lina had draped around her waist like a belt. Shoes off, they headed for the wavelets lapping onto the sand. They splashed around for several minutes before Anna realized how much she was yawning. She turned to say something just as her mama called out, "Enough for now, time for a nap!" They took turns more or less drying their feet and then put their sandals back on as the sand was already hot and they knew from experience the paved path would be too hot without shoes. After another little snack and beverage, the 8 of them had to fight to keep from laying their heads on the table to sleep right there.

Tim's phone chimed with a call three hours later and he reached to the bedside table for it without even opening his eyes. He cleared his throat as he answered, "Hello?"

"Tim, it's Rusty, sorry if I woke you." Tim rose and quietly walked out of the bedroom, heading for the spare room, belatedly remembering Uhl and Stranzel were using it this year. However, when he spied Uhl asleep in the living room and Stranzel guarding the backdoor he shrugged and went on into the room.

"Ok, now I've got privacy. Don't worry about waking me - got news?"

"Yeah, good news, Agent Peters thought you'd want to hear right away. There's a Petty Officer who got away from her kidnappers this morning. She was knocked out last night and apparently woke before she was supposed to, kept her wits about her. She got a good look at them, said they were asleep or passed out - she thought they'd been partying; anyway she sneaked out a window and got back to her ship, told the Agent Afloat who got her on the composite software right away. Turns out our sailor has a photographic memory, she did such a good job that facial recognition picked up on one of the kidnappers within an hour and the second one a few minutes later. The task force is backgrounding them now to see if we can get any more names in the food chain. And the Shore Patrol picked them up, they were still passed out, stoned out of their gourds. With any luck we'll get information from them too."

"Great, Rusty. Is the Petty Officer all right?"

"She has a few bruises but she'll be all right and whatever they drugged her with should be out of her system by now. Looks like that's pretty sophisticated; the task force is working on tracking it."

"And she fits the profile?"

"Yes, she does, to a 'T'."

"Thank God she's safe and let her know she has new friends – all of NCIS! Actually, do you have contact information for the Agent Afloat?"

"Sure, Agent Peters said you'd want it."

He gave it to Tim who had one last question, "Has the Director been briefed?"

"I'm not sure, I do know Peters said she was going to send you an e-mail but wanted you to hear the news first."

"I'll check my e-mail then. Thanks, man, it's a relief to know she escaped and that she gave us the leads we needed!"

He disconnected and checked his e-mail to find a one line message from Rose: "I haven't briefed Vance, let me know if you do not want to and I'll give him the sitrep." The time stamp showed it'd arrived in Tim's inbox less than 30 minutes ago. He sent a reply telling her he'd update their boss and then sent Leon a text asking for a call. He thought the smiley face he included might pique his interest. His answer was a ping on his laptop. Leon was using his phone for the video chat and from what Tim could see he was in a room that was definitely not NCIS.

"Timothy, I could have sworn you were away on a two week vacation!"

"Got some good news just now and since I'm usually the one with the bad news, my deputy gave me the option of briefing you."

"Good news is always welcome."

Tim updated him and watched for his reaction. He imagined Leon's smile was just as big as his had been.

"Good, we're getting even more traction on this."

"Yes. I'm going to make a quick call to the 'Float; want to congratulate our sailor and thank her."

"Good idea. Unfortunately, I'm on the Hill, they're waiting for me."

"Mm, have fun with that."

"Uh huh."

Next Tim put a call into the Agent Afloat. "Agent Rogers, this is Special Agent Tim McGee. I've just been briefed about Petty Officer Davies' kidnapping and escape. Is it possible to have a quick word with her and Captain Stack or the XO?"

"Agent Peters told me you'd probably want to do that so I took the liberty of speaking with the Captain and the answer is yes. If you'll hold on, I'll bring them in or we can call you back."

"I'll hold."

Tim was just opening one of the chapters of the group manuscript when the 'Float returned. "Here we are sir."

Tim smiled, nodding at the Petty Officer and her Captain, "Captain Stack, Petty Officer Davies, my name is Special Agent McGee and I just want to tell you how happy we are that the Petty Officer escaped with no serious injuries although that shiner looks painful."

"I'll be all right Agent McGee, thank you. Got lucky I guess."

"I seriously doubt that, Petty Officer. What you did took guts and you've not only saved your own life, you've also potentially saved many others. Captain Stack, thank you for allowing me the chance to speak to your Petty Officer, she's a hero to all of us at NCIS! And also for getting your Shore Patrol to the crime scene so quickly."

The captain nodded his appreciation and Tim turned to Agent Rogers, "Special Agent Rogers, congratulations for your quick thinking and lightning fast work – good job! Before I go, what's happening with the kidnappers?"

"They're in the brig under our tightest security. We have the cooperation of local law enforcement who are helping guard the pier and a team will be here tomorrow to take the prisoners off our hands."

"Wonderful, and I apologize that I didn't take the time to ask your position."

"Naples."

Tim barked a laugh, "Agent Rogers, is the team leader you're expecting by any chance Agent Stan Burley?"

"Yes, it is and he said that along with his team there will be agents from another agency, Agents Edwards and Hughes."

"Excellent, I've worked with Burley, Edwards and Hughes many times."

"Here in Europe Agent McGee?"

"Yes Captain. Burley and I were trained by the same Team Lead and he and I worked together when I was Team Lead in the Athens office for several years. That's also when I worked with Agents Edwards and Hughes. Well, I'm taking too much of your time, great job all of you; Petty Officer Davies, this may sound a bit strange but know that you have many new friends, all NCIS agents. Not just because you did a stellar job in saving your own life but because we've been working to bust this kidnapping ring and you've given us the information we need to move in on the leaders. Captain Stack, Petty Officer Davies, Agent Rogers, congratulations again!"

As he reached to hit the disconnect button he heard Agent Rogers say "Thank you Assistant Director McGee!"

He chuckled as he saw the surprise on the Captain's face. Then he sighed, he'd give anything to be on that operation, to be one of the agents delivering the dirt bags. But he knew his security team would hogtie him and leave him locked in a dark room before they'd allow him to get on a plane to Naples. And that was their job and the reason his security had been increased; the reason Esposito died was this case. He would not dishonor his sacrifice by taking unnecessary risks.

He thought back to the last memorable bust he'd been on, had to be the hit & run in Preston, the one they solved for the Fallon office, a very satisfying end to his field career.


	250. Chapter 250

CH 250

He logged off his laptop and closed it, unless something even more momentous happened he wouldn't need it again. Not for work anyway. Still smiling, he found Lina in the kitchen and saw that she was not happy with him. He pulled her into his arms for a hug, probably a mistake but oh well. "Got a huge break on the big bad case. Took me all of 20 minutes and most of that was to congratulate the people who made the break possible. Done now."

She shrugged, "So you say."

"Lina…yes, so I say and honey, if I'm to continue moving forward, this is going to happen. I'll keep it as contained as possible, but there will be times I have to stop and handle things, take time away from you and the kids. There will be times when some stubborn politician or some nasty case will demand more time than I have to give. But Lina, the choice is still ours to make. I can step away from the path, return to just the SSAIC position but I'll need to let Leon know soon."

"How soon?"

Tim was shocked; since they first met Lina had not only been supportive of his career path, at times she'd been the one who had convinced him to continue. Mentally shaking away those thoughts, he focused on the rest of the changes Leon would be making to get everyone in place and what work he'd have to do to hand off his AD responsibilities to another agent, "By the end of September."

She nodded, "So we have time to talk some more."

He sighed, "Yes love." He remembered something she'd told him last year after their decision to go to Greece. "Lina…you told me that I need to push back when I need to and I feel this is one of those times because as tough as things are in my work right now, I've grown to like my job and I get better at it every day. I know it's really difficult right now with Ray's death and Timmons' and me getting hurt fresh on our minds but Lina I'm still making a difference, still participating in helping our Navy and Marines and their families, putting bad guys away. So yeah we can talk about it… but this is big and now more than ever I need my partner, we need to be in sync." He leaned over to kiss her cheek and then walked from the room.

The kids were still asleep and Lina had already added the next set of ingredients to the slow cooker; there was nothing Tim needed to do. He was still smarting…all right, he'd admit he was upset with Lina's attitude. Deciding he needed a walk by himself, alone, he had his cane in hand and was reaching for the door handle when he stopped. They needed time alone, as husband and wife, friends and lovers, partners. Because as hard as he'd fought against it, he'd been preoccupied with the case and he couldn't even talk with her about it; hell he'd had to send them away for a week to keep them safe and look what had happened. He didn't blame her for being upset, he'd worry more if she took it all in stride.

Turning around, he went to find her. She was in their room looking for her sketch book. He spoke softly, "LinaMelina? Would you like to go for a walk – together, us two?" She turned toward him and he took two steps to her, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry honey, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault! I'm the one who snapped at you and I am sorry."

"And I'm the one who's alive only because someone else sacrificed his life to save me. I'm the one who hasn't been around much, who had to send you and the kids away so you could be safe and have some fun."

"I hate that place."

"Oh Lina." He held her close, "Sweetheart, we can't do this. We have to find a way to have time together."

He looked at her, "Come on, let's get out of here for a while." She nodded as she wiped her eyes, "I'll call Mama and Papa."

While he waited, he thought for possibly the hundredth time about the ramifications of taking on the directorship. Not only would he have the agency to run, he'd also be at the beck and call of the Secretary of the Navy, presumably the White House and apparently all of Congress. The noose was getting tighter; they thought Leon would wait until the end of the next school year to retire…he hoped…but that really didn't leave much time. He and Lina needed to decide what was best for them, for their family. Saying no would mean no transfer back to DC, which would be all right with him and he thought Lina too. But then what about the house and the McGee Family Home, how would they contribute to that? The kids were excited about the possibility of seeing their cousins, aunts and uncles more than once or twice a year and he'd also hoped to see his siblings, their partners, his nieces and nephews more often. He'd love to continue as SSAIC of San Diego, he supposed he wouldn't even mind remaining as the Assistant Director as long as he never had to step up. They could still retire when he turned 55 and move back to Greece. And the positions everyone else would be moved into would be fine, excellent for each one's career. He backtracked, the choice of AD would be up to the Director, just as he had planned to ask Lydia to step into the position. She'd need a SSAIC spot somewhere first but then he wouldn't have a say in that if he was not the Director. He wouldn't have a say in anything at the agency. He wouldn't even be guaranteed San Diego!

He snapped out of his reverie when his father-in-law wrapped an arm across his shoulders. "Ah, I have missed you Timotheos and grateful you are alive and healing. When we go home with you, we'll stay for a long time. Neither of us likes being away!"

Tim smiled at Davos, "We missed you too – a lot! And Dad and Rhea were lost without you two and the Greats."

"This nasty case, is that what caused your injury?" He held up a hand, "I know you cannot talk about it."

Tim nodded without saying anything. Davos gave him a hug, "We knew there would be difficult times, son, and this is one of them. Go on, spend some time with my daughter, I would like to see her smile again – and you too!"

Tim kissed him on the cheek as he reached for Lina's hand, "We'll be back…"

Hélène made a noise, "Come back when you are ready! We'll leave you some dinner if you're late."

The couple walked out the backdoor, noticing Stranzel waiting for them. Lina sighed when she saw him and Tim shook his head, "These are extraordinary measures, you know that. Once the Big Bad is finished we'll go back to our semi-private lives."

His attempt at humor worked because she smiled and said, "All right, let's talk about something else, after all, we came here to relax and reconnect."

"Feels good, doesn't it, to walk on the beach? I can't even remember the last time you and I did this at home, without the kids."

"It feels like our lives have been difficult for so many months now; since I left for Barcelona."

They wrapped their arms around each other's waists, staying close as they walked. Tim agreed with Lina, the past 18 months had been tough; thinking back he thought it had really started when the kids had the flu and she nodded her agreement. Tim took a breath and plunged ahead with something else he'd been worried about.

"Lina…do you still want another child?"

She was quiet for a few steps before replying. "Originally I wanted us to have four children- four of our own babies. And like you, I also wanted to bring in as many lost children as we could, to love and care for them, give them a home. But I see now that was an idealistic dream. I'm happy with our family as it is. If there are additional children who need us then we'll find a way but I'm satisfied with Jorrin and Zoe as our biological children. I know that if he or she had lived we would have loved our little sprout and never given it another thought, but it didn't work out that way."

Tim had worried about that, about Lina still wanting another baby. He agreed with what she said and then decided to change the subject to something more positive.

"So when we move back here, where do you want to live? In or around Athens or do you want to go north to Thessaloniki?"

She looked at him, surprised. "Here! I hope we'll find a place in Piraeus again, or possibly Athens. But Zoe, Sean and Jorry will still be in school, I'd like them to go to the International School."

"All right, so we're not living on Aegina."

"That would be wonderful except for the hour long ferry ride to the rest of the world!"

He chuckled, "Good point. Be more fun to visit when we want to."

"There are other considerations."

"Such as?"

"Gram, Grandfa and Penny will be quite elderly by then, in their 90s. I worry about separating them from the rest of the family and making an 11 hour flight may be difficult more than once or twice a year."

"They'd want to be out of the snow in the winter and wherever the family is during the summer and holidays."

"Yes, exactly! If we were to stay in San Diego, they could spend the winter with us. But if we're in Virginia, only Damian and Matt will be left in Southern California." She looked at his face and saw that no, the couple would likely not still be in California. "Well Norm and Carla might still be there."

Tim nodded before asking, "You're thinking we need a nice warm location for them to spend winters?"

"Yes! And we can spend Christmases there so they don't have to fly anywhere."

"Ok, Florida maybe."

"That would do but who…oh, I suppose you can't tell me."

"Let's say it is possible." He paused, "Say the Greats are in Florida during the cold weather, then are they flying to Greece for the summer?"

Lina twisted her lips, "There are a few scenarios. One, yes, they fly to Greece for the spring and summer and autumn. Of course that will depend on graduations, and there will be a lot of those! But if nothing is scheduled they could be there as early as April, after Easter. Then they fly back to Florida before winter sets in."

"Ok. That's two flights a year and they're bypassing Virginia altogether."

"Yes. The second scenario is…they spend winters in Florida but don't go to Greece until we do, in the summer."

"We're still talking after I've retired, right?" She nodded. "So we're not living in Greece fulltime?" He made a face, "Please tell me we're not spending winters in snow country still."

She shrugged, "Perhaps that should be Option #3 then and option #2 is we fly from Athens to Florida for Christmas every year and then home again before school resumes in January."

Tim made another face, "I see your point. The kids need to go to school somewhere and we can't very well pull them out during the term to go to our other home." He laughed, "I think the easiest option is to stay in San Diego!"

"Yes, but…is there a possibility of moving NCIS HQ to San Diego?"

He shook his head, "No, unfortunately, that's not going to happen."

"Then unless we decide to stay, San Diego is not a long term solution and we'll need to figure this out."

Tim nodded, "But we have several years to do so – and you and I don't have to figure out the Greats' schedule, only ours."

"Yes and as far as the children go there's an International School in the DC metro area, one that's affiliated with the Athens school."

"You think the course work would be the same, the same schedule?"

"I think we should make inquiries."

"Sure be easier on the kids and us." Changing the subject again, he asked about her latest series of paintings, currently displayed in Taylor Ganier's gallery in New Orleans and in an affiliated gallery in San Francisco. Additional works were showing at a prestigious gallery in New York, in Chicago, London and several smaller galleries in the U.S. and throughout Europe.

"They're doing quite well. He hopes I will have more. And that's another thought I've had. As the children get older, we could take them to different places in Europe while we're here. Say next year we have the charter drop us off in Rome for a few days or we leave Greece early and they pick us up there."

Tim twisted his lips, "Or we leave home early and fly to Rome and the charter picks us up there so we don't miss any time in Greece."

"Yes of course we can do that. They're old enough now to experience more of Europe than Aegina!"

"That sounds like fun! We'll have to beef up our splurge account to pay for it but it'd be worth it. You know, a great first place would be England. If George and Edith are home, we could visit Castleton and London. And the new store in Manchester!" Nicolas had finally opened his dream store in the UK and it was doing quite well.

"That's a wonderful idea! We could take them to your dinosaur beach in Cardiff and to Stonehenge….hmmm."

"What?"

"Where else do we have family or friends?"

He laughed, "Macedonia! And don't you know someone in Switzerland?"

She shook her head, "She's moved to Italy but that's another idea – and Spain, we could go to Barcelona! All right, that's three or four places to visit. We can plan later."

"I have another question for you."

"Yes my love?"

"What do you want to do this year while we're here?"

"You have ideas?"

"I don't know if my knee would agree but I thought we could rent bikes one day and how about going kayaking in that bay we saw last year, remember we saw a group out there?"

"Yes, oh, that would be fun, all of it! And a sail!"

"Yes, definitely a sail. And how about a hike one day? If we do all our extra stuff in the morning then the kids can have all afternoon on the beach with the gang. And if the Powell gang want to come with us they can bring their parents too."

"That will certainly lessen the whining – I mean the children, not Sarah!"

They laughed and then added a few other ideas to their list, including teaching the children some of the traditional Greek dances. When the kids heard the fun ideas they cheered and as Saturday was their annual Fourth of July celebration, the family decided to start their new activities Sunday after church. Miniature or pee-wee golf would be first and the kids wanted to include their cousins. Lina sent out a text to everyone in the group, letting them know the plan and advising that if their children wanted to play, parents needed to be with them.

Friday night when the stars were blanketing the sky the McGees and the Grands went for a walk on the beach. Taking their beach towels, they laid out on the sand and looked at the thousands of twinkling lights, having fun identifying or learning to identify the constellations. That was a very satisfying way to end their long day!

Their celebration Saturday was as much fun as ever. They wore their "Happy Birthday USA" tee-shirts and swim suits, had the first splash battle of the trip, ate burgers and 'dogs, had cake and ice cream and ooh'd and ahh'd at the fireworks. Melody and Sasha had a wonderful time playing with their dads, all the kids, aunts and uncles while toddlers Fiona and Lucy had fun playing in the sand and the water on the shoreline.

Tim and Pete had some time together on Sunday when they went for a long walk. Pete pointedly did not ask about the case for which Tim was grateful; the friends talked about their families, their plans: as it turned out the Russells and the McGees were planning to visit the East Coast at Thanksgiving. Kyra and Lukas would be with their parents and they'd stay with Phoebe or Stephan or a combination of the two. Pete felt bad about deserting the NCIS agents, but they missed having their kids together for the holiday. They'd already told Kim, Rusty and the others.

Tim shook his head when he heard. "We're feeling bad leaving our bunch behind in California and Norm and Carla are the only Americans among them!"

Pete pointed out Matt but Tim smiled, "Nope, Matt and the West Coast Kalivas' are coming with us and possibly Nick and Janeese. Their daughter's delayed honeymoon will happen over Thanksgiving, their son's working in Japan and they like hanging out with all of us. We're hoping to go with a small charter."

Pete snorted, "Spoiled, aren't you?"

Tim laughed, "Oh yeah. But seriously, traveling with 6 kids on a commercial flight is…challenging, especially when they're also used to charters."

Monday, several of them crossed to the mainland to visit George's MMA class and eat at the Flying Pig. The Avramidis brothers would visit the island over the weekend but Tim, Matt, Bec and Ned always liked to visit the studio and say hello to Dimitri at the FP afterward.

Tuesday's dinner was split into two 'sittings', both held at the McGees' house: one for the children between 3 and 16 and the second for the adults, the young adults and the babies, who'd already eaten. The kids had a great time, some of them remembering the 'kids' dinners' they'd had the week before Tim and Lina's wedding. Steve and Tad remembered that they'd been a little shy and sat close to their older siblings, Uncle Tim and Aunt Lina. Zander remembered the pizza party they'd had for the kids one night when Pappouli and Yayaka were watching him, Steve, Dimitri and Tad. The kids who'd made dinner for the adults over the previous Thanksgiving holiday told the others about that and they laughed at the story of the "worms and eyeballs" meal.

The adults had as much fun, enjoying having the young adults with them. Ethan felt a little strange without the younger kids, in that group he was the eldest, in this group he was the youngest but Callum and Ainsley were there and he was comfortable with them.

They were cleaning up when Tim's phone chimed with a call. He looked at the caller id and mouthed "Vance" to Lina as he walked outside to the front of the house.

"Hello sir."

"Hello, Tim, am I interrupting anything? Dinner, fire pit, bedtime stories?"

"We've finished eating and I cooked so no cleanup for me; you're not interrupting. What's up?"

"I updated Secretary Porter this morning and she wants you here in DC while I'm on vacation. For one thing, the budget committee wants an update from you on the Big Bad and that's scheduled for the Tuesday after you leave Greece. For another, Porter would prefer that you manage the takedown from DC and yes, that is politics and image. And thirdly, she'd rather have you here while you're Acting Director."

"For the length of your vacation?"

"Yes. I thought maybe your family would stay in your Virginia house while you're here."

"Hmm, I'll have to discuss this with Lina - I mean the family part. What date are you returning to work?" Vance told him while Tim tried to remember what date the kids were returning to school. "I guess you don't need to know if Lina and the kids will be in Virginia or California, as long as I'm aboard the Navy Yard. Tuesday after our return means you won't be on the Hill."

"No, the SecNav will be there."

"All right…geez, I've only got beach and casual clothes here!"

"I thought about that, one of the reasons I called early. Hopefully someone at home has a key to the house and can ship some of your suits."

Tim chuckled, "Yes, Eva and Caleb are housesitting so we can do that and maybe I'll visit Archimedes."

"Good! You'll also need your tux as there's a formal dinner at the White House while I'm away; Secretary Porter's office has informed them that you should be invited in my place. So if Lina stays she'll need an appropriate outfit." Vance took a breath. "Think of this as a trial run, Tim. You haven't said anything outright, but I've gathered from various conversations that you have serious doubts about stepping into this position and I'm glad you're questioning it. No one should take the center seat lightly and you can't really know what it is until you're here, so this should help. And Tim, if you and Lina decide against it, that's fine. I believe you're the right one for the job but I'll respect your decision and you won't hurt my feelings! If you do decide to take a pass, I trust that you'll let me know as soon as you know. Also, I'm guessing that if the answer is no you'll want to stay in San Diego as the SSAIC?"

Tim swallowed before speaking, "Yes sir, that would be my hope…and we'll make our decision by the end of September."

"Thank you for that." They talked further before ending the call; turning to get Lina, Tim found her quite near him. She gave him a tentative smile, "I asked Matt check to see if your conversation was classified; when he said he didn't think so I came out to wait."

Tim relayed his orders to work from DC while Leon was on vacation and the date he'd return to work. Lina pulled her calendar up on her phone. "That still gives us 10 days at home before school starts. We could either shop here, there or wait until we get home."

"So you want to stay with me?"

She laughed, "Of course! We'll all love it, well you'll have to work but the rest of us can explore and I'll have new places to sketch and photograph - and we can see how your job goes."

Tim rolled his eyes, "Leon knows we're having doubts; he says that's a good thing and that yes, we should consider this a trial run. And… there's a White House dinner we'll be invited to so we'll need our fancy clothes!" He suddenly grinned, "If I didn't know what a stretch that would be, I might think he set this whole thing up with Secretary Porter." Linking hands, they went back inside. They'd tell the kids first, then the Grands, Greats and the siblings. In the overall scheme of things it wasn't a huge deal, but it was sort of exciting and a welcome change from the stress and sorrow of the previous weeks.

They made a list of things they'd need Eva and Caleb to send to the Virginia house. Tim had already decided to have Archimedes make him a couple of new suits and he'd ask Tony to go with him as he would know the styles, colors and fabrics currently in vogue for men's fashions in DC. The kids were excited, remembering all the fun they'd had during their Easter visit. Andy said he hoped the water in the creek would be lower so they could wade.

When their cousins heard the news they were just as excited. The Powell kids knew their mother wouldn't be able to do much when they got home and they hadn't been looking forward to that although they were excited about their baby brother being born soon.

The Palmers were always happy to spend more time with their McGee cousins and Emma was beside herself with joy. Melody and Sasha didn't quite know what to think but they liked all their cousins and figured this was a good thing. The Gibbses decided to stay also while the Kalivas' thought they might still return to California on the charter and spend some time with Damian, Matt and Alexis.

The Hardisters thought it would be very strange to return home without the McGees and Gibbses and when Penny invited them to stay in one of the suites, they thought about it. Nick had plenty of personal time coming to him; that certainly wasn't a problem, they just weren't sure what they'd do in Virginia for two weeks. They'd lived in the area many years ago and had visited all the historical sites and monuments. In the end they decided to stick with their original plan and return home on the charter.

The McGees, Kalivas-Watsons, DiNozzos, Gibbses, Ned, Melody, Geo and their nearly invisible security details took the ferry to the mainland the next morning. Tim, Matt, Damian and Tony paid a visit to Archimedes while the rest stopped for breakfast at the Flying Pig. Once the men were done, they'd join the others and take the Metro into Athens to shop for shoes, shirts and ties for Tim and clothes for the children.

Archimedes was sweeping the walkway in front of his shop when a taxi pulled up. He watched curiously and then smiled broadly. "Matthaíos, Damian, Timotheos, Anthony, welcome!" He gave each a warm welcome, saying, "Come in, come in!" They followed him into the shop as he said over his shoulder, still beaming at them, "Now...tell me what you need."

Tim explained that he needed 3 new summer weight suits. Tim watched and listened in good humor while Tony and Archimedes discussed color and fabric. He was surprised when an olive green swatch was discussed but Tony said that it was an acceptable color in DC and that with his customary vacation tan he could get away with wearing it. Tim shook his head, he wanted suits to wear with or without a tan. Finally they agreed on the colors and a wrinkle free fabric, a blend that would be as comfortable as it was possible to be in the hot, muggy summers. Tim took the swatches while their tailor did a quick check to make sure his measurements hadn't changed. He'd have a fitting on Friday and the suits would be ready on Monday. Matt ordered two new suits, followed by Damian and Tony with one each.


	251. Chapter 251

CH 251

Bidding their friend goodbye, they walked to the pub, met the rest of their party and traveled to the Metro. They had a great time in Athens, finding shirts, ties and shoes to go with Tim and Tony's new suits. Andy, his grandfather, Uncle Geo and Uncle Ned were amused and entertained by the process, but after the men were properly provisioned it was Andy's turn to get school clothes and that wasn't so entertaining. Jorry and Sean were next and they were definitely not amused but they all got through it.

At first the guys thought once the men and boys were done, they'd go do something else but Tim was very aware that his family, especially the children, would be highly sought after targets; although he trusted their security teams, he did not want to put them to the test. The Feds among the group, including Maggie, were armed, Geo was in stealth mode watching windows and rooftops and Matt and Tim had already spotted two Athens police officers they knew, keeping an eye out for them. So the men stayed with the kids, Lina, Maggie and Rhea.

Their last stop was a home goods store where they purchased sheets, blankets and pillows for the Virginia house. Except for the craft and bridge tables the items that had been loaned to the McGees at Easter, including bath towels and kitchen ware, were still at the house.

Finally back on the ferry, Tim got a discreet all clear from their security force and the adults breathed a sigh of relief. While the Feds had worked to act casual, Lina and Rhea knew things weren't 'normal', especially when they asked Maggie and she shook her head, she could not discuss it. Friday when the four men went back for their fittings, they were again discreetly accompanied by a security detail and the guys also carried their weapons.

In the meantime, Lina and Tim e-mailed Eva and Caleb explaining the situation, inviting them to stay on in the house if they'd like and giving specific descriptions of the items they needed shipped to Virginia. Just about everyone they knew in the DC area was with them in Greece; they thought of Tobias but he and Emily were in Florida. Finally they contacted Dwayne Wilson who was happy to help and Tim and Lina's clothes would be sent to his home. Tim knew everything could be shipped to the office, but that felt weird, weirder than sending it to the home of a colleague.

Despite the background drama, the group had a wonderful time on Aegina. They had their usual potlucks, progressive dinners and barbecues on the beach, splash battles, long walks along the shoreline and the annual shopping trip through town. As they'd done before, Pete and Trina visited before everyone else arrived. Trina let the children's store owner know that along with 18 month old Fiona, there was also a two year old girl, Lucy, and that Fiona's mother was expecting a boy in two months.

By the time the ladies and babies entered the store, there were plenty of toddler and small baby items. Edith once again had a wonderful time but didn't come close to the pile she'd accumulated before Fiona's birth; after all she was now a seasoned new baby Grandmum! The others had fun buying things for Lucy, Tea's daughter Hallie and Fiona as well as the new baby, making sure to include items they could grow into.

As they'd planned, the McGees, minus Tim, and the Grands went bike riding, having a great time. The family doctors monitored Tim's knee and while it was no longer swollen, they did not want Tim to push too soon. Another morning they went sailing and had so much fun that a few days later, a virtual flotilla of sailboats left the marina. While not everyone went, Sarah, Fiona, Charlotte, Lucy, Sasha and Dr. Rob stayed on the beach (one of the three doctors was always close to Sarah and Charlotte; today was Rob's turn), enough of the gang to crew 7 sailboats of varying sizes motored out that morning. Shortly before noon, Dr. Rob gathered the land lubbers and drove them to the bay where the sailors planned to set anchor and come ashore to eat lunch. They arrived in time to watch the boats sail into the bay, some at a racing speed, some more gracefully.

In between their other activities, Lina and the rest of the Kalivas', Tim, and Matt started to teach the children how to dance Greek. As always, they had a great time and within a couple of sessions, Matt was back in sync with the others while Tim practiced the steps his friend had learned years ago after Bagram, the ones that favored his leg. Most of the kids wanted to learn how and within days they were doing pretty well.

The day they finally played miniature golf all the kids, big and little, joined in. The DiNozzos, Rob, Ned, Breena, the Hubbards, Cranes and James came along; when the Hubbards were questioned as to why they were accompanying their grown children, Uncle Jim smiled and said, "Your note said that all the players must be accompanied by their parents. So here we are." After the laughter died down, he added, "Ok, the truth is we want to play too!"

When the Cranes were also asked, Liz looked at Tim and said, "Well, your note indicated you'd be here and you're our godchild so we figured we'd better show up!" That caused another round of laughter and set the tone for the morning.

By Monday of their second week, Tim, Matt, Damian and Tony had their new suits. The McGees contacted the rental company about renting beds; they'd have to be delivered the day their flight touched down as anyone with a key to the house was with them in Greece. Eva and Caleb sorted through the McGees' closets, finding the outfit Lina wanted to wear to the White House dinner and Tim's suits and tux, dress shirts, the appropriate shoes and some things for the kids; everything was now on its way to the Wilsons' home. The White House invitations would be waiting at the Powells' for them, in the meantime Secretary Porter's office had e-mailed them the details.

When Dani returned to the mainland to "handle some business", they figured that Leon was here in Greece. He'd work in the Piraeus office and would likely show up on Aegina their last night.

As always, the last few days went quickly and all too soon they were on the beach for their last day, reassuring the children they'd be back next year. Dani returned to the island on an early morning ferry and spent the day on the beach with the others. As the group was gathering their belongings, returning the sun shelter for the last time this trip, Tim smiled as he spotted a familiar figure walking down the beach. The younger boys, Zoe and Davey ran to greet him and Leon soon joined them, still holding Zoe and Davey's hands. He was warmly greeted and he looked around, "Darn it, I missed the last splash battle, didn't I?"

The kids nodded and Jorry added, "That's too bad 'coz it was fun too."

Tim laughed, "You're just in time for whatever we're having for dinner."

"Oh good because I brought something to share." He pulled a large bakery box from the bag he was carrying and Matt called out, "Meze? YAY! We haven't had any in two days."

Vance chuckled, "Sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me!"

Dani joined him, surprising no one when they kissed. It wasn't a 'get a room' kiss but it did involve lips on lips, very definitely a couple's kiss. The older kids knew better than to make any comments and the younger kids followed their lead.

Dinner that night was the usual noisy fun as the group devoured the creative dishes the cooks cobbled together from everyone's leftovers. The meze, of course, went first. After dinner came the usual sweep of each rental to make sure all the furniture, dishes and small appliances were in the right house.

The next morning the group said goodbye to the Greek and Macedonian branches of the Kalivas family who had later flights. Making sure their luggage was placed on the bus, they climbed on another bus or walked to the ferry. As the boat docked in Piraeus, Tim and Lina said goodbye to Kim and Evander, the Russells, Dani and Leon, gathered their kids around them and headed to the airport. Their annual trek to Aegina for the Fourth of July was over.

The flight from Athens was much as previous flights home. What made it different this year was the reason the McGees and Gibbses were disembarking at the DC metro airfield. While Tim's colleagues and former teammates understood he was following orders, more than one of them wished they could go back to the days when they worked and socialized together in Athens.

Even though he knew it wouldn't happen, Matt had this irrational feeling, he would _not_ call it fear, that his friend and brother-in-law was going to disappear into DC, never to be seen or heard from again except as The Director. Part of it was the promotion to El Segundo, he and Damian sorely missed their family, and part of it was a real fear that once Tim was appointed there would be even less time to spare for long distance family. Carla and Norm admitted they'd had the same thoughts. Bec's thoughts were along the same line although hers were tangled with her worry about Charlotte. Ned was glad he and Rob would get to see more of the McGees, it'd be good for Melody and Sasha - and Rob. He smiled to himself as he realized that the NCIS agents aboard the flight would all be reporting to their friend for the next two weeks, even Jethro in his position of Volunteer Coordinator.

Tony was worried that he'd open his big mouth, fall into old patterns. Not being mean but flippant when Tim would especially need him to be serious. Maggie wasn't worried, she knew everything would be fine and knew that Tim would be successful in his stint as Acting Director. Before they boarded the plane, he'd briefed everyone in the group who was involved in the Big Bad and she was looking forward to being done with that horrible case. She tried to be optimistic that some of the kidnapped personnel would be alive but it had been 11 months for the first ones who'd been taken and she feared that survival would be a miracle for any of them.

Tim dozed off almost as soon as he fastened his seat belt. He too had mixed feelings about his stint in the big chair. He was thankful that his Federal Agent siblings and in-laws would be there, as well as old friends like Rick Carter and Jim O'Brien and he knew he could always talk things over with his dad if he wanted a sounding board. He'd decided not to be nervous about his meeting on the Hill as he once again had no idea what they'd want to know. Most of all he was concerned about the takedown of the Big Bad. The Task Force had the best agents in the business and they'd used every resource NCIS had to offer, from the Behavioral Science Group to CTOC (Combating Transnational Organized Crime) and many of the resources of the other agencies; he prayed it would all be enough and they'd be able to rescue their missing people. Beyond that, he worried a bit about how he would juggle everything and find time to spend with his wife and children, but as Leon said, this was a trial run.

As he dozed he heard Matt's chuckle and Damian's low rumble and smiled. He missed those two, they were only a couple of hours away from Preston but somehow it seemed farther and although they spoke often they didn't get to see the guys all that much. He thought about his recommendation that Matt be given the Central Office; he was having second thoughts about that. What if Matt took the Washington, DC SSAIC position? A field office like San Diego or Great Lakes, it had several subordinate offices and the senior position would hold the same ranking. Yes it would mean Tim's support would not be spread around the country quite as much as Vance intended, but selfishly he'd rather have them closer and Damian would have plenty of airport access. That left Central vacant if Rose wanted the NE office. Then he smiled thinking of two or three candidates for Central; he'd have to talk with Leon about all of it but he hoped his ideas would be acceptable. That is _if_ he and Lina decided to take the position.

An hour into the flight, Stephan Russell got everyone up and moving around. They had their relay races and the kids demonstrated their MMA moves, followed by Tony, Ned, Bec and Matt demonstrating theirs. The kids gathered in various spots on the plane to play, read or talk; Fiona and Lucy played on their floor quilt, occasionally sharing it with Zoe, Davey and some of the older kids. And so it went…after a meal or snacks, the group got up to move around, then back to their seats for their own pursuits.

Tim spent most of the time walking, fearing he was facing long days of sitting or standing once he entered the Navy Yard on Monday. He was accompanied at various times by his wife, each of his siblings and their partners, which he much appreciated. His father watched him closely but he already knew what was on Tim's mind – the takedown. He was right, Tim was rehearsing everything in his mind. It was mapped out with as many details as possible, he just hated waiting. His mind made up, he turned to get his fellow agents, including his father, and smiled when he found them in a group right behind him. "Great minds think alike, huh? I was coming to round up my partners to go over this monster plan."

Tony looked at him, "That's what we're here for!" The others nodded and Tim smiled again. "All right, we need to find empty seats away from everyone else, and the restrooms, and go through this. I'll let Timmons know not to let anyone wander by."

Matt shook his head, "Told him."

"Great, thanks, let's get to it then." They found a quiet spot and settled in. Tim outlined the plan and the 8 of them talked through each piece of it. With the exception of Gibbs, they'd been on this case since the beginning, they'd worked on the investigations and participated in the development of the takedown plan. The overall plan included the international agencies and NCIS offices around the world. There were a few details Tim was not at liberty to discuss but as seasoned professionals they expected that. He would coordinate from DC, his lead Interpol liaison, Boi Tran, would coordinate from one of the Australasian locations and another Interpol liaison, Szymon Bach, would coordinate from Interpol Headquarters in Lyon France. The CIA would be heavily involved in both the takedown and the rescue of the kidnapped Americans; Tim had been working closely with Ted Edwards who was TAD to Langley for the duration of the case. Working jointly with the FBI, U.S. based NCIS agents would move in on part of the top rung, associates and the remaining traitors in the government while offshore agents would work with Interpol, the CIA and in some cases trusted local law enforcement. It would be a global effort stretching from North and South America to Europe, Africa, Australasia, and Asia; the only continent unaffected was Antarctica. They had leads on the whereabouts of many of the kidnapped and Tim had been working with the CIA and the State Department to facilitate the return of their missing citizens. Some of the victims had been purchased by wealthy and powerful men and women; others had been sold for slave labor, some in areas with little to no communication with the outside world.

The group worked for nearly three hours before Tim was satisfied. One of the changes he wanted to make was to start the takedown on Friday rather than wait for Monday. If there had been any leaks that would still give them the element of surprise. As soon as he had cell service he started sending texts. By the time they landed, he had agreement from the other agencies and government bodies, including the U.S. State Department and word had gone out to everyone involved.

While he waited, he pulled Lina aside to tell her he would be working tomorrow and likely all weekend. Lina didn't know anything about the case except that many people were working on it, Tim was leading the pack, they'd all been in danger, Esposito had died because of it and both the case and the 'pack' were huge. Her suspicions were strengthened when all of the Federal agents with them, agents stationed across the country, met for three hours. She'd known for weeks that Jethro was not actively involved except as a sounding board for Tim and she was grateful for that.

As the jet rolled to a stop at the airfield in DC, the McGees and the others disembarking said goodbye to the much smaller group continuing on to California. Tim smiled at them, "See you in two weeks!"

He and Lina grinned at each other as they walked down the gangway; Tim had the use of the Director's car and driver while he was Acting Director and today the car was a stretch limo large enough for their family, including Penny and the Gibbses. They hadn't told the children ahead of time, it was too much fun to surprise them. The others had parked at the FOB and as they trudged tiredly off to their vehicles, Emma, the Powell and Palmer kids, even Callum and Ainsley looked back in awe at their cousins.

The McGee children were suitably surprised and had a good time exploring the limo as the luggage was loaded. They nodded their understanding as their parents told them the vehicle was not theirs, it was only on loan for the day. As they rode in comfort to the house, Tim and Lina reminisced about their limo tour of New Orleans shortly after their wedding.

They reached the property and got all the children and the luggage inside. They'd called the furniture rental center on the way and the delivery truck with their beds and other furniture drove onto the property a few minutes after their arrival. Once the deliverymen set up the beds and the large table and chairs they'd brought, Lina, Tim and the kids got busy putting their sheets and pillows on their beds. When they were done everyone but Tim face planted into those new pillows. His gut had been bothering him and thinking about the takedown led to a question to ask of someone before he gave in to sleep; he made a quick phone call and then knowing he'd have to wait, he joined Lina in their room and had no problems falling asleep.

Tim woke a few hours later to the buzzing of his phone. He padded downstairs for the conversation. He was given the answer his gut was telling him he needed and in turn he gave a one word response. Back upstairs, he gently woke Lina. She woke with a smile which quickly turned to a frown when she saw the clothes he was putting on. "Honey, I just gave the order to start the bust now. This is going to take a few days; I'll be home when I can. Dad will be here and all of you will be heavily guarded. Timmons, Espos…uh Stranzel and Uhl will lead the security teams for the family since the kids are used to them. There will be others."

She nodded and he smiled, "I'm not going into the field, LinaMelina, I'll be in MTAC most of the time."

She took his face, his beloved face, in her hands and kissed him deeply. "Get the bad guys and bring everyone home safe, get this done." He blinked and then realized she couldn't mean the missing people as she didn't know about them; she meant everyone working the case.

Walking downstairs, he found his oldest child waiting for him. "Dad that car's here again."

"Yeah, I have to go in to work, Andy. I'm going to be in and out over the next few days; I'll be home whenever I can get here." He kissed his son and smiling at him, walked out the door.

When he arrived at the office, he was greeted enthusiastically by Henry, everyone's favorite security guard. "Agent McGee, I mean Acting Director McGee, welcome back aboard the Yard!"

Tim smiled, "Thanks Henry, it's good to see you."

Still favoring his knee, he took the elevator to their old bullpen, nodding to Dwayne Wilson. "Appreciate the help, Dwayne. DiNozzo's on his way in." Wilson nodded; he'd received the go command a few minutes ago and was already working on his part of the operation.

As Tim walked through the squad room to the mezzanine stairs, he was greeted by several agents he knew and a few he didn't. He nodded with a smile, "Good to see you all." He'd reached the catwalk when he heard familiar voices from below and looking down spotted Tony, Maggie and Ned walking in. He gave them a discreet wave as he continued to the Director's suite. After greeting Pam, he took a deep breath and opened the inner door. He doubted he'd spend too much time in here over the next few days but it still felt weird. He chuckled when he found a note from Leon; picked up the device left for him, fastened it to his jacket and then squaring his shoulders headed back out the door to MTAC.


	252. Chapter 252

CH 252

Six days later:

Tim sighed inwardly at the banks of cameras and media as he climbed out of the limo after Secretary Porter and headed for the steps of the Capitol building. Other than muttering "Acting Director", he ignored the strident calls of "Director McGee" as they mounted the steps; he would be grateful beyond measure when this meeting was over and done with. They entered the committee's chambers and got settled; Tim smiled as he saw the thermal carafe of coffee. He poured 2 cups, handing one to the Secretary. She gave him an amused look, "This won't be too bad, they already know the results and they've all seen the footage from your jacket cam. I'm sure they'll just have a few questions." He nodded, hoping she was right.

The committee chair welcomed them, thanking Tim for providing the footage ahead of time. "That was smart thinking Director McGee." Tim opened his mouth to correct her when the woman held up her hand. "I know, _we_ know you are _Acting_ Director, but for the sake of finding brevity where we can, your title for this meeting is Director."

Tim nodded and she moved on. "First of all, we want to congratulate you on the success of the operation. Not just from the bust itself but all the work that went into it. Has the number of rescues changed?"

"Yes ma'am; early this morning we got word that three more of our citizens, 2 Marines and one civilian, have been rescued. That brings the total number up to 77 Americans."

"Out of how many of our missing fellow citizens?"

"103 Americans, ma'am."

"And the rest of the Americans?"

"We've verified 9 deaths, we have the remains of 5 of them and eyewitness accounts for the other four; there are 17 not yet accounted for."

"Were the 3 'new' ones found in countries other than the ones on your list?"

"Yes, the two Marines were rescued from Yemen."

"And the civilian?"

"Ghana, already on the list."

"And the 17 still missing?"

"The search will continue."

One of the congressmen spoke up, "That means that all of the Navy and Marine personnel have been accounted for."

Tim nodded, "Yes sir. With these last two Marines rescued, we have all but 3 and we have the remains of those three. One of them was one of the first two taken a year ago."

"How many agencies were involved?"

Tim shook his head, "Domestically it would be easier to tell you the ones who weren't involved. We had a lot of help looking through all 50 states, territories and the world for missing military and civilians before we officially added them to the case. I'll get that number for you, Congressman, and names of the agencies, broken down between U.S. and foreign agencies."

The Congressman nodded, "Appreciate it."

Another committee member asked, "How are the rescued folks doing?"

Tim took a few seconds to compose his thoughts. "Most of them are glad to be alive and rescued, but they've all got long roads to recovery, physically and emotionally. For the Americans, there are 8 in critical condition and 35 in serious; globally every single one of those rescued has needed hospitalization; more than the exam each is given."

"How many people were missing, globally?"

"The combined Task Force knew of 9429." There was a murmur at that and then someone realized what he'd said.

"That's a qualified answer, Director."

"Yes it is; not every entity involved was willing to share the number missing from their area of responsibility and not everyone has the resources to do the thorough searches we did." Tim leaned forward, "I'm not speaking of any of our 'First World' allies." The committee nodded their understanding as Tim continued, "For NCIS this was the biggest single takedown of criminals and rescue of their victims undertaken on a global basis. Knowing how difficult it's sometimes been for our own agencies to share information, I can understand why governments might want to keep those numbers to themselves. Those that did participated in every other way."

"Director McGee, were any of the missing people, I mean the non U.S. citizens, found here in the U.S.?"

Tim gave a sharp nod and at the inquisitive look from the congresswoman, he shook his head, "That information has been classified ma'am."

"By?"

"The President." She nodded her acceptance.

"I understand you made full use of United Nations' resources."

"Yes, we reached out to a contact there and were given a great deal of support, access to data we wouldn't have otherwise - with approval from the member countries - and meetings with various representatives. That information was especially helpful in locating and getting access to those who were in remote areas of the world."

"Good to know."

They moved on to questions about the trafficking ring itself. As Tim explained, "There were 6 ringleaders, the heads of the whole chain, from the U.S., Tajikistan, the UK, Somalia and Vietnam. With the help of NSA, NASA and the CIA we pinpointed the location of each of them and arrested 5 of them. The sixth took the easy way out, he pulled a gun on the arresting agents and died as a result."

"On TV they call that 'suicide by cop'."

"Yes, in real life too. While the 6 were being taken care of, their next tier of thugs was taken out, there are 48 of them; this was a very organized ring which is why we were able to find so many of the missing. The third and fourth tier were more thugs, large numbers of thugs, including the actual kidnappers. Most of them have done time and knew the drill but we did have several interesting situations. And while all this was going on, we closed in on our two remaining traitors here in the U.S." He paused, "Those were the most noteworthy arrests. There were many more, including those who purchased our citizens. We believe we have the whole ring in custody."

"You 'believe'?"

"Yes, we did our best and each agency or entity will continue to monitor; but as an investigator and a Federal Agent, I was taught never to speak in absolutes unless something was 110% true and that's proved to be true in my experiences. In this case I am 98% sure. Once all the interrogations are done, I had better be 99.9% sure."

"Or?"

"Or we go back on the hunt."

After that there were a few questions about how the leaders knew each other. Tim leaned forward again, "Four of them were cousins; Numbers 1 and 2 are maternally connected and Numbers 3 and 4 are paternally connected to Number 1. Numbers 5 and 6 were longtime friends of #3, he's the one who committed suicide."

The next question had to do with the camera footage. During an especially tense part of the operation Stan Burley made what sounded like a complaint and Tim was disturbed that questions were being asked about it but decided to play nice. "Agent Burley and several others of us were trained by the same agent, known for his prodigious caffeine intake. Burley's comment was a reference to that."

"And you don't feel it was inappropriate given the circumstances?"

He didn't like this at all but Tim put a puzzled look on his face. "I don't understand why you're asking that. I wasn't aware we were here to dissect my agents' behavior during a mission or that it was anyone's business other than mine, Director Vance's or in an extreme case Secretary Porter's. And I certainly would not share my 'feelings' about an employee's behavior with anyone other than that employee. I believe there are laws about that!"

"I apologize Director McGee, it seemed so…out of place."

"Cop humor. We'd just completed several rescues and far too many recoveries and were waiting to hear from several other teams; we were tired, tense and upset by the deaths. We'd already been through the death of one of our own, NCIS Special Agent Ray Esposito, part of my security detail, during an attempt to murder me. Burley's comment was meant to relieve the tension and it did. Think of it as a real life example of police humor as again, you might see on TV or in the movies."

"For the agents who were trained by your mentor."

Tim huffed, "He's been retired from the field for several years now, but his legend lives on not only at NCIS but at many of our sister agencies and probably any law enforcement entity that's worked with any of the agents he trained or worked with and the agents that we in turn have trained. It helped everyone."

"Oh I see." The committee chair looked like she wanted to pursue that but Secretary Porter stopped her. "If that's all, Director McGee needs to get some sleep before he tackles the paperwork for the operation."

"My sympathies, Director. One more question. How long did this take?"

"The takedown?"

The questioner nodded. Tim explained, "Our original plan was to start Monday, yesterday, but I made the decision to start Thursday afternoon instead. I gave the order at 1403 and reached the Navy Yard about 1430, that's 2:30 PM; the operations were already underway. I stood down the bulk of the teams around 2:00 AM this morning – local time."

"Five days then."

Tim pursed his lips, "Yes for the active part of the takedown but our overseas' agents were already in place or as close as they could be without tipping our hand. So add another 50 hours travel time in there. And as I said, the hunt continues for the 17; we're not done yet; we still have people out there. The investigation took months and as I said, involved many federal, state, even county agencies."

Finally they were released and Tim stretched his neck as the limo pulled away. "I should have asked Leon, ma'am, but has he had to do this often, explain a case?"

"My definition of 'often' may be different from his, Timothy, but I wouldn't say so, not during my tenure. The high profile cases, especially if someone involved is connected to a Congressperson or Senator, yes. The terrorism cases tend to be stamped classified so those don't come up." She chuckled, "You did an excellent job in there."

"Please don't tell me that makes me a good politician!"

"All right, I won't say the words, but it does make you good at your job."

"Thank you."

When the car pulled up to his house, Tim's face lit up when he saw Lina and the children waiting for him on the front porch. "Ma'am, would you like to come in?"

"Another time, thanks Tim. The Navy has had you for days now, time for your family!"

He smiled wearily at her as he got out of the car and held his arms open.

XXX

The rest of the week was spent in the office, mostly working on follow ups, cleanup and paperwork. There were 2 more rescues and 3 more recoveries, leaving 12 Americans still unaccounted for; they would keep searching. Globally, they'd accounted for 7987 of the known 9429 missing.

Sitting in Leon's chair in Leon's office never stopped feeling strange, but he did enjoy his jaunts through the squad room, seeing the various teams in action. And when Tim wasn't on cleanup or paperwork, he was in MTAC keeping in touch with the teams.

He got a kick out of the updates with the European offices, especially Athens with Rusty and his SFA Lynn, both of whom he'd worked with while he was still in Greece, and London where the SAIC was one of his former Team Leads. His dad and grandfather came in to say hello one day, staying long enough to have a cup of coffee and kibitz with old friends and colleagues.

Lina and Rhea brought the kids in another day and they had lunch at Leon's conference table. Rhea made sure to take photos that day, with Lina, Tim and the kids sitting at that table. The kids were at wonderful ages and she wanted to capture this memory for Tim, for Lina, Jethro and herself. Because if Tim became director and served until he was 55, his planned retirement age, her sweet grandchildren would be mostly grown, Zoe would be 15 and Andy 23, by the time he left office. She made a mental note to get Penny, Don and Maisie in here for photos with Tim, too.

XXX

Friday was Zoe's 4th birthday and when she came downstairs for breakfast she squealed, making her father very happy, as she spotted the brand new bike with a big bow on it. "A bike, my own bike…yay!" She walked it around the living room, "This is just my size!"

"Yes, sweetie, it is Zoe sized."

"Cool. It's pretty, my favorite colors! Thanks Mama, Daddy!"

Tim asked Lina to take photos of Zoe on her bike; he was sure Zoe would be riding solo by the time he got home and he hated missing any parts of his kids' lives.

What he didn't know yet was that he'd already missed Zoe's first bike rides; her siblings had already taught her how to ride a bike. During the rainy season or cold foggy days in Preston, Tim and Lina would often move the cars out of the garage so the kids could play out there. The bike lessons had taken place then, over the winter and late spring, with Hanna's cooperation and presence.

First they persuaded Jorry or Sean, the boys traded off, to part with their bikes for Zoe's lessons. Then Hanna showed Andy and Anna how to adjust the seat for Zoe's height. Once that was set, Zoe's helmet went on, she climbed up on the seat, and with their nanny holding her and the bike Zoe was wheeled around the garage. When the little girl got used to balancing she learned to pedal, steer and brake, practicing in the garage. By the time the rains were gone and the annual May and June fog disappeared, she was pretty good at riding.

They'd wanted to surprise their parents but hadn't figured out the best way to do it. Andy and Anna thought Zoe might get a bike for her birthday and convinced their siblings to wait until then for the surprise.

When Tim got home from work he found giggling children, an excited Zoe and a puzzled Lina. After kissing them, he looked at his wife who also seemed frustrated. "How'd the bike riding lessons go today?"

Zoe grinned, "We waited for you."

Ah, that's why Lina was frustrated.

Anna and Andy looked at their parents, "We have a surprise for you and wanted both of you here."

Lina blinked and shook her head, "I certainly wish you children had told me that hours ago instead of making up excuses all day."

The kids swallowed, hearing the phrase 'you children' was never a good thing, it usually meant one, some or all of them were about to be in trouble.

Zoe persisted, "But that would have ruined the surprise. We wanted to show both of you at the same time."

Tim saw Lina relax a little; he smiled at her and then at Zoe. "All right, Birthday Queen, let's see the surprise!"

"We have to go outside." They trooped outside and Andy helped Zoe move her new bike off the front porch. Putting her helmet and knee pads on, she wheeled over to the driveway, Andy still with her, got on her bike and rode it up and down the pavement by herself. On her way back they saw she was grinning, "See I can ride!" The kids were jumping up and down and cheering for their little sister. Tim watched her as she carefully made a U-turn and rode down the driveway again. He took Lina's hand and she squeezed it while they called out their own encouragement for their youngest, clapping as she rode back to them and dismounted. "Yay Zoe!"

Lina turned to the kids with a smile, "And who do we have to thank for this?"

The kids were beaming at them, "All of us, we all helped. We started last winter, in the garage, but only when Hanna was there, we promised…" They took turns explaining the various steps while their parents smiled proudly at them and Lina said, "That was a wonderful thing you did for your sister, we're proud of you and that you only practiced when Hanna was with you."

Tim widened his eyes, "And to keep a big secret for that long, wow, I'm impressed!" He paused, "Now Queen Zoe, are we having dinner? And maybe cake and ice cream? I'm pretty hungry." She giggled as she led the way into the house.

XXX

That Saturday evening was the dinner at the White House. While Lina got ready, Tim played with the kids. He'd already had his shower and it would only take him a couple of minutes to dress. He'd learned over the years that he had plenty of time to dress while Lina was putting her shoes on and getting her wrap.

The kids insisted on taking photos and Ainsley and Callum, who were child minding, said it was mandatory. So pictures were taken, including some candid shots as the couple got into the limo. They kept telling each other they'd been to the White House before, they'd even been to the Oval Office and spoken with the President, this very same President. Really, they shouldn't be this excited.

Lina said the president wouldn't remember them and Tim said she'd remember meeting Lina and Rhea. They hoped they might see Rhea's painting, possibly take a photo of the display. Both were also thrilled that they were going to see and meet the Greek head of state who was the guest of honor this evening. Elected the year the McGees left Greece, the man had done a herculean job of stabilizing the economy and the country was now flourishing.

Once at the White House, they were shown to the Yellow Oval Room. Relieved to find Secretary Porter and her husband there, they chatted with them while they got their bearings. When Lina spotted Rhea's painting, Tim managed to take a quick photo and then just as quickly turned his phone off. He and Lina were still admiring the room when a voice behind him said, "Director McGee?"

He turned to find one of the Congressmen who'd been in the meeting the other day. The man laughed, "Well, I'm glad to see you really don't have red eyes!"

"Yes, I've finally caught up on my sleep! Lina, this is Congressman Turman from the state of Washington. He's been in the meetings I've had on the Hill. Congressman, this is Melina Kalivas, my wife."

The two shook hands and chatted for a few minutes. Then to Tim's surprise he spotted Ted Edwards and his wife Doria and they excused themselves to say hello. Although Tim and Ted had met many times over MTAC and video chats in the last few months, this was the first time they'd seen each other in person since the previous summer; ironic as Ted had been in Virginia for several weeks. Ted revealed he was here in place of one of the Assistant Directors of his agency.

All conversation stopped when the President, the Greek Prime Minister and their spouses entered the room. They formed a receiving line and the guests went through, being introduced to the Greek couple. When the Prime Minister spotted Lina, he turned to the President, "Is that Melina Kalivas? Wonderful, my wife and I are excited to meet her!"

The President nodded, "Yes, this is her second visit here and her husband is…"

"One of your Federal Agents, yes, he is well regarded for his work in my country. Timotheos McGee."

"Yes, that's right."

Melina and Tim came forward in line and were introduced. They both smiled, speaking to the couple in Greek. When they moved on the President looked at Tim, "It's good to see you again and here you are, Acting Director of NCIS!"

He chuckled, "Just while the boss is on vacation, ma'am."

"Not what I hear! Now tell me, how are your lovely daughters?"

"Wonderful! We adopted two boys the year after we moved home and they love having more brothers. And how is your family?"

"Wonderful, thank you. My granddaughter truly gives me a different perspective on just about everything and a lot of joy too! So…two boys, twins, brothers? And when you were here, didn't you have a toddler already?"

"Yes ma'am; at the time our son, now our youngest son, was two years old and our youngest daughter was seven months old plus Anna and Gemma. And now we have 6 kids. The boys we adopted are biologically uncle and nephew but they're only 7 years apart and were left orphaned with the death of their guardian."

Her eyes widened, "How awful for them and how lucky you found them. I can't imagine 6 children, please tell me you have help!"

Tim nodded with a smile, "We have a nanny and our parents spend a lot of time with the children."

"That's right, Rhea Ortiz is related to you; I remember both Ms. Kalivas and Ms. Ortiz were here."

"Yes, she's married to my father. We saw her painting on the wall in here."

"Oh good, did you get a photo?"

"Uh…yes ma'am."

"Let's get another one with the Prime Minister, Melina, you and me."

Tim nodded happily, Rhea would love that! After the reception line was finished, they took the photo and then the Greek PM took Tim by the arm, asking him questions about some of his cases in Greece.

Shortly after, the presidential party headed down the Cross Hall to the State Dining Room and the guests, following them, were shown to their tables. Before they ate, the President and the Prime Minister gave speeches about the diplomatic relationship between the two countries. Then their meal was served and Tim and Lina chuckled when the appetizers were meze. Secretary Porter, who was seated with them, leaned forward, "Are these the same meze that Leon is always raving about?"

Tim chuckled, "We do love our meze, yes ma'am!"

Lina told them the name of this particular meze and one of the other guests leaned forward, wanting to know more. When the entrée arrived it was lamb and Tim grinned, "My favorite, in fact this is one of my favorite recipes."

The other guest looked at him, puzzled. "You sound American, you look Irish and you eat Greek?" They explained and she nodded. "Wonderful! I'm envious, I'd love to spend time in Greece."

"Has something been holding you back?"

Her husband gave them a rueful smile, "That would be me; unfortunately, I'm not a happy air passenger and that's a horribly long flight. I'm 6'4 and not built for those crammed together seats. We keep talking about going first class but it's so expensive!"

Lina smiled, "Well then, what you need to do is gather your family and friends and charter a flight."

"Isn't that even more expensive?"

"Not if you have enough family or friends to go with you. If you plan it right, it can be cheaper per person than commercial flights."

"I had no idea."

Tim gave him the name of the website for their favorite charter company and answered more questions about their favorite places in Greece. As they finished their desserts, the musicians started playing a Greek tune. It was a relatively slow one and the two presidential couples got up to dance. When a few people joined them, Tim and Lina excused themselves and headed for the dance floor. The music got a little livelier and the Greek PM looked at Tim and Lina with a question. They smiled and nodded, Tim suddenly very thankful they'd been teaching the kids, it meant he'd done this recently and his knee was much better, he could handle the dance steps Damian had modified for Matt seven years ago. The PM and his wife started a line, with Tim, Lina and a few others joining them. The musicians watched and soon were playing at nearly the speed if not the volume they would play in a Greek taverna or wedding. There were several other Greeks and Greek-Americans amongst the guests and most of them joined the line. The others watched or danced, doing the best they could.

When they got home from the dinner, they found Andy and Anna still up, too excited to sleep. Tim showed them the photos, there were more, some taken of them dancing in line with the Greek couple and told them about talking with the President. Ainsley and Callum were staying overnight in the main house and Tim walked them over.

The next day, Sunday, was the first day Tim had off with no work obligations since they'd gotten off the plane over a week ago. It was raining so they ran across the yard to the indoor pool spending some happy hours in there before deciding to check out the basement in their house. Since their Easter visit there'd been a change, a surprise for the kids. They looked at the smooth concrete floor and then up at their parents, bewildered. Tim grinned and held out a pair of roller skates. When Eva had shipped their clothes, she'd also, by request, included the McGees' roller skates. They'd alerted the DiNozzos, Powells, the junior Mallards (Ned now used Rob's name outside of work, he said it was less confusing than having to say two longish names) and Palmers so each family arrived equipped with skates, although not everyone knew how to skate. Penny and the Gibbses joined them and the kids were surprised at how well their grandparents and great grandmother could skate.

Penny made a funny face at them, "I was a kid once too, we lived on a quiet street and when we weren't riding our bikes, we were skating all over the neighborhood."

Poppy nodded, "We ice skated in the winter on the ponds and roller skated the rest of the year in the school yard, after school, and anywhere we could find a lot of pavement."


	253. Chapter 253

CH 253

By late afternoon, the rest of the DC clan, the senior Mallards, Cranes and Hubbards, had joined them for Sunday dinner in the main house.

When they'd finished dessert, Tim cleared his throat and the others looked at him. "Two things; first of all, thanks to everyone for their support over the past few months, whether you knew something was going on or not. All of us Federal agents have been involved in a huge case and I know it's been difficult for everyone who's been around us. I apologize for the late nights and non-existent weekends, for the uber-security, but it's been necessary to keep all of us safe and I do mean all of us. And yes, the crash that killed Agent Esposito and injured Timmons and me was deliberate, I was the target. We'd had threats before, that's why we had to miss Callum's graduation and it's also why Lina, the kids, Dad and Rhea were in the mountains at a resort known for its tight security. You may not have known it but in the last few months, each one of you has had at least one agent protecting you.

"The case has been kept out of the media for various reasons but will hit the news feeds after midnight tonight. I'll warn you, we can't tell you much beyond what you'll see in the news, it's classified and it's…ugly. Thanks to Dad for helping me keep my head on straight, my wonderful wife and partner Melina and our kids for…everything and my fellow feds for doing their usual superb jobs and also helping to keep me grounded."

He smiled at them, "Secondly, I'd like to introduce the newest group of authors in the family." He gestured and his co-authors plus Maggie and Ned got up. "Ziva is also part of the group. Here's the news: we've just finished writing and editing a Tibbs book, one we wrote together over Skype, e-mail, on planes, in Greece, over our phones, here, there and everywhere. It brings Gibbs', I mean _Tibbs'_ old team – Tibbs, Tommy, Lisa, Plucky, Pimmy and McGregor back together to find an escaped convict, one they put away years ago. Vance is of course in there as Lance; Ned, Maggie, Wilson and my Athens team are in there as additional teams. Dad hand delivered it to the publisher last week. So we'll see it in print, for real, in several months."

There was a lot of noise about both announcements and then Uncle Jim raised his hand, "That's great, Tim, everyone! But what about Amy? OH…I just realized, never mind."

"That's ok; she's mentioned, but the character is not in the story."

Uncle Dave looked at him, "Tim and everyone, congratulations on the book, I can't wait to read it! But…back to non-fiction, the case we'll hear about tomorrow, were you the lead on it?"

Tim sighed and handed $20 to Tony who did a fist pump and exclaimed "I knew the Admiral would ask first!"

Tim looked at his grandfather who shrugged, "I already knew. No one had to tell me, I worked with all of you long enough."

They chuckled and Tim nodded, "Yes, my team, that is my deputies and I, discovered the problem a few months ago. It took us a while to pull everything together as this is an international case that involved more than 30 countries on 5 continents. By the end of the same day we discovered the problem, I'd formed an international task force with the blessing and help of the State Department. And…we had to do an incredible amount of investigating to make sure we had the right people as the victims. I told a congressional committee the other day that it would be easier to say what agencies were not involved than to name the many who were."

Lina was looking at him, "30 countries, 5 continents? That's…Timothy, that's huge, I thought it was big but…global?!"

Tim just nodded; Grandfa looking around noticed that his Federal agent grandchildren had lost their appetite for Maisie's apple crisp. He looked at Jethro watching each of his children. The quiet grew as Grandfa looked at Sarah who started to shrug and then apparently thought of something.

"Grammie, do you mind if we tell the others about the baby? Might cheer everyone up."

"Of course not, darling."

"All right, so you all know the baby's name will be Patrick. And we'll probably call him Patrick or Rick because Pat Powell…mmm and besides Grammie and Penny say our brother Patrick didn't like to be called Pat except by the family. Anyway, his middle name will be Stirling, Maisie's maiden name. He'll be Patrick Stirling Powell."

That brought smiles back although Sarah felt her brothers, Ned and Maggie owed her one, that is until she eventually saw the news about the case, then she just felt sick.

While the kids watched a short movie, the rest of them lingered over post dinner beverages at the table, exchanging more adult information. Gram gave them an update on Bec's cousin Charlotte: she was starting her next round of treatment at the beginning of the next week and then it would be at least another week before the doctors would say when she could have the next one. In the meantime her employer had confirmed she could work from anywhere she had internet access so she could continue working between treatments, when she was physically able to do so.

The DiNozzos had gone to visit DiNozzo Senior Friday and Saturday, flying home this morning. Senior was not doing well at all; Tony shook his head, "We decided we'd better get up to Long Island while we could. He's…well to be blunt he's on his way out. I don't know how much longer he'll hang on."

His dad put a hand on his shoulder, "Have you said everything you needed to?" Tony swallowed and nodded. Dad patted him, "Good, proud of you son, know it hasn't been easy."

Tony tilted his head, "Got easier along the way when I met Maggie and then fell in or back in with all of you."

The group chatted a few minutes longer and then left the table to tour the almost completed upstairs. What with one thing or another the renovation of the house had taken far longer than planned but now they were almost there. Once the finish work was done, they'd start interviewing staff and let CPS know they were open for business. The sign that would be installed at the junction of the driveway and road was under construction and would be ready in a couple of weeks. It would have an image of the main house with "The McGee Family Home" followed by "Providing Foster Care" underneath.

With Sarah due to give birth in a few weeks, they decided to wait to have their grand opening the Sunday before Thanksgiving. That way everyone would be here and they would welcome their first young charges to their new home in time for the holiday. The Palmers and Hubbards planned to meet with Lu at the shelter and Nate at the camp beforehand to see how many children there needed homes.

Everyone was impressed with the upstairs. Damian and the other architect managed to carve 12 bedrooms out of the space, 13 or 14 if the count included the attic, with 6 rooms meant for a single bed, crib or bunk beds and 4 that were large enough for kids to share if necessary and 2 additional rooms for the staff. Each bedroom had at least one window, plenty of overhead lighting, built-in desk, drawers and closets.

The bathrooms had been built in a style familiar to many Europeans, with toilets in separate rooms from the showers and tubs; nobody would have to wait to use a toilet because someone was bathing. All these rooms were spread out between the 2nd floor and the attic; the staff bedrooms were the only areas that had typical American bathrooms. There was also a laundry room which would have a large washer and dryer; cabinets for storage were already in there as well as a decent sized supply closet. The bedrooms for the staff were at each end of the 2nd floor. Penny's former office was now a suite for the overnight staff, complete with a full bathroom. Between the children's bedrooms and bathrooms there was an oversized playroom. That room was Sarah's favorite as it featured two bay window seats that were perfect for cuddling up with a book. The flooring in the rooms was hardwood, much of it original to the house, supplemented where needed. The builders had done a wonderful job of piecing it so that the rooms that had the original hardwood only had the original. The hallway was carpeted and the bathroom floors were all an easy to clean material. The stairs had been reconfigured to be safer for small children and there were baby gates permanently attached to the wall side of the staircase, both upstairs and downstairs, with latches already installed for the other sides when they were needed.

Downstairs, they were already familiar with the kitchen, large pantry, dining room, the foyer, the half bath they used when visiting and of course the suites. Two additional bedrooms, with a full bath in between, were off the hall at the back of the house, meant to be sick rooms or for overflow in case of late night arrivals. Sarah said Damian had suggested the rooms be on the first floor in case anyone was unable to walk up the stairs. The end of the hall branched into three areas: the first a large bright room to be used as the staff room, for breaks or meetings and they also had a half bath; the second was the office with three desks, set up to assist in the administration of the home and the third area contained the lockers. The staff lockers were large enough to store their personal belongings while on duty. The children's lockers were larger, they could store their suitcases if they wished and their smaller outdoor gear, skates, balls, rackets, etc., as it accumulated. Tim took one look and said "Snow boots!"

That reminded Sarah that she'd talked with several people about a covered walkway from the McGee and Powell homes to the pool and she showed them the idea for it. It was made along the same lines as a pool 'dome', only longer and narrower. You could attach a heater at either or both ends and set it on a thermostat so when there was ice or snow it would melt from the outside skin. Dad drew a rough sketch of what it would need to look like, a 'Y', with the straight part leading to the pool building from the outer part of the common driveway while the two branches led to the Powell and McGee homes. They discovered if they curved the straight part a bit, that is the tail of the 'Y', it would lead to the side door next to the new office; from there they could either continue on into the house or access the enclosed walkway to the pool house.

That was a more practical idea and they voted to buy it. They had the funds and the structure would be easy enough to take down after the last snow. Storage might be a problem but their dad said he and Davos were already planning a storage building with a shop on one side. The vendor had good reviews and they decided to place their order that week. Dad wanted to talk with them to make sure they could get the curvy part as they wanted it; they'd take photos of the site and he'd go with Sarah.

It was getting late so the DiNozzos, Hubbards and Palmers and both sets of Mallards left for home while the Powells and McGees walked across the yard to their houses. Lina smiled, "I could get used to this."

Tim nodded, "I know, apart from the bust, this hasn't been too bad…hope I'm not jinxing our week! It's great seeing everyone more often."

"Now if we could just get Matt, Damian, Geo, Bec and Ziva closer!"

Tim smirked, "No comment except to say I don't think we can move the UN any closer!"

"Too bad her father didn't leave her enough money so she didn't have to work."

Tim snorted, "He probably did but I don't know that Ziva has enough other interests to keep her busy and a bored Ziva is never a good thing, believe me!"

The kids ran ahead and Tim slowed down, catching Lina's hand. "We're all alone in the dark, sweetie…." He leaned down to kiss her as they heard "oops" and a crash through the screen door. They went at a run only to see Andy appear at the door, "Nobody's hurt."

"Thanks son. You kids go get ready for bed."

"Um, as soon as we clean up our mess."

The mess was a bottle of chocolate sauce that had mysteriously fallen from a cupboard shelf, landing with a rather violent plop on the floor. The plastic bottle cracked open and chocolate sauce was oozing onto the kitchen floor. Sean and Jorry had spoons out and were getting into position on the floor ready to scoop up the oozing chocolate while Anna repeatedly told them not to eat it. Andy was looking for a mop and Gemma and Zoe had retired upstairs. Holding back his laughter at the boys, Tim told them to listen to Anna, to put the spoons in the sink and then go upstairs to get ready for bed. Lina went to tell Andy they didn't have a mop and Tim started looking for paper towels. After a quick conversation and having their suspicions as to who was responsible, they ordered everyone back downstairs. Jorry and Sean appeared in their underwear and again biting back a smile, Tim sent them back upstairs to put their pajamas on before returning. They'd learned the hard way they had to be very specific with those two and Gemma. Once the children were assembled their parents asked what happened. Anna and Andy opened their mouths but their parents shook their heads. "No, we want to hear from whoever was responsible."

Zoe looked at them, "It was me and Gemma, Daddy, Mama. I wanted more ice cream and Gemma wanted chocolate sauce."

"All right Zoe. Gemma?"

She fidgeted before saying, "Anna and Andy weren't there, so I helped Zoe climb up on the counter to get the chocolate. But it was up high and she could just barely reach it and it slipped and fell."

"And then?"

"I helped Zoe down and we ran upstairs."

"Did you tell anyone what had happened?" Zoe shook her head while Gemma looked everywhere but at her parents. "Gemma, look at me. Did you stop to think about this before you did it?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make a mess."

Lina was frightened at what the girls had done, "Gemma, do you see how that bottle is cracked? That could have been Zoe's head! She's four years old, how old are you?"

"7."

"A big girl of 7, but you put your little sister on the counter with no way to stop her if she fell. And then you ran away, I'm guessing to let your siblings clean up the mess! "

Gemma looked at the floor and then at Zoe, "I'm sorry Zoe, I didn't want you to get hurt. Mama, Daddy, I'm sorry."

"Gemma, since Zoe told us what happened, you will clean the mess and then we'll talk to the two of you about your punishment."

Tim looked at Zoe, "Zoe, do you remember what your mama and I have taught you?"

She nodded, "Stop and think if you and Mama would be happy with what I'm doing."

"Did you do that?"

"Yes because you like chocolate."

"Do we like you climbing on the counters?"

Zoe shrugged, "I don't know."

"Do you think it made us happy?"

She paused to think, "No, Mama's mad because my head could break. I'm sorry!"

"All right, Zoe. You go on upstairs and get into bed, Mama and I will be up to talk with you and Gemma later."

Andy thought his parents were more frightened about the possibility of Zoe falling than anything else. He went upstairs, telling his brothers to stop jumping on the beds. Tim went back to the main house while Gemma started wiping up the chocolate sauce with the paper towels. Penny got the mop for her grandson after she'd finished laughing about the accidental death of the chocolate sauce. Tim just rolled his eyes, shouldered the mop and marched back across the yard.

They had to show Gemma how to hold the mop because it was so much bigger than her but eventually the floor was clear and cleaned of the sticky mess. Lina took her upstairs to bed while Tim locked up. They'd already decided the girls' punishment and when Tim joined Lina upstairs, they told Gemma and Zoe.

Finally when the couple was alone, they closed their bedroom door and laughed so hard they had to stuff pillows in their mouths. Not at the girls' escapades but at Jorry and Sean on the floor with spoons waiting for the chocolate to ooze out so they could scoop it up. Eventually they stopped, acknowledged that their children were young, just kids, bound to stretch the barriers once in a while and while they could be a little too adventurous at times, that was part of the learning process. Tim told Lina about an old book he'd read called Please Don't Eat the Daisies; the premise of the story was that the author's children needed very specific instructions, not eating the flowers in the vase on the dining room table being one of those instructions. They promised each other they'd have another talk with both girls, separately, make a new rule about not climbing on the counters (although both thought they already had one) and turned the light out.

XXX

As expected, the news about the case hit the media and Tim was on the phone most of Monday morning. Not with the press, who were referred to the agency PR person, but members of Congress and Senators who all wanted to go on record as being supportive. Finally he told Pam to hold all calls except from the SecNav, the President or Lina. He smirked on his swing through the squad room, usually the news stations were on but today half the screens were off and those that were on were muted. He had reports trickling in from a few of the teams and spent some time reviewing and approving them. Ted Edwards called asking if they could meet for dinner before Friday. Tim sent a quick text to Lina and received a reply that Wednesday would be best. He called Ted back, they agreed on Wednesday, the place and the time and he hung up with a smile.

When he got home, the children had questions about the case. He, Ned, Jimmy and the DiNozzos had spent some time coming up with information they could share with their children. Now Tim patiently explained that the bad guys had been stealing people from around the world and selling them to other people, not letting them go home or contact anyone they knew. Some of the people who had been stolen had been sailors and Marines and it was his job to protect them so he, Uncle Tony, Aunt Maggie, Uncle Ned, Uncle Jimmy, Uncle Matt and Aunt Bec and many other people at NCIS had worked very hard to find out who the bad people were and where they lived so they could be arrested and also to find the missing people so they could come home. Although that seemed to be enough for the younger kids, Tim knew Andy would have more questions and Anna might as well.

They came to him after he'd finished bedtime stories with the four younger ones. "Dad, we have some more questions."

Tim nodded, "I'll answer what I can but a lot of this is classified."

"Oh…ok. The news said there were 30 countries involved."

"Yes."

"I know they're listed online, we saw that but didn't the countries know something bad was happening?"

Tim thought about that for a few seconds. "They might have Andy, Anna, but if they did they either couldn't stop it or didn't try. Some of those countries don't have very good governments or very good law enforcement. But all of them cooperated with us."

"So their police helped?"

Tim grinned at them, "Do you know none of the government people asked me that last week?"

The kids grinned back at him and at each other, proud their question was so good. "In some countries, yes, the police helped. In others, we didn't even tell them about it because the police there are not the good guys. They're corrupt."

Anna frowned, "They steal?"

"Yes, they're dishonest. Sometimes they arrest people who haven't done anything against the law and they lie to people. Probably not every one of them, but we didn't have time to look for the good guys among them."

"So you didn't want them to help you?"

"Correct, we didn't even tell them because they could go to the bad guys and tell them about us."

"How did you know that?"

"There are people, good guys (he mentally crossed his fingers at that) who work very hard to find out who is honest and our friend and who is dishonest and not our friend."

Andy caught on. "Are some people dishonest and still our friends?"

"They can be 'friendly' but would you want to trust them?" They shook their heads.

"Are there people who are honest and not our friends?"

"Yes, sometimes there are people and countries that are good to their own people but don't want to be like us or to be our friends."

The kids nodded, they knew that already.

"Does that help?"

They nodded, "Thanks Dad!"

They went up to bed while Tim sat in thought, feeling like he'd gotten off a lot easier than expected. Lina joined him and he told her the kids' questions. She smiled, "I'm glad they're curious." He agreed as he leaned in for a kiss.

Tuesday night, Tim and Lina had dinner out with the DiNozzos, junior Mallards, the Palmers and the Powells while the 16 kids (Ethan was at a friend's house) were looked after by the Grands, Greats, Cranes and Hubbards. For everyone but Rob and Ned, it felt like sheer luxury to have an adult night out. Rob huffed, "I'm sure we'll understand that more by the time we're all together at Thanksgiving!"

Tony replied, "Then we'll do it again and next time it won't be on a school night!"

Sarah smiled, "Thanksgiving…the baby will be on the outside, yay!"

Wednesday was busy as more reports arrived for Tim to review and approve or disapprove. He remembered his dad telling him about refusing to do it for Director Shepard and now he finally understood why. He'd had it easy last year; this year he had all the reports from the case as well as the rest of the business the agency conducted. Realizing that Leon would want to see the Big Bad reports and that he didn't even have them all yet, he relaxed.

Dinner out with the Edwards' was almost as fun as their sibling dinner the night before and Ted told some stories that made them laugh until their sides hurt. Ted and Doria were leaving for Greece on Friday and promised to tell the Ambassador and Jack hello. Winking at Tim, Ted said, "I might even pop in to see Mr. Christopher, tell him that Ziva David is now the adopted daughter of Leroy Jethro Gibbs and your sister."

Lina smiled, "And working at the UN!"

Tim added, "And dating an American, seriously dating, as in Dad expects to see a ring next time they visit or he's going to start asking pointed questions."

Both women rolled their eyes while the guys smirked.

XXX

Back aboard the Yard on Thursday, the day was fairly quiet. Secretary Porter called with some issues that needed research and Tim assigned that to his deputies. One more day, he had one more day in Leon's chair; they'd fly home Saturday night, once again traveling on Secretary Porter's jet.

Tim was reviewing a new batch of case reports that afternoon when Tony knocked and came in. He looked at Tim, "Maggie's on a hot case, can't interrupt, not yet and I can't…I can't do this alone…"


	254. Chapter 254

CH 254

Tim looked at his brother; his face was paler than he'd ever seen him, his eyes looked almost frightened and he was trembling a bit; he looked wrecked. Tim led him to the couch, "Sit." Tony nodded and sat down. "You're not alone, I'm here, Tony. Can you tell me?"

"I…my…she…" he held up his cell phone and Tim, having a sinking feeling about what had happened, said, "You had a call that upset you?"

"I'm a trained Federal…"

"Tony, is Emma ok? The Colonel?"

Tony's eyes widened and he nodded. Tim sighed as he pulled his brother into his arms, "It's Senior, isn't it?" He felt Tony nod into his shoulder and they sat there for a few minutes, big brother letting little brother comfort him before he pulled away to sit back, taking a deep breath before speaking: "Bianca, his wife, called. He took a nap after lunch and never woke up. He's gone."

"God, I'm so sorry, Tony…I'm glad you saw him."

Tony nodded. "Me too, Tim. Bianca says he had everything planned, the wake and the funeral. She didn't think we should come until Saturday, she was kind of insistent but I want to get the meeting with the attorney over with on Friday. Anyway, the funeral's Saturday at 11:00 in the Hamptons. It's a well-known mortuary, figures he'd pick that one."

"All right, we'll be there with you."

"Have to bring the kids."

"We can find sitters for the day. Ainsley and Callum, maybe Ethan."

"No, Emma will need her friends, her cousins."

"How about we figure this out later?"

"All right."

"Let's call Dad." Tony nodded and when Tim noticed his brother's hand still trembling, he quickly contacted their father. "Dad, Tony needs to talk with you."

Tony took his phone, "Dad, my…um…Senior died." Tony sighed as the man who had been his surrogate father for over 20 years spoke with him. When his brother handed the phone back to Tim, he listened as Dad said, "I'm on my way to pick him up."

"Thanks. I'll work on freeing up Maggie. Might take a while."

As he disconnected from their father, Tim looked at his brother, "What's Wilson working on?"

Tony told him and Tim thought about it. "All right, I'll have him talk with Maggie, get up to speed this afternoon so she can be off tomorrow and next week."

"No, she can work, she..."

"Tony...I can't make it stop hurting or much else to help, but right now, this week, I can do this."

Tony's eyes got big and he nodded; Tim gave him another hug. "Dad's coming to get you."

"I can drive."

"I'm sure you can but as your brother I'd rather you didn't right now."

Maggie took the news stoically; nodding when she heard the news and the Acting Director's plan for the coming days. She knew Tony would need her. "Thank you."

When Gibbs drove into the parking lot, Ned was just returning from interviewing a witness and waved to his father-in-law. He waited for him to park, intending to walk in with him, and then looked at his face as he approached. He hadn't seen this expression in a few years; he put a hand on the man's arm. "Jethro…who?"

Gibbs forced himself to focus on his son-in-law, "Ned…it's Senior, Tony's father."

"Gone?"

"Yeah, this afternoon; went to take a nap and never woke up."

"Oh geez." Gibbs nodded and patting him on the shoulder the two men walked into the building, where Tony was waiting.

"Dad…Ned?"

Ned quietly said, "Bro, I'm so sorry."

Tony opened his mouth, not knowing what to say and settled for, "Thanks man."

Dad had his hand on Tony's shoulder, wanting to ground him, "Got your stuff?"

Tony nodded again and he and Gibbs turned and left. Ned stood watching and then shaking himself from his thoughts, went upstairs.

Maggie took a few minutes to collect her thoughts before calling her own father with the news. Emma was with her cousins; they wouldn't tell her until later. In the meantime, she and Dwayne worked together to get him up to speed on her work. She saw Ned come in and from the look he gave her she decided he knew although she didn't know how. She called downstairs to let Jimmy know only to find he'd heard from Tim. Each of them offered her a ride home but she declined with thanks. Once Dwayne felt comfortable taking over from her, she packed up and left, sending Tony a text as she went.

XXX

For Tony, the day felt like it was a film in slow motion with really bad direction. Not knowing what to do, how he was supposed to act or feel, he wandered around the house. Finally Maggie gathered their swim gear, gathered her husband and father and headed for the McGees for a swim. Emma was in the pool and waved excitedly when she saw them; getting out and very carefully doing a quick walk to them. They swam for a bit before getting out and quietly telling her what had happened. Emma was sad for her dad and felt bad because Senior was her grandfather although she hadn't known him well. But hearing about his death brought memories of losing her first mother and she cried. She felt a little better when her Grandpa lifted her onto his lap and held onto her; she snuggled into his arms.

While they were talking, Lina and Claire got the rest of the kids out of the pool and back to the McGees, giving the DiNozzos some privacy. Sarah and Fiona were napping so the rest of the Powell kids and the three younger Palmers went to the McGees' house with their cousins where they were told what happened.

XXX

At the office, Tim, Ned and Jimmy worked hard to concentrate, all three of them relieved when it was time to leave. It was a mixed-up evening; the extended clan gathered at the main house, wanting to be together. The DiNozzos didn't much feel like being at home by themselves; they were more comfortable with the family.

Tony remained firm on wanting the kids, that is the ones Emma's age and older, at the funeral. Jim, Claire, George and Edith volunteered to stay with the younger kids and Sarah and that relieved her husband, parents and the three doctors, knowing Nurse Claire would keep an eagle eye on Sarah, who was most definitely not going anywhere. Between the four adults they'd manage the 7 younger children.

Grandfa arranged transportation to and from Long Island, coordinating their return so that the McGees could still make their flight home. But when Tim spoke with Secretary Porter, she decided to change the flight to Sunday. She was going on to Okinawa and claimed that the later arrival would work better for her. Tim wasn't sure he believed that but thanked her anyway, mentally blessing her for her thoughtfulness.

The DiNozzos would fly to Long Island on Friday, meet with Senior's attorney before the funeral and fly home with the others after the funeral and reception. With the exception of Sarah, all his siblings and their partners would be there. While Bec's mother stayed with Charlotte and Lucy, Geo and Bec would fly into DC Friday evening and would travel with the others; Ziva and Brian would make the trip by train.

Once Tony and Maggie had their own travel plans in place they sat back and let the others' plans wash over them although Tony was still restless, pacing around the house. Tim and Jimmy finally took him for a walk in the woods; it was still light and there were now solar lights scattered along the path, Lina and Sarah's idea.

Tony huffed as they walked, "This is going to sound weird, but what am I supposed to be doing? Or Maggie for that matter. We know he's gone, the wake is tomorrow night and we've made our plans, now what? We just sit around and wait? Can't really focus on anything but can't work either, don't think I could sit still for a movie, what do people do when they're waiting?"

Tim thought and then shrugged. "I don't know, Tony. I guess if you were up there already you might be helping Bianca with something but other than that, I don't know."

"She said there's nothing to do, that's why she didn't want us to come until Saturday. The wake, funeral and burial are all planned, caterer's doing the what-do-you-call-it…the gathering afterward. There are some cousins in New York but he didn't get along with them. They're the last of his side of the family in the U.S., I don't know whether Bianca's invited them or not. Hope not, but the obituary will run in the New York papers tomorrow. This is so weird."

Jimmy spoke slowly, "When my father died, we cleaned house between coming home from the hospital and the funeral. The gathering, I believe it's called a reception or a 'coffee', was at our place after the service. Before that people brought food, remember how they did that when Gibbs' dad died? Anyway, during the time in between we packed up my dad's clothes and things, we each picked something we wanted. And then my mom baked, for hours, she baked cookies and breads and pies, she said she had to keep busy. And people were still bringing food."

Tim had an arm around a shoulder of each brother. "I do remember that from Jack's funeral, Jimmy. Friday night and Saturday morning, people were bringing food."

Tony sighed, "And we helped Dad sort the house, I'd forgotten. I guess that's what we'll do tomorrow although Bianca might hire someone to do it."

"So you try to get some sleep tonight and then do whatever you can to help tomorrow. What time's your flight get in?"

"11:00 and the appointment for the will is at 1:00."

Jimmy made a noise, "At least that'll be over."

"Yeah, just as soon get that over with; can't think there'll be much. Maybe I'll get a share of the sale of the house if Bianca sells it…or something like that."

"You don't think his business was doing well?"

Tony shrugged, "Haven't heard anything. But I don't think they've been overseas since they got married and that's not like Senior." Hearing a noise behind them, Tim and Tony both swung round, their hands automatically reaching for weapons they didn't have on them and then went for their knives. Jimmy blinked in surprise and nodded at Gibbs who said "Here's where you three disappeared to. Guys…"

Tim and Jimmy nodded, understanding he wanted time alone with Tony and squeezing their brother's shoulder, walked back to the main house. Several minutes later Tony and Dad returned but said nothing although Tony seemed a little less stressed. The DiNozzos left soon after the clan's thrown together dinner and as their taillights disappeared toward the road, Dad announced, "Rhea and I are going with them in the morning."

Tim sighed in relief, he knew if it were him who'd lost someone close he'd want his parents as close as possible. The rest of the family agreed with him and after the Saturday travelers set the time to meet, their strange afternoon and evening together came to a close.

XXX

Tim was up early enough to see his dad and Rhea before they left. Grandfa hired a limo that first picked up the DiNozzos and the Colonel as the McGee property was closer to the airfield. Tim didn't think Tony realized they'd be flying privately this morning, would have a car and driver while they were there and had rooms reserved Friday night at one of the area's most comfortable hotels. Grandfa, Tim and Jimmy had talked about it, not sure that Tony would want to stay in Senior's house, even for one night and decided having the rooms reserved, just in case, would be a good idea. They'd confided in Maggie so if Tony made noises about not staying or finding rooms, she could reassure him.

Their suppositions were right. When they walked into the large house he'd grown up in, Tony shook his head, "I can't stay here."

Maggie held him tight, "We have rooms reserved for us already." She told him the name of the hotel and he frowned, "In the middle of summer…how…Grandfa?" She nodded and he smiled. "He's really taking care of us, isn't he?"

Bianca was gracious but the situation was awkward. When Rhea wondered if Emma wanted to swim in the Olympic sized pool, everyone was so enthusiastic it was almost funny. The Gibbses, Colonel and Emma changed into their suits and in minutes were in the water. While the young girl missed her playmates, she played happily with Nonnie, Grandpa and Poppy. She'd been having trouble with underwater handstands and her grandparents showed her just what to do. Poppy and Grandpa laughed at each other for still being able to do underwater tricks. As Grandpa said, that sure wasn't something they learned in the Marines!

As they cavorted in the pool, the limo left for the attorney's office with Tony, Maggie and Bianca. Nearly two hours later, the swimmers were back in the water after a break for snacks (Emma said it was weird not to have Grandfa or Uncle Jimmy call out "shade break") when the limo returned. Tony waved to them, calling out they'd join them in a few minutes. When they arrived at the pool, they were followed by Bianca. She shrugged, "Tony and Maggie offered to help but there's nothing to do, I might as well join you for a swim."

After another hour or so, Maggie had Emma get out of the pool to dry off. The travelers invited Bianca to have dinner with them before the wake and she accepted, making plans to meet them. Emma was impressed with the hotel room when they checked in. "Mom, there's a huge bathtub!"

Maggie chuckled, "Yes and you can try it out later." They had dinner at a little Italian restaurant Tony remembered and then they dropped Emma and Rhea back at the hotel while they went on to the wake, held at one of Senior's favorite drinking spots. The Colonel and Gibbs had worried a little about that, not sure what kind of place it would be but it was fine, a typical country club "19th hole" at the end of the golf course. Gibbs pulled out all his Senior stories, including Tim's encounter in Nice (with Tony's approval) and he did a good job of talking up the man to whom he'd once read the riot act for the way he treated his son. Inevitably some of the others started telling what Maggie almost hoped were highly exaggerated tales of Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. and within an hour or so Senior's buddies were doing fine by themselves; the family slipped out.

XXX

Back at work on Friday, Tim was surprised to get a call from a man who'd been his State Department liaison during the Big Bad. "Tim…you have a brother named Anthony DiNozzo, right, who's also with NCIS? Didn't I meet him?"

"Yes I do and you did."

"Uh, excuse me for saying it this way, but has he died? Is there a funeral for him tomorrow in the Hamptons?"

"No, it's not our Tony; it's his father, his biological father. He died the other day and his funeral is tomorrow in the Hamptons. Why, is there a problem?"

"Now I don't think so but…well here's what happened. This morning we found that some unusual people had suddenly filed flight plans to arrive on Long Island tonight or tomorrow morning, for the funeral of one Anthony DiNozzo. I recognized the name and was concerned that something happened to him but my real cause for concern was why a Saudi Prince, an English Earl, one of the royal family of Monaco and some other 'special' folks would be going to his funeral."

Tim explained about Senior's business life as best he could, apparently satisfying his State Department friend. He shook his head in amusement as he hung up, knowing Senior would be happy to know the rich and famous would be seeing him off. And he bet that security at the area airports and FOBs was already being significantly bumped up. Then he decided he'd let his dad know and if he wanted to give Tony a heads up, that was fine.

Back in their room, Gibbs checked his phone and found Tim's message. He listened, shaking his head and Rhea looked at him. "Is there something wrong, a new problem?"

"No, but there are several rich guys flying in for Senior's funeral, mostly from Europe and the Middle East. I called him a con artist but these guys are coming to his funeral, guess I was wrong. He told us he wasn't, that he really believed in his projects but I think Tony was the only one who really bought that and that was fine; his father after all."

Rhea looked puzzled, "How did you hear about this? Tobias?"

"Nope, State called Tim to ask if he knew what was going on."

Rhea smiled, "The State Department called our Tim. Hon, he might not want to say it, but he's already being recognized as the next director."

Jethro nodded, "I know and he and Lina seem to be feeling better about it now. Clever of Leon to have SecNav want Tim here while he was away."

"But I thought that was Secretary…of course."

They chuckled and Jethro added, "Tim knows, so does Lina."

"Good, they'll need their sharp wits in that town!"

"And what about us, sweetheart, are we going to need our sharp wits too?" He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. When they came up for air, she looked at him, "Mmm, what was the question?" He laughed and kissed her again.

XXX

Tony told Maggie later that his father would have been very happy with his funeral. It was standing room only in the largest room of any mortuary on Long Island. He and Bianca were forewarned of the foreign visitors and their ubiquitous security and Tony wondered if the FBI would have agents on site. When Bianca heard of State's call to Tim, she was impressed, she had no idea her stepson's odd family had any importance outside the agency they all seemed connected to. She was a bit irritated with things as they were going, she'd been in and out several times yesterday but…well the day wasn't over yet.

Irritated became overwhelmed when most of that odd family arrived. Emma had mentioned her cousins were coming but she had no idea there were so many of them and all sorts of ages, from college students Ainsley and Callum to the herd of children who all seemed to be Emma's age, really, what were these people doing with so many children? She thought it was a bit vulgar. When Emma proudly pointed out that everyone but Ainsley and Callum was adopted, Bianca did her best to look pleasant, trying not to think of picking up homeless strays…like cats. She'd been fond of Tony, her Tony, in her own way but had never figured out his son or his wife…really she could not imagine actually wanting to be a Marine. Shuddering, she put it out of her mind, once this was over she wouldn't have to bother; she had enough money now to live her own life and put Tony DiNozzo Jr. and his weird circus in her past.

Of course the adults and most of the kids figured Bianca out pretty quickly. No one said anything, not wanting to upset Tony, Maggie or Emma; hoping the woman would soon be out of the DiNozzos' lives for good.

The funeral was well attended by prosperous looking Americans as well as the overseas visitors. Tony didn't want to prolong the proceedings so no one but the officiant, the owner of the mortuary, did any of the speaking until nearly the end. Then Tony got up, introduced himself and told the crowd a little about his mother and father. As he looked at the edges of the room he almost laughed as he spotted several of what had to be FBI or DHS agents and one man in particular who seemed familiar but then didn't, near the door. Figuring it was someone undercover, Tony ignored him and did a quick mental count of the other 'suits'. As he stepped down he realized Tim's security team was also here and the man who looked familiar was probably Timmons or one of the new guys.

Tony and Maggie circulated around the catered reception thanking everyone for coming and sharing memories of Senior. Grandfa and Dad again told the few stories they had. Dad and Rhea were standing with Tim, Lina, Geo and Bec, taking a break, when Senior's buddy "Prince Al" walked up. "Agents Gibbs and McGee, is it not?"

Gibbs nodded and Tim decided to be gracious, having remembered the man's full name. He welcomed him and then introduced the others. The prince stopped him when he introduced his wife. "Melina Kalivas, the artist?"

She smiled, "Yes, your highness."

"You are married to this young man and do you live here?" Tim could see both his security and the prince's hovering and with a look at Lina, let her know not to say much. She nodded, "We live in the United States yes. And your highness, these are other members of our family…" she introduced Geordie and Bec and then Rhea.

"Rhea Ortiz? Pardon," the man bowed to the others, "I do not mean to be rude but to be in the same room with these two exceptional artists is quite exciting."

Rhea smiled, "Thank you sir, Melina and I are always happy to meet a fan."

On the other side of the room, Tony was looking at the man who was approaching him, wondering who he was as he looked vaguely familiar. The man walked right up to him, "Tony, it's good to see you, although I am sorry about your father, dreadful news. Still, he had a good life."

Maggie and Grandfa were nearby and saw the 'deer caught in the headlights' look on Tony's face; he got the accent, the man was British but beyond that he had no idea. He wondered if this was the English Earl Tim mentioned.

Grandfa winked at Maggie, he'd get this sorted out. He waltzed right up to Tony and the mystery man. "Hello, I'm Anthony's adoptive grandfather, Donald Mallard."

"I had no idea he had an adoptive grandfather! I'm Crispian Paddington, his cousin from his mother's side of the family."

Ducky decided to continue playing it up, "How lovely of you to come to Senior's funeral."

"Senior?"

"That's what our family called Anthony's father. Made it a little easier, not that we saw him often."

Tony finally regained his wits and spoke with his cousin, grateful to his grandfather for giving him the time he needed. He wondered why the man was here, he'd long paid back the money he'd owed the estate of their great-uncle Clive and they hadn't been in contact since.

Maggie joined them and he introduced her to Crispian, who must be the English Earl the State Department told Tim about. She looked at the guy wondering the same thing as Tony. Deciding to take a page from Grandfa's playbook, she smiled at the cousin, "It's nice to finally meet someone from the Paddington side of the family, Crispian. What brings you to the U.S.?"

Crispian had a whole story prepared but now he said, "Well, uh…I'll be truthful."

Tony interjected and those who knew him well and heard his voice knew he was irritated. "Why Crispian, my cousin, that's always a good thing, yes indeedy."

His brothers and their spouses, Dad and Grandfa gathered close, not trying to hide. Crispian saw what was happening and tried to move but he was blocked by Ned standing behind him. "Tony, who are these people?"

"My family, my real family. Now, what do you want?"

Gibbs noticed Bianca was moving through the crowd, headed toward the exit. He caught Dave's eye and looked at Bianca; with an inward smile the retired naval officer moved to block her exit, Liz following after him. When Gibbs caught Tony's eye, he gave him a signal they'd often used on the team. Maggie didn't see it, but Tim and Ned did and they moved in just slightly while one of the FBI agents who'd seen the movements and the signal worked his way across the room to Dave and Liz chatting up Bianca, preventing her from leaving.

"Perhaps this isn't the place."

"And yet you're here, you started this, so let's have it." One of the prince's security men was conferring with one of the security guys from Monaco and they looked to Gibbs. He shrugged and rolled his eyes, trying to convey that this was a family problem and they relaxed. He noted that the Prince had moved closer to the group, curious no doubt.

"Your father had several of your mother's things, Paddington family heirlooms. He promised us when he died we could take them back."

Surprisingly it was the Prince that spoke up, "Do you mean the…" he mentioned several items and Crispian nodded, "Yes, they're meant to return to England where they belong."

Tony's shoulders tensed but Gibbs softly patted his arm, he could see the Prince had more to say. "What you said about Anthony promising to return them; that is not the truth. He was quite pleased that he still had them, his wife willed them to their son as part of a trust; he was very proud that he would be able to leave them for his boy. And when Anthony Jr. married and adopted the little girl, he was even more excited that his granddaughter would eventually have them."

Crispian's face reddened in anger and he looked around, finally finding Bianca, who was still trying to escape her 'chat' with the Cranes. "You! You lied! Did you make it up?"

She made a face, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Tim had a thought he didn't like and looking at Bec who was at the edge of the crowd, signed to her. She agreed, grabbed Geo's arm and they left. One of the undercover FBI agents went after them. He also read sign and agreed it was very likely the DiNozzo home was in the process of being burgled. He called in two other agents and they made their way to the estate. 


	255. Chapter 255

CH 255

When Bec and Geo arrived, they smiled as Ted Edwards and what was left of his undercover glasses and wig had a foot on the back of a hooded man in black who was lying prone on the floor of the living room, his hands cuffed behind him. Quickly Bec asked Ted, "Are there more?"

He shook his head and Bec took over while Ted restored his glasses and wig. When the FBI guys came in, Bec flashed her badge, "Thanks guys, I do appreciate the backup. This is the only one."

Ted was still standing there and the other agents looked at him and then at her. She smiled, "Just a friend, helping out. Now, we need to get our dirt bag behind bars. Anyone have a phone handy?"

One of the others called the local police who were already on their way having been alerted by the alarm company. The miscreant groaned when he heard that, he thought he'd disarmed the alarm, he'd used the passcode given him by his boss.

As the robber, he was armed thus changing the charges from breaking and entering/burglary to armed robbery, was read his rights and removed to the local jail, Bec sent a text and made a quick phone call to Maggie; when she received a reply to her text and the answer from Maggie, she had a chat with the FBI agents. "This home is now the property of Anthony DiNozzo, Jr.; the senior DiNozzo had a trust so there's no probate; it became Tony's the day his father died. The widow, Bianca, gets specific items plus her personal belongings and the rest of the contents of this house and the house itself belong to Tony. That means that this crime has been perpetrated against a U.S. Federal Agent and I suspect we'll find he was hired by Crispian Paddington and Bianca DiNozzo or whatever she calls herself."

The FBI agents were smiling, "Yes, that certainly could give the Bureau reason for jurisdiction."

One of them looked a little puzzled, "Not that we mind but…NCIS is willing to do this? Usually there's some…debate."

Bec smiled, "Yes, my Director is fine with it and thanks you for your assistance. However this is a onetime thing…don't get used to it!"

"I'm assuming you caught the guy or did one of us?"

"My husband did; he's a Marine, he's more the size of our friend and we don't want the suspect to be too confused, do we?"

They laughed, "Of course not." They nodded discreetly at Ted as he moved out of the house.

Bec, Geo and Ted left separately, meeting in an otherwise empty remote parking lot. Bec smiled at him, "That was a happy surprise; on behalf of Tony, Maggie and Emma, thank you! Tim told me you were headed back to Greece on Friday."

"I was but when Mr. DiNozzo died and State heard who all was coming in and from where, they asked Langley to hold me over, to identify any possible troublemakers in the group. I had a few hours to prepare so I looked at the photos of the prince, the guy from Monaco and this guy that says he's an Earl, from the UK. He's no Earl! As soon as I saw that he's related to Tim's brother, sorry Geordie - your brother, I started wondering why Tim didn't react when State told him, then I realized they never said the guy's name. Did a little more digging and found a connection between him and the grieving widow. During the marriage, not before, not sure how they found each other, that should be interesting. Ol' Crispian's run through a lot of his inheritance; he's a gambler and not a successful one either. Somehow he and Bianca got onto the subject of the first Mrs. DiNozzo's heirlooms and the plot was hatched. From what I've seen so far, Bianca didn't think Tony would show up until today, they must have been planning the theft for yesterday."

Geo nodded, adding, "You came here from the mortuary rather than going to the reception?" At Ted's nod Geo continued, "Cousin Crispian approached Tony and said something that set off Tony's radar. We got the bat signal, gathered close and the guy blurted it out, fell apart. I mean, you're there to give yourself an alibi, why tell everyone the truth? Then Dad must have spotted Bianca moving away from the disaster – I wonder if she had her car packed and was ready to run? Anyway Dad gave Uncle Dave, you know- our retired admiral, some sort of signal to intercept her and Aunty Liz followed."

Ted shook his head, "Admiral Crane, first met him at a memorial service for one of his sailors, again at Tim and Lina's wedding and I know we've talked a little during the vacations over the years. And wow, it really pays to have a family of federal agents, Marines and Naval officers!"

Bec nodded, "Oh yeah!" She continued, "Tim told me in sign to come check the house and I guess one of the FBI agents also reads sign."

"Does Tony know yet?"

"Probably not; Maggie and Tim know we're here and that something is going on. The other thing that happened is that the Saudi Prince said Mr. DiNozzo would never have promised to give those heirlooms away, that he was proud to leave them to Tony."

"Nice touch! Well, listen as fun as this has been, I need to get out of here. I'll see you all in Greece next summer, right?"

They nodded, shook hands and he took off. They got in the family limo they'd borrowed and headed back to the reception.

They found the FBI agents there, getting ready to approach Crispian who was still penned in by Tony's family. Unbelievably, they'd been gone less than 20 minutes. The agents nodded to them, whispering, "Glad you're back. The suspect gave up his boss's name. Says Mr. Paddington gave him the passcode to the alarm and that Mr. P. got it from the widow…before she was a widow. So conspiracy as well. This is going to be fun!"

Tim saw Bec, Geo and the FBI agents and gave a signal to the others for what amounted to parade rest. Uncle Dave chuckled as he saw the signal and the almost synchronized movements by the feds in his family. As the FBI agents moved in and identified themselves, a few people in the crowd quietly but quickly melted out the nearest exits. The Prince continued to look interested and the various security teams were calm but watchful, understanding their people were not in danger or involved.

Bianca suddenly found herself standing next to Crispian and she made another face, wondering how she could get out of this and take up the life she felt she'd earned.

When the agents read the charges, there were exclamations from those gathered around and Tim saw several cell phones held up. That was fine, Crispian's disgrace would be all over the internet. Then he thought of his brother, his poor brother. He had enough on his plate and now his rat bastard cousin tried something like this. Maggie and the Colonel were standing with Tony and Dad, Penny, Gram and Grandfa were on the other side so Tim walked up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder. Rob, Jimmy, Geo and Ziva followed while the others stayed with the kids who were wide eyed.

When the agents had whisked Crispian and Bianca away, Tony turned to the others, "Does anyone know what happened and why?"

Bec and Geo moved in front of the others, "Yes, Tim sent us over to the house, so we know. We need to talk in private…all of us, but not here."

Tony nodded, "Ok."

The Prince moved forward, "Anthony, if I may have a moment before we leave?"

Tony nodded and the two men walked off together. "As you know, I have had difficulties in my family." Tony nodded, remembering the son who'd tried to kill his brother because his lifestyle was too western.

"I say that because so many times people try to give advice or console when they have no idea. But we know, we two. From opposite ends perhaps, me as a father, you as a son, but still we know how difficult it can be. After our encounter in DC, your father and I renewed our acquaintance and it became a strong friendship. He listened to my troubled heart and I listened to his. Know that he loved you the best he could, he deeply regretted some of the things that happened in your childhood. He came to believe that he lost his mind when your mother died and that led to years of bad decisions. Unfortunately, it also lost him his son for many years. But he felt there was progress, he was quite proud and happy that the two of you were speaking and spending time with each other. He loved you as only a father can love a son and he was very proud of you. He was so joyful when he told me that you'd found love and married and when your daughter entered your life. I just want you to know that you should not have any doubts as to how he left this world, he loved you and was proud of everything you are and everything you did…your family and your work."

Tony had given up trying to hold back the tears and the Prince smiled sadly at him. "Do not hide your tears of sorrow but also bear the joy of having loved him." He hesitated, "There is one more thing, something I know. The man who was just arrested, your cousin?" Tony nodded. "He is a gambler, a horrible one who should never play children's games much less games of chance."

"He's lost money?"

"I have seen him lose money in Monte Carlo on several occasions, yes."

"Is the family in danger of losing their homes, do you know?"

"That I do not know but if I may be of assistance, please contact me." He slipped Tony a business card.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The man smiled, "My friends call me Al."

"Al, thank you."

They walked back to the group and the prince summoned his security people, it was time to go. He spoke quietly with Gibbs and Grandfa before taking his leave.

Tim looked around the room, they were the only ones left. The guy from Monaco - Ned had googled him and said he was the son of one of the royals, a prince – and his entourage left on the heels of the Saudi entourage. Andy and Anna walked up to him, "Dad?"

"Weird day, huh kids?"

"Yeah. Do we get to hear what happened?"

"Don't know yet. I think we're probably going back to the house, Uncle Tony's house, and Aunt Bec and Uncle Geo will tell us what happened."

Once they were all at the house, Bec took Tony aside. "There's a classified bit."

"That leaves out a lot of people."

"So we'll power through and tell you guys the classified part later."

"Ok."

They gathered in the large living room and Bec started talking. "At the party, while Crispian and Bianca were going at it, Tim signed to us to go check out the house, he thought there it was probably being burgled. We took the limo and when we got there we found someone there who had already busted the robber and had him face down on the floor. The man had already searched the house, knew this guy was alone. I took over and he left. Three FBI agents came in just after we got there, they were at the reception, one of them also reads sign and decided to be our backup. The LEOs were already on their way, sorry, that's local law enforcement, because the robber set the alarm off. So they took the guy to jail and Director McGee ceded jurisdiction to the FBI."

Ned and Gibbs frowned, "Huh?"

"As of Thursday, the house and contents are the property of a federal agent; the robber had a weapon on him so it was armed robbery not a burglary; there was intent to harm as well as to steal."

They looked at Tim who shrugged and said to Tony, "Do you want to watch a team of your peers go through your personal life – and Senior's? You know it can't be assigned to any of us; maybe Matt but I can't justify bringing him out here to handle this. These agents are NY based, they don't know you and they will be discreet, I've already had a conversation with them and I have their word."

"That's enough?"

"In this case, yes."

Gibbs' forehead furrowed in thought but he didn't say anything. He would find out later what those agents, or at least one of them, owed Tim.

Tony took up the story, "The prince told me Crispian is a gambler, a bad one. He says he's seen him lose several times in Monte Carlo."

"Goes to motive, he needs the money."

Tony shook his head, "I need to find out if his family is in danger of losing their homes. If he'd asked, I might have helped him."

"Can't help a gambler, Tony."

"No Uncle Dave, but we might have helped as far as the rest of the family goes. He held the purse strings so who knows what is happening to their business."

He sighed and looked at a clock, "Grandfa, what time is our flight?"

"Not until 7:00 dear boy."

"Ok, so we have a few hours to relax. Do you want to see the house?"

XXX

Hours later they were on their way home, back to Virginia; every single one of them exhausted and emotionally drained. Suddenly Tony started laughing, "My father would have loved that, all his friends, our family, a great party and then…big drama on top of it!"

Grandfa chuckled, "I'm not sure your father was all that fond of drama, Anthony."

Tim's eyes widened and he barely kept himself from snorting as he said, "He might not have been fond of it, but drama was certainly fond of him!"

Those who had known Senior in the last few years nodded in agreement and when the flight attendant came around Gibbs whispered something to her; she returned with glasses of champagne and sparkling cider.

Nodding to his friend in appreciation of the thought, Grandfa stood, "To Anthony DiNozzo Senior, a man of many talents, who graced us with his love of what he deemed the best things in life, who was never afraid to take a risk, who never gave up and who gave us a son, grandson, husband, father, brother, uncle, nephew and cousin whom he and we love dearly. To Senior."

The group drank to Senior, grateful for the son he left as legacy.

XXX

Their flight to San Diego wasn't due to leave until noon on Sunday; the Perrys were leaving for the airport around the same time so the family had brunch together Sunday morning. The Colonel brought Emma over but Tony and Maggie had already said their farewells when they left the plane last night.

Tim had a video chat with Leon who'd arrived home Saturday morning, updating him on the last case involving Senior. Vance chuckled, "Thank you for letting the FBI handle it, one less headache for us. I feel bad for DiNozzo though, sheesh. Trouble sure seemed to follow his father! How's our guy doing?"

"I think he was pretty numb by the end of the day and they're exhausted today."

"That's why there's bereavement leave - although most people don't also have to deal with their families trying to steal their belongings during the funeral!" He paused, "Anything I should know about the case? Who the undercover agent was?"

Tim shook his head, "No need." He paused a beat before continuing, "Last week went so well that I was actually able to have dinner out with my wife two nights in a row."

Vance frowned at the apparent segue and Tim hooked an eyebrow. Leon bit back a smile and played along, "Two nights, huh? That never happens. So…just the two of you?"

Evidently that was the right question as Tim's eyes twinkled. "No, we'll have a date night when we get home. Tuesday night we had a siblings' night out with no kids and that was relaxing and a lot of fun. The second night out, Wednesday, was with Ted Edwards and his wife. He was here for the takedown and they were planning on leaving for home on Friday. That was fun too, he told us a lot of stories - heavily edited I'm sure."

Tim rubbed his eyebrow and Vance nodded his understanding, surprised that the undercover agent who'd saved Tony's heirlooms in Long Island, New York was a CIA agent normally stationed in Greece. On second thought, this was Tim, so of course one of the two CIA agents he trusted had been TAD here for the Big Bad and stuck around to help Tony. He liked knowing but not officially knowing. That might improve his own reputation with Langley. Not that he cared!

After disconnecting from his call with Tim, Leon sighed; he had not wanted to come back from vacation. He'd been happy in his work, with major exceptions, for many years but those days were quickly passing. These next few months were going to be difficult as he went through his own personal countdown. He grimaced, he'd forgotten about the end of September benchmark for the McGees' decision whether they would move forward. He made another mental note to revive his old short list and see what the other two possible candidates for this job were up to. He really didn't want to but the choice was Tim and Lina's, just as it had been his and Jackie's when Jenny Shepard died.

XXX

The flight home was quiet. The four younger kids had played hard and been allowed to stay up late last night; they were nearly as tired as the rest of the family. At Leon's request, Tim briefed the Secretary about the DiNozzo case; she just shook her head. When she asked Tim his overall impression of his two weeks in DC he smiled, "Getting all those people home was great. I know they have a tough road ahead of them but they survived their captivity, I hope they can continue their bravery and get all the love, support and professional help they need. Busting the ring was good. Being able to bring our dead home, at least we know and they'll be remembered. And last week went pretty well, don't know whether the 'good luck' fairy made an appearance but with the major exception of the death in the family, it was a good week as far as work."

"The 'good luck' fairy?"

Tim chuckled and told her the story of Pete Russell's 'good luck' fairy.

She smiled, "I've heard so many stories about Mr. Russell from you and Leon and I know you're both very fond of him."

Tim thought about the idea he and Lina had been discussing. They were pretty sure they were going to tell Leon they'd go forward. And that would very likely mean this would be their last Christmas in California. They wondered if the Russells would stay with them through Christmas; fly home with them after Thanksgiving and stay. Kyra and Lukas would have to go back to school and that would mean they'd miss Christmas with their folks as would Stephan and Phoebe although they might be able to fly out. That was asking a lot, too much. Maybe they'd all fly to Greece for Christmas…he'd talk it over with Lina, see what she thought.

He walked the aisles thinking about the future. Now he was looking forward to it after all the months of struggling with the idea. It might be his biggest challenge yet but he was coming to believe he could handle it and do a good job for the agency that had been home to him all his adult life. He looked down with a smile as a small hand slid into his and he welcomed Jorry. "Hello son."

"Hi Dad!"

"So tell me what you did yesterday. I know you had a good time, but what were you doing?"

"We did lots of stuff. We went berry picking in the woods and that was fun; I ate a lot of them. Me, Zoe, Sean and Davey were the same color as the berries! And we roller skated in the basement and then Unca Jim grilled hot dogs for lunch; we had tons of relish, chips, fresh berries and lemonade."

"Tons huh? That sounds like a lot of fun and a lot of yummy food too. Did anyone take pictures of you all berry colored?"

Jorry giggled, "Yep, Aunt Claire did and Unca Jim ate a lot of berries too! We had to wash up before we went skating. After lunch we went for a hike in the woods and climbed up and down a big tree and we got to wade in the stream, Unca Jim and Aunt Claire waded too!"

Tim nodded with a smile, "I wish I'd seen that!"

"And then, Daddy…then we had our own splash battle, just us, no big kids and no grownups. Unca Jim, Granddad and Aunt Claire watched."

"Wow that sounds like a lot of fun kiddo!"

"Granddad took pictures. There's a funny one of Zoe, Violet and Sean splashing me, Davey, Gemma and Sasha."

"Did Sasha do all right?" Ned and Rob had worried about her but the youngster was used to being in daycare or at Sarah's without her sister and by now was comfortable with the other children and the adults of the family.

"Yeah, she only cried once, mostly she laughed and had fun with us."

"That's good son, it's important to help the new kids, right?"

Jorry nodded in agreement and Tim hugged his little boy, hardly believing their little sprout would be 6 in a few months. "After your splash battle what did you do?"

"We were already wet so we went to the pool and got to swim, just us, Unca Jim, Grandmum and Granddad. Aunt Claire stayed with Aunt Sarah because she had a tummy ache but she didn't have the baby."

"That sounds like a great day!"

"I almost forgot, we had ice cream too."

"Good, that made the day perfect then."

"Daddy, um, are we going back there again?"

"Yes, we'll be there for your birthday and Thanksgiving."

"Yay! After that?"

"Maybe, I don't know yet. When I find out I'll tell you, promise!"

"Ok, because we love our beach and the Uncles and everyone but it's really fun to be around all the other kids."

"The cousins?"

"Yeah."

"That's good because they really like having all of you around too."

Jorry grinned and then took off to join his siblings.

XXX

It felt good to be home and strange to be in this house after being gone for a month and living in two other houses, one theirs but new to them and the other not theirs but familiar nonetheless. The kids went around touching everything to reacquaint themselves and Tim and Lina did a little of that too. They'd forgotten how much they liked their patio, the garden and the pool. A patio and garden were in the plans for their Virginia house but they wouldn't have that put in until they were actually transferred. They were noticing their words changing from 'if' to 'when' but decided to put off saying anything to the director for now. In the meantime, they reconnected with their California family and friends.

Driving to work in San Diego felt a little strange on Monday; even though Tim had been working in DC he still felt like he'd been away from his job for the past month. In a sense he had as he'd been too busy in DC to do more than a cursory check with his teams here, aside from their participation in the Big Bad. And he missed Esposito.

They'd talked with Damian and Matt last night and they would see them the following weekend but Tim still felt the need to spend a little more time with Matt. He sent him a "Happy Monday" text and was glad to get one back. They texted back and forth throughout the day and Tim felt like he'd re-established contact. He wondered how the couple would feel about being transferred again and once again considered asking Leon to move them closer to the Navy Yard than the Central office.

That led him to the conclusion that they really needed to let Leon know their decision as soon as possible. The man had a lot more to do to get everyone to the slots he'd designated for them and Tim was sure he had many other things on his plate, things that did not include the McGee clan!

He sent a text to Lina and they decided to have one final conversation that evening and send Leon something in the morning. When he got home, Lina showed him the e-mail Geo sent that afternoon. Charlotte had started treatment and while Geo didn't come right out and say it, it sounded like things hadn't gone very well. As she'd feared all along, she would be in the hospital for a few days, at least through the week. They thought of little Lucy and no matter how grim it seemed they were glad that Charlotte had taken the steps necessary to make sure her child would be loved and cared for.

Tim didn't remember his mother or her illness as he'd been younger than Lucy, but he knew the aftermath and was thankful that if the worst happened, this child would have two parents and a large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins surrounding her with love. Then he thought of Penny, Gram, Jim, Dave and Aunty Liz and contacted each of them. As he'd feared, the news had stirred up painful memories and they were glad to speak to him. He was pleased to hear that his siblings had checked in too. Liz told him that Maggie had been on the phone with Tony; he was still exhausted and had appointments with financial advisors and real estate agents over the next few days.


	256. Chapter 256

Have just posted a new side story to Finding Home titled Finding Home: Roots before Branches featuring Tim, Gibbs and a couple of other characters. It's a one-shot that fits into the main story between Chapters 245 and 247.

* * *

><p>CH 256<p>

It wasn't until the kids were asleep and they were getting ready for bed that they got around to their planned final conversation about "The Decision".

Lina started it off, asking her husband "Do you have any more qualms about whether you can do the job or want to do the job?"

Tim had given more thought to it and now he shook his head, "I'm sure that last week was an anomaly, call it a honeymoon week, but I feel I'm capable of handling it, doing a good job, protecting and nurturing the agency and continuing to be husband, father, son. Yes, I'll probably work at home more than Leon did – he was very into 'separation' of work and home, but if it means more hours at home, able to spend more time with you, the kids and the family, then that's what I'll do."

Lina smiled, "Well, you will have your own style, after all."

Tim laughed, "I'm sure I've already established that, being family with so many of our agents, for one thing. How are you feeling about it?"

"I'm ashamed of being so unsupportive when you were working that horrible case. I don't know what I was thinking."

Tim tilted his head in thought, "I've almost always been able to tell you a little something about what I was doing or what was going on. Or it was in the news. This was very hush-hush all the way around. Do you know I had to get permission from the Secretary of the Navy to tell Dad, still an active employee of NCIS, anything about it? And we had far more security than I think anyone realized. There were agents all over Preston; they followed you, the kids, whoever was in the big house, wherever you went. They were in Virginia watching everyone there too. Your parents were under protection and all of our siblings, yes even Chloe and Nicolas, were protected as were the Greats, the Hubbards and Cranes.

"There were several on Aegina; the guy that rented the bicycles? One of the security team. The guy that was selling snow cones on the beach…security. It could get like that again…there could be another case. I hope there won't be but who knows! We're partners, you and me, and this time I had to let work trump our partnership and that could happen again."

Lina nodded, "Now I will remember that there may be times you cannot tell me anything and I will trust you. I apologize for that, I really should have known, I've always trusted you and there's never been a reason to doubt."

"Until I started working late and not talking about my day, getting mysterious phone calls, disappearing on weekends on phony sounding errands, things like that?"

She dropped her head, "Yes. I didn't think you were straying but I did think you were too wrapped up in whatever it was. Then when you took us to that resort in the mountains and I noticed the carefully camouflaged nets, walls and strategically placed trees, I really started to worry. And you were so relieved, as if we had been in great danger and were safe there."

Tim nodded, "As quiet as we tried to keep our investigation, we were threatened. There was a credible threat that caused the cancellation of our Virginia trip. And the week before we went to the mountains there were two threats against us, one aimed at me, one aimed at you and there had already been one aimed at the kids, when school was still in session. The threat against you said something was to happen during your meeting at the gallery in Santa Monica, but we had you well covered: the rooftops and the bay with NCIS and FBI agents on land and boats and your meeting went off without a hitch.

"The threat to the kids…we had the entire campus guarded, under camera surveillance 24/7, for a couple of weeks, rented a house or two in the neighborhood, used drones to keep watch. The strangest thing that happened, out of all that, and this has to be kept between us Lina, is that one of the kids at the elementary school is the child of a guy in organized crime. I know who he is and he knows who I am, the FBI knows all about him and briefed me when we moved here. Luckily his group keeps away from the Navy and Marine Corps or at least away from them in my jurisdiction; but he and I always do a sort of 'we're just here for the kids' tap dance when we're at school meetings together - and we've never spoken. Until this case - and no he was not involved.

"But at our last parents' meeting, he managed to stand beside me at the coffee table and whispered if I needed any help, to let him know. As if! And then Timmons told me that we weren't the only ones guarding the school, that there were some other people there; not interfering, just there but definitely guarding. Nick's guys noticed them too and he asked me if I wanted his department to chase them away. We left them alone. But that…I know he's not a good guy but at least he was looking out for his kid. And when we weren't sure if the threat had been removed, our guys looked and noticed the other guards, the goon guards, were gone. We still continued checking but that did give us a weird sort of confirmation."

"The gentleman crook?"

Tim huffed, "At least a paternal crook!"

Her eyes narrowed in thought and he shook his head, "Please don't try to figure out who it is."

She shrugged, "All right, I suppose that's best. My answer to your original question is that I'm excited about the possibilities. That is our dream house, personally designed for us by Damian, the property is lovely, we'll be able to work at the Family Home, the children will be with their cousins and all the family; there will be many opportunities for me to spread my wings as far as my work; we'll all be on the same side of the continent, well the McGee clan will be, I'll just have to trust you and Leon as far as Matt and Damian." She thought for a minute, "Papa and Mama will be in Virginia with us and wherever the boys are and Alexis is talking about transferring to the university Cole is now attending in Florida." She smiled as she continued, "Best of all, we will be together and continuing to do what each of us loves best, loving each other, our children, family and our work."

They were wrapped in each other's arms by the time she finished and when they came up for air Tim said, "We're telling Leon yes." Lina just nodded as she had other things on her mind.

XXX

Tim was up early and sent Leon a brief text, "Yes! From both of us." He wanted the man to know it was an enthusiastic response not a "we'll do this because it's my duty" sort of thing.

XXX

Leon sent a one word answer: "Yay!" Then he looked at his timetable and realized it was time to get things moving again. Two hours later he chuckled when he had another message from Tim asking him if there was any way to move Matt Watson closer to DC than Central and if he could add a fourth Deputy Assistant Director. Leon sent a yes to that question, wondering who he had in mind and then figuring it out. It pleased him that Tim was making his own preparations. Moving to the Watson question, he smiled, this could help.

He wanted to move the current DC Field Office SSAIC to a different location; after some difficult personal challenges he'd asked for a change and this would well serve both agents. Matt's office would be in the District, although not on the Navy Yard, while the other agent would move to the Central office. He sent a reply to Tim.

He had his timelines worked out; Bec Childers would be among the first and Lydia Worden one of the very last to be moved into the positions he had in mind for them. And this time he'd be able to give most of his transfers at least 30 days lead time.

DiNozzo was already where he needed to be and Dorneget had asked to remain as Team Lead of the Cold Case team until his younger foster daughter was older. Ducky had dropped by for a visit one morning and casually mentioned that Ned and Rob felt that one of them should have regular hours. Once Rob had more tenure at his job, he'd have a little more control over his hours but for now he was still proving himself and working the hours he was given without question. For Ned, leading a cold case team meant he was rarely in the field after 'normal' work hours. Leon knew doctors trained for years but he hadn't considered the time to become established once trained and employed. It would be up to Tim then, to move Ned up to one of the MCRTs when he was ready.

XXX

When he arrived at the office, happy with Leon's positive responses, Tim looked at his calendar, wanting to make the call to his newest deputy and was glad to see the morning was scheduled for 'paperwork'. He pulled out the description of duties the group had worked out over their months together and refined it just a bit, adding a line about working with other agencies, domestic and international. Then he made the call to the NCIS Little Creek VA office.

He was quickly transferred to Lydia who sounded a bit surprised, "Good morning Special Agent McGee."

"'Morning Special Agent Worden. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure. What's up?"

Tim smiled, thinking of their first meeting a lifetime ago.

"I have a request to make. I'd like you to become one of my Deputy Assistant Directors."

"You…wow…"

Tim chuckled to himself, giving her some time to collect herself; he'd never heard or seen her rendered speechless before.

"Yes, Assistant Director, I accept!"

"Great, Lydia, welcome to the team! Rule #1 is no titles, we work pretty much as any other NCIS team, not a monarchy."

There was a hint of a laugh as she said, "Got it Tim."

"I've sent you a list of our responsibilities and the basic structure we've worked out, how often we meet, deadlines, etc. We have at least one quick meeting every week but when we're in the middle of something, like the Big Bad, it could be every day. And we have crunch times…Richard has a calendar he's developed so we can anticipate the heavy stuff coming up. That's Richard Owens, don't know if you've ever met him."

"I haven't but I've heard good things about him."

"Good; the other two you know: Julian Bashon-Martin and Rose Peters."

"It'll be great to work with the three of you again and get to know Richard, I know the work is different but still…"

Tim chuckled, "We've come to view it as helping the teams bust more bad guys. Otherwise it would be a lot of boring number crunching, reports and evaluations." He paused, "This isn't common knowledge but it was during what we thought would be an evaluation and number crunching session that we discovered the trafficking ring."

At her end, Lydia's eyes widened in surprise, "I hadn't heard that, that's really good to know."

"I'm pretty sure we were all prepared for a different sort of meeting that day, evaluating UA reports. So you never know. Ok, I've just sent you an invite for our next meeting and now you're on the list, welcome, congratulations and thank you!"

"Thanks Tim… but why are you thanking me?"

"Because bringing you in means different ideas, different opinions and perspectives. We're the first NCIS AD/Deputy team and we're always looking for better ways to do things."

Now she did chuckle, "Well you know me, I always have an opinion!"

"Counting on it!"

She had a few questions which he answered and then they disconnected. He'd told the others he was requesting a fourth deputy but he hadn't said who. Now he sent a message to Rose, Richard and Julian and was happy with their responses. Richard had also 'heard lots of good things' and Julian, who'd done lot of training with Lydia during their time on Joel's team in London, and Rose, who'd worked with Joel's team during her years in Rota, were pleased to be working with her again.

He notified Leon and before he left for the day sent a notice agency wide welcoming Lydia Worden to the Deputy AD team. He laughed when he had messages from Pete, Joel and his dad who were very pleased. Joel in particular said he was doing a happy dance he was so proud. Tim hoped Lydia had had time to tell Joel and Carol herself; he'd forgotten that the 'all agency' e-mail address he used included retirees.

Throughout the week he got e-mails, tweets and texts from his sibling/partner Feds mostly saying some version of "So…Rose or Lydia as your AD when/if…?"

He laughed and replied with "What, Richard and Julian are chopped liver?"

Tony called that weekend, saying he needed to talk to his brother about all the changes in his life. "Obviously I was wrong about Senior's business dealings, I mean look who showed up for his funeral! He'd been down but he was up again and there are two projects currently in development."

"So…are those your projects now?"

"Well, yeah, I'm the owner but there's a really smart guy who was his project manager and will stay on. One of the developments is in Belize and the other one is on Haiti – that's actually housing, not a resort and it's geared towards low or no income families; who knew my father was a humanitarian?"

"That's great, Tony!"

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about that. There's a lot more real estate and all kinds of complicated things. He had a finance guy who handled just about everything and he'll stay on too. I'm just…" he sighed.

"Overwhelmed?"

"Yes. And worried because there are these people who are handling the business, but how do I know what they're doing – I know nothing about business! And I have employees, those two for one thing and an administrative staff. And the people working on the developments."

"Uh…"

"Yeah, I know I can't do that and be a Federal Agent. I just…do I switch careers at this stage of my life? This is going to sound whiny but I worked hard for Gibbs' old spot and waited, well you know."

Tim swallowed; he couldn't imagine Tony not being a NCIS agent. "Have you talked to Dad about this?"

"No, not yet, hoped you'd have an idea."

"An idea? Uhhhh…how about we figure out what you want first. Sounds to me like the options you're wondering about are: 1) How to keep and understand the business or 2) sell it or 3) other options to be named later. Is that about right?"

"Yeah, thanks - it was jumbled in my brain."

"You're overwhelmed Bro and I bet Maggie is too."

"Pretty much."

"Geez, we have military, feds, artists, medical people but who knows busin…Breena!"

"Breena?"

"Sure, that's a family owned business and she has a degree in Business Administration. And Gram is an accountant; she knows business practices and would be able to tell if everything was on the level."

"And Dad knows construction, he could check for problems."

"Yes he could and Davos is a builder too."

"Or maybe I sell the whole mess and stick with Plan A."

"Sure but at least you want to know you're not being cheated on the sale."

"Good point. Ok, I'll get in touch with Breena and Gram and I'll talk with Dad and…I need to talk with Vance or HR I guess."

"Probably want to start with Vance and tell him what's going on."

"Will do, thanks Tim."

"What about the other real estate? Is that owned by the business or you personally…like the house?"

"Some of it was included in the trust and some of it is owned by the business. The trust has the house in the Hamptons, an apartment in Paris, a flat in London and a house on the southern coast of Spain. In addition to the projects, the business has a resort on the coast in Croatia that was completed two weeks ago, it'll go on the market next month and shares of some commercial buildings in Europe, Asia and Australia."

"Holy crap!"

Tony laughed, "Pretty much what we said. And get this, he left me a long letter and part of it was about the places in the trust. He said he was good at blackjack and he won the Parisian apartment and the Spanish house in private games. They were mortgage free so he rented them out and then he leveraged those two places plus the house here to finance a small project and that's how he got back up. His buddy Prince Al went in with him, which proved stability to nervous investors, they built whatever it was, sold it for enough money to pay off everything plus some and did it all again, only for a slightly larger project. His letter said he'd leveraged those two places at least three times during his recovery, all perfectly legal. And he said to tell you that you being there in Nice that time showed him how much he needed to get back on his feet; that he should be playing in Monte Carlo where everyone knew him. He appreciated what you said about him not knowing me; it showed him you weren't as done with me as I'd thought and that obviously something with a terrorist had happened to us both. Said it made him determined to leave me more than my mother's belongings; that at first he wanted to prove to me he'd been successful and then later that changed to wanting me to have financial stability, be able to retire." He paused to take a breath. "And Tim…Dad, only he was still Gibbs to us then, got in touch with Senior after I got shipped to Bremerton to tell him that he'd been wrong for being judgmental with him about the way he treated me. He quoted Gibbs as saying, "I screwed up just as much, only worse because it was both Tony and Tim and I don't know if I can fix things between us."

"WOW!"

"Yeah, that about knocked me off the chair."

"I'm gonna run over to the big house and give Dad a big kiss…from both of us."

"That sounds good, wish I could be there. Oh, that's something else in the trust! A 50% interest in a private jet! So we can use Air DiNozzo from now on!"

"That is too cool man, your own jet, 50% of one!"

"Yeah, I asked the finance guy to see how much it would take to buy the others out. Then we'd have a family jet. Maggie says it might not be cost effective though. Because when we charter, we're paying a fee per person, but the owners of the jet are costs up front: fuel, storage, hangers when it's not in the air, whatever fees there are, the flight crew salaries and insurance. Those costs get paid back to them by their customers, but if we owned the jet we'd have to pay all that and charter it out to help pay the costs."

"Oh, yeah, yikes. Well, so maybe 50% is good for now, huh?" Tim huffed, "Another question for Grammie and Breena!"

"I'll put it on the list. Listen I gotta go, it's time to pick up our ballerina from class."

"Ok, good talking with you Tony, let me know what happens!"

"Sure will."

They disconnected and Tim sat back in his chair, thinking about his brother. That call from their dad to Senior, wow that was a shocker; although it was pretty cool to know he did the right thing with Senior, he was proud of him.

Selfishly, he hoped Tony would decide to stay with NCIS but being practical, he was 2 years away from mandatory retirement from the field. He did have the option of petitioning for an extension of a few years. Tim frowned, that would be up to him if he did, oh boy. He thought that was a decision he'd have to delegate to his Assistant Director, for Tony anyway. Ned, Matt and Bec would still be well under 55 by the time he stepped down from the big chair and Jimmy and Maggie weren't subject to the mandatory age. Evaluations and promotions too, he would have to hand those over to his AD for all of them, including Jimmy. He made a note to add that to the AD responsibilities, just as Leon would if Kayla or Jared was hired by NCIS before their father retired.

He went to find Lina, needing to talk about Tony.

Lina was in her studio working on a new painting; she had a new series planned and this was the first piece. Tim retreated to the kitchen, he did not want to interrupt her work. The kids were with their Kalivas' grandparents who said they'd missed them and needed lots of time with them. He'd taken them for a bike ride this morning and the Ks would bring them home for dinner.

Fixing himself a cup of his coffee substitute, he pretended not to hear the studio door open and his wife tiptoeing through the kitchen. But when she put her hands around his eyes and said "Guess who!" he laughed, swung around and picked her up. "We're all alone in the house, my love!" She giggled, "So let's go, but don't carry me upstairs, I want you to conserve your strength!" They ran upstairs, where they put their free afternoon to good use.

Later when they'd showered and were dressing again, Tim told her about Tony's flat in Paris.

"His flat, he inherited it?" Tim nodded.

"Is it empty, can we stay there?"

"I think it's rented, we'd have to check with Tony if we ever get there again."

"All right." She looked at Tim, "What's wrong?"

He told her and she sighed, "Oh. He really can't stay with the agency if he has a business?"

"He really can't."

"I'll bet his father didn't know."

Tim shrugged, "Or maybe he did but decided to let Tony make the choice."

"It would be safer."

"It would be but Lina, he's been a cop since he was 22 and he's 53 now. He doesn't know any more about business than I do. Law enforcement yes, how to read people yes and that could be good but jumping into a million dollar business without any kind of background?" He continued, "And the thing is he loves being a cop. He planned to be a pro ball player and then go into law enforcement after he was too old to play, but then his leg was broken. And he's a good investigator, one of the best. I guess I'm biased as far as the agency, but I hate to see him give up everything he's worked so hard for."

"But he could sell the business."

"Yes, and have enough money, and houses, to live in comfort for the rest of their lives."

She sat in thought, "I wonder how Maggie feels about it."

Tim nodded, "Me too. But I guess it's not really our business…ha, true in both senses." She smiled at his double use of the word and patted his cheek, "Trust they'll make the best decision for them."

Lina went back to work in the studio and Tim headed to the big house. He thought Rhea would also be in her studio as she was finishing a commissioned piece for a client. His dad was out on the deck cleaning one of the grills. He looked up with a smile as Tim came through the house. "Hey kiddo, this is a nice surprise!"

"Good, got another one for you." Tim reached him, wrapped him in a hug and kissed each side of his face, saying, "That's from me and that's from Tony, we're so proud of you!"

"Thanks son, but what'd I do?"

"Senior left a letter for Tony; he told him about your call to him after Tony was shipped to Bremerton."

"Oh." His shoulders tensed. "Tim…"

"All in the past, Dad, we're lightyears beyond that, have been for years, the three of us. Just…we're proud of you for that call. That was an incredible thing to do."

"I had to do it. I was pretty harsh with Senior the first time we met him, self-righteous and when I realized…well, I had to tell him that I was as lousy a father as he was, worse because I'd hurt both of you. And I was terrified that I'd lost you."

Tim wrapped his arms around his dad again. "You didn't lose either of us and we didn't lose you. Focus on that; on what happened after, what we made happen. You, Tony and I worked hard to get through the bad times and we did it, we're successful. We're better than we ever were, better than any of us ever could have imagined. And we got Ziva back too." He paused before continuing, "I would have had a wonderful life with Lina, but I can't imagine not having you in it, you not meeting and falling in love with Rhea, not adopting all of us and being granddad to my kids - all our children. I had dreams of what having a dad would be like and you've far exceeded all of them. And our family, Dad, no words…"

Both of them touched to the core, they hung on in the embrace for minutes, only breaking when the door to Rhea's studio squeaked open.

XXX

August arrived and with it the last few weeks of the children's summer vacation. Their clothes were ready, their school supplies were ready and the family threw itself into a frenzy of activity. The Gibbses talked about driving across country, arriving in Virginia in time for baby Patrick's due date. They wanted to stop in New Mexico for a few days to visit the ranch where Rhea grew up, on the last few hundred acres of a large rancho her great grandparents developed after statehood was declared in 1912.

The kids loved the idea of seeing where Nonnie grew up and Tim and Lina realized they wanted their kids to know the country they lived in, their home, their father and grandparents' birthplaces in addition to their mother's in Greece. The trip to the UK had never gelled and they'd planned a different sort of trip prior to school starting. When Rhea told them the ranch now supported paying guests as well as cattle, the McGees were even more intrigued.

Looking at the website made them even more excited and soon they were contacting Rhea's cousins, the current owners, to check for vacancies. When the cousins realized they were Rhea's stepson and family, they refused to consider them anything other than visiting family and offered them the bunkhouse which had enough room for the McGees and the Kalivas'. The Gibbses would stay in the room that had been Rhea's as a child.

In no time the trip was put together, the crowning touch Tony's offer of his jet for the trip. They'd fly into Albuquerque and pick up rental vehicles for their visit, the Gibbses driving to Virginia when the McGees left. Because they already had plans for later that same week, they'd have three days in New Mexico before flying to their next destination, a surprise for the kids.

Before they left, the family celebrated Poppy's birthday since he and Nonnie would be in Virginia for his actual birthday. Davos and Tim grilled steak, Lina made garlic potatoes and the kids helped make his favorite birthday cake. He got teary eyed at his gift from Tim and Lina, a portrait of him and Rhea. It was a candid pose, the two of them facing each other, hand in hand in the wavelets at the shoreline on their beach, in their beach clothes, laughing together.

While Lina sketched and painted the portrait, Tim built the frame from carefully selected pieces of driftwood and was quite proud to have done it himself although he knew Davos would have been happy to help him.


	257. Chapter 257

CH 257

The flight to Albuquerque was comfortable and, remembering hot muggy DC earlier in the summer the adults smiled with pleasure at the wonderfully dry air on their skin when they reached their destination. They were soon driving through stone pillars with a sign that simply said 'Ortiz'. Following the Gibbses to a single story wooden building, they parked and walked toward the impressive rock and wood entrance. Davos noticed an out building that reminded him of the hacienda he'd seen in Old Town San Diego. They could see several other buildings, most constructed from adobe and knew one was the former bunkhouse where the McGees and Kalivas' would stay.

Lina was looking at the landscaping as they walked, listening as Rhea spoke of her great grandparents who'd labored to establish the landscape and kept it going. The trees were mature although she could see some new ones staked here and there, providing a windbreak and shade for the main house. There were flowering shrubs interspersed, giving a welcoming look to the entrance. One of the double front doors opened and an older gentleman stepped out, "Welcome, welcome!"

This was the elder of the Ortiz family, Rhea's cousin Tomas. Several years older than Rhea, he'd run the ranch for many years, finally handing over the reins to his son Roger. As he was introduced to everyone, he smiled warmly at them, "I am pleased to finally meet you all. But…" he looked over their shoulders, "I only see two vehicles. My understanding is that buses are needed to transport the entire family."

They laughed at that and as Rhea introduced him to each person he shook hands, repeating the name. Also a Marine no longer on active duty, he gently teased Jethro, whom he'd met on many Skype calls over the years. When he was introduced to Tim, he grinned, "I'm pleased to meet you as Tim, as Rhea's family and of course as Mr. Gemcity, author of some of my favorite books!" He'd met Lina when he and his late wife had visited Rhea in Greece two years before Tim moved there and welcomed her with a kiss and a hug, saying "It's been too long Melina!"

He was excited to meet Davos and Hélène and to welcome them to the 'rest' of America. "I understand you've seen both coasts, now you see the best parts of our country!" The kids liked him right away.

Tim had been trying not to think about the bunkhouse they'd be staying in, telling himself it wasn't a tent and he could deal with anything else. During a tour of the main house they met one of Tomas' grandchildren, Roger's daughter Chase who was 11, a year younger than Andy and two years older than Anna. She nodded with a smile, "You're staying in the bunkhouse…lucky! It's awesome out there!" She turned to the kids, "Do you ride?"

Andy nodded, "We all do, horses and bikes."

She grinned, "Great, we'll go horseback riding then. And we have some mountain bikes here too."

Anna smiled happily, "Is there a place to swim?"

"Sure! There's a creek, a pool and we're not far from the river." The kids cheered at that and the adults chuckled. They walked across to the bunkhouse and when they stepped inside Lina poked Tim with her elbow, basically saying 'I told you so'. It might have started out life as a bunkhouse for tired cowboys but it had been renovated to a dwelling that even Damian would approve. Each of the 6 bedrooms had its own full bathroom and in the main room there was a kitchen alcove with a coffeemaker, microwave, mini fridge, toaster oven, cabinets with dishes and snack food. The rest of the interior space was given over to a common room, comfortably furnished with overstuffed couches and chairs. There was a large screen TV above the fireplace along with shelves full of DVDs, books, board games and jigsaw puzzles. A woman who looked like Chase came in with them and after greeting Rhea, was introduced as the young girl's mother Tamara.

They unpacked before going on a tour of the ranch. They walked through the main house and were shown where they'd eat their meals. From there they walked out the side door, following the path past the bunkhouse, past guest houses to the stables, housed in a sturdy building that Tim was astonished to learn was over 100 hundred years old. After greeting the horses, they noticed a growth chart on the opposite wall and the kids giggled when they saw Nonnie's name on it. Gemma pointed to a mark.

"Nonnie, how old were you then?"

"Look Gemma, it should say."

Gemma examined it, "Oh, it says Rhea, age 7, that's the same age as me!" She stood against the chart and Tamara marked where the top of her head hit. When she stepped away she was all smiles, "I'm almost the same height as you were Nonnie!"

Continuing on, they saw a storage building that housed the mountain bikes and to Poppy and Davos' delight, a large workshop. Circling back a little they came to the pool, surrounded by a 12 foot fence with a locked gate. Sean's eyes widened at the fence, "That's bigger than our fence!"

Tomas nodded, "We have to keep animals out as well as people."

Jorry's face lit up, "What kind of animals?"

"Jackrabbits, coyotes, deer, fox, elk, bobcats, black bears…"

"Are there wolves?"

Tomas bit back a smile, "We don't have any wolves around here, sorry."

Sean nodded, "That's good! We went to visit our uncle and aunt and went to a park that had a wolf house and they came out to see us!"

"Oh my I bet that was exciting!"

The boys just nodded while Zoe told Tomas how she'd spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Wolf. Tim noticed there were no lights around the pool and figured that meant nighttime swimming was discouraged. Maybe it was too dangerous.

From there, they climbed into an open air vehicle and were driven around the property. They saw more horses and a lot of cattle, including some long horn cows prompting questions about 'cowboy cows' from the kids. They exclaimed when they also spotted alpacas and llamas. Tomas smiled, "Have to keep up with the times, we make good money from their wool! And we board them, some of the alpacas you see belong to other people but live here."

They were on their way back to the main house when they heard a loud metallic clanging. Poppy smiled at Tomas, recognizing the sound from his favorite Western shows. Tomas smiled back, "Yep that means our grub is ready! Time for lunch!" As they walked, Poppy and Tomas explained the large metal triangle to the kids.

Tim and Lina grinned at each other when they saw the table setting, it was similar to their version of a Southwestern table and they were happy to know they'd gotten it right. Pottery plates sitting directly on the old wood table, colorfully woven napkins wrapped around the cutlery, pottery vases of flowers lining the middle of the table along with bowls of red chili or green chili sauce. Lunch today was carne adovada stuffed in homemade sopapillas. The carne adovada was succulent pieces of pork first marinated overnight in red chili sauce and then slow cooked for hours. Sopapillas are cut squares or triangles of dough, deep-fried until they puff up into hollow little pillows. Today, they'd been stuffed with the pork plus rice and beans. Once the carne adovada was inside, each sopapilla was smothered in cheese.

Tamara smiled, "Enjoy lunch! Chase and I made most of it, although Tomas made the sauces."

Tomas nodded, "Yes, I love making the sauces. We eat a lot of sopapillas around here, I hope you like them!" He continued, "Some of the fibers woven into these napkins come from alpacas and llamas."

Everyone looked at his or her napkin again and Jorry and Sean immediately smelled theirs, no doubt hoping it smelled like alpaca or llama. They stopped when their dad gave them a look, they'd forgotten their manners. Oh well, the napkins didn't smell like anything anyway.

After adding red sauce to his sopapilla Tim took his first bite and tried not to moan out loud. When he'd had his second bite he looked up, "Please…we need the recipe!"

"For which?"

"All of it!"

He looked at Rhea who laughed, "Sorry Tim, I haven't been holding back on you; I'm just not a cook!"

They enjoyed their lunch and afterward were allowed to help with the cleanup, talking with Tamara and Chase as they did.

When Lina asked Chase her favorite thing to do or see in Albuquerque the young girl grinned, saying "Explora!"

Tamara chuckled, "Oh yeah, she loves that place! It's a hands on, interactive Science Center and Children's Museum. Right now I believe the main event is 'Sketch Aquarium' where you can create your very own sea creature, sketch it out and then release it into the digital sea."

Chase nodded enthusiastically, "It's super cool and it doesn't matter how well you sketch, it's your own creation."

Tomas added, "There are many things to see and do there. I always enjoy visiting!"

The McGee kids' had been following the conversation closely and now they turned to their parents, smiling brightly. Tim laughed, "Sure, we can go."

Tamara pursed her lips, "You may want to wait until Monday, it's always crowded on the weekends."

Tim looked at the kids, "If we wait, you'll get to see more because we won't have to wait as long in line." They thought about it and then all 6 nodded, knowing their parents would make the decision anyway.

Chase was thinking, "The Bio Park would be fun. There are indoor and outdoor things. There's an aquarium, a zoo, a beach and a garden."

Rhea smiled, "It reminds me a little of Balboa Park."

The decision was made and within minutes the McGees, Gibbses, the Kalivas', Tamara and Chase headed off to Albuquerque for an afternoon of fun and exploration. They had a wonderful time, first visiting the aquarium and then Tingley Beach which had a model boating lake and a narrow gauge railroad. They rented several model boats and the kids had fun racing them around the lake.

After another delicious meal that evening and meeting Roger, Chase's father and Tomas' son, the McGees and Kalivas' tucked themselves into the bunkhouse, they'd been up early for the flight and were all tired.

Sunday the visitors attended services at St. George's in Albuquerque. Chase went with them, curious about the Greek Orthodox Church. Lunch was light as the rest of the Ortiz family was coming to see Rhea, meet her husband and family that afternoon and they'd have an early dinner.

After eating, the kids asked if they could go horseback riding. Tomas, Chase and one of the ranch hands went with them along with the Gibbses, Tim and Lina. Davos and Hélène wanted to swim instead.

The riders had a wonderful time, seeing the rancho from horseback. Zoe rode a pony that evidently didn't like to be part of the crowd as he was frequently out in front much to the amusement of Zoe's siblings. "Look, Zoe's faster than us on horseback, just like skating!"

Tomas solved the problem by taking the reins and leading the pony, who then followed Tomas' horse obediently.

After their ride they had time for a short swim before more of the Ortiz family began to arrive. They'd dried off and were in the bunkhouse changing when they heard horns honking as cars and trucks entered the compound. Tim was glad Tamara had warned them as it was pretty noisy for a while. Back at the big house (the kids thought that was funny) they met Rhea's brother Bob who promptly told them to call him 'Uncle Bob'.

Gemma nodded, "That's good; we don't have an Uncle Bob." She leaned over to her new uncle, "We have three uncles named James: Unca Jim, Uncle Jimmy and Uncle James!" Uncle Bob thought that was pretty funny, answering, "So if you need help you just holler for Uncle Jim and one of them shows up, right?" The kids giggled at that.

Rhea had a lot of cousins, the Ortiz family was at least as big as the extended McGee clan; by the end of the evening Tim understood how Ziva's Brian must have felt when he was introduced to the family. It was a fun evening as they heard stories of Rhea's childhood, the kids ate those up, and stories handed down from the Ortiz great grandparents who first established the ranch in 1912.

By 8 PM all the Sunday visitors except Uncle Bob were gone. He was staying until Tuesday to have some extra time with his sister and brother-in-law. He lived in West Texas and had rented a car for the drive. Hearing how long a drive the drive was, Lina looked at Tim who blinked in confusion and then smiled, nodding. They both looked at Rhea who smiled her thanks. She patted her brother's arm. "Bobby, why don't you fly back instead?"

"Cost an arm and a leg and I hate those…" he paused and changed his words, "darn security scans. Have to pay to check bags, flights are delayed because they have to change a dang light bulb and don't have the one they need and…you never know who's on the flight with you."

Rhea grinned, "What if you could fly on a private jet that's only carrying people you know?"

"Sis, I've got cattle on my ranch, not oil wells!"

With a glance, Rhea handed the conversation over to Tim.  
>"One of my brothers owns a private jet and everyone in the family uses it. We pay a little something but nowhere near the prices of commercial flights. And we don't use commercial terminals or the security scans."<p>

"Wow! Never met anyone with a private jet! How's that work?"

Tim chuckled, "You still haven't, it's owned by my brother Tony and his wife. His biological father left it to him in a trust." He explained how it worked, the FOB, ids and flight manifests, and Bob leaned back, impressed. "And you can add in a stop and an extra passenger?"

"If we give them 24 hours' notice it's easy. Less advance warning means it's not so easy but it can still be done."

"Well, he…ck yeah, I'm in, my old truck's at the airport!" He frowned, looking at his sister and brother-in-law, "Thought you were going to Virginia?"

Jethro nodded, "We are - driving the rental car. It'll take us a few days, we're going to take our time. Our newest grandchild is due September 2nd, we'll be there by the 28th."

Bob nodded, "Got it, so it's Tim, Lina, Davos, Hélène and the kids on the jet?"

The kids nodded, giggling as Andy said, "We don't like flying commercial either, Uncle Bob. It's crowded and we can't move around like we do on the jet. Uncle Tony's jet is fun but the best is when we fly…" He realized what he'd been about to say and stopped.

Tim patted his shoulder, "It's ok son; he's family." He looked at Bob, "As the assistant director of NCIS, I sometimes get called to Washington. If I can bring my family along I do. And we generally are allowed to fly on my boss's boss's private jet."

"NCIS…Navy, you're the assistant director so the private jet belongs to…" the man's voice went up an octave, "the Secretary of the Navy?"

Tim nodded, "Goes with the title, it's not personally hers."

Jethro chuckled, "When Tim worked for me as a field agent, when we needed to go out of state or overseas we flew on C-130s, a far cry from SecNav's jet…or Tony's!"

As a former Navy Chief Warrant Officer, Bob understood his reference to the C-130s. Now he laughed, "Boy you've come up in the world!"

Jethro nodded, "Oh yeah!"

Tim made a quick call to the DiNozzos' charter office, making arrangements for one additional passenger Robert Ortiz, and one stop, the closest airfield/FOB to the Midland/Odessa airport.

Monday while Lina and Rhea went off to work on their own, the rest of the group drove to Old Town Albuquerque again and spent hours at "Explora", having fun with the various exhibits. Jorry had his sketch pad and camera with him and he had a good time with those. He was a natural artist; he'd always loved to draw and color and to watch his mother, learning her movements and color palette. He'd taken an art class for budding artists the previous school year and even in kindergarten already had his own ideas and style; his parents were often amazed at what their young son could do. Lina said he showed more talent than she had at his age.

They had lunch out, a rarity, and then went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center where they were just in time to watch some of the native dancers. Hélène and Davos were especially interested to see the dances, understanding that these were religious ceremonies. From there they wandered to the Natural History museum and had a good time. Then they headed back to the rancho, in time for another horseback ride followed by a swim.

Enjoying their final meal with their hosts, a delicious enchilada casserole, they thanked them for their hospitality and invited them to visit them in California. Jorry added, "You should come to our island in Greece with us! We live on the beach and have lots of barbecues and splash battles."

Tamara looked surprised, "Your island? You live on the beach?"

Lina smiled, "We go to the same island, close to Athens, every year and rent the same house when we go and the back patio opens onto the beach."

"Oh how marvelous! How long do you go for?"

"Every year, for two weeks at the first of July."

"Does your whole family go?"

They all nodded, Tim replying, "Not every year but the last few, yes everyone's gone. For several years three of our brothers, Lina and I, and Dad and Rhea lived near Athens and the rest of the family would visit during the summer and of course the Kalivas' live in Thessaloniki in the northern part of the country. Jorry and Zoe were born in Greece and Anna and Gemma were born in Bokas, not far from the Kalivas' home. Our brother Damian left first, then us, brother Geordie and finally brother Rob. Now only two of Davos and Hélène's children and their families remain."

Hélène added, "Not even all of them, Timotheos. Our granddaughter Alexis attends college in San Diego and our oldest son Nicolas spends a good deal of time at our store in the UK."

Tomas shook his head, "You certainly have an international family!"

Tamara looked thoughtful but Chase, watching her, knew better than to say anything. Maybe it would happen, maybe not. Her dad didn't like to travel and there was always something happening on the ranch so it probably wouldn't happen.

Bob was thinking about the jet, "Do you use your brother's jet to travel to Greece?"

Tim shook his head, "No, it's not large enough for all of us to be comfortable for 11 hours. We charter a larger jet."

"And you all rent houses?"

Tim smiled, "Some people share houses. For example, the house next to us is pretty big; our parents and grandparents stay there along with my godparents, our neighbors and whoever else might join us. Before our brothers and their spouses had kids, they'd share a cottage. Some people stay at a local hotel but over the years we've found it more convenient and fun to rent the house. We have a lot of communal meals, potlucks, progressive dinners and meals on the beach; it's easier than eating out, more fun and much less expensive."

Tamara still looked thoughtful, "I can imagine! What's the name of the island?" Lina told her and later sent her an e-mail with more information, just in case.

Monday night they packed again, going to bed early. The Gibbses left first Tuesday morning and the kids hung on to their Pappouli and Yaya as Poppy and Nonnie drove away. They didn't have time to mope as it was soon time for them to leave. Bob's ride had been confirmed and now he rode in the 'luggage' car driven by Tim. Although he'd been told what to expect, he was still surprised when the van and the car pulled up next to a building and everyone got out. The Ks stayed with Lina and the kids while Tim and Bob returned the rentals. By the time they returned the flight crew was ready to check them in. Bob was further surprised when two guys in suits, who he swore he'd seen at the ranch dressed casually, he'd thought they might be guests, joined them at the jet. Tim introduced them, "Bob, this is my security team, Agents Uhl and Stranzel. They've already vetted you but if you'll please show them your id, they'll be happy."

He had his driver's license out for the flight crew anyway; one of the agents checked and motioned him on to the flight crew. They checked his id against the manifest, welcoming him aboard. "We'll get you to Midland/Odessa shortly, Mr. Ortiz, you'll be aboard just long enough to have lunch with us."

Everyone boarded, the two agents bringing up the back of the line. Shortly after their lunch dishes were collected, they landed and a pleased Uncle Bob said "see y'all soon" as he deplaned; within minutes the jet was in the air again.

As they gained altitude, Tim and Lina prepared to tell the kids their surprise. The couple was excited about this, they'd been planning it for months; they started early to make sure they'd have accommodations for all of them. The whole thing started, months before the Big Bad was discovered, when Tim told Lina that taking vacations after he became director, if they decided to do that, would be trickier. Not Greece, security had that covered well, but anything like a road trip would probably not be possible, the security costs might be more expensive for the agency than Tim could justify.

Now they started by quizzing the kids, "You know the names of the national parks?"

Between them Andy and Anna rattled off names: Yellowstone, Carlsbad Caverns, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Everglades, Glacier, Glacier Bay, Denali, Acadia, Grand Canyon, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Biscayne, the Badlands, Cuyahoga Valley...

Tim stopped them, "Wow, that's great! Let's narrow the list down to the national parks in California."

The two thought for a minute before rebooting their list: "Death Valley…does that count? Part of it is in Nevada." Tim nodded, it counted. "Ok, uh, the Channel Islands, Joshua Tree, Kings Canyon, Lassen, oh, Yosemite!" The kids looked at each other, "There's more, there are nine in California."

Lina smiled, "You did very well. We're going someplace famous with waterfalls and big mountains, valleys and huge trees."

Andy grinned at his parents, "Yosemite? We're really going to Yosemite?"

Lina nodded while her parents chuckled at their grandson's enthusiasm, "Yes, we're flying to the nearest airfield, renting a van and driving to the mountains."

Tim continued, "We're staying in a house and we'll have bikes too. Now, here's a list of the things to see and do there that we think will be fun for all of us. You kids pick 6 of them; let's see what you come up with."

Lina added, "We're staying 3 days; going home the 4th day."

Anna asked, "Three whole days, Mama? Does today count?"

"Three days starting tomorrow, Anna as today we're traveling."

"Ok, good!"

Andy looked at his parents, "You brought an extra suitcase!"

They smiled at his observation skills, "Yes, we packed a few extra things for all of us. We'll be at higher elevations than New Mexico; it will be cooler at night and in the mornings."

The adults listened to the happy discussions as the kids made their choices. In the end Tim and Lina were pleased when their children showed them their list, it was nearly the same as the list the adults had selected.


	258. Chapter 258

CH 258

Tim and Lina were glad they'd changed the original plan for a road trip to flying as close as possible to one of the entrances of the park. The drive from Preston to the southern entrance of Yosemite was 8 hours minimum and with 6 kids and four adults, it seemed overwhelming. None of the adults had been to the park; they wanted to relax and enjoy themselves, not fight exhaustion and dread the drive home. Finding they could fly as close to the park as the city of Fresno, about two hours from the southern entrance, they'd reserved a rental van and booked a vacation rental that had enough beds for all of them; they'd have their own kitchen, a yard for the kids to play in and enough bathrooms for the 10 of them.

Landing at the Fresno airfield, they found their way to the rental car counter. The 14 passenger van, complete with locking car top, was waiting for them; Tim had been in contact with the rental company as recently as last night to make sure the right van would be there.

Driving up Hwy 41 to Oakhurst, they stopped for gas and groceries before continuing up to the south entrance of Yosemite. Stopping at a real estate office to pick up the keys, they drove to the rental house. As Tim turned off the engine he noted their drive from Fresno had taken nearly two hours, he'd remember that for the trip back down. With everyone's help they started unloading the van.

While they'd been researching accommodations for 10 near the park, they'd found a bike rental company that would deliver bikes to them. Once they had the house they reserved the bikes and Tim sent a text when they stopped for the keys. As they were finishing unloading the baggage, a pickup with a trailer full of bikes pulled up. They offloaded the bikes into the shed; locking it as the homeowners recommended. After eating a light snack and cleaning up, they went for a walk around their newest 'home away from home' and then gathered what they needed for their first adventure. As most of the other adventures would start earlier in the morning and everyone was bound to be tired at some point today, Tim and Lina picked an easy walk.

They drove to Wawona and parked near the shuttle stop for the free shuttle to the Mariposa Grove, famous for the huge redwood trees known as Sequoias. It was reputed to be an easy walk although on uneven ground, so all of them wore boots or sneakers. Each of the kids had their own packs with their water bottles. Tim's pack had more water and snacks while Lina carried the camera and sketchbook in her pack and the Ks' carried water and their own camera.

Glad the trails were heavily shaded as it was a hot summer day, they soon forgot about the heat as they walked, heads tilted back, looking with wonder at the trees, so tall none of them could see the tops. They were already enthralled with the ancient trees, some of them as old as 3000 years.

The kids had fun making up stories about the fairies or pixies or hobbits (depending on which child) who lived in the trees and they frequently stopped to exclaim over hollowed out openings or 'baby' trees growing while Lina snapped photo after photo; occasionally she or Jorry stopped to sketch something.

It took them nearly three hours to wander through and before they left, the whole family looked around the gift shop for post cards and knickknacks while Lina and Jorry scoped out the artwork. Finding a burger stand on the way to the shuttle stop, they decided to have an early dinner out today. Most of the time they'd take a picnic lunch wherever they were going but today was a little topsy-turvy so they'd have an extra treat and eat out. There were picnic tables to the side of the stand and they were happy to find one large enough for all of them. Sharing a few orders of French fries between them and drinking from their water bottles, they enjoyed their old fashioned burgers. The shuttle was just pulling in as they approached the stop, they had an easy ride back to the van.

From there they headed into Yosemite National Park; they'd see Glacier Point today and Lower Yosemite Falls if everyone was still game afterward. They took the van to Glacier Point; they'd worried about traffic, having heard a few stories of summer jam ups, but then realized they had an advantage. Their school district started fall classes a week later than just about every other district in the state; because of that the crowds were not quite as large. Tim easily found parking and Lina reminded her father of his 'magic' parking gene. Following the signs, they walked to Glacier Point and were once again amazed by what they saw. They had a 270-degree view of Yosemite Valley, the majestic and intimidating Half Dome, and 3 of the waterfalls. They'd been warned the falls wouldn't be that spectacular by August, that spring was really the time to see them, but there were late snows in the mountains and the falls were as full, beautiful and awe-inspiring as anyone could ask for. Lina took photos but even with as many photo options as her camera had, she knew she needed more detail; she grabbed her sketchbook, handing Jorry his and they got busy.

Knowing the two needed some time to complete their sketches, Davos stayed behind with them while Tim and Hélène took the other kids back to a trailhead they'd noticed and walked for a little while. When the trail ahead of them looked too steep they reversed course and headed back. Getting the kids and his mother-in-law situated in the van, Tim called Davos. Lina was finished, Jorry was just finishing and the three of them soon appeared. Everyone wanted to see the sketches but were told they had to wait until they reached the house.

That was enough for today, it had been a long day and Lina could see her parents were tired. And there was plenty for the kids to do at the rental.

Up early the next morning, they had a quick breakfast before heading to the Wawona Swinging Bridge. Their packs were full today as they expected to hike, swim, slide and picnic. Tim carried their insulated pack with the food while everyone else had towels, water shoes for wading and swimming, old shorts for the slide (they'd been warned that swim suit bottoms were frequently in disarray or ruined by the natural granite slide), sunscreen, hats, their herbal bug repellant and anything else they could think of. They took the van to a shuttle stop and then took the free shuttle to the stop for the bridge, with a little walk to get there, finding the trailhead without any problems. The first part of the trail was flat but soon they were hiking downhill before the trail leveled out again as it paralleled the river. After another 20 minutes they were in sight of the swinging bridge.

Both Tim and Lina had worried about Andy's fear of heights and Tim, understanding his son's fear, discussed the bridge with him. Andy wanted to try to cross and they settled on him following Pappouli, who would lead the way, with Mama and Yaya interspersed between the kids and Dad would come across last. They read all the reviews about it, looked at the pictures and both of them believed they could do it. Andy would do what had been working for his dad, looking straight ahead, never up or down.

That had been the plan but when they saw the bridge, Andy looked at his father, terrified. Tim nodded, he was feeling the same thing; it was a lot higher than it looked in the photos and watching a couple walk across, there was a lot more movement than they'd hoped; there was definitely a reason it was called a 'swinging' bridge! Tim looked at the river; it was pretty low and not very wide. This time of year it was more of a stream than a river. He and Andy could probably find a place to walk or wade across it and if any of the other kids felt the same they could come with them; he did not want this to be a big deal.

Looking at Lina and his in-laws he declared a short break. He and Lina walked down the stream and saw a spot that had a few rocks strategically placed in the water; it was obvious others had gone across that way. They went back and told the kids it was up to them. Anna, Gemma and Sean wanted to try the bridge while Zoe announced she would just wade and get her feet wet like the creek at Penny's. Jorry nodded, he agreed with his little sister.

In the end Davos and Lina led the bridge walkers while the rest of them went over by rock and water. Tim made the kids stay on the shore until he'd gone over once, wanting to make sure there were no deep holes anyone could fall into. It seemed fine, so he waded back and led the rest of them. It was a little deep for Zoe; she waded out a few feet and then he carried her to the other side. In the meantime the bridge walkers survived the trek admitting it was a lot scarier than they'd thought; they were pretty sure they'd wade back.

They found the pool but the granite slide was nixed by Lina, it was too rough looking. Nobody seemed to mind and they spent the day splashing in the swimming hole, building rock castles, eating their lunch and swimming some more.

Lina worked on several sketches and Jorry stopped his castle building and swimming long enough to do a few himself. He was swimming at one point, playing with Zoe and Andy, when he stopped and called out to his mother to please take a picture of the pretty leaf floating down the river. She nodded when she saw it, it was an interesting shade of green with dabs of yellow and red on it, perhaps early fall colors from a higher elevation. She took a few photos from the shore and then waded in to get just the right one. He grinned, satisfied and in a few minutes he was on the beach, dried off enough to sketch. First he sketched from memory as he'd been taught and then he looked through the photos and did a few other sketches.

Eventually they packed up their trash and hiked out, all of them choosing to wade across the water rather than walk across the bridge. Lina stopped and took some photos of their water crossing and some of the bridge from below; she thought she'd post them so people would have a better idea of the height.

They returned to the rental long enough to get their bikes and went for a ride on woodsy paths before heading home for dinner and a few hours of playing board games. Tomorrow they'd see Lower Yosemite Falls and then they'd go on a shuttle tour. The following day they'd hike to Inspiration Point, an old road with spectacular views that had been abandoned in the 1930s.

They started out early again the next morning. They hadn't been to Yosemite Village yet so drove there, parked and looked around before walking to the Falls. There are three falls, the Lower, Middle and Upper levels of Yosemite Falls, but they're all part of the same fall; the highest waterfall in North America and the 5th highest on the planet. They were again in awe of the force of nature and Sean quipped that he was glad the river yesterday didn't have that much water.

Even in late summer, the volume was impressive and it seemed to flow in slow motion although Anna had read that was because it had so far to fall and the wind often blew it sideways. Lina took photos, lots of photos and then seeing the look on Jorry's face, handed him the camera. He took several more shots and then sat by his mother with his sketch book, sketching a little baby fall nearby.

From there they climbed on a shuttle for their tour of the Valley and other points they hadn't gotten to. It was beautiful and later Tim and Lina talked about coming back when the kids were older, there was still so much to see and do here, they'd barely scratched the surface. As they still had plenty of energy and daylight hours when the tour was done, they followed the map to the trailhead for Inspiration Point and hiked up that. It was an easy hike although they certainly did some climbing; the trail ran along switch backs which made the climb easier. And when they got to the Point, it was worth it for the views as they could see Bridal Veil Fall and many other spots without having to fight traffic or for a parking space (although Lina smirked when Tim said that). Nobody minded when the two artists pulled out their sketch books; they were there for close to an hour before they turned to head back on the old road left behind when the Wawona Tunnel was built.

They were tired but happy after their three hour hike. On the way back to the house, they passed an ice cream shop and without saying a word, Tim turned around and drove back to it. The kids and their grandparents cheered while Lina laughed at them. They sat in the shade enjoying their treats, talking about their favorite things so far.

Back at the house, they had dinner outside and talked about what they'd do tomorrow. Tim and Lina were amused to find the kids wanted to go for another bike ride, they'd seen some trails the other day that they wanted to explore. A laid back day sounded perfect to the adults and they quickly agreed.

The next morning they packed another picnic lunch, stuffed towels, extra shorts and shirts into their packs in case they found someplace to swim, grabbed their helmets, jumped on their bikes and took off. They had a wonderful time, finding they were riding among the sequoias and many other species of trees and plants. Eventually they came upon running water but it wasn't deep enough to swim. Undaunted, they took their shoes off and waded to their hearts' content. Finding a deeply shady spot to stop for lunch, Gemma said it would be too scary if they weren't all there together. A thoughtful look on his face, Jorry spent some time with his sketchbook, later presenting the sketch to his sister. It was their lunch spot with friendly woods people watching over them from the trees and it earned him a hug from Gemma who really had been spooked by the place.

When they returned to the house they were surprised to find they'd been gone nearly the whole day, they'd left at 10 AM and it was now 5 PM. As they did in Greece, they had a "mashup" dinner using anything perishable. Before the sun set, they cleaned the house and packed their clothes, leaving out only what they needed overnight and for the trip home. Once it was dark, they went outside to look at the stars. The kids said they could see more than from their beach at home or in Greece and their dad said that was because there was no artificial light to mask the starlight. Sean and Jorry tried to count stars but had to settle for a "zillion-billion". Tim thought that was probably about right.

Up early Saturday morning, they finished packing and Tim and Davos loaded the car top, securely locking it while the bike people picked up the bikes and helmets. All too soon it was time to go, the house was clean and checked several times for stray items. The refrigerator was empty, everything was packed and in the van. Finally the kids climbed in and away they went.

They had an easy drive back to the airport, offloaded the luggage and everyone but Tim who returned the van, meeting them at the jet. They were home in a couple of hours after two big adventures in the same week. They'd had a great time and it felt equally great to be home. The adults thought they might have to sleep the rest of the weekend as they were pretty tired but agreed it was worth it.

XXX

Classes started the following Monday, with Jorry and Sean in the first grade which their parents had some trouble dealing with. Lina returned to the series of paintings and sketches she'd been working on and Tim laughingly told his colleagues that summer was over, the kids wouldn't be wholly theirs again until Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas vacation, winter break, scattered holidays and then the long march to summer vacation.

XXX

While the McGees were in Yosemite, the Gibbses were having fun with their rented Jeep, which they teased was capable of taking them anywhere. They sent a text to Tim and Sarah every night when they checked into their motel to let them know where they were and that they were safe. Photos arrived on people's phones at odd times during the day and night and it was fun to take a look at the end of every day to see what Poppy and Nonnie had been up to that day.

XXX

Jethro and Rhea drove onto Penny's property August 28th, a few days before Sarah's due date. They'd had a wonderful time in New Mexico, Rhea was overjoyed that her Ortiz family finally got to meet Jethro in person and as icing on the cake, Tim, Lina, the kids and the Kalivas'. After exploring Santa Fe and Taos, they'd continued their journey east. Car problems in Arkansas cost them nearly two days. They'd toyed with the idea of ditching the rental and flying the rest of the way but Sarah and her family of doctors, that is Grandfa, Rob and Jimmy, assured them she was doing fine, the baby hadn't dropped yet, she hadn't even had any Braxton-Hicks contractions. So they stuck with the Jeep, or Jeep 2.0 as they called it, although they changed their route to be closer to major airports along the way and kept their cell phones charged and readily available. Still, they enjoyed the trip.

Little Patrick dutifully arrived on his grandfather's birthday although he took his sweet time about it, not making his appearance until two minutes before midnight. Sarah had a long labor but she said it was still easier than Fiona's and Patrick had no trouble breathing when he arrived. He weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz. with pale skin and a mass of light hair. Whereas Fiona looked like a delicate blend of the darker haired McGees and Powells, it seemed Patrick might resemble his uncles and cousin. Andy and his dad high fived each other when they heard that, another pale face!


	259. Chapter 259

CH 259

Tim mentioned his new nephew in his next chat with Leon and the man shook his head, "How many grandkids does that make for Gibbs and Ducky?"

"Oh boy, well first of all, we count the Palmer kids as Mallard grandchildren, so the Mallards have 12 grandchildren and uh…14 or 15 great grandchildren, depending on how you count Sean; if you count him using his biological connection, he's their great-great grandson, so 14 great grandchildren and 1 two times great."

"Yikes! And the Gibbses?"

"Can't count Sarah Hope with them and Sean is a grandkid so 14 grandchildren."

Their talk turned to the Feds in the family and Leon mentioned that he was about to start notifying those who would be promoted and transferred; he wanted to give them as much lead time as possible.

Tim thought about it for a second and then chuckled, "Getting restless, are you Leon?"

The man huffed, "One more winter in Virginia."

"And I hope it's a mild one."

"Thanks. You want to join me for Julian and Rose's calls?"

"Sure!"

"All right, let's see, it's near quittin' time in Tampa, so let's call Julian first."

"Does his boss know?"

"Yes, he does. He's retiring in a few months, he was happy to hear who's replacing him, they trained Bec, you know, and pleased for Julian, says he's a good solid agent."

Tim nodded, "Yes, he is. Knows how to think a problem through and approach it from different angles."

Vance placed the call and smiled when Agent Bashon-Martin answered the phone, "Good afternoon Director."

"Good afternoon Special Agent Bashon-Martin, I've got Assistant Director McGee on the line with me. We're happy to inform you that if you accept the position, we'd like to promote you to Senior Special Agent in Charge of the Corpus Christi office, effective December 1st."

"I'm…? Sir, yes I accept, thank you!"

"You've earned it and congratulations!" Tim added his own congratulations and they chatted for a moment before advising him that the news had to be kept under wraps until the next promotion, transfer and retirement list was published, sometime in late October or early November.

Next they called Rose who was flabbergasted to be promoted and to the Northeast office. Then she huffed, "I…how? Oh, I guess you'd know from my records that I have family close to the border."

"Special Agent Peters, that's great, you'll be able to see them more often. I assure you we make these moves based on professional reasons only."

Horrified at having put her foot in her mouth, Rose quickly agreed, "Of course Director."

Leon couldn't help it, he started to laugh and Tim laughed along with him.

Rose got it pretty quickly, "Really?"

"Yes, blame Tim."

"Wow, that's so great, thank you!"

"You're welcome but seriously Peters, you're what they need there. If you weren't, you'd be going somewhere else."

"Understood sir." They gave her the same information they'd given Julian before disconnecting. Tim smiled to himself, at least he knew that he'd love one part of his possible future job!

He hoped Julian would like the Corpus Christi office, they'd made that change to accommodate his own wish to have Matt and Damian in DC. Julian's new office was on base at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and had several subordinate offices. It was also a major port for the Coast Guard and Julian would have plenty of CGIS company.

XXX

The Gibbses flew home in time for Sean's birthday and the birthday boy enjoyed himself as always. As Sean grew older, he lost the shyness and haunted look he had when Tim and Lina first brought him home and he never asked about his birth mother, Patrick's daughter Sarah Hope. He was more of a daredevil than Jorry but like his brother he was a kindhearted, happy child who really did try to be good. The two remained best friends although each also had other friends. Their parents thought the best advice they'd ever been given was to separate the two.

October arrived along with Tony's announcement that his father's business had been sold, he was staying with the agency. Tim was almost giddy with relief and then felt guilty. He called his brother days later and had a jaw dropping conversation in which Tony told him how much of a profit they'd made with the sale and how they were planning to invest part of it. He and Maggie planned to turn the house on Long Island into a home for foster children. They were using the McGee Family Home as the model and working with Ainsley, Jim and Ethan who had taken on Sarah's work while she was on maternity leave. He wasn't sure yet what the numbers would be, they thought they might also work with Child Protection Services in New York City.

The other surprise came when Tony insisted the McGees use his jet for their transport to and from Virginia for their Thanksgiving trip. Laughingly, he told Tim it was a posthumous thank you gift from Senior for the help given him in Nice all those years ago. Tim thanked him as he accepted the offer, not that Tony would have given them much choice!

XXX

While Sarah nurtured little Patrick through his first few weeks of life, the McGee Family Home, now referred to as MFH, was quickly approaching its Grand Opening. The house was ready and the furniture selected, ready to be delivered. As the scope of their plans for the Home changed and stretched, they'd found they needed two separate licenses, one for foster care and one for the daycare they'd also have on the premises. The pre-school foster children would attend the daycare as would Fiona, eventually Patrick, Davey Palmer and possibly Rob and Ned's foster daughter Sasha, along with others from the area.

The Hubbards, Cranes, Palmers, DiNozzos, junior and senior Mallards and Penny were busily executing Sarah's plans for the final phase. Ainsley, Jim and Breena were interviewing and hiring staff while Maggie, Rob and Claire worked with Child Protective Services to find their first fosters. Rob, Ethan, Jimmy and Dave were also working with Lu, Nate and Juanita at the camp in Baltimore to identify the children there who were most in need of a home.

CPS identified 4 children, a pair of siblings and 2 singles, in the DC metro area who were in need of homes and Rob, Breena and Ethan would meet with the kids shortly before they moved in. Nate and Juanita had 7 children at the camp who were without guardians: 3 older, single kids and 2 sets of siblings. Nate passed the word along that one of the 3 older kids was the caregiver for one set of siblings.

By mid-October, with the children set to arrive in 5 weeks, the cook had been hired and Breena and the Hubbards were interviewing the professional staff - the caregivers. In addition they'd hired a licensed daycare provider. The daycare would open the week after Thanksgiving. They'd thought to hire a housekeeper but would hold off on that for now, not sure if one was needed or if they could have a cleaning service come in. Their original plan of 'rotating' the clan families had changed to weekends only as the children would be in school or daycare during the day. Even at that, the duties while on weekend rotation were not yet mapped out.

All too soon it was mid-November and the MFH helpers scrambled to get everything ready. The staff was hired and had their first few meetings with Sarah, the Hubbards and the Palmers. The foster care part of the operation was ready and although the house had beds and furniture, it was now being 'fluffed up' so to speak, to help provide emotional and physical care for the children.

Lina, Hélène and Rhea made throw pillows for each bed and a few stuffed animals for the younger kids; those were shipped to Virginia the second week of November along with toys and clothes of all sizes. The beds, bureaus, desks and nightstands had been delivered and arranged in each room, including three sets of bunk beds. Each desk had a chair and a lamp and each nightstand also had a lamp.

Maisie and Claire crocheted twenty throws, enough for each bed, including the staff rooms. Margaret and Chloe surprised everyone by sending several handmade throw rugs made of durable, colorful material that would clean easily and now each room had one of them. Chloe had never been 'crafty' but said that when she saw what Margaret planned she decided she could be useful and learn. Hélène beamed with pride when she heard the two women teasing each other. They'd never been close but now there was a budding friendship.

Ariston and Paolo contributed tee shirts, socks and some fun things for the kids from their business. Lina, Rhea and Trina produced several cheerful paintings, a sunflower, a rose, a sunrise, a rabbit Gemma had surprised in the garden one morning, a sunny beach with children playing in the waves, a school of fish and more; there was one for each room. They'd also done some 3D work for the walls of the older kids' rooms and all of it had been carefully placed in the rooms.

By the time the McGees, Gibbses, Kalivas-Watsons and Kalivas' climbed aboard 'Uncle Tony's' jet the Thursday night before Thanksgiving, the MFH was all decked out and waiting for its new family. The foster children would be picked up for their move on Saturday morning so they'd have all day to meet each other and the clan and get a little settled in before the party on Sunday.

Hélène baked meze and Rhea made chocolate chip cookies; all the treats were frozen so they'd be fresh for the Grand Opening party on Sunday. When they boarded the jet, the two women went straight to the galley with the baked goods, having successfully hidden them from Matt and Jethro, and the amused flight attendant tucked them into the freezer.

The flight was quiet, the kids slept the whole way and the adults slept for good portions. They all woke at once when the jet started to descend into Savannah to pick up Geo, Bec and Lucy; Charlotte was back in the hospital for her next treatment. After they took off again, nobody bothered going back to sleep as the flight to the DC metro area was less than two hours and they hadn't seen the Perrys since their flight home from Greece four months ago. Lucy was two and a half now and seemed to remember them, going willingly into Nonnie's arms and later snuggling with Poppy. She sat on his lap and chattered about her mom with no hair, showing Poppy her doll who also had no hair. The adults marveled at how well the little girl was doing and gave credit to her mother, Aunty Bec and Uncle Geo.

Dave, Jim and Tony met them at the airfield with 3 vans and off they went. Matt and the Ks were curious as they hadn't yet seen the fully renovated house. Matt had never seen Penny's house at all but he'd visited the Kalivas' house in Thessaloniki and had a good idea of what the exterior of the MFH looked like. The rest would be a surprise.

His eyes widened as they pulled onto the property. Not just at the house which was seriously the twin of the Kalivas', but at the two other large houses off to the side. He knew one of them was the Powells' and he guessed it was the one with the chairs on the front porch. The McGees' home was the other one and although the style was very different from the Preston house, he could see this one was bigger. He and Daim were staying with the McGees and the Perrys were staying in the senior Powells' suite, while Granddad and Grandmum Powell helped with their newest grandchild. Matt knew his partner was relieved; as much as they supported the mission of the Family Home, Damian had dreaded staying in a house with that many children all new to each other and their surroundings.

Once the luggage was inside, the couple was given a tour of the McGees' new house. The kids showed them their rooms and Damian looked at his brother-in-law, puzzled. "We included enough rooms for each of them…"

Tim nodded, "Yes, however we've been in vacation mode every time we've been here, or the kids have been anyway and they're used to sharing when we're on vacation. When we live here, it'll be different."

Matt turned his head at that, he'd been admiring the bay windows but now he stared at Tim, he had never before heard him say "_when_ we live here". Tim just smiled at him and led the way to the attic stairs.

Once the Uncles settled in one of the downstairs bedrooms, Tim and Lina left them in charge for a few minutes while they went to meet their new nephew. Matt was amused as he watched them hurry across the yard to see Sarah, waiting at her kitchen door, remembering meeting her that first Christmas in Greece. He smiled as he thought about seeing Pete and Trina this week, he was really looking forward to it.

Andy tapped him on the shoulder, wow, he hadn't noticed how much the kid had grown recently, to ask him a question and then Damian appeared with Anna, Zoe and Gemma; the two younger boys came jumping down the stairs (he told them to knock it off and they did, looking surprised) and next thing he knew, Tim and Lina were walking in the door with Sarah and the new baby. The kids knew to be quiet and sit very still on the worn couch taking turns holding the little guy. Matt grinned at Tim, looked like the kid really would be another 'pale face' as Tim, Jim Hubbard and Andy called themselves. Pale skin, light hair and blue-green eyes, oh yeah, he was definitely a descendant of Maisie Stirling and Donald Mallard! He supposed the thick mop of hair might be a gift from the Powells or Penny's side of the family.

When the baby woke, Sarah took him home to change and feed him and the McGees and their houseguests walked across to the main house. Tim was amazed at how different the place looked with all the work done and everything moved in. Each of the kids' rooms looked welcoming; his own kids were proof of that, they had to be restrained from poking through the baskets of toys and fun things they spotted.

The staff quarters looked comfortable and well kitted out with everything they might need. All the bathrooms were gleaming and there were neat piles of hand towels and wash cloths in each one, bottles of soap on the counters.

They poked their heads up into the attic and saw the rest of the rooms, all neatly made up and as inviting as the others. Matt looked at Tim, "Are you licensed for this many kids?"

Tim shook his head, "No, but we set the attic up for kids who have aged out of the system but don't have a place to go; they might still be in high school or want to continue on to college. They can pay a nominal rent here, we're thinking maybe they could work around the place for room and board."

The others nodded; it was just like the McGee siblings to think the kids' situations all the way through to their young adult needs.

Once everyone had toured, Tim and Matt took Gemma, Sean and Anna to the grocery store. The main house kitchen was fully stocked of course, but Tim and Lina wanted to have breakfasts and lunches in their own house and once the MFH was up and running only the suite residents would eat there. During their stay in July, Lina purchased an inexpensive set of dishes and cutlery so they didn't need to keep buying disposable plates, cups and plastic utensils. By the time they'd left for home last summer, they'd accumulated dish soap, a sponge and drying rack plus necessary items like salt and pepper and a few other spices. They'd toyed with the idea of having the appliances installed, in the end deciding to wait until they knew more about moving or not moving.

Matt was used to buying a few things at the grocery store; he and Damian usually ate out or had takeout but they liked freshly grated cheese on their Italian food, always had a decent supply of coffee on hand and kept bagels and cream cheese for weekend breakfasts. He hadn't been family shopping in years and watched in something approaching awe as Tim grabbed fresh produce, fruit, vegetables, 2 dozen eggs, hamburger meat and hot dogs…enough of everything to feed the family for a week. There was room in the freezer part of the old refrigerator for a family sized lasagna, so one of those was added to their grocery cart. He was making the stuffing for Thanksgiving but instead of a mix, he grabbed several loaves of bread, grinning at Matt and his kids, "Stuffing from scratch! Now…we need a roasting pan, big spoons, a big bowl that will fit in the refrigerator and plastic wrap."

They headed for the Kitchenware aisle where he settled for an aluminum turkey pan, serving spoons and a large plastic bowl. "These will work!"

They gathered the other ingredients he'd need including chicken broth, celery, slivered almonds, onion, garlic, cheese spread and both whole and jellied cranberries. They headed to the front, Tim stopping long enough to add a huge jar of peanut butter and three jars of jelly, then he nodded, "Ok, we're done."

Sean looked at him, "Popcorn?"

"We have enough."

Gemma smiled at him hopefully, "Ice cream?"

Tim shook his head, "There's no room in the freezer for that. We'll go out for treats."

They nodded, happy. Anna didn't say anything but she pointed to the chocolate sauce and strawberries and they laughed. Tim turned to his brother-in-law, "I guess it's about time you learned one of my secrets. I love strawberries and chocolate sauce on my pancakes. And Jorry likes strawberries and powdered sugar. So when I make pancakes tomorrow morning, be prepared!"

Matt grinned at him, "Hey if you're making pancakes, you can eat them however you want!"

Anna's forehead furrowed as she remembered something. "Dad, you said you wanted another skillet for pancakes."

"I did, Annalanna, thanks. I brought one from home so now we'll have two here." She nodded, glad he'd thought of it. Last time they'd had to wait an awfully long time for everyone to have pancakes.

When they got home, they found the cousins home from school and playing with Andy, Zoe and Jorry. When Penny and Poppy appeared with their skates in hand, Tim shooed them all down to the basement, "You can skate if you want to; watch out for Zoe!"

Andy laughed, "Dad, she's faster and better at it than the rest of us – just like with the pony!"

"Right, so don't run into her." Then he stopped to think, "Jorry, Sean, Gemma, come here please." When he had the trio in front of him, he made a list of specific things they were not to do and had them repeat them back to him. Satisfied, he patted their heads, "Ok, go have fun" and resumed putting the groceries away. Matt looked at him, "What was that?"

"Three kids who have good hearts, very active imaginations and who don't always think things through. We find if we tell them specifically what we don't want them to do, life is much easier. Didn't I tell you the chocolate sauce story?"

Matt and Damian, who had joined them, shook their heads and then laughed as Tim told the story of finding Jorry and Sean with their spoons, on the floor ready to eat the oozing sauce. When he got to the part of little Zoe on the counter reaching on her tippy toes, their eyes got big and they nodded, now they understood. "You said three, not Zoe?"

"No, she understands now that she needs to think for herself, big sisters and brothers aren't always right."

Lina came in lugging a long shallow, almost flat thing, a cord trailing behind her. "What's that?"

"An electric grill, Sarah sent it over with Evan. We can cook right on it."

"Excellent! Are we borrowing it or are they giving it to us?"

"It's ours to keep, it was a wedding gift they've never used."

"Cool!"

"She also sent over an electric skillet." She pointed to the large skillet with a domed lid sitting on the table.

"Oh I didn't even notice that, great, we can use both of them!" Tim looked, "Hmm, glad we have outlets on the island, smart thinking, designers!"

Lina and Damian spoke in unison, "Thank you!"

Lina looked at her brother, "Daim, I hope you'll help us this week. We want the kids to choose which rooms will be theirs and what colors they want to paint them. Or have them painted, we won't be here yet."

She looked a question at Tim who nodded and turned to Matt. "No one else should know we're doing this. My dad will know because he always figures things out, but none of the rest."

Matt nodded, "All right. But it doesn't really mean anything, does it? That you're having the walls painted."

Lina smiled, "The patio and garden boxes go in next spring or summer, no matter what else happens. And the rest of the flooring and…well there will be more."

Matt swallowed, "It's happening then."

Tim grinned at him, "Not this year and for all we know not next year. All that's happened is that we've said when he's ready and if it's offered to me, we'll accept."

"Wow. You said that to him?" They nodded and Lina explained about their hesitation and struggles with the decision. Matt was a little upset, remembering his fear over the summer, but Tim put his hand on his shoulder and said in Greek, "Matthaíos, don't worry. You and Damian…don't worry. You're family, you always will be. And we learned from this move of yours, it sucks man. Yeah, you needed the experience but none of us like you two being so far away. And it's only two hours." He paused, "We won't ask Mama and Papa to travel across Europe _and_ North America to see all their kids."

"How…?"

"You'll see, be patient little brother."

Matt nodded, feeling a huge sense of relief. Damian, who'd been trying to reassure him for months, smiled at him with an "I told you so" look.

Geordie, Bec and Lucy came over to say hello; they had a quick tour and then went next door to meet the baby before popping down into the McGees' basement to see what the kids were up to. They were having a great time skating. They laughed at the sight of the kids racing around while Penny and Poppy skated serenely through the crowd and Zoe outskated all of them.

That evening they had what would be the last dinner in the main house for this version of the family. They were having dinner at the senior Mallards' Friday night after Ziva and Brian's arrival and then Saturday night they would have a simple dinner here with the new residents and staff.

The senior and junior Mallards, the Hubbards, Cranes and Palmers joined them that night, along with Emma and the Colonel; Tony, Maggie and Jimmy were tied up at work. They'd all been together for meals in Greece, but seeing nearly everyone here was a different story. Fiona and Lucy rekindled their toddler friendship and Steve Palmer, watching them, thought about meeting Tad in Greece when the two of them were just a little older than the girls were now. They were still great and good friends, chatting online frequently and he knew Tad's cousins Zander and Dimitri pretty well too.

After everything was cleaned up, the kids went to watch a movie while the adults sat around the table going over last minute details, still catching up with each other. They were all excited about the Grand Opening; Rob, Sarah, Geo and Tim couldn't believe their childhood dreams were about to be fully realized.

The group had 2 thank you gifts for Sarah: one was a spa day and the second was a weekend away with her husband. Sarah was thrilled and thanked all of them for their help.

Friday was laid back with moments of frenzy as someone, usually Sarah, would think of something that hadn't been done. They called Lu at the shelter to send a reminder over to Nate and Juanita to have the children ready at 10:00 Saturday morning. Lu called back two hours later to let them know she'd gone over to talk to them herself; the kids had been told and knew they were going to be together.

The Powells, Palmers, Melody and Emma had school on Friday so after the McGee kids had done their own schoolwork they headed for the pool with their dad, Pappouli, Yaya and Uncles Damian and Geo. Fiona and Lucy were spending some time with Nonnie and Poppy; they made an appearance at the pool after naps and snuggles.

To their consternation, Matt and Bec had been asked to meet with the Director aboard the Navy Yard. Tim wanted to go with them but this was one of those situations where he had to keep out of the loop, even though he knew what was going on.


	260. Chapter 260

CH 260

Though their meetings were twenty minutes apart Bec and Matt drove together to the Navy Yard. They spent the time wondering what was happening, both feeling they were about to be reassigned. Matt shook his head, "Why would Vance call us in?"

Bec shrugged, "Who knows? Maybe because he knows we're here? Maybe we're being assigned here, in Washington?"

Matt thought about that for a few minutes, "No, not both of us. Remember what Geordie said when you guys got transferred to Savannah?"

"What…oh not to buy because that was an interim move…so this is it then? The Navy Yard?"

Matt shook his head again, "No I don't think either of us are going to be posted aboard the Yard. Not with Tony, Maggie, Ned and Jimmy already here, that would mean all of Tim's NCIS relatives would be at HQ."

Bec nodded, "That makes sense. So…then just because we're in town."

Huffing, Matt agreed, "Guess we'll see in a few minutes!"

After being checked through the front gate, they parked Penny's car, entered the building and were escorted upstairs to the Director's suite. As they walked across the catwalk, they heard a noise and looked down to see Tony, Ned and Maggie peering up at them. Bec smiled and Matt nodded to them as they walked.

In the bullpen Tony muttered "Phase Two begins." Ned nodded his agreement while Maggie looked thoughtful as she returned to work, wondering if Ned knew something, he'd been sort of...bubbly was the word that came to mind, all week. Within minutes Jimmy was drafted to call Grandfa to see if he knew what was happening. He didn't know and said he wasn't going to try to find out; whatever it was, they'd hear soon enough.

Unaware of all this, Bec and Matt were greeted by Ms. Cook and Matt was asked to wait in the outer office while Bec had her meeting. She straightened her posture and walked through the double doors.

She'd never been in the Director's office before, this was her first time aboard the Yard and she had to fight the urge to look around the man's office as she entered. Vance rose from behind his desk and came forward to shake her hand. "Good morning Special Agent Childers! Thanks for coming in."

She smiled, "Good morning, Sir. It's a pleasure, I've never been here before."

"Hmm, maybe you and Watson can have a tour before you leave. Unless you're in a hurry to get back to the house."

Her eyes sparkled, she'd been thinking she'd love to see the squad room and maybe the outside of Jimmy's lair – and the Hall of Fame. "I'd love a tour, I'm not in a hurry and I've got the car keys!"

"All right, then we'll make sure you see everything." He motioned to her to sit at the conference table. "I've asked you here because I'm making some changes and you're involved. Greg Grimes in the Mayport office wants to retire and I'd like you to take his spot, the SSAIC position."

Bec bit her tongue to keep her mouth from dropping open. She looked at the Director and blinked before nodding with a wide smile, "Yes sir, I accept, thank you!"

"No thanks needed, you've earned it, Childers. Now I'll tell you the same thing I told McGee when he took the Southwest from Morris, this is a very different position. You'll be giving up the field and gaining a whole lot of teams, doing a bit of travel and dealing with the Brass - I imagine your father, brother-in-law, Admiral Crane and Captain Hubbard will have some things to say about that. Your report date is February 1st but I'd like you there by January 15th to get familiar with the place and the operations at that level before SSAIC Grimes leaves." He chuckled, "Glad we managed to give you more lead time. You know the drill with the transfer package, any questions, call HR. Is that going to work all right with your family concerns?"

Bec nodded, "Yes sir and if not, we've certainly got the resources within our families to help out."

"Excellent. Congratulations, Senior Special Agent in Charge Childers!"

"Thank you…oh…"

He nodded, "Go ahead and tell them all, just ask them to keep it quiet until the next promotions list comes out."

She nodded, they stood and he gave her a hands on upper arms pat, telling her how proud he was of her.

Ms. Cook had just told Matt he could go in as Bec was coming out and as they passed she gave him one of their old signals to let him know it was all right.

While Bec was in Vance's office Matt had been silently repeating Tim's words from yesterday. When he entered the office, the director was waiting for him and shook his hand, "Good Morning Special Agent Watson and welcome aboard the Navy Yard. Childers tells me neither of you have been here before." Matt nodded and the man continued, "When we get done here, we'll make sure you two have a tour."

Matt figured the man wasn't going to give a tour to someone he'd just fired or demoted and Bec had given him that signal; he relaxed a smidgen. He joined Vance at the conference table. "All right, last time we did this with a phone call and the time before that I got to do it in person. When I heard everyone would be here this week, I decided to take advantage of having you here, it's much more fun to do in person."

He smiled at Matt. "Special Agent Watson, Senior Special Agent in Charge Roger Stevens has asked to be reassigned from his current position in the DC metro area. That leaves me with an open SSAIC position in the Washington DC Field Office, one I hope you'll take."

"Sir, here in DC?"

"Yes, headquartered aboard Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling." Matt swallowed, hearing Tim's voice, 'none of us like you two being so far away'. Swallowing again, he nodded and smiled, "Yes Sir, I accept and thank you!"

"No need, you've earned it. Stevens' report date to his new posting is March 1st; I'd like you to report to Anacostia February 15th to get an idea of the duties; shadowing him probably makes the most sense." He smiled, "That gives you a little more lead time than last time we did this."

Matt nodded, "That's plenty of time."

Vance repeated what he'd told Bec about leaving the field and having different responsibilities and Matt nodded, he was already planning on picking Tim's brain. Finally they stood and Vance said, "I've already told Childers but you should hear too, it's fine to tell your families and the extended clan, as long as it's kept quiet from the rest of NCIS until the next promotions list comes out at the end of the year."

Matt chuckled at that, thinking about keeping it quiet. Vance gave him the double shoulder pat, "Congratulations, Matt, proud of you! I can't wait for you to tell Pete, Carla and Tim!"

He smiled at him just as Matt was thinking Tim knew or had requested the office. Although if Stevens hadn't needed to move, but maybe that was something Tim had known too. He was not going to worry about it!

Ms. Cook had been fully prepared to give the two visiting agents a tour but her boss decided he had a few minutes to take them around and occasionally he liked to show up unexpectedly in the squad room. They did check first with Doc Palmer to make sure he didn't have any guests. As they walked down the stairs through the room to the back elevators, Tony gave them a little wave. They'd decided to play it straight, to keep him guessing, and now both nodded to him solemnly. They were glad to see Jimmy and were equally glad he had no guests. He showed them his office with Ducky's old teapot still in its customary spot. Matt looked at it, "Is that the teapot I've heard Tim, Jethro and Ziva talk about?"

Jimmy nodded, "Yes, he left it here for me and I hope to leave it for my replacement someday when I retire."

Vance snorted, "As long as it's not the bottle of scotch he also kept here…not that I ever knew about that..."

Jimmy shook his head, "No, don't know what happened to that but it's not here."

They said, "See you later" to Jimmy as they left and Vance chuckled to himself.

Next he took them to the lab and introduced them to Tami who was now the lead Forensic Tech over three other techs. She showed them the different machines and the ballistics lab. There Matt saw a spot up high with a penciled note. He asked Tami who smiled, "That was before my time, but I understand it's from then Probationary Agent Tim McGee when he was helping out down here."

"In the lab?"

She nodded, "Doc Palmer's told me during Agent McGee's early years he spent a fair amount of time helping in the lab."

Bec suddenly remembered the former forensic tech who'd caused so much trouble for Tim and gave Matt a look. He seemed puzzled and then apparently remembered as he momentarily looked horrified.

Vance took pity on them, "Yes, before I took office, he worked with Abby Sciuto quite a bit. By the time I came along he was doing more field work."

Matt swallowed, "That's the one who did time?"

Vance just nodded. They took the elevator back to the squad room and returned to Tony's bullpen. DiNozzo stood up, "Director, Agent Childers, Agent Watson, good morning. This was Gibbs' team bullpen for many years. Gibbs sat here, McGee was across the way; you can see the old banner and some photos of his still up there." He'd sent his junior agent for coffee, explaining the situation. Bec and Matt grinned as they saw the old Venetian Snares banner and a few copies of photos of a much younger Tim, Ziva and Tony, another woman they both remembered had been murdered, a Gibbs who didn't look too different except for the glare, Matt chuckled to himself at 'the look' he'd once dreaded and to their delight a very young, college age Sarah McGee and an even younger Rob McGee, now Mallard.

Bec looked at Tony, "I can't believe those are still there."

He twisted his lips, "Aw, he'll get around to collecting them one of these days. Anyway, that was his spot and mine was there and Ziva's was across from me and before Ziva it belonged to Agent Caitlyn Todd."

Matt and Bec nodded; Kate, that was her name.

From DiNozzo's area they continued to the Hall of Fame, passing a familiar agent. He smiled at them and Bec stopped, "Rick Carter, right?"

Rick nodded, "I know you two, although it's been a few years. Welcome aboard the Navy Yard! Having a tour?" They nodded and stopped as Vance's cell buzzed. Rick waved his boss on and took them to the Hall of Fame. "Here you go."

They found all the letters they'd gotten over the years and then found Gibbs' team in various photos and like Tim's kids laughed at how impossibly young he looked.

Vance caught up with them just as they were finishing and they walked out. He smiled, "I'm glad we could do this – and I'll see you on Sunday!"

Walking back out to the car, they got in, put their safety belts on, looked at each other and let out a big "WHOOOHOOO!"

When they reached the McGee property, they put Penny's car back in the garage and went searching for their partners. Damian was upstairs at Tim and Lina's discussing paint colors with his sister while Bec found Geo in the pool with Tim and his kids.

Geordie climbed out of the pool when he spotted his wife, grabbing a towel and walking into the former tennis court with Bec. He chuckled as he looked at her, she was so excited she could hardly contain herself.

"Where, sweetie?"

"Mayport - Jacksonville FL!"

Geo grinned, "Your old office, that's great! What's the gig?"

She told him and he grabbed her and swung her around, "Wonderful, I'm so proud of you! SSAIC of the Southeast office, yay!" They kissed and then Geordie pulled back but Bec was ready for him. "We have time, I don't report until mid-January."

"Oh thank God, that gives us time to look. What about Charlotte?"

"I don't know how she'll feel about moving her medical stuff down there. But she'll be done with her treatments by then so maybe it won't matter, she'll be recovering her strength; and it's only a two hour drive."

"Mm, that's a good thought. Your folks will be happy it's not too far."

Bec nodded, "And I think this will be our last move for a while."

Geordie chuckled, "Probably until Tim steps down."

"Maybe, don't know how all that will work…if…you know."

Geordie looked at her, "Nobody's said anything about it but Damian and Lina are over at the house now talking paint colors and stuff like that."

Bec looked thoughtful, "Then something's changed because you know how they were last summer."

"From what I've seen of my brother this trip, he's feeling at ease. I'm sure part of it is getting that case out of the way but it's more than that."

"You think they've made a decision?"

"I think they've stopped struggling with whatever was going on in Greece."

They smiled at each other as they talked about finally buying a house. When Bec told him she'd be out of the field now, Geordie looked at her with a question and she nodded with a smile.

XXX

Damian was mid-word with Lina when he spotted his Matt with sparkling eyes and a huge grin on his face. Lina turned, saw him, waved and went to her studio to give them some privacy. Matt took Damian's hands. "What have you been saying about where we live?"

"That I no longer need to be in San Diego or Los Angeles; that my office can be wherever…. Matthaíos, what is it?"

"What Tim said yesterday, he wasn't kidding! How would you feel about here?"

Damian's eyes widened and Matt laughed, "Not here on the property, I mean in the DC area. I'm being promoted and transferred to the local field office at the airbase, Anacostia-Bolling."

Damian let out a whoosh of air, "Thank you my love! Congratulations on the promotion, but to what?"

"It's the same title as Tim has in San Diego, not the Assistant Director, but the Senior Special Agent in Charge. I'll have several teams reporting to me and…you'll like this…I'll no longer be in the field."

Damian tried to keep his happiness about that to himself but Matt knew him better than that. "It's ok, I know you're happy about that."

"So you'll work at the base?"

"Yes and I'll occasionally work with my teams but they're not far."

His partner's smile widened to a grin as he pulled his lover in for a kiss, "That's wonderful!" He pulled back, "When?"

Matt told him and Damian nodded, "Good, this time we'll be ready. Hmm, we can look at houses this week while we're here!"

Matt laughed, "And maybe we'll finally find a townhouse that we both like. Or you can gut it and redo it just the way you want it."

Damian leaned in, "Shall we look in Georgetown? And is it part of the District of Columbia or part of Virginia or Maryland?"

"It's part of DC."

"Excellent. And do you believe that we'll be here for more than a year?"

Matt nodded, "I think this is the positioning that Geo thought would happen, to get us placed where Vance and Tim want us."

"Good! Then, my love, will you marry me?"

Matt's mouth opened, he blinked and grabbed Damian, "Yes, I'll marry you!"

"Finally! Shall we set the date or wait until Lina and Tim move here?"

Matt shook his head, "Let's wait, then we can have the wedding we want, everyone will have moved – Bec and Geordie are moving too – and that will give my staff time to get to know me."

Damian's eyes twinkled, "There's something else, Matthaíos. If you're not in the field anymore, you'll be home every night. Do you want to rethink having a child?"

Matt looked at him, astounded. "Uh…wow, I didn't see that one coming! How do you feel about it?"

"My situation won't change much. I'll have shorter flights so I'll have more time at home from that standpoint but I will still be gone as often as I am now. And that means you will essentially be a single parent. I don't mean to sound as if I don't care, I will love any child we have – but that is reality."

Matt nodded, "I'm fine with our earlier decision – to be the cool uncles. We'll see our nieces and nephews a lot and maybe my sister and brothers will bring their kids for a visit. If I feel an urgent need to nurture a kid, I'll come over here and help with the foster children."

Damian kissed him again, "When we find our new home, we'll make sure there is plenty of room for overnight guests and maybe the children will help us decorate their own guestroom again."

Happy with the news and their decisions, they went to find Davos and Hélène and then called Matt's parents. Bec and Geordie called her parents first, then Charlotte and finally went to find the Gibbses and the Greats.

There was a lot of excitement at the senior Mallards that night. Ziva and Brian arrived and were greeted enthusiastically. As the large group mingled before sitting down at the collection of tables strung together, Grandfa stood at the head of that table and called for order. They looked at him, obediently sitting down as suggested. Then he smiled, "This is a very special evening for us, dinner for all of us, on the eve of opening the McGee Home. And for several of us there are additional happy tidings. Maisie, Penny and I decided it would be more fun to announce everything before we eat, then we can question, gossip and celebrate to our heart's content." He smiled, "Matthew, Damian?"

The couple stood up, holding hands. "We have two announcements." Matt continued, "The first one is that I've been promoted to SSAIC and will transfer to the DC Metro office aboard Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base." He grinned, bowing at the applause and then when the crowd looked at them expectantly, Damian smiled, "And we are engaged to be married! We decided today but we'll wait until we're settled here. We may have two ceremonies, one on the beach next summer and one here later, we'll see." There were cheers then and the two men smiled and bowed.

After the noise died down, the group looked at Grandfa who chuckled, "Well done lads! Bec and Geordie, I believe you're next."

They also held hands as they rose and Bec smiled at their huge family. "I've also been promoted to SSAIC and will transfer to Jacksonville FL, to the Mayport office. We'll be buying a home there and hope there'll be a big house nearby!"

Amidst the excitement Lina gave Tim a big kiss and some of the others looked at them, questions in their eyes but the couple waved them off.

Finally Grandfa rose again and smiled at Ziva and Brian. They stood and Brian cleared his throat. However before he could say a word Ziva held up her hand, a hand that now had a sparkling ring on it. She grinned and Brian sighed in relief as she spoke. "We're also getting married!"

There was more noise and then the family started chanting "Up Up UP!" to the three couples. The six of them stood and were given a standing ovation, making so much noise Ducky was a little worried his neighbors might complain. Baby Patrick took care of that; the noise woke him and he was not happy.

Eventually the baby was soothed back to sleep and the group calmed down enough to sit again. The designated servers, the 7 older children, brought in the food. After enjoying the meal the tables were cleared by the 5 middle kids, with a little help from Ethan and Callum and finally the kitchen was cleaned.

The adults were all still at the table, talking about anything and everything. Ned grinned at Rob and gave an almost imperceptible nod to Grandfa, Jethro and Rhea. The good doctor rose to his feet, "We have one more event, another surprise, this evening…children, if you'll join us in the library please?"

Puzzled, the group headed for the library, few of them having any idea of what was going on. Remembering Ned's demeanor over the last few days, Maggie had an idea and smiled, hoping she was right. Gibbs was trying not to grin but he was having an exceptionally hard time controlling his facial expressions this evening. Rhea didn't even try, she just beamed, not caring who saw her. Tim was also working to control his expression and his emotions while Lina smiled serenely.

It was a few minutes before Melody and Sasha appeared with Gram and Penny, dressed in party dresses of their favorite colors. Ned and Rob entered the room after them, both men now dressed in tuxedos. Several people gasped, realizing what might come next and the group parted before them. The couple, each holding one of the girls by the hand, walked through toward Grandfa who was standing by himself. When they stopped in front of him, the girls stepped back and Grandfa reached out to take one of each of the men's hands, placing them together.

He looked up, "Beloved family, we are here this evening, this night of celebration and promise, to witness and celebrate the marriage of Ned Teague Dorneget and Rob Gibbs Mallard."

Grandfa took them through their wedding vows and the exchange of rings before pronouncing them a married couple. As they kissed, their foster daughters cheered and clapped as did everyone else. When the men turned to their family, they each scooped up one of the girls so it was a family of four who faced the others. Rhea and Jethro got to them first, kissing each of the grooms and the girls. Tim and Lina were next followed by Grandfa, Grammie, Penny, with Rob's 'Timpa' still wiping the tears off his face followed by Sarah and Geordie…and then the rest of them.

When there was finally quiet again, Rob looked at everyone, "We have one more announcement..." Ned grinned, "In three months, Melody and Sasha will legally be our daughters!"

There were more cheers and applause and they laughed. Eventually, they were led back to the dining room where they found wine glasses along with several bottles of sparkling cider and champagne and a three tiered wedding cake, complete with two grooms on the top.

The celebration lasted for a few hours, until Sasha, Zoe and Davey fell asleep. During that time the group was told that Ned's mother had planned to come but had gotten called away at the last minute and made them promise not to postpone their wedding. Her occupation as a CIA agent was a family secret kept only from the children, so no one was terribly surprised. They hadn't mentioned the girls' adoption before now because they'd been planning their surprise wedding for months and decided to do it all at once. The newlyweds teased Ziva and Brian, Matt and Damian about the ease of a 'flash' wedding and laughed when they saw the guys were actually thinking about it.

Finally, gathering the three sleeping children, the two toddlers who were also asleep in their grandparents' laps, and the rest of the kids, the family dispersed.

XXX

Tim was so excited about Rob and Ned, Matt and Damian, the girls' adoption, the promotions and picking up the kids from the camp that he had trouble sleeping Friday night, feeling like it was Christmas Eve and the eve of leaving for Greece all rolled into one. He, Rob, Sarah, Geordie, Ethan and Steve would meet with the kids, tell them their story and then what was happening before gathering their cases and bringing them back here. CPS would bring the other children over and Lina, the Hubbards, Cranes, DiNozzos, Lina, the Grands and Greats and all the children would be here to welcome them and get them settled in. If all went as planned, the camp kids and the CPS kids would arrive around the same time.

The camp delegation left early Saturday morning as they had a two hour round trip. When they arrived at the camp, Nate and Juanita had the kids with them, their cases lined up. The younger ones looked scared while the older ones were probably also scared but mostly managed to look disinterested. When Nate saw Tim, he called out, "Timmo, good to see you! Hello Robbie, Sarah, Geordie! And Ethan and Stevie!" Ethan and Steve grinned at him.

Juanita exclaimed when Nate said their names and as Ethan said later, "I think she smiled but I'm not sure because I've never seen her smile before."

Ethan and Steve talked to the kids and told them their story and then Nate told the McGee siblings' story. The oldest kid looked at Tim, "You're a cop now?"

Tim nodded seriously, this wasn't the time or place for smiles, not yet. "Better, I'm a federal agent."

"Huh." The boy looked at Rob who nodded once saying, "I'm a doctor, I work in the free clinic here and at a hospital in DC."

Sarah told them about being a successful writer with her Masters' degree and Geordie stood proudly as he said, "I'm a Marine and a college professor."

"And you have a house you want us to live in?"

Ethan and Steve took over then, telling them about the McGee Family Home. They didn't tell them about everything, afraid to overwhelm these already skeptical kids. Two of the little ones were keeping their eyes on one of the older kids and when he nodded to them, they relaxed a little. Those three were the first in the van and then the others got in. There had been an additional older kid listening in and as the cases were packed in the back, he tapped Tim's arm. "Mister, I'm almost 18, so I can't be a foster."

Tim nodded, "Are you in school or working?"

The boy nodded, "Both. I'm in my senior year of high school and I work part-time."

Tim had to work not to smile as he used his head to point at the others, "Want to come with us?"

"Yeah, but how?"

"Until you're 18, you'll be a foster. After that, you stay with us as a tenant, you can pay a little rent."

"But I'll have to give up my job here."

"Yes, but there are other jobs and if you can't find one we'll work it out. As long as you're in school or working at something, you can stay with us until you're ready to be on your own."

"Wow, that's…thanks!"

"I'm Tim, what's your name?"

"Zachary but I go by Zach."

Tim held out his hand for a shake, "Zach, welcome home." The kid retrieved his case and climbed in with the others. The other kids gave a raggedy cheer and Tim looked at his siblings and nephews, they had their first post foster kid for the attic room!


	261. Chapter 261

CH 261

As the vans headed back to the freeway, Tim sent a text to Claire that they had an extra kid with them, an 'almost 18' year old boy named Zachary. She replied saying they'd get a room ready for him.

The universe cooperated and the CPS van with the four foster kids pulled in shortly after the camp vans arrived at the house. At the time the camp kids were upstairs being shown their rooms and were dealing with the news that they could safely unpack their belongings and store them in their bedroom or the lockers they'd each have downstairs.

Every single one of them unpacked their cases into a locker; snapping the padlock on and hanging the key around their neck. That didn't surprise anyone; Tim, Sarah, Ethan and Geordie had warned the others, saying it would take time for them to trust that no one was going to take their belongings, all they had in the world. They'd soon have all new things anyway but that too would take time to accept.

The other kids came in and were introduced to the camp kids. There was curiosity but no tension or animosity for which Tim was grateful. They were shown their rooms and quickly unpacked. Once all of them had unpacked in some fashion, they were shown the rest of the upstairs, including Zach's room in the attic, and then they all trooped downstairs to see the rest of the house. They loved the kitchen and even the (former) camp kids thawed enough to be impressed when they were shown the snack cupboard, where they were free to take food whenever they were hungry. The adults expected that to be cleaned out in a matter of hours; that too would take time, for the kids to learn that the cupboard would never be bare.

They sat at the big table together, having a drink and snack. Sarah introduced the rest of the family including the children. Then Ethan and Steve stepped in again. "We have a lot of children in our family, we call it our extended family because there are 5 sets of parents for the kids here. Most of us are adopted."

At the surprised looks from the foster kids, Steve grinned. "Yes, we have 21 kids in our family. Kids, line up please." He explained to the others, "We're missing one; the baby of the family isn't here, he's only two months old."

The kids lined up in family groups, their parents standing behind them. Ethan and Steve joined Davey and Violet. Once everyone was set, Ethan called out, "Everyone who's adopted or foster, sit down."

The kids at the table had wide eyes and open mouths when all the kids but Ainsley, Callum, Fiona, Jorry, Zoe, Davey and Violet sat down on the floor. Zach cleared his throat, "That's 14 adopted or foster kids!" Ethan nodded, "13, there's only 20 of us here; baby Patrick's asleep in the other room."

The older foster kids looked at the kids sitting on the floor. One of them, Doug, looked at Emma and said, "What's your story?"

All the kids had practiced telling their stories and Emma knew her dad and mom were right behind her so she wasn't scared, just a little nervous. She told the story of staying at shelters with her mother most of her life until her mother got sick and died. "Then I went into foster care. That was hard because I kept getting moved around and having to change schools and then my new mom and dad found me and brought me home. That was two years ago."

Anna raised her hand and told their story next. Then Evan told his and Audrey's story, Adam told his; Melody told hers and Sasha's and finally Andy told his and Sean's story about Grandma Hope's illness and death, being in and out of foster care and Sean staying in shelters with his first mother. Geordie told Lucy's story, then Ethan repeated his and Steve's story to the kids who hadn't heard it and finally Sarah told the McGee siblings' story and how they'd dreamed of someday having a big white house where kids would have a home and love.

When she was done Tim turned to their parents, "We four never stopped wanting parents. Several years ago after we were all grown, we asked this man, Jethro Gibbs, to adopt us. And he did, he adopted the four of us and last year he adopted Ziva and soon he will adopt our brother Tony. And after Dad adopted us, he married Rhea, so now we have a father and a mother and our children have grandparents."

When they asked the kids if they had any questions about the family, one of the girls, Rita said, "I have a lot of them but I need to think about all of it first."

The McGee clan laughed and Geordie said, "Well, don't give our family too much thought, it's confusing, believe me! I've been part of it almost since the beginning and I'm still trying to figure it out and it changes all the time! Besides, you're here for your life, not ours although we do want you to feel part of our family."

Following that, the group spent some time telling the kids how the home would be run and they met the staff. The family dispersed for a few minutes while the staff spent a little time talking with the children. When they were done with that, Ethan, Jim, Sarah and Ainsley took them on a tour of the grounds.

Zach looked around, "This is all yours?"

Sarah nodded, "It belongs to the McGee family – the four of us siblings and Penny."

Doug pointed to the two large houses, "Who lives there?"

Sarah answered, "I live in the house on the right with my husband James, the one with the British accent, and our children. My brother Tim and his wife Lina own the house on the left. They're here for this week and they are planning to be back at times during the year, but right now they live in California."

"How come they have the house here then?"

Ainsley smiled, "Tim's job moves him around. They built this house because they believe they'll eventually come back here to live; most of us live around here so they visit for holidays and with 6 kids, they wanted someplace near all of us where they could feel at home."

"They must be rich."

Sarah replied with a smile, "They're both very talented people who worked hard to get where they are in the world. Tim had a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins, he attended classes while we were still living in a tent at the camp; then he got another scholarship and the three of us moved into a room in a house in Massachusetts. He got his Masters there, at MIT. Lina is a very successful artist, known worldwide and she's worked hard to become that successful. They work hard and they love to treat their kids and the rest of us."

Ethan redirected their attention to the basketball court and the building behind it. "Come on, we'll show you what's inside."

The kids loved the pool. "We can come swimming here anytime?"

Jim fielded the question: "First the staff will see how well you swim and if you don't know how, we'll teach you. Then you kids over 16 can go when you want, but you have to let one of the staff know and the little kids can't go with you. They'll have to have an adult with them, but there are plenty of us around so that shouldn't be a problem."

Ethan grinned, "And the pool closes at 9 PM."

"It's indoors, so can we swim during the winter?"

"Yes, we'll show you the breezeway that connects the house to the building. It's kept locked all the time but at some point you'll be given the code…after your swim test or lessons."

They nodded, that made sense.

Back in the house again, the 12 of them were told lunch was in an hour and that they could take the time to wander around, get to know each other or whatever they'd like to do. Zach asked if he could take a shower and all the former camp kids ended up following his example, taking baths or showers. When they got back to their rooms each of them found new clothes and shoes waiting on his or her bed.

By the time the young ones had a story read to them that night and the fosters were all in bed, they were feeling somewhat settled in. It would take time and a lot of effort on everyone's parts but the family was confident.

As excited as they were about the Grand Opening the next day, it would be fairly low key. Secretary Porter and Director Vance would be there as friends of the family and their titles would not be used. On a whim, Tim sent an invitation to the congressman from Maryland who'd been so insistent on knowing his background during his first visit to the Hill. Gibbs sent an invitation to Rachel Cranston who said she would try to attend and his favorite CPS officer D'Arcy McKinna would be there along with their friend Barry from Silver Springs. Lu from the shelter was coming as well as the Russells, the Fornells, Damian's co-architect, Tim and Sarah's literary agents and a few other people. They'd invited Nate and Juanita but both had declined. They were happy to help, to continue to let Sarah or Rob know when there were more children without guardians at the camp but they didn't want to travel outside of Baltimore.

The sign at the edge of the driveway had a big "Grand Opening" banner with the date and time, they hoped they might get a few drop-ins that way. There was also an announcement in the local papers and flyers up around local businesses but they had no idea if anyone would be interested enough to drop in to see their dream come to fruition. And that was fine, this wasn't about the McGees anymore, now it was about the kids who'd live here. There was a wide blue ribbon hanging across the front entryway and at 2:00 PM, the four siblings would cut it, officially opening the McGee Family Home.

The Russells were the first to arrive, the six of them plus Stephan's girlfriend. The SecNav, her husband and Leon were next and Mrs. Porter, as they called her that day, was happy to finally meet Pete. While they were talking, Tim looked at two men entering the house and realized they were congressmen he'd met during his two meetings on the Hill, one of them had been at the White House dinner last summer. He welcomed them both and gave them, the SecNav and Leon a tour of the downstairs. D'Arcy McKinna arrived with Lu following shortly after along with several other people. Rachel Cranston came in, excited to meet Tim and Jethro's family as well as meeting the new residents of the MFH.

Then it was time. The four siblings gathered in front of the ribbon, grinning at each other. Then they looked questions at each other and nodded, the foster kids should be in on this too. Doug, who'd come from the camp and Carly one of the CPS kids, were quickly selected and the 6 of them, the kids in front, positioned the scissors. They cut it as photos were taken and their guests applauded.

Tony was standing by the door greeting the arrivals a few minutes later when a vaguely familiar voice said, "Looks like I was right about who the McGees might be!"

He looked up and his jaw dropped at the sight in front of him. Recovering his composure he shook the newcomer's hand, asking, "Did you see the notice in the paper or one of the flyers?"

She shook her head, "No, I saw the banner on the sign out front and took a chance that it was NCIS's McGee. Is your boss here too?"

Tony grinned, "If you mean Gibbs, he's no longer my boss but yes, he and our stepmom, Rhea are here."

"I don't understand."

"Come on, you'll like her and you won't believe how mellow he is! He's got 6 kids, 5.5 kids in-law and 14 or 15 grandchildren, I've lost track and one of them is mine!"

Gibbs' former 'future ex-wife #4', that is Hollis Mann, looked at him, working to keep her jaw from dropping. "His wife's?"

"No, he adopted us. After the team split up several years ago, we were scattered around the world but eventually pulled back together as family. Over the years, he adopted each of us, mine actually hasn't happened yet, although his kids adopted me as their brother so that's a technicality. Now, come on, if nothing else you need to see this place and hear how it came about."

He took her by the hand and bemused, she followed along. The first person they met was Maggie and Hollis was glad to see DiNozzo had married well. Tony beamed, "We're responsible for one of Jethro's grandkids; our daughter Emma is around here somewhere." Hollis nodded and out of the corner of her eye spotted a familiar head of hair, although it was longer than she'd ever seen it and all silver now, no longer salt and pepper. Jethro hadn't seen her yet, he was laughing at something a pretty young woman was saying to him and…cuddling a baby!

Maggie touched her arm, "That's our sister Sarah, one of the original McGees, and the baby is the youngest grandchild. He's making a brief appearance."

Hollis stood for a minute, watching. Maggie touched her arm again, "Want to see the house or say hello?"

"Say hello, I think. I didn't know about all the changes."

Maggie laughed, "Don't feel bad, we have a huge family and things change pretty fast around here! On Friday night we had a surprise wedding over at the Mallards…oh, do you know Don?"

"If that's Ducky, yes."

Nodding, she told Hollis about the discovery that the McGees were Ducky's grandchildren. "That was a big part of how things got rolling. Anyway, at our family dinner Friday we learned of two engagements, two adoptions and two promotions…plus the surprise wedding."

Hollis just shook her head, "And did you ever have dinner?"

Tony and Maggie laughed, nodding. Walking between them, she watched Jethro's face when he looked up, in the act of transferring the baby into the arms of an older woman. He blinked twice and then smiled. She relaxed a little at that and then saw McGee standing behind him, holding a little girl. He was laughing at something and Hollis thought about that, she didn't remember ever seeing McGee laugh. Tony, yes, he was the team clown but not McGee, she supposed his family called him by his first name. She'd reached Jethro and he pulled her in for a hug. "Hollis, welcome! This is a surprise!"

She explained how she'd come to be here and then was introduced to his lovely wife who didn't seem at all perturbed to meet her husband's former lover. That put Hollis even more at ease and the three of them chatted for a few minutes before being interrupted by Jethro's former team, now his children, plus other young people that she learned were the rest of his kids. She was glad to see Ziva and Tim, met Tim's wife and Ziva's fiancé and smiled as she was introduced to the parents of the baby and two other sons and their spouses. Ducky and his wife came along as well as Jimmy Palmer, his wife and four kids.

She was still trying to get this all straight in her head when Leon Vance greeted her. He laughed, "You get used to the clan after a while. They're generally not all in the same place at the same time. Tim and his family are posted in San Diego, his sister-in-law Bec is posted in Florida, Ziva works at the UN, so this is a special weekend for them."

She nodded, "I heard Gibbs say he wanted me to meet all his grandkids."

Leon chuckled, "That'll be fun! I usually spend a few days of vacation with them in Greece every summer so I know them and I still stumble with names sometimes. Tim's and Tony's kids I know pretty well though and I'm Uncle Leon to all of them."

She smiled and then turned as someone tapped her shoulder. She turned to find dozens of children, well perhaps not quite that many, gathered, each with a set of parents. She noted the McGee children who looked like Tim and/or his wife and wondered if the others were adopted. Leon had mentioned that many of the grandkids had been adopted. When the kids were told she'd worked with the 'old team', she smiled to herself as she saw several pairs of curious eyes.

Eventually Jethro's wife Rhea and daughter Sarah took her on a tour of the house. While they were upstairs, Tim enjoyed his cake, thinking about the oddity of Hollis Mann suddenly appearing, further noticing there were a lot of people there, many more than they'd anticipated.

He made his way to the front door and opened it; blinking in surprise when he saw the number of cars parked around the property. As he was standing there, several black SUVs entered the driveway and he turned to find his father, Geordie, Tony, Ned, Maggie, Matt, Bec, Leon and Tobias behind him. Tobias muttered, "Secret Service, geez Tim, did you invite the President?"

He shook his head and they watched as the President's spouse, a former president himself, climbed out of one of the SUVs with his daughter and a young girl. The Secret Service agents came in and took a quick look around, nodding to Secretary Porter, Leon, the congressmen and each of the Federal Agents in the room. Then the former president and his family came in. Tim, Geordie, Rob and Sarah were there to greet them and the man apologized for his wife's absence. "Sorry the President couldn't be here. She planned on it but something came up."

"Yes sir, ma'am, miss, come in please!"

Both were very personable and the little girl had questions about the foster children, which impressed Tim. Their entrance caused a stir and the First Husband was careful to shake the hands of each foster child and most of the family children too. He specifically asked to meet the kids who'd been too young to tour the White House years ago and Zoe and Jorry were gently pushed forward, Jorry pulling Sean with him. Sean was feeling a little shy and had been standing with Andy; when Jorry pulled Sean, Sean tugged on Andy and the three of them landed in front of the former President.

The White House trio didn't stay long; long enough for a piece of cake, to speak words of encouragement to the foster kids, congratulate the family and out they went. Tim watched them leave and then turned to find Lina at his side. "LinaMelina, did you send them an invitation?"

"Yes, I did. I knew she would be interested, although I had no idea she'd come – or send her husband and daughter."

Tim chuckled, "Have I told you recently how wonderful you are?"

The house was full of guests until nearly 4:00; by that time the folks remaining were the Russells, Rachel Cranston, Rick and Denise Carter, Jim O'Brien, Hollis Mann and several other NCIS employees. The congressmen and the Porters left but Leon stayed all afternoon. He had a great time hanging out with the Russells and spent some time with the foster kids. Some of them had retreated to their rooms but most of them stayed downstairs. Tim thought they were probably loath to leave the food in case it all disappeared.

By 6:00 it was down to the family plus Leon and the Russells. Cook was off for the night but knowing the kids were probably hungry again, Tim and Geordie made spaghetti, enough for everyone, with garlic bread and a salad. That was fun as the family and the foster kids mingled, everyone more relaxed this time. The non-resident family took off shortly after as there was work and school on Monday; the kids wouldn't be off for the holiday until Wednesday.

In the morning, Tim, Lina, Sarah, Geordie and Rob helped the foster kids get ready for their new schools; Carly was the only one who wasn't changing schools and the other high schoolers were glad, she'd be one of the two people they'd know; the other one was Ethan and Zach thought he might have some classes with him. The only foster child not in school, Henry, would hang out with Fiona and Lucy this week and then start daycare with Fiona and Davey Palmer the following week. He was nearly 3, between Lucy and Davey in age.

Tim and Sarah drove the high school kids to school; Sarah, Claire and Jim would be the school's contacts. Geordie, Rob and Claire drove the younger kids to the elementary and middle schools. Next week school buses would begin service to the MFH.

Tim came home to find his own kids doing their schoolwork; Lina was quizzing Gemma for a test she'd have next week. Andy had a question about something his dad answered and when they were done, everyone's work was checked.

Fiona, Lucy and Henry came for lunch and some playtime in the afternoon; Ziva and Brian came over to play with them and Zoe while the other kids finished their schoolwork for the day. When everyone was done, they packed up the little ones, Brian carrying Henry, Tim carrying Lucy and holding Zoe's hand, Ziva carrying Fiona and took everyone for a long walk in the woods, leaving a note for the Powells and the Perrys in case they came looking.

Their grandparents, all four of them, met them on the way back and the kids greeted them as if they hadn't seen them in months rather than hours. "You kids through with school for the day?"

Gemma replied for all of them, "Yes, we did our class work and our homework; Mama and Daddy checked it all."

"Good! So, Mama, Daddy, do you think we could borrow the kids for a little while?"

"It's naptime for Fiona, Henry and Lucy."

"Ok, then we'll let them nap and borrow the rest of 'em?"

Tim looked at his father and father-in-law and then at Rhea and Hélène, "Are you two going with them?"

The women laughed, "Yes Tim."

Lina spoke, "Please have them back by 4 or their cousins will be upset."

The McGee kids took off with the Grands while the others took the three toddlers back to the McGees for naps. Fiona and Lucy fell asleep without a fuss but Henry was restless; finally Ziva picked him up and sat in an old rocker that Uncle Dave brought over, talking softly and rocking the little boy to sleep.

Tuesday was somewhat the same: driving the kids to school, monitoring the McGee kids' schoolwork, taking long walks, having a swim and caring for the younger children. The exception was that Pete and Trina came for coffee, stayed for lunch and most of the afternoon, enjoying a swim with the others. They'd be back on Thanksgiving Day with all four of their kids but Tim, Lina, Matt and Damian, Bec and Geordie wanted them to themselves for a few hours too.

By Tuesday Sarah was rested from the weekend and took the three little ones for lunch and naps. The McGees took them back once they woke, pointing out that they were only there for a few more days and Sarah should enjoy time to herself while she could. They all noticed when little Henry reached for Ziva and Brian.

All the kids were off school beginning Wednesday. That was chaotic with so many children on the property but the adults had it organized with plenty of things for them to do. The Cranes surprised the foster kids by bringing roller skates for all of them but Henry, saying they thought he was too little still. The McGees' basement was large, however it was pretty crowded with most of the kids skating or learning to skate. From there they went to the pool and that was easier as there were no skinned knees! There wasn't enough room to do any actual swimming but they had fun anyway.

XXX

While all this was going on, Tim, Lina and their siblings managed to spend time together. They had a siblings' dinner out on Wednesday and had fun 'helping' to plan the two weddings. Ziva and Brian weren't going to wait long, they'd already decided to get married New Year's Day in a simple ceremony at Gram and Grandfa's house with both their families, although as Geordie pointed out that was more people than most couples invited.

Ziva explained that Brian's parents, siblings and families would fly in from their home near Seattle early enough on New Year's Eve, a Friday, so that the families could have Shabbat dinner together. The wedding would take place the evening of New Year's Day, beginning with a service called Havdalah, celebrating the end of the Sabbath.

Given the tight timeframe, Tim immediately pulled out his phone to look for flights when Tony put out a cautionary hand, "Nope, you have a flight; I've already reserved the jet from the 21st of December through the 3rd of January, so there's no problem."

Maggie looked embarrassed, "Actually we want to ask if the four of us could spend Christmas with you, Lina, the kids and the Grands."

Tim and Lina grinned, "Absolutely, that'll be wonderful."

"Yay! Then we'll fly back here for Ziva's wedding and you'll have a flight home on the 2nd or 3rd."

Ziva turned to Matt and Damian, "You will come too, won't you? I want all of my family with me!" Smiling, they agreed.

They were still insistent on holding off on their own wedding for several months while they moved and got settled. Both transferees had contacted Evander and he'd sent each couple a list of houses, including a fixer upper for Damian and Matt. They'd toured them on Monday and Tuesday and as Matt predicted, liked the townhouse fixer upper the best. Located in Alexandria, it had the most square feet of the homes they toured, a layout Damian could work with and the best location.

Knowing they were welcome to stay at the MFH in one of the suites while the house was being renovated, they'd made an offer which was accepted. Damian was already working on the new design: the upstairs would remain mostly intact, a few walls moving, an additional bathroom installed, a bedroom that would be transformed into a walk-in closet, but the two lower floors would be gutted. They wanted room to entertain and as Matt said with a wink, "a kitchen any caterer could love."

Bec and Geordie looked online at the houses Evander listed for them but they obviously hadn't had a chance to see them in person. Instead of returning to Savannah on Friday, they'd decided to fly to Jacksonville to look at neighborhoods and houses. They wanted a home large enough for children, foster or biological, whichever came along. They'd have space for Charlotte and Lucy and hoped to also have room for the rest of the family to visit. That was new information to Geordie's siblings, the couple had previously not mentioned the possibility of having their own children.

Still chuckling at their surprise, Geordie cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Last time we did what we're about to do, all of the siblings weren't together. I'm glad we are this time. So much happens in our family that sometimes we forget not everything is just exactly how we want it, not quite how it should be. Today we're fixing that…Jimmy, of all the crazy, convoluted relationships in our family yours is probably the most convoluted and we'd like to make it even more so! You've been our brother for years but now we want to make it legal, if you agree?"

Jimmy nodded, to his surprise tears were rolling down his face. "Yes, I totally agree!" Breena's grin threatened to split her face as they were warmly welcomed as brother and sister-in-law to Geordie, Tim, Sarah, Tony, Ziva and Rob and cheered as Jimmy signed the papers with a grin. As usual there was a great deal of teasing and Jimmy ate it up, loving all of it, teasing them right back that he was relinquishing his position as their uncle to assume the mantle of brother. Some of them had to think about that before realizing that with Grandfa as his surrogate father, the relationship between Jimmy and Grandfa's grandchildren would indeed be uncle.


	262. Chapter 262

CH 262

When things quieted down a bit, Tony remembered to ask Rob and Ned if this lunch out meant more than the last time. Ned laughed, "Yes absolutely! First of all, we're married, yay! Secondly, we're beginning to understand the beauty and rarity of adult time. We love the girls, but wow! Don't know how you McGees, Palmers, DiNozzos and Powells handle it."

The couples started to laugh and Rob said "What, is there a secret to it?"

Maggie grinned, "Yes, the secret is grandparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins who belong to all the kids!"

They laughed at the truth of that, the kids belonged to everyone. On more than one occasion the Ks had watched a child or children not related to them; just this past summer, they'd babysat Emma and the two younger Palmers. That was fairly common amongst the group, the senior Powells had also done stints with Emma, the Mallard girls and the Palmers; even the Colonel had pitched in with Fiona and Davey once or twice.

Tim nodded, "And in our case, we finally caved and hired a nanny; we'll have one here too." There was dead silence and he rolled his eyes, "Come on, like you all don't know! The house is built, Lina and Daim selected paint colors, we've got congressmen and the SecNav showing up at parties, everyone or almost everyone's been promoted and transferred."

"Almost everyone?"

Tim shook his head, "Think about it, there are a couple of positions that will be open at some point next year."

Tony snorted and the others laughed at themselves. "So you don't know when."

The McGees shook their heads but Lina said, "Given the thoughtfulness of the person who will be creating the open positions, I imagine it will be before school starts."

"Next year."

They both nodded. Brian's eyes were wide, reminding everyone of Doc Palmer when he was younger. "You guys can talk about it like this, in the open?"

Tony looked around, they were the only customers left in the place. "We're not naming names or dates or places, it's ok. Believe me, Tim is McSoulofDiscretion, there's no way he'd say anything if it wasn't cleared."

Tim twisted his lips and the others jumped on it, "What?"

"Nobody else needs to know. And…we haven't said anything to Dad or Grandfa."

There were several snorts around the table and Sarah said, "Give it up, they knew before any of us were even born!" They laughed at her wild exaggeration. While they were still kibitzing about that and remembering the fun they'd had last Thanksgiving, Jimmy looked at Breena and she nodded with a smile. He cleared his throat, "We'd like to visit Preston for Easter vacation next year. Been promising the kids and we're almost out of time!"

"Yeah that'd be great Jimmy, Breena! We'd love to have you guys, you can experience a true California spring."

"Just no earthquakes please."

Tim shrugged, "No guarantees but we can hope!"

When the conversation changed, Brian looked at Tim and Sarah. "I have a question and Ziva doesn't know the answer." At Tim's nod, he continued, "I know the Admiral and Aunty Liz are your godparents, Tim, but isn't it the custom for every child to have godparents?" Sarah smiled, "You're wondering about my godparents?"

Brian nodded, "I know it's a strange question but I am curious."

Sarah grinned, "I was curious too, so Tim and I asked Grammie and Penny. And they told us the Cranes stood as godparents for all three of us."

Tim nodded, "I think it's unusual but I can understand why our parents did it. Well, the Commander in Sarah's case. Brian, do you know about our mother?" Brian nodded and Tim continued, "When Patrick was born our mother Lily started treatment for cancer right away, she'd already delayed it for almost her entire pregnancy. Anyway, it made her very sick and Grammie says that Aunty Liz stepped up to take care of Pat and me. It sounds like things were chaotic and now it makes sense that our parents asked the Cranes to stand up for Patrick too. Years later, we were in San Diego when Sarah was born, our mother had been gone for years by then and Penny said our dad never even considered asking anyone else. So yes, Uncle Dave and Aunty Liz are _our_ godparents."

Brian nodded but still looked puzzled. With a sigh Sarah asked, "Wondering about my mother?" He nodded, looking apologetic. "It's okay, I'm a scientific marvel. Before she started treatment Lily had some of her eggs extracted and frozen. When our father decided he was ready for another child and found a gestational host, he added his sperm to her eggs in a petri dish and here I am."

Tim added, "Gram, Penny and Unca Jim didn't know the Commander was doing all that until he called to tell them when Sarah was born."

Brian opened and closed his mouth, finally settling for a nod. There was dead silence for a couple of minutes and then Tony and Geordie looked at each other and started telling a tall tale that soon had everyone laughing again.

Soon after they began to gather their belongings. They really did need to get home. Tim needed to get the stuffing prepped for tomorrow and Ziva had a dish she needed to make tonight.

Rather than have a separate international dinner this year, they'd added the dishes to their normal Thanksgiving fare. They'd have Edith's Bubble and Squeak, Tony's flatbread, another of Ziva's rice dishes as well as turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries and of course the infamous cheese stuffed celery which nobody was willing to give up. The difference this year would be sharing it with the foster kids and any of the staff who chose to come. Tim figured for some of the kids it would be their first Thanksgiving dinner with family and possibly their first Thanksgiving dinner of any kind.

XXX

As they deplaned in San Diego early Friday afternoon, Tim told his dad he was still full from their Thanksgiving feast. The man huffed before agreeing. The food had been delicious, it was fun and moving to watch the foster kids enjoy everything and they'd all eaten too much. Even so, there had been food left over, much to Cook's surprise.

The new Tibbs' book, "Saving the Future: Tibbs and Team Stand Alone" with all their crazy author names had been released two days before Thanksgiving, just in time for the biggest retail shopping day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving, widely known as "Black Friday". The advance sales alone were nearly enough to push it onto the bestsellers' lists. Before the flight left DC that morning, they'd checked and were thrilled to see that the book was already rapidly climbing the charts.

They were no sooner home and unpacked before Nick Hardister called, "You jetlagged or did you sleep on the way home?"

"Both and I'm still full from Thanksgiving."

Nick laughed, saying, "How about some exercise then? Think I could get you and Andy, your dad and Davos to help with the lights again this year? We can do yours and theirs too."

"Good idea, I'll get Dad and Davos over here. Be out in 5." He called the big house, gathered Andy and the ladder and out they went to put up the lights. They were done with all three houses by the time the light and the vacationers started to fade. Thanksgiving was done, the Christmas decorating season was now on.

They celebrated Jorry's 6th birthday with a party at a pizza restaurant on Saturday, Jorry happily laughing and playing video games with his friends. Tim and Lina would celebrate their anniversary with a long weekend away the following week.

The week sped by as Tim caught up with everything at work, leaving Thursday evening with a good feeling. He and Lina drove to a quiet beach hotel north of Preston and spent the weekend wrapped up in each other, celebrating their 7th anniversary.

The annual Christmas events started the following weekend and the kids enjoyed riding the Polar Express; witnessing the parade of boats that were festively lit and all the other pre-Christmas treats they enjoyed. Their Christmas tree went up and Andy grinned as he was handed the tree topper, finally it was his turn! By now he was too big for his dad to lift but he wasn't yet tall enough to reach the top by himself. They put a ladder up and Andy put the star on the tree in the spot he'd planned for three years now. Perfect!

The only annual event they postponed was the whale watch, waiting for the DiNozzos to join them. They arrived on the 21st and their second day Tim took the afternoon off and the family piled into two vans, driving to their favorite whale watching spot. Emma had never been whale watching before and was thrilled when she spotted a pod moving south.

XXX

Over the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they watched the sales and reviews of their book. By the time the DiNozzos arrived it was on the Bestsellers' list on the NY Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Publishers Weekly; in the UK, it hit the Sunday Times and The Times Literary Supplement. Between the 6 authors, they'd sent out several personally autographed advance copies and a few were autographed by all of them.

When they chose their author names, Tim applied for and received a copyright for the "Gemcity" name. Yes it had originally been part of an anagram of his name but with three books now out with some extreme variations, he didn't want to risk anyone using the name without his permission. They were happy with their names, each chose a first name and paired it with Gemcity: Gibbs chose 'Coop' after his favorite western actor Gary Cooper, Ducky followed his roots, using Ailig, Gaelic for Alexander meaning 'defender of mankind'; Tony's probably the most fun, 'Shaken not stirred', mimicking his hero James Bond's catchphrase, Ziva's the darkest, 'Raven', an allusion to her former life as an assassin but Tim thought Jimmy's might be his favorite, 'Jabari' meaning courageous. He himself had given in to temptation and used 'Drakon', an old Greek word meaning dragon that also referred to the first lawgiver or scribe of ancient Greece. He grinned when he saw his name in print listed as 'Drakon Gemcity', followed in parentheses by 'formerly known as Thom E Gemcity'. The cover art was phenomenal: 6 figures representing them walking out separately from the shadows, turning toward each other and a sun emerging from dark clouds.

XXX

Christmas morning was a joyous, riotous occasion. While the kids were older, their excitement hadn't changed and Tim laughed when his cell woke him early on the 25th, knowing just who it was. Emma and her parents stayed with the McGees Christmas Eve; Emma in Zoe's room and Tony and Maggie in the downstairs bedroom. After telling his son to call the big house to wake them too, Tim and Lina got dressed and went downstairs with the camera. Tony and Maggie heard them and came out, wondering where the kids were. Tim chuckled, "They're not allowed to come down until we take the 'before' pictures."

Lina took them this year while Tim turned the alarm off and let their parents in. Finally she had enough and they called upstairs, "Oh look, Santa's been here!" There was a mad dash down the stairs, Emma apparently having been prepared and the kids took a second to say "Ooh pretty" before they started tearing into the piles of gifts, looking for anything with their name on it.

After they'd each opened one they did stockings and then had breakfast. They behaved at breakfast and after cleaning off the table, gave their parents pitiful looks; with much laughter over the puppy eyes, the kids were sent back to the living room. An hour later they looked around at the mess, grinning. Each picking a gift to show the Uncles, Aunts and the other kids when they arrived, they took the rest upstairs while Emma put hers in the downstairs bedroom.

Tim was loving every minute of this Christmas season, especially knowing it was likely their last one in sunny San Diego. He'd taken off as much time as he could spare to do things with the kids, frequently including Tea, little Hallie, Eva, Athos and Alitta. On Christmas Day he welcomed each of them with kisses and hugs. Of course the adults had an idea what was going on and returned their friend's affection.

On the way home that night Athos asked his parents why Uncle Tim and Aunt Lina were sad. "They usually like Christmas!"

Caleb took a deep breath, "Uncle Tim and Aunt Lina are probably going to move away this year, son. They'll be moving to Washington."

"DC or the state?"

Caleb smiled at his smart child. "DC."

"Oh. Will we ever see them again?"

"Yes, we will find a way."

"Are we going to the island with them this year?"

"For a few days, yes."

"Good. We should spend lots of time with them before they leave."

Eva smiled, "Yes we should, Athos and we will." Alitta cheered with her brother and their parents smiled. They hoped but didn't yet know, that they too would move to Washington DC for Caleb's exhibit.

On December 30th, the McGees, DiNozzos, Kalivas-Watsons and the Grands climbed aboard Tony's jet and flew to Virginia, with a stop in Savannah, for Ziva's wedding. It was snowing when they landed and the kids cheered while the adults tried not to grimace. They had their winter coats, boots and accessories with them and were comfortable enough. After dropping the DiNozzos at their home and the Grands at the main house, their transport took them right up to their front steps; soon they had everything and everyone inside. James had been in to set the thermostat for them so the house was toasty warm. The kids ran upstairs and Tim and Lina grinned at each other as each one of them exclaimed at the surprise: in the few weeks since they'd been here their rooms had been painted. Even though they were still sharing on this trip, they knew which rooms would be theirs when they finally moved and now those rooms were painted, drapes hung with cozy throw rugs on the floor. Damian beamed at the children's joy, loving the happy sounds his nieces and nephews were making.

They met Brian's family the next day and liked them very much. Brian's father Ben was a retired police officer and that meant instant connections for him, Poppy, George Powell and of course the rest of the Feds in the family. It also meant that Ziva's father-in-law understood some of the little he could be told of her past and a lot about her adoptive father, brothers and in-laws. Brian's mother Julie was a retired nurse and Claire loved that!

Mrs. Metzger was amused that her new daughter-in-law's family seemed to be either law enforcement, military or medical people, mentally including Breena in that category. Glad to hear that James was an IT professional, she chuckled to herself when he told her he'd met Tim during his years at NCIS. She noticed the Greek couple, their son and his partner were as much a part of the family as anyone else; to her that was key as it meant Ziva's family appreciated the importance of strong familial ties.

They enjoyed Shabbat dinner together and the Metzgers were impressed to find the others knew some Jewish tradition. That also said a lot for Ziva's place in the family; that and the elders of the family who were protective of her in an endearing way.

Brian's parents had been surprised to find that Ziva was the adopted child of a gentile federal agent and that it had happened in the last few years. Now they heard more of the family's history and understood that she'd really been part of this family for many years. They'd been saddened to find that Ziva's biological family was all gone with the exception of an elderly aunt in Tel Aviv; that made them even more determined to make her feel welcome to their family.

New Year's Day 2022 fell on a Saturday, the Sabbath for Ziva and the Metzgers. With the snow deep enough to play in, the kids went to a local snow park for a day of fun. They built several snow people and took turns sledding down the hills. Tony and Maggie had cross country skis and taught some of the older kids how to ski. They all had a good time and thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate on their return home.

By sundown, the families were once again gathered at the senior Mallards, ready for the wedding. Ziva was calmly radiant and Brian looked ready to explode with happiness. The ceremony was beautiful as the rabbi said the prayers and carried out the traditions of a Jewish wedding.

Afterward they partied, dancing the traditional dances and watching the kids figure it out. They ate heartily and then danced some more. It was nearly 1:00 AM before the party broke up. The newlyweds were spending the night at a nearby hotel and planned to go to Israel in early spring so Brian could meet Aunt Nettie in person.

The West Coast family flew home the next day, blessing Tony for the private flight as they were exhausted. Sleeping most of the way, they only roused when the jet started its descent into San Diego air space.

XXX

Tim slept all the way into work the next morning; Timmons had to wake him up when they pulled into the parking garage. He made it through the day, too busy to be sleepy but he told Lina that night that they were not going anywhere for at least a month. She shook her head, reminding him that last time he'd said that he'd caught a case and was away for several weeks.

Thankfully the rest of the week passed without incident and it was two weeks before Tim had occasion to think of Lina's comment. He was on the way to work one morning when his cell buzzed. He looked at the id and frowned, not a number he knew. Accepting the call, he said, "Hello?"

A woman's voice said, "Uncle Tim? Is this Timothy McGee?"

"Yes it is." It wasn't Alexis and none of his other nieces were old enough for this voice. Then it dawned on him as the woman continued, "This is Sarah Blair, Andy's sister and Sean Michael's mother."

"Sarah, it's wonderful to hear from you. How are you?"

"I'm good, really good. I've been sober for 10 months now, Uncle Tim…is it ok if I call you that?"

"Of course and congratulations, that's great news. I hope we can see you?"

"I don't know where you live."

"Near San Diego."

"Oh, great. I'm uh…" there was a deep breath, "I'm on parole, I live at a halfway house but I'm allowed to take day trips within a certain range of the city."

Tim decided to shelve questioning as to why she was on parole - for now. "You're in San Diego?"

"Yes, near 10th and Ellis."

"Great. You said day trips, does that include evenings as well?"

"I'm not sure, I'll have to check."

"I can pick you up and bring you back if that helps."

"Thanks, I'll tell my parole officer that. How is Andy?"

"He's great, Sarah, he's just had a growth spurt, he's now 5'9, not bad for almost 13. He's going to end up being taller than your dad and me. He's got all kinds of interests and is doing great in school."

"Good, I can't wait to see him. And Sean Michael?"

"He's doing well too, he's 6 years old and a great kid. Funny, athletic, adventurous, sweet, he's still taking things apart and putting them back together and curious about everything."

"Oh good. Uh, do you think he'll want to see me?"

"We'll ask him but don't count on it. And if he says yes one of us will be with him."

"Oh, that'd be okay. All right, well I'm on the last pay phone in the country and someone else wants to use it, so I guess I'd better go. I'll call you as soon as I talk with my parole officer."

Tim disconnected and then sent a text to Lina about the call. She called him to talk about it. "Tim, if Sean doesn't want to see her then I don't think she should come here to the house he lives in. Can we meet in town somewhere?"

"Yes and that's a good point Lina; having her here might seem like betrayal to him. We should talk with him about you, me and Andy seeing her. How about a restaurant?"

She agreed and they left it at that. He got busy at work and it wasn't until late afternoon that Sarah Hope called again. "Hi Uncle Tim. I'm with my parole officer and she wants to speak with you."

"Before I do, Sarah, why are you on parole?"

"I uh, spent 10 months in jail for dealing."

"And how long is your parole?"

"Eighteen months."

"Was that your first arrest and do you promise you're sober and not dealing?"

"Yes, it was and I promise you Uncle Tim, I just want to get my life straightened out. I've joined Narcotics Anonymous and I go to meetings every day. I've got a job, it's not much but it's something."

"All right."

The next voice announced she was Officer Klein and he introduced himself. "I'm Timothy McGee, Sarah Blair's uncle."

"She says you asked to meet with her. Where do you plan on that happening and what's your history with Ms. Blair?"

"My wife and I decided that someplace neutral, such as a restaurant, would be the best idea. If that helps."

"It does. And what do you do?"

"I'm Assistant Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service."

"Ah, well, that helps too, even if you are a Fed." He heard a lighter note in her voice.

"Yes; as for Sarah, she's the daughter of my deceased brother. My wife and I only met her once and briefly; she was high at the time and wasn't feeling like doing much communicating."

"I see. You have children?"

"Yes, 6 including Sarah's younger brother and her son; we adopted them. She'll only see her brother."

"Because?"

"We have reason to believe she was abusive to her son and unless he wants to see her, he won't have to. And…although it's a good start, it takes longer than 10 months to convince me of a solid recovery, Officer Klein."

"Smart! Yes, under the conditions we've discussed, she can go for the evening. She'll need to be back at the half-way house by 10 PM. And there should be no alcohol of any kind."

"The time's not a problem and neither my wife nor I drink much and certainly won't tonight. What if the restaurant has a liquor license?"

"As long as she's supervised and doesn't drink, that's fine. How soon will you be picking her up?"

"I'm about done, I can be wherever she is in 30 minutes."

The woman chuckled, "Pick her up here then, your office isn't that far from mine." She gave him the address. He stopped to call Lina and the two of them spoke with Sean. As they'd suspected might happen, he did not want to see her and they reassured him that he would not have to and that she didn't know where they lived. Sean voluntarily told them he didn't mind them seeing her as long as he didn't and he didn't have to talk about her. They agreed, both making mental notes to revisit this with Sean very soon. While Tim was still on the phone, they told Andy that his sister had called and they were having dinner with her. He was pretty excited although he was careful not to say anything in front of Sean and that was awkward. And then he felt bad because she'd hurt his little brother. In the meantime, Anna heard what was happening and asked to go with them, protective of both brothers.

Sean seemed all right once he knew that his 'mean mommy' was not coming to his house or his town so Lina called the big house and asked for babysitters for everyone but Andy and Anna.

After settling that, Tim's security team drove him to the parole officer's office. He went inside to get his niece, spotting her right away. Her hair was short but otherwise she looked the same, a lot healthier. And she looked as much like his baby sister as she had three years ago. He gave her a shoulder hug. "Good to see you! You ready?"

She nodded and pointed to Officer Klein who shook his hand, "How'd you find a parking space?"

He shrugged, saying, "My security team drives me."

"Oh sure, that makes sense."

They left and Sarah sighed, "Thank you, it feels great to get away for a few hours. And so you don't worry, she's already searched me, I'm not carrying anything."

He shook his head, "That's rough Sarah." She shrugged, not saying anything. She seemed surprised to find the security team but didn't mention them. On the way Tim told her Sean wouldn't be there and she nodded, swallowing hard. "I know I hurt him, I really messed up. Maybe when he's older…"

Tim shrugged, he didn't think so but he wasn't an expert on victims of abuse, despite being one himself. He told her how excited Andy was and that she'd meet their oldest daughter Anna. "Does she look like you and Andy?"

Tim blinked, realizing she didn't know much about the family. "No, she's adopted. She's next in age to Andy and they're pretty close, both bookworms, with many interests."

She smiled, "How many kids do you have?"

"6, three girls and three boys."

"Wow that's a big family. You must really love kids."

"Yes, we both do." They were at the restaurant by then; Tim was amused to see the Escape parked nearby. It seemed the rest of the kids were spending the evening with one set of grandparents and the other set would eat with them. He was mentally debating who'd won the coin toss when they walked in and he saw his father and Rhea along with Lina, Andy and Anna. Sarah was wide-eyed when she saw Andy; she couldn't believe how much he'd grown! Andy spotted her and nearly ran to his sister, "Sarah!"

Both their faces lit up as they hugged. Eventually Sarah pushed Andy back and looked at him, "Squirt, you're taller than me! Uncle Tim says you're going to be taller than him or dad."

Andy blinked at the reference to his first father before smiling, "Yeah, we have a bet. I say 6'2" and Dad says at least 6'4"; he says we have to wait until I'm 25 to settle the bet."

Tim chuckled, "I grew another inch in my 20s."

Lina greeted Sarah and then introduced her to the Gibbses. She shook hands and then looked around, "Where are the other children?"

Rhea smiled, "They're with their other grandparents tonight."

"Oh, they live nearby?"

She nodded, "Yes, we share a house close by. That way we can see the children frequently." She shook her head, "Your aunt and uncle have told me how much you look like your aunt Sarah, but I didn't imagine the resemblance would be so close!"

Sarah smiled and Lina said, "Sarah, I hope you don't mind - your great grandparents want to meet you. We've arranged a video chat with them, your aunt Sarah and probably your Uncle Jim." Tim looked at Lina and she smiled, "We'll talk with them first, there's a meeting room here we can use. We decided to keep it to just a few people; you have several other aunts, uncles and cousins but it's too confusing to meet them all at once."

Andy laughed, telling Sarah about meeting them in three separate video chats. He said, "Poor Sean had no idea what was going on, he just hung on to Jorry and said hello to everyone."

"Who's Jorry?"

"Oh, my youngest brother, he's two months younger than Sean. They were instant best friends, still are."

Sarah nodded, trying to keep everyone straight in her head. Lina took pity, handing her a piece of paper. "Here's a list of the people you're going to meet and how they're related to you."

"Thank you!"

Anna giggled, "I told Andy he'd figure out who they were the first time he met them in person and he did, that summer."

They moved into the banquet room and Lina's laptop pinged. Tim and Lina sat down with Sarah, with Andy and Anna on the other side of her. The first faces they saw were Penny, Gram and Grandfa and both women grinned at Sarah, "Hi Sarah Hope! I'm Penny and…" Maisie spoke, "I'm Grammie or just Gram. And this is your great grandfather, who the kids call Grandfa."

He smiled, "Hello Sarah, it's splendid to meet you!"

They talked for a few minutes, Andy helping Sarah when she seemed to get stuck. Then Jim came on camera and smiled at his grandniece with tears in his eyes. "Hello Sarah! I'm your Uncle Jim, although Tim and your dad called me Unca Jim when they were little."

She smiled, "He talked about you, said you were fun. Something about a movie?"

Jim chuckled and looked at his nephew who held up his hands, "Hey, wasn't me, Pat was there too you know!"

She liked that they were talking about her father; it really felt good. They heard footsteps and then a woman who looked like her walked in range and sat in front of the camera. "Wow, we really do look alike! Hi niece, I'm your aunt Sarah."

Sarah grinned, "Hi Aunt Sarah and yes, we really do, except I hear I'm taller."

"Yeah yeah, rub it in, I got the short genes in the family!" She mock glared at Tim who just laughed and Lina noticed Sarah Hope relaxing a bit more.

Grandfa laughed, "I'm afraid those are the Mallard and Stirling genes, my dears."

They talked for about 15 minutes before they heard a baby crying and a tall guy appeared holding a small baby. "Sari, Patrick won't stop crying…oops, hello!"

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Niece Sarah, meet my husband James Powell and this is our youngest, Patrick."

Sarah Hope blinked back more tears, "He's named for my dad?"

"Yes he is. And Ainsley, Unca Jim's daughter, is too, her middle name is Patricia."

She looked at Uncle Jim and smiled, "Thank you."

Grammie looked at her, "Darling we never forgot your father or your uncle and aunt either. We were told all three of them were dead and unfortunately we believed the person who told us."

"But Uncle Tim found you?"

"8 years ago after they were all well grown."

"Oh!" She looked at Uncle Tim who briefly explained the situation, ending with "Sarah, Natalie murdered your grandfather, our dad, she tried to murder me several times and she was the one responsible for killing your dad and mom."

"Did they catch her?"

"Yes, she was sent to prison and died there."

Sarah nodded, tears running down her face "Good!"

Then she looked up, "But how did you find your grandparents and everyone?" He told her and she nodded, saying "And then you found us."

"Yes."

"I'm glad; I'm sorry I wouldn't listen to you then."

Patrick started crying again, the call ended and the California group went back to their table to order their dinners. Sarah sat back, it felt really good to know all these people were related to her. She didn't know if she'd ever meet them in person but it was a relief to know that she, Andy and Sean Michael weren't alone in the world. She sighed internally, not that she'd ever taken responsibility for either her son or her little brother.

She was more talkative over dinner, asking where Tim and Lina met and what Greece was like. As Tim observed, anything to keep from being asked questions and he guessed he could understand that. She told them more about Sean's father Michael: where he was from and the names of his parents.

After dinner Andy asked to ride with his dad and sister and his parents agreed, knowing that Tim's security team would be doing the driving, he'd be safe.


	263. Chapter 263

CH 263

Lina was in her studio one morning several days after their dinner with Sarah Hope when her phone rang. Not recognizing the number, she answered cautiously, "Hello?"

"Mrs. McGee?"

"Yes?"

"My name is Tanya Coulter, we met at the shelter in Preston a couple of Christmases ago, with my little sister Cailey."

"Yes…oh yes, Tanya, the emancipated minor! How are you both?"

"We're all right thanks, but I have a problem and hope you might have an idea."

She explained she had a job after school that allowed her to bring Cailey with her. "It pays enough to buy lunches and clothes at the thrift store, but we're still sleeping at the shelter." She continued, saying her employer recently retired, sold the business and now the new owner wasn't going to allow Cailey to be there and was hinting he might let Tanya go because she was homeless, didn't have a permanent address. "I'm stuck. I don't have anyone I trust enough to watch Cailey until I get off work at 9 and I need to work."

Lina had the answer but first she needed to talk with Tim. "Are you working tonight?"

"Yes, if I can find someone for Cailey."

"And your belongings. Why don't you let her stay here while you work tonight? I'll pick you up and drop her and your things here at the house with our kids and my parents, then you can see where it is and make sure you're comfortable leaving her here. I'll take you to work and we'll get you when you're done. And you're more than welcome to stay here with us."

"Tonight."

"Yes and then we'll talk about a long term solution."

Tanya sighed, "Thank you so much, I know this is a lot to ask."

"You remember my husband, his sister and brothers grew up in a shelter and homeless camp?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Then please don't think it is a lot to ask, it's not at all. Now where shall I pick you up and when?" She wrote down the address and set the time on her phone. Then she sent Tim an e-mail. He replied with an invitation to lunch which made her smile.

She arrived at his office, saying hello to Jeff, his agents and Kath as she walked through the large room. Tim met her at his door saying, "Hi! I'm glad you e-mailed me, we haven't had a chance to have lunch like this in a long time."

They walked hand in hand down the street to the Greek deli and she laughed to herself as he ate his minced meat souvlaki, he still loved that particular dish. As they ate she explained Tanya and Cailey's situation.

He looked at her, "Are you thinking we ask them to move in with us?"

She nodded and he sat in thought before saying, "She's a very independent young woman, she worked hard for it and I don't want her to feel we are somehow co-opting them. She'll probably want to pay rent, I don't think she'll agree to stay with us otherwise. By paying us rent she maintains her independence."

"But her salary goes for food and clothes."

"How old is she now?"

"16."

"Ok, so she can work just about anywhere now without having to show her emancipation certificate. Her boss is putting pressure on her?"

"Yes, she thinks he wants her to quit but she hasn't been able to line up another job."

"Because she has her sister with her all the time and no permanent address. And he wants her to quit so she can't collect unemployment, what an SOB! How about we start by offering afterschool care for Cailey and then Tanya can find another job, using our address. What would you think of offering them a room and meals until she gets something better, then if she wants they can stay and pay a little rent, a very little rent, maybe fifty cents a month or something like that. But the deal would be meals with the room and care for Cailey."

"Yes, I agree! And would they have the playroom or the downstairs bedroom?"

Tim smiled at her, "Which do you think?"

"I think the downstairs would probably be overwhelming to both of them after sleeping at the shelter. We can move some bedroom furniture into the playroom and they can live in that."

Tim huffed, "And what you really think is that Tanya will think the downstairs room is too nice for them."

Lina nodded. "Yes and they might be more comfortable, feel more at home, near the other children." She sighed, "There's one more challenge."

"Time?" She nodded and he said "Well, but we think we'll be here for at least 6 more months, maybe longer; that'll give her time to finish the school year, get on her feet and we'll help her find someplace to live before we go. And we'll introduce them to Nick and Janeese. Or…well, let's see what happens."

"Oh no, you have to tell me what "or" is!"

"What would you think of them moving with us, maybe live in the attic?"

"Our attic or the attic at the main house?"

He smiled at her, "I was thinking our attic but that's a good question, I guess we'll see!"

When Lina picked Tanya and Cailey up that afternoon, Zoe was with her in the car and she and Cailey giggled all the way home. Tanya came in, met the Kalivas', was given a quick tour of the downstairs and then Lina took her to the second floor and showed her the playroom.

Davos and Jethro helped move the play things out earlier that afternoon; the kids rarely used the room anymore and Lina wanted Tanya to see it empty. As the girl looked over the room, admiring the artwork and wondering why this room was important, Lina spoke,

"Tanya, Tim and I have an idea for you, a proposal. First, we'd like you and Cailey to stay with us while you look for another job - you'll have this address as your permanent address. This will be your room, we have extra beds that we'll move in and an extra bureau too. You can both sleep in here or Cailey can share Zoe's room, that's up to you. Or you can have the downstairs bedroom with its own bathroom, that's also up to you. Since you would be getting breakfast and dinner if you were still at the shelter, we'll also provide those meals for you and lunch if you'll allow it. Cailey will be safe here with our children; they're either with their grandparents who live just down the street or our nanny. We'll introduce you to them and show you the big house where all the grandparents live. When you find another job you can pay us some sort of rent if you want and that will also include all meals."

Tanya's mouth opened in surprise, "But I won't be able to afford it and I'm on the food stamp program."

"We'll make it work, figure all that out."

"But you barely know me!"

Lina smiled, "That's not quite true. After we met you, Tim looked into your background and is very impressed with what you've achieved in your young life. He understands your struggles better than I but I've seen enough, learned enough since I met him and his family to have some understanding."

Tanya nodded and Lina patted her arm, "Now, let's get you to work!"

Jethro was downstairs and smiled as he was introduced to Tanya.

"Sure, I remember you from the shelter. Didn't see you this Christmas."

"No, I found seasonal work at a store that was open Christmas Day and Cailey was with me."

Lina started for the car and then looked at her father-in-law, "Are you coming?"

"Yes; I'll probably be the one to pick you up tonight, Tanya, - or Tim - and I wanted to make sure you're comfortable with that and see where you work."

"Ok, yes, thanks." She showed him her pepper spray and he nodded, "Glad you have it, hope you never have to use it!"

They dropped her off and were still waiting for a break in the commute traffic to pull away from the curb when Tanya came back out, her head down. Jethro muttered a profanity under his breath and Lina hopped out of the car. "Tanya?"

"He let me go, said he didn't need me. And then he said he didn't want to lose business because he has an employee who's homeless and he couldn't have Cailey or our 'shopping cart' there. We don't have a shopping cart!"

Lina worked to restrain her anger with the man and his cruel words, "Did he pay you what he owed you?"

"Yes, I asked for it in cash."

"Good! Now, let's go home."

Tim frowned and then smiled to himself when Lina sent a text with the news. Tanya's former employer might have done her a favor. As an emancipated minor, the sole wage earner of her little family, she might be able to file for unemployment benefits until she got another job. And she might be able to file a discrimination complaint against the guy if she wanted to. As a former homeless person he hoped she would.

XXX

While the McGee home stretched to include the newcomers, Geordie and Bec were also looking for a new home. They'd spent Thanksgiving weekend in Jacksonville looking at the listings Evander set up for them and saw two they really liked. Both had the essentials: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, updated kitchen that opened to a good sized dining area and living room, lots of morning light and afternoon shade (they went back to check), decent sized fenced backyard with a pool, minimal upkeep front yard, 2 car garage and ceiling fans in each bedroom and the living room. Both houses also had something Geordie hadn't thought about: a Florida room, a screened porch in the back of the house that allowed air and light but not bugs in.

The first house was two story and they had qualms about that, thinking of young Lucy and frail Charlotte, not to mention the possibility of future children having to be carried up and down stairs, installing baby gates etc. They liked the layout, the master at one end of the second floor and the other bedrooms at the other end, similar to Tim and Lina's home, with an upstairs laundry room. The backyard landscaping needed some work, they'd prefer to have some lawn or walkable ground cover for Lucy to play on. The pool at that house was not 'caged' or screened against insects, reptiles or other animals and they didn't know how they felt about that.

The other one was ranch style; it had a larger lot on a cul-de-sac and from the Big Wheels, bikes and strollers they saw, there were children of all ages in the neighborhood. Geordie liked the master bedroom on that one, it was separate from all but one of the bedrooms and they figured that could be an office. The kitchen opened up to two areas, one which could be a family room and the other clearly a dining room; in that house the living room was in the front just off the entryway and although they wanted open plan, they liked the idea of the living room being a little separate from the rest of the house. All the bedrooms and the family room had ceiling fans. The pool at that house had its own enclosure or 'cage', nicely matched to fit with the house and the Florida room and there was lawn in the yard for Lucy to play on.

After much discussion, they decided on the ranch house and made an offer, only to find that while they'd been thinking about it another offer had been accepted; the house was lost to them. Evander commiserated with them and found more houses for them to view. There were several neighborhoods to choose from, they wanted to be fairly close to Bec's office, in a good school district and be within a few miles of the main roads. Geordie was already sending CVs out to the colleges and universities in the area for a teaching position. In the two years they'd been back in the States, he'd gone far beyond his original 'refresher course' plan to a nearly completed Masters and had taught three semesters of history at a community college. With only a two hour drive between Jacksonville and the university in Savannah, he'd be able to finish his Masters there without transferring.

When they returned from Ziva's wedding, they again flew to Jacksonville. Renting a car, they took the map they'd made of the homes on Evander's most recent list so they wouldn't be driving around in circles. They'd just toured the second place when Bec's phone rang. Her eyes widened, it was Evander. "Evander, is everything all right?"

She put her phone on speaker as their friend laughed, "Yes, yes, I have good news for you. The house on San Anselmo Court, the ranch house, came back on the market this morning, the escrow fell through."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Do you know why, was it the house or the buyers?"

"The buyers were not pre-approved as you are, that was the problem."

"Too bad so sad for them, yay for us!"

"Yes; shall I re-submit your offer?"

"Please! We're in Jacksonville for a couple of days so if we need to meet with the selling agent or anything…"

"Excellent, I'll let them know. I'll be in touch as soon as I know more."

"Thank you!" They disconnected and the couple cheered. They decided to have an early lunch and were just finishing when Bec's phone rang again. They smiled at each other, holding up crossed fingers.

Evander was chuckling as Bec answered the call, "When I called about your offer, the selling agent said the buyers had asked that 'the nice couple with the baby' be contacted. They like you; apparently they were across the street at the neighbors when you looked at it the first time; you had Lucy with you. And Geordie, the seller is a retired Marine."

Geordie grinned, "Semper fi!"

"Yes - congratulations on your new home!" They set the date for the inspection, Geordie would come down for that, and figured out when escrow might close, that is when the house would legally be theirs. The timing would be tight, Bec's report date was in two weeks but she'd make use of the transfer package's 30 day housing allowance. Then when escrow closed Geordie, Lucy and Charlotte would drive down.

Charlotte had finished with her treatment and was slowly regaining her strength. Before they left Savannah she'd find out how successful the treatments were in eradicating the cancer.

XXX

Other changes were occurring with the California group. By mid-January, with winter firmly entrenched in the East Coast, Penny, the Mallards and Colonel Barnes arrived, happily taking up residence in the big house. Maggie's father suffered a mild bout of pneumonia after New Year's and his worried family wanted him someplace warmer than Virginia to recuperate.

With Damian and Matt moving to the East Coast, Adan worried about his work with the architectural firm; he and Tea wondered if they should prepare to move home after his current project was completed.

Eva and Caleb were ecstatic to learn the Benaki exhibit would be moving to Washington DC after its run in San Diego. The exhibit would close in early May, Caleb would oversee the packing before it was moved to the National Geographic museum.

The new exhibition would open during the summer; the family would fly to DC after Athos' school term ended and continue on to Greece for a visit home. Eva was hoping that with Evander's help they'd find a place to live before they left for Greece but had been reassured by Tim and Lina of multiple places to stay during their search. They'd fly home to Greece on the vacation charter but as they were staying a full month they'd return on a commercial flight.

When Damian approached his partners at the architectural firm about the move to DC, they decided to take the opportunity to open another office; once again asking him to organize it and serve as the resident partner. He flew east for a few days and with Evander's help found a suitable location and building. He also did some on site supervision of the renovation of his and Matt's new home.

While there, he met a real estate developer with a big dream of a project. Remembering what he'd heard about the late Senior DiNozzo and his business, Damian got in touch with Tony and subsequently gave the developer the contact information he'd need to help make his dream a reality.

Weeks later as he and Matt were packing to leave, he learned the developer now had funding and approached Damian's firm with the project. Damian liked the plans and was eager for the design work. The location for the project was a tract of land in Maryland. Before the Kalivas-Watsons moved from California, Adan had been contracted for the landscaping design and execution of the new project. He wouldn't be needed on site for a few months, but that was fine as Damian's firm assigned him another local project that would take time to complete. He and Tea would be sad to leave San Diego but realized that by the time they left, Norm and Carla might be the only ones of the old Piraeus group still on the West Coast.

The Hofstadlers were understandably upset their old friends, family really, seemed to be slipping away but they loved California and both loved their jobs, the children had friends and they didn't want to leave. They'd continue the summer vacations in Greece when they could and maybe stop off in DC for a visit on the return. In the meantime the McGees, Tea, Eva and their families were still here.

Between the first of the year and the day they left, Matt and Damian spent as much time as possible with their family, knowing they wouldn't see them in person for several months. Tea, Adan, Eva, Caleb, Hofstadlers, McGees, Kalivas', Gibbses, Greats and all the kids gathered for several lunches and dinners with the couple.

As Anna's birthday was the week after the Uncles' departure date and Andy's later in the month, the two had their family parties together and early so their uncles could be there. This was also the last dinner the extended family would have together in California and the adults worked hard to keep things light.

The day of the couple's departure, Tim and Davos drove to El Segundo to take them to LAX for their flight, returning to the house to supervise the movers, do whatever cleaning needed and return the keys to the rental agent. Hélène and Lina declined to accompany them, having said their farewells; both felt it would be too difficult to go to the airport. Tim agreed but didn't want Davos to go by himself. Dad and Rhea offered but Tim felt he should go.

When they pulled up to the Departures area at the airport, all four men had tears in their eyes as they said goodbye. Tim told Matt it was almost as difficult as their departure from Greece. Matt smiled, "And again we'll be with family" as he pulled his friend in for another hug. The four embraced one last time and then Damian and Matt turned and hauled their luggage cart inside.

Davos looked at Tim, "How soon do you think?"

Tim didn't bother pretending he didn't know what his father-in-law meant. "We think during the summer, before school starts. We'll probably know a couple of months ahead."

"All right we can survive without being in one place until then."

Tim nodded; they returned to the empty rental and then home.

XXX

In Georgia and Florida, the Perrys were also very busy. They'd decided to have some work done before they moved into the house and once the house was theirs they hired painters for the exterior and almost every room of the interior. A new motorized pool cover was installed and several smaller changes were made.

To Geordie's great surprise, he had a new position at one of the universities he'd contacted; he'd almost turned it down when they wanted him right away but Bec insisted. Charlotte was stronger and now able to care for Lucy on a daily basis, they were only two hours away if needed and he'd put off his dream long enough. With a grin, he'd kissed his wife, let the university know his acceptance and planned arrival on the date requested.

Geordie left Georgia the same weekend Matt and Damian left California. As the work on the Perry's house wasn't quite done, he and Bec would continue their stay at the Residence Inn she'd been in for a couple of weeks. Charlotte and Lucy were in Savannah at the rental; she'd oversee the movers the following week, a cleaning company would come in to take care of the house, then she'd hand over the keys and take the train to Jacksonville.

XXX

For Anna's actual birthday, she and her friends went to the movies, returning home for pizza, cake and ice cream. Her parents couldn't believe she was 10, remembering the small, brave little girl they'd brought home from Bokas that whirlwind weekend nearly 5 years ago.

In his research Tim found that Tanya's birthday was February 19th and the family had a surprise party for her. She cried when she saw the Happy Birthday banner, the balloons and heard them singing to her. She blinked back more tears when she saw a cake and wrapped gifts waiting for her; she didn't remember any birthday parties when she was little and she'd never known her grandparents. She had a new job and proudly insisted on paying rent to Tim and Lina. It wasn't much but it felt wonderful and Cailey loved it here. They'd decided to live in the former playroom and had fun fixing it up with little things they found here and there. She knew the family was probably moving over the summer and they'd invited her and Cailey to move with them. She was considering it, they wouldn't be leaving much in California; she had no idea where their birth mother was, nor did she want the woman to know where they were. Virginia might be a good idea; she could finish high school, work fulltime and maybe even go to college when Cailey was older.

The following week was Andy's 13th birthday and he opted for another baseball game. This year just about everyone in the family went along with his friends and they had a wonderful time, their team once again winning. He was even happier to receive a birthday card from his sister. There'd been no word from her since their dinner and he was relieved when the card arrived. He really hoped she'd contact his dad again. In the meantime he wrote her a note, sending it to her along with a photo of his and Anna's combined family party.

One of Tim's outlying teams caught a big case and that occupied him for much of the following weeks. The Colonel, now fully recovered, flew home in early March, just in time for Emma's first ballet performance. Tim left work for Gemma's birthday, a pool party, and then took a long weekend to join his children in celebrating their adoptions and the lives of their first families. The weather was nice and they decided to have another family sail, inviting Nick and Janeese, Tanya and Cailey to go with them.

That put the total nearly 20 for their sail and with that many people they'd again need a large sailboat. They would sail to a small islet, anchor long enough for lunch, possibly a swim and then sail home in the afternoon.

They had a perfect day for the sail; it rained earlier in the week but the skies were clear as they motored out from the marina in San Diego. One of the things Tim had learned about being on the ocean was to thoroughly research the weather forecasts just prior to stepping foot on a boat.

Past the kelp beds, they set sail under a clear blue sky with winds at perfect strength for their plans. By now just about everyone aboard knew how to sail and the newbies, Tanya and Cailey, were given specific instructions about the boom and staying out of the sailors' way when they were working. The girls laughed at hearing the others referred to as sailors but quickly learned that these folks knew what they were doing, even young Zoe. They had a great day on the ocean, watching fish jump, the pelicans go after them, the constant flock of sea gulls following them, even spotting a couple of whales at one point. They reached the islet around 1:30, set anchor in a small, pretty cove and ferried everyone ashore aboard the dinghy.

When they sat down for lunch, Tim waited until they all had a drink of some sort and then stood with Lina to raise a toast to the children's first families, naming Anna and Gemma's parents and then moving on to Andy and Sean's family, including Patrick, Laurel, Grandma Hope and Sean's father Michael. The group raised their glasses in thanks and remembrance.

After a leisurely lunch, Tim, Dad and Davos checked out the shoreline. There were a couple of drop-offs on the far edge of the cove but even with the oars the trio were using to test step by step, they couldn't make a solid enough determination about the rest. Tim declared there would be wading along the shoreline only.

Lina and Rhea were already exploring the interior of the cove, taking photos and sketching. Jorry watched them for a few minutes, torn between the water and the scenery; finally he sighed and rooted around in his pack for his own little camera, sketchbook and pencils. The camera was a Christmas gift, an inexpensive model with the settings he used most. Sean played with the other kids for a while but it wasn't as much fun without Jorry; pretty soon he called out to his dad, "Can I go help Jorry?"

Working with Zoe and Gemma on a rock castle (no sand here) Tim nodded, saying "Sure son", waited while Sean dried his feet, put his shoes back on and went to find his brother, his dad walking with him. As they walked up the hill, Sean's foot slipped on a rock and Tim grabbed him, "Got ya!"

When Tim didn't return, Tanya said something to Gram who chuckled, "Oh he won't leave the boys alone. They're only 6 and they can get themselves into trouble standing still with their eyes closed. He wants Lina and Rhea to be able to work without worrying about our two." She looked at the expression on Tanya's face, "They're good boys and they try very hard not to cause mischief, but they're young, imaginative and adventurous. Tim and Lina say that most of the time when they're scolding them they have to work hard not to laugh."

She told her the chocolate sauce story and the time they painted Zoe and was happy to hear the too serious young woman laugh.

Tim returned with the boys, Rhea and Lina about an hour later, the three artists looking very pleased. They had about an hour before they needed to leave with the tide; now the boys got their feet wet, after Jorry carefully put his camera and sketchbook away. Andy and the girls were playing a "what if" game in which they imagined they'd have to stay and live on the islet. They'd already figured out they'd live on the sailboat (which was apparently livable but not sea worthy) until they could build a house with the rocks. At first they'd built it in the cove but then moved it up on the slope to be away from high tides. Gemma decided two goats had come with them so they could have milk and maybe have babies. The little boys chimed in with all sorts of ideas, some including pirates and then they told Cailey about the Pirate Ship they'd been on when they visited Uncle Geo and Aunt Bec. Gemma looked wistfully at her dad, "Are they gonna have a beach by them in their new place?"

"Yes, lots of beaches!"

"Can we visit them again?"

"Yes, don't know when though."

The kids cheered and the adults smiled, having almost as much fun listening as the kids were, creating their 'desert island'.

When the tide started to turn, they dried their feet, shook the rocks out of their shoes, gathered the trash and ferried back to the boat. At Lina's request, they motored once around the island so she and Rhea could take more photos, promising to share with Jorry.

Their return sail was a little faster and they were back at the marina earlier than planned. Grandfa surprised them by insisting on taking everyone out to dinner and they stopped at their favorite Chinese restaurant, realizing they'd never actually eaten _in_ the restaurant.

The rest of the month slid by and the Palmers and McGees firmed up their plans for Easter. It was late this year, April 17th; luckily the Palmer kids and the McGee kids were off the same week for their Spring break. The Mallards flew home in early April, not wanting to leave the Powells, DiNozzos and the junior Mallards without any of their elders for the Easter holiday.

Davos, Hélène and Alexis were flying to DC a few days before the Orthodox Easter to spend it with Damian and Matt. Then they'd return to Preston, having decided to extend their stay this year.


	264. Chapter 264

Just want to say a HUGE thanks to some very special people: DS2010, mcgeeksgirl, julschristine975, alix33, VG LittleBear, Reader aka Sun Samurai, shestarsky, Winky, trout1986, Gibbsfan and Tbookworm. Thanks for your constant support and feedback, it means the world to me!

* * *

><p>CH 264<p>

April 15th, 2022

Tim went into the office early the Friday before Easter, his mind set on getting a lot of work done so he could enjoy the Palmers' visit. They were arriving Saturday and would stay a week. It felt strange to be home, it seemed like they usually spent Easter in Virginia although last year they'd also visited Geordie and Bec in Savannah and the year before that they'd been home because the Russells were visiting and Lina was ill. Apparently Easter in Virginia was more of an idea than reality!

After booting up he poured a cup of coffee and settled in at his desk. He was wading through his e-mails when his laptop chimed with a video call from Leon. "Good Morning Tim! You're in early, I was hoping to catch you at home before you left for work."

"Good morning Leon. Thought I'd get a head start on the day."

"Good, good…so I'm gonna jump right in with this - wanted to give you a heads-up." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I'm filing my retirement papers today; my exit date is July 31st. The Secretary will be contacting you soon - this is it, my friend!"

Tim's throat seemed to have closed up and it was a few seconds before he could get any words out so he just nodded. Here it was, after all this time, all these years, the emotional struggles, the discussions, the hesitations. Finally he managed to talk, "Leon…yes. If the Secretary offers me the position, I'll accept it."

"Excellent! Now, I'll see you in Greece your last couple of days there and then I'll be back aboard the Yard on July 22nd, a few days after your return. You'll be Acting Director until I get back and then we'll work together my last week. Will that work for you?"

"Yes – to clarify, sir, I'll serve as Acting Director from the Navy Yard again?"

"Yes, after your return from Greece. The SecNav is more comfortable with you being here and it makes even more sense this year, you'll be there during my terminal leave and then take office."

"Sounds good. Congratulations on your retirement and your record breaking tenure as Director; that extra week means you'll beat Tom Morrow, right?" Vance chuckled and Tim continued, more or less thinking aloud, "We might move before we leave in June. Should be fairly simple as the house is ready for us, just need to get packed and go. I do have a question, how soon would you advise I speak to my candidate for Assistant Director?"

"Good question. That still Lydia Worden?"

"Yes; she's done a stellar job as a Deputy AD."

"What are you thinking?"

"I want my AD in place as soon as possible. Shepard appointed you two years into her term and you appointed Craig 4 years in. I don't want to wait." He huffed, "Looks like I'll be setting a new precedent, new Director, new Assistant Director." He paused and changed direction. "Do you have a date for the announcement of your retirement?"

"Not yet, thought we'd get this squared away first and then see what works." Tim nodded and Leon laughed, "I'm envisioning your summer: the kids get out of school, the movers arrive the next day, you fly to Virginia where you have a couple of weeks to settle in before you leave for Europe and hopefully the moving truck arrives before you leave! No sweat!"

Tim chuckled, "It helps that we've stayed in the house already, we know where we want everything to go and we can rent beds until our stuff gets there."

Leon laughed again, "Yeah, we'll see how that works out! At least you won't have to go house hunting!"

"We didn't last time either, Matt, Damian and Carla did it for us. All we had to do was pick one of the houses they'd found for us."

"They sure did a great job! All right, back to my announcement; the SecNav will have the final say but let's say we announce it your first day as Acting Director, then she can announce you as my successor, you'll already be in place and I don't imagine too many people at HQ will be surprised."

Tim shrugged as he smiled, still thinking about getting his AD on board.

"As soon as the Secretary makes the announcement, I'll offer the position to Lydia, then I can announce it after I take office."

"That works and yes, you will be setting a precedent but it's about time one of us did!" Leon snorted, "Of course the extended clan will know but still, there will be a few people who won't know ahead of time."

"Yeah, I like that timeframe, especially not having the news out any sooner than that. It'll make the move easier and we won't have the media trailing us on vacation. So, got plans?" They both laughed at that.

"Yep, I'm headed back to Athens after you take your oath. I'm moving there, Tim. And don't even try to act surprised."

"Ok, I won't but I do think it's great. I bet your kids are happy about that."

"Oh yeah. Jared's internship finishes the end of June so he's coming for a visit and Kayla's still working with Dani and Ross. She's applied to the forensics lab we use in Athens; hopes she'll get a foot in the door there and she can work for Dani in her spare time. And once I'm out of office, she may apply to NCIS although she says she wants some experience first."

"I guess that means Evander's doing some house hunting for you. You'll be a good addition to the expat community – the Vances, Dani, the Russells and the Morrises. Maybe I should say the NCIS expat community!"

"That's for sure! And…I'm sure Dani will tell Lina in the next few days so I'll go ahead and tell you - we're looking for a place together."

"That's wonderful Leon, congratulations!"

"Thanks, we've been trying to be discreet and taking it slow but once I'm free of this place…"

"You deserve to be happy, Leon, both of you. Knew about the relationship, figured you'd tell us when you were ready…this is a great step!"

Leon smiled happily. "More than that, but I don't want her to have to go through vetting when I'm nearly done or any unwanted media attention, so we'll wait until I'm out of here."

"No idea who you'd want around, but it's too bad you can't have a civil ceremony on Aegina that last couple of days. You could have it indoors and keep it out of the media until you're out of office."

"Maybe…I like the idea of having all of you there - for both of us - and since we met there it seems right. We'll talk about it."

After they ended their chat Tim sat quietly for a few minutes, trying to absorb the news. Lina had a busy day today, she had a showing in San Diego that would open the following weekend and she was approaching the frantic point, making sure her work was ready. She had two new series that would debut and she hadn't been happy with the framing on several of her pieces. He decided to wait until he got home to tell her.

By lunchtime he was visibly fidgeting but firmly told himself to wait as long as he could stand it. When he got a text from Secretary Porter at 1400 asking if he and Lina were available for a video chat at 1800, he couldn't stand it any longer and this gave him an even more compelling reason to interrupt his wife's work.

She answered on the first ring. "Oh, I'm so glad you called, I need to hear the voice of a sane person!"

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good."

"I'm just being dramatic, don't worry."

"Ok…I've had a text from Secretary Porter asking if you and I are available for a video chat at 6 tonight."

"Oh? What do you suppose…OH! Timothy?"

He chuckled, "Yes LinaMelina; Leon called this morning. He's putting in for his retirement today, his last day will be July 31st."

"Oh my love this is it, isn't it?"

"Seems like it, up to the Secretary to make the formal offer though."

"And you haven't answered her yet because of my crazy schedule. Yes, of course we're available! I might be all glue-y but I'll be with you!"

"Hon, any chance Dad or Papa could help you?"

She laughed, "I've already put a call into both of them. They went fishing with Norm this morning, remember? They'll be back in another hour or so and then I may put all three of them to work!"

He made it to 16:20 before he threw in the towel, unable to concentrate on anything. He climbed into the SUV, for once wishing he was driving and thinking of the Porsche. By the time they'd sat in traffic for nearly 30 minutes, he'd changed his mind, he was fine having someone else drive, thank you very much. He said as much to Uhl, who was driving. The man chuckled, "Thought you were looking at the steering wheel a little wistfully."

"Yeah, only I was wishing it was my old Porsche Boxster and I'd go tearing up the coast."

Timmons turned to look at him, "A Porsche Boxster?"

Tim grinned, "Yeah, when my first Tibbs book hit it big, my sister and brother talked me into leasing one. Eventually I gave in to practicality; the payments and the insurance were absurdly high and it wasn't the safest car to drive during East Coast winters."

"How long did you have it?"

"Mm, 6 or 7 years."

"Wow."

Tim laughed, "I was transferred to Greece about 6 months after I turned it in; sure wished I still had it! Agency would have paid for the transport and it would have been so much fun to drive over there."

"Not to mention looking good to the ladies, or were you already married?"

"No, I was unattached; I met Lina my first month there."

The traffic was moving now and finally they reached Preston. Tim thanked his team as he climbed out of the car and headed inside. He found Lina in her studio and waved to his father and father-in-law who were out on the patio, working on several frames. It looked like two had been stripped and were now being re-stained and at least one was being completely dissembled. Lina motioned him into the studio as soon as she saw him. She giggled as she kissed him, "Hanna took the kids swimming over at the big house, they'll be back in a half hour and our papas are outside, quick, we have a few minutes of privacy left!"

They kissed again and then Lina looked at him, "I'm excited, I've hardly gotten any work done since you called!"

"Ah geez, I'm sorry honey."

"No, no, it's a good thing because I was slipping into my frantic stage and this has pulled me out."

"Okay. Feel like going for a walk?"

"Yes, excellent idea!"

Tim stuck his head out the patio door, "Lina and I are going for a walk -we won't be long."

His father gave him a look and Tim smiled at him. Or at least he thought he'd smiled. As they walked away Lina told him it had been more of a grin.

"Oh well, I'm sure he already knew something was up." They giggled.

When they got to the beach, there was a small boat overturned on the sand and Lina tapped Tim…"Race you to the boat!"

He laughed, "You're on! Mark, get set, go!" They took off running on the wet sand, hearing voices part of the way down cheering them on…young voices. They kept going until they got close and then Tim slowed so they reached the boat together. The voices were distinct now, they could hear each of their children, by now out of the pool and gathered on the deck watching them.

They waved and then laughed, so much for privacy. Tim shrugged, "We knew they were there." He spotted Hanna and motioned to her to bring the kids down.

There was quiet for a couple of minutes and then the swarm of their offspring hit the beach, quickly headed for the wet sand and ran to their parents.

From there, they headed back to the house as it was finally getting close to 'call time'. When Tim asked Hanna if she could stay for a few more minutes, that he and Lina had a video meeting, their nanny grinned, pointing out that he was early, she'd actually be staying to the end of her normal shift.

Their fathers went home to clean up, promising to be back with Penny, Rhea and Hélène for dinner. Lina called out after them, "And could you please bring dinner too? I forgot to ask Tim to stop!"

They laughed, shaking their heads, "No problem!" As they walked around the corner, Davos said something to Jethro and the two men laughed again.

They had their chat with the SecNav in Tim's office. She smiled at them. "This is a big day, I hope it's been a good one for you." They both nodded and the woman's smile turned into a grin, "All right, here goes. As you know, Leon submitted his retirement papers today, effective July 31st 2022. Timothy, it is a distinct honor to offer you the position of Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, effective August 1st 2022."

Tim beamed at her, "And it's my honor to accept the position, Madame Secretary."

She nodded, "Excellent, congratulations!" She paused, "You do know that makes you a politician?"

He nodded, "Yes ma'am; means I need to be smart about it."

"That's the spirit! Now, I know you and Leon talked logistics but I don't know if you've had a chance to update Lina?" She nodded. "Wonderful, well then I look forward to see you aboard the Yard when you return from Greece, for your last stint as Acting Director." She paused, "I'll announce Leon's retirement and your appointment on the day after you fly in from Athens, the first day of his terminal leave, Friday July 15th." They nodded. "Good, your transfer orders are in your e-mail; officially reporting to NCIS HQ June 29th; hope that gives you enough time to move! You're there for a few hours before leaving on your vacation." Her eyes twinkled, "And yes, I know he'll be dropping in for a visit before you leave Greece. You never know, I may show up too!"

Thinking about what he and Leon had talked about this morning, Tim thought that would be an excellent idea.

After disconnecting, they sat in the office staring at each other. Then they both let out whoops and ran downstairs to tell their family.


	265. Chapter 265

To the guest who asked when Ducky became a minister, first of all, sorry I forgot to answer earlier! As for Ducky, he went online to become a minister; that's a real world thing that's been available in the U.S. for several years. And yes, Rob and Ned are now legally married. Hope that helps!

A number of you have commented that the story seems to be reaching its conclusion. Yes, including this chapter there are 10 to go. Lots of story and a couple of surprises packed in them but there will be an end to this saga, much as it pains me to say so. Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

><p>CH 265<p>

Penny and their parents were in the kitchen pulling cartons of food out of bags while the kids were setting the table, getting plates and glasses down from the cabinets. Gemma was pouring milk for her brothers and sisters while Poppy had a jar of iced tea and a couple of bottles of Mexican beer out. Good, that meant they were having Mexican food.

With everyone busy, the couple wasn't noticed. Tim pulled Lina back into the hallway. "Got an idea. What if we call your brother and Matt, let them find out first?"

She liked the idea so they hurried into the downstairs bedroom, shutting the door. He called Matt's number and when his friend answered Tim said, "Hey Matt, Tim. I keep forgetting to ask you if you ever showed Strausborg the little secret in the SAIC's office in Preston."

"Hi Tim, the what? Oh yeah I did, that was pretty cool…wait that was over a year ago why are you asking me…what's going on? Daim come here, Tim and Lina are up to something."

The pair giggled as they heard Damian's footsteps. "All right you two, spill."

"Got a call today."

"Yeah and…"

"Being transferred to the Navy Yard effective June 29th."

Damian sounded puzzled but Matt got it and let out a big cheer, "Oh my God, it's happening, it's real, wow! Congratulations!"

Damian also congratulated them although he still sounded puzzled. Lina tried to help, "We'll move as soon as school is out, spend a couple of weeks in Virginia, fly to Greece, come home to our house in Virginia and for the last time Tim will be the Acting Director until August 1st."

"And then?"

Matt was laughing, "Never mind, I'll tell him! I'm assuming this is hush hush?"

"Yep and you're the first ones we've told, haven't told the folks or the kids yet."

"Hey, thanks!"

Someone knocked on the bedroom door and the McGees disconnected, still giggling. Penny was in the hall and gave them a funny look, "I'm glad to see you happy but what's with you two?" They grinned and headed to the table.

XXX

Having shared the news with Matt and Damian, they were a little calmer as they ate although they were playing footsie under the table. They finished eating and stood to clear the table when in unison their fathers said, "Sit down!"

Poppy looked at his son, "You going to share anytime soon?"

Tim grinned at him, "Sure." He got a look from his father that years ago would have left him quaking in his boots, now it just made him chuckle.

"All right, ok, I'll serious up." But then Lina made a face at him and they both started laughing. Finally Tim cleared his throat. "Got a call this morning with a question. I gave the answer, which was yes and that led to another call this evening in which I again said yes. We were told that I'm to report to the Navy Yard June 29th and then will do my last stint as Acting Director on our return from Greece, from July 15th through the 31st." He looked at his father and saw tears running down the man's face. "Timothy, I'm so proud of you, so proud."

There were sudden exclamations from Rhea, Penny, Davos and Hélène. Through the noise Tim heard his oldest son asking, "Dad, does that mean you'll be the real Director, not acting?"

"Yes, son, it does, Leon is retiring."

"Wow that is _so_ cool!" Andy jumped up and hugged his dad and mother and the other kids followed him with the other adults hugging each other. Chaos reigned for several minutes and Tim felt his father's arms around him, thumping his back and kissing his head. "My God, Timothy, you did it! You should be over the moon, you've worked so hard, son, heck I'm over the moon for you! So _proud_ of you!" He pulled back and looked at his son, "On behalf of Dan, Lily, Rhea and me, well done, son of ours, well done!"

There was more chaos as Tim and Lina became the center of a group hug. Tim laughed when he felt small hands on his legs, he figured those were the only parts of them the younger kids could reach.

Eventually most of them separated; Tim and Lina picked up the younger ones and made sure they had kisses and hugs too. When she could speak again Penny said, "You need to call the rest of the family!"

Tim nodded, "Sure but it's 11PM in Virginia and 5AM in Thessaloniki and 3AM in Manchester if Nic is there!"

Davos shook his head, "He flew home their Friday night."

Penny grinned, "Tough if they're asleep, wake 'em up, this is big news! Who's driving the Palmers to the airport in the morning?"

Tim shook his head and Lina looked blank before saying, "One of the Hubbards in the van – I think."

"Oh well too bad, everyone gets to hear tonight."

Tim grinned, "We already called Matt and Damian. There have been too many times I haven't been able to tell Matt things right away, so we called them first."

Hélène smiled at him, "That's sweet, Timotheos."

Poppy gave Andy a nudge; he left but came back, "Dad's laptop is in his office."

Lina laughed, "Mine's around here somewhere Andy. Try under the pillows on the couch."

He returned with it, they cleared off enough room on the table and crowded around one side of it, setting up the multiple requests. The Palmers were the only ones who didn't respond and they figured the family had turned in early.

When the others were on screen they looked around and Geordie asked, "Anything wrong?"

"Nope."

"Where are Matt and Damian?"

"Already informed."

"Ok, Palmers?"

"Asleep we think. So…I got a call today. And that call led to another call…" He looked up to see that Grandfa, the Feds, except for Maggie, and Geordie, Chloe, Margaret, Peter, Dave and Jim were grinning while Ziva and Liz looked hopeful, Maggie and Claire weren't giving it up quite yet and Nicolas, Sarah, Rob, Grammie, Brian and James looked confused. Lina leaned in with him as they said, "We're being transferred to the Navy Yard!" For the sake of the Grecian family he added "In Washington D.C."

That further confused the already confused while the others started cheering. Dave finally said, "When?"

"I'm to formally report June 29th before we leave for Greece. I'll start my last stint as Acting Director on July 15th and that will end August 1st."

James, Brian and Gram smiled then, finally getting it while Nicolas, Sarah and Rob were getting upset that they weren't understanding what the big news was and Margaret was giggling at her husband. Sarah said, "I thought you weren't being transferred back here until Leon retir…oh! OH! Tim, really?"

Tim nodded and Sarah started cheering, Rob belatedly joining in and then Nic's face lit up as he got it. When the crowd settled down, Tim told them more of the details, letting them know the news was not to be discussed with anyone else – other than the kids, Matt, Damian and the Palmers. He looked at the Hubbards, "Is one of you driving them to the airport in the morning?"

Jim nodded, "Probably me and I'm guessing you want to tell them when they get there?" He got a big smile from his nephew and he chuckled, "That's fine, kiddo, I can keep a secret!"

They didn't stay on long, it was getting late and far too early for the others and the group here had things they wanted to talk about. It was also getting late for the kids in California but their parents had little hope of getting their children to sleep anytime soon, they were too wound up. Reminding them that Davey, Violet, Steve and Ethan, four of their favorite cousins, would be here tomorrow and they wouldn't want to be cranky and tired led to some major efforts to calm down and finally Anna said she thought she could sleep. The younger ones followed her upstairs to get ready for bed and Tanya took Cailey up too. Andy stayed with the adults, he just wasn't ready yet. He'd known all those rides on the Secretary's private jet must mean something!

Smiling at their son, Tim pulled him close, "All right, here's what we're thinking. We'll move as soon as school is out and have a couple of weeks in Virginia to unpack and get settled before we leave for Greece."

They all nodded and then Andy asked, "Do we have to move everything? I can collect boxes and stuff and help pack."

"Thank you son, that's very thoughtful of you. But the agency will pay for a moving company; they'll come in and pack everything for us, although your mother and grandmother will pack all their artwork themselves and take it with us on the plane. To save time we'll pack a few things, mostly small breakable items, but we don't _have_ to pack anything but the clothes we want for Virginia and probably for Greece too, just to be safe."

"In case they lose our stuff?"

"No, in case they don't get to Virginia before we leave for Greece."

Poppy frowned, "That's two weeks and you'll have a full van, especially with both cars. They'll probably be there in a week or less."

Rhea looked intrigued, "The cars go in the moving vans?"

Tim nodded, "Yeah, for one or two small cars; for four of them, they'll probably go on one of those car carriers." He looked at their parents. "Maybe we can work a deal with the agency like we did when we left Greece."

Poppy looked at Penny, Rhea and the Ks, "Don't know what we'll want to take besides our personal items. We bought furniture knowing we'd probably leave it here. There are a few things Davos and I made, like to have them."

"You can add it with our stuff if it's not too big."

"Couple of lamps, nightstands…uh…some of the patio furniture."

Hélène added, "I'll want some of our kitchen things and all of our artwork of course."

Tim nodded, "If it's not that much, we can put it with our things. We have stuff we're not taking, the furniture from the downstairs bedroom for instance. We still have some of the furniture we bought with the house in Greece, we'll figure out who can best use that or maybe the real estate people will want to use it. The appliances came with the house so they'll stay, except for the freezer, washer and dryer. We'll get the new refrigerator, stovetop, dishwasher and oven ordered, see if they can be set up before we arrive."

"Dad, when we fly back there, will we go commercial or private?"

"When we moved here from Greece, Andy, we worked a deal with the agency and we'll do the same thing so we can hire a charter son."

Tanya reappeared, looking like she had something to say. "If the offer still stands, Cailey and I want to go with you."

"YAY!" She laughed as the family cheered, hugging her.

Lina said, "We'll order new beds for you, we'll test them out in the local store and have them delivered to the house in Virginia." She looked at the young woman, "You'll be a senior in high school in the autumn; maybe in the same class as Ethan!"

"The same Ethan who'll be here tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Great, it'll be good to know someone before the first day of school!"

Poppy stirred in his chair, "Got a bureau about half done for you two, Tanya. I'll try to get it done before we leave and then it can go on the moving van."

Davos patted his arm, "I'll help when we return from the boys."

Poppy grinned at his friend, "Good, I'll save some work for you!"

Lina sent Andy up to bed and after he'd gone, Tim expressed an additional thought about what needed to be moved.

"Your workbench and all your tools."

"Yeah, I think we'll do what we did before, ask to buy in with the agency move. Although we don't have a patio back there."

Penny cleared her throat, "I was going to keep it a surprise but this seems like a good time and George and Edith already know."

"What's that?"

"When Damian and Matt were staying in the Kalivas suite, Damian noticed that now the foster kids are living there, the suites need to be more self-sufficient and you know we really haven't done much with the outdoor spaces. So we talked about it, I agreed with his designs and we contacted the builder. We added 4 rooms onto our wing, at the end of the hall. The first is another suite; not sure just yet who will use it, might be Don and Maisie but I have a suspicion that Dave and Liz are thinking about downsizing and they love the suites. The second room is off a new little hallway: a laundry room with our own washer, dryer, sink and door. I thought a laundry closet would be fine but Damian pointed out with 6-8 of us in residence there could be a lot of laundry – and noise. On the other side of the new hallway is an eat-in kitchen with all the appliances, a nice sized table and on the other side of the kitchen is an entertainment room for us; we can watch TV, movies, read or play cards and those two rooms are open to each other. The new hallway ends in a mud room with a door to the backyard. The laundry room has a skylight, the others have windows to the back of the property and the entertainment room also has French doors that lead to our new patio. It's a little odd with two doors but if your shoes are muddy, Jethro, Davos, you can enter via the laundry room and not muck up the other rooms. There's a 6' stone and wood privacy wall around it with a gate and shrubs on the outside so it's not so obvious but this way the children won't wander in and out and there's plenty of room for your gigantic patio table, chairs and most of your grills - honestly you two, are you bringing all of them?"

Rhea and Hélène started laughing while the two men tried to look offended and failed. "Probably the two big ones and some of the portables for picnics."

Lina frowned, "How many do you have now?"

Davos shrugged, "I'm not really sure anymore. I bought one that uses charcoal and there are a couple…well maybe three or four others."

Tim snorted, "Pick three then."

"Four! We can't manage with one of the portables with the number of people we cook for."

Davos shook his head, "No Jethro, we really need three of the portables for picnics."

The others snickered as Penny shook her head.

Poppy turned to Penny, "Thanks for the new additions, we've been talking about those things. Hard to have a peaceful cup of coffee when 12 kids are getting ready for school and the house isn't even full!" He huffed, "And Cook doesn't like the way I make scrambled eggs."

They all laughed at that and talked about the new additions. Tim and Lina listened with interest, it really made them hope to have their own backyard done soon; it would be nice to have it ready this summer if Adan could shoehorn another job into his already full schedule. The problem was that he wasn't scheduled to transition to the new setup until later in the year so they'd resigned themselves to a dirt yard for the summer, not that they considered that a problem! Now they decided to talk with Damian; he and Adan had already done the design, they just needed it built.

They'd have a large deck, raised a little bit for water runoff, with room for a grill and the large patio table, plus casual seating and they'd also have a retractable awning. They'd thought to have a hot tub out there but decided to install one inside at some point in the future, for year round use and Damian had since done a preliminary design for that room, with a glass wall that would open to the deck. On one side of the deck and leading down around it would be a large play area for the kids. Beyond that there would be a larger garden securely fenced above and below ground against invasion by deer, rabbits and other denizens of the woods, with raised beds for their summer vegetables and flowers. Around the edges of the sunnier side of the deck, shade trees would be planted along with perennial and annual beds with flowering shrubs and ground cover in pops of color here and there. The plan was to make it a four season garden surrounding the deck with a few evergreens and early bulbs popping up through the winter (and spring) snows. Off the side of the kitchen, they'd have a raised bed herb garden on one side of the door; across the path leading to the Powells, against their house, they'd also have a small greenhouse for year round vegetable gardening. The McGees also wanted to do something with the front but decided to wait to see what the overall plans were for the common outdoor areas.

Finally through talking about their new plans, the group headed to the big house or upstairs. Tim hadn't thought he'd be able to sleep but he was gone the minute his head hit the pillow. It took Lina a few minutes longer but finally she drifted off dreaming of masses of azaleas and rhododendrons, tulips and daffodils all blooming in the spring while she tended them dressed in a cocktail dress and heels, wearing a tiara.

XXX

The Palmers' flight arrived around 10 AM; rather than take all but two of the kids' car seats out of the van, Tim borrowed Nick's van and put the two in there for Davey and Violet. That gave them plenty of room for 7 people. He knew his security team was close by but he was used to that by now and waited patiently at Baggage Claim for Jimmy, Breena and the kids. Ethan was the first one down the escalator, carrying Davey who spotted Tim and waved vigorously. "Ethan, there's Unca Tim! Hi Unca Tim!"

Unca Tim waved back with a grin, striding forward to greet them. He hugged and kissed both boys and then spotted the rest of the family on the escalator. Violet, Steve, Jimmy and Breena joined them and they exchanged warm greetings. They got the luggage and then he took Steve and Davey with him to get the van. Davey giggled when he saw his car seat, "That'th Thoe'th!"

"Yes but she said you could use it today."

"Ok." He pointed to the other one, "That for Viwet?"

"Yes, that's for your sister." Davey had had a lisp when he was younger and after speech therapy it had disappeared; Tim figured he was tired and maybe a little over-excited right now.

Violet climbed into Gemma's car seat, they loaded the luggage and the rest of them and headed for home. Ethan made a noise as they pulled out from the curb. "Your guys gonna follow us to your house?"

"Yes and that reminds me - Jimmy and Breena, my security team will want to see your ids when we get to the house. Just the first time, then they'll disappear into the landscaping."

Steve's eyes widened, "They hide in the bushes?"

"Not really, Steve; I just meant you won't notice them after we get to the house."

Jimmy looked thoughtful, "They fulltime for you now?"

"Yes, have been since I became the AD. With the Big Bad they really stepped it up, that's why they were more noticeable in Greece last summer."

Breena looked surprised, "Last summer, they've been before?"

"Yes, the year before and always when Leon's there."

"They're good, until this past summer I never noticed."

Tim grinned at her, "Good because that's part of their job, to be invisible."

They passed the sign for Del Mar and Tim told them that's where Athos, Alitta and baby Hallie lived. Violet smiled, "Are we going to see them?"

"Absolutely! They'll be up this afternoon to play and they'll stay for dinner."

"Yay!"

They pulled into the big house driveway where the family would stay and sat while Jimmy and Breena's ids were checked. When they were done, the agent nodded his head, saying, "Thank you and welcome to California, have fun!" The agent waited until they had the front door open before he melted into the background.

Inside Penny and the Grands greeted the family who were shown to their rooms. They changed clothes and then climbed back in the van for the short drive to the McGees' home. Breena said, "I'll bet you usually walk!"

"We used to but now it means Security is with us and it's just weird."

"Do you have to tell them where you're going?"

Tim thought and shrugged, "Routine, no, they know my habits, things like the airport, yes."

They pulled into their driveway and laughed as the McGee kids poured out the door, welcoming their aunt, uncle and cousins. The adults chuckled at Davey and Zoe who were jumping up and down, holding onto each other. Inside they were introduced to the 'new' 4 year old, Cailey and the 'new' 17 year old Tanya. Ethan, Davey and the others were happy to have new friends!

When they went outside for a snack, the Palmers were surprised at the giant dome in the middle of the backyard. Andy smiled, "That's our pool, we leave the dome on until the May gray and the June doom is done."

"The what?"

Lina chuckled, "Fog; we get marine layer fog in May and June and that's what it's called in Southern California. And yes, we know we're spoiled but that won't last forever!"

Tim cleared his throat, this seemed like the perfect opening. "We got some news yesterday and told the rest of the family last night. Pinged you guys but no one answered."

Breena nodded, "We turned in pretty early."

"And this was about 11 your time. So…Leon put his retirement papers in yesterday, effective July 31st."

Jimmy carefully swallowed a bite and looked at him. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Lina smiled, "Yes, you're our last guests from the East Coast. We'll be moving into our house for good in early June."

Breena was grinning, "Tim, are you allowed to say it yet?"

He chuckled, "Told more people this morning so I've been practicing…yes, I'll be the next Director of NCIS."

"Wow!" The Palmers were as excited as everyone else and Tim, Lina and the kids were hugged and congratulated. A few minutes later Jimmy said, "You'll be my boss!"

Tim tilted his head, "Technically I already am. The Assistant Director is in charge of all personnel although in reality Leon and I handle things more or less geographically."

Jimmy's eyes widened and then he smiled and shrugged saying, "Does Tony know that?"

Tim laughed, "Well if he didn't before, he does now! But once I'm sworn in, your evaluations will be done by my Assistant Director, I won't be doing any of the family's. By the way, this has to stay in the family until the SecNav announces Vance's retirement on July 15th, our first day back from Greece."

Breena chuffed, "That's a lot of people."

Tim chuckled, "Yeah, he said he figured there would be one or two employees who won't know before then. The family knows, my security guys know, I'm sure my lead team and assistant have figured it out, Leon's security guys know…and I'll be informing my deputy directors right before we move."

"Gonna get more new suits while we're in Greece?" Breena had been highly amused that Tim and the others had been clothes shopping in Greece last year.

"Yeah, as weird as it sounds, that's one of the conversations I've had with Leon, how many suits I'll need. Turns out more than I thought, there are a fair number of dinners, etc. that we'll have to go to and they're not all black tie. And I'll have a second tux made."

He changed the subject to their plans for the week and everyone got in on that topic! Today and tomorrow they'd be here, in the pool and on the beach. Monday they'd go to the San Diego Zoo and Tuesday Tim was taking the day off and going to Disneyland with all of the adults and children. Eva, Tea and their kids were going too, they figured it was the last chance to go together. The plans for the rest of the week were a little more fluid, depending on what the Palmers wanted to see and do. Jimmy and Ethan wanted to see some of Los Angeles (i.e. Hollywood) and the same studio Geordie and Bec visited in Santa Clarita. The rest of them might go to Sea World that day.

XXX

On Monday, Tim's first order of business was to join with Leon on a call to Lydia Worden in Virginia. In Little Creek, Lydia's eyes widened when she saw who was calling. She answered, "Good morning Director Vance."

"Good morning Special Agent Worden. SSAIC McGee is on the line with us too."

She smiled, saying "Good morning, Tim, isn't it still dark out there?"

He chuckled, "Not quite, dawn's breaking."

Vance continued, "Lydia, Tim's being transferred in early June and he's recommended you for the SSAIC spot in San Diego. He's retaining the Assistant Directorship so we're only asking you to take on the SSAIC job."

Being a smart cookie, Lydia caught the reference to "we" and tucked it away for later. In the meantime she swallowed hard and replied, "Yes, I accept, I'm surprised and excited!"

"Good, glad to hear that. Now, any recommendations you have for your current position will be most welcome, you can send them to our AD. The formal offer will be in your inbox any minute as well as the transfer package and I'll let you and Tim hash out the details of the changeover. Congratulations, I know you'll do well."

Leon dropped off the call and Tim and Lydia took several minutes to figure out schedules. She'd arrive two weeks before his departure so he could introduce her to the Brass, the employees and she'd shadow him. If she felt she had things under control then he'd take some time off, he was sure he'd have plenty to do! One of her last questions was about Greece and he chuckled, "Thanks for reminding me, yes, we've got you in the count for the charter, so come along, the staff here is used to being on their own in early July."

"And will the charter still originate in San Diego?"

"Yes, the Hofstadlers, Tea and Adan and the Hardisters are going so you won't be alone!"

"May I ask where you're being transferred?"

"Sure, I'm returning to the Navy Yard."

"Oh, that's…oh!"

Tim chuckled, "We'll have a chat when you arrive, plan to come for dinner."

"All right, I look forward to that." After they ended the call she sat for a few minutes, thinking about her replacement here and the clues she'd just heard. Unless Tim had decided to step down into a Team Lead position over one of the MCRTs or sideways into something like Cybercrimes, there was only one position in DC that made sense. But Vance said Tim was retaining the AD position; that was puzzling, although…shrugging, she opened her e-mail.

XXX

By the time the Palmers said goodbye on Saturday they were exhausted but happy. They'd seen and done everything on their list and the McGees had a great time with them. Ethan and Tanya hit it off; it had been fun for him to have someone his own age around and she was looking forward to seeing him again when they moved. Cailey quickly made friends with Davey and she, Zoe and the young boy had a wonderful week together. As ever, Athos, Violet and Gemma had good times together with Anna joining them. Steve was friends with all of them, particularly with Anna and Andy.


	266. Chapter 266

CH 266

Tim's attention turned back to work and the move; he spent extra hours getting his reviews and evaluations done, working with his deputies and with Jeff and Kath. Admiral Moaker came in one day, announcing he was taking him for coffee. That was a first and Tim wondered but shrugged it off. They got their coffee and were walking in the park across from the office when the old Admiral said "How long until you leave?"

Ah ha, so he did know. Tim smiled, "The first week of June."

"Dang, that soon? You going to the top?"

Now he chuckled, "I'm being transferred to the Navy Yard, that's really all I can say."

"Fair enough. You've been good for me, listened without waving me off, pushed back, and made me listen. I was going to retire as soon as you leave but now I think I'll wait a month or so, want to tell the other jacka…brass how much I've enjoyed working with you." He chuckled, "Maybe I'll get in touch with Crane, tell him that."

"Be nice to him, he's been a really good dad to me."

"Thought he's your godfather?"

"He is; he's also a father figure for me. If things had worked out differently, he and Liz would have raised us after my father was killed."

They walked and talked for a few minutes before Tim told him he had enjoyed working with him too, that he was glad he wasn't the ogre he'd been warned about and he should come visit him in DC. The Admiral gave him a rusty chuckle, "Might take you up on that, then I can go pester the muckety-mucks at the Pentagon too."

Tim laughed, thanking him for the coffee and the company as he headed back to the office.

As they started planning their move, the McGees realized that Eva and Caleb would be moving to DC the same time they were, after school was out. The exhibition was in its last month at the Museum of Man when Tim and Lina approached their friends with a proposal.

The couple had no furniture to transport, they'd either rented or bought at thrift stores and they planned to sell their car before moving. Now when the McGees asked if they'd like to join them on their charter flight to Virginia, they were more than happy to do so.

They'd been glad when the Benaki chose the National Geographic Museum over the museum in San Francisco because they knew Tim's family, they'd have friends and family in DC whereas they knew no one in San Francisco. Still, they'd not been looking forward to leaving their friends or the area. When Adan heard he too would be working on the East Coast, both couples were relieved and now the McGees would be joining them, the icing on the cake!

The agreements between the Benaki and the exhibiting museums included airfare for the Benaki's curator and his family. As Tim had with NCIS, Caleb presented the charter idea and as with NCIS, his employers agreed. When they'd moved from London to California, the couple had paid excess baggage fees up front and had to wrangle with the museums for reimbursement for nearly a year before it came through. When Caleb proposed the change to charter, he added in that previous expense to the cost of commercial flights for all of them; he was relieved when the flight costs plus excess baggage expenses were approved as the overall price to compare to the cost of the charter flight. That meant the difference he'd pay would be more manageable. When Tim expressed his admiration of his friend's negotiating skills, Caleb laughed. "I work for two employers, I had to learn to negotiate or be torn apart by them!"

As April gave way to May the residents of three homes started to get serious about sorting and packing. The kids helped where they could, bringing boxes and bubble wrap to the adults as they packed up their lives, willingly letting go of old toys and a few treasures. By mid-May Lina and Rhea had their artwork ready to go and, breathing sighs of relief, got busy with the rest of their households. Caleb had disassembled the exhibition by then, carefully packing it for its journey to DC.

The Mallards took all their belongings home with them when they left before Easter and the big house was systematically sorted room by room. The Gibbses contacted NCIS and once again paid in to have their belongings and the Kalivas' included on the moving van. Four cars did indeed mean a car carrier although the Gibbses and Kalivas' briefly considered driving across country in the Escape. Having done it once, Rhea and Jethro decided they didn't want to do it again and the Kalivas' didn't feel comfortable going on their own.

The kids were busy with grade level tests, end of school parties and saying goodbye to their friends. There were parties at school and church for the family and no matter how excited they were about the house, Dad being the Director or living next door to the cousins, they were sad to leave their lives here. For Zoe, Jorry and Gemma, it was the only home they remembered, for Andy and Sean, this was the home where they'd been welcomed with open arms and given all the love and security they needed. Anna was the only one of the kids who remembered moving here from Greece and she knew they'd been together, it hadn't been that bad. The other kids listened to her and perked up, they already knew their new house and it would be great to have the cousins and the other kids right there, they had a whole neighborhood right on the property! They'd all know someone in their new schools and that really helped. Knowing that Aunt Eva, Uncle Caleb, Athos and Alitta would be there too was a big help; oddly enough the Greek family seemed to be the bridge between East and West for the McGees.

The Grands and Penny were glad they'd still be together in Virginia although they'd miss Maisie and Don living with them. They were already talking about looking for a 'big house' in Florida and thought they'd mention it to the Perrys and Evander once they were all settled in Virginia. But Jethro didn't like the idea of being so far from Tim for months at a time, especially when he was taking on a new challenge and neither he nor Rhea wanted to be away from the grandchildren; they decided to see how things played out. The Kalivas' thought they'd stay in Greece during the winter, no need to go to Florida when there was mild weather at home! As fond of they were of Geordie, Bec and now Charlotte and little Lucy, none of their grandchildren would be in Florida and they'd be staying with their co-grandparents and friends the rest of the year.

When the Grands seemed to shake their heads at a Florida big house, Lina told them about wanting a winter abode for Penny and the Mallards. Now they understood and told her they'd support the idea once they got settled. They figured Bec's parents and any of the family who were visiting the Perrys could stay in it but it was likely that nobody would live in it year round as they had in Greece and California.

The McGees' Preston home went on the market 8 days after Leon's call, listing it through Evander; they got used to the "For Sale" sign and hanging out at the big house or on the beach while their house was being shown. They contacted Sarah Hope to let her know of the move and she met Andy, Tim, Lina and Penny in town, this time for lunch. She was off parole now, living in a rented room and had started a new, better paying job. She was excited to meet one of her great grandmothers and listened avidly to Penny's stories about her father but when asked if she'd visit, she deflected the question. She'd been an only child with 2 parents and one grandparent, no aunts, uncles or cousins, until she was 12. Then Andy was born, her parents were killed and her world shrunk to her grandmother and brother. She'd never been comfortable in large groups and the combined family in Preston nearly overwhelmed her just thinking about it; she couldn't imagine the crowd in Virginia. Still, she wanted to stay in touch with Andy, he was the last link to a happier life, before drugs and before she'd broken their little family. And a lot of people meant that Sean might be more comfortable if she was around, he could hang out with his friends. She wouldn't mind meeting her other great grandparents and Uncle Jim in person, they'd have more stories about her dad as a little boy.

While they sorted, tossed and began the mental process of moving, both families spent happy times with the Hofstadlers, Tea, Adan and all of the kids as they hung out on the beach or in the pool, went for bike rides or roller skated on the broad sidewalks. With the details for the charter worked out with NCIS and Caleb's employers, they didn't have to worry about the number of suitcases, bags or boxes they were taking. The charter company was warned they were moving and would have most of their clothes and soft goods. The McGees packed their bed linens to take on the flight, they'd again be sleeping on rented beds for a few nights and wanted their own sheets, blankets and pillows with them.

Nick and Janeese hosted a neighborhood farewell party for them; it was a lot of fun and they invited just about everyone to come visit. The Preston office asked Tim and Lina to come in for lunch one day and the couple was moved by the thoughtfulness of Tim's former team; not only was the Preston staff there but Will Brown of the Petrero office, Maya Maradona, the former Team Lead from Button Willow, Chuck Murray, Maria Camarillo, the Intel analysts who'd worked there under Tim, and their very own Tea, Eva and Carla were also there.

The San Diego folks really surprised them; most of Tim's outlying Team Leads (some had to work!) and the folks from the office threw a dinner party for the McGees in the banquet room of a local hotel. SSAIC Blumquist from the Marine West office was there and Tim was thrilled when all four of his deputies were able to attend. Lina met Admiral Moaker and his wife as well as some of the other Brass and Jeff Andreson, who served as Master of Ceremonies, ribbed Tim almost mercilessly about 'returning to the mother ship'. He laughed until his sides hurt as his folks gently roasted him and his deputies told a few stories about him.

Lydia arrived in time for the dinner party and came to Preston for dinner the following night. Tim and Lina decided to serve their favorite Mexican dishes, adding New Mexican sopapillas, as a way of welcoming her back to the West. She loved every bite and was impressed with the flan that followed.

She and Tim took their post dinner beverages up to his office where he explained what was happening. She wasn't too surprised when he told her Leon was retiring and he would be the next Director but then her jaw dropped as he continued speaking. "I know this is sudden, it's not what Shepard or Vance did, but I want my Assistant Director in place as soon as I take office. And Lydia, I'd like you to serve as my Assistant Director."

"Me? Tim!"

"Yes, you have the knowledge, the drive, you're a good negotiator and you're not shy about speaking up – all essential skills for the AD position. With the ever widening scope of responsibilities for the agency after 9/11, it's an increasingly important job. Shepard appointed Vance 2 years into her term. Vance waited 4 years and then appointed Jerome Craig after the first attempt on his life; that is the first attempt while he was Director. I don't want to wait, it doesn't make any sense, especially since we've spent the last two years hammering out the position and the responsibilities!"

She nodded in agreement and then looked at him, "What about the deputies? Will they be the same people?"

"Up to you. Confidentially, Richard's taking an early retirement so you'll have to replace at least one, two counting yourself."

She nodded and asked her next question; the pair talked for nearly another hour.

In the meantime the McGees' house sold shortly before Lydia's arrival. Five buyers put in offers and after the dust from the bidding war settled, the property sold for several thousand over the asking price. While the McGees were very pleased, it was starting to feel like it was time to go.

And so it was. School ended at noon on a Thursday and Friday morning the moving van arrived, the movers spending the day packing and loading the family's belongings. The transport arrived for the vehicles midday and watching them being loaded and driven away was traumatic for Tim, Dad and Davos, who were there watching. Because very little from the big house was going with the movers, the family took their suitcases and everything going on their flight over there before the van and car carrier arrived.

They spent the day on the beach; they'd decided they didn't want to see their former home stripped and empty. Tim and Poppy walked back over to the house before the movers left and spoke with the driver; they would drive through to Arizona tonight and expected to reach the McGees' new home in 5 days. They gave Tim trackers so they'd know where the van and car carrier were and when to expect them.

It was such a beautiful day and evening that the travelers had their dinner on the beach and the Hardisters, Tea and Adan and the Hofstadlers joined them for one final gathering. Hanna came by to say goodbye and the kids and their parents gave her hugs, they were certainly going to miss her! The kids had made a gift for her, with some help from their grandfathers, a collage of photos and sketches, by Jorry, Lina and Rhea, of their adventures with her framed in pieces of driftwood so she'd remember their beach and each of the kids had signed the back. Hanna teared up when she opened the box and saw it.

They watched the sunset from the deck of the big house and then they said goodbye to their friends, knowing they'd see them most of them in less than a month, climbed into their transportation with their stuff and drove to the airfield, Tim's security team following behind. Timmons, Stranzel and Uhl would fly East with them and continue their detail in Virginia until the McGees left for Greece. All three had applied for transfer to the DC security team and Vance had approved it, knowing it would be easier on Tim and the family to have familiar faces protecting them, especially after losing Agent Esposito just a year ago.

The jet was waiting; everyone helped unload the luggage from the vans, ids were checked and the passengers boarded, helping little Alitta up the gangway. Security boarded last, keeping an eye on the luggage as it was loaded into the cargo hold. They were wheels up at 10:00 PM, four years and five months after the McGees had arrived here from Greece.

XXX

Once the jet hit cruising altitude, most of the passengers relaxed into sleep. They'd all had busy days and were tired. Tim was restless; he'd kept his brain fairly well occupied over the past weeks with wrapping up his work in San Diego, the move, plans for the house and their annual trek to Greece. Now his brain wouldn't shut down as he contemplated life as the Director of a Federal Agency. Finally he came to the conclusion, for probably the hundredth time, that he had no idea what his time in office would bring and the most he could plan was to do his job. That's all he'd ever done and so far it had worked.

He woke when their flight attendants brought breakfast and beverages. After they'd eaten the kids went back to sleep while the adults moved around, doing some walking and light exercises. Soon they were back in their seats as the plane started its descent into DC airspace.

When they landed and started to deplane, the first ones down the gangway laughed at what looked like a fleet of vehicles waiting for them although there were only 5. The museum sent a car for Caleb and his family and there were 3 vans for the McGees and their belongings, driven by Jimmy, Unca Jim and James. The 5th vehicle was a black SUV, the vehicle for the security team.

The museum driver was a little perturbed when a guy in a suit approached him, flipped a badge at him and asked to see his id and explain why he was there. He was cleared; the team already knew of Caleb and family's inclusion on the flight, they were simply verifying that the driver was the same person they'd vetted.

One of the vans was a cargo van rented for the travelers' belongings. Packing it carefully, they made sure the artwork was protected. As Caleb and Eva were staying with the McGees' until they found a place to live, the museum driver waited for the others, following them to the McGee Family Home, noticing that two of the passengers had climbed into the black SUV and it was following the two passenger vans, not him.

The kids cheered as they drove onto the property and spotted the banner hanging from the big house: "Welcome Home!" Penny and the Grands were helped into the suites with their luggage and they promised to come over to help with the rest.

It took some time for everything to be moved into the McGees'; most of it was carried upstairs and it helped when the Grands arrived. Finally the travelers, their drivers (minus the museum guy) and helpers collapsed in the living room. That was when Tim happened to look into the kitchen and smiled when he saw the new refrigerator and the other new appliances. He nudged Lina, who was on the floor next to him (the Grands were on the couch), "Honey, look, we have a real kitchen!"

They went to look and found cold drinks in the refrigerator, enough for everyone. Eventually the suite residents left to unpack and examine the new rooms. Alitta fell asleep on her father's lap and they decided to get settled in their rooms, they were staying in the downstairs bedrooms. Tanya and Cailey, followed by the rest of the kids, went up to the attic to settle in there, finding their new beds had been delivered and set up.

Tim and Lina helped the kids make their beds, now in their permanent rooms, and then did their own, collapsing onto them for a nap. Lina woke first and listened, hearing someone downstairs. Remembering Eva and Caleb were there, she didn't worry. When Tim woke, they headed downstairs and stood looking, eyes wide, at the pile of grocery bags folded neatly on their island along with a bowl of fruit. Tim looked in the refrigerator which was now full of fresh veggies, berries, milk, cheese, butter and several packages of meat that were thawing. The freezer had a family sized lasagna, a few other frozen items and a gallon of vanilla ice cream.

They opened one of the upper cabinets, chuckling when they found a new bottle of chocolate sauce. They checked out the new oven, stove top, microwave and dishwasher, glad to find every appliance was where it was supposed to be. Their freezer would go in its own alcove and the washer and dryer would be installed in the laundry room upstairs.

As they'd done before, they hung up most of their clothes and left the rest in the suitcases until the moving trucks arrived; they'd managed pretty well with packing although there were a few essential items still unaccounted for. When the kids woke and came downstairs, Tim showed them the trackers and they looked to see where the trucks were: in Texas, already through El Paso and making good time on I-10 E. That was pretty cool to know but after a few minutes Tim put the trackers away; they decided they'd only check twice a day, otherwise they'd become obsessed with it.

By the time the suite dwellers returned everyone was hungry so they had a hot lunch, sitting on a variety of benches and chairs at the collection of tables that once again graced the dining area: a picnic table and what Poppy said was a camp table, a long narrow folding table, and a craft table, with Grandfa's card table folded and leaning against the wall. Tanya, Eva and Caleb got a kick out of the worn furniture and the make-do tables, dishes and mismatched cutlery. They all blessed whoever had brought the groceries; they'd also included dishwasher soap and essentials for the bathrooms. Eva thought she'd heard Claire and Grammie's voices but they'd been whispering and she'd been half asleep, it was hard to tell.

Once they'd eaten they went for a walk, first going to the main house to say hello to whoever was there and then to show the newcomers around. The McGees were also very curious about the new rooms and patio attached to the suites.

As they walked over they saw something different they hadn't noticed on the drive in. There was a new addition built onto the end of the pool building, next to Rhea and Lina's studio. Poppy and Pappouli made happy noises and almost ran to check it out. Behind them Penny grinned, saying, "I kept one surprise for them!"

They came back all smiles saying it was setup with electrical outlets and there was shelving; it looked like a storage shed/workshop. Penny confirmed that and laughed as the men kissed her. "Thank you!"

They'd also noted there was a door into a new corridor that ran the length of the building so the artists and the woodcraftsmen as well as the swimmers could get in and out during the winter via the 'pool tunnel' as the kids called the enclosed breezeway. Poppy said there were large pieces of something in the storage area, he thought it was the customized portable walkway the McGees and Powells would use during the winter. Penny just smiled and nodded.

They were impressed with the new kitchen, laundry room, mud room and lounge area in the suites wing and loved the private patio. Tim and Lina studied the privacy wall which looked decorative from the inside, with several niches for container plants and small fountains; the tops of the bushes lining the outside peeked above the wall.

Afterward they talked about having a wall at the back of their yard, it would help keep some of the critters out and their children in. Gemma, Zoe, Jorry, Sean and Cailey were still young enough that they didn't want them wandering through the woods by themselves, especially with that oh so tempting stream.

They decided they'd talk with Sarah and James first, to see if they had plans for their backyard. It might be easier to have one long wall that enclosed the backs of both houses; it would give the kids more space to play and more security for both families. However Tim had already vetoed the niches as he said the first thing he thought of when he saw them was using them as foot and hand holds to climb up and over the wall and they were the perfect height for Jorry and Sean.

They exited the patio through the gate and circled behind the pool building to the woods, smiling as they heard the Powell kids who were standing on their front porch. "Hey you're up! Can we come with you?" James was behind his kids with Fiona in a pack on his shoulders and he told them they'd all go.

The kids had a happy reunion and welcomed Cailey and Tanya; Fiona said hello, holding her arms out to her grandparents, who stole her, pack and all, from her daddy's shoulders and off they all went into the woods.

Later in the afternoon James drove Tim, Caleb and Poppy to pick up rental cars for a few days. Caleb and Eva would look for a used car to buy but in the meantime they needed a car to find housing. That taken care of, they drove home in the slow weekend traffic knowing they'd have to get used to it.

They'd have a family dinner at the senior Mallards on Sunday; tonight they ate outside in the Powells' yard, Penny and the Grands joining them after first moving tables, chairs and benches. Poppy and Pappouli grilled hot dogs and burgers on the grill Poppy had insisted on buying James his first Father's Day when first Adam and then Audrey and Evan had come to live with them. Laughingly James admitted he'd only used it once before when their power had been out. There was a little breeze, enough to keep the bugs away and they had a relaxing dinner.

The McGee household barely made it past sundown when the yawns started to overtake them. They turned in early and Lina worried that with some of the kids in different rooms now they might wake and not know where they were but if it happened neither of their parents heard them.

Sunday Tim and Caleb made eggs and pancakes, enjoyed by all. They did a little more unpacking, finally finding the rest of the bath towels. After they cleaned up, they went over to the main house to see the kids and ask if any of them were interested in roller skating or going down to the creek. The McGees had given the group permission to roller skate in their basement when they weren't in residence and they'd heard that had helped during the winter months – that, the pool and the portable basketball hoop which had been moved indoors to the playroom (the former indoor tennis court) next to the pool.

Predictably, the younger kids wanted to wade in the creek and the older kids wanted to roller skate so the group split up. Poppy, Penny, Rhea and Tanya stayed with the roller skaters and two of the staff while the others went to the creek, taking towels for wet, muddy feet. Tim was happy the younger foster kids had adjusted well, they clearly had bonded across family lines, weren't shy with the other kids and were only a little shy with Caleb and Eva. Eva, shy herself, completely understood and gave them time and space to get used to them. They knew James and Sarah and vaguely remembered Tim and Lina from their first days here. The McGees had forgotten the creek ran high and fast in early summer but the foster kids and Adam took them down another path where they found a quiet pool off to the side, perfect for the youngsters to wade in. Tim, James and Caleb took their shoes off, rolled their pants' legs up and stuck their feet in, the two from California exclaiming loudly, perhaps howling is a better word, at the freezing cold water. The kids didn't care, laughing at the two men they waded in and eventually Lina and Eva were brave enough to join the others. Both of them gasped, Lina saying, "We're from the Mediterranean, we're not bred for this kind of cold."

Sarah laughed, "Oh boy you're going to have fun during the winter!"

Tim shook his head, "We're hoping for very mild winters for the next decade."

The adults laughed at that, nodding in hopeful agreement. The kids started a splash battle and the adults wisely retreated, not caring about getting wet but they were too big to play, they didn't want to swamp the kids!

The basement roller skating rink was getting a workout with the older kids as they showed off the moves they'd learned over the winter months. Tanya had only learned to skate after she and Cailey moved in with the McGees and Doug, now the oldest foster, was more than happy to help her.

Zach, the last minute addition from the camp, was now 18 and no longer a ward of the state. In May he'd graduated from high school with honors and was thrilled when the Powells, Hubbards, Mallards, the fosters and staff attended his high school graduation. He was living in the 'over 18' quarters in the attic, still by himself up there, working fulltime and accepted at Waverly University; his first term would start in August.

He'd won a generous scholarship from a company he'd never heard of prior to seeing the information about it on the high school website, something called "Pay it Forward". The website for the company was vague, saying it was service oriented, run by a family willing to help people who needed funds to continue their education, find affordable housing, get medical help, buy a reliable car, etc. There were no strings attached, no dogma or rules, nothing like that, just a simple note to pay it forward. Zach noticed the website had links to job listings, housing vacancies, service organizations who might also provide help, shelters, food banks, thrift stores who allowed layaway, free and sliding scale clinics and links to a few mechanics who pledged to check out any used vehicle before purchase. He'd found his current job through the website and he planned to have enough money at the end of the summer to buy a reliable used car, figuring he'd commute to college, continuing to live here in what he now regarded as home. Today he'd been around long enough to say hello to the newcomers before taking the bus to work.

By late afternoon the skaters and waders were done and the Powells, the McGee household, Penny and the Grands were on their way to the Mallards for dinner. It was great to see everyone, Tim had his arms wrapped around as many shoulders as he could, loving them all. While that cheered him, it also made him miss Geordie, Bec, Ziva and Brian even more.


	267. Chapter 267

CH 267

Most of them hadn't met Tanya and Cailey in person and it was fun watching the introductions. Ethan had his learner's permit now and drove his family to the dinner; Tim smiled at him, "Heard you have your learner's permit now, congratulations!"

Jimmy smiled at his son, "Yeah he drove us over, did a great job." Ethan was pleased and his smile grew even wider when Tanya congratulated him, adding, "I took my Driver's Education class but at the time I didn't know anyone who had a car. I figured I'd wait until I was grown and working to learn. I bet it feels really good to drive."

He nodded, "Yeah, it's scary at first but I'm getting used to it."

"Great!" They smiled at each other while the rest of the family enjoyed the feast. When the younger kids left the table after dinner Uncles Dave and Jim regaled the Gemcity authors with their favorite parts of Saving the Future, Tibbs and Team Stand Alone. They absolutely loved it, from the reluctant and almost hostile reunion brought about by a desperate Director Lance, to the build of tension and suspense, interspersed with humor, as Tibbs and team climbed back into the head of the villain, the use of the additional teams and staff, the eventual admission of affection for each other by the former teammates and the mentions of the forensic expertise provided by Amy Sutton in the original case. Uncle Jim said that if Abby read it, he thought she'd be pleased. He smiled as he saw relief on their faces.

School may have been out but parents and those with summer jobs still had to work on Monday and the evening ended fairly early, at least by McGee clan standards. Tony asked Tim and Poppy to come to the Navy Yard for lunch one day and they agreed on Tuesday.

Lina and Rhea spent most of Monday getting their shared studio organized while Tim, Poppy and the Ks took the kids to Point Lookout State Park in Maryland where there was a sandy beach and hiking trails. They went for a hike before eating the lunches they'd brought with them and then spent the afternoon playing in the water. That evening they all met at the Uncles' new house for dessert. They loved the house with the three levels, the glass room housing the pool attached to the back of the house and the 'kids' room that they'd get to decorate again. Matt asked Tim to stop by the office later in the week and they planned for Thursday.

That night they looked at the tracker and found the trucks in eastern Mississippi, headed into Tennessee, still making good time, their ETA remaining Wednesday afternoon. Tim reminded his dad and Davos that he'd need some help moving the loaner furniture out of the house Wednesday morning and the rental center would pick up the beds early afternoon on Wednesday. However they'd speak directly with the drivers Wednesday morning to make sure they were on schedule before anything was touched.

Later than evening Tanya sat down with Tim and Lina to ask a question, "Are the couch and big chairs being returned to anyone?" The couple looked at each other before replying, "No, we thought we'd donate them."

"Would it be possible for us to have them upstairs? I'll pay for them."

"Yes of course you can have them upstairs and you may not pay for them, we didn't so there's no need for you to."

Tim thought about moving furniture up two stories into the attic, "We'll ask the movers to do it on Wednesday and pay them for it. I did that when my stuff arrived in Greece, right after I met Lina. I had them move the bed that was in the master bedroom somewhere, don't remember where now."

Lina smiled, "That was the extra bed in the girls' room, remember? Sarah slept there when she and Rob came from London for Christmas that first year and then Bec slept in the extra bed because she'd just transferred to Greece and spent Christmas Eve with all of you. Matt and Damian were new to each other and Damian stayed with Dani, Ross and me on Christmas Eve; I think Matt shared Rob's room."

Tim shook his head, "Boy that was a long time ago, an eventful 9 years ago!"

Tanya smiled, "Was that before Sarah and James were married?"

Tim nodded, "James was my friend first; they hadn't even told me they were seeing each other until Sarah got to Greece." He paused, thinking, "They got engaged the next Christmas, shortly after our wedding."

"Wow! How about Rob and Ned?"

"They met at our wedding but didn't start dating for mmm, several months, maybe a year or more. Oh yeah, it was after we poached Ned from London."

"Greece sounds very romantic."

Tim and Lina smiled at each other, "Yes it is."

Lina looked at Tanya, "I wish you'd reconsider and come with us."

"I can't do that; it's too much to ask."

Tim sat in thought, "You could babysit for us, how's that?"

"Babysitting isn't going to pay hotel bills and plane fare."

Lina's eyes twinkled as she leaned in saying softly, "Grandfa pays for most of the charter for the family, he loves being able to do it, but he "lets" us pay a little bit, to salvage our pride. And we don't stay in a hotel, we rent a house, most of us rent vacation houses, some people share houses, we have a lot of fun visiting back and forth and we also save on restaurant bills; we eat at the house, on the beach or at potlucks around the rentals. The only people who stay in hotels are our short term visitors, like Lydia who you met in Preston and our friends Joel and Carol. Oh and you'll meet my sister Chloe and her family and my brother Nicolas and his family and Anna and Gemma's cousins, Besiana and Jak. Anyway, this will be our fourth year in the same house and there's an extra bedroom."

Tim looked at her as she reminded him, "Security."

"They won't need to stay in the house with us this year, LinaMelina; last year it was because of all the trouble with the Big Bad."

"Oh good! Then Tanya, we have 2 extra bedrooms." She patted the young woman's arm, "Come along, we always have a wonderful time and you can learn some Greek culture." Her eyes twinkled as she added, "Ethan will be there too."

Tanya smiled, hoping she wasn't blushing. She'd planned to stay here, look for a job and spend time with the foster kids but she had to admit Greece sounded wonderful and she didn't know when she'd have another opportunity like this. And it would be awfully lonely here in the house. The foster kids and staff would be around, she'd thought of asking if she and Cailey could stay over there while the McGees were gone.

"We'll go if I can do more than babysit. How about I cook too?"

Tim nodded and stuck out his hand for a shake, "Deal!" Then he chuckled, "And don't think babysitting is sitting in the house with the kids watching a movie. Some of that, sure, but we might want to have some time alone while they're all at the beach or at miniature golf or even overnight."

"How close is everything?"

"The beach is right out our back gate, the stores are two blocks away and the miniature golf course is a couple of miles but we use the hotel shuttles to get up there."

Lina laughed, "They're only supposed to shuttle hotel guests to certain places but we use them like public transportation and then pay the hotel a flat fee. It's free publicity for them and they've liked us since we filled the entire hotel for a week during their off season 8 years ago - for our wedding. I have no idea if they do it for anyone besides our group."

They talked a little more about Greece before Tim yawned so wide his jaw cracked and Lina tugged at his arm. "Come on Timotheos, time for sleep. We'll be in Greece soon enough!"

Saying goodnight to Tanya, the couple headed for their room. Tim was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when he spotted something unusual on the vanity top. He eyed it continually as he finished his routine; once he'd rinsed and spit, he leaned out the door, "Lina?"

She had changed into a nightgown she hadn't worn in over a year, since before the miscarriage and she smiled at him. His lips widened into an appreciative grin, but his brain still had the target question handy, "Hon…there's a bag in here."

"Yes, my love there is. We've been so busy and tired we haven't had time to talk."

"Lina?"

She joined him in the bathroom and pulling out the small package from the bag, showed him. "I hadn't noticed with everything else going on, but today when it was quiet, with the kids away, I realized we were nearly out of soda crackers. I've been eating them for weeks. I brought an unopened box with us from Preston and it was empty this morning. Rhea was busy and I didn't want to tell anyone but you anyway so I borrowed Penny's car and went to the store, bought more crackers and this."

His eyes widened and his eyebrows rose in surprise as she spoke. He had to clear his throat before he could say, "A baby, we're pregnant?"

"I believe so but I didn't want to take the test without you."

"Now's good!"

With a smile, she shooed him into the bedroom while she took the test. Tim paced impatiently. He hoped there was a baby on the way, this time there would be no doubt, no wondering how they'd handle another child, he still felt some guilt for feeling that way about their little embryo who hadn't made it. This baby would be as welcome and loved as all their children had been. And it would have plenty of playmates, cousins and friends. They already planned on another part-time nanny, hoping they'd be as lucky as they had been with Hanna. Maybe she or he wouldn't be part-time…but they could talk about that later.

As Lina joined him for the wait, he wrapped his arms around her. "Mmm, I hope you're right. You always have been. How are you feeling?"

She nodded into his shoulder, "Wonderful; I feel better than I have in a long time."

He chuckled, "You're normally radiant with health and your special Melina-ness, so feeling even better than that is awesome, sweetheart."

When the timer dinged, they nearly ran the few steps to the bathroom. They looked at the test strip and grinned when they saw the results, oh yeah, they were having a baby! They quietly celebrated, not wanting to wake anyone and then spent hours planning. Sarah had already given Lina a list of the Powells' doctors, including the kids' pediatrician and Sarah's OB-GYN. They'd call the OB-GYN tomorrow for an appointment; hopefully they could get in before they left for Greece.

Lina giggled, "If we can't get in before we leave, then I'll contact our old OB in Piraeus and make an appointment with her!" They chuckled at the idea. Lina smiled, "I have no idea how far along I am. With everything happening my cycles have been irregular; to tell you the truth I hadn't really even thought about it until I ran out of crackers."

"No idea how long you've been munching on them?"

She thought for a few minutes before shrugging. "No."

He rubbed her tummy and then shook his head, "I can't believe I haven't noticed, my love, you already have a nicely sized baby bump!"

"Oh!"

XXX

When Tim woke up Tuesday morning he blinked, hoping he hadn't dreamt their good news. Lina was still asleep so he slid his hand down to her tummy and grinned as he felt their baby bump again. He kissed it softly. Then he kissed his wife who had wakened and was waiting patiently for him to notice. Laughing they wondered how they would be able to go about their everyday lives without giving themselves away. Lina said, "We'll concentrate on what has to happen before we leave for Greece - that will help."

That morning after breakfast they started by making a list of what had to be moved before the furniture got there. Tim frowned, "I sure wish we'd been able to have our deck done. Hate putting Davos' table and chairs out in the dirt."

"We forgot to ask Damian! I'll call him today while you and Poppy are out."

"Thanks hon!" He grinned, that would also give her some private time to call the doctor.

By mid-morning, he and the kids had walked in the woods and waded in the creek. He smiled to himself when he received a text saying "Fri. 1000." He was relieved that they'd know more before they left on their trip.

Before going to the Navy Yard, Dad called Ned who reported no new cases for the MCRTs, which meant Tony, Maggie and Jimmy and of course Ned himself would be available for lunch. Leon was on the Hill all day and Tim was glad he didn't have to go, not yet anyway.

The drive to the Navy Yard didn't take long. Their friend Henry had recently retired and Poppy would see him next week, but the security guard on duty today knew them which made both men feel better after last time when there had been an unfamiliar face on duty. "Agent Gibbs, Agent McGee, uh I mean Assistant Director McGee, good to see you again."

Tim smiled at the man, "That's fine Mike, I'm still an Agent and it's good to see you too."

The first person they saw after they got through security was Rick Carter and he smiled, "Hey, in for lunch?"

"Yep. Hear you're going with us this year!"

"Yeah finally, can't believe it's taken us this long to get back there - we can't wait! We told Mrs. Mallard we'd like to share a house with someone, no idea who we'll end up with."

Tim smiled, "Gram and Evander are really good at matching people for housing. You'll share with two or three adults, no children and be as close as possible to the rest of us for our progressive dinners and neighborhood barbecues."

Rick smiled again, "That sounds like fun! I won't keep you, don't want to jinx lunch with Maggie and the guys."

They laughed as they headed up to the squad room. Jimmy was standing at Tony's desk and quickly let Maggie and Ned know they were here. After saying hello to Dwayne Wilson and the rest of Tony's team, they drove a short distance from the Navy Yard to a restaurant on the river. They had a delicious lunch, enjoying the company and catching up on the local NCIS scuttlebutt, something they'd been discouraged from doing the last time they met.

When they got back to the office, Leon was on the catwalk and gestured to the two of them to come up. They didn't stay long, he had another meeting and wanted to say hello while they were there. He looked at Tim, "Last time you'll be here before the news gets out."

Tim hooked an eyebrow, "I thought I was coming in on the 29th."

"Yeah, come in and have coffee with me, don't need more than that, it's just for the paperwork, have to show up on your report date."

Tim smiled, "I'm prepared to work."

"Ok, we'll see what's going on." He looked at Gibbs, "You once told me you'd work until I retire."

Gibbs nodded, "Just about ready Leon; soon as you or your successor have someone for me to train." He winked at Vance's successor.

Leon looked at Tim, "You got someone?"

Tim nodded, he and Dad had discussed it already. "Yes…" he gave Leon the name.

The director nodded, "Works for me if it works for you. Jethro you want out now or you want to wait?"

Gibbs smiled, "As long as I get to stand near my son when he's sworn in, I don't care."

Tim thought about it, it just seemed fitting. "Know you two didn't start out at the same time but to me – and I'll bet to Tony, Jimmy and some of the others – it would be cool if you two walk out, retire, at the same time."

Leon and Jethro looked at each other and smiled, both liking the idea. Before either could say more, Pam interrupted them, it was time for Leon to leave for the afternoon meeting on the Hill. They exchanged shoulder hugs all around and the visitors walked out with their friend.

Tuesday night they again ate outside with the Powells and this time used James and Sarah's screened tent to keep the bugs out. Tim remembered he'd done okay in a similar setup in Savannah the year before and once again sat at the end of the table, nearest the zippered door. He found the large screened portable 'room' airy and comfortable, not to mention bug free. All four sides and the roof were of a mesh weave, tight enough to hold out even the 'no see ums', but open enough for oxygen to get through and to see the trees and sky. Still, he sat near the exit with Sarah right across the table from him.

Lina reported that Damian made arrangements for Adan to get the McGees' backyard done, saying it would take a solid week. Their friend would be done with his current project earlier than planned so the work in Virginia would start on their return from Greece. While Tea and Adan wouldn't be moving here right away, it would give them a chance to get a feel for the housing market. And if they planned it right, they'd still be in town for Tim's ceremony.

In the meantime, Eva and Caleb were interested in two of the rentals Evander lined up. Both were townhouses outside the District, close to public transportation, with nice sized fenced patios with play areas and good schools for Athos and Alitta. Eva shook her head as they told the McGees, "I'm glad I still have my position with NCIS because housing here is very expensive!"

Wednesday morning Tim, Poppy and Andy spoke with their movers who expected to be at the property by noon that day, they'd planned it to avoid the worst of the traffic and to get everything in before dark. That was wonderful news and after calling the rental center to have them pick up the beds before 11:00, the kids helped strip them and move the loaner furniture out of the way. They took the collection of tables down and put those, the chairs and benches on the Powells' front porch so they wouldn't get mixed up with anything.

Then they waited. The conversation with the movers had taken place at 0700 and for Andy, his siblings and cousins, it felt like an entire day passed in the 5 hours before the moving trucks were expected. They went for a long walk in the woods but jumped at every noise; then they went down to the basement and roller skated. When they were tired of that they went upstairs to find it was only 10:00 AM. Finally the Grands rounded up the kids and took them to the pool, promising to tell them when it was noon or the trucks arrived. The rental center truck arrived shortly before 11 and packed up the rental beds. They had the pool roof rolled back to the sky so anyone who didn't have their head underwater heard that truck but Lina came in to let them know it wasn't the movers.

Restless and hungry, the kids dried off and went back to the house. Their favorite sandwiches, drink, fruit and a treat were waiting for them on the kitchen counter in brown bags as if they were going to school. They took them next door and sat on the Powells' front porch, swinging their legs over the sides, leaning on the railings, eating lunch and waiting. Lina took photos, knowing she and Tim could tease them for years about their impatience; it ranked right between Christmas Eve and the day before they left for Greece every year.

Finally they heard big trucks on the usually quiet street and the kids jumped up and down on the front porch. "Yay, our stuff is here!" Tim was on their own front porch and waved the furniture truck over. The car carrier pulled up behind but didn't pull close, leaving room for the vehicles to be offloaded.

It took several hours for the furniture and boxes (and boxes and boxes) to be unloaded and taken to the right spot in the house or moved to the suites but eventually it was done. Once the vehicles were unloaded, Poppy, Rhea and the McGee kids took one of the rental cars back and then went for a drive to keep the kids from getting in the way of the movers or driving their parents crazy. They'd watched the movers for close to an hour before everyone but Andy got bored, then it was time to do something else.

They stopped at a park on one of the smaller tributaries of the Anacostia to play softball with Poppy's bat, ball and glove and then waded in the water, stopping for ice cream on the way back. Rhea smiled at the text she finally received from Lina saying it was safe to come home now.

The kids grinned when they saw the familiar furniture in the house. They ran around the living room, affectionately patting the couch, bookshelves, tables and chairs. Then they ran into the family room and cheered when they saw their chairs, sofa, TV, more bookshelves and their project table. They ran upstairs and cheered some more when they found their very own dressers, beds, nightstands and lamps in their rooms. Tanya invited them all up to the attic and they saw where the old stuff was. She'd covered the worn sofa with a pretty throw from Penny so it looked like new and she had a floor lamp from Gram and Grandfa that cast a soft light. Along with the beds, the Gibbs-Kalivas crafted bureau, nightstands and the old chair and rocker, the attic had been transformed into a home within a home. Lina was impressed with Tanya's sense of form and style; she'd seen the young woman quickly sketch things now and then but until now she hadn't realized her talent, something that should be encouraged. She made a mental note to talk with her about it.

Until the deck was done the big patio table would serve as the family's breakfast table in the family dining nook off the kitchen. Tim and Lina talked about buying a casual table for family meals but their fathers said they already had one partially made for them.

Other than Tim's lunch with Matt, they spent most of the next few days unpacking boxes and putting everything in the right place, Lina careful not to lift anything heavy. She told Rhea she thought they'd been fine with 'making do' but when their stuff arrived and was put in place she finally felt like they were actually living here and not just having one of their visits.

Tim had a good time at Matt's office. At his request he was introduced as "Agent McGee" and nobody questioned that. He grinned when he saw the "Closed Board", one for each of Matt's teams and then his grin widened until it almost hurt when he spotted a familiar name on two of the cases: Special Agent Phoebe Russell, now a junior in one of Matt's subordinate offices. He and Matt exchanged a fist bump, proud of the young woman they'd first met when she was in high school. Tim tapped the report, "I hope my kids do as well as the Russells' have: a doctor, federal agent, artist and chef…wow!"

Matt chuckled, "And what do you see my nieces and nephews doing?"

Tim grinned back at him, "Andy and Anna will both write, no matter what else they do, they'll write. Andy's interested in so many things it's hard to tell but he might go into law enforcement or science, he's got many of the same interests and aptitudes that Patrick and I had as kids. He also shares an aptitude with Anna for learning languages quickly; his mother Laurel was a linguist so that makes sense. Anna is somewhat the same, everything interests her; I can see her going into academics, using education to eliminate prejudice and superstition in the world or she might follow Ainsley and Ethan into social work or work for the UN – or completely surprise us. Gemma could be a ballerina but I think she'll be an actress and use her ballet discipline and training there. Sean's another wild card like Andy and Anna; he could be an engineer, athlete or forensics scientist; I can see him playing major league baseball, but he also loves to take things apart and put them back together again, usually in better shape and also, like Anna, always wants to know why and like Jorry, he sees patterns, a trait I believe they both get from Grandfa and Grammie. Jorry is already an artist who strangely enough also has my aptitude for science and mathematics – patterns again like Grammie; Lina says he'll meld those into his art. Our Zoe will be a designer, she's had an eye for it since before she knew the names of colors. She's fearless and Lina says that will make her a fresh face on the fashion scene. Of course we won't know much about her scholastically until she starts school, but she is one smart cookie with natural common sense, thank God!"

"Wow, I had no idea kids showed talent so young!"

"Don't know about all kids but ours sure have."

They had lunch at a Greek deli Matt found close to his office and laughed when they both had minced meat souvlaki. As they ate Tim said, "We should expand our horizons, try other things."

"We do, when there's none of this."

"Yeah but…all right, I challenge us to try something different at least twice in Greece, when the menu has minced meat."

Matt made a face and then agreed and they shook on it. As he drove away Tim smiled, nobody had addressed him as the Assistant Director and it felt really good. Then he laughed at himself, he'd better get used to the title, it was changing soon enough and nobody was going to call him Special Agent after that!

XXX

Lina asked her parents to watch the kids Friday, telling them she and Tim needed some time alone. They agreed and the couple, saying they were having breakfast out, left early Friday morning. They ate at one of Tim's favorite waffle houses, both enjoying a hearty breakfast and Lina grinned, "When the doctor weighs me, I'll weigh at least 5 more pounds than when we left home this morning."

Tim shrugged, grinning back at her, "No problem, you're eating for two!"

Because Lina was a new patient, they arrived early at the doctor's office and spent a solid twenty minutes filling out new patient forms. They'd contacted Dr. Chase during the week and she'd promised to fax Lina's records as soon as Dr. McNeil, the new doc, requested them.

Finally they were seated in the exam room and the doctor quickly joined them. After hearing why they were there and Lina's history, she decided to do an ultrasound right away. The doctor first did a quick check of vitals and was all smiles, "Everything looks good! Now I know you're anxious to see your child, so let's get going!"

She prepped Lina and then pressed the ultrasound wand over her baby bump, moving it slowly. It hurt but Lina didn't mind too much, she just wanted to see their baby! They heard the heartbeat and then the doctor looked startled and Tim and Lina were puzzled, "Is that an echo?"

"I'm not sure yet, let's re-position this and see…" She moved the wand again, pressing down and Lina winced but didn't say anything for a moment. She and Tim were holding hands and watching the monitor; they saw the same thing at the same time. "Two - there are two babies in there?"

The doctor looked and then looked again. "Oh my gosh! You're having twins!"

Tim and Lina looked at each other and then Lina blinked back tears, "Two babies. Now, not then."

Tim was also emotional and the doctor smiled at them, "I hope this is good news!" They nodded, smiling back at her. "Good, now let's see how far along you are." She looked, saying, "Judging by the last period you remember and the development of the fetuses, you're 12 weeks, you've completed your first trimester." She smiled at them, "Congratulations!"

Having heard about the ectopic and the miscarriage, she understood the sighs of relief from the couple. She took out a calendar, "Using that criteria, you'll be full term around the 15th of December."

She sat back in surprise as Lina and Tim turned chalk white. "What's the matter?"

Tim finally got the words out, "The miscarriage…our due date was the same."

The doctor nodded, "It happens that way sometimes, couples will conceive in the same timeframe after a miscarriage."

Tim relaxed a little, glad it wasn't a freak occurrence. Then thinking back, he looked at Lina with a grin, "I know when we conceived!"

She looked at him, questioning and he smiled saying, "After the sail." Then she remembered, "Oh yes, Captain McGee!"

The doctor smiled when she heard the probable conception was in late March, but cautioned them the babies might be early. "We want twin moms to go as long as possible but the kiddos may decide to join the world a week or two early."

Lina nodded, "December 6th."

The doctor was amazed but decided to go with it. "You sound sure."

Lina smiled, "Yes, our son Jorrin's birthday is November 29th and I think they'll be born a week later."

Like Dr. Chase, Dr. McNeil had learned over the years to listen to her patients. "All right, then December 6th it is!" She looked at the calendar, "That's a Tuesday, so Dad, be prepared to skip work!"

Lina smiled serenely as Tim picked up her hand and kissed it.


	268. Chapter 268

CH 268

There was a park near the doctor's office and Tim and Lina drove over, sitting in the car while Timmons and an agent from the DC team checked it out. Then they walked and talked, deciding how to let everyone know. They'd tell their children and parents first of course, but if they wanted to surprise anyone they'd have to do it quickly before the news leaked to the kids next door. Finally they had an idea and made a list of what they needed.

They drove to the nearest big box store and Tim went in while Lina waited in the car still working on their overall list of things to do. Tim finally returned with two infant seats and two tiny outfits. The outfits were pants and tops in different colors, no pink or blue, and each top said "I'm a Twin" on it.

Tim chuckled, "I thought if the infant seats didn't clue them in, we'd try the not so subtle approach!" They both laughed.

She said, "This is going to be fun!"

Tim snorted, "And it's really going to be fun watching our dads panic over building a second crib!"

They laughed at that and then looked at each other. "No panicking, we're organized people, we'll get it done!"

"I'm not worried about before, I'm worried about after!"

"Yes, I know me too."

They couldn't believe they were hungry after their waffle breakfast but they were and stopped for lunch. When they got home, the house was empty of any of its occupants. Wanting to tell the kids and their parents, they sent texts to the Ks and the Gibbses. Penny was away until later in the day and they decided the Greats could hear the news with the rest of the family that evening.

In minutes the children came running in with Lina's parents and the Gibbses arrived a couple of minutes later, finding Tim and Lina lounging in the family room. "Oh hi kids, did you have fun?"

Gemma opened her mouth to report but stopped. Jorry and Sean looked confused while Andy and Anna spotted the infant seats and looked at their parents. Tim's dad had also spotted them and wondered who they were for or maybe they were going to donate…OH! He almost gave himself a headslap but remembered the kids were there so he settled by saying, "You'd better just say it; we don't want to jump to conclusions!"

His son and daughter-in-law beamed at them, "We're pregnant with twins!" The very surprised grandparents grinned happily while the kids cheered. Lina looked at them all, "And we're healthy, no worries this time!"

Andy, Anna and Gemma were grinning while the boys and Zoe were trying to figure out some things. Finally Tim pulled the younger kids to him, "Twins means we're going to have two babies!"

Jorry looked at him, "Two new babies or are we 'dopting one?" Gemma nodded as she had the same question.

"No, two new babies."

Rhea finally found her voice, "One of each, two girls, two boys?"

"We don't know yet. Our next ultrasound is in 8 weeks and then we'll see who they are."

Both grandmothers' eyes lit up and Hélène said, "Is that 20 weeks, is your first trimester complete?" They nodded and told them the due date.

The kids cheered and Jethro finally let out a happy noise and exchanged a fist bump with Davos. "We were sort of right!"

"Dad, you knew?"

"Nope, didn't know, no way I could but with two new babies in the extended family in the last couple of years, we thought there would be more."

"So it's not a shock that we'll need a crib and bassinette."

The two grandfathers grinned at each other. "Well, we already have the cribs made, the parts anyway. We just have to put yours together and stain it, the finish work. And yeah, we have a bassinette too. Made one of those, now we'll make another one."

"Two, why two, we have one…and you said cribs, plural?"

Poppy shrugged, "Just a hunch."

Davos snorted, "And we're almost through with a rocker." He added, "We weren't sure about that but decided that if any of the things weren't needed, we'd donate it all to a shelter or a charity."

Anna piped up, "Two names!"

Her parents nodded, saying, "Two of everything!"

When they heard that the Powell cousins had gone somewhere with their grandparents, Tim and Lina relaxed a little although they were all still reeling from the shock. Twins, 8 kids, actually with Tanya and Cailey that would be 10 kids in the house, wow! They sat at the picnic table and talked about the Skype call for this evening. First they had to decide who to include besides the family, already knowing they'd need to do a second call in the morning for the family in Greece. Their friends would be told in another fashion, sort of. They sent out two e-mails and waited for responses knowing some folks would likely respond very shortly before the call.

XXX

That evening, the McGees, their parents, Tanya, Cailey, Eva, Caleb and the kids gathered around the laptop. When everyone joined the call they saw two empty baby car seats, side by side on the McGees' dining room table, saw the crowd and heard the kids giggling. Sarah was the first to get any words out, "OH MY GOD, two baby seats, you're pregnant or adopting or both?"

Hélène held up a sign that said "We're pregnant with two babies - TWINS!" in English and Greek. Still giggling, Jorry and Sean each held up one of the infant tops Tim had purchased that morning, with the words "I'm a Twin" on the front. By that time everyone on the call was babbling. Finally Tim turned and looked at his dad who grinned, nodded and let out an ear piercing whistle. The call went silent except for the kids who laughed even harder as they pulled ear plugs out of their ears.

Anna held up a sign that said, "Mama and the babies are very healthy."

Andy held up a sign that said, "We don't know yet if we're having boys or girls yet or maybe one of each."

Gemma held up one that said, "One of each would mean they're fraternal."

Zoe's sign said, "Not identical."

Rhea held up a sign that said, "We have photos on their way to you!"

Davos held up a sign that said, "The crib is nearly done, Jethro is apparently psychic!"

Lina held up a large sign that said, "We've completed our first trimester. I only figured out I was pregnant from the amount of soda crackers I was eating. Morning sickness - mid-morning."

Tim's sign said, "EIGHT children…HELP!" with a big smiley face colored by his children.

Jethro held up a sign that said, "I got to whistle, no words from me!" and a second sign from Hélène said, "Knitters, on your mark, get set, GO!"

Lina held up another sign that said, "Due date is December 6th."

Followed by Tim who held up one that said, "We love you all very much! And we need names!"

When they were done, they stood and all bowed to the camera. Their audience was laughing so hard it was awhile before any of them could speak. Finally Geo managed, "Do you have any names picked out?"

Tim said, "Freddie and Flossie or Nan and Bert. Or Freddie and Bert…well, you get the idea."

Those who'd read the Bobbsey Twins books snickered while the others rolled their eyes.

Tim smiled, "Actually we do know they'll probably have Kalivas as their middle name. And we already have a list of possible names, the kids are helping us. We'd like to continue the tradition of using a family name so send any suggestions with that in mind, please!"

Lina smiled and added, "Of course we reserve the right to choose!"

XXX

Pete smiled when he saw the e-mail from Tim with the subject line that said "Good News!"

"Hey Trina, come look, we have something from the McGees."

She came in, looking perplexed, "And? We get e-mail from them at least twice a week, Pete!"

"There's an attachment."

Now she smiled, "Let's see!"

They opened the e-mail which said, "We have some wonderful news to share! Please open the video attachment first!"

Pete opened it and they laughed their way through the silent announcement. "I can't believe they're having twins!"

"And they involved everyone in telling us, that's very clever."

They really cracked up when Jethro held up his sign. They kept the video to show the kids when they were home.

Leon and Jared Vance happened to be home the evening the McGees sent out the e-mail. When he saw the e-mail, Leon had just disconnected from a Skype call with Dani that left him with a smile on his face. He called Jared in and they watched it together, laughing through the video.

Jared shook his head, "Twins, wow!" His dad nodded, "Yeah, that's going to need some organizational skills!" Then they laughed as they were sure Tim and Lina already had everything figured out.

XXX

What with stopping frequently to play and explore, it was the following week before the McGees emptied the last of the moving boxes. Lina sighed in relief when she found the birthday crown; she needed to find it before they left for Greece as Zoe's fifth birthday was just a few days after their return.

The little girl would start kindergarten in late August; her parents were trying their best to be happy about it. They were happy for her but even in the midst of preparing for the twins it would be tough to have their baby going off into the world of school. But that was still two months off.

They drove to the transient camp a couple of times to take food and clothes, dropping school supplies off at the shelter for both the camp and shelter kids. Tim checked with Lu and Nate and found three shelter and two camp kids who would be attending summer school; they made sure they had enough of whatever they needed for class and purchased 5 used bikes in good condition for the kids, along with chains and padlocks. Deciding to go beyond those five kids and using the same strategy they'd used in Preston, they put out flyers and contacted local businesses for donations of used bikes for the kids. The McGee siblings' friend Barry took over the coordination and collection, confident they'd have enough for everyone.

Along with unpacking, having fun and visiting the camp and shelter, the McGee household, Gibbses and Kalivas' spent time finding the way to grocery stores, big box stores, also searching out new hairdressers, barbers, doctors, dentists, restaurants, clothing stores, all the things people take for granted until they move. Penny, Gram, Jim and Claire were helpful and when Gibbs found his old barber still in business, it made him, Davos and Tim happy.

By the start of their second week in Virginia, their thoughts had turned toward Greece. This year the charter would originate in San Diego as usual but then it would land in Jacksonville to pick up the Perrys, Charlotte and Lucy before heading to DC for the rest of the crowd and from there across the Atlantic to Athens.

Three days before they left, Caleb and Eva heard the townhouse they wanted was theirs. Paying the first month's rent, they let their landlord know they'd be gone until the 26th of July and gave him the McGees' contact information in case of any problems. They'd thought about waiting to rent until they returned but Caleb would need to dive right into preparing the exhibit and Eva wanted to get settled in their own place although it had been wonderful staying with the McGees. And neither of them wanted to risk losing the townhouse.

On the 29th Tim grabbed his badge, id and weapon and rode into the office. It felt weird to be here to work but he felt better, grounded, as soon as he saw Tony in the bullpen. He walked upstairs, smiling and chuckled when he found Leon at his desk with two cups of coffee. "Told you to come in for coffee, so here it is!"

"Thanks. This mean I don't get to work?"

"You're not going out in the field, McGee."

Tim sighed, "Yeah, I know."

Leon huffed at him and took a small stack of files, "Here, work on these if it'll make you feel better!"

"Ok."

"Congratulations by the way…and twins?"

Tim beamed, "Yeah, funny when Lina was pregnant two years ago I was freaked out, 7 kids, you know? But now after losing that one…twins, singleton, more…anything is fine."

"I can only imagine. You know I'm going to check up on you, make sure you're taking your family leave!"

Tim snorted, "From Greece?"

"Yep."

Tim shook his head, "Gonna have to take it, Leon, with 8 kids. We'll start looking for a nanny when we get back and our dads have the cribs ready, which I don't really understand. They're talking about two but we still have the one they made for Jorry…who knows."

He moved to the conference table and started going through files. He was about halfway through the stack when, forgetting he wasn't alone made a noise, "He's been with the agency for 10 years and this is the best he can do?"

He put it aside to send back to the offending team while Vance said, "Who's that?"

Tim told him and he nodded, "Yeah, I've been sending some of his back too. Starting to wonder if he's got a problem."

They talked about it for a while before Leon decided he'd have a talk with the agent and his SSAIC, something wasn't right. Tim finished up that stack and offered to do more but Vance waved him out of the office. Tony's team was out on a case, Jimmy had a guest, Maggie was working a case, Ned was in a meeting and when Tim called Matt, he found him knee deep in reports although he refused help. So Tim went home.

They left for Greece the next day and at the airfield the former California residents commented on the strangeness of waiting for the charter to arrive from Florida; they were used to being the first people aboard. Still, it was fun to cheer with everyone else when they saw the jet landing. Tim laughed when Rick and Denise Carter arrived at the FOB and saw all the kids; there would be 26 this trip not including the young adults and college kids. Tanya's eyes had been wide the whole time they'd been waiting; she knew how many people were in Tim and Lina's extended family, she thought she'd met most of them but knowing numbers and seeing the crowd are two different things.

Lydia nodded and smiled at the McGees as they boarded. He heard his dad say hello to Tobias and smiled, he was glad he'd been able to make it. Emily was working fulltime this summer and couldn't come but Tobias said he needed to get out of fog-bound San Francisco and warm his old bones. He would stay on the East Coast for a few weeks when they returned; his elderly father had died a few months earlier and there were some estate matters that Tobias thought would be easier to handle in person.

Tim grinned at Nick and Janeese when he saw them; he and Lina stopped to exchange hugs. Although they loved their new neighbors dearly, they missed the Hardisters. The Hofstadlers were across the aisle and jumped up for their own hugs. The McGees had been away from California for less than a month but it felt much longer. Their faces lit up when they spotted Tea and Hallie, they were a surprise! Tea laughed, "That's fun - I like surprising you! Adan is working of course, and wants to get finished so he can be on site for the work on your garden. Hallie and I will spend a few days on the island with you before going to visit her grandparents."

After hugs and kisses for both, with Tim mentally updating the number of kids to 27, they moved on. Hugs for Geordie and Bec, little Lucy and a very gentle one for Charlotte who was looking frailer than last time they'd seen her but gave them a warm, serene smile. They said hello to Ziva's in-laws, Ben and Julie Metzger, who were thrilled to be on their way to Greece and looking forward to getting to know the McGee-Mallard gang better.

Once the clan was aboard and strapped in, the jet taxied out to the runway and took off. When it reached cruising altitude, people got up to walk and chat with each other. Eventually it got quiet as they settled in to read, sleep or watch a movie or TV show. When they'd been in the air at least an hour, the good doctors got them up for walks and their first airborne exercises.

After that, it was quiet for nearly an hour again; Hallie, Fiona, Lucy and 10 month old Patrick were the only ones making much noise and Tim for one enjoyed every happy squeal and baby babble. As they'd done on previous flights, the four little ones were on a large quilt spread on the floor, their parents, siblings, grandparents or cousins playing with them. Alitta hung out with them for quite a while, having fun being the older one for a change and then Davey, Zoe, Sasha and Cailey joined her, playing with the babies for nearly an hour before deciding to watch their favorite movie again. Ethan and Tanya also spent some time with the littlest ones, causing no end of quiet speculation amongst the family.


	269. Chapter 269

CH 269

The attendants brought snacks around and after Tim ate, he decided it was a perfect time to chat with Lydia. He had a few specific items to bring up and thought she also might have questions. They found a couple of isolated, empty seats and he asked her if she had questions. He knew she'd been swamped the last few weeks, getting used to a new job, new responsibilities, finding a place to live.

She smiled, "You beat me to it; I have a list of questions!"

"Great, fire away!"

"First one is about the quarterly evaluations, thank you for what you did but…did you do them all yourself? How…I don't know most of these agents."

He nodded, "Leon allowed me to have my dad help me and we worked on them together my first year. Maybe Joel or Pete – or both - would be willing to help, you can e-mail them the evals. Or ask my dad! Pay a consultant's fee to whoever helps out, I'll approve it."

She sighed in relief, "Thank you, Joel was the only one I could think of! Pete and your dad are good ideas too."

"Once you get to know the agents, even from just their reports, it'll go faster."

She nodded. "Next question is about Admiral Moaker and the rest of the Brass."

"They through testing you yet?"

She rolled her eyes, "Most of them, yes. Moaker, I don't know."

He laughed, "I thought he was a huge pain in the ass when I first met him but as I got to know him I realized, yes, he is a big pain but he's got a lot of good points, he just doesn't know when to stop. Kath can help you with him. Basically here's what we did: he'd come into the office, close the door and start talking. Once he'd made his point but was still pontificating, I'd give Kath a pre-arranged signal. Then Kath would call me with a phony meeting. Phony calls didn't work, he'd want to stay and listen or wait and then he'd waste Jeff or Kath's time. So we stuck with meetings; I'd get up with my phone, usually a tablet or laptop, maybe my briefcase, hold out my hand for a shake, repeat his point and then excuse myself for the meeting. The important thing is to state his point and then follow up with him. I made sure I wrote up whatever his catch of the day was, sorry I'm being flippant, sent the issue to the appropriate team or department and made sure to follow up with them. Always let him know what's happening, even if it's to tell him that nothing has happened and you've sent a reminder or made a call or whatever. And if you give him an update before he asks, it'll buy you days of silence from him.

"When he figured I was listening to him and was taking action where necessary, he backed off. He's a good man, has a lot of good things to say and good ideas; obviously he's done well for the Navy with the rank he's earned, but as I said he doesn't seem to know when to stop. That's not to say we didn't have a few battles. There were times he wanted things that were never going to happen and I told him straight up, no sugar coating." He grinned at her, "You're good at that; you should do well with him."

She shrugged, "I'll follow what you've done; hopefully he'll go for it with me too."

Tim tilted his head, "I believe he's going to retire soon. He gets upset at how many of his peers have 'quit' as he puts it and he doesn't like any of the Brass who are younger than him."

She looked at him quizzically, "Seems like you know him pretty well."

He nodded, "I suppose I do. As much of a pain as he was at first, I grew to like him. Think of him as a constant you can rely on! And he teased me during our first meeting." He told her the story of his godfather's warning, the photo and Moaker's comment that first day. "I recognized his frustrations. Not only were they similar to my own when it seemed my work would never be recognized by my team but also because my dad was like that as a team leader. Different reasons and different approaches. Whereas Moaker will talk your ear off, DiNozzo, Ziva and I called Gibbs a functional mute."

She chuckled at that, saying, "That explains all the nonverbal communication." Tim nodded.

She frowned, "Last topic. When I become the AD, who can I pick from for the deputies? I know Julian and Rose were Team Leads…"

"If you believe you'd trust someone with a higher security clearance than they have on an everyday basis and if you think they'd be a good fit, go for it. I'll leave it up to you although I'm more than willing to offer an opinion!"

"So I can have four deputies?"

"Yes."

"Is that…never mind."

He shook his head, "Lydia, one thing I learned with Leon is that I need to speak my mind with him and you and I need to do the same thing."

"All right…you had 3 deputies for two years and then added me. Was that for all this or…?"

Tim twisted his lips, "Both; we needed another deputy and I've had you in mind for AD for a long time now - since my mentors started pushing and pulling me down the slippery slope. It made perfect sense to finally bring you aboard last year when I was given funds for a fourth deputy. I couldn't appoint you when the others came on board as you were reporting directly to me."

"Until Vance transferred me to Little Creek. Or was that you?"

"My suggestion, his decision. Another bonus, you were overdue for more responsibility and had the skills and talents Little Creek needed. You know what a rat's nest that was! I needed you to have multi-team experience before you could step into the SW. Just like Joel and Vance did with me."

She nodded and then grinned at him, "This means I can argue with you?"

He chuckled, "You mean _still_ argue with me? Yes; I know you well enough to expect facts rather than emotions. Although sometimes emotions play an integral part."

She nodded sadly, "The Big Bad."

"Yeah. I'm still hoping we'll find our last missing citizens and well, you know." He took a breath, "We've both learned a lot, matured since our London and Athens days. We've built a mutual trust over the years and I believe we'll make a good team."

She smiled, "Team - that sounds good."

Tim nodded, "I found as SSAIC I didn't feel I was part of a team anymore. Lina and my dad really kept me going through that. I started keeping in closer touch with Jeff and his team plus Kath and the department heads and that helped. Then Leon asked me to serve as his AD, eventually I had deputies and suddenly I had a team again!" He paused, "The downside to you being the Assistant Director is that we can't travel together or be on vacation at the same time anymore."

"Oh, so this is my last charter to Greece?"

"Unless I'm not going for some reason, yes. And speaking of vacation, I take at least four weeks a year and two of those weeks are consecutive. Leon made that a direct order and I'll make that one for you too. We need time away and more than a day at a time. You build it into your schedule from the start and unless the Secretary of the Navy or someone above her has a good reason to postpone the vacation, you go…we go. Another thing with that. The first year I was AD, I was Acting Director from San Diego. Last year the SecNav wanted me in Washington and since we were ready for the takedown on the Big Bad that made sense from a political standpoint, she and Leon wanted to make sure NCIS was rightfully recognized for all the work we'd done. She really liked it, I can't promise you'll be Acting from San Diego."

"All right, I can deal with that. And I'll learn to schedule my leaves around yours. I'll need to know school vacations, of course."

Tim laughed at that, promising to send her copies of school calendars each term before continuing, "As you're realizing, our personal lives have just become important to each other. When you're sworn in you'll have a security detail 24/7. Once they figure out your habits, they're as unobtrusive as they can be."

At the look on her face he laughed again, "For a while I tried to ignore them - they drove behind me, ahead of me on the way to and from work. And then one day, I don't remember what the problem was, but I decided to ride with them and I never drove myself to work again. I slept, I worked, I did online gift shopping, kept up with the family, you name it and that extra hour a day turned out to be golden. And yes, if we have another case as nasty as the Big Bad, your security detail will be moving into your home with you. Mine escorted my kids to and from school and were on campus throughout the Big Bad. Just saying…takes getting used to.

"Back to our personal lives, I used to be a very private person and I still try to guard my privacy but it's a losing battle once you have kids old enough to talk. So hang onto your life as much as possible but be aware that there will be media interest in you, especially the first few weeks and because we're setting a new precedent.

"Now…the McGees. We just found out last week that we're pregnant, surprise! And we're not just pregnant, we're pregnant with twins! We're very happy, scared about having 8 kids but happy. We lost a baby two years ago and it knocked the stuffing out of both of us. We thought that was it, Lina was ill for several months and I sure as hell did not want to subject her to that again. But here we are and she's radiantly healthy, thank God. So…what this means to you is that I'm going on family leave on December 6th, when the babies arrive. Jorry and Zoe were born in Greece and we also adopted Anna and Gemma while we were there. I was SFA when Jorry was born and Pete wouldn't let me in the office to work. I was Team Lead when we adopted the girls and I did some half days and a few full days. Zoe was born a few months later and I did the same thing there, although Bec was doing a great job. My parents and my in-laws will be there to help and we'll hire a nanny for the kids but I'll still need to be with Lina and the babies. Probably solid for the first two weeks and then we'll see."

Lydia smiled at him, "Congratulations on the babies, that's great news! I won't mind filling in for you for good reasons like that – and vacation – I just don't want either of us to get hurt like Vance has."

Tim nodded. "Fortunately in my background I don't have a former team leader who's tried to kill me several times as Leon had or a friend who's the head of a foreign agency. And the one guy might have wanted revenge, as crazy as he was, died two years ago. There's one other person but she's under surveillance, currently on medication which is also monitored and she recently let me know of her remorse, so I'm not going to worry much about her either." He sighed, "I'll have to brief you about all that, but not today."

He looked at her, "One more thing and this is going to sound strange and intrusive but here goes. What I've found in my life is that life in a relationship is much better than one without. Not easier, but better. And I know from my time as a homeless person that hiding things, keeping secrets, is exhausting, frustrating and frightening. I understand, again from my former life, what it feels like to be discriminated against. Of course I can only approach that from my experience but anything I can do to help, including butting out entirely, I'm willing to do."

Lydia looked at him silently for several seconds and then nodded resolutely. "I'm a lesbian and I have a partner, you met her at your wedding."

"Marty?"

She nodded with a smile. "We had a huge fight and broke up before Joel moved back to the U.S. That's the reason I didn't want his spot, fool that I was. I just wanted to come home and lick my wounds." He nodded, remembering similar feelings.

"When I got to Yuma, she…we…well, we eventually worked things out and we've been together ever since."

He smiled, "Yay! Ain't love grand?"

She grinned, "Oh yeah." She continued, "We decided not to get married because of my career; it's difficult enough for women in law enforcement without throwing gay on top of it. And yes, I know zero tolerance and I bless Vance for that, but it's still out there." He nodded.

"So we have our lives together but we shield it from the agency. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Not on my account! The only person I can think of who might be curious about your life and only because you're new to her, is Secretary Porter but she won't be contacting the tabloids, she has her own privacy to protect."

"You think I should be up front with her?"

"Yes, when an opportunity comes up, tell her the truth and then don't worry about it. She's a woman who's been in and around politics for years, she knows how it is."

He frowned, thinking of the congressman who'd wanted to pry into his life and told her about that meeting and how the other member of the committee had stopped him as Tim himself was about to ask what relevance the question had. She nodded, she was pretty low on the totem pole as far as Washington was concerned, she'd handle it if anything came up and she trusted Tim implicitly.

They wound down their conversation and returned to their seats. Tim slept after that, waking a few times when one or another of the kids crawled over him but he fell right back to sleep each time. He finally woke up when he felt the change as the plane started its descent. Lina was awake and they cuddled for a few minutes.

Off the jet, standing on the tarmac, back in Greece, Tim took a deep breath and turning to his wife, picked her up and kissed her, calling out, "We're home!" She squealed and laughed as he gently set her down. The kids surrounded them, laughing and he kissed each of them. He looked up to see the rest of the family going about their business while Tanya, Rick and his wife stood there watching him with surprised expressions on their faces. He winked at them and then smiled as Evander appeared and Poppy whistled for attention while their friend handed out keys and housing assignments. Grabbing Zoe, Tim put her on his shoulders. "C'mon kids, let's get to the ferry!"

When they got to the ferry, he saw Pete, Joel and Ariston on the top deck; they waved and Tim put Zoe down, picking up Anna, "Uncle Ariston is there, sweetie, look for Besiana and Jak!"

She called out to them when she spotted them and then it was their turn to board. She and Gemma ran up the gangplank to their cousins while their father smiled as he helped the rest of his kids. Andy was glued to his side and he ruffled his hair. "Glad for them, Andy. You got to see your sister, they get to see their cousins. It's a very good thing!" He saw Sean blink, he was not at all comfortable with the topic of Sarah Hope; they would keep an eye on him and get him more professional help if it seemed warranted. From that standpoint they were glad that Sean was not someone who hid his feelings well, they didn't have to guess at what he was feeling.

Zoe was now with Lina and Jorry with Andy so Tim reached down and picked Sean up. "Come here son, you think you're too big for a piggyback ride?"

Sean's infectious laugh gave him the answer as he swung his boy onto his shoulders. "Ooh, I see Uncle Pete and Uncle Paolo."

"Yes, Seanie we'll be there in a minute."

Sean leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I don't 'member the other guy's name."

"The one next to Uncle Pete or next to Uncle Paolo?"

Sean giggled, "No Daddy, that's Uncle Ariston! The one next to Uncle Pete."

"That's Joel Morris. He used to be my boss."

"Ok."

The family made their way to the upper deck and Sean greeted his uncles from his dad's shoulders before sliding down to the deck. "Aw, now I'm short again, can't see!"

Jorry gave him a shoulder bump, "Me too! But we'll be tall like Daddy and Andy someday."

"Yeah!"

The kids had fun watching for dolphins and whales and mermaids, still one of Zoe and Tea's passions, on the way to the island. Finally they were there and in a few minutes they were at their house. Lina showed Tanya the extra rooms, she picked one and then helped Tim, Anna and Andy move the luggage. Next in their routine was to check out the kitchen to see what was there. Occasionally a previous renter would leave something and the custom was to put a note with the date purchased on it. There was a new jar of peanut butter in one of the cabinets with a note in French that Lina translated. "Ate the rest of the one that was left here, hope you enjoy the new jar!"

The date was two months previous. Andy smiled, "That was probably our peanut butter, huh Dad?"

"Bet you're right son. Nice of them to leave another one."

Tanya came into the kitchen with a thick notebook, "Lina, Tim? Do you mind if I sign this separately from you?"

They looked at each other, puzzled. Anna and Andy were nearby and grinned at each other.

Tim saw them, "Do you two know what this is?"

They nodded; Anna reporting, "We made it up the first year Andy and Sean were with us. It's a guest book so that everyone who stays here can sign it. We wanted to see where people are from."

Lina looked at them, "But we've never signed it."

The two giggled, "We sign it for you."

Tanya smiled at them, "There are people from everywhere and I've seen the same names more than once."

She handed it to Lina who leafed through, "People from Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, oh here's someone from England…look Anna, Andy, the same people from Poland again and they've said hello to you!"

Tim laughed as he read over their shoulders, pointing to one entry. "That's the owner, he says thank you for making up the guest book and he hopes you and your family will return many times."

Then he laughed again, "There's a note from Evander for you! Here, it's in English."

The two read it and grinned, excited that their friend and other people had signed their book again this year – and left them notes. Tim picked up a pen and then noticed the kids frowning. "You don't want me to sign it? I was just going to thank the French family for the peanut butter."

"Oh ok. We always wait until our last day to sign so we can put everything in."

"That sounds like fun!"

They located the red wagon and Tim took Zoe, Cailey, Jorry and Sean to the market with him. He stepped outside and grinned at his father who was just stepping out of the house next door, "Got your list?"

"Yep. Gonna share the kids?"

"If you insist." Cailey and Jorry each took one of Poppy's hands while Sean and Zoe held onto their dad and off they went to the market, the kids waving to everyone who said hello. They were about a block from home when Tanya came running after them. "Hey, I want to see what they have there, for the days I cook."

"Oops, sorry I should have thought of that. We usually don't plan too far in advance, you never know when someone's going to decide to throw a potluck or a progressive dinner where you need to bring turnips for 50 instead of the lamb dish for 10 you planned to make."

Poppy laughed "On the other hand if you see something you like at the market, buy it because you don't know who's coming in after you, they might take it all!"

Tim snorted, "That's just you and Davos, Dad!"

Tanya smiled, she'd heard dozens of stories about vacations here and they all sounded like fun. "So what are you getting today?"

"Whatever fresh meat they have, probably chicken, for tonight and we'll see what else they have."

Zoe looked at her father, "Ice cream!"

"Of course."

They stopped again when Andy came running. "Here, Mama thought of more stuff."

"Ok, thanks, you coming with?"

"Yes, you'll need help."

"I'm sure we will."

There was silence for a full minute and then Andy said, "Um Dad?"

"Aunt Claire is not changing the splash age son and you know it's up to your mother and me anyway."

Andy sighed, "I know, but three more years!"

Tim looked at him wishing he had some experience to relate to his son but when he'd been 13, he was homeless, raising two kids and still recovering from a knife wound, certainly nothing he wanted Andy to relate to! Knowing Andy might not like having his hair ruffled in public, Tim gave him a sympathetic shoulder squeeze. However, Poppy had an experience to relate, "Andy, it's hard to wait, I know. When I was your age I had to wait until I was 15 until I could go to the swimming hole by myself. 15! It was a three mile walk and my dad said there were too many older kids who went and he wouldn't be able to get to me fast enough if something happened."

Jorry tugged on Andy's hand. "There might be sharks out there Andy. You're our onliest big brother, you can't drown or get shark bit."

Andy opened his mouth, closed it and then hugged his little brother.

XXX

Tanya was surprised at the amount of fresh food in the market. There was a lot of chicken, fresh vegetables and fruit. Tim and Sean shopped for the fresh vegies and fruit, then went to look for bread. She followed and blinked in surprise as she heard Tim conversing rapidly in Greek with a store employee. She knew he spoke it, they all did but that was at home, this was…well Greece. Feeling like an idiot, she watched as Tim looked over a selection of freshly baked bread. He picked four loaves that were wrapped for him. Then came eggs, freshly laid and he took three dozen. Flour, sugar and vanilla for pancake batter. She opened her mouth to mention the baking powder and soda but Andy said, "We already have the rest."

"Thanks!"

Tim looked beyond the sugar and spotted something rarely seen at this store, chocolate chips! He exclaimed and the clerk grinned at him. Two bags went in the cart along with two pounds of butter and four gallons of milk.

Tim explained that the eggs, butter and milk all came from a dairy on the other side of the island, there were deliveries every day of the week. Seeing Papas Theo walking in the door the clerk hurriedly told Tim there were no deliveries on Sunday. He had such a pleading look on his face that his customers didn't dare argue or say anything more on the topic. Tim and Poppy grabbed the chicken they wanted; they were fond of the priest but he would talk their ears off and getting the kids and the chicken out of the heat was a good excuse.

When he came in he saw Tim and gave him a hug, speaking rapidly and greeting Poppy and the kids, looking puzzled when he saw Cailey and even more so when he saw Tanya. Tim, Lina and Tanya had discussed how they would explain their place in the family and had finally decided to say she and Cailey were foster children, much less complicated than explaining everything. As it had been Tanya's suggestion, the McGees agreed. Now the girls were introduced to the priest with that explanation and the man nodded, welcoming them to the island. Tim invited him to dinner on Tuesday and the man's face lit up as he accepted. "Will you be dancing that night?"

"I'm sure we will be Papas, we'll need a few days to practice though."

"Don't worry about practicing on Sunday, it's joyous, a prayer."

"Thank you."

As they walked home, the kids helping with the food laden wagon, Tim pulled out his phone and sent a text to Damian, "_priest coming to dinner Tues, wants to dance. Need to practice!_"

He got a text back that said, _"Tomorrow before dinner on the beach. Your patio, pass the word."_ He grinned at Andy. "One thing you are old enough for is dancing. We're going to practice tomorrow before dinner."

Andy's face lit up, "Cool!"

Tanya was curious, what kind of dancing needed practice and why would a priest be excited about it?

Sean touched her arm, "It's Greek dancing. Mama, Daddy, Yaya and Pappouli taught us. Uncle Damian's really good at it."

"Oh that sounds like fun."

Tim laughed, "It is!"

Poppy smiled, "Fun and energetic, that's for sure!"

When they got home everyone was hungry and tired, so they had a snack and went to have naps. Tanya had been told about jet lag; now she was starting to understand. She'd been perfectly fine until suddenly she needed to sleep _now_!

After a good night's sleep, the family was up sooner than usual on their first full day. They had breakfast and then went for their first walk on the beach.


	270. Chapter 270

**Warning:** mention of WWII atrocities, one in particular. While it's not graphic, there is a little detail. If it helps, the cases (Chapters 42-44 and 60) and what appears here are fiction. If you want to skip it, read through to the long line of X's, then scroll through the story to the second long line of X's. Don't want you to miss the rest of the chapter as this is our last visit to Greece.

* * *

><p>CH 270<p>

They walked down to the sun shelter vendor and reserved three shelters for later. The vendor said he knew the usual group of Americans and Greeks, if one of them asked for one he'd give them one of the reserves.

They walked a little further, grinning when they heard the ferry as Chloe, Peter, Margaret and Nicolas and their kids should be on it. They hurried over to the dock and welcomed the Thessaloniki family with open arms. Tad, Dmitri and Zander spoke English and their cousins spoke Greek when greeting each other. Chloe looked around, smiling when she saw Alexis running down the pier. She was swept into her parents' arms and her little brother jumped right into the huddle with them. Pappouli and Yayaka were busy greeting Nicolas, Margaret and the boys and let the Rodinos spend some time with their daughter.

They went back to the house through town because it was faster than walking on the sand and changed into their swim stuff while Tim and Lina made sandwiches and popped them into the wheeled cooler along with plenty of drinks and snacks. They all helped each other with sunscreen and grabbed their towels, hats and flip flops, they were ready to go. Lina brought an extra hat for Tanya who took it from her although she had no intention of wearing it. Lina didn't say a word, she knew the three doctors would convince her or maybe seeing the other young women wearing them would work.

The kids, Tim and Lina had their Fourth of July swimwear on and Jorry asked if they could wear it tomorrow too. Tim chuckled, "Sure son, we'll celebrate all weekend. We're having our fireworks tonight so our friends from NCIS can join in. Tomorrow night they'd have to leave before dark."

Jorry had to think about that, they had lots of friends from his dad's work. Then he remembered the people who'd come last year. "You mean the guy with the striped hair?"

"Yes, Jake and the others: Rusty, Lynn and Denise." Last year Jake had just completed a brief undercover operation and had blond, purple and red highlights in his hair when they'd seen him.

"Ok."

They stepped out onto the path and joined Ziva and Brian who were walking from their cottage further down the beach. They hadn't seen much of them since the ferry and the kids made a beeline for them, slowing down as they got closer. Zoe took Aunty Ziva's hand, telling her everything they'd done since they got here. Ziva smiled as her little niece told her about the store and the dock and the aunts and uncles from Thessa…she stopped, it was a big word for her. Aunty helped her parse it out and they grinned at each other. Ziva leaned in, "Can you keep a secret?" Zoe nodded solemnly. "I have an aunty who's coming here too!"

"Oooh, that's nice! What's her name?"

"She's Aunt Nettie." Zoe repeated the name and then looked worried, "Are you going to tell my Daddy and Mama?"

"Yes, we'll tell them when we get to the beach so you only have to keep the secret for a few minutes." Zoe nodded, relieved.

They found the DiNozzos and the Perrys already on the beach, just finishing putting up the largest sun shelter. The Hubbards and Cranes were just ahead of them, carrying beach umbrellas. Tim helped his uncles get those situated and then took Brian to get another of the shelters. After that one was up, right next to the big one, they put their stuff in the big one. Brian looked at his brother-in-law, "Why'd you do that?"

Tim chuckled, "The kids like to hang out together and that means the big shelter and we still need to keep an eye on the younger ones. Plus it gives people a break from the constant kid chatter."

"And now you'll have two more little ones!"

Tim's face lit up, "Yeah, isn't that great!" Brian started to smile politely and then remembered what Ziva said about Lina's problems: a bout of anemia, 2 failed pregnancies requiring surgery and months of recovery. His older brother's wife had had a couple of miscarriages and he knew they could be heartbreaking. Instead of being polite he grinned as he slapped Tim on the back, "Absolutely, more nieces and nephews to spoil!"

When the Grands and Greats, the Powells and junior Mallards arrived, Ziva went to her parents and grandparents. "Grammie, Grandfa, Penny, Poppy, Rhea, there's someone special coming to visit for a few days."

They smiled, looking at her and wondering.

Ziva smiled, "Aunt Nettie!" The family cheered and Ziva beamed. Brian said, "She feels the flight to the U.S. is too long for her but from Tel Aviv to Athens is only two hours."

Ziva nodded, "She'll be here Tuesday morning; we'll take the ferry over and meet her at the airport." The Russells had arrived, were listening and now Pete said, "Ziva, you can use our car to get to and from the airport. We'll get it when we go to the mainland Monday afternoon."

"Thank you Pete, that's very thoughtful."

Ziva's family was excited about meeting Aunt Nettie after all these years and talked about her arrival off and on all day. In the meantime, the waves were calling to them and after a general reminder of the rules and everyone being shown the new rescue boat, they'd rented an inflatable boat with a motor that could reach anyone in trouble, most of the group headed for the water. Later in the afternoon they'd have practice runs in the boat so that several of them knew how to operate it in the surf.

Their Fourth of July was as much fun as always, a lot of swimming and playing in the water and along the shoreline, sand castles built to be destroyed. There was something new this year for lunch, fried chicken, courtesy of Janeese and Claire, along with Rhea's Southwestern potato salad and a few other tasty dishes, followed by ice cream and cake on the beach.

Later that afternoon after the boat drills Tim, Lina, Damian and Matt gathered everyone who wanted to dance Tuesday and led them to the McGees' patio. It was too small for all of them and the path to the beach too narrow; they ended up at the end of the street, a cul-de-sac lined with shade trees and beach cottages. The only people living there were part of their group so after some warmups they cranked up the music and the Greeks amongst them started dancing. For the most part Lina watched from the sidelines but she did some of the less vigorous steps and coached, at least feeling useful.

With Cailey under the watchful eye of the Greats, Tanya was with the dance group as an observer, happy to see Ethan and his siblings were part of the dancers along with the McGee kids, Emma and Adam Powell. Damian and the assorted Kalivas' stopped a few times to help the kids and the Americans who hadn't danced in a while but after nearly an hour, they were all doing well. None of them were new, just out of practice.

Damian kept them going for another hour and then stopped, finally satisfied. "All right, we'll have another practice on Monday, before people head out to the mainland. Timotheos, what time will you go?"

"We're taking the 1:00 ferry."

"We'll meet in the morning then, at 9:00, here, before the sun gets too hot." The dancers agreed and hurried back to the ocean.

The fire was already built in the fire pit and soon they gathered to enjoy their dinner of grilled 'dogs and burgers with every conceivable side dish. After dinner, the kids were lounging around when Andy spotted his uncle Geo giving his father a look. There was a slight nod and then the brothers somehow passed the word to the rest of the guys and into the ocean they ran full tilt. Brian had briefed his dad about splash battles and Ben ran right in with the others. Andy, Evan, Steve and Adam ran after them, stopping at the shoreline to watch the first splash battle of the season. The NCIS team was there for the day and Lydia and the Morrises were there for the holiday weekend and now Lydia and Bec led their warriors, including Ziva, Carla, Kim, Sarah, Ainsley, Agents Lynn and Denise plus Tanya into the fray. Lina grinned as she watched nearly all of her adult family wade into the water; she knew they looked forward to this every year and she was glad to see Tanya, who'd heard many splash battle tales from the kids, heading out to have some fun. While George refereed, Edith, Margaret, Charlotte, Julie Metzger, Gram and Grandfa stayed with Lina on the beach with Fiona, Hallie, Lucy and Patrick playing peacefully; the rest of the kids watched, enthralled as always, calling out encouragement to their parents, grandparents and friends.

Andy and Evan watched Ethan with a bit of envy, counting down the months until they'd be old enough. Evan's birthday was in September and they figured he would have to wait an additional year to be allowed in a splash battle while Andy really only had 2 ½ years to wait; he was lucky to be born before summer rather than after! Andy patted his shoulder, "Maybe we can go to a beach at home for your birthday, have one there, then we can both be in it!" That cheered Evan and they resumed their support of the battle.

After fiercely battling for nearly an hour, George blew the whistle and he and Edith declared a tie. The water slogged warriors came in, there was just enough heat left in the day to dry them off before the sun disappeared and they started their countdown to full dark. The shelters were returned, trash picked up, those who lived closest took most of their daytime gear home and they settled in to wait.

Finally it was dark enough and time for their annual fireworks. They sighed in satisfaction, ooh-ing and aah-ing right along with the kids. All in all it had been another wonderful Fourth of July celebration, their 8th here on the island.

Sunday was another lovely day at the beach; Eva and Caleb arrived to spend the day, Kim and Evander had stayed over yesterday, and now Pete's old team gathered together for a long lunch out in town. Tim felt almost a relief when they met, that they were still 'them' whenever they were together. Sitting at the round table with these people who'd been there with him when his life began again, when he'd come to Greece, he wished his arms were long enough to hug them all at once.

He'd felt both comfort and support in California with Matt and Carla close by and when first Tea and then Eva arrived it strengthened both feelings. The year Pete and Trina visited had been nearly perfect, if Ned had been there at the same time it would have been. Although he'd more or less gotten used to it, having little choice, he hated being separated from anyone he loved. He knew it was a relic from Lily's death when he was so young, followed by the Commander's months away at sea, culminating in the abandonment by Natalie. That was a double edged sword, as he and Sarah would likely have been killed long ago if she hadn't sent them away. He jumped when Kim nudged him, "Hello Tim?"

He laughed, "Sorry, I was thinking about how much this means, that at least once a year we can be 'us' again."

Matt looked at him, "Are we going to have to be in DC to do it next year?"

Tim shook his head, "Not unless there's a big crisis going on. The only one I won't be able to travel with is whoever I select as my Assistant Director and that person cannot be related to me, legally, blood or otherwise."

"Otherwise?" Tim huffed as he looked at his brother-in-law. "Ned, now that you and Rob are married, we're legally related; Matt, until you and Daim marry, you're an 'otherwise', technically not related but we are."

He laughed when they both cheered, "Yay, so none of us have to be your Assistant Director!"

"Right and you're welcome!" They all laughed and Tea asked him what his swearing-in ceremony would be like. He smiled, "I imagine not so different from the AD ceremony. I've never been to any others; I've seen the presidential ones on TV but it won't be anything grand like that."

"Will you work that day?"

"Yep, once I've said the oath, I'm it."

"Until?"

"Until my 55th birthday at which time the current SecNav will announce my retirement and my successor and I'll be free."

Pete smiled, "Ten years and five months."

Tim smiled, "That's the plan!"

"And then you're coming home?"

"At least for part of the year, Jorry, Sean and Zoe will be in high school and the twins will be 10; we have to figure out how to do their schooling and see where Gemma, Anna and Andy are, what they're up to. And…my grandparents will be in their 90s, so if they come with us they're staying put, not flying back and forth. And I'm not willing to be an 11 hour flight away from them again so…we'll see. At least every summer and hopefully most of the winter."

The women nodded, satisfied that he and Lina were figuring it out. Ned suddenly laughed, "You could boot Rusty out and take the team again!"

They all chuckled when Tim pretended to think about it. "Hmm, I'll have been out of the field for more than 12 years by that time…and 55 years old; let's see, do I sign a waiver for myself before I retire?" He shook his head, "Nah, Rusty's doing a great job anyway, what's that saying? If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?"

He changed the subject to what was going on with the rest of them and they chatted for close to another hour before dispersing; even then they were back on the beach together.

The next morning the dance group met again and practiced for an hour, starting and stopping until Damian was satisfied.

Monday afternoon several of the group, including Tim and his sons, Tea and Hallie, took the ferry to the mainland. Tea's mother Maya was at the dock to pick them up and gave Tim and the boys a ride over to Archimedes' shop. The tailor was happy to see them, to meet the boys and pleased to have orders for additional suits for Tim, and one for each of the boys.

While they were measured and the colors and fabrics selected, Lina, Tanya and the girls were on the next ferry over. They'd meet at the Piraeus Metro station and travel into Athens for shopping and sightseeing together, planning on going to George's studio and the Flying Pig that evening before returning to Aegina.

Tanya and Cailey had their eyes wide open as they saw the flea market from the upper level of the Metro station and Tanya was even more impressed when she saw the Acropolis in the near distance. She'd seen photos, had studied a little of ancient Greece, but she never thought she'd see it in person. She hoped there would be time for them to go to it, to touch some part of it.

Tim chuckled at the way Lina and the kids fell on the flea market, thinking that the stalls would be picked clean by the time they were ready to go. He did stop at the yarn lady's booth to say hello and they had a conversation about him now living in a place with long cold winters. After measuring him, she showed him her heavier yarns and he picked one for a pullover for him, another for Lina (he'd brought her measurements, courtesy of Claire) and several more for scarves for Lina, Matt, Damian, both sets of parents, Eva, Caleb, Tea, Adan and all the kids.

When the others were ready he was glad to see he was wrong about them picking them place clean and there was plenty of time to take in some of the sights. Tim and Lina had a leisurely stroll up to the Parthenon while Zoe and Cailey danced along in front of them and Tanya and the other kids nearly ran up. They weren't worried, knowing Tanya would keep an eye on the boys. Tim and Lina exchanged a proud glance when they got there; Jorry was sitting on the ground, sketching while Sean kept an eye on his brother, occasionally pointing out things he noticed. Andy and the girls were walking around with Tanya and the McGees saw that each of them was also keeping an eye out on the boys. He and Lina were pleased at Tanya's reaction to the ancient site and talked about bringing her back over to see the agora and the other sites.

They took the Metro back to Piraeus and split into two groups for the ride in Pete's wagon to the studio. Lina took Andy, Zoe, Jorry and Gemma on the first trip and Tim followed with Sean, Anna, Cailey and Tanya. They were a little early so they went around in back of the studio to George's house and sat on his front porch in the shade for a few minutes. When they heard Pete's car again, they joined the others, Ziva, Brian, Matt, Damian and the Perrys, and went on in.

George saw them in the mirror and beamed as his class finished up, bowing to him. Rusty and his team, Kim, Trina, Dani, Kayla and Kyra waved as they headed off to change for dinner while the others, who looked like cops, glanced at them in interest.

Tim noticed one studying him and he nodded, figuring it was someone he'd worked with on a case. Finally the man came forward and introduced himself as the one who'd admired his prowess the night he'd shot the gun out of an old drunk's hand. Tim remembered doing that, it was the Stavros case, but he had no memory of anyone talking with him. He played along and the man finally said goodbye. After he and his brethren left, Matt who'd come in on the tail end of the conversation laughed, "You don't remember that guy at all!"

"I don't, do you?"

"Oh yeah, I think it was the first time I ever saw you…uh…you know…" Matt had just realized that several children were here. "We can talk about it later."

Pete laughed, "I remember him too; you were fine after the incident, going to drive us back to the office, then he helped Matt get the gear to the car and came to the driver's window to tell you it was great and that made you sick."

Tim shrugged, he guessed it hadn't registered as something that needed to be remembered. Later Pete told him it was also the night he and Lina had dinner on the Baton Rouge and she'd had kiwi. Tim nodded, he definitely remembered that!

George asked to see Andy and Anna's progress and smiled when they finished. "Wonderful, you are both doing very well! Now…Matthew?"

Matt gulped and Tim laughed out loud. Finally Matt said, "Master, I got promoted and had to move and I haven't had time to find a new class yet."

George smiled at him, "Congratulations on the promotion. Where are you now?" Matt told him and George looked at Tim. "Did you not tell me that you also are now living there?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, we are."

"Excellent! Now, are all of you going to the Flying Pig?" They nodded and he grinned, "Good, Dimitri will be there too." Pete invited the brothers to join them and George happily accepted.

They headed to the Flying Pig where they were warmly greeted by the proprietor and staff. Tim had abstained from any alcohol during Lina's previous pregnancies but tonight he wanted to choose something untried from the menu. Dinner was as fun as always and afterward George, Dimitri and Pete ferried the group to the boat. The brothers waved goodbye to their friends, planning to see them again that week. Before they docked on Aegina, Pete handed Brian the keys to the wagon and he chuckled, "I see Ziva's reputation as a kamikaze driver is known even in Greece." Pete just smiled, never saying a word.

Tuesday morning dawned bright and warm, promising to be one of Greece's very hot summer days. The kids were in the water early while Ziva and Brian left on the ferry, joking that Doda Nettie would feel right at home in these temperatures. They were in plenty of time to see her coming down the escalator into Customs and Baggage Claim and her face lit up when she saw them waving. Ziva hadn't mentioned it to anyone but they were going to ask Nettie to come live with them in New York. She'd met Brian's family via Skype and would now meet everyone in person; they'd see how she did and then when the time was right invite her to live with them. Even part of the year would be fine; Ziva was sure there would be another big house in Florida and perhaps her aunt could spend part of the winters there with the Mallards, Penny and the others. She hated being so far from her only surviving blood relative; the distance had been unavoidable for years but now they didn't have to live apart.

The ferry carrying Nettie, Ziva and Brian blew its horn twice as it pulled into the dock and Brian smiled as he heard the faint sound of cheers. By the time the boat was tied up, Ziva and Brian's parents, grandparents and siblings, carrying the littlest children, were waiting on the dock with a sign written in Hebrew that said, "Welcome from the rest of Ziva's family!"

The elderly woman teared up when she saw the sign and the welcoming smiles. Once on the dock, each of them said Shalom, correctly pronouncing her formal name. That was Brian's doing, he'd asked who was the best at languages and then taught those folks and they in turn taught the others, they'd been practicing since Sunday.

She greeted all of them in English and Hebrew and then said, with a twinkle in her eye, "But where are the rest of the children?"

They laughed and Grandfa explained they hadn't wanted to overwhelm her as there were more than 25 young ones but that the children were on the beach. "Not in the water?"

"Right now they're in the shade, on a break from the sun; when we get back, they'll return to the water."

"Oh I see, too hot in the sun for young skin, that's very wise!"

He smiled and bowed his head. One of the hotel shuttles appeared and Poppy told Ziva it was their ride to the cottage. When they got there Brian was pleased to see that the golf cart they'd rented for Nettie's visit was waiting for them. He carried her bag inside and then maneuvered the cart down the side of the cottage to the back, happy to see that the paved beach path was wide enough. That was good, now she could go to the beach and travel around town. Nettie got settled and then she and Ziva sat on the shaded back patio with cold drinks. Brian joined them and explained the golf cart. Nettie was delighted with their thoughtfulness and said she'd like to rest on the beach and then they could perhaps show her where the others were staying and the town.

When they arrived at the beach, Nettie was given a place of honor with Penny and the Mallards. She settled into her chair and then said to Grandfa, "Now where is Timothy? And the people he worked with here?"

"Pete, Bec, Matt, Ned and Eva are here on the beach with us, Nettie, do you want to see them? I'm afraid Kim and Tea, the other members of the old team, aren't here today."

"Yes Donald, I would like to see them if it is not inconvenient. From what I've been told it is Pete Russell, Matthew Watson and your Timothy that I want to see. I have something I wish to say to them, something years overdue."

XXX

Brian went to get Tim, Pete and Matt. While she was waiting, the elderly woman turned to Jethro. "Thank you for making Ziva a formal part of your family. It eases my heart to know that she has love and support with you, your wife and your other children. Of course she also has Brian and his family now, but you have been her only family for many years." She paused before continuing, "My brother was good at protecting our country but horrible at fatherhood and I know that Ziva suffered much at his hands and with his neglect, his inaction. At the time I thought her assignment to America was a bad idea but in the long run it has benefitted her greatly."

Jethro leaned forward and at her smile, kissed her on the cheek. "Ziva has been my daughter for a long time now, since shortly after she came to the U.S. She brings me joy." He smiled, "You know that makes us family!"

She chuckled, "Yes and all of you are now mine."

The agents approached her, dripping sea water.

She made a little noise, "I apologize; I should have waited until you were on a shade break!"

They cheerfully waved off her apology and sat on towels Grammie handed them.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nettie looked at them for nearly a minute before speaking, "I have wanted to say this for nearly a decade now but hoped I would have a chance to tell you in person. In 2013 you three took down a known Nazi criminal hiding on one of your Navy ships, Vasa Arktos or as he is known in Israel, Heinrich Behr. I'm familiar with the case, many in Israel are familiar with the case and I am sorry for the loss of your sailor. I have a personal stake in your case, a claim on Behr. You see, when he was at Dachau he oversaw the prisoners being made ready for…their deaths and he was particularly cruel. My uncle, Ziva's great uncle, was one of his victims and somehow, _somehow_, he managed to scrawl the man's name, with his own initials, in blood inside…inside the place of his death. Records show my uncle was murdered in 1944. I was a child then, safely away from Europe, and have waited my entire life since the Shoah for justice. You brought it, brought justice to the David and Gaer families; Gaer was my maternal grandmother's family name. I don't think you can possibly understand what that means to me, nevertheless I thank you for what you did; I am grateful." She reached out and the three of them held onto her hand.

Pete spoke, "We knew who he was before we went in; did you know Mossad briefed us?"

From the look in her eyes, he guessed she did and continued, "He chose what we call "suicide by cop" rather than face his crimes. That in itself was an act of cowardice. It's done and we're glad you've found some comfort or closure in his apprehension and death."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tim realized she might not know the rest of the story, which wasn't classified. "There's more, did you know that?"

She shook her head and Tim looked at his dad and Maggie. "Weeks later, our agent aboard the same ship was attacked and…" He told her about the related case and the found items and her eyes misted over with tears. "Not only justice but a return of someone's property. That's wonderful."

Tim turned to his dad, Maggie and Ned who'd joined them. "In that second case, these are three of the agents who solved the crime and brought the criminals to justice. They're now in prison."

Nettie's face lit up, "Six of you…that's wonderful, oh you are blessed!"

Dad spoke, "There were four of us; Dwayne Wilson is the fourth. He'b's a friend and part of Tony's team but he doesn't come to Greece with us."

She smiled at them all, "I knew Ziva was part of a special family but I had no idea that this would be so personal."

* * *

><p><strong>Note<strong>: the Finding Home crew is taking Thanksgiving week off; I'll be back the week of Nov. 29th with the final chapters of this story. Happy Turkey Day! Don't forget the cheese from a jar spread on celery sticks, now a McGee clan tradition!

Language Notes:

Shoah: another word for the Holocaust

Toda: Thank You (I've also seen it spelled Todah)

Doda: Aunt; I also found Tante listed as the Hebrew word for 'Aunt' although it's French and apparently also in use in Germany.


	271. Chapter 271

There's a reference to e-mails sent to Tim earlier in the story; if you want to take a look back at them, they're in Chapter 209.

Also, to the guest who asked if Flying Pig would open a branch in DC...no, sorry, it didn't work out. The owner just couldn't face the rat race of Washington DC.

* * *

><p>CH 271<p>

Dinner that night was potluck and they decided to have it in the cul-de-sac where they'd be dancing. Tim called the local police office, identified himself and asked who he should speak to for permission to use the public street as a dining area and dance floor, effectively shutting it down for any traffic.

The officer on duty chuckled, "You don't need permission; everyone staying nearby is with you, aren't they?"

"Yes."

"I'll note that you asked and I gave you the okay; go ahead and have fun. Is this the dinner Papas Theo is going to?"

"Yes."

"Then there's absolutely no problem! I know there are young children with you so you won't be there all night. Keep the music down after 11 PM and you're fine."

"Thank you!"

Several picnic and dining tables were moved into the cul-de-sac, along with chairs, benches and the largest grill, the one from the Russells' vacation house, was rolled down the street. Hélène and Lina made meze while Tim made a triple batch of garlic potatoes and Tanya made a layered salad.

As they walked down the street, they were joined by the Grands, Greats and Hardisters who had a casserole dish covered in foil. Grandfa made green bean salad, Poppy had a container of slow cooked chicken that smelled wonderful and Grammie smiled happily as she showed the kids her favorite Scottish dish. Penny and Rhea smiled, "We helped!"

While Edith and George brought a salad, Sarah and James brought paper plates, cups, plastic cutlery; some of the others brought cold drinks and more food. While they got organized, they heard a voice singing and soon Papas Theo came into view, practicing a few dance steps along the street.

As usual they had more food than they could possibly eat but most households also brought storage containers so the extra could be saved and enjoyed later. Damian turned the music up and the kids danced around a little bit. Tim and Matt joined them and then cheered when the Avramidis brothers _and_ Kim and Evander walked up from the beach path to join them. They'd invited the brothers although the two had never before visited during the week. Dimitri grinned, "Who could resist a night of dancing and good food with our friends?" They had a key to a friend's weekend house, they'd stay there as they usually did.

Tim had also had a sneaking suspicion Kim and Evander would come over; they'd probably stay over and take the first ferry in the morning. With a glance at Lina, he offered their remaining spare room and they grinned, "Thanks!"

Damian turned the music up louder and the priest jumped up to start a line, the rest of them joining in and giving themselves over to the music. The kids were interspersed with the adults and everyone, whether watching or dancing, had a wonderful time, even Aunt Nettie gave it a try. They danced for several minutes before they stopped to eat and after they ate and rested, they danced some more. Papas Theo was almost scarily energetic, while the others alternated dancing and taking breaks, he kept going.

Apparently they wore out even the children as the first people from the group to grab a sun shelter did so at 10:30 the next day, very late for them. Eventually everyone appeared and although they all played in the water, there were no splash battles that day.

Toward the end of that first week, the gang was surprised and pleased to receive invitations to a party on Friday at the Russells' home on the mainland. It was for lunch so they'd make the evening ferry runs back to Aegina and the invitation mentioned swimming in the pool rather than the ocean. It sounded like fun and when Tim asked Pete what the occasion was, he shrugged, "We promised Andy to have a party so he could see what our parties were like when everyone lived here; we didn't get to it last year and now sounded good."

Tim grinned, "Thanks Pete, he's going to love it as much as I do, all our kids will!"

The Russells left Thursday afternoon to get the house prepped and ready. They'd already enlisted Lukas and Kyra's help and between the four of them, the house was cleaned and the furniture rearranged. Trina and Lukas worked on some things while Kyra the chef took her father grocery shopping.

On the day of the party, a fleet of 9 vehicles and their volunteer drivers transported the party goers between the Piraeus dock and the house. Even with 9 vehicles it took a while but finally they were all there. The McGees were a bit puzzled as to why they were last but shrugged it off. Tim stopped the kids as they crossed the walkway into the house, "Look at the merpeople!"

The kids loved it and Zoe's face lit up, "Mama, Daddy, can I have that on my wall at home?" They laughed and nodded; Lina and Rhea already had something similar planned for Zoe's room that Rhea would execute. They walked in the front door and as in times past Pete and Trina were in the foyer greeting their guests; the McGee children walked in first, followed by their parents. The kids started cheering and laughing and Tim looked around to see what was going on. And then he saw it: balloons and banners with his name on them, congratulating him for his new 'role'.

As Trina kissed him, she put a sash, decorated with crowns, scepters and the scales of justice, over his neck and Pete placed a crown on his head. Tim laughed until he had tears in his eyes, remembering his siblings' group e-mail to him when he'd been made Assistant Director.

After he placed the crown, Pete executed a sweeping bow, "Welcome to our humble abode, your Royal-ness!"

When Tim looked up, he saw his sisters, brothers and in-laws grinning at him while his grandmothers, parents and in-laws were laughing and seemed as surprised as he was and then he saw Tea, Ted and Jack! Grinning at them, he turned to Lina, now wearing a tiara and still laughing, she hadn't known.

Pete escorted the 'royal couple' into the main room and explained. "We wanted to do something special to congratulate you and commemorate your last vacation as a 'commoner'," he paused until the laughter at that died down, "and remembered the e-mails you loved so much at your last promotion. We contacted Ducky before you all got here and brought your sisters and brothers in on it to make sure it was something you'd still enjoy and here we are!"

Grandfa's eyes twinkled as the video he'd surreptitiously recorded of his grandson's reactions to those e-mails played on the Russells' large screen TV. Someone had edited the recording with a voice-over, reading the e-mails aloud as Tim viewed them on the recording, howling with laughter. Those who hadn't heard or seen the e-mails were laughing so hard Lukas stopped the recording a few times, replaying it more than once.

Tim listened to the voice, nodded and then scanned the crowd until he found his friend. He grinned at Norm, "Nice job professor! Grandfa, thanks for recording that, I had no idea!" Both men grinned and bowed to him.

The party was wonderful, of course. After a sparkling cider toast to Tim's promotion, they feasted on the sumptuous lunch Kyra prepared and then got in the pool which was close to standing room only. The adults took dips while the kids stayed in and the toddlers had a separate wading pool all to themselves although occasionally they found big feet sharing the pool with them, cooling off. Eventually the three doctors ordered everyone out of the sun and they went back inside to the blessed air conditioning and lovely dessert!

Tim shook his head as a large four layer cake was carefully wheeled in. In the center of the top layer was a figure of Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, blindfolded, armed with a sword and balance scales. He looked at Kyra who smiled, "I had help with Lady Justice, this isn't the one most people see, that's the Roman one. This is the Grecian deity, seemed more appropriate."

After making sure plenty of photos were taken and telling Kyra he hoped she was credited for this, Tim cut the first slice of cake and searching the room, found the man who'd taught him so much, even if was sometimes what not to do, walked over and kissed his father on the cheek, handing him the cake. As Dad blinked away the moisture in his eyes, Tim smiled at him as he said, "It wasn't easy and we had to go through fire to make it work but this is the guy I hold responsible for all this. My dad and my wonderful wife have been my anchors."

Then he turned and laughed as he pointed at Pete and Joel, "And you two are the shadchanim of NCIS!"

Tim grinned as Nettie, Ziva and Brian let out surprised whoops of laughter; he continued, "That's matchmaker…in this case political matchmakers." He snorted, "Of course you're also both yentas…old gossipy…well you're not women."

Nettie was still laughing but managed to tell him 'yenta' was acceptable. Tim went on, "Toda Doda Nettie. So my yenta, shadchanim friends, thank you, I love you both." Then he spoke softly in Greek to his wife and kids, kissing each of them and they beamed. He thanked Tony, Ziva, Ducky, Jimmy, Rick, Matt, Bec, Carla, Ned, Rusty, Lydia and in absentia, Leon. Grandfa looked surprised but got it, they'd worked together for a decade as Ducky and Timothy. Finally Tim thanked the rest of the family, calling out each one for their support and love. Then he stopped, embarrassed, "Wow! Glad this was a surprise!"

He paused to take a sip of his drink and in doing so gave a discreet toast, a simple lift of the glass, to Lydia. Smiling, she returned it and immediately there was a lot of noise, so maybe not quite discreet enough.

Matt jumped up, "Called it!"

It was so unlike Matt that there was silence for a beat before Tony, Ned, Bec and Jimmy stood up with him, laughing and pulling American currency from their pockets. Tony nodded, "Yep, you did, here you go!"

Matt took their money, handing half to a smirking Ziva. Some people understood but more were confused at what just happened so Tim finally said, "When I'm in the new role, there will be a need for someone to take my current role. I believe that's what the betting was for." He paused, "I'm curious, who else did you guys have in mind?"

Tony grinned, "Once we knew it couldn't be any of us, Maggie and I thought it might be Lydia, Rose Peters or Bashon-Martin. My money was on Rose because she worked with you in Rota and Preston and was your first deputy."

Bec explained, "I thought it might be Cassie Yates or Jane Melankovic because you go back so far with each of them."

Tim grinned at Lydia, "Worked with Lydia first, here in Europe, she was a direct report to me when I chose my other deputies so I couldn't choose her as a deputy until she moved to Little Creek; she's got exactly the right skill sets."

Now that they understood, the group cheered and stood a toast to Lydia who graciously thanked them.

After enjoying their cake, ice cream and beverages, the kids had another dip in the pool and then began the return trek to the island. The families with children were delivered to the ferry first, followed by the Greats, Nettie, the Colonel and then everyone else. Even after the multiple trips back and forth to the Russells, they were still early for the ferry. Finally the boat pulled in and the deckhands laughed, "You're all here already?"

Kyra shook her head, "No, my parents aren't here yet. They'll be along any minute." She approached the purser and whispered something, he grinned and nodded. Finally the old minivan appeared in the lot and Tim could see that there were more than two people in the car. He tried to look but then Uncle Dave said something and he turned to talk with him. When he finally turned back, he saw Stan, Roger and their wives wading through the crowd. "Hey!"

They grinned and told him they were sorry they missed the party. "We were afraid to ask Leon if we could both take the day off today; he's been chomping at the bit all week!"

Aunty Liz grinned, "We've got the whole party recorded."

"Great, can't wait to see it!"

"Including Tim's 20 minute 'acceptance' speech!" That was from Geordie and Tim laughed, "Yeah, it probably was about that long. Although…the ice cream didn't melt."

The newcomers were staying at the hotel for the weekend and made arrangements to have dinner with the McGees, Russells, Gibbses and some of the others Saturday night.

The rest of their vacation passed on the beach and in the town. The planned dinner with their weekend visitors was a lot of fun. Lina and Tim made their annual trek to the pottery store, buying a few things. The women took Nettie shopping and she and Lina shared the golf cart. They'd seen their friend the florist the first day they were there and she'd again presented them with bouquets for the big house and the McGees. This year they insisted on paying and she didn't resist. The children's store had plenty of baby things in stock and Lina thanked Trina for once again putting the word out. The toddlers, preschoolers and the almost kindergarteners, Zoe, Sasha and Cailey, ended up with new things – along with the expected twins of course.

They had several more dinners as a group, casual potlucks on the beach, progressive dinners from house to house and one night they had a dessert potluck that left them all groaning. All in all, it was a wonderful vacation with plenty of water activities – including the splash battles – bike riding, hiking, horseback rides, miniature golf and other fun things. Tim's wife, parents and grandparents were particularly happy to see that he was relaxed and thoroughly enjoying himself.

XXX

After promising to consider moving to the U.S., Nettie left for home a few days before the rest of them. She'd have to think long and hard about leaving Israel; moving across the world would be a huge change and she was getting older now, although only in her mid-80s. Still the possibility appealed more to her now that she'd met Ziva's 'other' family, the people who'd rescued her, risked their own lives for her. She'd enjoyed her stay and liked these people very much and the talk of going someplace warm for the winters really appealed to her. It was a big decision and a lot to think about.

Their second Monday, 3 days before the end of their vacation, Vance came wandering down the beach with Dani, their arms wrapped around each other. Tim was in the water with Jorry on his shoulders, having a watery 'bullfight' with Rob and Sasha. Jorry spotted the couple first and announced that Uncle Leon was here and that he was being 'mushy' with Aunt Dani.

Wading into shore to greet the newcomer, Tim pretended to be blinded by the diamond on Dani's finger. He and Lina congratulated and hugged both of them, the Russells, Jethro and Rhea just behind them waiting to do the same thing. Leon looked around, "If none of you are busy tomorrow night, we'd like you to join us at the Hotel Danae for a special party." Tim grinned at the couple, hoping he was right about the 'special party'.

He was down at the dock the next morning with some of the younger kids, they loved to watch the boats coming in, when he spotted a yacht moving slowly toward the marina. As it got closer, he smiled, recognizing one of the men as part of Secretary Porter's security team. His own team was close by, busy on their audio feeds, no doubt receiving instructions. Deciding it would be easier for the security details if he re-joined the group, he nudged the kids, "C'mon, let's get back to the beach."

He put Lucy on his shoulders and they headed back toward the beach. However they'd been spotted and he gave a slight nod in answer to the discreet wave he got from Madame Secretary. Zoe bounced against him, "Daddy, that's your friend!"

"I know Zoe but we need to be quiet about it."

"Why?"

"She might be here to surprise Uncle Leon."

Zoe whispered, "Ok, we won't tell, huh guys?"

Her brothers and cousins nodded solemnly and Tim thanked them. As they got to the beach they heard the other kids chanting, "Splash battle, splash battle."

Tim delivered the kids to the Greats and then looked at his brothers, sisters and friends, noticing Leon and Dani were there. With determination Lydia, Bec, Maggie, Breena, Ziva, Dani, Rhea, Chloe, Besiana, Alexis and most of the other women marched into the ocean where they stood, clearly challenging the men. Meeting the challenge, the men roared in after them, not noticing the Secretary of the Navy and her husband standing on the path watching, eyes open wide.

Grandfa refereed while Lina, Margaret and whoever wasn't in the water kept their eyes on the children. As splash battles went, it was epic although it was again declared a tie, always a wise decision! When it was over the watery warriors made their way onto the beach to the cheers of the kids; as that died down they looked up, still hearing applause. It was the Porters, who'd watched the entire battle. When Lydia realized who it was, she worked hard to appear calm. But Tim caught her eye, smiled and she relaxed. Leon and Dani went to say hello and gestured to Tim, Lina and Lydia to join them. They welcomed the Porters who wanted to know more about what they'd just seen and were invited to join them in the sun shelter. Pete was quietly amused watching Lydia join them, thinking of his friend's first meeting with the rather acerbic London SFA, glad she'd become a friend and Tim's choice to succeed him as Assistant Director.

Most of the group turned out for the party that evening. All but a few were surprised when they were ushered into the large banquet room of the hotel and found it partitioned off and set up for a wedding, with rows of ornate padded chairs separated by an aisle down the middle and tall vases of fresh flowers across the front and around the sides of the place, the vases linked together by wide ribbon. Geordie, Uncle Dave and Unca Jim automatically snapped to attention when Secretary Porter entered the room; she acknowledged them and then gave them a discreet 'as you were' gesture. The guests took their seats; Leon and Jared appeared at the front of the room standing next to the officiant, music played and Kayla walked in through the crowd followed by Dani, escorted by Ross. It was a brief and joyous ceremony and when it was over, when they kissed, the couple was given a standing ovation. Dani and Leon beamed at each other, happiness radiating from them.

And then the party started. The partition was rolled back so the guests could walk through and to reveal the other half of the room set with round tables covered in pristine tablecloths and place settings for a four course meal. Each table had an arrangement of fresh flowers and wedding favors; recognizing the unique touch of their friend the florist, the McGees were glad she'd been chosen for another family wedding. Champagne and non-alcoholic sparkling drinks were served and bride and groom were toasted. Jared gave a brief 'best man' speech which was well received and then they sat to eat, enjoying every bite of the traditional Greek lamb recipe served over couscous with a uniquely island vegetable dish along with the rest of their meal. While they were eating, the rolling wall was closed again, the wedding guest chairs disappeared and the wall reopened. Now there was room to dance!

And dance they did! Although they hadn't planned it, Greek music was played and the newlyweds danced together before gesturing to their friends and family to join them. Dani led the line with Leon following with many of the former 'Dance Troupe' joining them. They danced for a few minutes, folding the children and other dancers in and then for a solid hour they danced before taking a break. The cake was brought out and cut, the guests enjoying that along with more bubbly beverages and then the music started again. Laughing, the 'Dance Troupe' rose again. The Porters watched, their toes tapping and when Davos and Hélène offered to show them a few steps, they accepted with alacrity.

It was a happy crowd that walked or rode the shuttles back into town later that evening. Tim, Lina, the Russells, Jethro and Rhea were the only ones who'd expected a wedding and as Brian remarked, it was the most comfortable wedding he'd ever been to. That was certainly true as they were all dressed very casually, not quite in beachwear but close. Lina laughed, "That's exactly what they wanted, no fuss and everyone comfortable, ready to celebrate with them."

Tim went into Piraeus the next day to pick up the new suits and had lunch with Jack and Ted. They'd been at the Russells' party on Friday but with everything going on they hadn't had much chance to talk. Now his friends quietly congratulated him on the change coming up, insisting on paying for his lunch. Laughing, they said they'd always remember two things about his time in Greece: Tim's blank expression when they met for the first time at the embassy and the applause, cheers and warm welcome they'd been given by Tim and his staff when they'd returned after being away for months, recovering from their injuries after Bagram.

The rest of the time Tim, his family and friends had in Greece was spent on the beach and in the water; evenings found most of the group gathering for dinner, sometimes ending a day by meeting around a fire pit, sometimes laying on blankets on the beach, watching the stars. Tanya cooked several times and her family approved most heartily! She'd also had the chance to babysit a few times while Tim and Lina had some time alone.

Wednesday night, their last night, was the usual roundup of all perishable foods. As always there was a bittersweet air as the McGees and the others said goodbye to the friends and family they likely wouldn't see for another year: the Thessaloniki and Macedonian Kalivas', the Russells, the Morrises, Kim and Evander and more of their old friends who'd ferried over for the last night. The last thing the McGee family did before turning in was to sign the guest book; they had a good time as each of them wrote their name and put a little note about what they'd loved the best, including their dinner dance with Papas Theo, the splash battles and the surprise wedding with more dancing. Lina helped Tim write a note in French to the people who'd left the peanut butter (the McGees had eaten and replaced it) while Anna and Andy beamed. They added a note about expecting twins at Christmas, saying they looked forward to bringing them to Greece for the first time next summer. When they finished, Tanya had her turn and wrote about the wonderful family she was part of and how much fun it was here, how great the townspeople were, how much she'd fallen in love with Greece.

Thursday morning they were up before the sun, hauling luggage to the street for the bus to pick up, Matt and Ned riding along. Tim's security team talked about joining them but Matt and Ned's badges were enough to convince them no strange bags or people would find their way aboard. The checklist probably helped too; a list with each travelers' name, showing the number of bags expected to be picked up, photos of the ones that had come with which person and photos of any new luggage going home. It was a checklist they'd developed over the years that kept the chaos to a manageable level.

Luggage loaded, another bus lumbered around picking them up for the ride to the ferry. When they reached the ferry slip, Matt, Ned and the deckhands were finishing up with the luggage and with a collective sigh – it was never easy to leave – the group boarded. Tim was happy they'd have a little more time with Lina's siblings, uncles and of course Anna and Gemma's cousins, not to mention Kim, Evander, the Russells and Morrises, who'd decided to ride the ferry with them. Davos and Hélène had originally planned to return to Thessaloniki for a few months but that had changed with the news about Tim and the new babies arriving in December. There was no way they were going to miss the swearing-in ceremony or the arrival of their newest grandchildren.

As he'd done in previous years, the ferry captain blew the ship's horn several times as they left the harbor, their goodbye to the island.

* * *

><p>Language Notes:<p>

Yenta: an old gossipy woman but I couldn't find a corresponding term for an old gossipy man (or men in Pete and Joel's case)

Shadchanim: matchmakers (Maybe the colloquial term is yenta? Shrugs, my research gave me this word.)


	272. Chapter 272

CH 272

The flight home was fairly quiet with breaks for exercise and food. Otherwise people did as they normally did: chatted, read, walked, slept, played games, watched movies and TV. Most of them had routines for these flights and stuck with them.

They'd just finished lunch and had a walk; the group was settling back in their seats when Geordie hopped up to speak with the flight attendant. She nodded, looking puzzled while he laughed. Going back to his seat, he took Bec's hand while Tim wondered what was going on.

The two walked to the galley and the flight attendant turned the microphone on. "Welcome back to the McGee-Mallard-Gibbs-Kalivas extended clan. Hey, I got it right again! We've heard you had a wonderful time on vacation and now… please pay special attention to the following and no, Tim, it's not the rest of our menu for today!"

Tim laughed and turned to stick out his tongue at his brother but saw all the kids watching and decided he'd better not.

Geordie took the mic: "Bec and I have an announcement to make. First of all, thanks to my sister Sarah and her husband James for setting the precedent." Bec sighed and grabbed the mic, "Sorry, you should see him at Open Mic night, he'll be at this for the next 11 hours! We've just found out we're pregnant and today marks the completion of our first trimester! Our due date is January 14th so Ziva and Brian, you'll have a new niece or nephew for your first wedding anniversary and Lina and Tim, the twins will have a cousin their own age, just about a month apart! We don't know the gender, we don't care which it is; I've been munching soda crackers but yes I have morning sickness – in the afternoons. And no, we don't have names picked out. Geordie does but I'm vetoing them." Geordie gave them an innocent smile but his siblings called him out.

It took a while for everyone to settle down but that was nothing new. Knowing that Poppy and Grandfa were likely comparing numbers again, Tony and Tim laughed every time they looked at each other while Lina and Maggie just rolled their eyes at one another, knowing full well what their mates were giggling about. Sarah and Lina had a long chat with Bec, the three of them laughing and Bec learning more about the realities of being pregnant. There sure were a lot of things the doctor hadn't said but then as her sisters-in-law told her, it varied from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy.

Grandfa was heard saying he was thankful the family was all on one side of the continent and soon enough he and the Colonel were discussing the merits of taking the train to Jacksonville versus flying. Poppy, Nonnie, Penny and Gram were discussing what size house they should look for, as they would be minus Davos and Hélène although the Colonel might join them. Nonnie, trying to be practical, pointed out that Bec's parents might want to stay there and that shut them all up. While the Childers had been polite enough when Gibbs first met them during the team's recovery after Bagram and again at Geo and Bec's wedding, he'd always had the feeling they didn't quite approve of their family. As long as they treated his son with respect he hadn't cared how they felt about the rest of them although he was sorry that not all his in-laws were as great as the Kalivas', he regarded them as close friends. But now things would be different, he and Rhea would be co-grandparents with the Childers. Rhea whispered in his ear not to worry about it and he smiled, leaning over for a kiss. God he loved this woman! And his kids and grandkids; he never could have imagined being this happy after losing his first family.

By the time they were served lunch, the Colonel had chatted with his daughter and son-in-law and then wandered over to Jethro and Rhea, letting them know he'd like in on a big house. He'd had pneumonia twice in the last four winters and Maggie wanted him out of the cold mid Atlantic winters. He'd been worried about missing Emma's birthday but his kids assured him they'd fly down for her winter break and her birthday. That was something to think about as the McGees and Powells planned to do the same thing. Rhea and Jethro chuckled to themselves as they counted how many bedrooms they'd need if all the kids and the grandkids were there at the same time. They decided they could put all the boys together and all the girls together, with a separate room for the toddlers and babies under a year (or maybe two) could sleep with their parents. Then their kids, Tim, Sarah, Tony, Rob, Ziva…five rooms for the adults, six with the Palmers. By the time they'd figured out they'd need between 13 and 15 bedrooms, the Grands and Greats were laughing aloud and Maisie said they needed their own motel. She followed that up with an idea that they should buy an old motel and renovate it. That got their attention and pretty soon they had Damian involved in figuring out suites, kitchenettes, etc. He thought it was a workable idea and suggested they look for one built around a pool or courtyard so that there would be some cohesiveness and not just a straight line of rooms. He also told them they could buy the largest house they could find and either add on or renovate, likely both. When Dave and Jim came by and said they and their wives were interested in a buy in of whatever big house they came up with, that pretty much sealed the deal as far as buying something and renovating.

By now the senior Kalivas' were also involved and Hélène knew Davos would want to be in on the planning and renovations. That was fine with her; as much sense as it made for them to be at home, neither of them were thrilled at leaving their friends and family here. At home they were the elders and there really wasn't anyone else their age to hang around with, nobody as much fun as their big house family. While the older folks were conspiring, some of their children had their heads stuffed in pillows and sweaters trying to smother their laughter. Geordie and Bec were at first amused, then intrigued and finally a bit terrified when they heard some of the ideas. They didn't dare remind anyone that they had extra room at their house in fear the Grands and Greats would start planning a second and third floor addition! Sitting across from her cousin and Geo, just behind some of the big house planners, Charlotte laughed harder and longer than she had in months and Dr. Rob insisted she have oxygen when she finally wound down. Maggie was a little afraid Tony might need that too but after he stopped laughing and mopping his eyes, he was fine.

In the meantime, Docs Rob and Jimmy had taken over the exercise routines and had their siblings and kids up and moving around. When the Grands and Greats remained in their seats, lost in the plans and ideas, the Docs rousted them out, Jimmy saying "C'mon, you folks need this as much as the rest of us, we don't need any blood clots aboard!" That ended the discussion, after a quick agreement to contact Evander as soon as they landed.

Those who were going back to work the next day tried to sleep as much as possible on the flight. After the long flight, they landed at 3:00 PM local time at the DC airfield, crossing 8 times zones along the way. The folks who were leaving here had already said their goodbyes to the Florida and California crowd and once the luggage was sorted, they said goodbye to Ziva and Brian who were taking the train the rest of the way home.

Rental transportation got them home, dropping off everyone at their residences before delivering the Powells, Gibbses, Kalivas', Penny and the McGees to the property. With the luggage in the right houses and presumably the correct rooms, there was a general silence as the travelers gave in to their jet lag. While they usually lasted a few hours when they arrived in Greece, coming home was another matter.

The McGees had snacks and beverages; Tim made sure he knew where everything was for work in the morning and when Tanya volunteered to watch the kids, he and Lina quickly agreed. Tim threw himself on their bed and was asleep before Lina joined him.

With the difference in times, the couple was awake before dawn and spent a few minutes talking about the next few weeks. Except for Zoe and Cailey, the children would wear uniforms to their new schools; Lina had ordered them before they left so she'd check at the main house for packages – and their mail. They talked about selling Tim's car, he'd have a car and driver as the Acting Director and Director; they finally decided to wait and see. Yes, he could drive the van or Penny's car on the weekends but he felt it was too soon to give up his own wheels. They were both excited about Geordie and Bec's baby and wondered how they'd do Christmas this year; Bec would be too far along to fly and the twins would be too young to travel very far. Laughing they decided to worry about it later.

Finally Tim got ready for work and smiled when he found the coffeemaker brewing and a healthy breakfast in the slow cooker. He took one mug out for coffee and then thinking about it, pulled another one out of the cabinet. He turned and saw a figure crossing from the main house, cancelled the house alarm and unlocked the door. His dad came in, giving him a kiss and hug. "Just wanted to see you this morning, know SecNav's sending out the announcement today."

Tim smiled, "Yeah, surprising no one, I sure!"

"Nah, there'll be plenty of people surprised – and happy! After all, we don't have any family members in the Central, Northeast or Northwest offices."

Tim chuckled, "Friends though; I think you'd have to go to London or Australasia to find any surprised NCIS agents."

Dad conceded the point. "So today you're playing catchup?"

"Yeah, see what's going on. Leon told me it's been quiet and Rusty confirmed that, from what he's seen anyway. Be great if it could stay quiet for the next oh I don't know…10 years!"

Chuckling, they finished their coffees, Dad filled a travel mug for him, helped him slip his jacket on and then walked out with his son to the security vehicle.

As early as it was, most of the night shift was still at the office and Tim nodded to them as he entered the squad room. He spotted Jim O'Brien at his desk and stopped to see why he was in so early. Jim smiled, "Good Morning Tim…oops, I mean…"

Tim waved off his correction. "You in early or been here all night?"

"Nope, I'm in early. We landed a triple homicide Wednesday and one of the witnesses works nights; I went out and interviewed her when she got off work this morning." He shrugged, "My turn for the early work."

Tim chuckled and nodded, patting his shoulder. "Sign of a good Team Leader in my book Jim; don't ask your team to do anything you won't do…hmm, you might have taught me that!"

His friend chuckled, "You get in yesterday?"

"Yeah, yesterday afternoon and I slept for about 12 hours! And now I guess I'd better go see what's waiting for me." With a nod he headed up the stairs and over the catwalk to the Director's suite.

He hung up his jacket and looked around the office. Lina had some suggestions as to what artwork he'd want in there, they'd come in and do that some weekend after he was officially the Director. Now he shook his head, the sports photos that had graced this office for the past 16 years were gone as were the Vance family photos and other personal items that had lived here during Vance's tenure. He opened an envelope addressed to him from atop a stack of files on the desk, smiling as he recognized Leon's handwriting: "Decided to get a head start on taking things down (yeah, I got antsy); Pam's lined up a service to clean the walls, floors and give the office a good 'scrubbing' before the first. I'm leaving Jenny's decanter set for you; the scotch is in the bottom (locked!) drawer of my desk. Have fun!"

He settled in to work, scrolling through the e-mails first. After he'd accepted the position, he'd started receiving everything Leon did although as the AD he'd already been privy to most of it. He spotted a few stray messages that should have gone to Lydia as the SW SSAIC and forwarded them to her. He read through everything from Secretary Porter and his senior agents, wow, he'd really just thought that: _his _senior agents! He took a sip of his coffee, it was far too early in the day to get distracted.

By the time Pam came in, he'd worked his way through part of one of the stacks of case files on the desk and replied to what he believed to be several hundred e-mails although it was actually only 63. When she came in to say hello, he showed her the photos he'd taken at the wedding. She grinned, "You know you and your dance buddies are on YouTube again."

He shook his head, "Oh geez!"

"They're all grouped together now, starting with your first lesson and ending with Leon's wedding. You should look, it's pretty impressive."

He laughed, "I'm sure my kids will tell me all about it."

"Of course. Secretary Porter will be holding the press conference here at 11:00."

"The…press conference…here? I thought it was going to be a press release from her office!"

Pam looked at him with wide eyes, "Oops, I thought you knew! I guess she changed her mind and yes, it's here in front of the building."

"Ok."

"Is your wife coming in?"

"She wasn't planning on it, but this changes everything!"

"I guess so! I do know the Secretary wants you with her, she's going to be talking about your background and work."

Tim nodded, not surprised. Then he realized he might have to say a few words. "Pam, could you call over to SecNav's office and without directly asking see if she's expecting me to say anything?"

She laughed, "Sure."

He was suddenly glad he'd worn one of Archimedes' new suits today.

XXX

Lina fell back to sleep after Tim left and finally rose when the kids did. Checking her phone, she found a text from Poppy asking her to call. Once she'd made her tea and was waiting for it to steep, she called him. "Good morning Jethro."

"'Morning Lina. Doing ok this morning?"

She chuckled, "After a few soda crackers, yes. What's up?"

"Wondered if Tim had called. The SecNav is holding a press conference to announce Leon and Tim."

"I thought she was doing a press release, isn't that a piece of paper or a call into the media with information? We never even talked about it and I do have an appointment."

"Yeah, we thought she was going to just issue a statement from her office but it's turned into a press conference."

"Oh dear, I should be there then. What time do we need to leave?"

"10:15 will give us plenty of time. You sure daughter? Your appointment…"

"No, this is more important, I have time to change it. Oh, I'll need to ask Tanya to stay longer with the children. Hmm, do you think it would be all right to take Andy, Anna and Gemma?"

"Absolutely!"

"Good, all right, I need to get going then, see you later!" They disconnected and Lina called Tim to let him know.

When Tim answered he sounded relieved, "Honey, Pamela just told me. I know it's last minute but…"

She interrupted him, "Yes love, I'll be there and probably some of the children. Your father told me."

"How'd Dad know?"

She laughed, "Don't you say he always knows?" They discussed the new plan for a couple of minutes and then she got busy. First she called Tanya, still in their cozy attic room, to ask her to watch the children for a longer period than she'd planned, explaining the situation. Once that was set, she woke her three eldest and asked them if they'd like to go with her. They scrambled out of bed and decided on clothes, Tim said casual but no shorts, and then had breakfast. Lina had a shower and then picked through her dresses, glad the summer fashions were a little fuller so her twin bump wouldn't show. A press conference meant cameras and she wanted the attention on Tim, not his pregnant wife!

She checked on the children; Andy was ready in slacks and a short sleeve button down, Anna and Gemma were both in sundresses that showed off their tans. The littles were just waking up, happy enough to stay home with Tanya and Cailey.

When a stretch limo pulled up at 10:10, Andy's eyes got big, "We get driven too, even without Dad?"

Timmons smiled as he greeted them, "Not always, but for public events, yes, Andy, from today on."

Jethro, Rhea, Grandfa, Gram and her parents joined them and to her surprise Uncle Dave and Uncle Jim appeared in full dress uniform, along with Liz and Claire. Lina looked at Rhea, "Penny?"

"She's not feeling well. Don says she's a little dehydrated so she's drinking a sports drink and resting."

Grandfa nodded, "She'll be all right, but I did not want her out in the heat."

Lina nodded and then smiled at Sarah as she climbed in with them. "Hello!"

"Hi, thought I'd be the civilian sibling today. I left a message for Rob but I don't know whether he can make it."

Gram patted her, "We're a good representation of the family."

Sarah huffed, "Considering we had three hours' notice!" They all agreed and Lina thought that was something she and Tim would have to get used to.

When they got to the Navy Yard they were escorted inside to wait in the air conditioning. Secretary Porter arrived soon after they did and beamed when she saw them, once again acknowledging the Admiral and Captain. "I'm so glad you were able to make it; sorry for the late change in plans but the President was adamant that we make a big splash."

Lina tried not to squeak, "Is she coming?"

"No, she's not able to make it."

Andy looked at Poppy, wondering why he looked amused and decided he'd ask him later (the answer was politics of course; the President wanted Tim's selection to make a big splash but she also didn't want to show any favoritism). He and Gemma went to peek out the front window and saw a lot of people with cameras, microphones and equipment getting set up. He turned when he heard his father behind them. "Andy, Gemma?" Dad smiled and kissed them, "I'm so glad you're here with me!"

Gemma grabbed his hand, "C'mon Daddy, there's more than us!"

They were turning toward the room where the group was waiting when Tim spotted his younger brother entering the building. He called out to him, beaming, "Rob, this is great, thanks man!"

"Wouldn't miss it Bro!"

They joined the others and the Secretary's PR person figured out how she wanted them to stand outside. Tim smiled when Tony, Maggie, Ned and Jimmy walked in. Ms. PR rearranged the group, and had them memorize their positions so there wouldn't be any noticeable shuffling around outside. When the order was given they walked out to stand in a two layered semi-circle behind the Secretary. Tim stood with them in the center front, holding Lina's hand. He'd hastily written a few words and then called Geordie to make sure it wasn't too much or too gushy.

At precisely 1100, the Secretary of the Navy stepped in front of the microphone. "Good morning, thank you for coming. We're here today to announce the retirement of Leon Vance as Director of NCIS. Director Vance has…" She extolled the man and his record, concluding, "And he's set the record for longevity in the Director's seat; we will truly miss him! And as much as I will miss Leon, I am _very_ pleased to announce the new Director of NCIS: Special Agent Timothy McGee! Agent McGee has served as Assistant Director for the past two years bearing a double load as he has also been the Senior Special Agent in Charge of our Southwest complex of offices; he's also served as Acting Director. He's worked closely with Director Vance on numerous issues and met with congressional leaders over the last two years. Last year, he spearheaded the global investigation and ultimate takedown of the largest human trafficking ring known to the world, resulting in the rescue of most of our missing citizens…" She went on to list his decade in Washington on the most successful team of the agency (Gibbs couldn't help a proud smile thinking of his three musketeers), his time in London, Greece and the West Coast, mentioning more of his responsibilities in San Diego. Finally she turned and gesturing to Gibbs, the Admiral and Captain, mentioned the Navy and Marine influence in his family and then said the words that were Tim's cue to step forward. Lina squeezed his hand, he kissed her cheek and joined the Secretary, thanking her and giving his brief statement. When he was done, the Secretary resumed speaking, letting them know there would be also be a formal press release. Then they turned and went back into the building.

The Secretary and Tim's family left shortly thereafter and Tim went back to the Director's suite, quietly accepting congratulations as he walked, stopping to recognize those who'd helped him way back when. He worked on more files and eventually got a phone call that sent him downstairs again. He walked through the Squad room, accepting more congratulations as he headed to the back elevators. Once in Autopsy, he and Jimmy were joined by Tony, Maggie, and Ned and they had lunch in Jimmy's office. Enough chairs had been scrounged up so they could sit comfortably. It was an odd place to eat but the most private in the building; certainly most people didn't voluntarily hang out there. The dose of reality with his siblings helped Tim focus and he spent the afternoon head down reading reports. Pam was amazed at the number of files he got through that afternoon.

When Tim was delivered home that evening, he quickly changed and went for a long swim, doing lap after lap, never stopping. Finally Lina slid into the pool, did a few laps and then waited for him at the end of the lane he was in. He smiled as he stopped and stood. "Hi LinaMelina!"

She pulled his head toward her to give him a kiss. "Hi. You've done enough laps now and you're starting to scare the children."

"Oops! Well, I really needed that after sitting all day yesterday and today."

"So there's nothing wrong?"

His eyes sparkled as he kissed her and then said, "Only that there are too many eyes watching us right now!"

The two of them played in the water with the children for another 30 minutes before they got out. Tim started to tell the kids it was time to dry off when he heard something that changed his tone: "All right, uh oh…kids…I hear Cook's whistle! Be quick like bunnies, but don't run until you get to the tunnel! Tell her you were playing with Lina and me, it's our bad!"

He grinned as he said that; Cook was a kind hearted woman, as fond of the children as they were of her. Her one flaw was that she did not like to be kept waiting when she made such lovely meals for them. At the worst she'd grumble for a few minutes but it wouldn't last.

The foster kids waved as they grabbed their towels and shoes and ran out through the pool tunnel, they did not want their Cookie to have to whistle more than once!

Tim waited until they heard the thunder of 10 pairs of feet running through the 'pool tunnel'. Then he pretended to look around, "Hmm, do we have any DiNozzos in here?"

Emma giggled as she was standing right in front of him. "Ah, Niece Emma, I'll bet your parents will be here soon. How about you come with us?"

She nodded and Tim looked around, "Ok, any Powells?" The kids shook their heads, telling him the littles were with Grandmum and Granddad and the others had gone somewhere with Aunt Sarah.

"All righty then merpeople, let's go, our fish burgers are waiting!"

Eight children, an emancipated minor and his wife frowned at him and he laughed, "Ok, no fish burgers, no idea what we're having for dinner!"

Anna called out, "Tanya made enchiladas."

"YUM, yay Tanya! Ok, on the double then, come on, quick march!"

After another long sleep Tim was up early Saturday morning, trying to remember everything he needed to do. He relaxed over breakfast with Lina and the kids and then looked through the refrigerator and pantry to see what they needed. Perishables for one thing! Milk, eggs, fruit, fresh vegetables, bread…he remembered there was a farmer's market on Saturday mornings, somewhere near here.

He pulled out his phone and chuckled, it was less than two miles away and ran until noon. He needed to go to Costco® but they didn't open until later while the farmers market opened at 7:30 so he'd go there first.

His dad came over for coffee and said he'd go with him making Tim wonder if they sold coffee beans at farmers' markets. Lina was working in her studio and Tanya said she'd watch the kids. Off they went in Tim's car, stopping to pick up Rhea. Working on a series called "Life in the States", photos and sketches of a Saturday morning farmers market would fit her plans perfectly. She'd started it in San Diego, added content during their trip to Albuquerque and what she saw in the areas on their road trip east, was now adding Virginia, would visit New York City as well as a town in upstate New York, a seaport in Maine and would also do more work in the Midwest and Northwest.

Arriving just as the market opened they bought vegetable and herb setups (lots of basil for homemade pesto) for the raised boxes and Dad bought a blueberry bush for their patio saying Penny had an empty half wine barrel it could go in. Tim thought about buying berries for his yard but decided to see how Dad's did first. They also bought fresh veggies, sweet corn, squash, a large bag of tomatoes (Tim also planned to make pasta sauce and freeze it), garlic, a sack of onions, red, green and yellow peppers, homemade jams, spices, a large bottle of olive oil, freshly churned butter, two bags of pine nuts, a large block of feta cheese and, unable to resist the wonderful smell, several loaves of freshly baked bread to be split between the McGees, Grands and Cook.

While the men were shopping, Rhea wandered around sketching and taking photos, asking permission of the vendors and their customers. There was a vendor there selling his photographs; he was very happy to be included and made sure her photo captured his sign. She took snaps of people looking at the vegetables, sniffing them, occasionally tasting, asking questions, eyes closed in ecstasy (Or not! She loved the faces they made) while tasting samples, heads together discussing a possible purchase and the children running around or hanging onto parents, scrunching their noses at the vegetables, eating berries with juice running down their faces. An elderly couple, their pull-along cart full, nestled together on a shady bench, resting before making the trek back to their car. A baby in a backpack looking at everything over her dad's shoulders with wide eyes as she sucked contentedly on a pacifier. She smiled when Rhea waved to her and her pacifier fell out. Luckily it was on a lead that was attached to the baby's wrist so it didn't go far. Feeling responsible, Rhea told the father who laughed, "Thank you! She is pretty irresistible, isn't she?"

Rhea sat in the shade for a few minutes, her thoughts meandering to the project she'd started in Greece with Lina and Trina. Pam Cook had mailed them the original of the old Gibbs' team photo that hung on the Wall of Fame, the one with Kate in it. Tim had a photo with another version of the team, one with Ziva; Lina had taken it when they were unpacking after the move, saying she wanted to reframe it. The three of them made a sketch of the first one, adding Ziva in, and now she and Lina were painting it.

A second painting would be added for Tim's birthday and that had also been roughed out: a portrait of the team when Jethro's 'three musketeers' were still there, in the same pose although in this one they'd appear as their current selves; the photo had been taken at one of their reunions in Greece. Ducky and Jimmy were included of course, but not the woman who'd paid a thug to hurt Tim. Both paintings would be gifts for Tim's office, hanging alongside the portrait of Jethro, Tim and Tony that Trina painted for Tim years ago. When they planned the layout, they decided to place photo collages, nicely framed, in between the paintings. These were of Tim with his other teams, from Joel, James and the IT team in London, the Athens team with Carla and others with Bec, Ned and Rusty to the SW team and a photo from the one time Tim and his deputies met in person. There were other photos, of the dances they'd done, of the reunion of Pete's team, with the spouses and children, at the Preston big house, and Rhea's favorite, one of Tim, Jethro, Tony and Leon, dripping wet in their swim trunks, hands on shoulders, heads together in deep discussion on the beach on Aegina, the kids gathered around them, listening. Rhea particularly loved that one because it was so fresh and the fact that the four men were discussing splash battle strategy.

Lost in her thoughts, she jumped a bit when her husband appeared in front of her and spoke, "Hey hon, taking a break or you done?" She started to answer and ask if they were and then saw their hands full of bags and boxes. Seeing the question, Jethro grinned, "Yeah, we kind of bought out the place."

Tim nodded, "We've already been to the car once and it's a good thing I left the cooler in there!"

She laughed at them and then made a pleased noise as Jethro fed her a sample of the bread. "Ooh, I hope you bought some!"

They grinned at her and Jethro offered his elbow, all he had available, to help her up. Laughing, she took the elbow, allowing him to pull her up and then she took some of the parcels. Hand in hand, they followed Tim to the car.


	273. Chapter 273

CH 273

After putting everything away at home, Tim saw it was now 9:00, perfect timing as Costco® opened at 9:30. He'd sent Sarah a text earlier asking if they needed school supplies and if 1 (one!) of her kids would like to come along. He was just asking his kids who wanted to go when Adam knocked on the kitchen door. "Mom says I can go to the store with you!"

"Great Adam! C'mon in, I was just about to ask your cousins who wants to go."

Tanya was a newbie to the warehouse chain and loved looking at everything; she, Gemma and Jorry decided to go along. Lina stayed home, next week would be her turn to grocery shop.

Zoe's 5th birthday was the following Friday and part of the list for the big box store was party supplies. She'd wear her crown at a family dinner the night of her birthday, although remembering Jorry's 5th birthday Tim and Lina decided they'd also better prepare for a very early morning wakeup, and a friends' party on Saturday. The friends party would include all the kids they knew in the area and right now that was the fosters and the cousins. Zoe's parents knew she'd be happy with her party as long as Cailey, Davey, Sasha and her siblings were there. In the meantime three additional children would arrive at the MFH later today and one of them, a boy named Denis, would also be in kindergarten with Zoe, Cailey and Sasha.

Another of the items on Tim's list was school supplies for the foster kids, the Powells and his own kids. They had the lists from the schools and the McGee and Powells kids also made their own lists. Lina and Sarah had been through them, vetoing several things and Gemma and Jorry knew what colors and styles their siblings would want. Adam had his family's list and there was a list provided by the Home staff as well.

They reached the warehouse as it opened and took two shopping carts, one very large and one that Tanya could handle, heading straight for the school supplies. It took the kids nearly 20 minutes to find everything they wanted in the right colors, etc. but eventually it was done. Tanya took off to look around, promising to meet the others in 40 minutes by the auto supplies where there would be less of a crowd. She had a wonderful time trying samples, looking at the clothes, shoes, makeup, books, movies and music. She found a cute top for Cailey that she could afford and popped it into the cart. She'd already found something in Greece for Zoe's birthday, so that wasn't a problem but she was also looking for items to give for Christmas. If she couldn't get things now, she'd come back after she'd found a job. Her senior year started next month and she was determined to find something part-time after her classes.

While Tanya was dreaming of future purchases, Tim and the kids picked up the party supplies, finding a few extra fun things there, stocked up on toothpaste, shampoo and liquid soap and then headed for the food. Boxes of pasta, cereal and dried soup as well as condiments made it into the cart before they made it to the refrigerated sections and bought enough milk for a week, more cheese, more butter (Tim figured the fresh stuff would disappear with the bread), meat and various other items including a bag of avocados and a tub of sour cream. The kids smiled, that meant another Mexican dish, yum!

They were almost done; as they headed for the auto aisle, Tim detoured to grab two huge packs of toilet paper and managed to balance them on top of the cart. Tanya reached the meeting spot just as they did and Tim saw she had one item in her cart besides her school supplies; it looked like a kid's top. Something for Cailey then. He wanted to tell her to go buy whatever she wanted but knew she'd object and he also knew she'd be right. While they waited in line, Gemma admired Cailey's new top and she, Jorry and Adam chattered about school starting. The McGees would go to the same schools their Powell cousins attended and Adam told them about some of the kids and the teachers. When Gemma, Jorry, Sean and Zoe were old enough for high school, they'd go to the international school so the switch to the international school in Athens would be easier. The twins would start out there for the same reason. Tim laughed to himself thinking about it, their babies weren't even born yet and he was planning their schooling!

Finally their items were rung up and the kids helped Tim push the cart to their van. He'd emptied the cooler and moved it to the back of the van with ice packs, so the perishable items were carefully packed into that; Tim hated taking chances, especially with meat and milk. The kids and Tanya piled in with everything else they'd bought and away they went.

Back home it took several minutes to get everything put away even with all the kids helping. They separated the school supplies into the McGee, Powell and Main House pile and Anna helped Adam carry his family's stuff over to his house. Andy, Sean and Tim carried the Main House things over, calling out as they entered, "Hello the house, we have school stuff for you!"

Ellie, one of the staffers, appeared and laughed, "I'm the only one here right now; they're all in the pool. What have you got…oh, wonderful! They'll love all this! Things for Doug, Carly and Rita too, thanks! And this must be for Zach?" She smiled, "It looks like a great starter kit for college!"

Tim nodded, asking, "They get everything else they need?"

She smiled, "Yes thanks. A couple of the boys needed new uniform pants and shirts as they've grown inches since June, but Lina ordered those with your kids' uniforms."

"Great! How about the new kids?"

"We should be all right, if not we've got a couple of weeks. What time are you picking them up?"

"Three o'clock. That will give them time to settle in their rooms and meet everyone before dinner."

"Good, we're all ready for them."

As Tim and the boys walked back to the house, Sean asked about the new kids. "Are they brothers and sisters?"

"Denis and Skye are but Arin, the youngest one, is a single."

"Is he Henry's age?"

Tim shook his head, "Younger than Henry; Arin's only two."

"He's little."

"Yes, he is."

"How come he's at the camp?"

"He's not, Seanie; Ms. Lu is bringing him over when we get there. He's been at the shelter but whoever was taking care of him left without him a few days ago. Ms. Lu's been taking care of him and one of the ladies lets him sleep with her kids at night, but he needs a home. CPS let him stay there because the other group homes are full and they knew we had a place for him."

"So he has to be a foster?"

"Yes, until the state people find out if he has family who can take care of him. If he doesn't or they can't take him, then he'll be eligible for adoption."

Andy wrapped his arm around Sean, "Sure glad we had each other, Seanie."

Sean smiled up at his older brother, "Me too."

They looked at their dad with one question in their eyes but he shook his head; "Not with the twins coming, no."

They sighed, nodding. Andy looked at his dad, "Who's going to Baltimore?"

"Uncle Tony, Aunt Maggie, Emma, me and one of you if you'd like."

Andy could see that Sean really wanted to go and nudged him. Sean looked up at his father, "I wanna go, Dad."

"That's great son! We're leaving at 1:30."

"Ok, I'll be ready."

When they got home, they found sandwiches made from the fresh bread and the family laughed at the happy noises they all made as they ate them. There were freshly baked cookies, made by Lina and Anna while the others were away shopping and they each had two, still warm from the oven. They saved some for their cousin, uncle and aunt and put the rest away. There was another batch, packed in a box to take to the camp later.

The DiNozzos arrived a little after one with a carload of things for the camp and as the McGees also had things to distribute, they decided to take two vehicles. Making sure they had the car seats they needed, especially for the little guy, they set off for Baltimore. Now that there would be more room in the van, Andy went with them, thrilled to ride in the front seat for a long ride.

When they arrived they first offloaded all the donated items and helped Nate pass them out to people, and then gave him the box of cookies. Lu arrived with little Arin and as soon as he had his feet on the ground, he evaded Lu's grasp and took off. There were a lot of big people in front of him and most of them moved but then he ran smack into a leg and stopped, looking up and giggling.

Tony looked down at the tiny little boy who was wrapped around his leg and reached down to pick him up. "Are you Arin?" The kid smiled at him and chortled, showing his little baby teeth. Maggie and Emma were beside him now and Tim pulled Andy and Sean to him to watch what he thought might be happening. Tony was talking to the little boy who was making more happy noises and playing with Tony's big hands. Looking over at Maggie, the toddler smiled, saying, "Mama." Without any hesitation she reached out and he went right into her arms with a sigh. He put his head down on her shoulder and then saw Emma. He reached a little hand out to her, saying something unintelligible. Emma's smile lit her face, "Mom, Dad, can he come home with us?"

"He has to be a foster, Emma, we don't know if he has family."

"Then we can be his family until we know."

Tony and Maggie looked at each other and smiled; then they looked at Tim who shrugged. "You're certified, no reason you can't take him home. You just need to let CPS know he's with you."

Tony nodded with a sweet happy smile, "Yeah, Tim, he's with us." Emma, Sean and Andy cheered. Nate went to get the other kids and Tim took Arin's car seat (formerly Fiona's) out, handing it to Tony. "Want some help?"

"Mm, might need some, this looks different from Emma's."

Tim showed him how to install it. The other two kids, who were being released to foster care by a man claiming to be their uncle, appeared with Nate and their cases. Tim introduced all of them and told the kids, Skye and Denis, that they were going to live at the McGee Family Home. Skye was 7, Denis 5 and both looked scared.

Sean spoke up, "My name's Sean McGee and I'm almost 7. When I was little, I had to stay at a shelter with my first mom and I was scared and hungry all the time. Then my dad and mom found me and Andy and took us home. I still have bad dreams sometimes but my mom, dad or one of my sisters or brothers helps me. And we live right next door to you at the house." He picked up a stick, "Look, I'll draw a picture." He moved the stick through the dirt, drawing the large main house and then the two somewhat smaller houses. "You'll live there, in that house and our grandparents live there too, they're nice and fun. Plus there are nice people to take care of you; there's always food and you'll be safe. Then we live right here…" He pointed to their house. The kids nodded, that helped and then Skye pointed to the third house, "Who lives there?"

"Our cousins, aunt and uncle. They're lots of fun, we play with them all the time and you'll go to school with all of us."

"Ok."

Tim smiled proudly at his son as he took the kids' cases and put them in the back of the van. Sean took Skye by the hand while Andy led Denis, around the back so they could see where their stuff was. Lu had already handed over Arin's meager belongings to the DiNozzos and the family was getting ready to leave. Leaving Andy with the kids, Tim walked over and kissed Tony, Maggie and Emma and then wiggled little Arin's foot. "Welcome to your new family, Arin. I'm your Uncle Tim."

He turned to his brother, "He's been sleeping on a cot, not in a crib, so maybe you could ask Dad to bring the toddler bed from the main house over to your place. They could be there by the time you get home."

"That's ok?"

"Sure; you can bring it back when you get something for him. And…huh, maybe see if there's a high chair there."

Maggie smiled, "And diapers."

"Yep and…you know what, call Sarah and she can tell Dad what you'll need for tonight."

"Good idea, thanks!"

He helped them get Arin strapped in correctly and then turned to find his kids beaming at him while the other two were starting to look a little impatient. "Ok, let's go home! Say thanks and goodbye to Nate and Juanita and let's get started."

Juanita just waved as she disappeared back into her tent but Nate lumbered over and hugged Skye and Denis, the boys and Tim. "Sure good to see you Timmo. Never thought when I first saw you all those years ago that you'd still be taking care of kids!"

Tim laughed, "You, Juanita and Lu helped take care of us; we're just paying back the universe Nate."

"You'll be back?"

"Always."

"Good!"

Tim got Sean and the new kids settled in and started for home. As they pulled onto the property Denis looked out and said, "It's just like you said!"

Sean nodded, "Yep, three big houses."

Tim waved at the Powells' van pulling out with Dad in the passenger seat; he was sure it was stuffed full of the toddler bed, diapers and other necessities the DiNozzos would need for Arin until they had a chance to shop.

He parked in front of the big house and helped Skye and Denis out of their seats. "Welcome to your new home! Andy, Sean and I will go inside with you, all right?" They nodded, both suddenly holding tightly to his hands. He knelt down, "It's going to be all right. I know that's hard to believe right now, but we're going to help you, all of us. This place is home for you. You'll sleep in a bed, there's a nice lady who cooks for you, there are people to read stories to you, to help you do things and there are other kids to play with. And when school starts, you'll go with all our kids so you won't be alone."

They nodded and still holding his hands, walked in. Andy followed with one of their cases while Sean had the other one. Bill, one of the staff, took it from him right inside the door, "Thanks Sean!" While the kids were still holding on, Tim introduced the staff and the other kids to Skye and Denis. Bill offered to show them their rooms, saying he'd carry their cases for them. When they were still a little shy, Sean and Andy offered to go with them. That did the trick, they trusted other kids.

The boys came right back down, smiling at their dad. "They're good, Dad. They like their rooms, Denis is sharing with Henry and Skye is sharing with Jilly. And Arin's bed is gone, we checked."

"Thanks boys! Now, let's go home, I'm tired!"

They found Sarah and her kids in the house with Lina and Rhea. "Hey all."

"Tim…tell us about the baby and the Ds!"

Laughing, he, Sean and Andy told the story, Tim showing the photo he'd managed to take while Tony and the little boy were bonding. "Oh, I hope he gets to stay with them."

"Yeah, me too. What did you send over, Sarah?"

"The bed from the main house, sheets, blankets, a package of diapers, pajamas and some of our sleep sacs. Baby food, an extra toddler toothbrush, sippy cups and some old clothes of Fi's that he can wear." She smirked, "And a list of tips. Emma was 8 when she went to live with them, don't know if either of them has taken care of a baby or toddler."

Tim shook his head, "I know Tony hasn't."

Rhea smiled, "They'll figure it out. Your dad and James will show them how to change his diaper and bathe him."

Tim suddenly frowned, "They're both going to be out on family leave!" The others laughed and Tim shrugged, "I'll talk with them tomorrow."

"Maybe they'll trade off so they're not both off at the same time."

Tim smiled at his wife, "As their boss I like that a lot; as their brother…guess we'll see."

Needing some fun and relaxation, Tim and Lina walked over to the pool while the kids hung out with the Powells. The couple swam laps and then had a leisurely swim. Tim pulled out a double float mat and they talked as they floated around. He told her his thoughts about the twins and school and she chuckled. "We don't even have names for them yet!"

He looked at her, "LinaMelina, we don't even know what gender they are!" She made a face, "We will soon and we can figure out two or three names for each gender."

Tim's eyes grew big, "Three…Lina, something new?"

She laughed so hard she almost tipped them over, "No, we are having twins not triplets but it's always good to have an extra name handy." She continued, "I was thinking that one of them could have Kalivas as a middle name and the other can have another name, maybe from Gibbs' or Rhea's family."

"You sure?"

"Yes, our children know they're half Greek and we'll make sure the information is passed along to our grandchildren and beyond."

"If you're sure. Would be kind of cool to have something from Dad or Rhea's families."

Lina smiled, "I was looking at first names this morning. What do you think of Chase? It's French. Or Quinn, Owen, Gavin, Keagan, Travers, Dylan, Reghan, Bevin, Cara, Logan, Kenna, Shea?"

"Wow….some of those are girls' names?" She nodded. "Ok, don't like Bevin much, knew someone named Bevin, didn't like him, and Cara…it's pretty but I'm not crazy about it." He thought for a moment, repeating the names. "I like Owen, Chase and Gavin. Chase and Quinn are unisex, but we already have Chase Ortiz in the extended family. Travers…sounds familiar."

"It's Welsh, means strong as steel. And you're right, Chase should come off the list."

"Hmm, Travers McGee…oh honey, _Travis_ McGee is a fictional private detective in a series of books written between the 60's and the 80's."

"Does that rule out Travers?"

Tim shrugged; he knew there were a lot of fans of the series around but it surely wouldn't matter with the twins' peers! Lina continued, "All right, Travers goes on the 'B' list but you're not vetoing it right now?" He nodded and she reminded him, "We still have the names we talked about with Jorry and Zoe: Mikolos, Collin, Jethro, Brian. Oh, no Brian, I guess."

"Huh, yeah. I really like Jethro; funny how I used to think it was odd and now I think it's a wonderful name." He turned his head toward her, "Girls…Keaghan, Quinn, Dylan, Reghan, Logan, Kenna, Shea?" She nodded and he thought aloud, "Dylan and Reghan were very popular several years ago and Keaghan might be on the trendy list now and I don't know if Dylan was unisex during the Dylan craze. I like it though and I like Shea, Logan, Kenna and Quinn a lot."

He paused, "What about Laine after Mama? It's close to her name but not exactly."

"Laine McGee…that sounds nice, maybe Lainey while she's little. It's pretty and works well for a young child and a grown woman. Let's add it to the list and are you vetoing Dylan and Keaghan?"

"Hmm, not yet. So…Laine, Quinn, Shea, Kenna, Logan, Dylan, Keaghan."

"That's a good list to pick from."

"All right back to the boys…"

"Owen, Collin, Gavin."

"That's only three."

"Well Quinn and Logan can be on both lists."

"That works."

"What are your favorites?"

"I'm really beginning to like Jethro for a boy, maybe Jethro and then a similar name to Davos for a middle name?"

"What if we use Jethro and then Daniel, for the Commander?"

"Yes!"

"Or Daniel Jethro…"

"Either way is good. For a second boy, either Quinn or Collin."

"And for the girls?"

"Shea, Laine and Quinn. And we'll ask Rhea and Poppy for family names too."

They smiled at each other, knowing they'd be talking about names off and on for months and that their current favorites might not make the final cut. Tim kissed her and then lying back said, "Wonder what Geo and Bec are thinking of naming their sprout?"

Maggie and Tony called Sarah a couple of times with questions about caring for little Arin, but overall the DiNozzos' first day and night with the toddler went well.

The McGees and Powells decided to eat together that night and invited the Grands and Greats to join them. Citing jet lag, the Mallards asked for a rain check. Penny was feeling much better and joined the others as they walked over for a dinner of grilled hot dogs and burgers, a mixed greens and crunchy vegetable salad, along with sweet potato fries, a favorite of both the McGees and Powells.

Originally they'd thought to eat outside but at the last minute decided to eat in. And that was a good thing as they'd barely made it through dinner before jet lag pounced. The grill was off and covered and they'd used paper plates so everything got tossed except extra food which was covered and loaded into the fridge. Tim and James kept an eye on Penny and the Grands as they walked across the driveway to the main house and then the Powells slowly walked across what the kids were calling 'between' to their own home. Tim managed to hold an eye lid open as he locked up and set the alarm. Somehow they all made it upstairs, although Tanya said later she'd thought about just lying down on the attic stairs.

When Tim woke a few hours later he found he'd kicked off his shoes but was otherwise fully dressed – and so was Lina. He changed and then went back to sleep.

On Sunday they stuck close to home. Tim made French toast for a late breakfast and once again the home baked bread was delicious; he and Lina got the vacation laundry done in between walks in the woods and a swim for everyone. They visited the main house so the rest of them could meet Skye and Denis. Both kids were happy to see Sean, Andy and Tim and to meet the rest of the family. Skye was glad that she, Jorry and Sean would be in second grade together. Denis was glad to meet Zoe and Cailey so he wouldn't have to be in 'kin'nergarden' without a friend. They'd be in daycare together here, along with Davey and Sasha, until school started, which would give them plenty of time to become friends. Davey was a little upset that his best pals would start school without him, he had to wait until the following year.

Tony sent a text mid-day asking if he and Maggie could talk with Tim today or if tomorrow would be better. Tim smiled, yeah there were things he and his Fed siblings would have to work out between them, but for now he called his brother, that is to say the Acting and future Director called his agent.

* * *

><p>Time for our very last update! The original list of characters is on CH 153. The newest changes are again in bold italics and characters no longer in the story have been removed. I've also organized the offices so that the subordinate offices (where applicable) appear with the Office in Charge.<p>

Tim's immediate family:

Wife Lina (Melina) Kalivas;

Children in order of appearance **_and their ages at this update (year is 2022): Donald Jorrin (Jorry), age 7, Anna 10, Gemma 8, Zoe Langston 5, Timothy Andrew (Andy) 13, Sean Michael (Sean), age 7; twins due post story._** Also referred to as the McGees. Living with the McGees are Tanya Coulter, age 17 and Cailey Coulter, age 5.

Tim's siblings, their spouses & partners:

Sarah Gibbs McGee, husband James Powell; Children in order of appearance: Adam, Audrey and Evan, Fiona, **_baby Patrick_**; family is also referred to as the "Powells";

Dr. Rob Gibbs Mallard, **_husband Ned (Dorneget) Mallard_**, **_adopted children: Melody and Sasha; the couple is also known as the (junior) Mallards; _**

**_Professor_** Geordie Gibbs Perry, wife Agent Bec Childers; also referred to as the "Perrys" – **_guardians of Bec's little cousin Lucy_**; **_the couple is also pregnant, child due post story._**

Agent Tony DiNozzo, wife Agent Maggie Barnes, adopted daughter Emma; **_foster son Arin;_** also referred to as the "DiNozzos";

Ziva David**_, husband Brian Metzger, foster son Henry; also known as the Metzgers;_**

**_Jimmy Palmer, wife Breena Slater Palmer, children Ethan, Steve, Violet and David; also known as "the Palmers";_**

Patrick McGee Blair, wife Laurel, both deceased (also birth parents of Timothy Andrew Blair McGee, Sarah Hope Blair and grandparents of Sean Michael Blair McGee).

Tim's Parents, Grandparents, etc.:

Biological Parents: Lily and Dan McGee (both deceased pre-story; for more information about them, see my profile);

Adoptive Father: Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Poppy to his grandchildren; wife Rhea Ortiz;

'Stepmother': Rhea Ortiz Gibbs, Jethro's wife, Nonnie to the grandkids;

Paternal grandparents: Penny Langston (McGee), Admiral Nelson McGee (deceased pre-story);

Maternal grandparents: Gram - Maisie Stirling Hubbard Mallard, Grandfa – Ducky (Donald) Mallard;

Godparents: Uncle Dave (retired Admiral) and Aunty Liz Crane;

(Maternal) Uncle, Aunt, Cousins: Unca Jim (retired Captain) and Aunt Claire Hubbard, **_grown children_** Ainsley and Callum.

(Paternal) Uncle: Mark McGee (deceased pre-story)

Tim's in-laws:

Lina's parents: Davos Kalivas and Hélène Theodori, grandparent names: Pappouli and Yayaka (or Yaya);

Lina's siblings:

Damian Kalivas, (nickname Daim, pronounced Dame), **_fiancé Special Agent Matt Watson_**; also referred to as the Kalivas-Watsons;

Chloe Kalivas, husband Dr. Peter Rodino, children Alexis and Tad;

Nicolas Kalivas, wife Margaret Mitropolous, children Zander and Dimitri;

Other family/Extended Family:

**_Tobias Fornell and daughter Emily. _**

**_Tanya Coulter, Cailey Coulter: shelter kids in CA now living with the McGees; Tanya became an emancipated minor and guardian of her sister at age 14._**

Dani and Ross: international business owner; **_Dani is now married to Leon Vance while Ross is dating Kayla Vance. _**They were originally Lina, Pete and Trina friends, Lina's housemates, later also Bec and Ned's housemates **_(see also Retired Agents: Leon Vance);_**

Charlotte: Bec's cousin, **_mother of toddler Lucy _**and maid of honor at Bec and Geo's wedding, (see also Geordie under Tim's siblings);

Colonel Barnes: Maggie Barnes' father, Tony DiNozzo's father-in-law, retired Marine and **_Grandpa to Emma & Arin,_** sometime visitor to CA big house;

George and Edith Powell: Sarah McGee's father and mother-in-law; parents of James Powell; Granddad and Grandmum to the Powell children;

**_The (senior) Metzgers: Ziva's in-laws, Brian's parents; Mom, Dad, unnamed siblings. Dad is Ben, a retired policeman, Mom is Julie, a retired nurse. _**

Sarah Hope Blair: biological niece of Tim and Sarah McGee; daughter of Patrick and Laurel, sister of Timothy Andrew, first (birth) mother of Sean Michael.

Hope Blair: adoptive mother of Patrick McGee Blair, grandmother to Sarah Hope Blair and Timothy Andrew Blair, great grandmother to Sean Michael Blair; (deceased);

NCIS: Worldwide Offices:

DC/Navy Yard: (also known as HQ or Headquarters)

**_Director Leon James Vance, retiring Director of NCIS;_** **_grown children_** **_Kayla and Jared_**;

Executive Assistant Pamela Cook;

**_Timothy Gibbs McGee, Assistant Director,_** **_officially named as the future director of NCIS, succeeding Leon Vance; _**

Agents:

Anthony DiNozzo Jr., Team Lead, MCRT; wife Inv. Agent Maggie Barnes (see below and also Tim's siblings)

Rick Carter, Team Lead; MCRT

Jim O'Brien, Team Lead; MCRT

Investigative Agents: Maggie Barnes, Dwayne Wilson;

Ned Dorneget, Team Lead, Cold Case team, **_husband Dr. Rob Mallard_** (see Tim's siblings);

Medical Examiner: Jimmy Palmer, wife Breena **_(see Tim's siblings)_**

**_Security Team: Timmons (Gus), Uhl and Stranzel, others unnamed; _**

Also in DC:

James Powell, executive of unnamed tech co in DC, husband of Sarah McGee (see Tim's siblings)

Athens:

Office Manager Kim, husband Evander (international real estate agent);

Eva, husband Caleb **_(works at the National Geographic Museum in DC)_** and son Athos, daughter Alitta; Note: Eva is now located in Washington DC but still works for NCIS: Athens, albeit remotely;

Agents: Rusty Mayhew, Team Lead/SAIC, Lynne, Jake, Denise;

**_Southeast Office: _**

**_Bec Childers, SSAIC_** - husband Geordie Perry (see Tim's siblings);

**_Corpus Christi Office_**

**_Julian Bashon-Martin, SSAIC, Deputy Assistant Director; _**

**_Northeast Office: _**

**_Rose Peters, SSAIC, Deputy Assistant Director;_**

**_Washington D.C. Field Office: _**

**_Matt Watson, SSAIC, fiancé Damian Kalivas (see Lina's siblings)_**

Singapore:

Tamara Middleton, Senior Special Agent In Charge (SSAIC);

Far East:

Cassie Yates, Senior Special Agent In Charge (SSAIC);

Rota: Stan Burley, wife Patricia;

Marseille: Roger Martinez, wife Marla;

Northwest (aka the Seattle office):

Jane Melankovic, Senior Special Agent In Charge (SSAIC);

Subordinate Office: Bremerton and unnamed others

Marine Corps West: Blumquist, SSAIC;

Sub office Yuma, AZ: Maya Maradona, Team Lead;

Southwest (SW) (aka the San Diego Office):

**_Lydia Worden_**, **_Supervising Team Lead/SAIC;_** **_Deputy Assistant Director, about to be named Assistant Director, partner (mention only) Marty;_**

Jeff Andreson, SFA (and de facto Team Lead) of SW team;

Kath Robinson: Tim's assistant at SW office;

Tea – as substitute dispatch operator, formerly with NCIS: Athens. (Also see husband Adan under Damian's consultants);

Offices subordinate to the SW office (others are unnamed):

El Segundo, CA:

Carla Hofstadler, Investigative Agent (former Athens' SFA) & husband Norm, triplets Will, Jason, Cammy;

Unnamed SAIC and agents

Satellite Offices (subordinate to El Segundo): Petrero, Button Willow.

Preston:

Harry Strausborg, Team Lead/SAIC; Office Manager: Megan Peters; Dispatch/Phones: Rae Leavitt; Unnamed SFA, Junior Agents Terrell Okoro, Joanne Day;

**_Retired Agents: _**

Pete Russell: wife Trina, kids Stephan, Phoebe, Kyra, Lukas;

Joel Morris, wife Carol Morris;

**_Leroy Jethro Gibbs, wife Rhea Ortiz Gibbs _**

**_Leon Vance, wife Dani Vance_**

**_Tobias Fornell _**

At the Museum of Man in San Diego, **_transitioning to:_** **_National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC_****_:_**

Caleb (husband of Eva, see NCIS: Athens);

Damian's consultant staff at architectural firm:

Adan (landscape designer), (see also wife Tea under Southwest Office);

Evander (international real estate broker), wife Kim (see also NCIS: Athens)

Melina Kalivas (mixed media artist)

Other characters:

Dr. Chase: Lina's OB-GYN in Preston

**_Dr. Jackie McNeil: Lina's OB-GYN in Virginia_**

**_Dr. Bobby Caldwell: Doctor that Tim saw for tests during memory surges;_**

Hanna: nanny to the McGee kids in Preston CA;

**_Kids at the McGee Family Home: Zach, Rita, Doug, Carly, Henry (until the Metzgers), Jilly, Noah, Mia, Skye, Denis, others are unnamed as is the staff; _**

Cole: College student boyfriend of Alexis (see Lina's siblings: Chloe);

Admiral Moaker: Admiral connected with drug case on aircraft carrier; former pain in the neck to Admiral (Uncle Dave) Crane;

**_Barry_**: **_friend of Tim, Geordie, Sarah and Rob from the homeless camp. He's now a police officer with Silver Spring PD, was at Geordie & Bec's wedding and the_** **_McGee Family Home Grand Opening_**.

George Avramidis: In Greece: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Master/Instructor, friend and the brother of Dimitri;

Dimitri Avramidis: In Greece: the "DCP" or the Deputy Chief of Police, Athens, friend and the brother of George;

Archimedes: everyone's favorite tailor in Piraeus, Greece, friend;

"Ted" Edwards and Jack Hughes: CIA agents and friends of Tim, Pete and the Athens gang (past and present);

The Ambassador: U.S. Ambassador to Greece and good friend of Melina (Lina) Kalivas;

Nick and Janeese Hardister: Chief of Police in Preston, CA, **_friends and former neighbors_** to the McGees;

Lu: shelter manager in Baltimore; she helped the McGee siblings when they were growing up there;

Nate: grizzly old bear of a man at the transient camp in Baltimore; keeps an eye out on the kids, makes sure no child starves, calls Tim 'Timmo'; he communicates with the McGee siblings through Lu from the shelter.

Juanita: strange older woman at the transient camp in Baltimore; along with Nate keeps an eye out on the kids; new kids frequently stay in her tent. Ethan Palmer once said she was the scariest looking person he'd ever seen but she was good to the kids. Tim and Sarah stayed with her when they first arrived in the camp at ages 9 and 3.


	274. Chapter 274

Check out some fun tidbits at the end of the chapter.

* * *

><p>CH 274<p>

_…__for now he called his brother, that is to say the Acting and future Director called his agent. _

"Hey Tim…uh, we didn't realize until last night that we're both eligible for family leave."

"That's right."

"Maggie took it with Emma, neither of us remember even considering that we could both take it. Anyway, we've decided to alternate weeks so Arin will have time to get used to each one of us but there won't be too much time in between."

"That's a good idea."

"Ok good. We also figured since I'm on tap for callouts to the field, Maggie will stay home this week and I'll be in. That way my team will have some warning and we can plan for next week."

Tim inwardly sighed in relief, "That's a great idea, Tony. You guys can notify HR tomorrow and I'll leave a message tonight that I've approved the arrangement."

"Thanks. Now we know that we can do that, Maggie will call Rick."

"Great! So how's the Colonel doing with the little guy?"

Tony chuckled, "You should have seen his face when we walked in with Arin and Emma! He's having a great time being grandpa to them, right now he has them on his lap reading one of Emma's favorite stories. Ok, we printed out the leave request forms so I'll bring them in tomorrow."

"All right, that works; I'm really glad you're both taking family leave! Lina asked me to remind you there's a daycare here when you're back to work or need a break."

"I did forget, we both did; that's good to know, Bro!"

"Yeah, it'll be nice if he's here; Penny, Dad and Rhea can get to know him and he'll have Fiona and Patrick to play with. And Henry although he's a little older."

"That'd be great for the little guy! I tell you, Tim, I felt it with Emma but I never thought there would be another kid that would grab me like that."

"By the heartstrings."

"Most definitely. All right, guess we better get busy. We went shopping earlier and bought everything that Lina and Sarah said we'd need."

"Lots of diapers and easy wash clothes?"

"Yep. And we baby proofed the place."

"Uh, guess I'm being nosy, but where's he sleeping?"

"In Emma's room, she insisted but if we get to keep him, we'll be looking for something bigger. We've been planning to do that since we sold Senior's business but just haven't gotten around to it." He laughed, "Guess we'll let Evander know!"

"That's the easiest way to do it. All right, I'll see you tomorrow and tell Maggie it's ok to bring him in if she wants."

"Yeah?"

"Of course!"

"Maybe when we're a little more used to being parents to a toddler."

Tim chuckled as they disconnected, he had confidence in their common sense. He decided to send an e-mail to the head of HR. He did that, copying Tony and Maggie and blind copying Pam.

When he told Lina she smiled, "That's two baby showers for the family!"

"Two, shouldn't there be three?"

"There may well be three but we won't know until we're surprised with it!"

"Oh sure!"

"Tomorrow Zoe, Davey, Cailey, Sasha and our boys will spend most of the day at the daycare. Rhea, Sarah and I are taking our girls, Melody, Audrey, two of the MFH girls, Jilly and Mia, Violet and oh…I wonder if Emma will still want to come…anyway, they're all having their hair cut and styled, then we'll do a little shopping and then over to see Maggie and Arin. Andy's going to spend the day with our papas."

"Is he okay with that?"

"Yes, he asked if he could. He, Poppy and Papa are working on our new table and then they're starting a new project, he's very excited."

"Oh so he gets to sand, maybe learn something else plus a trip to the lumberyard, planning, measuring and cutting? Excellent!"

"Something like that. And he's told Mama he wants to learn how to bake bread. Anna does too so that'll happen Tuesday. They'll use our kitchen, their new one is sweet but it's not big enough for three bakers!"

"Yum!"

"And…Tanya has a job interview tomorrow morning! Penny is going to drive her to and from."

"A job interview…where?" Lina told him and he immediately went online to run a background check. He was relieved when the business was clean with good reviews.

"I know she'll feel better if she has a job and I know she's right, I just wish she'd also have time to be a teen ager. Lina, do you think there's any chance of convincing her to learn to drive? That would give her more independence, not that any of us mind, but it would be fun for her. There are several of us to help her learn and she can drive my car once she's licensed."

"Yes to all that; however let her get through the interview first, she's excited about it. And I think it will be a good opportunity for her."

He nodded, "Good!" He twisted his lips and finally said, "She and Ethan seem to be good friends."

"They've decided not to get seriously involved right now. She wants to make new friends and that can be difficult to do with a boyfriend. And Ethan is aware that she's never had time for any typical teen age fun until recently and doesn't want to be the 'test' boyfriend. He is an old soul, reminds me of you."

Tim shook his head, "Had to be to take care of our families. But geez he was 12 years old just days ago!"

"Yes, I feel the same way and you know Jimmy and Breena do too."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure. Makes me want to take our kids and put a spell on them so we can have them with us longer."

She patted his face. "Then you'd better hurry up and find the spell because there's only this school year left before Andy starts high school and Anna enters middle school."

He shook his head, "It's a slippery slope from kindergarten on, isn't it?"

"Yes, but they will still be our children, Timotheos, no matter how old they get, we will still be their parents. And they'll need us, just in different ways."

He nodded, remembering the bittersweet and proud feelings he'd had with Sarah and Rob's graduations.

Lina poked him, "There's more!"

"Oops, sorry!"

"Damian and Matt have set the date for their wedding – August 27th; the last Saturday of the month. They've asked the Mallards if they can have it in their backyard!"

"Grandfa and Gram, right, not Rob and Ned?"

"Correct, your grandparents."

"That's a great yard, spacious and nicely landscaped and there's that arbor that Dad built them…"

"Yes, they'll stand under it or walk through it or something."

"Wow, this is cool! What about Nicolas and Chloe, the Uncles and the rest of the family?"

"Bless his heart, Tony offered the jet. They're coming; every one of the aunts and uncles who was at our wedding, they've already made hotel reservations and the Russells, Kim and Evander! Trina e-mailed me, the four of them are flying up to Thessaloniki to meet the charter. She also said she wouldn't be surprised if the Avramidis brothers joined them!"

"Wonderful! That'd be great, I know the guys will be thrilled! If the brothers come, I hope they can stay a few days afterward. So…we have two extra bedrooms, do we want to offer them to anyone?"

She nodded, "Either Nic and his family or the Russells, Kim and Evander or George and Dimitri."

Tim chuckled, "Wish we had room for all of them! Is there any room at the Mallards or are the Watsons staying there?"

"I believe Matt's parents are staying in the Powells' suite; George and Edith offered to stay with James and Sarah that week. And Grandfa made arrangements for them to be picked up by the charter flight coming from California."

"That was thoughtful! Matt's siblings?"

"They'll be here, I don't know where they're staying."

XXX

Tim went in to the office early the next day, stopping at the coffee cart outside for the strongest coffee they had. Rick Carter was standing beside him and smirked, "They quit carrying the tar when Jethro left."

Tim huffed, "Guess they'd better start again then!"

Rick smiled and then leaned in, "Congratulations Uncle Tim!"

Tim grinned, "Thanks! He's a little sweetheart, wait until you see him! You going to be ok without her this week?"

"We'll figure it out. Guess we can always ask for a volunteer."

Tim blinked and then barked a laugh, "Never even crossed my mind!" He paused, "That's a good point though - we don't have enough investigative agents for the volunteer pool, might need to think about that." He patted Rick's shoulder, "Thanks man."

He walked up the stairs and then swung through the squad room toward the stairs to the mezzanine, nodding good morning as he went. Putting his coffee down, he eyeballed his e-mail and then pulled another stack of files off the pile. He was nearly through them when Pam knocked and came in. "You're in early!"

"I know, guess I'm still on Greek time! Did you have a good weekend?"

"Yes, thanks, you?"

"Yep, got to watch one of my brothers fall in love with a baby."

"Oh, that must have been interesting."

"Yes, for someone who said for decades that he had no idea how to relate to kids, it was pretty special. The kid got loose from his minder and ran straight to Tony."

"Tony…did the minder take him back?"

"Nope, we were at the camp in Baltimore…" he told her what happened and then cautioned her not to say anything. She chuckled, "That's Executive Assistant Rule #1! So do we have two agents out on Family Leave?"

Tim shook his head, "They decided to alternate weeks; Barnes is out this week and DiNozzo's here, they'll swap next week."

"All right. Anything that needs doing?"

"I e-mailed HR last night, I blind copied you on it; got a confirmation back from HR this morning and Carter already knows."

"Do we get to meet him?"

"Hopefully; they don't know yet how long they'll have him."

She nodded her understanding and left, closing the door behind her.

He read a few more e-mails and then resumed 'attacking the stack'. By the end of the morning he was not only hungry, he was bored. Not that he wanted a crisis or a meeting but he needed a break from case reviews! He stood looking out the window and saw Tony walking toward the building with what looked like a box of takeout. He looked up, smiled and did a head tilt that Tim hoped meant meet us for lunch in Autopsy. A text from Jimmy verified that and Tim walked downstairs into the squad room. He stopped to talk with an agent he'd met Friday and was introduced to the rest of her team. He took his time walking toward the back elevator, knowing Tony was ahead of him.

Finally he walked in and the others looked up guiltily, their mouths full. He laughed, "I wouldn't have waited either! Thought I should stop and talk to people, not go running after Tony!"

Jimmy grinned and handed him his sandwich. Ned reached behind him and pulled out a bottle of lemonade. "Here, we brought a case back from Greece. Thought Pete's friend made a deal?"

"He did; maybe it was just for the southern California stores. Remind me and I'll stop in at those stores sometime to see if they can order them."

Jimmy nodded, "We could all do that, you know one at a time. Get a few people requesting it, have more luck."

Tim nodded as he bit into his sandwich. "Ok…sooo hungry." He looked at his brother, "Got more pics?"

"Of course." Tony pulled out his phone and the other three smiled at the new little guy. When Tony was done with his sandwich, he pointed to the others. "How long does it take to find out if a kid can be adopted?"

Tim shrugged, they hadn't had to wait with their kids. Jimmy tilted his head, "Took about a week for the boys."

Ned patted Tony's shoulder, "No relatives for our girls but it took 5 months to do the search. If CPS finds relatives for a child, the relatives have a year to decide whether they'll take custody or let them be adopted. And from what we've heard, there have been cases of one set of relatives remembering other relatives months later, so the process could start again."

"Wow that could drag on forever."

Ned shook his head, "No, there's a cap of three years so worst case, even if someone finds another relative, another year."

Tony scrunched his face, "So if there are no relatives found, we can adopt him right away. If there are relatives, at least a year, maximum three years."

"Yes."

"How long does the adoption process take?"

Jimmy and Tim answered in unison, "Five months."

Tony groaned, "I'm so bad at waiting!"

Tim and Jimmy looked at each other, smiling. "Don't worry, Arin will keep you plenty busy and becoming a two kid family will keep you even busier!"

Tim went back to his stack 'whacking' when he returned from lunch and was actually happy when Pam told him he had a call from the SecNav. "Hello Tim, how goes the battle?"

"Pretty good, ma'am."

"Good! Now before you get too bored with those files, I need you at the Pentagon for a meeting with me tomorrow. It's basically a meet and greet but I'm sure there will be questions."

Tim chuckled, "I'm sure there will be too! What time?" She told him and they disconnected. He'd go straight there in the morning.

Before he shut down for the day he did a little research on the Joint Chiefs, not that he thought they'd be meeting with them, but it couldn't hurt. When he reached home he took a walk in the woods with his kids, listening to them as they told him about their days and then had another long swim before dinner. That night he and Lina talked about looking for another nanny. They'd contacted the service they'd used to find Hanna and were given a recommendation for a service here in DC. Asking around, they found three more services and then followed the same pattern as before, handing the names over to Tim' security team.

XXX

The meeting at the Pentagon went well, as meetings go. It was Madam Secretary's monthly staff meeting which he would be attending from now on. One of the officers had been in San Diego during Tim's first year as SSAIC and that helped break the ice. When the man asked how Tim had gotten along with Admiral Moaker, Tim nodded, "He's a good man, has a lot of good, solid ideas; I enjoyed working with him. Gave me new perspective."

Tim knew the man wasn't popular but he'd earned his respect and affection and he wasn't afraid to show it. He left after the meeting and was heartened by a note he got later from one of the higher ranking officers in the meeting, remarking positively on his obvious respect for Moaker. He had another note, from Secretary Porter that said, "You'll do fine!" Shrugging, he guessed he'd passed some sort of test although he'd only spoken the truth and he was sure there would be times the truth would not be welcome.

The rest of the week was relatively quiet. Cases were called in and the teams handled them. Ned's team broke an 8 year old cold case, giving closure to two families and O'Brien's team closed a double homicide, bringing in the suspect without a problem. Tony had new photos to show every day and that was fun. Lina met Tim for lunch on Thursday and he made sure to wipe her lipstick off his face before he walked back into the building.

Lina woke Tim up very early Saturday morning. "The twins are exercising!"

He felt her baby bump and chuckled as he felt movement, leaning over to talk with the babies. "Hi sweeties, I'm your daddy. Grow big and strong in there but try not to kick your mama, ok?"

She smiled at him, "I dreamt about a little dark haired girl and a little blond boy."

Tim grinned, whispering, "Yay, we're having one of each, the balance will be maintained! Now we can plan the nursery and figure out names!"

"You know I could be wrong. And the 'balance' flew out the window when Tanya and Cailey moved in!"

Tim rolled his eyes at that, only commenting, "You haven't been wrong yet!"

They lay awake for another hour discussing names and plans before finally getting up to start the day.

After breakfast, they got their bikes out for a ride on a trail new to them. However, Lina's changed center of gravity concerned Tim and he asked her to ride around the driveway. As he feared, she had problems balancing; with help she practiced on the driveway but in the end admitted she didn't think she should ride. Quickly changing their plans, they gathered their swim and hiking things, made a picnic lunch and drove to Sandy Point State Park, near Annapolis. They were hungry by the time they got there so they found a picnic table and ate before putting the cooler back in the van, taking their packs and exchanging sandals for sneakers. They found the trailhead for what turned out to be an easy, scenic walk, perfect for their two artists. Within an hour they were back at the van, this time grabbing their swim stuff, spending a few hours in the water and enjoying the beach.

Early Saturday evening found them at Matt and Damian's with Pappouli and Yaya, trying out the Uncles' pool and they had another good swim before dinner. Yaya made a wonderful Greek recipe which was thoroughly enjoyed, bite by delicious bite.

Sunday they went to church and then had brunch with the Kalivas, Gibbses, Penny and the Mallards. After they ate, Tim and Lina asked to speak with their parents.

Poppy was watching closely, both Tim and Lina seemed nervous and determined. Lina smiled at the four of them, "We have news and two special requests."

Tim also smiled, "We're having a boy and a girl. Lina dreamt about them this morning. Now that we know, we've decided we want to name our baby boy Davos Jethro."

Davos' jaw dropped; he was shocked that they were asking to break with family tradition. Hélène reached over and patted his arm. "They wish to honor you now my husband, rather than hoping one of their great grandchildren will use the name. And remember since the beginning they have kept with our traditions, surely this one can be set aside?" He held up a hand, "Please I need time to think."

Tim turned to his dad. "I know you've had a tough time with your name and we understand why you don't want anyone else to be subjected to that. But you also honor the man for whom you were named. We want to honor you and we are changing it, or hope to change it, to honor both of our fathers. If Davos won't agree then we'll use Daniel. Means our son would be named for both my fathers."

"So the baby would be Daniel Jethro?"

Lina nodded, "Or Jethro Daniel."

Jethro looked at them, "Need some time."

Lina and Tim nodded. Jethro rose and tapping Davos on the shoulder, the two friends walked out of the room together. Rhea smiled at the others, "Tim, your dad will agree eventually."

Hélène nodded, "I believe Davos will too."

"Hope so because we really want to honor both of them."

They turned to Hélène and Rhea. "Rhea, what is your full name?"

She looked surprised but told them, "Rhea Isabella Julieta Catherina Quiñones Ortiz."

They smiled, "Thank you. We would like to use one of your names for our daughter."

Rhea had tears in her eyes as she nodded and Lina embraced her.

Tim looked at his mother-in-law, "Mama, before we got up enough nerve to ask Papa to use his name, we found a name for our daughter that we love because it reminds us of you. It's Laine which we first heard as a nickname for Elaine, another version of Hélène."

"Oh that's lovely, thank you!"

"Our daughter will either be Laine Isabella or Isabella Laine or Laine Julieta, etc."

Both grandmothers said "Laine Isabella!"

Rhea added, "Catherina is my confirmation name and Julieta sounds too fragile to me, always has. Isabella is my favorite of all my names; I've always wished my parents had started out calling me Isabella rather than Rhea."

"Then Isabella it is!"

Rhea frowned, "I thought you were going to include Kalivas?"

"We are…you'll see."

Monday, Tim went in to work early, although not as early as last week, and was not surprised when Leon didn't appear until 5 minutes before the start of day shift. They spent nearly an hour talking about the wedding and the house the Vances were buying, finally getting around to work.

At home that evening, the Grands and Penny had dinner with them. They were seated, just picking up their forks to eat when Davos said, "Ok, I agree."

Tim and Lina grinned, "Thank you!"

They looked at Poppy who smiled, "Me too." He gave Davos a look and both men sat up straight as they said, "We're honored, thank you."

The family was pleased, once they heard the news and the kids were happy to hear they were having a boy and a girl.

When the rest of the clan heard the news, they smiled, nodded happily and with increased enthusiasm returned to knitting, making toddler and baby clothes, planning baby/twins/toddler showers, celebrations for Tim and wedding parties, still wondering what the heck to do about Christmas.

Tuesday morning Leon laughed as he came in, finding Tim already there and hard at work. "Ok, you're supposed to be shadowing me this week but you're ready to go and I'm obviously just putting in time!"

"No more words of wisdom? Secret handshake? Hidden compartments somewhere in the room?"

"Just the bottle of scotch that's locked up. Which reminds me, I spoke with…" He named the agent they'd talked about before the McGees left for Greece. "He's having some scary health problems, on all different kinds of meds and no, he hadn't informed Melankovic. It's all taken care of, I wrote it up."

"Thanks. Sounds bad, hope he recovers. I'll follow up with Jane, I have some questions of my own."

Leon smiled almost gleefully, "All yours!"

There were dinners, formal and casual, and lunches held for Leon's retirement during the week; Dad and Grandfa went to one of the lunches together. There was a dinner Wednesday night with many of the people that had been in that ill-fated conference years ago, the one that resulted in the death of Amit Hadar and serious injury to Leon followed by the attack by McAllister. Tim, Dad and Grandfa also went to that one and father and son noticed the good doctor's wedding band was particularly shiny that night. They understood why when former Special Agent Whitney Sharp walked in. After congratulating Leon, she sauntered over to Ducky who, making sure his hand with the ring was clearly displayed, quickly introduced her to his grandson, one of his 12 grandchildren, father of 6, soon to be 8, of his many great grandchildren. Tim had rarely experienced a nervous Grandfa – or Ducky - and he had a hard time hiding his amusement. When the woman stalked off, Grandfa herded them outside where they laughed for several minutes, getting it out of their systems.

Leon and Tim traveled to the Pentagon together on Thursday for a lunch meeting with Secretary Porter. She gave him a heartfelt thank you, recognizing him for his work; several of the other directors he'd worked with over the years, current, retired or bumped up, joined them. Friday was his last day of work and a nearly day long party was held, attended by everyone in the building and the regional leadership, including Matt, Rose Peters now in the Northeast office, the Pentagon Team Lead and the SSAICs from Norfolk and Little Creek.

Before the party started and with the approval of SecNav, Tim had arranged a surprise MTAC call, with the visiting SSAICs, HQ Department Heads, Team Leads physically attending and those who couldn't make it to DC on screen. Leon was suspicious when he was called to MTAC a few minutes before his party was to start. He greeted his leaders gathered there and then had to blink several times when the rest of his leadership team popped up on the screen. He laughed when they sang an old song, "Thanks for the Memories", frequently associated with the late comedian Bob Hope, with the lyrics changed. He smiled in surprise when Rick Carter handed him an oversized envelope from all of them. Rick explained the envelope contained wedding and retirement gifts, given with much love and affection; they hoped he would open it when he was home with his bride. Then they drank a toast, nonalcoholic of course, to Leon's eventful tenure and his future life of leisure and as he spoke, several of the on screen visitors started quietly singing Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang", reminding him _they_ still had to work. That made him laugh and those who were with him steered him up the stairs while the others on screen switched songs and serenaded him out of the room with "Na Na Hey Hey (Goodbye)", which really set him off.

Meanwhile the party, held in the briefing room, was getting started and there were cheers when Leon and his entourage walked in. Tim hung back at first but he'd worked for the man for most of his adult life and he had things he wanted to say. Some of them would be said formally on Monday but today he wanted to give a special agent's goodbye to his boss of many years. He waited until the others had spoken and then he spoke. He started by saying the first time he met Leon Vance the man quarantined his team in the evidence garage while they were questioned by the FBI regarding something they knew nothing about and then they sneaked out to Gibbs' basement to investigate on their own, closing the case. That brought a laugh and when Vance exclaimed, "I meant that to happen! Really!" there was more laughter which repeated when Tim added that Vance's next action toward his team was to split them up. But still…he'd been a great boss, a good friend. Tim thanked him for transferring him to Greece where he met his wife a month later. Leon laughed and quipped, "As it turns out, you meeting Lina led to me meeting my bride!"

"You're welcome!"

"Back at you!"

After the party which finally wound down around 4 with employees spending the afternoon wandering in and out, Leon took one last sweep through the building, thanked Pam for her years of "putting up with him", gifting her with a stay in New York City, complete with round trip train tickets (Pam hated flying), tickets to the most popular play on Broadway and a voucher for three nights at a five star hotel. Then he left the building. He'd be in Monday to hand over his badge, id and weapon, stay for Tim's swearing in and then would leave for home, his new home with Dani, that night.

* * *

><p>A few weeks ago my very awesome friend and beta harmonfreak1, challenged me to put some statistics together for Finding Home. So here they are…for whatever they're worth. While I had fun compiling them, it was also pretty mind boggling!<p>

Finding Home Fun Facts:

Number of months spent writing the story: 18 (started in December 2013, finished August 2015, not counting the re-writes and edits which will take me up through the posting of the final chapter).

Number of times the McGees' last child/children (the twins) were written in, deleted, put back in, changed from one baby to twins, deleted again, re-added, switched from 2 to 1 and finally ending up as 1) the ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage and 2) the expected twins who will be born post story and were kept as a surprise for my beta (mostly because I was afraid to tell her they were back in J): 8.

Number of deleted storylines (not including the babies above): 3 big ones and 6 minor ones. You may see one of the big ones in a 'deleted scenes' addendum at some point. The second big one is morphing into a story in the "At What Price" series; I'll post it after all the bits for the Finding Home series are done. The third deleted storyline was too heavy, too real and too scary - I deleted all of it and please God it will never happen in reality.

Number of Weddings: 11 (Kim & Evander, Ducky & Maisie, Tim & Lina, Sarah & James, Jethro & Rhea, Tea & Adan, Geordie & Bec, Leon & Dani, Rob & Ned, Ziva & Brian and Tony and Maggie's even though it was 'off screen'. Matt and Damian's won't happen during the story).

Number of recurring characters without last names: 9 (Eva & Caleb had a last name at some point but I only used it once because I hadn't given the rest of that bunch last names).

Number of recurring characters without any name: at least 8 (U.S. Ambassador to Greece, the Piraeus Chief of Police, the florist and the children's store owner on Aegina, plus the American president and her family).

Number of times my 'Timeline' doc had to be accessed to copy Lina's mother's name – Hélène (add one more copy!): at least 277. Note to any writers out there – no matter how much you like a name, try to avoid any with special characters in them.

Number of times I accessed the real world NCIS site: at least 70 and probably closer to 100.

Number of visits to the Flying Pig: about 480

Number of funerals/memorial services: 4 (Jackson Gibbs, Petty Officer Sawyer (the Baton Rouge), 'Senior' DiNozzo, Agent Ray Esposito).

Number of mysteriously changing last names: 1 – Julian who started out in The Project as Julian Martin, the 'extra' junior in the London office. At some point in Finding Home he became Julian Bashon (or Bashow) and when I discovered my errors, I settled on Bashon and hyphenated it with Martin so he was Julian Bashon-Martin who later became one of Tim's deputy assistant directors.

Number of kids in the family/extended/fosters: 59 (including Sarah Hope, the expected McGee twins and Geordie and Bec's unborn child and the three canon children: Kayla & Jared Vance, Emily Fornell).

Number of Original Characters: Don't know, sorry, brain exploded…huh…ok I went back to the posted character lists and found 172 but when I wrote them out, including the criminals and assorted law enforcement, I counted 231 and I'm sure there are more so let's say 250. These are OCs appearing more than once who are part of the story, e.g., Rob Mallard and the florist on Aegina; not 'walkthroughs' or 'one offs' like the policeman Tim spoke with on Aegina in chapter 271).

Number of houses purchased/built: 9 (Piraeus house, 1st big house, Preston house, Preston big house, Matt & Daim Del Mar house, Matt & Daim Georgetown house, Geordie & Bec Jacksonville house, McGee VA house, Powell VA house and if you want to include the renovations on Penny's house to form the McGee Family Home, the number is 10).

Number of McGee family cars: 4 (VW, SUV, Minivan in CA, sedan in CA, 14 passenger van in CA/VA)

Number of adoptions during the story: 19

Estimated number of detailed criminal cases: 17

Number of charter flights, flights in SecNav's jet and commercial flights (for McGees). Commercial flights are around 12; flights in SecNav's jet is 4 (I could only think of 3 and added one), charters (including Tony's jet) are around 12. (This is the one that bugged harmonfreak1 the most! She was sure there were more private/charter flights!)

Number of countries visited: 14; includes fictional Bokas as well as the countries visited for work and/or pleasure. Italy came in third, after Greece and the U.S., with the most visits: 4 (2 for work: Brindisi and Naples, 2 for fun: Venice and Florence).

Number of museums for Caleb's exhibit: 4 (incl. the Benaki; all the museums mentioned are real and capable of such an exhibit)

Number of trips to Aegina for the Fourth of July: 9 (2014-2022)

Number of vacations on Aegina between 2014-2022: 5 (prior to 2019, they went for the day, exception was Tim & Lina's wedding in 2014)

CANON CHARACTERS APPEARING IN THE STORY:

**_Timothy McGee, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, Ziva David, Donald Mallard, Jimmy Palmer, Breena Slater Palmer, Leon Vance, Kayla Vance, Jared Vance, Ned Dorneget, Cassie Yates, Secretary of the Navy Porter, Tom Morrow, Tobias Fornell, Emily Fornell, Ron Sacks, Sarah McGee, Penny Langston, D'Arcy McKinna, Abby Sciuto, Kyle Davis, Luka Sciuto, Jane Melankovic, Stan Burley, Richard Owens, Pamela Cook, Jackson Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo Sr., Roger Cooke, Leroy Jethro Moore, Ed Gantry, Chuck Winslow, Dwayne Wilson, Malachi Ben-Gidon, Orli Elbaz, Jerome Craig, Rachel Cranston, Ziva's Aunt Nettie, Joanne Teague, Cal Frazier, Hollis Mann, Crispian Paddington, Henry the Security Guard; Total=44_**

**_Additional canon characters, mentions only: Caitlyn Todd, Jackie Vance, Shannon Gibbs, Kelly Gibbs, Anne Gibbs, Diane Gibbs Fornell Sterling, Stephanie Flynn Boyle, Joann Fielding, 'Mac' Fielding, Uncle Clive Paddington, Jennifer Shepard, Eli David. _**


	275. Chapter 275

Finding Home

Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy Five

Tim wasn't feeling panicky, no no, nothing like that, but he did stand at the window in the office, watching Leon climb into an SUV with his security team and drive away, absolutely not having any urges to run after him begging him to come back.

He forced himself to do some work before he left for the weekend, glad his ceremony was at 9:00 Monday morning. There would be a reception after in the briefing room but it would be short, nothing like today.

Home a little early, he went straight out to the new backyard. He had no idea how the crew had managed to do it all in a little over a week but it was complete and he was very happy with it. The Powells also liked the idea of one privacy wall across both backyards and that had been done too. It was 6 feet tall and canted slightly to make it more difficult for deer to jump over. The outside of the wall was dark green to blend with the woods but the inside had been left in its natural state, Lina and Rhea planned to eventually do something more with it. A solid wood gate stood in the middle, a decorative arch over it and the latch up high enough the younger children couldn't reach it.

He'd planned to stick to his new routine and go for a swim, but when he saw his favorite lounge chair on the deck waiting for him, he couldn't resist and sank into it. He tilted it back and closed his eyes for a minute. He woke when small hands patted his face, "Unca Tim, wake up."

He opened his eyes but everything was shadowy. He heard a giggle and realized that 1) he still had his sun glasses on and 2) the giggle was not from Zoe…oh, Unca Tim, huh, Fiona usually said uncle, only… He reached out and patted a small head. "Is that Lucy?"

"Yes! Nonnie says time for dinner."

He smiled then as he took his sun glasses off. "Hi Luce, got a hug for me?"

The three year old nodded and hugged his knees as he stood up. He was, he discovered, still wearing his suit, jacket and all. He swooped the little girl into his arms. "Did you bring Aunty Bec and Uncle Geo with you or did you fly here all by yourself?"

She giggled and the patio light came on. "Hey Bro, about time you woke up!"

Tim grinned at his brother. "Good to see you!"

Lucy scrambled down and Geo hugged his brother. "Had to come meet the newest addition to the family and no way we were going to miss your big do on Monday!"

"Yay, so glad you guys are here! But Tony and Maggie don't know…oh, did they hear something?"

Geo smiled enigmatically as they walked inside. Tim kissed his wife, kids and sister-in-law hello. "Sorry, I was testing the lounge on the new deck."

"For two hours, Dad!"

"Yeah Sean, been a long week."

"Mama said not to wake you - that you needed to relax."

He kissed Lina again, "Thanks LinaMelina!"

He greeted his parents and smiled, "Is there some news I missed?"

His dad grinned, "Yes, Arin is eligible for adoption!"

"Wonderful! Wow, did they hear in time to file today? With everything going on I never had a chance to catch up with anyone."

Dad nodded proudly, "Yes, they had the papers completed just in case and got the call this morning. Tony met Maggie at the courthouse at lunchtime and they filed."

Tim grinned, "Nice Christmas present then, their son Arin DiNozzo!"

Bec chuckled, "That means Ziva and Brian will have your twins for Hanukkah and a new nephew and our baby as first anniversary gifts!"

Dinner was low key and relaxed. After all the kids but Tanya were in bed Tim still wanted to swim, so he, Bec, Lina and Geo walked over and had the pool to themselves.

Saturday was Lina's turn to do the grocery shopping and she took the boys and Evan with her. While they were gone, Tim took the girls for a bike ride and Geo and Bec had breakfast out with Grammie and Grandfa. They went swimming that afternoon and Tim watched Anna. She was a strong, fast swimmer, she was growing taller with long legs and she was as much a water lover as Zoe. If Anna was interested he thought they could get her into a swim club or team. As a fellow bookworm he knew that any interest in a sport should be greatly encouraged.

Late that afternoon the McGees, Perrys, Powells, Penny and the Grands drove to Georgetown to the Mallards for a family dinner. Everyone but Ziva and Brian would be there: the Palmers, Hubbards, junior Mallards, Kalivas-Watsons and Cranes. Tim wondered if Grandfa ever regretted selling the home he'd shared with Great Grandmother Victoria. It was easily twice the size of the Georgetown house; still there was no way the man could have known that in a few years he'd have a huge family and need the space.

Tim smiled as he helped Lina out of the van and watched his kids climb out. They gathered together, Zoe holding his hand, Cailey holding Lina's while the other kids walked ahead. It was a nice evening and he hoped they'd eat outside where there was more room. Geordie, Bec, Lucy and Penny walked with them and they all smiled when Rob, Ned and the girls caught up with them. Tim looked back to see who else might have just arrived and caught sight of a rental vehicle he hadn't noticed. Hoping maybe Ziva and Brian had made it a day earlier than planned, he continued walking up the front walk. Grandfa opened the door, "Come in, come in! Lovely to see you!" He kissed each of them. "Go on out into the garden."

They walked through to the patio door and out into the backyard. Tim smiled when he spotted his sister and brother-in-law, he'd been right. They greeted each other and the others and then Tim looked up and saw the banner on the side of the house and the balloons in the trees. The banner was hand painted and read "Congratulations Tim, we're so proud of you!" and it was nicely decorated, he bet the kids had worked on it with Rhea. The balloons all had words on them like "Bravo", "Kudos", "Well Done" and "Congrats".

He smiled, "Hey, thanks!" He looked at the long table and grinned, betting that under the tablecloths were several familiar outdoor tables. There was an astounding length of table punctuated by a shorter table placed crossways across each end. The tables were covered in white and the main centerpiece was a clever design of terracotta planting pots stacked upside down in a pyramid shape. The pots were painted and each had faces and figures painted on it. At the top of the pyramid was one singular pot and that was painted a gold tone; extending out of the hole at the top was a figure in dark clothing with a head made to look like a dog's head with green eyes and a smile, wearing a crown atop its head. Tim burst into laughter at the image of him now being the 'top dog' of NCIS.

When he'd calmed enough to look, he examined the faces on the pots and saw familiar ones, many of the people he'd worked with through the years and the bottom one had a little figure of Leon walking away, his back turned to the others. The design was clever and very well executed. Scattered the length of the table were a combination of cutouts of crown-wearing, smiling green-eyed dogs, scepters, scales of justice and crowns. On each cross table was a figurine of Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, looking much as she had at the Russells' in Greece.

As Tim stood looking at everything, Liz approached him and slid something over his head, having him lift his arm. Looking down, he grinned as he realized it was the same sash he'd worn at the Russells' party. Rhea grinned, "We borrowed it from Trina." He laughed out loud when Rob approached him with a crown for his head.

He hadn't seen them arrive but at some point Eva, Caleb, their kids and the Powells arrived and he greeted them happily. Before they all sat down, glasses filled with sparkling cider were passed out to the children, Lina, Bec and some of the others while the rest were given champagne.

When everyone had a glass, Dad stood up, "I told Duck the first toast is mine. I transferred him to the Navy Yard, I trained him, I tortured him for 10 years and I think that entitles me to some toasting! Timothy, congratulations on your achievements despite my efforts (there was a collective chuckle at that). I'm prouder than I know how to say and at least I can take credit for getting you out of Norfolk! Congratulations!"

There was a general "Hear Hear" as they sipped their drinks. Tim took a sip and then grabbed Gibbs, pulling him into an embrace. They held on and then Tim snagged Tony and reeled him in with them. The three of them reached out and pulled Ziva in, sniffling together for a bit before pulling Ducky and Jimmy in. The six of them finally broke the huddle and Tim promptly grabbed Bec, Matt, Eva and Ned into another huddle while the others cheered, celebrating the strong bonds between former teammates.

There were more toasts and cheers after as Tim toasted his family and friends. Finally they sat down to dinner, enjoying their meal: one of Tim's favorite slow cooker recipes, garlic potatoes, a salad of mixed greens and rolls. He asked who the cooks were and Claire, Liz, Tanya, Breena and Grammie raised their hands. "Thank you so much, this is delicious!"

Grammie smiled, "We used six crockpots, including yours, so it was pretty straightforward."

He looked at Tanya, "That's where you were all day!"

She grinned, "I did say I was going to spend the day in a cooking class."

He chuckled, "You sure did!" He looked around the table again and noticed there was an extra child this evening. Not Arin, he expected to see him, but now he spotted little Henry sitting on Brian's lap. He looked at his sister and brother-in-law, "Something to share?"

They grinned at him, "When we leave for home, Henry will be going with us; we'll be adopting him. It's taken us 8 months to be certified and then we had to go through extra bureaucratic nonsense because we're in New York and he's here, but the state of Virginia and the state of New York have finally agreed we may take him home with us."

There were cheers all around and as they'd done with the DiNozzos and the junior Mallards, the kids hugged and thanked the Metzgers for giving the little guy a home.

After the hoopla died down, dessert was served, a sheet cake with "Congratulations Director Tim!" written across the middle; the piping around the edges was studded with little gold colored crowns and scattered around the surface of the cake were the titles Tim had held, Agent, Special Agent, Team Lead, SAIC, SSAIC and Assistant Director.

XXX

The McGees hosted a family breakfast followed by a swim the next day. Tim was toweling off after one of the 'adult swims' when Lina sat down next to him, leaning into him. "Hey sweetie!"

"Hello my love. Our unborn children and I have a favor to ask of you."

He grinned, "What's that?"

"We…I have a craving for French Silk ice cream."

"French Silk, hmm, sounds good!"

She looked at him and he laughed, "Your wish is my command, my wife." He paused, "Might take me a while to find it. I'll take some of the kids."

"Good!"

His kids hadn't gotten back in the pool yet so he asked who wanted to go with him to buy ice cream for their mother. Zoe, Jorry, Cailey and Sean nodded enthusiastically, grabbed their towels and went back to the house to change out of their bathing suits. Before they left Tim looked up the nearest store that carried French Silk ice cream and nearly groaned when he saw it was a grocery store that would take him at least 30 minutes each way. Making a mental note to start looking as soon as possible for their new nanny/housekeeper who would run errands like this (he hoped), he got in the van with the kids and off they went. As he'd feared, it took them an hour to get there and back.

Sean remarked that it was a good thing they had the cooler with them or Mama's ice cream would have melted. Zoe grinned, "No it wouldn't; we woulda had to eat it all!" They all laughed at that.

When they pulled onto the property Tim noticed Tony and Grandfa's cars as well as Matt's. Wondering that they were still here and always happy to see his brother-in-law, he and the kids walked into the house and stashed the ice cream in the freezer. "Lina? Got your ice cream sweetie!"

He heard the pocket door of the dining room move and she appeared, "Thank you Timotheos, children! I'll have some in a little bit. Now my Tim there's something I want to show you."

"Is this why Tony, Grandfa and Matt are…"

He was following Lina and his voice trailed off as he entered the dining room. He stopped and stared and then blinked, once, twice, but they were all still there. Dad and Grandfa although he guessed they were here as Boss and Ducky, Leon, Pete, Joel, Stan, Roger, Matt, Bec, Kim, Tea, Eva, Ned, Tony, Maggie, Ziva, Jimmy, Carla, Rusty, Lydia, Rick, Jim O'Brien, Dwayne Wilson, Ted Edwards, Jack Hughes, Nick Hardister, Rose, Richard, Julian, Tobias and Ron Sacks. While he was still staring, they grinned and yelled, "Surprise!"

He started to laugh and then looked at Stan, Roger and Rusty. "Who's running Europe tomorrow?"

"London and our perfectly capable SFAs. We'll be home Tuesday and we have permission from Secretary Porter."

He grinned, "You guys better hope there's no trouble or your new Director is gonna give _you_ trouble!"

Then he waded into them, hugging, pounding backs and shoulders. He huffed at Ted, "I don't know man; this is your second trip over, you angling for a transfer?"

"To Langley? He…uh I mean no, Tim, as gosh golly terrific as that would be, I'm fine where I am!"

That brought more laughter until Tim held up a hand. "C'mon, Ted and Jack are good guys, our friends, don't know where Athens or the Hamptons would be without them! So are you all coming tomorrow?"

They nodded and he beamed, "This is awesome! Thanks to whoever's idea this was!"

Pete grinned and made a gesture to Lina, Dad and Grandfa. "These three put it all together." Tim kissed the three of them.

Kim smiled, "And your brother sent his jet for us."

Tim pulled Tony to him for a scalp knuckle rub, "Thanks man!"

He was further surprised to find a bar had been set up at the far end of the room and servers came in with trays of hors d'oeuvres; here he was in shorts, a tee shirt and flip flops! He had a great time at the party, making sure he spent some time with each of his friends. Ron grinned at him, "I remember the first time I met you, think it was one of the times we accused DiNozzo of murder. Bet you never thought this would happen!"

Tim chuckled, "Not then, not in a million years!" The party continued with a slide show of photos from various cases and teams, the ubiquitous YouTube videos and a whole lot of stories being told. When the group sat down for an early dinner, the kids came in to say hello. By early evening, the visitors said goodnight and climbed aboard their transports to the hotel they were staying in. Tim grinned, glad they'd had this today so he could spend time with them, knowing tomorrow was going to be very busy.

He tucked the kids in, thanking them for their part in the surprise and then headed to their master bedroom. He walked in to find it softly lit by dozens of small LED tea lights. Noticing they led into the bathroom, he closed the bedroom door, toed off his shoes and began stripping off his clothes. He found Lina in their large jetted tub waiting for him. Before he joined her, he leaned over and kissed her deeply.

XXX

Tim woke up as the sky was beginning to lighten, surprised that he'd slept at all. Then he remembered Lina's tender ministrations last night and smiled at his lover who, he was surprised to see, was watching him. "Good morning Director McGee."

With a wicked grin he pounced on her and when they walked downstairs to breakfast, both were relaxed and smiling. It was, Tim thought, the absolute best way to start any day but especially today, the day he would take the oath of office and formally assume the directorship of NCIS.

He was glad it was a Monday, a fresh week after a fantastic weekend and doubly glad they were doing this first thing in the morning, best to get it over with, settle in and get to work. Today that meant unpacking his office and handling whatever else came up.

Breakfast was eggs and pancakes for the rest of the family but Lina gave him eggs and toast. When he looked at her in dismay, she gave that laugh that still sent a jolt through him, saying, "Pancakes this early on a workday make you feel heavy and you don't need that today." He nodded, she was right as usual.

He showered, combed and dried his hair, got dressed in his new navy blue suit pants, freshly made by Archimedes just 3 weeks ago. He buttoned his crisp white dress shirt and picked up the tie he'd wear. Lina took it from him but draped it under his collar. When he raised his hands to tie it, she shook her head, "No, leave it for now."

He sat to put his shoes on, still wondering about the tie and mentally rehearsing the few words he'd say. Leon would be there and Tim wanted to thank him for his many years of service and the sacrifices he'd made. He wanted to call out to his dad, both as Boss _and_ Dad, for everything he'd taught him, while he'd been a member of his team and in the years since. He'd thank Tony for being willing to go forward, knowing the man would understand what he meant. He'd thank Ducky _and_ Grandfa for his unwavering guidance and affection. He'd thank Lina, his kids, Rhea, his grandmothers, the Kalivas', siblings and his fellow agents. He'd talk about the challenges they had ahead of them and more along the same line. Ok, good that was enough thinking about that. Geordie and Sarah had helped him fine tune it; it was good to go.

He thought he heard noises downstairs and Anna said Poppy and Nonnie were here. He found Dad, Rhea, Davos, Hélène, Penny, Grammie and Grandfa waiting for him. He kissed each one, saving his dad for last and the man solemnly did up his tie for him. Then Tim and Lina led the procession out the front door where the stretch limo that would carry the McGees, Gibbses, Kalivas', Penny and the Mallards was waiting. Other limos would carry the Powells, Perrys, Metzgers, Breena and the kids, Rob and the girls, Tony, the kids and the Colonel. Ned, Jimmy and Maggie were already at the office.

The children were seated already and he smiled proudly at them in their dress clothes. He hoped they wouldn't have to be trotted out and paraded too often; he vaguely remembered Kayla and Jared mentioning that when they were younger. Lina was radiant in one of his favorite color schemes and designs.

He was surprised when the Marines at the front gate of the Navy Yard saluted him; Dad said it was a tribute. They walked in through Security and Tim was touched to see their now retired friend Henry there for the occasion; he stopped to say hello and thank him for coming before proceeding to the squad room. The teams who were on call during the ceremony were working in conference rooms with the ceremony airing on their network and the large squad room had been partially cleared of cubicles and bullpens.

Tim hadn't wanted to do it, to him the bullpens, cubicles and equipment were part of their operations but SecNav insisted and they compromised on a partial clearance. Now he stood in the cleared area, in what had been Gibbs' bullpen and was now Tony's, right about where his old desk usually sat, with Lina on one side of him and his father on the other, surrounded by his children, the rest of his family and friends. As he'd said and thought on several occasions, it was more than he could have ever imagined.

Secretary Porter walked in smiling, greeting all of them before she took her place standing opposite him and nodded to Grandfa. Silence fell as he brought the Mallard family bible forward and handed it to Madam Secretary, then moved to stand with Jethro, Rhea, Penny and Maisie.

She smiled her thanks and facing Tim said, "Place your right hand on the bible and repeat after me."

Tim put his hand on the book, thankful for its solidity and repeated

…"I, Timothy Gibbs McGee, do solemnly swear…"

–The End–

Thank you all for coming along on Tim's journey!

Stay tuned for a little bit more, a peek into the future; I'll post it after the holidays. Right now the title is Finding Homes: Glimpses of the Future. There are several scenes and short stories leading to a separate one-shot sequel.


End file.
